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After years of rising cholesterol levels from fatty diets and pudgy waistlines, there's finally good news, experts say. More people who are trying to lower their cholesterol are actually succeeding in getting their low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol, down to healthy levels.

Research suggests that decreasing LDL -- via drugs, exercise and/or diet --  can ward off heart attacks and strokes.

However, there's still room for improvement, according to research from nine countries, including the United States and Canada. And there's good reason to stay focused on lowering your cholesterol: Research suggests that decreasing LDL can ward off heart attacks, strokes, and other health problems.

In the new study, which was funded by Pfizer and published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, an international group of researchers led by David D. Waters, M.D., of the University of California, San Francisco, looked at 9,955 people with an average age of 62 to see whether cholesterol-lowering efforts -- including taking medication or trying diet and exercise alone -- were having the intended effect.

For healthy people, the current target for LDL cholesterol is less than 160 mg/dL, and for those with two or more heart disease risk factors, it's less than 130 mg/dL. For people with heart disease, LDL should be less than 100 mg/dL and possibly even less than 70 mg/dL for those at super-high risk.

The survey, known as the Lipid Treatment Assessment Project 2, is an update of a similar survey done in the United States in 1996 and 1997. At that time, just 38 percent of Americans in general and 18 percent of people with heart disease who were trying to lower cholesterol actually had their LDL cholesterol under control. Health.com: 4 tips for healthy drinking while dieting

Things have definitely gotten better. Waters and his colleagues found that in 2006--2007, 73 percent of people had their LDL cholesterol in an acceptable range. This included 86 percent of people at relatively low risk of heart problems, 74 percent at moderate risk, and 67 percent at high risk. But just one in three people, or 30 percent, who already had heart disease and at least two other risk factors (such as obesity and smoking) had their LDL cholesterol in the healthy range. About 75 percent of the patients in the survey were taking statins, 16 percent were treated with only diet and exercise, and the remainder took a cholesterol-lowering medication that was not a statin. Statins include brand-name drugs like Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor, among others.

The findings "should be a wake-up call" to people who already have or are at risk of heart attack and strokes, says Gregg Fonarow, M.D., the codirector of the UCLA Preventative Cardiology Program, who was not involved with the research. People with cardiovascular disease should not "assume that just because they're under medical care that they've optimized their cardiovascular health," he says. Health.com: Ultimate guide to fresh fruits and veggies

However, Dan Hackam, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Western Ontario and the Stroke Prevention and Atherosclerosis Research Centre in London, Ontario, says the survey may not be a fair representation of people with high cholesterol.

The survey included only people who had been using the same cholesterol-lowering approach for at least three months. "There's lots of people in the general population who should be on these drugs who aren't on them," Hackam says. "I see a lot of patients who've had heart attacks and strokes who aren't on these medications."

Nevertheless, according to Hackam, the findings are "very good news." When the original survey was done, he says, there were just a couple of major clinical trials showing the health benefits of cholesterol reduction with statins. Since then, there have been around 50 such trials, he adds, including some with women, minorities, and seniors. "There's just so much more awareness now among physicians of the clinical evidence," he says. Health.com: 10 celebrity couples: Who's healthy, who's not?

Fonarow says there are still plenty of doctors out there who don't treat cholesterol as aggressively as they should. "The threat to the patient is something that plays out over many years or decades; it's not an immediate threat," he notes. This time lag can make it difficult for some people to see the benefits of treating high cholesterol just as aggressively as they would a heart attack, says Fonarow.

Hackam says he measures his patients' heart disease and stroke risk by giving them a 12-hour fasting cholesterol test and a scan of the walls of the arteries in their neck. If the scan shows fatty plaques, he recommends cholesterol-lowering therapy even if the patient's cholesterol levels are normal. Health.com: New iPhone apps for healthier, more earth-friendly shopping

Other steps people can take, aside from seeing their doctor, include quitting smoking and exercising more, Hackam says. There's even a home cholesterol test -- just like the home glucose tests used by people with diabetes -- that patients could use. "People can be very proactive," he explains.

To find out if your cholesterol levels are where they should be, and what to do if they aren't, Fonarow recommends checking out the interactive Web sites run by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.

Why are more people hitting cholesterol targets? It probably isn't because more patients are taking their medication properly or sticking with their diet, according to an editorial published with the study. It's more likely that the newer cholesterol-lowering drugs do a better job of curbing LDL, writes Antonio M. Gotto, Jr., M.D., D.Phil, of Weill Cornell Medical College, in New York City. About half of the study participants were taking one of these newer drugs, he notes. Health.com: The medical tests every woman must have

Gotto is a consultant for Merck and other companies and is on the advisory board of DuPont and Novartis. Waters and other study coauthors have received consulting fees from Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies.

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text: Antonio

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text: D.Phil

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text: the

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text: Waters

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question: What percent of people had LDL?

answer: 73

question: What does a better job of curbing LDL?

answer: newer cholesterol-lowering drugs

text: newer cholesterol-lowering drugs

question: Levels are being lowered how?

answer: via drugs, exercise and/or diet

text: via drugs, exercise and/or diet

question: What is there room for?

answer: improvement,

text: improvement,

question: What percentage of people had LDL in healthy range?

answer: 30 percent,

text: 30 percent,

question: What were gotten to healthy levels?

answer: low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol,

text: low-density lipoprotein, or bad cholesterol,

question: What does a better job curbing LDL?

answer: drugs, exercise and/or diet

text: drugs, exercise and/or diet


text:
(LifeWire) -- Jennifer Bilotta thought she and her husband Michael had the perfect present for his cousin's wedding. The gift in question -- a fused-glass plate decorated with a "tacky scene of a bride and groom," she recalls -- had been given to Bilotta at her own wedding a few years earlier.

Nothing wrong with a little regifting as long as the bride and groom enjoy the gift. Or so Bilotta thought.

"She collects Barbies, and he collects G.I. Joes," says Bilotta, 33, a publicist in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. "The plate seemed up their alley. So for their wedding gift, we gave them the plate along with a card with a check for the usual wedding amount."

But the gift didn't go over well. "A few weeks after they got married, we were talking to them about their wedding gifts, and they mentioned this hideous glass plate that someone gave them," Bilotta says. "The card must have gotten separated from the plate, so they didn't know it was from us and they both went on about how ugly it was. We never fessed up."  Watch when to send a gift Â»

Deciding what to give (or not give) newlyweds is never an easy task, says Peggy Post, one of the country's leading etiquette experts and co-author of the book "A Wedding Like No Other." Before you turn into a guestzilla, however, take heart. "Gift giving doesn't have to be a stressful experience," says Post.

The wrong way to give

Some gifts should never be given -- namely those that you yourself received. Whether it's to save yourself some cash or to avoid the hassle of shopping, regifting is a wedding no-no, says Steve Kemble, star of Style Network's "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?" and "Married Away."

"What makes you think someone is going to want a gift you did not want?" Kemble says. "Plain and simple, re-gifting is tacky! If you do not have the time to think about what a couple would really want, then don't give anything at all."

Kemble ticks off a few of his favorite wedding gift gaffes: shot glasses ("I simply do not think there could be anything tackier," he says); knives ( "they represent bad luck for a relationship"); and, worst of all, deciding that a gift isn't necessary, because you gave the bride or groom a gift the last time they got married.

"If you feel this way, then I feel you should not attend the wedding," he says. "If you are going to sincerely celebrate with them on their special day, then show that you are happy for them, and tradition says you should do this by honoring them with a gift."

