Two car bombs kill 5 Iraqis

2004-06-02 21:19

Baghdad - Two car bombs in Baghdad killed five Iraqis as renewed clashes between Shiite Muslim militiamen and US forces left nine dead, setting an ominous backdrop for the new Iraqi interim government's first day at work.

As United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi defended the new government, which was sworn in on Tuesday, he admitted it would face an uphill struggle to earn legitimacy in the wake of its turbulent formation.

In the latest in a string of car bombs to rock the capital, one blast struck the mainly Sunni Muslim area of Adhamiyah, killing at least four and wounding 34 others, said Dr Abdullah Saheb at al-Numan Hospital.

Women were seen screaming and wailing at the hospital as ambulances ferried the wounded to the emergency department. Police said at least five children were among the injured.

Conflict continues raging

In what later appeared a botched car bombing in the nearby Harthiyah neighbourhood, one person was killed and another wounded when the vehicle exploded, said police officer Salah Hassan.

The force of the explosion scattered body parts up to 10m from the wreckage.

The blasts came as a two-month-old conflict between the militia of radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and United States forces raged on in Iraq's Shiite heartland.

Six Iraqis were killed in Kufa, one in its twin city of Najaf and two in the Baghdad Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City, said medical sources and officials from Sadr's office.

The latest wave of deadly violence marked the collapse of an attempt to impose a 72-hour truce announced on Tuesday by the Najaf governor.

Security will be the main challenge of the new cabinet, responsible for paving the way to free elections next year, when Iraq regains sovereignty from the United States-led coalition on June 30.

Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, who is a former Baath dissident and had close ties with the US Central Intelligence Agency during his years in exile, was chosen partly for his security credentials.

Freshly appointed President Ghazi al-Yawar said he wanted to lay the foundation for a new Iraq based on reconciliation, in a newspaper interview to be published on Thursday.

"A complete national reconciliation is essential for building a new Iraq," Yawar told Al-Mada.

Rough date for coalition's departure

"This means rearranging the social fabric and restoring its balance away from score-settling and through direct, free and honest elections."

A new draft of a UN resolution due to spell out the level of sovereignty which his government will enjoy was put together by the United States and Britain.

If passed, the resolution would give the Iraqi government control over the army and the police.

It also offers a rough date for the departure of coalition troops, saying the occupation's mandate would expire "upon completion of the political process" to create a constitutionally elected Iraqi government.

- AFP