Violence surging in Iraq
2005-01-06 10:01
Baghdad - A suicide attacker blew up an explosives-laden car outside a police academy south of Baghdad during a graduation ceremony, killing 20 people.
A second car bomber killed five Iraqi policemen - bringing the death toll to at least 90 so far this week in surging violence aimed at derailing this month's elections.
Despite the mounting attacks and death toll, Iraq's interim leader again insisted the ballot would go ahead as planned.
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi on Wednesday said: "We will not allow the terrorists to stop the political process in Iraq. The elections process is the basis for the deepening of the national unity in Iraq."
While Allawi and US military commanders insisted parliamentary elections must be held as scheduled on January 30, interim President Ghazi al-Yawer, who holds only ceremonial powers, left open the possibility that the vote could be postponed.
Aim to block the elections
Al-Yawer, a Sunni Muslim tribal leader said: "I think that we should continue working on how to hold the elections on schedule, but we should not lack the courage if we see that this is impossible."
If the election takes place, it is expected to shift power to the Shiite Muslim community, an estimated 60% of the population that has been dominated by the Sunni Arab minority since modern Iraq was created after World War I.
The insurgency is believed to be led by Sunnis and Saddam Hussein's supporters. US officials believe the violence is aimed at blocking the elections and causing worse chaos in hopes of driving out the US-led military coalition.
They say postponing the vote would be tantamount to conceding victory to the militants.
The car bomb outside a gate of the police academy in Hillah, about 96km south of Baghdad, was the latest in a series of attacks on Iraqi security forces.
More than 1 300 policemen were killed in the final four months of 2004, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
'10 cops die, 14 injured'
Captain Hady Hatef in Hillah said the blast occurred during a graduation ceremony at the academy and killed at least 20 people, including civilians.
Polish Lieutenant Colonel Artur Domanski, a spokesperson for the multi-national force in Hillah, said at least 10 policemen were among the dead and 41 people were wounded.
US spokesperson Major Neal O'Brien said in the restive city of Baqouba, 48km northeast of Baghdad, a suicide attacker rammed his car into a joint police and Iraqi National Guard checkpoint, killing five policemen and wounding eight other Iraqis. The driver was also killed.
Dr Ahmed Fouad at Baqouba General Hospital said in a separate attack, gunmen killed police Colonel Khalifa Hassan and his driver as they headed to work in Baqouba.
Iraq's intelligence chief on Wednesday said between 20 000 and 30 000 insurgents are operating throughout Iraq and are directed by former officials of Saddam's regime based in Syria.
- SAPA