The right way to give

When it comes to gift giving, Rob Johnsen, co-founder of MyWedding.com, has some simple, if calculating advice: Decide how much your relationship is worth. If the happy couple are two of your most cherished friends or relatives, get ready to fork over about $200, says Johnsen.

"A blender or silverware off a traditional registry won't quite have the sentiment you are looking for," he says.

Is the bride or groom is someone you talk to only a few times a year, yet someone you still value? Then keep your gift between $50 and $100, and feel comfortable selecting a set of dishes off the registry, says Johnsen. For distant relations, friends of friends or other lesser acquaintances, limit your spending to $50.

"Sentiment here really isn't of concern, so go for something off the registry, or some cash in a card is acceptable too," Johnsen says.

Peggy Post disagrees with putting a price limit on a wedding gift ("There's no such thing as a dollar amount," she says), but she does suggest basing the amount you spend on your affection for the bride and groom and their family. "If you're a close cousin, you'd probably want to ratchet it up a bit, rather than if you're just an acquaintance," she says.

Of course, not everyone can afford to give extravagantly, even if the newlyweds are dear friends. Not to fear, Post says: You won't be breaking any etiquette rules by splitting the cost of a high-dollar gift with a fellow guest. And, she adds, it's especially acceptable if you're in your 20s and a recent college graduate with a limited income. Cash is acceptable, too, as is deviating from the bridal registry.

"Do what you feel comfortable with," Post says. "Just don't do something totally off the wall."

Gifts that make memories

Sometimes, though, offbeat wedding gifts can impress.

Manhattan resident Samuella Becker, 53, says she'll never forget a gift someone gave her and her husband for their wedding 24 years ago. "One of the members of our wedding party, an attorney who I worked with at a major Fortune 500 company, gave us a magician to perform at our reception," explains the owner of a media relations firm.

There was just one problem: The reception, held in the elegant Crystal Room at New York City's Tavern on the Green, wasn't exactly the ideal place for magic tricks.

But, Becker says, the gift, which might have been seen as tacky by some, ended up becoming a wedding-day highlight. "All guests, young and old, were absolutely entranced and filled with wonder as the magician performed trick after trick," she says. It was a reminder, she says, that sometimes the most unusual and daring gifts can be the most memorable and welcome.

LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. Sarah Jio is a Seattle-based writer who has contributed to Cooking Light, SELF, Glamour and many other publications.

text: LifeWire

text: Jennifer

text: Bilotta

text: thought

text: she

text: and

text: her

text: husband

text: Michael

text: had

text: the

text: perfect

text: present

text: for

text: his

text: cousin

text: 's

text: wedding

text: The

text: gift

text: in

text: question

text: a

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text: decorated

text: with

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text: tacky

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text: she

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text: Bilotta

text: at

text: her

text: own

text: wedding

text: a

text: few

text: years

text: earlier

text: Nothing

text: wrong

text: with

text: a

text: little

text: regifting

text: as

text: long

text: as

text: the

text: bride

text: and

text: groom

text: enjoy

text: the

text: gift

text: Or

text: so

text: Bilotta

text: thought

text: She

text: collects

text: Barbies

text: and

text: he

text: collects

text: G.I.

