From Falluja to Mosul

Thousands of peshmerga have poured into [Mosul], partly to protect party offices, but also to protect the Kurdish minority, and the Christian, Turkoman and Yezidi communities.

Their presence has angered many of the majority Sunni Arab community and raised the prospect of a wider conflict between Arabs and Kurds.

Mosul lies to the west of the Kurdish-ruled area but is regarded by US commanders and Kurdish leaders as crucial to the Kurdish region's stability.

"It's especially important for Iraq, the north and the Kurdish leaders to recognise that their security is dependent on the security in Mosul," General Ham said.

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Three peshmerga were killed and seven injured when their convoy was attacked on the main road...

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The fighters, under the command of the Kurdistan Democratic party, led by Massoud Barzani, were on their way to protect the party offices in Mosul, which have come under frequent attack since a two-day uprising this month.

The deputy governor, Khasro Gouran, a Kurd, was attacked as he was leaving his office. One of his bodyguards was killed and two people, including his brother, were wounded.

Mosul, Iraq's third largest city, has been simmering for the past fortnight, since nine police stations were captured by insurgents.

Up to 3,200 of the city's 4,000 police officers either deserted or joined the insurgents during the attacks.

  Iraq Net article

Seventeen more bodies were found in Mosul, a US military spokesman said, bringing to almost 60 the number of men [mostly belonging to members of Iraq's security forces] executed and dumped on the streets of the northern city in the past 10 days.

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US military commanders say insurgents want to demoralise the country's fledgling security forces in the city, much as they did earlier this month by killing police and torching their stations, prompting most of the 5,000-strong force to quit.

  Iraq Net article

The White House has a banner the insurgents could probably get cheap, used only once on the USS Lincoln.