(AP)
Updated: 2007-08-23 20:45

Meanwhile, the US general who commands troops in northern Iraq issued a statement of condolences for the 14 soldiers who were killed Wednesday when a Blackhawk helicopter crashed shortly after picking up a group of troopers who had just completed a night operation in Tamim province, home to the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

"There is no doubt this is a tragic event, not only for Task Force Lightning, but also for the families and fellow soldiers in the Schofield and Fort Lewis communities," said Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of Task Force Lightning and the 25th Infantry Division.

"I extend my sincere condolences to those deeply affected by the loss of these warriors."

The military statement said those killed included four Fort Lewis, Washington-based aircrew members and 10 Schofield Barracks, Hawaii-based passengers.

Wednesday's crash was the Pentagon's worst single-day death toll in Iraq since January and indicated how forces are relying heavily on air power in offensives across northern regions after rooting out many militant strongholds in Baghdad and central regions.

But extremists are striking back.

A suicide truck bombing against a police station in the northern oil hub of Beiji claimed at least 45 lives - 25 policemen and 20 civilians - amid a series of deadly attacks north of the capital.

The growing bloodshed in the north carries a mixed message. It suggests some success for the US-led security sweeps seeking to reclaim control of areas in and around Baghdad. But it also highlights the apparent resilience of groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq as they retaliate and seek new footholds.

The White House, meanwhile, sought to quiet a political tempest with Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki.

US President Bush, speaking to a veterans' convention in Kansas City, Mo., called al-Maliki "a good man with a difficult job." Bush added: "I support him."

Just hours earlier, al-Maliki lashed out at American criticism over his government's inability to bridge political divisions or stop the violence, warning he could "find friends elsewhere."

The spat appeared to ease, but al-Maliki's sharp words signaled a fraying relationship with his key backer nearly three weeks before US Congress receives a pivotal progress report on Iraq.

The Sept. 15 deadline for the Iraq progress to Congress leaves Bush little time to show that the US troop buildup is succeeding in providing the enhanced security the Iraqi leaders need to forge a unified way forward.

US commanders have warned that extremists would step up the violence this month in a bid to upstage the report, which comes amid a fierce debate over whether Bush should start withdrawing American troops.

The deadliest strike Wednesday blasted a police station in a residential area in Beiji, 155 miles north of Baghdad, according to police and hospital officials.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information, said 25 policemen and 20 civilians were killed. The officials also said 57 civilians and 23 officers were wounded.

Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a US military spokesman in Baghdad, said the attack bore all the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq, which appears to be trying to retrench in parts of northern Iraq.

"It appears to be something that is consistent with an al-Qaida-related attack," he told AP Radio in an interview.

Later Wednesday, a suicide bomber on a motorcycle set off a blast near four police vehicles parked near grocery stores in Muqdadiyah, about 60 miles north of Baghdad, killing six people and wounding 35 others, police said.

The US military said a twin vehicle bombing at a joint US-Iraqi outpost in north Baghdad killed four Iraqi soldiers and wounded 11 Americans, in the 1st Cavalry Division. Four Iraqi soldiers also were wounded.

The military statement Thursday said eight Iraqis were detained because they were believed to have information about the attack.

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