text: Joes

text: says

text: Bilotta

text: a

text: publicist

text: in

text: Wyndmoor

text: Pennsylvania

text: The

text: plate

text: seemed

text: up

text: their

text: alley

text: So

text: for

text: their

text: wedding

text: gift

text: we

text: gave

text: them

text: the

text: plate

text: along

text: with

text: a

text: card

text: with

text: a

text: check

text: for

text: the

text: usual

text: wedding

text: amount

text: But

text: the

text: gift

text: did

text: n't

text: go

text: over

text: well

text: A

text: few

text: weeks

text: after

text: they

text: got

text: married

text: we

text: were

text: talking

text: to

text: them

text: about

text: their

text: wedding

text: gifts

text: and

text: they

text: mentioned

text: this

text: hideous

text: glass

text: plate

text: that

text: someone

text: gave

text: them

text: Bilotta

text: says

text: The

text: card

text: must

text: have

text: gotten

text: separated

text: from

text: the

text: plate

text: so

text: they

text: did

text: n't

text: know

text: it

text: was

text: from

text: us

text: and

text: they

text: both

text: went

text: on

text: about

text: how

text: ugly

text: it

text: was

text: We

text: never

text: fessed

text: up

text: Watch

text: when

text: to

text: send

text: a

text: gift

text: Â

text: Deciding

text: what

text: to

text: give

text: or

text: not

text: give

text: newlyweds

text: is

text: never

text: an

text: easy

text: task

text: says

text: Peggy

text: Post

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: leading

text: etiquette

text: experts

text: and

text: co

text: author

text: of

text: the

text: book

text: A

text: Wedding

text: Like

text: No

text: Other

text: Before

text: you

text: turn

text: into

text: a

text: guestzilla

text: however

text: take

text: heart

text: Gift

text: giving

text: does

text: n't

text: have

text: to

text: be

text: a

text: stressful

text: experience

text: says

text: Post

text: The

text: wrong

text: way

text: to

text: give

text: Some

text: gifts

text: should

text: never

text: be

text: given

text: namely

text: those

text: that

text: you

text: yourself

text: received

text: Whether

text: it

text: 's

text: to

text: save

text: yourself

text: some

text: cash

text: or

text: to

text: avoid

text: the

text: hassle

text: of

text: shopping

text: regifting

text: is

text: a

text: wedding

text: no

text: no

text: says

text: Steve

text: Kemble

text: star

text: of

text: Style

text: Network

text: 's

text: Whose

text: Wedding

text: Is

text: It

text: Anyway

text: and

text: Married

text: Away

text: What

text: makes

text: you

text: think

text: someone

text: is

text: going

text: to

text: want

text: a

text: gift

text: you

text: did

text: not

text: want

text: Kemble

text: says

text: Plain

text: and

text: simple

text: re

text: gifting

text: is

text: tacky

text: If

text: you

text: do

text: not

text: have

text: the

text: time

text: to

text: think

text: about

text: what

text: a

text: couple

text: would

text: really

text: want

text: then

text: do

text: n't

text: give

text: anything

text: at

text: all

text: Kemble

text: ticks

text: off

text: a

text: few

text: of

text: his

text: favorite

text: wedding

text: gift

text: gaffes

text: shot

text: glasses

text: I

text: simply

text: do

text: not

text: think

text: there

text: could

text: be

text: anything

text: tackier

text: he

text: says

text: knives

text: they

text: represent

text: bad

text: luck

text: for

text: a

text: relationship

text: and

text: worst

text: of

text: all

text: deciding

text: that

text: a

text: gift

text: is

text: n't

text: necessary

text: because

text: you

text: gave

text: the

text: bride

text: or

text: groom

text: a

text: gift

text: the

text: last

text: time

text: they

text: got

text: married

text: If

text: you

text: feel

text: this

text: way

text: then

text: I

text: feel

text: you

text: should

text: not

text: attend

text: the

text: wedding

text: he

text: says

text: If

text: you

text: are

text: going

text: to

text: sincerely

text: celebrate

text: with

text: them

text: on

text: their

text: special

text: day

text: then

text: show

text: that

text: you

text: are

text: happy

text: for

text: them

text: and

text: tradition

text: says

text: you

text: should

text: do

text: this

text: by

text: honoring

text: them

text: with

text: a

text: gift

text: The

text: right

text: way

text: to

text: give

text: When

text: it

text: comes

text: to

text: gift

text: giving

text: Rob

text: Johnsen

text: co

text: founder

text: of

text: MyWedding.com

text: has

text: some

text: simple

text: if

text: calculating

text: advice

text: Decide

text: how

text: much

text: your

text: relationship

text: is

text: worth

text: If

text: the

text: happy

text: couple

text: are

text: two

text: of

text: your

text: most

text: cherished

text: friends

text: or

text: relatives

text: get

text: ready

text: to

text: fork

text: over

text: about

text: says

text: Johnsen

text: A

text: blender

text: or

text: silverware

text: off

text: a

text: traditional

text: registry

text: wo

text: n't

text: quite

text: have

text: the

text: sentiment

text: you

text: are

text: looking

text: for

text: he

text: says

text: Is

text: the

text: bride

text: or

text: groom

text: is

text: someone

text: you

text: talk

text: to

text: only

text: a

text: few

text: times

text: a

text: year

text: yet

text: someone

text: you

text: still

text: value

text: Then

text: keep

text: your

text: gift

text: between

text: and

text: and

text: feel

text: comfortable

text: selecting

text: a

text: set

text: of

text: dishes

text: off

text: the

text: registry

text: says

text: Johnsen

text: For

text: distant

text: relations

text: friends

text: of

text: friends

text: or

text: other

text: lesser

text: acquaintances

text: limit

text: your

text: spending

text: to

text: Sentiment

text: here

text: really

text: is

text: n't

text: of

text: concern

text: so

text: go

text: for

text: something

text: off

text: the

text: registry

text: or

text: some

text: cash

text: in

text: a

text: card

text: is

text: acceptable

text: too

text: Johnsen

text: says

text: Peggy

text: Post

text: disagrees

text: with

text: putting

text: a

text: price

text: limit

text: on

text: a

text: wedding

text: gift

text: There

text: 's

text: no

text: such

text: thing

text: as

text: a

text: dollar

text: amount

text: she

text: says

text: but

text: she

text: does

text: suggest

text: basing

text: the

text: amount

text: you

text: spend

text: on

text: your

text: affection

text: for

text: the

text: bride

text: and

text: groom

text: and

text: their

text: family

text: If

text: you

text: 're

text: a

text: close

text: cousin

text: you

text: 'd

text: probably

text: want

text: to

text: ratchet

text: it

text: up

text: a

text: bit

text: rather

text: than

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: just

text: an

text: acquaintance

text: she

text: says

text: Of

text: course

text: not

text: everyone

text: can

text: afford

text: to

text: give

text: extravagantly

text: even

text: if

text: the

text: newlyweds

text: are

text: dear

text: friends

text: Not

text: to

text: fear

text: Post

text: says

text: You

text: wo

text: n't

text: be

text: breaking

text: any

text: etiquette

text: rules

text: by

text: splitting

text: the

text: cost

text: of

text: a

text: high

text: dollar

text: gift

text: with

text: a

text: fellow

text: guest

text: And

text: she

text: adds

text: it

text: 's

text: especially

text: acceptable

text: if

text: you

text: 're

text: in

text: your

text: and

text: a

text: recent

text: college

text: graduate

text: with

text: a

text: limited

text: income

text: Cash

text: is

text: acceptable

text: too

text: as

text: is

text: deviating

text: from

text: the

text: bridal

text: registry

text: Do

text: what

text: you

text: feel

text: comfortable

text: with

text: Post

text: says

text: Just

text: do

text: n't

text: do

text: something

text: totally

text: off

text: the

text: wall

text: Gifts

text: that

text: make

text: memories

text: Sometimes

text: though

text: offbeat

text: wedding

text: gifts

text: can

text: impress

text: Manhattan

text: resident

text: Samuella

text: Becker

text: says

text: she

text: 'll

text: never

text: forget

text: a

text: gift

text: someone

text: gave

text: her

text: and

text: her

text: husband

text: for

text: their

text: wedding

text: years

text: ago

text: One

text: of

text: the

text: members

text: of

text: our

text: wedding

text: party

text: an

text: attorney

text: who

text: I

text: worked

text: with

text: at

text: a

text: major

text: Fortune

text: company

text: gave

text: us

text: a

text: magician

text: to

text: perform

text: at

text: our

text: reception

text: explains

text: the

text: owner

text: of

text: a

text: media

text: relations

text: firm

text: There

text: was

text: just

text: one

text: problem

text: The

text: reception

text: held

text: in

text: the

text: elegant

text: Crystal

text: Room

text: at

text: New

text: York

text: City

text: 's

text: Tavern

text: on

text: the

text: Green

text: was

text: n't

text: exactly

text: the

text: ideal

text: place

text: for

text: magic

text: tricks

text: But

text: Becker

text: says

text: the

text: gift

text: which

text: might

text: have

text: been

text: seen

text: as

text: tacky

text: by

text: some

text: ended

text: up

text: becoming

text: a

text: wedding

text: day

text: highlight

text: All

text: guests

text: young

text: and

text: old

text: were

text: absolutely

text: entranced

text: and

text: filled

text: with

text: wonder

text: as

text: the

text: magician

text: performed

text: trick

text: after

text: trick

text: she

text: says

text: It

text: was

text: a

text: reminder

text: she

text: says

text: that

text: sometimes

text: the

text: most

text: unusual

text: and

text: daring

text: gifts

text: can

text: be

text: the

text: most

text: memorable

text: and

text: welcome

text: LifeWire

text: provides

text: original

text: and

text: syndicated

text: lifestyle

text: content

text: to

text: Web

text: publishers

text: Sarah

text: Jio

text: is

text: a

text: Seattle

text: based

text: writer

text: who

text: has

text: contributed

text: to

text: Cooking

text: Light

text: SELF

text: Glamour

text: and

text: many

text: other

text: publications

question: What is an appropriate amount to spend on a wedding gift?

answer: $50.

question: What are bad wedding gifts?

answer: fused-glass plate decorated with a "tacky scene of a bride and groom,"

text: fused-glass plate decorated with a "tacky scene of a bride and groom,"

question: What amount is appropriate for wedding gifts to close friends?

answer: $200,

question: What is considered bad wedding gifts?

answer: re-gifting is tacky!

text: re-gifting is tacky!

question: How much should you spend on a close pal's wedding present?

answer: about $200,

text: about $200,

question: Can you split the price of an expensive gift?

answer: won't be breaking any etiquette rules by splitting

text: won't be breaking any etiquette rules by splitting

question: What is okay to split the cost of?

answer: a high-dollar gift

text: a high-dollar gift

question: What are bad wedding gifts, according to host?

answer: shot glasses

text: shot glasses


text:
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi soldiers have found a mass grave of mutilated bodies in a restive region north of Baghdad, a local security official told CNN Thursday.

Mourners with the coffin of a relative killed by a triple car bombing Wednesday in the city of Amara.

Elsewhere an Iraqi was killed and five people were wounded Thursday when a car bomb detonated near the Italian Embassy in northern Baghdad's Adhamiya neighborhood, an Interior Ministry official said.

And 11 people were detained in coalition raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq and those who help foreign insurgents, the U.S. military said.

Iraqi soldiers said 12 of the bodies found north of Baghdad were beheaded and four others were mutilated. The corpses, all male, were discovered Wednesday near Muqdadiya in Diyala province north of the capital, the official, from Diyala province, said on Thursday.

