BAGHDAD, April 12 Kyodo (EDS: CHA...

BAGHDAD, April 12 Kyodo

(EDS: CHANGING DATELINE & UPDATING WITH MORE QUOTES)

Seven American contractors and sum of two units soldiers are unaccounted for following an attack onward a fuel convoy west of Baghdad forward Friday, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, the top U commander in Iraq, said Monday.

Sanchez made the remarks in a televised novels briefing in Baghdad moreover did not elaborate.

Thomas Hamill, a 43-year-old trucker from the state of Mississippi, is believed to be undivided of the seven contractors. His kidnappers are threatening to kill him unles U forces lift the siege of Fallujah, reports said.

Gen John Abizaid, the top U commander in the Middle East who also appeared at the of the present days conference, said some of Iraqi security forces performed well amid the new upsurge in violence but added any of them did not.

In southern Iraq, a number of Iraqi security force units did not stand up against fighters royal to anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, he said. ''That was a great disappointment to us.''

''In other places, so as in and around Fallujah, we've had fit strong performances by several units, and we're satisfied with that,'' he said.

Sanchez said the situation in southern Iraq is now stabilized unless acknowledged that Najaf and an parts of Karbala are still subject to control of fighters royal to al-Sadr.

Sanchez blasted al-Sadr as a somebody against democracy and said, ''The mission of U forces is to kill or capture Muqtada al-Sadr.''

Abizaid declined to make clear notes on possible reinforcements of U bands in Iraq to cope with the upsurge in violence.

''The foreseeable subsequent time is pretty hard to predict, especially in a place like Iraq,'' he said. ''I wouldn't want to make any predictions about for what reason long anybody or anything is going to stick around Iraq, or for what cause long we're going to ne the additional capability.''

President George W Bush indicated Sunday that he is ready to fling more troops to Iraq if Abizaid thinks it necessary.

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