PESTILENCE IN IRAQ AGAIN

REBUILT 3RD TEMPLE

REVELATION 11:1-2
1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

DANIEL 9:27
27 And he( THE EU PRESIDENT) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: (1X7=7 YEARS) and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,(3 1/2 yrs in TEMPLE SACRIFICES STOPPED) and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until theconsummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

PASSOVER DAY 6 IN ISRAEL SCRIPTURES. (NISAN 19) APR 7,07

TORAH

NUMBER 28:16-25
16 And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks,and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:
20 And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;
21 A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.
23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
24 After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
25 And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

PROPHETS

EZEKIEL 37:1-14
1 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,
2 And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry.
3 And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest.
4 Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.
5 Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live:
6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.
8 And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.
9 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.
10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.
11 Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts.
12 Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
13 And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves,
14 And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the LORD have spoken it, and performed it, saith the LORD.

PASSOVER DAY 2 AROUND THE WORLD. JESUS PREPARES THE WORLD FOR HIS RESURRECTION.

MATTHEW 27:62-66
62 Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63 Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver (JESUS) said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65 Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66 So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.

OTHER NEWS AROUND THE WORLD. NISAN 19, APR 07,07

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS.2-Tsunami toll set to rise in Solomons. 3-The Nation's Weather. 4-Freak snow storm hits Maine, triggers emergency. 5-Selkirk residents fearing more flooding keep tabs on properties. 6-Kabbalist Elder: Israel on Brink of War. 7-N. American Jewish Sites Bombed and Vandalized Over Passover. 8-Chlorine truck bomber kills 27 in Ramadi.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Sat Apr 7 11:30 AM EDT

APR 07,07
MAP 3.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 2.7 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.7 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA
MAP 5.2 LOYALTY ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 LOYALTY ISLANDS
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 6.0 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.1 SOUTHWEST INDIAN RIDGE
MAP 5.2 MERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 2.5 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 5.2 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION
MAP 3.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 3.3 SOUTHERN YUKON TERRITORY, CANADA

APR 06,07
MAP 2.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.0 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 3.3 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 ICELAND REGION
MAP 5.9 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 4.8 KEPULAUAN TANIMBAR REGION, INDONESIA
MAP 5.0 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 3.0 KENAI PENINSULA, ALASKA
MAP 5.4 SOUTHERN PERU
MAP 4.2 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 3.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.0 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.6 ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE
MAP 3.8 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.9 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 5.5 SOLOMON ISLANDS
MAP 5.2 SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS
MAP 5.0 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.6 SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE
MAP 3.4 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.7 TENNESSEE
MAP 2.5 ARKANSAS

APR 05,07
MAP 4.1 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.9 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.9 VANUATU
MAP 2.7 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 2.6 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 4.6 KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.8 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 4.5 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.1 BURYATIYA, RUSSIA
MAP 4.8 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.5 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.0 BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
MAP 6.3 AZORES ISLANDS REGION
MAP 2.5 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 5.2 FIJI REGION
MAP 2.5 ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII
MAP 3.5 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 3.2 CENTRAL ALASKA
MAP 2.8 ALASKA PENINSULA
MAP 4.6 FIJI REGION

Tsunami toll set to rise in Solomons By Walter Nalangu
Fri Apr 6, 1:39 AM ET

HONIARA (Reuters) - The flow of aid to the Solomon Islands accelerated on Friday as military aircraft ferried in supplies after a powerful earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed dozens and smashed villages. At least 34 are known to have died but the death toll is expected to rise sharply with up to 100 people still missing. Bad weather was also hampering relief shipments to remote islands.

There are many more people missing and unaccounted for, said Alex Lokopio, premier of the Solomon's western province which was hit by Monday's tsunami and magnitude 8 earthquake.