He said police believe al Qaeda in Iraq left behind the mass grave.

Diyala province -- which stretches north and east of the capital and borders Iran -- has been a major scene of fighting during the U.S. and Iraqi troop escalations this year. It is one of the Baghdad "belts" with a strong insurgent presence that have been targeted by coalition and Iraqi forces over the year.

It is not the first mass grave found in and near Baghdad this autumn.

Others include a mass grave of 17 Iraqi civilians believed kidnapped at fake police checkpoints, found under a house used by insurgents near Baquba, Diyala's provincial capital -- an area where al Qaeda in Iraq has had a strong presence.

The decomposed bodies of 16 Iraqi civilians believed killed by al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists were found in early December in a shelter in central Baghdad's Fadl neighborhood.

And U.S. and Iraqi troops found 22 corpses buried in the region around Iraq's Lake Tharthar, northwest of Baghdad, in both Anbar and Salaheddin provinces.

Meanwhile the Italian Embassy confirmed the bombing in northern Baghdad's Adhamiya neighborhood which killed one person but had no further details about the incident. Three police were among the wounded when the parked car blew up, the official said.

A predominantly Sunni neighborhood, Adhamiya is one of the areas in Baghdad where an "awakening" movement has been created to maintain security. The awakening movement is the name for the anti-al-Qaeda in Iraq Sunni groups that have emerged in Iraq over the year.

The detention of the 11 people in coalition raids targeting netted, the U.S. military said, an al Qaeda in Iraq leader north of Hawija, believed to be responsible for facilitating finances and logistics for the terrorist network in the area". Five others were detained.

A "wanted individual" and three others were detained in Mosul and another person was seized in Samarra.

"Foreign terrorists who come to Iraq to support al Qaeda will find no safe haven from which they can operate," said Cmdr. Scott Rye, a Multi-National Forces-Iraq spokesman. "While they struggle to rebuild their networks, we will continue to dismantle them." E-mail to a friend

text: BAGHDAD

text: Iraq

text: CNN

text: Iraqi

text: soldiers

text: have

text: found

text: a

text: mass

text: grave

text: of

text: mutilated

text: bodies

text: in

text: a

text: restive

text: region

text: north

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: a

text: local

text: security

text: official

text: told

text: CNN

text: Thursday

text: Mourners

text: with

text: the

text: coffin

text: of

text: a

text: relative

text: killed

text: by

text: a

text: triple

text: car

text: bombing

text: Wednesday

text: in

text: the

text: city

text: of

text: Amara

text: Elsewhere

text: an

text: Iraqi

text: was

text: killed

text: and

text: five

text: people

text: were

text: wounded

text: Thursday

text: when

text: a

text: car

text: bomb

text: detonated

text: near

text: the

text: Italian

text: Embassy

text: in

text: northern

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: Adhamiya

text: neighborhood

text: an

text: Interior

text: Ministry

text: official

text: said

text: And

text: people

text: were

text: detained

text: in

text: coalition

text: raids

text: targeting

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: and

text: those

text: who

text: help

text: foreign

text: insurgents

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: said

text: Iraqi

text: soldiers

text: said

text: of

text: the

text: bodies

text: found

text: north

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: were

text: beheaded

text: and

text: four

text: others

text: were

text: mutilated

text: The

text: corpses

text: all

text: male

text: were

text: discovered

text: Wednesday

text: near

text: Muqdadiya

text: in

text: Diyala

text: province

text: north

text: of

text: the

text: capital

text: the

text: official

text: from

text: Diyala

text: province

text: said

text: on

text: Thursday

text: He

text: said

text: police

text: believe

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: left

text: behind

text: the

text: mass

text: grave

text: Diyala

text: province

text: which

text: stretches

text: north

text: and

text: east

text: of

text: the

text: capital

text: and

text: borders

text: Iran

text: has

text: been

text: a

text: major

text: scene

text: of

text: fighting

text: during

text: the

text: U.S.

text: and

text: Iraqi

text: troop

text: escalations

text: this

text: year

text: It

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: Baghdad

text: belts

text: with

text: a

text: strong

text: insurgent

text: presence

text: that

text: have

text: been

text: targeted

text: by

text: coalition

text: and

text: Iraqi

text: forces

text: over

text: the

text: year

text: It

text: is

text: not

text: the

text: first

text: mass

text: grave

text: found

text: in

text: and

text: near

text: Baghdad

text: this

text: autumn

text: Others

text: include

text: a

text: mass

text: grave

text: of

text: Iraqi

text: civilians

text: believed

text: kidnapped

text: at

text: fake

text: police

text: checkpoints

text: found

text: under

text: a

text: house

text: used

text: by

text: insurgents

text: near

text: Baquba

text: Diyala

text: 's

text: provincial

text: capital

text: an

text: area

text: where

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: has

text: had

text: a

text: strong

text: presence

text: The

text: decomposed

text: bodies

text: of

text: Iraqi

text: civilians

text: believed

text: killed

text: by

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: terrorists

text: were

text: found

text: in

text: early

text: December

text: in

text: a

text: shelter

text: in

text: central

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: Fadl

text: neighborhood

text: And

text: U.S.

text: and

text: Iraqi

text: troops

text: found

text: corpses

text: buried

text: in

text: the

text: region

text: around

text: Iraq

text: 's

text: Lake

text: Tharthar

text: northwest

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: in

text: both

text: Anbar

text: and

text: Salaheddin

text: provinces

text: Meanwhile

text: the

text: Italian

text: Embassy

text: confirmed

text: the

text: bombing

text: in

text: northern

text: Baghdad

text: 's

text: Adhamiya

text: neighborhood

text: which

text: killed

text: one

text: person

text: but

text: had

text: no

text: further

text: details

text: about

text: the

text: incident

text: Three

text: police

text: were

text: among

text: the

text: wounded

text: when

text: the

text: parked

text: car

text: blew

text: up

text: the

text: official

text: said

text: A

text: predominantly

text: Sunni

text: neighborhood

text: Adhamiya

text: is

text: one

text: of

text: the

text: areas

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: where

text: an

text: awakening

text: movement

text: has

text: been

text: created

text: to

text: maintain

text: security

text: The

text: awakening

text: movement

text: is

text: the

text: name

text: for

text: the

text: anti

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: Sunni

text: groups

text: that

text: have

text: emerged

text: in

text: Iraq

text: over

text: the

text: year

text: The

text: detention

text: of

text: the

text: people

text: in

text: coalition

text: raids

text: targeting

text: netted

text: the

text: U.S.

text: military

text: said

text: an

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: leader

text: north

text: of

text: Hawija

text: believed

text: to

text: be

text: responsible

text: for

text: facilitating

text: finances

text: and

text: logistics

text: for

text: the

text: terrorist

text: network

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: Five

text: others

text: were

text: detained

text: A

text: wanted

text: individual

text: and

text: three

text: others

text: were

text: detained

text: in

text: Mosul

text: and

text: another

text: person

text: was

text: seized

text: in

text: Samarra

text: Foreign

text: terrorists

text: who

text: come

text: to

text: Iraq

text: to

text: support

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: will

text: find

text: no

text: safe

text: haven

text: from

text: which

text: they

text: can

text: operate

text: said

text: Cmdr

text: Scott

text: Rye

text: a

text: Multi

text: National

text: Forces

text: Iraq

text: spokesman

text: While

text: they

text: struggle

text: to

text: rebuild

text: their

text: networks

text: we

text: will

text: continue

text: to

text: dismantle

text: them

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: How many people were wounded?

answer: five

text: five

question: Where was the mass grave found?

answer: restive region

text: restive region

question: Number of people detained by coalition raids?

answer: 11

question: How many were wounded by the car bomb?

answer: five people

text: five people

question: Who mutilated remains of at least 16 men?

answer: al Qaeda

text: al Qaeda

question: Who was detained in a countrywide raid?

answer: 11 people

text: 11 people

question: Number of people killd by the car bomb?

answer: an Iraqi

text: an Iraqi

question: How many were detained?

answer: 11 people

text: 11 people

question: Who was killed in northern Baghdad?

answer: Iraqi civilians

text: Iraqi civilians


text:
Johannesburg (CNN) -- The trial of two men accused of killing white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche is expected to start in the South African town of Ventersdorp on Monday.

