Baghdad bombs kill 21
Security forces battled armed gangs and insurgents in two Iraqi cities on Wednesday as bomb attacks killed 21 in the capital, highlighting the precarious task facing U.S.-led forces trying to stem sectarian violence. British troops and a column of armored personnel carriers rushed to Basra as armed gangs fought with Iraqi forces for more than an hour in the mainly Shi’ite city, where Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki declared a state of emergency in June. Full Story