U.S. Says No Confirmation Contractor Killed In Iraq

(RFE/RL) 8 December 2005 -- The White House said today it had no confirmation that an insurgent group in Iraq had killed a kidnapped American security consultant.
The Islamic Army in Iraq earlier said in an Internet statement it had killed the man because the U.S. government did not meet its demands, which included payment of compensation to Iraqis affected by U.S. attacks.

A suicide bomber blew himself up on a bus in the capital Baghdad today, killing at least 30 people and injuring many others.

Also today, the U.S. military said a U.S. soldier was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.

The U.S. Army also said two Marines were killed yesterday in separate bombings in the capital and in Al-Ramadi.

Meanwhile, Election Commission Chairman Hussein Hindawi told Reuters everything was "ready" for Iraq's 15 December parliamentary elections.

(Reuters/AP)