Attacks in Iraq kill 19, including U.S. soldier

Sunday, August 20, 2006 BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of pilgrims arrived on foot Saturday at a Shiite shrine in Baghdad to start a major religious commemoration as private vehicles were banned from the streets to prevent car bombings. At least 19 people, including a U.S. soldier, were killed in attacks nationwide. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki urged Iraqis to cooperate with security forces during the ceremonies marking the death in 799 of Imam Moussa ibn Jaafar al-Kadhim, one of 12 Shiite saints. Tens of thousands more Shiites were expected to visit the shrine today, when the ceremonies peak. Fearing an attack among the pilgrims, the government banned all private vehicles on the streets from Friday night until Monday morning. An American soldier was killed in combat Saturday in Anbar province, the stronghold of the Sunni Arab insurgency west of Baghdad, the U.S. military announced. At least 2,605 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. Nine people were killed Saturday in Baqouba, a major Sunni-Shiite flashpoint, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad. The victims included two professors of the Diyala University who were shot dead while returning home. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.