Defence minister rallies troops in Fallujah
(Al-Sabah) – Minister of Defence Hazim al-Shalaan has made a tour to units of the Iraqi army and National Guardsmen on the outskirts of Fallujah. He told them that rule of law and the return of security depend completely on their accuracy in achieving their missions. He asked them to be courageous, patient and enthusiastic in order to win victory over the terrorists. He reminded them of their earlier victories they in Samarra, Najaf and Haifa Street. He urged them to assist in building a democratic Iraq with a brighter future.
(Al-Sabah is a daily independent publicly owned newspaper.)

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Police kill 25 insurgents in Latifiyah
(Al-Taakhi) – Twenty-five armed elements were killed in Latifiya in an ambush made by the Hilla police, according to an official spokesman. Captain Hadi Hatif said five police patrols – consisting of 25 policemen dressed in civilian clothes and using very old used cars – headed to Latifiya. On arrival there, the policemen besieged the hideout of the armed elements. The confrontation lasted three hours during which 25 elements were killed. The spokesman did not mention any losses among the policemen. The police earlier previously mentioned that three elements of the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) were killed in Latifiya on Friday.
(Al-Taakhi is issued daily by the Kurdistan Democratic Party.)

Insurgents kill 21 policemen in al-Anbar
(Baghdad) – An armed group yesterday morning killed 21 policemen in an assault on two police stations in al-Anbar province. One police officer from Haditha City said, "More than 200 armed elements ransacked the police stations of Haditha and Haklamiya neighbourhoods.” The officer, who refused to mention his name, said the armed group assaulted the main police station of the city and confiscated the weapons of the policemen who were gathered into one room of the station before being killed. The insurgents stole 15 police cars before setting the station on fire.
(Baghdad is a daily newspaper issued by the Iraqi National Accord.)

Bomb attack aimed at home of finance minister
(Al-Nahdhah) – One guard was killed Sunday afternoon in a car bomb near the house of the finance minister in the Karrada neighborhood of central Baghdad. All the minister's family members were reported to be unharmed. US forces backed by Iraqi police and National Guardsmen have besieged the place. It is worth mentioning that Abdul Mahdi is a high official of the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) headed by Abdul Aziz al-Hakeem.
(Al-Nahdhah is a daily newspaper issued by Adnan al-Pachachi, head of Independent Democrats Movement.)

Thousands leave for Jordan
(Al-Sabah al-Jadeed) – Following closure of the Iraqi-Syrian borders by the Americans, thousands of Iraqis headed to the border with Jordan which reportedly was ready to receive additional numbers of Iraqis. Within the past four days, more than 7,000 Iraqis have left for Jordan in the biggest displacement since the start of the war. There are many other Iraqis living in tents in the desert.
(Al-Sabah al-Jadeed is an independent daily paper.)

Sistani urges broad participation in elections
(Addustour) – The office of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani has issued a statement in Najaf urging the people to participate in the election. The statement stated that Sistani would be the first voter in the election, which aims at having a stable Iraq of law and justice. The statement aims to fortify the role of the government in having the election on time with maximum participation by the Iraqi people. Grand Ayatollah Kadhim al-Hairi said the election would mark the new birth of Iraq, adding that the religious leadership is playing a big role in the success of the election and the political stability of Iraq.
(Addustour is an independent daily published by former journalist Basim al-Sheikh.)