He expected the death toll to rise sharply in the next 24 hours when officials return from isolated villages.We are preparing for a worsening of the known number of dead, Greg Hunt, parliamentary secretary to Australia's foreign minister, said on Friday.In a situation like this, many people may just disappear out there. A tsunami or giant wave in low-lying areas means we may not find some of those that have been lost, Hunt told radio.The tsunami and earthquake destroyed up to 2,500 homes and left an estimated 5,500 people displaced, says the Solomons government.More than 2,000 people too afraid to return to their homes are crowded into one camp on high ground near the Western Provincial capital of Gizo, which bore the full force of the quake and tsunami.

The Solomons has about 500,000 people scattered across a string of small islands along the Pacific's Ring of Fire, where volcanic activity and earthquakes are common. Most Solomon Islanders live on subsistence agriculture and fishing.

While relief supplies continued to arrive, shortages of clean drinking water, adequate sanitation and medicines and materials to prevent malaria were the biggest causes of concern, a government official said on Friday.Local health authorities expected a surge in the number of mosquito breeding sites and the World Health Organisation expects the number of malaria cases to rise over the next two months.

The reopened Gizo airport has accelerated the arrival of supplies from the Australian and New Zealand air forces.Australian medical teams and aid, including treated mosquito nets and clean water, arrived in the Solomons on Friday and a mobile health team focused on disease prevention and sanitation will depart Australia on Friday.But for many isolated villagers aid is still days away and bad
weather is hampering aid reaching them. The only way for aid to reach many of the tiny islands was by boat, but many motorized canoes had been swept away by Monday's disaster.It would take time to reach those people. The islands are so scattered, said government spokesman Alfred Maesulia.

Australia has offered A$2 million ($1.6 million) in aid and help from around 100 military peacekeepers who were rotated into the country on Wednesday, taking in extra water supplies, food and shelter.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

The Nation's Weather By WEATHER UNDERGROUND, For The Associated Press
Sat Apr 7, 5:13 AM ET

Unseasonably low temperatures will persist in the eastern half of the country Saturday, with scattered snow showers expected in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes regions.

Temperatures in the 20s and 30s are expected in the northern Plains and upper Midwest, while highs in the 30s and 40s are likely in the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley.The Northeast is expected to get temperatures in the 30s and 40s, while the Southeast should see temperatures in the 50s and 60s.

As the day progresses, moisture is expected to push through Texas and toward the central Gulf Coast, bringing rain mixed with sleet to the region.It should be warm in the West, with high temperatures west of the Rockies expected to range from the 60s to the 90s.Northern California and western parts of Washington and Oregon could get rain later Saturday.Temperatures in the lower 48 states Friday ranged from a low of 1 degrees at Grand Marais, Minn., to a high of 101 degrees at Death Valley, Calif.

Freak snow storm hits Maine, triggers emergency Thu Apr 5, 4:31 PM ET

BOSTON (Reuters) - A freak spring storm blanketed parts of Maine in nearly a foot of snow on Thursday, snarling traffic and forcing the governor to declare an emergency after at least 275,000 homes and businesses lost power.

Gov. Jim Baldacci's emergency declaration allows Maine to seek help from utility crews in neighboring states and Canadian provinces to restore power.If there are people who are vulnerable or who could be at risk, please let them know that there are warming stations and shelter availability, Baldacci said in a statement.The city of Portland received 11.6 inches, making the snow storm the ninth-biggest on record for April, said Art Lester of the National Weather Service's bureau in Maine.It's unusual but not unprecedented, he said. April is a month when we do expect to get some snow. Sometimes we get a bomb like this.

Selkirk residents fearing more flooding keep tabs on properties
Friday, April 6, 2007 | 5:17 PM CT CBC News

Premier Gary Doer toured flooded parts of Selkirk, Man., on Friday afternoon, as residents and officials kept a watch on about 20 local properties that could be affected.A flash-flood watch has been expanded to cover parts of the Red River north from Netley Creek to Breezy Point, according to a release from the provincial water stewardship department.A large ice jam two kilometres long rapidly forced river levels up to historic levels north of Winnipeg on Wednesday night, sending water over its banks into Selkirk and flooding several low-lying properties.

