by peace dove
Sunday, Jul. 20, 2003 at 8:20 AM
(Photo) Thousands of Shiite Muslims protest outside the American headquarters in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday July 19, 2003, to protest reports that U.S. troops surrounded the home of a prominent cleric, Muqtada al-Sadr, in the southern holy city of Najaf. The cleric had recently denounced the U.S. hand picked "Governing Council" as illegitimate.
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U.S. Soldier Killed in Iraq
July 19, 2003
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Attackers firing guns and rocket-propelled grenades killed a U.S. soldier in Baghdad on Saturday as Washington considered asking the United Nations to help restore order in Iraq and contain a guerrilla insurgency.
A U.S. spokesman said the soldier was attacked in the early hours as he guarded a bank in western Baghdad. He was the second soldier killed in Iraq in 24 hours, bringing the number of U.S. troops to die from hostile fire to 149 -- more than the 147 killed in the 1991 Gulf War.
The spokesman said four soldiers had also been wounded in the Rashid district of Baghdad on Saturday morning when a home- made bomb was detonated near their patrol.
In another expression of Iraqi anger, more than 10,000 Shi'ite Muslim protesters marched through the capital to demand an end to alleged U.S. harassment of Shi'ite leader Moqtada al- Sadr. Sadr on Friday denounced Iraq's new U.S.-backed Governing Council, saying it did not represent the country.
Facing daily attacks, Washington may turn to the United Nations to try to persuade countries to send soldiers or share costs, running at around $4 billion a month, diplomats said.