Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/741327
ByQassimAbdul-Zahra and Susannah George The Associated Press BARTELLA, IRAQ In a sig- nificant intensification of the battle for Mosul, elite Iraqi special forces joined the fight Thursday, un- leashing a pre-dawn as- sault on an Islamic State- held town east of the besieged city. The U.S. mil- itary announced the first American death since the operation began. Central Command said the U.S. soldier died Thurs- day from wounds sus- tained in a roadside bomb explosion in northern Iraq, but did not say if the sol- dier was part of the Mo- sul campaign. More than 100 U.S. special operations forces are embedded with Iraqi units in the offen- sive, and hundreds more are playing a support role in staging bases. As Iraq's special forces advanced on the town of Bartella, 9 miles from Mo- sul's outskirts, they faced a familiar foe — trucks packed with explosives and driven by suicide bombers. The militants' signa- ture battlefield tactic, the weapons offered a glimpse at what Iraqi forces can ex- pect as they approach the extremists' biggest urban bastion. The pre-dawn assault was partofamulti-pronged operation on eastern ap- proaches to Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city. Attack helicopters strafed militant positions as they advanced amid a hail of gunfire. The U.S.-trained special forces, officially known as the Counter Terrorism Service, are widely seen as Iraq's most professional and least sectarian fight- ers, and have served as the shock troops in previ- ous campaigns against IS. They are expected to lead the charge into Mosul. IS militants unleashed at least nine suicide car and truck bombs against the advancing troops, eight of which were destroyed before reaching their tar- gets, while the ninth struck an armored Humvee, Lt. Col Muntadhar al-Shim- mari said. He did not give a casu- alty figure, but another of- ficer said five Iraqi soldiers were wounded. The officer spoke on condition of ano- nymity because he was not authorized to release infor- mation. Meanwhile, Iraqi Kurd- ish forces, known as pesh- merga, announced a simul- taneous attack, with pesh- merga fighters deployed on mountains northeast of Mosul descending from their positions and charg- ing toward the front line. Under cover of mortar and gunfire, the Kurdish troops used bulldozers and other heavy equipment to fill trenches dug by the mil- itants as part of their de- fense of the IS-held village of Barima, then advanced with their armored vehi- cles toward the extremists' positions. Military operations also appeared to be underway in the town of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, where thick smoke could be seen billowing up. A day earlier, Bashiqa was pounded by airstrikes and mortar fire from peshmerga positions high above. Ir aq i sp ec ia l fo rc es joi n th e battle for Mosul; US soldier dies OPERATION Membersof Iraq's elite counterterrorism forces advance towards the city of Mosul, Iraq, on Thursday. KHALID MOHAMMED — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By Julie Pace, Josh Lederman and Jill Colvin The Associated Press DELAWARE, OHIO Mocking his critics, Donald Trump pledged Thursday to fully accept the outcome of next month's presidential elec- tion — if he wins. The Re- publican said he reserved the right to contest ques- tionable results, deepening his unsubstantiated asser- tions that the race against Hillary Clinton could be rigged against him. Trump's comments came a day after his stunning re- fusal in the final presiden- tial debate to say whether he would concede to Clin- ton if he loses. His resis- tance, threatening to un- dermine the essence of American democracy, was roundly rejected by fellow Republicans. Arizona Sen. John Mc- Cain, the 2008 GOP nom- inee, called the peaceful transfer of power "the pride of our country." "I didn't like the out- come of the 2008 election. But I had a duty to concede, and I did so without reluc- tance," McCain said in a lengthy statement. "A con- cession isn't just an exercise in graciousness. It is an act of respect for the will of the American people, a respect that is every American lead- er's first responsibility." With the presidential race slipping away from him, Trump has repeat- edly raised the specter of a rigged election, despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud heading toward Election Day or in previous presidential contests. His top advisers and running mate Mike Pence have tried to soften his comments, only to watch helplessly as he plunges ahead. Asked in Wednesday's de- bate if he would accept the election results and con- cede to Clinton if he loses, Trump said: "I will tell you at