IRAQ: Guerrillas fired rockets at the headquarters of the US-led administration in Baghdad yesterday and loudspeakers ordered personnel to take cover as loud explosions echoed across the Iraqi capital.
"Attack. Take cover. This is not a test," the loudspeaker announcements said, as sirens wailed at the coalition compound in one of Saddam Hussein's former palace complexes on the west bank of the Tigris river in central Baghdad.
The blasts shook central Baghdad after dark. The administration compound has come under fire several times this month, prompting intensified US military operations against guerrilla targets in Baghdad.
Residents of a Baghdad district near the compound said at least two rockets had landed nearby. A large crater had been blown in the middle of one road, but there were no signs anybody had been wounded. An empty apartment building was also damaged, with a hole punched in the roof.
Guerrilla attacks in Iraq have become increasingly brazen.
On Saturday, a DHL cargo plane made an emergency landing in Baghdad with an engine on fire after being hit by a surface-to-air missile. A video-tape delivered to a French journalist apparently showed the missile being fired.
The footage shows several men with their faces concealed by scarves, carrying grenade and missile launchers. One aims a shoulder-fired missile at a plane. The attackers are shown escaping by car, and the tape then shows a plane descending with smoke pouring from one wing.
A top US general said earlier yesterday that tougher American tactics had halved the number of attacks on his forces in Iraq in the past two weeks, but that assaults on Iraqis had surged.
Gen John Abizaid told a news conference that US forces had stepped up operations to counter a rise in insurgent activity.
"These offensive actions in the past two weeks have actually driven down attacks on coalition forces ... I would say the attacks are down by about half," he said. "But unfortunately we have found that attacks against Iraqis have increased."
US administrator Paul Bremer predicted more violence. "We have to anticipate that there will continue to be a level of terrorism in this country in the months ahead," he said.
Mr Bremer and the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council unveiled a plan 10 days ago to restore Iraqi sovereignty in June, reversing earlier US insistence that a new constitution and elections should precede any transfer of power.
"The principal reason for this agreement was an effort to reconcile different positions: an Iraqi desire to directly elect delegates to a constitutional convention and the coalition's desire to give Iraqis sovereignty at an early date," Mr Bremer said, adding there would be talks with the Governing Council about security arrangements after sovereignty was returned.
"It is our anticipation that the [transitional] Iraqi government ... will want to have coalition forces here," he said.
In a letter to the UN Security Council on Monday, Jalal Talabani, president of the Iraqi council, said a provisional legislative body would be chosen by May 31st. This would elect a provisional sovereign government by the end of June.
Then "the Coalition Provisional Authority will be dissolved and the occupation ... will end", Mr Talabani's letter said.
A new Iraqi constitution would be drafted by March 15th, 2005, and then presented to Iraqis in a referendum. A new government would be elected by the end of 2005, the letter said. It asked for a new Security Council resolution to endorse the timetable.
Guerrillas have killed 183 US troops since Washington declared major combat over on May 1st, according to the latest Pentagon figures.
Washington blames the attacks on insurgents loyal to Saddam and foreign Muslim militants.
The US has about 130,000 troops in Iraq.