Operation Iraqi Freedom/External links: Year Two (March 19, 2004 through April 10, 2004)

This file -- Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two -- covers the time period from March 19, 2004, the one-year anniversary of the commencement of hostilities in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom) through April 10, 2004.


 * For Year Two external links see:
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two (April 11 through April 30, 2004)
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two (May 2004)
 * Operation Iraqi Freedom: Year Two (June 2004)

Also see Task Bar for more links.

March 19-31, 2004

 * Note that, since the beginning of 2004, 94 U.S. soldiers have died in a total of 80 days in Iraq, which is more than 1 soldier per day, March 20, 2004.
 * Mike Carlton, "The Year of Delusion," Sydney Morning Herald, March 20, 2004. Also here.
 * Glenn Kessler, "Clarke's Critique Reopens Debate on Iraq War. Administration Strongly Resists View That Invasion Undermined War on Terrorism," Washington Post, March 28, 2004. See Richard A. Clarke and National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States: Testimony for details.
 * Sewell Chan, "9 Killed in Separate Attacks in Iraq. Bodies of 4 Contractors Brutalized; Five U.S. Soldiers Killed by Roadside Bomb," Washington Post, March 31, 2004.
 * Sewell Chan, "Roadside Bombs Kill 2 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq. In Najaf, Spanish Troops Disperse Demonstrators," Washington Post, March 31, 2004.
 * Robert Burns, "March Proves Deadly Month for GIs in Iraq," AP, March 31, 2004: "At least 48 U.S. troops died in Iraq during March, up from 21 in February and 46 in January. ... November was the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces, with 82 dead."

April 2004
'''Many of the articles which follow are related to the Shiite Muslim uprising in Iraq. Also see Iraqi unified resistance.'''


