Rear Admiral Fox: Attacks on Green Zone rising, two killed by mortar attacks in last 3 days including U.S. soldier

The 'Green Zone' is an area of of Baghdad blocks barricaded against intrusion. The area was originally home to the villas of government officials, several government ministries, and a number of palaces of Saddam Hussein. Today it contains the headquarters for all American operations, as well as Iraqi Ministerial Offices and the National Assembly. A number of top Iraqi government officials live there as well.

BAGHDAD, March 28 (Reuters) - Insurgents have stepped up rocket and mortar attacks on Baghdad's international Green Zone where most Iraqi government offices and the U.S. embassy are located, a senior U.S. military spokesman said on Wednesday.

Rear Admiral Mark Fox said nine people were wounded and two killed in three mortar or rocket strikes in three days from March 25. On Tuesday a U.S. contractor and a U.S. soldier were killed, and one U.S. state department employee was wounded.

Insurgents have for years been firing mortar bombs and rockets into the Green Zone, a large area stretching for several miles along the River Tigris surrounded by fortified walls and checkpoints. Usually the attacks do not cause casualties as there are many uninhabited areas within the Green Zone.

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