Spanish agents, Japanese diplomats killed in Iraq
November has highest coalition death toll since war began
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A funeral service is held for Sgt. Warren Hansen, one of the 98 coalition soldiers who died in Iraq this month.
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Attacks on U.S. forces are reportedly down but Spain suffers from the loss of seven intelligence agents.
CNN's Bill Hemmer talks with Governing Council chief Jalal Talabani.
CNN's Nic Robertson on the reactions of Iraqis to the Bush visit.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Japan is sending investigators to Iraq on Sunday to determine how two of its diplomats were killed near Tikrit and Spain is sending senior intelligence officials to recover the bodies of seven of its agents who were ambushed south of Baghdad.
Those deaths this weekend come at the end of a month that has seen the highest number of killings of U.S.-led coalition military forces since the war began.
Yet the number of daily attacks on coalition forces has been decreasing in recent days, even as attacks against Iraqis have been rising.
The U.S. commander in Iraq said Saturday that attacks on coalition troops are down by 30 percent. The daily average of 35 coalition engagements with insurgents has dropped to 22 a day during the past seven days, according to Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, head of ground forces.
The Spanish agents were attacked while traveling south near Suwayrah, 30 miles south of Baghdad on the main highway between Hillah and the capital.
Eyewitnesses said one or two cars followed the Spaniards' two four-wheel-drive vehicles, which were then fired on by gunmen in the cars and by people on the side of the road. (Full story)
The Spanish Defense Ministry said the seven intelligence agents killed and the one wounded were all from Spain's National Intelligence Center and were not soldiers.
Neither were the Japanese diplomats who were killed while en route to an Iraqi reconstruction conference, according to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo.
The ministry identified the men as Katsuhiko Oku, 45, who worked for the Japanese Embassy in London, England, and who had been in Iraq for several months, and Masamori Inoue, 30, who worked for the Japanese Embassy in Baghdad.
Asked about Japan's position on not sending troops to Iraq, Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi said, "There's no change in the Japanese government's foreign policy." She added that Japan will not close its embassy in Baghdad and that officials are not considering reducing staffing levels there.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Lou Fintor said the U.S. government extended its sympathies to Japan.
"Japan has played a critical role in Iraq's rehabilitation and reconstruction," he said in a written statement. "Heinous attacks such as these will not weaken our resolve to help build a stable, unified and democratic Iraq."
When President Bush telephoned Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar to offer condolences for the agents' deaths, Aznar "reaffirmed his support for our joint efforts in Iraq," according to a White House written statement.
The vast majority of Spaniards oppose the Iraqi war, despite the government's steadfast support of the U.S.-led effort. Spain has contributed about 1,300 troops to coalition efforts in Iraq.
Coalition military officials said 98 troops have died in Iraq this month, making November the deadliest month yet for U.S.-led troops in Iraq.
In addition to the 79 U.S. troops who died, 17 Italian soldiers were killed in the bombing of the Italian military headquarters in Nasiriya, a British soldier died in a traffic accident and a Polish major was killed when his convoy was shelled.
Sixty-eight of the Americans were killed in hostile fire.
The previous month with the highest death toll had been March. The invasion began March 20, and 65 Americans and 26 Britons had died by the end of the month. Fifty-four of the Americans and nine of the Britons died in hostile action. (Deaths by month)
Sanchez: No confirmed al Qaeda link
Coalition forces say foreign fighters have been assisting an Iraqi Baathist guerrilla network in launching daily hit-and-run attacks against pro-U.S. targets. The U.S. commander in Iraq said Saturday that attacks on coalition troops are down by 30 percent -- and that an al Qaeda link has not been confirmed.
"At this time, we've not conclusively established an al Qaeda" connection, said Sanchez. "We firmly believe that there are links, both financial and training and operational, that are present, but still haven't made that connection."
Insurgents are "using innovative methods" to skirt security measures, Sanchez said, and have increasingly turned their weapons on the Iraqi people.
"I think the enemy has shown he has adapted, he's shown he's willing to use just about any means to attack the Iraqi people," Sanchez said, referring to recent attacks on Baghdad targets using rockets hidden in donkey carts.
"These acts are designed to attract media attention, obstruct the significant progress made in essential services," he said. "This is an attempt, clearly, to drive a wedge between the Iraqi people and the coalition ... and to isolate ... the American elements of the coalition from the rest of its partners."
Sanchez said attacks on Iraqis have more than doubled since the beginning of Ramadan, noting that in the 32 days since the start of the Muslim holy month, there have been 74 attacks against Iraqi civilians and government officials, and 82 attacks on Iraqi security forces.
About 5,000 people have been detained by U.S. forces across Iraq. Trials are under way for some of them, and about 800 others have been released, Sanchez said.
Other developments
• During the past 24 hours, soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division and subordinate units conducted 16 raids and three searches in which 37 insurgent suspects were captured, U.S. Central Command said Saturday. Soldiers also apprehended Fowaz Khalaf, a suspected mujahedeen cell leader believed to have helped foreign fighters enter and leave Iraq, the command said. He is also suspected of providing weapons to guerrillas in the Anbar region, according to the command.
CNN's Al Goodman, Jane Arraf, Walter Rodgers, Alphonso Van Marsh, Barbara Starr and Dana Bash contributed to this report.
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Associated Press contributed to this report.
