2 Americans killed in Baghdad

An American was found dead in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, the U.S. military said Saturday, the apparent victim of a slaying that occurred at a time when blast walls are coming down and Iraqi forces are assuming greater control.

Another American, believed to be a civilian contractor, was killed Friday night when a rocket struck the Green Zone near the U.S. Embassy, the military said. It was believed to be the first fatal rocket attack there this year.

Those deaths have raised concern about security before the June 30 deadline for all U.S. combat troops to pull out of Baghdad and other cities. At least 66 people were killed nationwide in a string of bombings last week.

The U.S. military gave few details of the slaying, saying only that an American was found dead Friday in his car and that Army criminal investigators were handling the case.

An Iraqi security official said the man had been stabbed and his throat had been slit. He said the body was found near a water tank by drivers who had gone to fill delivery trucks Friday morning.

The victim was identified by his brother as Jim Kitterman, 60, of Houston, who runs a small construction company based in the Green Zone and had worked in Iraq for about six years.