Terreblanche, the leader of the neo-Nazi Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (Afrikaner Resistance Movement, or AWB), was killed in April following an apparent dispute over wages with workers on his farm.

Police have charged Chris Mahlangu, 29, and a 16-year-old in the death.

The trial was initially scheduled for December but was postponed several times as lawyers for the defendants changed.

Terreblanche, 69, was bludgeoned with clubs and stabbed with a machete during the attack at his farm near Ventersdorp in South Africa's North West province, police said.

The AWB is best known for trying to block South Africa's effort to end apartheid. The group used terrorist tactics in a bid to stall the country's first all-race vote in 1994, killing more than 20 people in a wave of bombings on the eve of the elections.

Terreblanche was convicted of a 1996 attempted murder of a black man who worked as a security guard on his farm. He served about two-thirds of a five-year sentence.

text: Johannesburg

text: CNN

text: The

text: trial

text: of

text: two

text: men

text: accused

text: of

text: killing

text: white

text: supremacist

text: leader

text: Eugene

text: Terreblanche

text: is

text: expected

text: to

text: start

text: in

text: the

text: South

text: African

text: town

text: of

text: Ventersdorp

text: on

text: Monday

text: Terreblanche

text: the

text: leader

text: of

text: the

text: neo

text: Nazi

text: Afrikaner

text: Weerstandsbeweging

text: Afrikaner

text: Resistance

text: Movement

text: or

text: AWB

text: was

text: killed

text: in

text: April

text: following

text: an

text: apparent

text: dispute

text: over

text: wages

text: with

text: workers

text: on

text: his

text: farm

text: Police

text: have

text: charged

text: Chris

text: Mahlangu

text: and

text: a

text: old

text: in

text: the

text: death

text: The

text: trial

text: was

text: initially

text: scheduled

text: for

text: December

text: but

text: was

text: postponed

text: several

text: times

text: as

text: lawyers

text: for

text: the

text: defendants

text: changed

text: Terreblanche

text: was

text: bludgeoned

text: with

text: clubs

text: and

text: stabbed

text: with

text: a

text: machete

text: during

text: the

text: attack

text: at

text: his

text: farm

text: near

text: Ventersdorp

text: in

text: South

text: Africa

text: 's

text: North

text: West

text: province

text: police

text: said

text: The

text: AWB

text: is

text: best

text: known

text: for

text: trying

text: to

text: block

text: South

text: Africa

text: 's

text: effort

text: to

text: end

text: apartheid

text: The

text: group

text: used

text: terrorist

text: tactics

text: in

text: a

text: bid

text: to

text: stall

text: the

text: country

text: 's

text: first

text: all

text: race

text: vote

text: in

text: killing

text: more

text: than

text: people

text: in

text: a

text: wave

text: of

text: bombings

text: on

text: the

text: eve

text: of

text: the

text: elections

text: Terreblanche

text: was

text: convicted

text: of

text: a

text: attempted

text: murder

text: of

text: a

text: black

text: man

text: who

text: worked

text: as

text: a

text: security

text: guard

text: on

text: his

text: farm

text: He

text: served

text: about

text: two

text: thirds

text: of

text: a

text: five

text: year

text: sentence

question: who was  was convicted of murder attempt in 1996

answer: Eugene Terreblanche

text: Eugene Terreblanche

question: who was  bludgeoned and stabbed at his farm

answer: Eugene Terreblanche

text: Eugene Terreblanche

question: what did he die over

answer: wages with workers on his farm.

text: wages with workers on his farm.

question: What happened to Terreblanche at his farm?

answer: was killed

text: was killed

question: was he convicted of anything

answer: attempted murder

text: attempted murder

question: who was believed to have died over wage dispute

answer: Terreblanche,

text: Terreblanche,

question: What did Terreblanche die because of?

answer: apparent dispute over wages

text: apparent dispute over wages

question: What was he convicted of in 1996?

answer: attempted murder

text: attempted murder


text:
(CNN) -- A Maryland funeral home has lost its license after investigators found about 40 bodies stacked on top of each other, leaking fluid, in a garage, a state official said.

The state Board of Morticians and Funeral Directors revoked the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium in Riverdale, Maryland after an April 26 visit to the site.

Hari Close, president of the the state funeral board, told CNN Tuesday that some of the bodies were cadavers who had been donated to a local university for research. Other bodies came from other funeral homes, Close said.

The bodies were supposed to be cremated, but investigators were alarmed at how they were stored in the garage while they awaited cremation.

"Even somebody who donates their body to science, they still should be treated with dignity," said Close. "Not to mention the health and safety issues with the body fluids flowing out."

William Chambers, co-owner of the funeral home, told CNN-affiliate WJLA said that he hopes to work with the state to resolve the alleged violations.

When investigators inspected the funeral home they were warned by an employee, who told them, "Don't get upset about all the bodies in there," according to documents released by the state funeral board.

Inside the room was a "large pile, approximately 12 by 12 feet, of body bags containing human remains strewn on the floor of the garage in front of a removal van. There was visible leakage from the body bags as well as a pungent odor," the documents said.

"The investigator also observed writing on some of the body bags," they said. "However, fluid leakage from the body bags caused the writing to smear and become illegible. As a result, it was not immediately possible to determine the identity of the remains."

There will be a hearing at the end of the month to determine whether the funeral home will get its license back, Close said.

CNN's Patty Lane contributed to this report.

