Qaeda Affiliate Is Blamed in Iraq Suicide Bombing

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but officials blamed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a Sunni insurgent group that has conducted dozens of attacks in the city in recent years, including several in which the police and security officials were targets.

The attack was the deadliest in Iraq since insurgents promised to increase violence in response to the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on Monday.

Coming after a bombing attack killed 10 people in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad on Tuesday, the violence underscored the continuing challenges for Iraqi security forces to secure the country as American forces withdraw by the end of the year.

Although there are far fewer attacks than at the height of the sectarian war in 2007, there are still bombings and assassinations virtually every day.

“This was a breach of our security by Al Qaeda,” said Haider Zanbor, the head of the security committee in Babil Province, which includes Hilla. “We were expecting that Babil would be the target of revenge for the killing of Bin Laden. We will increase the security procedure to prevent this from happening again.”

Around 7 a.m., the bomber drove a car packed with explosives to a checkpoint outside the training center in downtown Hilla, detonating the explosives as a bus drove by, a security official said. A shift change at the training center increased the number of officers in the area, the official said.

The explosion knocked over several blast walls and damaged the front rooms of the training center, as well as several homes. Of those killed, 24 were police officers, as were many of the wounded, the provincial police said.

Local officials also blamed the central government in Baghdad for failing to protect them.

“The central government is responsible for this explosion,” said Kathum Majed Toma, the head of the Babil provincial council. “We requested many times for them to provide us with sonar devices to detect explosives and for them to hire more security forces so we can secure our province, but they did not reply.”

At a news conference in Baghdad on Wednesday, one of the country’s top law enforcement officials, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, said, “There are still some cells able to work in Iraq and able to implement a terrorist act.”

General Atta, the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, which controls the police and army, stressed, however, that Iraqi forces were prepared to maintain security after American forces withdrew.

Yasir Ghazi and Duraid Adnan contributed reporting from Baghdad, and an employee of The New York Times from Hilla, Iraq.

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Qaeda Affiliate Is Blamed in Iraq Suicide Bombing

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but officials blamed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, a Sunni insurgent group that has conducted dozens of attacks in the city in recent years, including several in which the police and security officials were targets.

The attack was the deadliest in Iraq since insurgents promised to increase violence in response to the killing of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan on Monday.

Coming after a bombing attack killed 10 people in a Shiite neighborhood of Baghdad on Tuesday, the violence underscored the continuing challenges for Iraqi security forces to secure the country as American forces withdraw by the end of the year.

Although there are far fewer attacks than at the height of the sectarian war in 2007, there are still bombings and assassinations virtually every day.

“This was a breach of our security by Al Qaeda,” said Haider Zanbor, the head of the security committee in Babil Province, which includes Hilla. “We were expecting that Babil would be the target of revenge for the killing of Bin Laden. We will increase the security procedure to prevent this from happening again.”

Around 7 a.m., the bomber drove a car packed with explosives to a checkpoint outside the training center in downtown Hilla, detonating the explosives as a bus drove by, a security official said. A shift change at the training center increased the number of officers in the area, the official said.

The explosion knocked over several blast walls and damaged the front rooms of the training center, as well as several homes. Of those killed, 24 were police officers, as were many of the wounded, the provincial police said.

Local officials also blamed the central government in Baghdad for failing to protect them.

“The central government is responsible for this explosion,” said Kathum Majed Toma, the head of the Babil provincial council. “We requested many times for them to provide us with sonar devices to detect explosives and for them to hire more security forces so we can secure our province, but they did not reply.”

At a news conference in Baghdad on Wednesday, one of the country’s top law enforcement officials, Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, said, “There are still some cells able to work in Iraq and able to implement a terrorist act.”

General Atta, the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command, which controls the police and army, stressed, however, that Iraqi forces were prepared to maintain security after American forces withdrew.

Yasir Ghazi and Duraid Adnan contributed reporting from Baghdad, and an employee of The New York Times from Hilla, Iraq.

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Suicide Bomber Kills 8 at Iraqi Market

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber on Saturday attacked a group of Iraqi soldiers at an entrance of a large market in the northern city of Mosul, killing 5 soldiers and 3 other people and wounding 19, according to an Iraqi security official.

Women and children were among the wounded, the official said.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to jeopardize his access to important information.

Around 6:30 p.m., the bomber attacked the group of soldiers as the market was closing and shoppers were leaving, the official said.

The soldiers typically stand at the market’s entrances as a safety precaution. The market, which sells food and clothing, is one of the largest in Mosul.

Just a few months ago, a merchant at the market was killed by a gunman. There have been several other attacks on the market in recent years.

There was other violence in Iraq on Saturday.

In Baghdad, gunmen dressed in military uniforms stormed the house of an employee of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, killing the employee and his daughter. One of the gunmen was killed by the employee’s neighbors.

Also in Baghdad, gunmen stormed the home of a local judge, killing the judge and one of his bodyguards. The gunmen then blew up the judge’s house. An army colonel was also assassinated in Baghdad.

In Najaf, a homemade bomb was detonated near an American convoy, although no deaths were reported.

