IRAQ - Nov. 24 - Attacks On Iraqis Rise.

CPA chief Bremer tells a news conference far fewer Americans have been killed in guerrilla attacks in recent days, and instead the insurgents are killing Iraqis. He adds: "The security situation has changed. They have failed to intimidate the coalition. They have now begun a pattern of trying to intimidate innocent Iraqis". No US soldiers were reported killed on Nov. 24 or Nov. 25. Gen. John Abizaid, who heads the US CentCom, tells the same conference: "In the past two weeks, the attacks have gone down, attacks against coalition forces, but unfortunately we find that attacks on Iraqis have increased". Bremer says fatal attacks against police officers, mayors, city council members and other Iraqis working with the occupation authorities are becoming more frequent. Dozens of Iraqi policemen have been killed in bombings in recent weeks, including 14 who died in the town of Khan Bani Saad. Says Gen. Abizaid of the insergents: "They use ambulances. They use different types of methods to get in and kill innocent women and children and members of the security forces. And they have no vision for the future, except just like it was before, just kill people, just intimidate them, and just to bring fear and come back to power. We won't let that happen". Late last week, Human Rights Watch offered the view that guerrillas attacking Iraqi civilians were guilty of war crimes. Military officials credit the decline in attacks on their forces to improved intelligence and awareness - and to their new assertive policy of striking back with heavy firepower when coalition forces are attacked. On Nov. 24 at night, soldiers from the 1st Armored Division killed 3 Iraqis while they were trying to plant a bomb beside a road in Fallauja. Attacks against aid groups have virtually stopped because danger has prompted most of the groups to leave Iraq. On Nov. 25, the aid group CARE Australia said it was leaving the country after a grenade attack on its HQ and a death threat. Bremer calls the switch to attacking civilians "a repugnant but not unexpected tactic".