text: CNN

text: A

text: Maryland

text: funeral

text: home

text: has

text: lost

text: its

text: license

text: after

text: investigators

text: found

text: about

text: bodies

text: stacked

text: on

text: top

text: of

text: each

text: other

text: leaking

text: fluid

text: in

text: a

text: garage

text: a

text: state

text: official

text: said

text: The

text: state

text: Board

text: of

text: Morticians

text: and

text: Funeral

text: Directors

text: revoked

text: the

text: license

text: of

text: Chambers

text: Funeral

text: Home

text: Crematorium

text: in

text: Riverdale

text: Maryland

text: after

text: an

text: April

text: visit

text: to

text: the

text: site

text: Hari

text: Close

text: president

text: of

text: the

text: the

text: state

text: funeral

text: board

text: told

text: CNN

text: Tuesday

text: that

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: bodies

text: were

text: cadavers

text: who

text: had

text: been

text: donated

text: to

text: a

text: local

text: university

text: for

text: research

text: Other

text: bodies

text: came

text: from

text: other

text: funeral

text: homes

text: Close

text: said

text: The

text: bodies

text: were

text: supposed

text: to

text: be

text: cremated

text: but

text: investigators

text: were

text: alarmed

text: at

text: how

text: they

text: were

text: stored

text: in

text: the

text: garage

text: while

text: they

text: awaited

text: cremation

text: Even

text: somebody

text: who

text: donates

text: their

text: body

text: to

text: science

text: they

text: still

text: should

text: be

text: treated

text: with

text: dignity

text: said

text: Close

text: Not

text: to

text: mention

text: the

text: health

text: and

text: safety

text: issues

text: with

text: the

text: body

text: fluids

text: flowing

text: out

text: William

text: Chambers

text: co

text: owner

text: of

text: the

text: funeral

text: home

text: told

text: CNN

text: affiliate

text: WJLA

text: said

text: that

text: he

text: hopes

text: to

text: work

text: with

text: the

text: state

text: to

text: resolve

text: the

text: alleged

text: violations

text: When

text: investigators

text: inspected

text: the

text: funeral

text: home

text: they

text: were

text: warned

text: by

text: an

text: employee

text: who

text: told

text: them

text: Do

text: n't

text: get

text: upset

text: about

text: all

text: the

text: bodies

text: in

text: there

text: according

text: to

text: documents

text: released

text: by

text: the

text: state

text: funeral

text: board

text: Inside

text: the

text: room

text: was

text: a

text: large

text: pile

text: approximately

text: by

text: feet

text: of

text: body

text: bags

text: containing

text: human

text: remains

text: strewn

text: on

text: the

text: floor

text: of

text: the

text: garage

text: in

text: front

text: of

text: a

text: removal

text: van

text: There

text: was

text: visible

text: leakage

text: from

text: the

text: body

text: bags

text: as

text: well

text: as

text: a

text: pungent

text: odor

text: the

text: documents

text: said

text: The

text: investigator

text: also

text: observed

text: writing

text: on

text: some

text: of

text: the

text: body

text: bags

text: they

text: said

text: However

text: fluid

text: leakage

text: from

text: the

text: body

text: bags

text: caused

text: the

text: writing

text: to

text: smear

text: and

text: become

text: illegible

text: As

text: a

text: result

text: it

text: was

text: not

text: immediately

text: possible

text: to

text: determine

text: the

text: identity

text: of

text: the

text: remains

text: There

text: will

text: be

text: a

text: hearing

text: at

text: the

text: end

text: of

text: the

text: month

text: to

text: determine

text: whether

text: the

text: funeral

text: home

text: will

text: get

text: its

text: license

text: back

text: Close

text: said

text: CNN

text: 's

text: Patty

text: Lane

text: contributed

text: to

text: this

text: report

question: Where were the bodies found?

answer: in a garage,

text: in a garage,

question: How many bodies were found?

answer: 40

question: what did maryland revoke?

answer: the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium

text: the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium

question: where were the body bags found?

answer: on the floor of the garage in front of a removal van.

text: on the floor of the garage in front of a removal van.

question: What did the board revoke?

answer: the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium in Riverdale, Maryland

text: the license of Chambers Funeral Home & Crematorium in Riverdale, Maryland

question: Investigators found how many bodies?

answer: 40

question: In what condition were the bodies found?

answer: on top of each other, leaking fluid,

text: on top of each other, leaking fluid,


text:
(CNN) -- Football's world governing body FIFA has called for greater security to be provided after three players from Algeria's national football team were injured when Egyptian fans threw stones at the team bus as it arrived in Cairo on Thursday.

The north African arch-rivals meet on Saturday in a crucial World Cup qualifying game in the Egyptian capital, as the group-leading Desert Foxes aim to qualify for the tournament for the first time since since 1986 at the expense of the reigning African champions.

FIFA delegate, Walter Gagg, witnessed the incident and told reporters: "We saw that three players had been injured -- Khaled Lemmouchia on the head, Rafik Halliche above the eye and Rafik Saifi on the arm.

"These weren't superficial injuries. With the stitches needed, we will have to see if these players can play. The team doctor has still to make a decision on that."

Gagg confirmed Algeria's goalkeeping coach had been concussed after the windows of the coach were smashed by stones thrown by fans.

FIFA announced their concerns following the incident in a statement on their official Web site which read: "FIFA's Organizing Committee for the FIFA World Cup have asked the Egyptian Football Association and the highest national authorities ... to confirm the implementation of the necessary additional safety and security measures at any time for the Algerian delegation.

"Last week, FIFA had officially written to the Football Associations of Algeria and Egypt to express its firm wish that the preliminary competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa ends as it began, in the spirit of fair play with the necessary cooperation of all the parties."

The two north African neighbors have a history of intense competition -- the two sides locked horns in 1989 in a final qualifier for the World Cup hosted by Italy, a match that was followed by riots.

Egypt, despite winning the last two Africa Cup of Nations, are on the brink of failing to qualify for the World Cup that will be held on African soil for the first time in 2010.

The Pharaohs need to win by three-goals to book their place in South Africa, a two-nil win will leave the teams equal on goal difference forcing another play-off to take place on neutral ground.

