October 16, 2004 (Saturday)
- The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, under The United States Department of Veterans Affairs, concludes in a report that "a substantial proportion of Gulf War veterans are ill with multisymptom conditions not explained by wartime stress or psychiatric illness" and a "probable link" to exposure to neurotoxins. (BBC) (NY Times)
- Conflict in Iraq:
- Car bombs are detonated in Qaim and Mosul, Iraq, killing three U.S. soldiers and a civilian in Qaim, and one U.S. soldier in Mosul. A mortar attack in Qaim kills four Iraqis and wounds 30. (Reuters)[permanent dead link]
- Bombs explode at five Christian churches in Baghdad. No casualties are reported. (Reuters)[permanent dead link] (BBC)
- Two U.S. military transport helicopters crash in southwestern Baghdad leaving two U.S. soldiers dead and two others wounded. (Reuters)
- Expedition 10, carrying cosmonauts Salizhan Sharipov (Салижан Шарипов) and Yuri Shargin (Юрий Шаргин), and astronaut Leroy Chiao, docks successfully at the International Space Station. Chiao and Sharipov will be relieving Mike Fincke and Gennady Padalka (Геннади Падалка) from Expedition 9, and will spend six months aboard the station. (BBC News)
- Israeli-Palestinian Conflict:
- Israel Defense Forces withdraw from the northern Gaza Strip, ending Operation Days of Penitence. Three men, allegedly militants, and a 70-year-old Palestinian woman are killed on the final day. Over 100 Palestinians have died in the course of the 16-day operation; BBC sources say about one third were civilians.
- Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala says that 140 Palestinians were killed during the operation. Israeli Defence Forces sources, however, place the number killed at about 130, with only a few civilian deaths. (BBC) (News First Class) (Haaretz)