Angry Iraqis blame US

2004-06-14 13:56

Baghdad - Grief turned to anger against the US-led occupation in Iraq after a car bomb ripped through a busy shopping street in Baghdad on Monday killing at least 12 people, including seven Iraqis.

People who had been enjoying breakfast or starting work when the rush-hour bombing brought carnage again to the city, crowded round to watch US military and Iraqi police pour into the area.

But curiosity switched to resentment as they realised the target of the attack was a Western-style convoy carrying at least eight foreigners, five of whom were killed.

The bomb blew one vehicle into a grassy square by the road where it lay in a mangled heap. The other two vehicles, charred but intact on the road, were then attacked by the crowd.

"No no America! No no the Governing Council!" about 200 angry Iraqis chanted as they swarmed around the vehicles, punching their fists in the air.

Some jumped onto the roofs of the tan-coloured vehicles as others smashed the windows. Then both vehicles were set ablaze and the flames fuelled by liquor thrown by youths in the crowd who seized it from an alcohol shop also caught up in the explosion.

"The Americans are in charge of the disasters that happen in Iraq, like this explosion," said an angry Tahseen Karman, a worker at a nearby building site, brandishing a large stick which he had used to smash parts of the vehicles.

"They are responsible for this explosion," the 25-year-old said.

Because of the Americans

Dawood abu Salam, 50, furiously hurled stones at the vehicles.

"All of these problems are because of the Americans. The Americans help different agents enter the country and play with the stability here," he said.

"All of these events make chaos for the people."

With just over two weeks to go until a new Iraqi government takes over sovereignty from the US-led occupation, which has run Iraq since the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein last year, no one in this commercial area on the east bank of the Tigris river said they believed the situation would improve.

For many, peace cannot happen while the handover arrangements mean US-led forces will remain in Iraq.

"We do not see the new Iraqi government doing anything to help us," said Abbas Jabbar, 34, who owns a photography shop near to the blast site.

"We need the government to bring security and stability to the country."

"The Americans know they are targets, so why do they still drive in public places," asked Qahtan Saleem, a sports photographer, who said his cousins' photography shop had been destroyed by the explosion.

"These acts ruin our country completely, they destroy the psychology of the Iraqis," Saleem said.

Brahim Latif, 49, a local car dealer, also said he believed there would never be stability while US forces remained in Iraq.

"We do not accept the occupation," he shouted, venting his anger and frustration.

- AFP