IRAQ: Insurgents killed at least 29 people when they unleashed a series of deadly car-bomb attacks in Iraq yesterday, the day after the country's first democratically elected government was approved.
The onslaught of bombings included nine in Baghdad and the nearby town of Madaen, one in Baquba, a town just north of the capital, and another in the northern Kurdish city of Arbil.
A 12th blast struck near a US military camp north of Baghdad, killing a soldier and wounding two, the US army said.
In total, at least 29 people were killed and more than 90 were wounded, according to Iraqi police and health officials. The death of the soldier raised to 1,200 the number of US troops killed in action since the launch of the war.
In a new audio tape, Iraq's most-wanted terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, purportedly threatened more violence and warned Iraqis against collaborating with the Americans. The authenticity of the recording could not immediately be verified. "We see these attacks as another desperate attempt by the terrorists to discredit the newly formed Iraqi government," US-led forces said in a statement.
"The attacks today, mostly directed against innocent Iraqi civilians, perpetuate the terrorists' failing attempts to drive a wedge between the Iraqi people and their right to choose their own destiny."
The most serious attacks yesterday involved four suicide car bombs, which exploded in quick succession in the Azamiyah section of Baghdad, said police chief Brig Gen Khalid al-Hassan.
The first one hit an Iraqi army patrol, the second a police patrol and the third and fourth at separate barricades near the headquarters of the police special forces unit, said Gen al-Hassan.
Ambulances sped to hospitals and policemen crouched in fear after the explosions, which set fire and caused heavy damage to the special forces headquarters.
In Baquba, a suicide attacker blew up an ambulance packed with explosives near a police special forces patrol, killing four Iraqis, including two policemen, said police Brig Gen Adel Molan. Twenty Iraqis were injured, including four police, he said.
Also in Baquba, a Sunni cleric believed to be a senior member of al-Zarqawi's al-Qaeda terrorist group blew himself up as Iraqi security forces surrounded the city's al-Aqsa mosque, according to Ali Fadhil of the joint operation centre 35 miles north of Baghdad.
"Imam Abdul Razaq Rashid Hamid . . . came out from the mosque with two hand grenades as our forces were surrounding the mosque," Fadhil said. "He threw one of the grenades at the forces while blowing himself up with the second one." Ten others inside the mosque were detained for questioning, he said.
Insurgents also staged a dramatic ambush against Iraqi forces in Madaen, 12 miles southeast of the capital.
A roadside bomb was detonated, then two suicide bombers drove their cars from two different directions into police special forces as they arrived to investigate, killing two of them and injuring six, said police Lieut Jassim al-Maliky.
Many of the wounded arrived covered in blood at the emergency section of Madaen's al-Kindy hospital. Hospital staff ran to ambulances to assist as a crowd gathered outside.
The new cabinet held its first meeting last night to discuss a handover between prime minister Ayad Allawi and his successor, Ibrahim al-Jaafari. The incoming premier's office said the handover would take place on Tuesday.
The primary goal of Iraq's first elected government will be to write a permanent constitution by mid-August. The document must be submitted to a referendum no later than October 15th. If approved, elections for a permanent government must be held by December 15th.
A man claiming to be al-Zarqawi addressed president Bush directly in an audio tape posted yesterday on a militant website.
"You, Bush, we will not rest until we avenge our dignity," the voice said. "We will not rest while your army is here as long as there is a pulse in our veins."
It wasn't clear when the tape was made and its authenticity could not be verified. The voice on the tape sounded similar to previous audio tapes attributed to the Jordanian-born militant who leads an al-Qaeda affiliate in Iraq.