Army releases reservist who faced a 5th deployment

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Army has released a reservist from active duty and sent him home to Florida after he asked a federal court to block his fifth deployment to war zones, his lawyer said Tuesday.

The Army released Sgt. Erik Botta, 26, who served in Iraq three times and in Afghanistan once, because it determined he "was not medically qualified to remain on active duty," said his attorney, Mark Waple. Botta never claimed any medical disqualification and suffers from no illnesses, Waple said.

Botta had said at the time he filed his court petition in July that he wasn't against the war but simply felt he had done his duty.

Botta, who was stationed at Fort Jackson near Columbia, S.C., returned to his home in Port St. Lucie on Monday night, his attorney said.

Victorious soccer team afraid to go home

BAGHDAD — Iraqis were glued to their television sets Tuesday as their triumphant national soccer team was honored at a glittering ceremony in the United Arab Emirates. But questions remained over whether the squad would get to savor its first-ever Asian Cup victory at home.

Youth and Sports Minister Jasim Mohammed Jaafar said it was hoped team members, most of whom live abroad and play for foreign teams, would arrive in Baghdad on Thursday via Jordan.

But some on the squad, have expressed concerns because suicide bombers killed at least 50 people during celebrations over the team's semifinal win over South Korea last week.

"We wish we could go back and get a reception like other winning teams in open-top buses," said midfielder Hawar Mullah Mohammad. "But we don't only fear for ourselves, we are also afraid for the safety of the large crowds that may be targeted by terrorists."

Also

The Pentagon cannot fully account for $19.2 billion worth of equipment provided to Iraqi security forces, the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, reported Tuesday.

Seattle Times news services