U.S. military officials in Iraq say they are delaying a transfer ofsecurity control in western Anbar province to Iraqi forces, originallydue on Saturday, due to concerns about an impending sandstorm.
Basedon weather forecasts Friday, the military says senior American andIraqi officials might be unable to join a ceremony that will mark thetransfer of power. Senior provincial official Ahmed Abu Risha, head ofAnbar's U.S.-backed Awakening Council says Iraqi security forces agreedit would be best to postpone the handover.
A U.S. spokesmansays the delay was not caused by a suicide bomber's attack Thursday ona municipal office in Anbar. The blast killed 23 people attending ameeting between local officials and a group of tribesmen opposed toal-Qaida.
Separately, the U.S. military says troops have killedone suspected militant and detained eight others in separate operationsacross Iraq. One of the men arrested is suspected of involvement inthe Anbar attack on Thursday.
Violence in Anbar province hasdropped off sharply since 2006. That area of western Iraq will becomethe 10th province to revert to Iraqi security control.
Elsewhere,Iraqi officials say unidentified gunmen shot and killed a senior judgeas he was driving to his home in eastern Baghdad on Friday. JudgeKamil al-Showaili headed one of the capital's two appeals courts.