U.S. Army female soldiers with the 2-17 Field Artillery Regiment, Specialist Lilia Mendieta, 27, from Seattle (L) and Private Atiyhia Goldbold, 20, from New York listen to a briefing as they prepare to leave on a mission in Ramadi, 100 kms west of the capital Baghdad, 26 October 2004. Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warns of a surge in attacks in the run up to elections promised by January, as the US army announces the killing of a top aide to Iraq's most wanted man in the rebel-held city of Fallujah, 55 kms from Ramadi. (Credit: AFP/Getty Images)