At least three American security guards traveling with a U.S. diplomatic convoy have been killed in a bomb blast in the Gaza Strip. The convoy was in Gaza to supervise implementation of a U.S.-backed peace plan. The deaths occurred after a Jeep Cherokee carrying the Americans was bombed or drove over a roadside landmine. No group took responsibility for the attack. Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qurei condemned the attack and called for an investigation. The BBC reports this marks the first time a U.S. target has been hit insider the Palestinian territories.

U.S. Vetoes UN Resolution Condemning Israeli Wall in West Bank
The blast occurred just hours after the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that condemned Israel’s construction of a massive wall through the West Bank. Israel has argued that the wall is needed for security reasons but Palestinians see it as an apartheid wall. In response to the U.S. veto, Syrian Ambassador Fayssal Mekdad, said “To be very frank, the image of the United States as a superpower, as a co-sponsor of the peace process, will definitely suffer.” The vote marked the second time in a month that the U.S. used its veto to block a resolution criticizing Israel.

Car Bombing in Baghdad Targets Turkish Embassy
In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded yesterday outside the Turkish embassy killing the driver and at least one bystander. The attack on the embassy was seen as a response to the Turkish plan to send 10,000 troops into Iraq. One eyewitness told Agence France Press,”This appears to have been a letter to Turkey. A letter of refusal.” It marked the third car bombing this week against collaborators with the U.S. occupation.

Richard Perle: US May Need to Attack Syria
Pentagon adviser Richard Perle yesterday spoke publicly backing Israeli’s bombing in Syria and said the U.S. should also not rule out attacking Syria. Perle said QUOTE “We have problems with the Syrians who continue to support terrorism. We have to find a way to get them to stop.”

Poll: Only 46% of Nation Backs Bush Re-Election
A new ABC/Washington Post poll has found that only 46 percent of voters in the U.S. would now vote to re-elect Bush marking Bush’s weakest showing to date. And nearly 60 percent of Americans say the number of U.S. casualties in Iraq has become unacceptable.

Judge Orders Reporters to Reveal Sources
A federal judge has ordered journalists from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press and CNN to reveal their sources and to state who within the government supplied them with derogatory information about Wen Ho Lee. Lee, the former nuclear weapons scientist who was once suspected in a major spy case, is suing the government in part by damages caused by unnamed governmental officials who leaked information to the press.