US forces hunt for 2 145;missing146; soldiers

US attack helicopters and ground forces were hunting north of Baghdad early today for two US soldiers believed to be abducted along with the...

US attack helicopters and ground forces were hunting north of Baghdad early today for two US soldiers believed to be abducted along with their vehicle, arms and equipment. A US defence official said blood was found near their post at Balad. He said at least one person believed to have knowledge of the incident was in custody, but did not elaborate.

8216;8216;It appears that the vehicle and the occupants were abducted,8217;8217; said the official. 8216;8216;The search is ongoing8230;.We8217;re concerned. They had the vehicle, radio, weapons, the whole nine yards,8217;8217; the official said. Meanwhile, the US military reported that a Marine died on Wednesday in a vehicle accident while responding to an ambush on fellow troops.

At the same time, the Al Jazeera satellite channel released a video purportedly made by Iraqi Islamist guerrillas who declared that any Iraqi who worked with the Americans would be killed. That threat was fulfilled when two Iraqi electrical workers were killed in a highway ambush as the violence against troops spread to civilians who are involved with infrastructure.

Constant power outages are proving to be the Achilles8217; heel of the US occupation, fueling frustration with the American civilian and military authorities as Baghdad residents swelter in triple-digit heat. 8216;8216;It8217;s an attempt to disrupt normal life and create uncertainty for ordinary people,8217;8217; said John Sawers, the Briton who is second in command in the American-led civilian authority here.

8216;8216;There have been threats and actual attacks against civilians in key positions to deliver services.8217;8217; US and Iraqi officials said groups of armed fighters from Saddam Hussein8217;s Baath Party and his security agencies have formed a loose guerrilla network called 8220;Return8221;, although it was unknown whether it was involved in the attacks.

The attack on the electrical engineers occurred at 7:30 am on Thursday on a highway running past the Kubaisi Mosque in Baghdad. US soldiers examining the scene on Thursday afternoon found a mortar round a few yards from the scene. 8216;8216;They were three engineers of the power company,8217;8217; said Lt. Col. Raad Abbas of the Iraqi police. 8216;8216;Three cars were hit with a blast from a rocket-propelled grenade.8217;8217; Towed to the Khadra police station in Amiriyah, the electrical engineers8217; white SUV bore the distinctive sky-blue license plates of Iraqi government cars and the label 8216;8216;Electricity.8217;8217; The driver8217;s side was pitted from the impact of an apparent shrapnel explosion.

Sitting inside the police station Oday Abbas offered his explanation of what happened. The victims, he said, 8216;8216;are like collaborators, spies of the Americans,8217;8217; said Abbas, who was inquiring about some recently arrested friends. 8216;8216;The occupation is a catastrophe. Saddam used to be better.8217;8217;