text: CNN

text: Football

text: 's

text: world

text: governing

text: body

text: FIFA

text: has

text: called

text: for

text: greater

text: security

text: to

text: be

text: provided

text: after

text: three

text: players

text: from

text: Algeria

text: 's

text: national

text: football

text: team

text: were

text: injured

text: when

text: Egyptian

text: fans

text: threw

text: stones

text: at

text: the

text: team

text: bus

text: as

text: it

text: arrived

text: in

text: Cairo

text: on

text: Thursday

text: The

text: north

text: African

text: arch

text: rivals

text: meet

text: on

text: Saturday

text: in

text: a

text: crucial

text: World

text: Cup

text: qualifying

text: game

text: in

text: the

text: Egyptian

text: capital

text: as

text: the

text: group

text: leading

text: Desert

text: Foxes

text: aim

text: to

text: qualify

text: for

text: the

text: tournament

text: for

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: since

text: since

text: at

text: the

text: expense

text: of

text: the

text: reigning

text: African

text: champions

text: FIFA

text: delegate

text: Walter

text: Gagg

text: witnessed

text: the

text: incident

text: and

text: told

text: reporters

text: We

text: saw

text: that

text: three

text: players

text: had

text: been

text: injured

text: Khaled

text: Lemmouchia

text: on

text: the

text: head

text: Rafik

text: Halliche

text: above

text: the

text: eye

text: and

text: Rafik

text: Saifi

text: on

text: the

text: arm

text: These

text: were

text: n't

text: superficial

text: injuries

text: With

text: the

text: stitches

text: needed

text: we

text: will

text: have

text: to

text: see

text: if

text: these

text: players

text: can

text: play

text: The

text: team

text: doctor

text: has

text: still

text: to

text: make

text: a

text: decision

text: on

text: that

text: Gagg

text: confirmed

text: Algeria

text: 's

text: goalkeeping

text: coach

text: had

text: been

text: concussed

text: after

text: the

text: windows

text: of

text: the

text: coach

text: were

text: smashed

text: by

text: stones

text: thrown

text: by

text: fans

text: FIFA

text: announced

text: their

text: concerns

text: following

text: the

text: incident

text: in

text: a

text: statement

text: on

text: their

text: official

text: Web

text: site

text: which

text: read

text: FIFA

text: 's

text: Organizing

text: Committee

text: for

text: the

text: FIFA

text: World

text: Cup

text: have

text: asked

text: the

text: Egyptian

text: Football

text: Association

text: and

text: the

text: highest

text: national

text: authorities

text: to

text: confirm

text: the

text: implementation

text: of

text: the

text: necessary

text: additional

text: safety

text: and

text: security

text: measures

text: at

text: any

text: time

text: for

text: the

text: Algerian

text: delegation

text: Last

text: week

text: FIFA

text: had

text: officially

text: written

text: to

text: the

text: Football

text: Associations

text: of

text: Algeria

text: and

text: Egypt

text: to

text: express

text: its

text: firm

text: wish

text: that

text: the

text: preliminary

text: competition

text: for

text: the

text: FIFA

text: World

text: Cup

text: South

text: Africa

text: ends

text: as

text: it

text: began

text: in

text: the

text: spirit

text: of

text: fair

text: play

text: with

text: the

text: necessary

text: cooperation

text: of

text: all

text: the

text: parties

text: The

text: two

text: north

text: African

text: neighbors

text: have

text: a

text: history

text: of

text: intense

text: competition

text: the

text: two

text: sides

text: locked

text: horns

text: in

text: in

text: a

text: final

text: qualifier

text: for

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: hosted

text: by

text: Italy

text: a

text: match

text: that

text: was

text: followed

text: by

text: riots

text: Egypt

text: despite

text: winning

text: the

text: last

text: two

text: Africa

text: Cup

text: of

text: Nations

text: are

text: on

text: the

text: brink

text: of

text: failing

text: to

text: qualify

text: for

text: the

text: World

text: Cup

text: that

text: will

text: be

text: held

text: on

text: African

text: soil

text: for

text: the

text: first

text: time

text: in

text: The

text: Pharaohs

text: need

text: to

text: win

text: by

text: three

text: goals

text: to

text: book

text: their

text: place

text: in

text: South

text: Africa

text: a

text: two

text: win

text: will

text: leave

text: the

text: teams

text: equal

text: on

text: goal

text: difference

text: forcing

text: another

text: play

text: off

text: to

text: take

text: place

text: on

text: neutral

text: ground

question: How  much does Egypt need to win by?

answer: three-goals

text: three-goals

question: Which body called for strengthened security?

answer: FIFA

text: FIFA

question: Fifa has strengthened security to what Qualifier?

answer: Algeria's national football team

text: Algeria's national football team

question: Three of which teams  players are injured as Egyptian fans throw stones at the team bus?

answer: Algeria's national football

text: Algeria's national football

question: What followed the game last time?

answer: riots.

text: riots.

question: What did FIFA call for?

answer: greater security

text: greater security

question: How many players are injured?

answer: three

text: three


text:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Attacks are down 75 percent in recent months in a perilous stretch of neighborhoods in northeastern Baghdad, prompting a U.S. military officer to proclaim Monday that security there is "dramatically improving."

Concerned citizens have helped troops improve security in parts of Baghdad, a military official says.

People line the streets, cars congest them, trash collectors and other city workers have returned, local leaders are holding community meetings again and "markets have come back like gangbusters," said Army Col. Don Farris, commander of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division.

He added that the largely Sunni al Qaeda in Iraq presence has been "crushed" since the beginning of May.

However, there are still dangers, most notably the threats posed by Iranian-backed Shiite militants, Farris said.

Speaking to Pentagon reporters via video link from Baghdad, Farris cited several factors he said contributed to the improving security situation. Among them is the "surge," the additional U.S. troops deployed earlier this year.  Watch how old rivalries have been posing problems Â»

Also helping improve the security situation are the cease-fire by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and the development of a program that employs "concerned local citizens" to assist U.S. and Iraqi forces, Farris said.

Some of those citizens are members of local Sunni "awakening councils," comprised of former militants -- often armed -- who create neighborhood watch groups to root out the insurgent elements in an area.

Especially in the last six weeks, Farris said, civic and religious leaders have seen outsiders operating in the area and troops have made arrests, two Iranian operatives among them

"From my foxhole, in our sector, it is working," he said of the improving security in the area. "I can only speak to what I see in my sector and I am encouraged."

Farris' sector -- which includes the Sunni-dominated district of Adhamiya and Sadr City, the Shiite slum where militants have demonstrated a strong presence -- has seen a "remarkable turnaround," he said.

Many of the communities in his area have been wracked with sectarian warfare and terrorized by insurgents and death squads.

Despite improvements in the security situation, Farris warned that "we still have a lot of work to do" because there doesn't appear to be any sign that Shiite extremists with links to Iran are halting their activities.

Farris said troops also are still finding explosively formed penetrators, which are often delivered or manufactured by Iran. Nine such bombs were found in late October, he said.

There are intelligence reports indicating weapons and money are still flowing into Sadr City, he said.

There are also problems returning refugees and displaced people to their homes in the area, Farris said, because "essential services" like water and electricity are not yet up to snuff.

Though a "trickle" of families has returned home and many are asking when they can return, Farris said he believes residents will return en masse only when basic services are in better shape.

Paul Folmsbee, a State Department provincial reconstruction team leader, said at the same news conference that his personnel was handling development issues involving law, governance, economic development and essential services.

Farris' Monday remarks echo a string of similar assertions made by U.S. and Iraqi military officials over recent weeks. The military officials say they are seeing signs of Sunni-Shiite reconciliation.

At a press conference earlier Monday in Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Ed Cardon, deputy commander for support of Multi-National Division-Center, discussed a "definite period of progress" in his region on the southern Baghdad outskirts. E-mail to a friend

text: WASHINGTON

text: CNN

text: Attacks

text: are

text: down

text: percent

text: in

text: recent

text: months

text: in

text: a

text: perilous

text: stretch

text: of

text: neighborhoods

text: in

text: northeastern

text: Baghdad

text: prompting

text: a

text: U.S.

text: military

text: officer

text: to

text: proclaim

text: Monday

text: that

text: security

text: there

text: is

text: dramatically

text: improving

text: Concerned

text: citizens

text: have

text: helped

text: troops

text: improve

text: security

text: in

text: parts

text: of

text: Baghdad

text: a

text: military

text: official

text: says

text: People

text: line

text: the

text: streets

text: cars

text: congest

text: them

text: trash

text: collectors

text: and

text: other

text: city

text: workers

text: have

text: returned

text: local

text: leaders

text: are

text: holding

text: community

text: meetings

text: again

text: and

text: markets

text: have

text: come

text: back

text: like

text: gangbusters

text: said

text: Army

text: Col

text: Don

text: Farris

text: commander

text: of

text: Brigade

text: Combat

text: Team

text: Airborne

text: Division

text: He

text: added

text: that

text: the

text: largely

text: Sunni

text: al

text: Qaeda

text: in

text: Iraq

text: presence

text: has

text: been

text: crushed

text: since

text: the

text: beginning

text: of

text: May.

text: However

text: there

text: are

text: still

text: dangers

text: most

text: notably

text: the

text: threats

text: posed

text: by

text: Iranian

text: backed

text: Shiite

text: militants

text: Farris

text: said

text: Speaking

text: to

text: Pentagon

text: reporters

text: via

text: video

text: link

text: from

text: Baghdad

text: Farris

text: cited

text: several

text: factors

text: he

text: said

text: contributed

text: to

text: the

text: improving

text: security

text: situation

text: Among

text: them

text: is

text: the

text: surge

text: the

text: additional

text: U.S.

