Flit

IRAQ NOTES

From Bani Sad:

Grant has only 35 soldiers -- just 16 of them civil affairs personnel -- for the entire province, which has 1.4 million people. Cromarty is the only officer assigned to Bani Sad and the surrounding areas, which are home to about 186,000 people.

In Majar-al Kabir:

The violent demonstration - the second in two days - apparently was sparked by soldiers' searches for heavy weapons in villagers' homes, said Abu Zahraa, a 30-year-old local vendor.

In Qaim:

Rumsfeld provided little additional information about the attack, refusing to say whether U.S. forces crossed the Syrian border or explain why five Syrian border guards injured in the fighting remain in U.S. custody. "Borders are, you know, not always distinct in life," Rumsfeld said.