26 Dead In Iraq Guerrilla Violence La

26 Dead in Iraq Guerrilla Violence

The LA Times reports that guerrillas launched major attacks in Baqubah and Samarra on Saturday. The US military campaign in the northern Turkmen city of Tel Afar was also continuing, and meeting less direct resistance than expected. (Only unexpected if we were expecting the guerrillas to act like an army rather than like . . . guerrillas.)

Al-Hayat puts the death toll for Saturday instead at 28.

It reports that Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Shiite parliamentary list, the United Iraqi Alliance, which dominates parliament– complained Saturday that behind the scenes member of the Arab League have been meeting with the Americans and warning them that the new constitution of Iraq strengthens Iranian influence over Iraq. He said he was disgusted by this tactic, which he maintained was designed to pressure the Shiites to be more accommodating of the demands of the the Sunni Arabs.