text: troops

text: deployed

text: earlier

text: this

text: year

text: Watch

text: how

text: old

text: rivalries

text: have

text: been

text: posing

text: problems

text: Â

text: Also

text: helping

text: improve

text: the

text: security

text: situation

text: are

text: the

text: cease

text: fire

text: by

text: radical

text: Shiite

text: cleric

text: Muqtada

text: al

text: Sadr

text: 's

text: Mehdi

text: Army

text: and

text: the

text: development

text: of

text: a

text: program

text: that

text: employs

text: concerned

text: local

text: citizens

text: to

text: assist

text: U.S.

text: and

text: Iraqi

text: forces

text: Farris

text: said

text: Some

text: of

text: those

text: citizens

text: are

text: members

text: of

text: local

text: Sunni

text: awakening

text: councils

text: comprised

text: of

text: former

text: militants

text: often

text: armed

text: who

text: create

text: neighborhood

text: watch

text: groups

text: to

text: root

text: out

text: the

text: insurgent

text: elements

text: in

text: an

text: area

text: Especially

text: in

text: the

text: last

text: six

text: weeks

text: Farris

text: said

text: civic

text: and

text: religious

text: leaders

text: have

text: seen

text: outsiders

text: operating

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: and

text: troops

text: have

text: made

text: arrests

text: two

text: Iranian

text: operatives

text: among

text: them

text: From

text: my

text: foxhole

text: in

text: our

text: sector

text: it

text: is

text: working

text: he

text: said

text: of

text: the

text: improving

text: security

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: I

text: can

text: only

text: speak

text: to

text: what

text: I

text: see

text: in

text: my

text: sector

text: and

text: I

text: am

text: encouraged

text: Farris

text: sector

text: which

text: includes

text: the

text: Sunni

text: dominated

text: district

text: of

text: Adhamiya

text: and

text: Sadr

text: City

text: the

text: Shiite

text: slum

text: where

text: militants

text: have

text: demonstrated

text: a

text: strong

text: presence

text: has

text: seen

text: a

text: remarkable

text: turnaround

text: he

text: said

text: Many

text: of

text: the

text: communities

text: in

text: his

text: area

text: have

text: been

text: wracked

text: with

text: sectarian

text: warfare

text: and

text: terrorized

text: by

text: insurgents

text: and

text: death

text: squads

text: Despite

text: improvements

text: in

text: the

text: security

text: situation

text: Farris

text: warned

text: that

text: we

text: still

text: have

text: a

text: lot

text: of

text: work

text: to

text: do

text: because

text: there

text: does

text: n't

text: appear

text: to

text: be

text: any

text: sign

text: that

text: Shiite

text: extremists

text: with

text: links

text: to

text: Iran

text: are

text: halting

text: their

text: activities

text: Farris

text: said

text: troops

text: also

text: are

text: still

text: finding

text: explosively

text: formed

text: penetrators

text: which

text: are

text: often

text: delivered

text: or

text: manufactured

text: by

text: Iran

text: Nine

text: such

text: bombs

text: were

text: found

text: in

text: late

text: October

text: he

text: said

text: There

text: are

text: intelligence

text: reports

text: indicating

text: weapons

text: and

text: money

text: are

text: still

text: flowing

text: into

text: Sadr

text: City

text: he

text: said

text: There

text: are

text: also

text: problems

text: returning

text: refugees

text: and

text: displaced

text: people

text: to

text: their

text: homes

text: in

text: the

text: area

text: Farris

text: said

text: because

text: essential

text: services

text: like

text: water

text: and

text: electricity

text: are

text: not

text: yet

text: up

text: to

text: snuff

text: Though

text: a

text: trickle

text: of

text: families

text: has

text: returned

text: home

text: and

text: many

text: are

text: asking

text: when

text: they

text: can

text: return

text: Farris

text: said

text: he

text: believes

text: residents

text: will

text: return

text: en

text: masse

text: only

text: when

text: basic

text: services

text: are

text: in

text: better

text: shape

text: Paul

text: Folmsbee

text: a

text: State

text: Department

text: provincial

text: reconstruction

text: team

text: leader

text: said

text: at

text: the

text: same

text: news

text: conference

text: that

text: his

text: personnel

text: was

text: handling

text: development

text: issues

text: involving

text: law

text: governance

text: economic

text: development

text: and

text: essential

text: services

text: Farris

text: Monday

text: remarks

text: echo

text: a

text: string

text: of

text: similar

text: assertions

text: made

text: by

text: U.S.

text: and

text: Iraqi

text: military

text: officials

text: over

text: recent

text: weeks

text: The

text: military

text: officials

text: say

text: they

text: are

text: seeing

text: signs

text: of

text: Sunni

text: Shiite

text: reconciliation

text: At

text: a

text: press

text: conference

text: earlier

text: Monday

text: in

text: Baghdad

text: Brig

text: Gen.

text: Ed

text: Cardon

text: deputy

text: commander

text: for

text: support

text: of

text: Multi

text: National

text: Division

text: Center

text: discussed

text: a

text: definite

text: period

text: of

text: progress

text: in

text: his

text: region

text: on

text: the

text: southern

text: Baghdad

text: outskirts

text: E

text: mail

text: to

text: a

text: friend

question: What is the current security situation?

answer: "dramatically improving."

text: "dramatically improving."

question: What are markets back like?

answer: gangbusters,"

text: gangbusters,"

question: When will more families return, according to the Commander?

answer: only when basic services are in better shape.

text: only when basic services are in better shape.

question: When will families return?

answer: basic services are in better shape.

text: basic services are in better shape.

question: What army has a cease-fire?

answer: Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi

text: Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi

question: What is still posing problems in northeastern Baghdad?

answer: threats posed by Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

text: threats posed by Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

question: is there a problem in Iran?

answer: old rivalries

text: old rivalries

question: What problems are the fighters posing?

answer: old rivalries

text: old rivalries

question: What helps security situation?

answer: cease-fire by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and the development of a program that employs "concerned local citizens" to assist U.S. and Iraqi forces,

text: cease-fire by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi Army and the development of a program that employs "concerned local citizens" to assist U.S. and Iraqi forces,

question: What helped the security situation?

answer: Concerned citizens

text: Concerned citizens

question: What is everyone doing to help the security situation?

answer: create neighborhood watch groups

text: create neighborhood watch groups

question: Which army was part of the cease-fire?

answer: Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi

text: Muqtada al-Sadr's Mehdi

question: Which basic services haven't been restored?

answer: water and electricity

text: water and electricity

question: Who says when the families will return?

answer: Farris

text: Farris

question: Who is still posing problems in northeastern Baghdad?

answer: Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

text: Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

question: What is causing a problem in Northeastern Baghdad?

answer: threats posed by Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

text: threats posed by Iranian-backed Shiite militants,

question: Which weapons are posing problems in Baghdad?

answer: bombs

text: bombs

question: When will more families return?

answer: basic services are in better shape.

text: basic services are in better shape.

question: Have the markets returned to work?

answer: come back like gangbusters,"

text: come back like gangbusters,"

question: What did the official announce?

answer: Concerned citizens have helped troops improve security in parts of Baghdad,

text: Concerned citizens have helped troops improve security in parts of Baghdad,

question: Which weapons are they holding?

answer: explosively formed penetrators,

text: explosively formed penetrators,

question: What did the Commander say?

answer: "markets have come back like gangbusters,"

text: "markets have come back like gangbusters,"