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Digest

Developments

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published April 26, 2007

Afghanistan

- At least 320 Afghan civilians and military and about 680 militants have been killed so far in 2007, according to figures compiled by the Associated Press from Afghan, NATO and U.S. officials. That combined toll of 1,000 is more than double the total fatalities for the first four months of 2006, which saw the deadliest spate of fighting in Afghanistan since U.S. led forces ousted the Taliban regime in late 2001.

- A roadside bomb killed seven Afghan soldiers in a military convoy Wednesday. At least 24 Afghan security forces have been killed this week in militant attacks.

- Mullah Dadullah, a top Taliban commander, told Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera on Wednesday that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was behind the February attack outside a U.S. military base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. Deputy White House press secretary Dana Perino said it was "an interesting claim, but ... I haven't seen any intelligence that would support that."

Iraq

- U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday offered a less-than-enthusiastic endorsement of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, days after expressing impatience with the Iraqi leader. "This government (of Maliki's) is the one we have to work with," Gates said. But Gates also said that if he did not believe Maliki could be successful, he would not have recently urged other governments in the region to support him.

- Explosions, shootings and mortar attacks killed least 45 people across Iraq.

- Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr strongly condemned construction of a wall around a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad, calling for demonstrations against the plan as a sign of "the evil will" of American "occupiers." The U.S. and Iraqi military said they also plan to construct barriers in other neighborhoods to protect people from sectarian death squads.

[Last modified April 26, 2007, 02:05:01]