 * Sewell Chan, "U.S. Civilians Mutilated in Iraq Attack. 4 Die in Ambush; 5 Soldiers Killed By Roadside Blast," Washington Post, April 1, 2004.
 * Sewell Chan, "Descent Into Carnage in a Hostile City. In Fallujah, Mob Unleashes Its Rage," Washington Post, April 1, 2004.
 * Philip Kennicott, "In Iraq, Looking Through The Unfiltered Lens of Hatred," Washington Post, April 1, 2004.
 * Mike Allen and Paul Farhi, "Progress Is Ongoing in Iraq, White House Says. Civilian Deaths Condemned as Administration Calls for U.S. to Show Resolve," Washington Post, April 1, 2004.
 * "Four Deaths in Falluja," New York Times, April 2, 2004.
 * James Dao, "Private U.S. Guards Take Big Risks for Right Price," New York Times, April 2, 2004.
 * Bob Herbert, "No End in Sight," New York Times Op-Ed, April 2, 2004.
 * Dennis Rahkonen, "'Fallujah: Graveyard of the Bush presidency'," Smirking Chimp, April 2, 2004.
 * Suzanne Goldberg, "Broken US troops face bigger enemy at home. A stretched Pentagon is sending unfit soldiers back to Iraq long before they are ready to serve again," Guardian/UK, April 3, 2004.
 * "U.S. may send more troops to Iraq," AP, April 5, 2004.
 * Byron Williams, "Did we not see this coming? Fallujah horror is more than 'uptick' in conflict -- it's a predictable consequence of failed diplomacy," Working for Change, April 5, 2004.
 * David Morris, "The hidden cost of war. What the Pentagon isn't telling you about friendly fire," Salon, April 5, 2004.
 * Helen Thomas, "Iraq War Becoming a Quagmire," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 6, 2004.
 * Julian Borger and Jonathan Steele, "On the brink of anarchy," Guardian/UK, April 6, 2004.
 * Pamela Constable, "U.S. and Iraqi Forces Seal Off Fallujah as Operation Looms," Washington Post, April 6, 2004.
 * Henza Hendawi, "12 Marines, 66 Iraqis Killed in Battles," AP, April 6, 2004.
 * Jeffrey Gettleman and Douglas Jehl, "Fierce Fighting With Sunnis and Shiites Spreads to 6 Iraqi Cities," New York Times, April 7, 2004.
 * Anthony Shadid, "U.S. Forces Take Heavy Losses As Violence Spreads Across Iraq. About a Dozen Marines Killed; Foreigners, Scores of Iraqis Die," Washington Post, April 7, 2004.
 * Bassem Mroue and Abdul-Qader Saadi, "Marines Battle Insurgents in Fallujah," AP, April 7, 2004.
 * "Rumsfeld says US facing 'serious problem' in Iraq," AFP, April 7, 2004.
 * "IRAQ: Violating the Powell Doctrine," St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 7, 2004.
 * Colin Freeman, "Al-Mahdi's ranks swell with young poor," The Scotsman, April 7, 2004.
 * Robert Scheer, "Creating the enemy. It's the beginning of the end for the U.S. in Iraq, and no amount of Bush spin can hide that," Salon, April 7, 2004.
 * Helen Thomas, "Bush Sr. Has Questions To Answer On Iraq. 'H.W.' Speaks Of 'Progress,' 'Miracle' In Iraq Despite Carnage," The Boston Channel, April 7, 2004.
 * Greg Mitchell, "Good Morning, Vietnam!," Editor & Publisher, April 8, 2004.
 * Robert Novak, "Where does the U.S. find more troops?," Houston Chronicle, April 8, 2004: "The [Sunday New York Times Book] review of In the Company of Soldiers by Washington Post war correspondent Rick Atkinson reveals the ridiculously low estimate made by the Pentagon's civilian leadership of troops needed in Iraq." See Milt Bearden's "Iraqi Insurgents Take Page from Afghan Soviet Resistance" (November 9, 2003).
 * Bassem Mroue and Adbul-Qader Saadi, "Hospital Chief: Over 280 Iraqis Killed," AP, April 8, 2004.
 * Audrey McAvoy, "Iraq Violence Tests Resolve of U.S. Allies," AP, April 8, 2004.
 * Linda Sieg, "Iraq Fighting Has U.S. Asian Allies on Edge," Reuters, April 8, 2004.
 * "Iraq turning worse,", Korea Herald Op-Ed, April 8, 2004.
 * Bradley Graham, "Rotation Reassessed as Toll Spikes," Washington Post, April 8, 2004: "U.S. forces have suffered their bloodiest week in Iraq since just before the fall of Baghdad a year ago, reporting 40 combat deaths in the seven days from March 31 to April 6."
 * Maureen Dowd, "The Iraqi Inversion," New York Times, April 8, 2004.
 * Howard Lafranchi, "US Falling Deeper and Deeper into Iraq Quagmire," Christian Science Monitor, April 8, 2004.
 * Harold Meyerson, "Death Grip. Things in Iraq are bad and getting worse. Will -- or can -- Bush let go?," The American Prospect, April 8, 2004.
 * Robert Dreyfuss, "Getting Us Out," Tom Paine, April 8, 2004: "Remember March 1968!"
 * Charles Cutter, "Alice in Bremerland," Cutter's Way, April 8, 2004.
 * Michael Hirsh, "The Issue Is Iraq. Finding out what happened on 9/11 is vital. But the real question is whether Bush has botched the war on terror," Newsweek, April 8, 2004.
 * Katherine Pfleger Shrader, "Experts, officials concerned about growing violence, unrest in Iraq," AP, April 8, 2004.
 * Robert Fisk, "The War's One Simple Truth. Iraqis Do Not Want Us," CounterPunch, April 8, 2004.
 * "U.S. says one Iraqi city recaptured from militia. But Fallujah still tense as U.S. attempts to organize a cease-fire," MSNBC News Services, April 9, 2004.
 * Dana Milbank and Robin Wright, "Powell Calls U.S. Casualties 'Disquieting'," Washington Post, April 9, 2004.
 * "Iraq in Turmoil on Anniversary of Saddam's Fall," Reuters, April 9, 2004.
