IRAQ Two Americans are killed in latest attacks on troops

Recruiting for the new Iraqi army will begin later this month.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Insurgents launched fresh assaults on U.S. soldiers in Iraq, killing at least two servicemen and wounding a third in shootings and rocket-propelled grenade attacks, the military said today.
A soldier was fatally shot Wednesday evening near the city of Mahmudiyah, 15 miles south of Baghdad, said Spc. Nicci Trent, a spokeswoman for the military.
Another soldier was killed and one wounded in a rocket-propelled grenade attack late Wednesday near Tikrit, 120 miles north of Baghdad, Trent said. The soldiers were taken to a nearby medical facility, but one of them died.
In the city of Ramadi, 60 miles west of the capital, three separate mortar attacks targeted U.S. troops, but there were no reports of casualties, the military said.
The military also reported that a soldier died Wednesday in what it described as a nonhostile gunshot incident. The military gave no more details. The names of the dead and wounded were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
An American soldier attached to the 101st Airborne Division died Monday in another nonhostile gunshot incident near Balad, 55 miles north of the capital. Soldiers at an air base near Balad said on condition of anonymity that the soldier had taken his own life.
Resistance
U.S. forces have come under increasing attack by insurgents loyal to Saddam Hussein in recent weeks, hampering efforts to return security to the country. The insurgents have also targeted vital infrastructure, delaying the return of vital services like electricity in the capital.
Tikrit, Saddam's hometown, and Ramadi are part of the so-called "Sunni triangle," a swath of land west and north of Baghdad across the Euphrates and Tigris rivers that has been the scene of almost daily attacks on U.S. occupation forces. The area is known to be a stronghold of Saddam supporters, although many residents deny that the former dictator still enjoys a following among them.
Capt. Michael Calvert, a spokesman for the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, which is responsible for Ramadi, said the regiment's base in a former Saddam palace by the Euphrates River received a mortar round Wednesday night. He said he knew of no casualties among troops on the base.
Saddam has not been seen since the overthrow of his regime in April, though several tapes purportedly of the ousted dictator have been aired on Arabic television. American officials are offering $25 million for information leading to the arrest of Saddam, and $15 million for each of his sons.
Weapons seized
The military, meanwhile, said it had seized several large weapons caches at checkpoints around the country.
The largest -- including 400 to 500 rocket-propelled grenades -- was found in a vehicle Tuesday on a road between Ramadi and Asad, west of the capital. The military said it had conducted more than 2,000 patrols and arrested 213 suspects since Tuesday. Most were suspected of common crimes, though some were wanted on murder charges.
Iraqi army
The U.S.-led government announced it would begin recruiting members of a new Iraqi army July 19. Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, in charge of training the new army, said the coalition hoped to have 1,000 soldiers training by August, and 12,000 by the end of the year. They hope to have 40,000 by an unspecified date in 2004.
Establishing an Iraqi army and police is a main goal of the U.S.-led provisional government, which hopes the Iraqi forces will be able to take over at least some of the country's security needs.
In Washington, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday that the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, which played a central role in capturing Baghdad in April, is beginning to withdraw from Iraq, and will be back in the United States by September.
He did not say whether the troops would be replaced by another American unit, although he said he expects thousands of international soldiers to begin operating in Iraq by late summer or early fall.
Also Wednesday, a committee of female Iraqi academics, activists and sociologists demanded a minimum of 30 percent representation for women in future city councils and the national government. The group, which calls itself the Voice of the Women of Iraq, also said it wanted greater rights and freedoms for women.