I know we're going to get through it.

Selkirk Mayor David BellWhile the rest of the infrastructure is fine and the streets are dry, Mayor David Bell said Friday the city has sandbagged one property and was keeping tabs on a number of others because of flooding concern.We are very watchful of approximately 20 properties located along the river, he said.Bell said the flooding has not changed much since Thursday, as city crews work non-stop to repair a damaged pumping station. The damage has forced the city to pump sewage into the Red River.

We want to, you know, mitigate our circumstances in terms of pumping stations, our lift stations, he said.We don't really want to be pumping straight into the Red either but that being said, you do what you have to do under these circumstances for the short term.

The overflowing river has flooded low-lying properties, including the underground garages of two senior condominium buildings and the Marine Museum of Manitoba. Flooding is expected to continue until the ice jam moves north, hopefully sometime over the weekend.About 100 seniors were evacuated from the buildings Wednesday night, while museum officials grapple with how they can recover ships and artifacts now under water and sewage.Still, the mayor said he is maintaining a positive attitude. He noted that merchants, including local Wal-Mart and Rona stores, have donated items such as hygiene kits for anyone who was forced from home without having time to pack.

I know we're going to get through it …, Bell said.

I'm very comfortable with all the help and the situation that's happened here for us. From Wal-Mart, to Rona Revy, to the other merchants, just the goodwill of people. It's amazing.River levels north of the ice jam from the Provincial Trunk Highway 4 bridge to McIvor Road have risen about nine centimetres in the past 24 hours, while levels at the town bridge at Selkirk have dropped about 30 centimetres. Levels near the Selkirk air base have risen three centimetres.In Winnipeg, river levels have risen only slightly, dropping at some points.

Kabbalist Elder: Israel on Brink of War
by Baruch Gordon APR 7,07 (INN)

A highly-regarded kabbalist elder from Bnei Barak has issued a warning that the next war in Israel is on the way. Rabbi Eliyahu Leon Levi, who frequents the Western Wall every Saturday night to recite Psalms and teach Torah, told his students that there is an evil decree of war looming on the horizon.

According to the Rabbi, Syria is liable to join Lebanon in firing missiles at the Jewish State in the pending war. The missiles will have a much greater range and carry much larger warheads than katyusha rockets...The missiles will have a much greater range and carry much larger warheads than the katyusha rockets fired against Israel this past summer in the Second Lebanon War which claimed some 156 lives, he noted. It's not going to be katyushas shmatyushas this time which have only tens of kilograms of explosives. The enemy will launch, G-d forbid, rockets carrying 500 and 600 kilograms of explosives, Rabbi Levi told his students.

On several occasions, Rabbi Levi first alerted Israeli military authorities of security threats and movements of massive amounts of enemy weapons, that were subsequently verified by IDF intelligence. The kabbalist Rabbi said just before the Passover holiday that he does not want to cause panic, but suggested that the Israeli public stock up on two weeks of water, food supplies, candles and matches in case the delivery of basic commodities is disrupted. Rabbi Levi said that though Israel may, G-d forbid, pay a heavy price initially, the Jewish People would muster strength to crush their enemies leading to a great sanctification of G-d's name through ultimate victory.He emphasized that the decree can be annulled through prayer, repentance, and good deeds. In the spiritual world, things can rapidly change. But right now, it appears that war could break out soon after or even during the Passover holiday. Rabbi Levi said that the allocation of food to the needy and the great acts of charity which preceded the Passover holiday made a great impression in the heavenly court and sweetened the judgment to a degree.