 * "U.S. Suspends Offensive Operations in Falluja," AP, April 9, 2004.
 * Pamela Constable, "Marines Try to Quell 'a Hotbed of Resistance'," Washington Post, April 9, 2004.
 * Alf Young, "How is Bush going to get himself out of this mess?," The Herald (Glasgow), April 9, 2004.
 * Robert Parry, "Bush's Tet," Consortium News, April 9, 2004.
 * Martin Woollacott, "Now it is America that desperately needs rescuing. The limits of raw military power are being learned again in Iraq," Guardian/UK, April 9, 2004.
 * Ewen MacAskill, "A coalition showing signs of fracture. Strategy Insurgents are targeting forces of smaller countries, exposing the weaknesses in the Pentagon's plans," Guardian/UK, April 9, 2004.
 * Jonathan Steele, "Marooned and bewildered, Polish troops watch Shia militias on patrol. Coalition forces marooned as pilgrims head for holy city," Guardian/UK, April 9, 2004.
 * Sami Ramadani, "Iraqis told them to go from day one. Resistance will continue to spread until the occupation ends," Guardian/UK, April 9, 2004.
 * Thomas E. Ricks and Sewell Chan, "General May Bolster Force in Iraq; Militias Kidnap a Dozen Foreigners. Fighting Continues; Troop Deployments May Be Extended," Washington Post, April 9, 2004.
 * David Rennie, "US commander will not take blame for unrest," Telegraph/UK, April 9, 2004.
 * "At Least Nine Dead in Attack on U.S. Convoy in Iraq", "Iraq in Turmoil on Anniversary of Saddam's Fall," and "U.S. Combat Death Toll in Iraq Rises to 455", Reuters, April 9, 2004.
 * Dan Murphy, "In Iraq, a 'perfect storm'. A series of events has triggered the bloodiest crisis to date for US forces in postwar Iraq," Christian Science Monitor, April 9, 2004.
 * "Marchers break through US roadblocks," news.com (Australia), April 9, 2004.
 * Robert H. Reid, "Quick U.S. Departure From Iraq Could Encourage Terrorism, Threaten Middle East for Years. An AP News Analysis," April 9, 2004.
 * Lourdes Navarro, "U.S. Forces Retaking Kut; Gunfire Undercuts Halt in Fighting in Fallujah," AP, April 9, 2004.
 * H.D.S. Greenway, "Is America facing an Iraqi intifadah?," Boston Globe Opinion, April 9, 2004.
 * Peter W. Galbraith, "Caught by surprise," Boston Globe Op-Ed, April 9, 2004.
 * Stephen Graham, "Afghan Warlord's Troops Overrun City (Kabul)," AP, April 9, 2004.
 * Daniel Schorr, "Time to dust off the 'Q-word' for Iraq?," Christian Science Monitor, April 9, 2004.
 * Eleanor Clift, "No Apologies. Condi never expressed remorse during her 9/11 testimony. And Bush can't bring himself to admit he was wrong about Iraq. Welcome to a quagmire," Newsweek, April 9, 2004.
 * Robert Alt, "Tet II? There's a similarity," National Review, April 9, 2004.
 * "Iraq Shiite radical tells Bush to withdraw troops or face revolution," AFP, April 9, 2004: "Outlawed Shiite Muslim radical leader Moqtada Sadr branded US President George W. Bush an 'enemy' and told him to withdraw his troops from Iraq or face a revolution."
 * Pauline Jelinek, "U.S. Response in Iraq May Inspire Enemies," AP, April 9, 2004: "With each new battle in Iraq, two things are tallied: The enemy killed and the enemy created." See Milt Bearden's "highlights one of the U.S. military's worst dilemmas."
 * Ehsan Ahrari, "The making of hell in Iraq," Asia Times, April 10, 2004.
 * "Report: Four Americans, Two Italians Kidnapped," Fox News, April 10, 2004. Report is unconfirmed.
 * Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei, "Bush's Low Profile Questioned as Violence Flares in Iraq," Washington Post, April 10, 2004: "Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (Del.), ... said Bush is 'absolutely' losing the public at a quickening pace. ... We are on the verge of losing control of Iraq.'"
 * Karl Vick and Sewell Chan, "U.S. Troops Battle to Retake Cities. Clerics Call For Uprising; Iraqi Council Dissent Grows," Washington Post, April 10, 2004: "Six foreign civilians, including four Americans, were reported kidnapped."
 * Pamela Constable, "'Expect Snipers on All Minarets'. Patrolling Fallujah by Foot, Marines Who Sought Friendships Now Face Elusive Enemies," Washington Post, April 10, 2004.
 * Scott Wilson, "In Mideast, Anger and Solidarity. Arabs Praise Iraqi Insurgents, Condemn U.S. Occupation," Washington Post, April 10, 2004.
 * John F. Burns, "Fighting Halts Briefly in Falluja; U.S. Convoy Hit Near Baghdad," New York Times, April 10, 2004: "Two American soldiers and an unknown number of civilian contractors were missing Friday after their convoy was attacked at midday, a military spokesman said."
 * Lee Keath, "Gunship hits Fallujah after women, children flee," AP, April 10, 2004.
 * Juan Cole Comments, April 10, 2004.
 * "US Troops Pull out of Major Centers as Iraqi Security Forces and Interim Government Buckle," DEBKAfile, April 10, 2004.
 * Pete Yost, "Bush: Iraqi Insurgents 'A Small Faction'," AP, April 10, 2004.
 * "Iraq group says has 30 foreign hostages," Reuters, April 10, 2004.
 * Lourdes Navarro and Bassem Mroue, U.S. asks insurgents to join cease-fire," AP, April 10, 2004: U.S. military's death toll... stood at 46 after the killing of a Marine on Friday in Fallujah. ... than 460 Iraqis--including more than 280 in Fallujah, ... At least 647 U.S. soldiers have died in Iraq since the war began in March 2003."