the time. I will keep you in suspense." Trump's comments overshadowed his at- tempts to diminish Clin- ton's credibility during the debate. He entered the contest desperate to reshape the race and at- tract new voters who are deeply skeptical of his brash temperament and fitness for office, but it ap- peared unlikely he accom- plished those goals. Campaigning Thursday in must-win Ohio, Trump tried to make light of the situation. "I would like to prom- ise and pledge to all of my voters and supporters and to all of the people of the United States that I will to- tally accept the results of this great and historic pres- idential election," he said. After letting that vow hang in the air for a few seconds, he added, "If I win." The Republican nomi- nee said he would accept "a clear election result" but re- served his right to "contest or file a legal challenge" if he loses. He brushed off the likelihood of that happen- ing with a confident pre- diction that "we're not go- ing to lose." Yet numerous Republican leaders concede Trump is heading for defeat barring a significant shift in the campaign's closing days. The GOP's top concern now is salvaging its majority in the Senate. And Republi- cans are increasingly wor- ried that Trump's unpop- ularity with women and independent voters could significantly winnow the party's once comfortable grip on the House. Trump's campaign pointed to Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000 as an example of why it would be premature for Trump to say he'd acquiesce on Nov. 8. That election, which played out for weeks until the Su- preme Court weighed in, didn't center on allegations of fraud, but on proper vote- counting after an extremely close outcome in Florida led to a mandatory recount. CAMPAIGN 2016 Trump mocks critics: I'll accept election results — if I win EVAN VUCCI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at the Delaware County Fair, on Thursday in Delaware, Ohio. By Eric Tucker The Associated Press WASHINGTON A former National Security Agency contractor's theft of top secret government infor- mation was "breathtaking in its longevity and scale," federal prosecutors said in a court filing Thursday aimed at keeping the man locked up as the case moves for- ward. The Justice Department also said it anticipated bringing additional charges against Harold T. Martin III, including under the Es- pionage Act, which would expose him to far harsher penalties. The filing offers addi- tional details about the enormous volume of infor- mation prosecutors believe he stole and reveals the Jus- tice Department's concern that Martin is or could be in contact with a foreign gov- ernment. Prosecutors note that Martin has had online communication in Russian and, if freed, "could seek refuge with a foreign gov- ernment willing to shield him from facing justice." "Given the nature of his offenses and knowledge of national secrets, he pres- ents tremendous value to any foreign power that may wish to shelter him within or outside of the United States," prosecutors said. A detention hearing was scheduled for Friday after- noon in Baltimore. Martin's attorneys have said he never intended to harm his coun- tryandthathedoesnotpose a danger or a flight risk. Martin was arrested at his Maryland home in Au- gust around the same time as federal officials acknowl- edged an investigation into a cyberleak of purported hacking tools used by the NSA. Those documents were leaked by a group call- ing itself the "Shadow Bro- kers," but there's nothing in the latest court document explicitly connecting Mar- tin to them. Agents who searched Martin's home and car seized dozens of computers and electronic devices, find- ing classified government materials from 1996 to 2016, prosecutors said. The infor- mation includes an email chain marked as "Top Se- cret" and that appeared to have been printed from an official government account. On the back of the doc- ument, prosecutors said, were handwritten notes describing the NSA's clas- sified computer infrastruc- ture. The notes appear "in- tended for an audience outside of the Intelligence Community." NATIONAL SECURITY Prosecutors: Former NSA contractor committed 'breathtaking' the of secrets ARetirementCommunity 750 David Avenue Red Bluff, CA. 96080 (530) 527-9193 www.tehamaestatesretirement.com Tours Provided Daily Round Up Saloon Round Up Saloon 610WashingtonSt. (530) 527-9901 JoinUsEach Sunday For FOOTBALL!! Openat10a.m. Happy hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. FREEbar-b-q Patrick's Pumping SepticPumpingServices Red Bluff, CA Garet Patrick Owner/Operator 530-366-6899 4patricks@att.net Available 24/7 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 3 B