American forces are calling this weekend’s fighting in Iraq the bloodiest since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Ambushes in the city of Samarra started gunfights that left dozens of Iraqis dead and call into question the U.S. military’s recent announcement that attacks on U.S. forces are down.
But just as troubling are the increased numbers of roadside attacks on coalition partners. In the last few days, South Korea, Japan, Spain and Columbia lost nationals in what officials are calling a new campaign aimed at undermining international support for the U.S.-led occupation. And while those governments are vowing to stay the course, one wonders how further attacks could impact that commitment.
Guests:
John Shattuck, CEO of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation and author of “Freedom on Fire: Human Rights Wars and America’s Response”
Brian Bennett, Time magazine reporter in Baghdad
Jim Wurst, New York Correspondent for UN Wire.