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U.S, attacks insurgents hiding in Fallujah slum BY JAYSON KEYSER THE.ASSOCIATE) I'ltKSS FALLUJAH, IRAQ - U S. war planes and artillery attacked Sunni insurgents holed up in a slum in a thunderous show of force that rocked Fallujah Tuesday, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the night sky. The assault came after American troops killed 64 gunmen near the southern city of Najaf. An American soldier was killed Tuesday in Baghdad, raising the U.S. death toll for April to 115—the same number lost during the inva sion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein last year. Up to 1,200 Iraqis also have been killed this month. The second straight night of battles in Fallujah came as the ex tension of a fragile cease-fire end ed in the turbulent city west of Baghdad. Marines have been preparing to begin patrols in the city later this week. Tuesday’s battle appeared far heavier than the previous night’s clashes, in which a Marine and eight insurgents were killed—sug gesting U.S. forces were trying to wear down gunmen in the Jolan neighborhood, a district of narrow alleyways and ramshackle houses. . An AC-130, a powerful gunship that can unleash a deluge of ord nance, joined 105mm howitzers in opening up on insurgent targets in the neighborhood. Gunfire and explosions reverberated for near ly: two hours, and an eerie orange glow shone over the area while showers of sparks descended like fireworks. ; Fires were visible in the Jolan neighborhood, and mosque loud ’ speakers elsewhere in the city called for firefighters. U.S. aircraft dipped white leaflets over Fallujah before nightfall, calling on insurgents to give up. ! “Surrender, you are surround ed,” the leaflets said. “If you are a terrorist, beware, because your last day was yesterday. In order to spare your life end your actions arid surrender to coalition forces PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS John D. Negroponte, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, testifies before the Senate foreign Relations Committee. now. We are coming to arrest you.” Fighting also broke out in Baghdad and in the south, where U.S. forces are in a standoff with militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who is wanted on murder charges for al legedly killing a fellow cleric. U.S. forces killed 64 Iraqis on Monday and Tuesday in battles with militiamen outside the Shiite holy city of Najaf, Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said. The United States is trying to avoid a resurgence of the intense fighting ahead of June 30 — the date for installation of a new Iraqi government. At the United Nations, U.N. en voy to Iraq Lakhdar Brahimi briefed the U.N. Security Council on plans for a caretaker govern ment that would take over from the U.S.-picked Governing Council. He also warned that there would be a “very bloody confrontation” unless an agreement was reached to end fighting in Fallujah. John Negroponte, who has been nominated as U.S. ambassador to Iraq, acknowledged Tuesday that the caretaker government would have limited powers because the Iraqi security forces were not yet strong enough. The United States would keep control of security forces, and the new government may not have the authority to pass laws, he told a Senate panel in Washington. Several U.S.-allied Iraqi leaders demanded the government receive full sovereignty. Mohsen Abdel-Hamid, a Sunni Arab on the Governing Council, said the prospect of the United States retaining some sovereign ty is “not acceptable, this is totally rejected." If the Americans do not respect agreements on giving complete sovereignty, “then the Iraqi peo ple know what route to take,” he said. Two nights of battles in Fallujah have strained U.S. at tempts to find a political way out of the siege of the city, avoiding a resumption of the full-fledged fighting that killed hundreds of Iraqis in early April. At least eight . Marines have died in the fighting. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon on Tuesday that contin uing negotiations in Fallujah was “worth the try.” ---, I STERLING UNIVERSITY Oaks i -1 252-2634 21 National Guard Rd. I Shuttle to USC FREE Tanning Pool & Hot Tub Fitness Center Success didn't go to his head, it went to his neighbor iMni in BiinisdHnM iumHIIIIHI IIK/Slimn ■11M11IM I'lllllfflllllilll iniHK 1111 111 SHI ■ | ncrunr* j rxt&ssar |rai3|»HOT«n««»auiiM«»«»l **33885* 59 /pw?**= I FOB LANGUAGE AW) SOIWI/CBUDE HUMORl COMING SOON TO THEATRES EVERYWHERE Lighten Your Loan Reduce your monthly student loan payment by up to 50% & ±4 ■ yii and make just one monthly student loan payment. 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