News in Brief-Iraq

Iraq

British military battles toward center of Basra g

NEAR BASRA, Iraq (AP) - Led by more than three dozen tanks and armored cars, British forces battled toward the center of Basra on Sunday in their biggest incursion yet into Iraq's second-largest city. British officials said they had managed to set up base at a former college inside Basra's city limits, but did not yet control the city of 1.3 million. The Defense Ministry said three soldiers were killed Sunday, bringing the total number of Britons killed since the start of war to 30.

U.S. attack on Kurdish soldiers, at least 18 dead

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) - U.S. warplanes struck a convoy of allied Kurdish fighters and U.S. Special Forces during a northern battle Sunday in one of the deadliest friendly fire attacks of the war. At least 18 people were killed and more than 45 wounded, including senior Kurdish commanders, Kurdish officials said. U.S. Central Command said its "early casualty reports" on what appeared to be the same incident gave lower figures: one civilian killed and six people injured, including a U.S. soldier. But the command said the investigation was not complete.

New Iraqi government to be chosen by its people

WASHINGTON (AP) - Setting up a new Iraqi government likely will take more than six months once coalition forces take full control of the country, a Bush administration official said Sunday. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said the interim government the United States will run with coalition partners and Iraqi opposition leaders is designed to be a bridge to whatever government the Iraqi people choose and is not designed to dictate the country's future leadership.