Improvised Chemical munitions too. From the Chicago Tribune :

Acting on information from a man who claimed to have escaped from militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s network, the U.S. military over the weekend inspected a house where intelligence officers believe hostages were detained, tortured and possibly killed.

A banner for Tawhid and Jihad—the name of al-Zarqawi’s organization until he changed it last month to Al Qaeda in Iraq—was recovered Saturday from the home, as were several black face masks, volumes of documents, handcuffs and two long, apparently blood-stained knives, military officials said.
[…]
The Marine patrol also visited a second site Sunday that might have been another hostage holding area, this one in a building that contained a wire cage large enough for a human that had an intravenous bag beside it, as well as windowless, dungeon-like rooms, one of which had bloody fingerprints inside.

From the AFP via the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) :

South Korea’s Government has agreed to extend the deployment of thousands of its troops in Iraq by one year until the end of 2005, officials said.

The decision to extend the mission, which was due to expire at the end of this year, was made at a cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Lee Hae-Chan, the Prime Minister’s office said.

“The Government will send a motion to Parliament seeking approval for extending the troop deployment in Iraq by another year,” said Chung Yong-Wook, an official from the office who attended the meeting.

Some 2,800 South Korean troops are based in Arbil, a Kurdish-controlled town in northern Iraq, on a rehabilitation and humanitarian mission.

Another contingent of more than 700 is set to join them soon.
[…]
Political analysts say the Government motion will easily win approval from Parliament since the ruling Uri Party, which has a Parliamentary majority, has pledged to endorse an extended mission.

The conservative main opposition Grand National Party has also approved the troop deployment in Iraq.

From the National Review Corner :

E-mail:

”Rich,

I am also a professor at a military-related institution, and my little brother is an enlisted Marine (a sniper with 1-3) in Fallujah. This weekend he called for the first time since the battle began. He informed us that a large number of the residents of Fallujah, before fleeing the battle, left blankets and bedding for the Marines and Soldiers along with notes thanking the Americans for liberating their city from the terrorists, as well as invitations to the Marines and Soldiers to sleep in their houses. I’ve yet to see a report in the media of this. Imagine that.

Additionally, he said their spirits are high, but they would certainly appreciate any “care packages” that folks in the States would care to send their way (preferably consisting of non-perishable food items, candy, deodorant, eye-drops, q-tips, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lip balm, hand/feet warmers, black/dark undershirts, underwear & socks, and non-aerosol bug spray)

It would be great if you could pass this message along to anyone interested in helping out.”

Masked gunmen on Tuesday assassinated a Sunni cleric north of Baghdad, police said — the second such killing in as many days.

Sheik Ghalib Ali al-Zuhairi was a member of the Association of Muslim Scholars, an influential Sunni clerics group that has spoken out against nationwide elections to be held Jan. 30.

Al-Zuhairi was shot as he was leaving Thiyaba Mosque in the town of Muqdadiyah after dawn prayers, said Col. Raisan Hussein. He was taken to Muqdadiya Hospital where he later died, Hussein said. Muqdadiyah is about 60 miles north of Baghdad.

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