We are on the brink of redemption, and a great war is coming. he said. Whoever doesn't prepare himself spiritually is at great risk. A person must turn to G-d in prayer and cry and confess his wrongdoings, and rectify his ways. A person must recite Psalms as we do every Saturday night here at the site of our holy temple. The recitation of Psalms constitutes a spiritual rinsing of the mouth from idle talk, as well as from the transgression of causing others pain through our speech. Come with your children to cry and pray before G-d and ask forgiveness.Rabbi Levi said that once the rockets start falling, it is too late for a person to wake up and begin to rectify his ways. Now is the time to ask for mercy. If one doesn't do so, G-d have mercy on his soul - there will be problems.

Rabbi Levi said that those who recite Tikun Hatzot (the Midnight Rectification) along with a Tikun Yesod (rectification of the covenant of sexual purity) will have an invincible shield of protection (ohr makif) around him.

Rabbi Eliyahu Leon Levi recites Tikun Hatzot at the Kotel Tzvi Fishman.The kabbalist pointed to sexual wrongdoing, immodest dress, and addiction to pornography on the internet as additional factors which bring about harsh decrees on Israel. Articles by Rabbi Eliahu Leon Levi translated into English appear on JewishSexuality.com.

N. American Jewish Sites Bombed and Vandalized Over Passover
by Ezra HaLevi APR 7,07

A Jewish center in the Canadian city of Montreal was targeted in a bomb attack, and a synagogue in San Francisco, California was defaced with swastikas during the first days of the Passover festival.

The bomb detonated at Montreals Ben Weider Jewish Community Center failed to cause any injuries or deaths, though workers were present at the time of the explosion. Damage was caused to the building.Montreal police downplayed the incident, emphasizing that the bomb was homemade and saying they have not yet determined whether it was a hate crime.

The bombing comes just two days before the third anniversary of the firebomb attack on a Montreal United Talmud Torah elementary school. That attack burned the schools library.Another Jewish school was firebombed last year. Bnai Brith Canada reports a 70 percent rise in anti-Jewish attacks in Quebec and a 12.8 percent rise in all of Canada.

Swastikas in San Francisco

San Franciscos Emanu-El synagogue, the largest in the city, was defaced with swastikas over the Passover festival. Congregants discovered the vandalism Monday morning.San Franciscos mayor condemned the Nazi graffiti. San Francisco is known as a city that embraces people of all faiths, Mayor Gavin Newsom told CBS news. We strongly condemn this act of hatred and intolerance.

In the heavily-Jewish populated Bergen County region of New Jersey, swastikas and anti-Jewish graffiti were found engraved into the playground of a Wallington park on Passover eve.Bergen County Police spokesman Kevin Hartnett said, We run into graffiti in the parks all the time, but we don't see these types of possible bias crimes often.

Anti-Jewish Arabic Graffiti on Chicago Synagogue

Chicago police are investigating the Passover eve spraying of graffiti on the walls of a Chicago synagogue. Anti-Israel messages, including Death to Israel, were painted in English and in Arabic.

This is what American Jews have to look forward to. You can hear the deafening silence, said Jack Berger, a Chicago Jewish community leader. Ahmed Rahab, director of the Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic relations, condemned the act as reprehensible.

Anti-Jewish Sketches at Princeton U

A rough drawing of a building labeled Jewish library with missiles headed toward it was found in a Princeton University common room. Also in the path of the missiles were stick figures labeled little Jews. A swastika graced the top of the sketch.Jewish students presume the drawing is a reference to a Jewish fundraising drive for an elementary school in northern Israel damaged during the Second Lebanon War last summer.

Chlorine truck bomber kills 27 in Ramadi By BASSEM MROUE, Associated Press Writer APR 6,07

BAGHDAD - A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas crashed into a police checkpoint in western Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people and wounding dozens, police in the Anbar provincial capital said. In the deep south of the country, the Basra police commander said the type of roadside bomb used in an attack that killed four British soldiers on Thursday had not been seen in the region previously. Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Moussawi's description of the deadly weapon indicated it was a feared Iranian-designed explosively formed penetrator.Two more of the bombs were discovered planted along routes heavily traveled by U.S. and British diplomats in Basra. Weeks earlier, the American military had claimed Iran was supplying Shiite militia fighters in Iraq with the powerful weapons, known as EFPs. They hurl a molten, fist-sized copper slug capable of piercing armored vehicles.

