At least 16 Italian troops were killed today after a bomb blast leveled their military headquarters in the city of Nasiriyah. At lease eight Iraqis also were killed. In Rome, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said that -no intimidation- will prevent Italy from helping Iraq to -rise up again and rebuild itself.- At the White House, President Bush took somber note of the bombing as he finished two days of talks with Ambassador Paul Bremer, the President's civilian administrator in Iraq. Is the President trying to hasten turning over authority to the Iraqis? Will other allies be discouraged from joining the coalition? We get an update on the bombing and the latest CIA report, hear reaction from Italy, and learn what "message" Paul Bremer is taking back to the Iraqi Governing Council.
- Reporter's Notebook: Howard Dean Gets Politically Powerful Union Endorsement
Two of the biggest unions in the AFL-CIO are rivals for membership among public workers. Today, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union and Service Employees International Union agreed on one thing, throwing their support to former Vermont governor and Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean. Anne Kornblut, political correspondent for the Boston Globe, has more on the endorsements.
American Forces Press Service article on Nasiriyah bombing
Ambassador Paul Bremer
Coalition Provisional Authority
Common Dreams
CounterPunch
Veterans for Common Sense
Howard Dean's campaign website
AFSCME's endorsement of Dean
SEIU's endorsement of Dean
