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Spike in fighting brings U.S. death toll to 1,000 By HAMZA HENDAWI THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BAGHDAD, Iraq — U.S. military deaths in the Iraq campaign passed 1,000 Tuesday, an Associated Press tally showed, as a spike in fighting with Sunni and Shiite insurgents killed seven Americans in the Baghdad area. The count of 1,002 includes 999 U.S. troops and three civilians, two working for the U.S. Army and one for the Air Force. The tally was compiled by the AP based on Pentagon records and AP reporting from Iraq. It includes deaths from hostile and non-hostile causes since President Bush launched the Iraq campaign in March 2003 to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. The grim milestone was surpassed after a spike in fighting, which has killed 16 American service members in the past two days. Two soldiers died in clashes Tuesday with militiamen loyal to rebel Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Five other Americans died Tuesday in separate attacks, mostly in the Baghdad area. Seven Marines were killed Monday in a suicide car bombing north of Fallujah. Two soldiers were killed in a mortar attack Sunday. West of the capital, U.S. warplanes swooped low over Fallujah Tuesday in airstrikes after seven Marines and three Iraqi soldiers were killed the day before in a car-bombing near the Sunni insurgent-controlled city. A group linked to Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Tawhid and Jihad, posted a statement on a militant Web site claiming responsibility for the attack, describing it as “a martyr operation ... that targeted American soldiers and their mercenary apostate collaborators from the Iraqi army.” During a news conference at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld anticipated the tally would soon surpass 1,000 and I sought to play down the milestone “When combined with U.S. losse in other theaters in the global wa on terror, we have lost well mori than a thousand already,” he said Rumsfeld said the United State and its allies would not be swayed Those who believe deaths would bi a deterrent, he said “underestimated our country, ou coalition. They have failed ti understand the character of ou people. And they certainly misreai our commander in chief.” Democrat presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry issued a statemen saying the United States joined th' friends and family of those who diet in mourning their deaths. “Today marks a tragic mileston in the war in Iraq. More than on thousand of Americas sons am daughters have made the ultimat sacrifice. Our nation honors thei service and joins with their familie and loved ones in mourning thei loss,” Kerry said. “We must never forget the pric they have paid. And we must mee our sacred obligation to all ou troops to do all we can to make th right decisions in Iraq so that we cai bring them home as soon a possible.” The Bush administration has Ion; linked the Iraq conflict to the war 01 terrorism. The Sept. 1 Commission, however, concludei that Iraq and al-Qaida did not hav a “collaborative relationship” befor the 2001 attacks on New York am Washington, and some hav questioned to what extent foreigi terror groups are involved in th anti-U.S. insurgency in Iraq. Fighting between U.S. soldier and al-Sadr’s militiamen eruptei Tuesday when U.S. officials said th cleric’s gunmen fired on American carrying out patrols in the Sadr Cit district of Baghdad. Two American died in the fighting, U.S. official said. A senior Iraqi Health Ministr official, Saad al-Amili, said 35 Iraqi were killed and 203 wounded in th Sadr City clashes. An al-Sad spokesman, Sheik Raed al-Kadhimi, . blamed “intrusive” American patrolling for provoking the ■ fighting. “Our fighters have no choice but i to return fire and to face the U.S. forces and helicopters pounding our : houses,” al-Kadhimi said in a , statement. Late Tuesday, the militia i announced a unilateral cease-fire but said it would fight back in self 1 defense. It was unclear whether the statement had any meaning since the : militia routinely defends its actions t as legitimate self-defense. : U.S. Army Capt. Brian O’Malley 1 said he was unaware of the cease-fire offer but that the area was quiet in : the early evening. “We only fire : when we are fired at, but we will not l stop our patrols or withdraw from : our positions,” he said. : At the Pentagon, Gen. Richard > Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, blamed the spike in U.S. combat deaths on an insurgency that : “is becoming more sophisticated in t its efforts to destabilize the country.” i we are aggressively seeiang ana i capturing those insurgents who are » not willing to do so themselves, but are encouraging people to commit ; suicide attacks,” Myers told i reporters Tuesday. “Make no mistake, we will continue to pursue 1 those who seek to disrupt progress : in Iraq.” i During the Sadr City fighting, 1 U.S. warplanes flew over the i sprawling neighborhood _ home to l some 2 million people. American : tanks, their turrets spinning, deployed in key intersections. > Ambulances with sirens wailing 1 rushed the wounded