Scattered attacks hit Baghdad

2005-08-10 08:16

Baghdad - A suicide car bomber struck a United States convoy waiting at an intersection in Baghdad, killing seven people - including one American soldier - and wounding more than 90. More than a dozen others died in scattered attacks across the capital.

In addition to Tuesday's violence, a US marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Division was killed on Monday by small-arms fire in Ramadi, 115km west of Baghdad, the US military said. The deaths brought the number of US service members killed in Iraq this month to at least 32.

Violence raged as Iraqi political leaders showed little sign of compromise less than a week before a deadline for approving a new constitution. Faction leaders conferred for about four hours on Tuesday night hoping to overcome their differences and produce a charter by Monday.

Participants said the talks focused on Kurdish demands for a federal state and although some progress was made, there was no final agreement on the issue. More talks were set for Wednesday.

The American convoy was stopped at a busy intersection when a driver detonated a vehicle packed with explosives, the US army said. Six Iraqi civilians also were killed; scores of Iraqis and two US soldiers were wounded.

At least 1 836 members of the US military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

The United States hopes progress on the political front, including adoption of a democratic constitution, will help deflate the Sunni Arab-led rebellion and enable the Americans and their partners to begin withdrawing troops next year.

Several incidents of violence occurred during the day, including an attack on Iraqi police, which left 10 officers dead, including five policemen slain while sleeping in their car.

Late on Tuesday, gunmen killed an Iraqi cabinet employee, Abbas Ibrahim Mohammed, in Baghdad. In addition, three civilians were killed in a mortar attack, police said.

The mayor of Baghdad, Alaa al-Timimi, was fired and responsibility for managing the city transferred to the provincial governor, government spokesperson Laith Kubba said. He refused to say why the provincial council sacked the mayor.

The mayor of Samawah, a southern Shiite city gripped by riots over lack of municipal services, resigned under pressure. The decision came on Monday during a visit by delegates sent by the prime minister, according to Sheik Mohannad al-Gharrawi.

- AP