Meanwhile

In the other crisis in the other Middle East:

AGHDAD - Two U.S. servicemen were killed in action in Anbar on Wednesday, the U.S. military said. One was a marine, assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armoured Division. The other was a soldier assigned to the 9th Naval Construction Regiment.

BAGHDAD - Two roadside bombs killed at least 10 people and wounded 13, mostly young soccer players, in the western Baghdad district of Amel, a police source said. He said the bombs had been planted near a soccer field opposite a police station.

MADAEN - Fifteen insurgents and three policeman were killed in fighting near Madaen, south of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.

QAMISHLI - The bodies of two blindfolded men with their hands bound were found on a rural road in Qamishli, south of Baghdad, police said.

NEAR DIWANIYA - A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army convoy exploded on a main road between Simawa and Diwaniya, south of Baghdad, killing one soldier and wounding three, police said.

SUWAYRA - The bodies of 11 men with their hands bound were pulled from the Tigris river near the town of Suwayra south of Baghdad, a police source said. They had been shot and also showed signs of torture.