to hospitals as : plumes of heavy, black smoke rose i over the mainly Shiite r neighborhood. > U.S. forces appeared to be > carrying out most _ if not all _ of the fighting. No Iraqi security forces r were seen during the clashes, though > U.S. spokesmen talked of : “multinational forces” involved in r the operations. -1 LAST CHANCE Mandatory Renewal <& Treasurer's Workshops All registered student organizations must attend a Renewal Workshop. Any organizations receiving or planning to receive student activity fee funding must be represented by their Treasurer at the Treasurer's Worksop listed below. Kenewal d Treasurer's Workshop will be held on the following date: Thursday, September 9, 2004 3:00-4:30 RH322/326 Student Organization Registration Forms are due Friday, September 10th, in 227 Russell House. Budgets for the 2004-2005 academic year are due Friday, September 17th, by 4:00 pm to the Off ice of Student Government <& Student Organizations, 227 Russell House. Budget submission forms are available online at: www.sg.sc.edu/forms.htm For more information please call Cameron Burnette, Student Body Treasurer, at 777-3857. & s KARIM KADIM/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A supporter of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is framed by his weapon in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday. U.S. forces battled al-Sadr's supporters in the Baghdad slum on Tuesday, in clashes that killed 34 people, including one American soldier, and wounded 193. Sports complex on the way By JULIA SELLERS THE GAMECOCK Northeast Columbia is getting an indoor sports complex this November. Plex Indoor Sports is building an 86,000 square-foot facility for Columbia and the surrounding area. Located off Clemson and Two Notch roads, the complex will feature basketball courts, three indoor soccer fields, a in line hockey arena, a 7,500 square-foot indoor skate park, eight outdoor sand volleyball ~->Uits and a circuit training rau!'~" for women. After the complex opens, it will add lacrosse and flag football to its list of sports. The complex will also include a pro shop and retail store with sporting gear and apparel, a cafe and a 5,000 square-foot elevated mezzanine to view games. “There is nothing like the facility in Columbia,” Plex Indoor Sports employee Sharon Farnham said. Mike Harris, a soccer coach for Ben Lippen High School, developed the idea of an indoor sports complex. Harris wanted to find a way to keep his team in shape during the offseason. While Harris’s team could train, it had to worry about climate conditions, so Harris decided an indoor soccer field was the answer. The groundbreaking ceremony was held May 11. Second-year experimental psychology student Brian Sims said what attracts him the most to the Plex is that it “is brand new and it caters to every sport you could want to play without worrying about weather.” Though the complex could pose serious competition for the Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center, Farnham said the complex • would complement what exists in Columbia. “We’re not here to compete with the university or take business away from community leagues,” Farnham said. Farnham also said that part of enhancing what exists in the community is offering youth leagues as well as adult leagues. Adult leagues mean students can continue to play sports such as soccer after intramural seasons finish on campus. Those who do play intramural sports on campus and want to continue participating in league sports can look forward to adult indoor soccer tournaments starting Nov. 24. Farnham says teams that register during the week of Nov. 15-23 will be allowed to get a feel of the new turf and boards with free practice time. Developers of Plex are also working with Salty’s and Bluetile skate shops to plan the indoor skate park, which will cater to local skaters. Plex hopes to set up demos and contests for A skaters of all ages and abilities. ™ ' Along with indoor soccer leagues and a skate park, Plex will also bring regional and national attention to in-line hockey and volleyball programs. Plex will have a grand “We’re not here to compete with the university or to take business away from community leagues.” SHARON FARNHAM PLEX INDOOR SPORTS EMPLOYEE, ON QUESTIONS OF COMPETITION WITH USC’S STROM THURMOND WELLNESS & FITNESS CENTER . # opening Dec. 4 after an inaugural indoor soccer tournament and in-line hockey tournament. Winter 1 leagues will begin Nov. 29 and Winter 2 leagues will begin Feb. 7. Students interested in seeing what the Plex has to offer can check out the facilities for a $1 entry fee. After joining a team or getting a membership, entry is free. For more information on Plex Indoor Sports and registration, visit plexindoorsports.com or call 419-4443. Comments an this story? E-mail gamecocknetvs@gwm.sc. edu __ _I University Ambassadors ...more than just a tour guide! l_.a rr_e_... Attend an information session at the Visitor Center (in McKissick Museum) on Wednesday, September 15th at 6pm. Applications due Friday, September 17th by 5pm. For more information or if unable to attend, call the Visitor Center at 777-0169 or email i*5 at visitor(5>3c.edu. »