Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

The U.S. military says one American soldier was killed and three others wounded Wednesday, when their convoy was attacked in the western part of Baghdad.

Military officials tell VOA the convoy of about 30 military vehicles came under small arms fire and was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. U.S. Central Command says the attack happened as the convoy was traveling near Baghdad's Abu Ghuraib prison.

In a separate incident, witnesses say at least two U.S. soldiers have been wounded by an explosion that wrecked their all-terrain vehicle on a road outside the Iraqi capital.

The attacks come on the anniversary of the date in 1979 when Saddam Hussein seized power in Iraq. Thursday marks the day Saddam's Ba'ath Party seized power in 1968. The U.S. military has been concerned that Saddam loyalists will commemorate the dates by stepping up attacks against U.S. troops.

At least 33 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq since May 1, when the United States declared major combat in the country to be over. Meanwhile, a human rights group says plans by the country's new Governing Council to set up a war crimes court must be changed.

Human Rights Watch says the court, which the council says will try members of Saddam Hussein's toppled regime, must bring in international jurists to guarantee impartiality and fairness.

The United Nations says the Governing Council will send a delegation to the U.N. Security Council next Tuesday. The Iraqi delegation is expected to lobby for a seat in the U.N. General Assembly.

Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.