Baghdad, Iraq ? U.S. troops stepped up their campaign against Iraqi insurgents Friday, killing seven people preparing to attack a U.S. base, while two Americans were killed by guerrillas. Meanwhile, reports said that the United States was prepared to grant Iraqi independence by June.

Chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer today will present proposed policy changes to Iraq’s Governing Council, The New York Times and ABC New reported, moving to defuse the growing attacks against coalition forces.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s growing lawlessness claimed more victims:

• A 1st Armored Division soldier was killed Friday and two others were wounded in a roadside bombing in central Baghdad, the military said.
• Two 4th Infantry Division soldiers were killed Thursday and three others were wounded when their convoy was attacked with a roadside bomb near Samara, the military said.
• An American civilian contractor was killed and another wounded when gunmen attacked a convoy Thursday near Balad, 45 miles north of Baghdad, the military said. The victims were not identified.
• In the south Friday, gunmen fired on jeeps carrying Portuguese journalists, wounding one reporter and kidnapping another, Portuguese media reported. It was the first abduction of a journalist since the occupation began in May.
• Three 82nd Airborne paratroopers were wounded Thursday night in a rocket attack near Fallujah, the division said. And three soldiers were wounded Friday when a bomb they were trying to defuse exploded in northwestern Baghdad, witnesses said.

Bremer, who just returned from talks with President Bush, met Friday with some council members to discuss Washington’s new policy proposals, the reports said.

Among the proposed changes were holding elections in the first half of next year and the formation of a new government before a constitution is written, senior administration officials told The Associated Press.

In addition, ABC reported that the new proposals call for provincial leaders to meet in the spring to choose delegates for an assembly, which would elect a transitional government by next summer.

On Friday, one council member told the AP that the group would study the proposals but may not agree with the details. “For our part, we have our own ideas,” said Mahmoud Othman. “We will listen to Bremer and he will listen to us.”