The bombing in Anbar province marked the ninth use of suicide chlorine bombs in the sprawling, mainly desert territory that has been a stronghold of the Sunni insurgency.Recently, however, many Anbar tribes have switched allegiance, with large numbers of military-age men joining the police force and Iraqi army in a bid to expel al-Qaida in Iraq fighters. Suicide bombings are an al-Qaida trademark.
Some bystanders had trouble breathing after Friday's chlorine attack and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, said police Maj. Jubair Rashid al-Nayef. Others with more serious injuries were taken to a U.S. base in the area, and then flown by helicopter to a larger hospital north of Baghdad, al-Nayef said.Police Maj. Mohammed Mahmoud al Nattah, member of the Anbar Salvation council, told state-run Iraqiya television the bomber hit a residential complex and dozens of wounded were taken to the Ramadi hospital.

Police opened fire as the suicide car bomber sped toward a checkpoint, three miles west of the city, according to police Col. Tariq al-Dulaimi. Nearby buildings were heavily damaged and police were searching the rubble for more victims.South of Baghdad, Iraqi forces backed by American paratroopers swept into a troubled, predominantly Shiite city before dawn, and the U.S. military said as many as six militia fighters had been killed.Lt. Col. Scott Bleichwehl, a U.S. military spokesman, said eight others were wounded and five detained. There were no reports of civilian casualties in the assault on Diwaniyah, he said.Residents reported heavy fighting between the U.S. and Iraqi forces and gunmen of the Mahdi Army militia in the city, 80 miles south of Baghdad.

Dr. Hameed Jaafi, the director of Diwaniyah Health Directorate, said an American helicopter fired on a house in the Askari neighborhood, seriously wounding 12 people as the early morning assault began.

Bleichwehl said there were no U.S. air strikes either by helicopters or planes.

Also Thursday, the U.S. military confirmed an American helicopter carrying nine people had been downed south of Baghdad and that four were injured.An Iraqi army official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns, said the helicopter crashed after coming under fire near the Sunni insurgent stronghold of Latifiyah, about 20 miles south of Baghdad. The U.S. military did not confirm that account.It was the ninth U.S. helicopter to go down in Iraq this year. The U.S. military has studied new evasive techniques, fearing insurgents have acquired more sophisticated weapons or have figured out how to use their arms in new and effective ways.The four British soldiers including two women were killed Thursday as the American military announced the deaths of nine more U.S. soldiers since Tuesday.

The Basra region police commander, al-Moussawi, said two similar bombs had been discovered Friday morning; one was discovered on the road leading to Basra Palace, the compound that houses a British base and the British and U.S. consulates. A second was uncovered in the western Hayaniyah district where Thursday's attack occurred. The area is known as a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, a militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The reported deaths of the American forces and the bomb attack on the British unit marked the start of the eighth week of the joint U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown in Baghdad and surrounding territory. Prime Minister Tony Blair called the Basra attack an act of terrorism and suggested it may have been the work of militiamen linked to Iran. He stopped short of accusing Tehran, however. Now it is far too early to say that the particular terrorist act that killed our forces was an act committed by terrorists that were backed by any elements of the Iranian regime, so I make no allegation in respect of that particular incident, Blair said. He added, however, This is maybe the right moment to reflect on our relationship with Iran.

The U.S. military reported Saturday that one American soldier was killed and a second wounded in shooting in Kirkuk province. One U.S. soldier died and two were wounded in a roadside bombing Thursday in restive Diyala province north of Baghdad, the military said. Four others died Wednesday in two roadside bomb explosions in southern Baghdad and north of the capital, while a fifth was killed by small-arms fire in the eastern part of the city. Two other soldiers were killed by small-arms fire on Tuesday one in eastern Baghdad and another on foot patrol in the southern outskirts of the capital.