Violence has decreased significantly in Iraq over the past few years, although there has been a spike of violence — particularly assassinations — in recent weeks. It’s unclear what has caused the increase.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Parliament voted to pay $400 million to Americans who said they were tortured by Saddam Hussein’s regime during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Many of the victims were working in oil fields in Kuwait at the time.

The payments are part of settlement with the victims that Iraqi and American officials negotiated last year.

Iraqi officials said that by paying the victims, the Iraqi government would be prevented from similar suits in the future, which could cost the government significantly more money.

“If Iraq did not pay this settlement it would face major problems,” said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, adding that the country’s profits from oil and other sectors would have been exposed to lawsuits if the government did not reach the agreement with the victims.

 

Suicide Bomber Kills 8 at Iraqi Market

BAGHDAD — A suicide bomber on Saturday attacked a group of Iraqi soldiers at an entrance of a large market in the northern city of Mosul, killing 5 soldiers and 3 other people and wounding 19, according to an Iraqi security official.

Women and children were among the wounded, the official said.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he did not want to jeopardize his access to important information.

Around 6:30 p.m., the bomber attacked the group of soldiers as the market was closing and shoppers were leaving, the official said.

The soldiers typically stand at the market’s entrances as a safety precaution. The market, which sells food and clothing, is one of the largest in Mosul.

Just a few months ago, a merchant at the market was killed by a gunman. There have been several other attacks on the market in recent years.

There was other violence in Iraq on Saturday.

In Baghdad, gunmen dressed in military uniforms stormed the house of an employee of the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, killing the employee and his daughter. One of the gunmen was killed by the employee’s neighbors.

Also in Baghdad, gunmen stormed the home of a local judge, killing the judge and one of his bodyguards. The gunmen then blew up the judge’s house. An army colonel was also assassinated in Baghdad.

In Najaf, a homemade bomb was detonated near an American convoy, although no deaths were reported.

Violence has decreased significantly in Iraq over the past few years, although there has been a spike of violence — particularly assassinations — in recent weeks. It’s unclear what has caused the increase.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Parliament voted to pay $400 million to Americans who said they were tortured by Saddam Hussein’s regime during the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Many of the victims were working in oil fields in Kuwait at the time.

The payments are part of settlement with the victims that Iraqi and American officials negotiated last year.

Iraqi officials said that by paying the victims, the Iraqi government would be prevented from similar suits in the future, which could cost the government significantly more money.

“If Iraq did not pay this settlement it would face major problems,” said Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, adding that the country’s profits from oil and other sectors would have been exposed to lawsuits if the government did not reach the agreement with the victims.

 

Suicide Bomber Attacks Afghan Defense Ministry

KABUL, Afghanistan — An insurgent wearing an Afghan Army uniform and a vest laced with explosives opened fire inside the heavily fortified Ministry of Defense headquarters on Monday, killing at least two soldiers, a ministry spokesman said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the attack, said the intended target was France’s minister of defense, Gérard Longuet, who was scheduled to visit the compound later in the day. Soldiers shot the attacker before he could detonate his vest, said the Afghan military spokesman, Gen. Zahir Azimi.

The attack was the third in three days on government compounds by insurgents disguised as members of the Afghan national security forces. Their seemingly easy access to even the most heavily guarded locations has intensified concerns over Taliban infiltration of the police and military forces, just as they are preparing to take over security from the American-led coalition in some parts of the country this summer and the entire country by the end of 2014.

Zabiullah Mujaheed, a Taliban spokesman, said the insurgent was from Panjshir Province — the heartland of the Northern Alliance, which helped the United States oust the Taliban in 2001 — and had been serving in the Afghan Army for three years.

But General Azimi said such assertions were premature. “We don’t know whether he was a member of the army or not,” he said. “All I can say is that he was wearing an Afghan National Army uniform. It doesn’t mean he was an army soldier. We are doing our investigation to find out.”

General Azimi said the attacker entered the compound about 11:30 a.m. and opened fire, killing two soldiers and wounding seven close to the defense minister’s office before being fatally shot. An explosives ordnance team then defused his vest. The defense minister, Abdul Rahim Wardak, was not present at the time, General Azimi said.

Soldiers continued searching the compound, which covers several city blocks in downtown Kabul, looking for other possible attackers late into the afternoon. Contrary to earlier reports, the general said no hostages had been taken. A doctor at Kabul’s military hospital said three soldiers had been killed; there was no immediate explanation for the discrepancy in the death toll.

Mr. Longuet, who had arrived on Sunday to meet with French troops deployed here, was not in the ministry at the time of the attack, according to the military command in Paris. He had been scheduled to attend a joint news conference with Afghan military officials at 1:30 p.m.

It was the latest in a string of attacks aimed at Afghan government and military officials in what the Taliban has called the beginning of its spring offensive. On Saturday, a suicide bomber killed five NATO service members in eastern Afghanistan. A day earlier, a suicide bomber killed the police chief of Kandahar Province. In both attacks, the bombers were dressed in Afghan Army or police uniforms.

“Using these kinds of attacks is very useful for us in recruiting someone and working inside Afghan forces,” Mr. Mujaheed, the Taliban spokesman, said in a telephone interview after Saturday’s attack. “This inflicts more casualties and does not cause any civilian casualties.”

He added, “We have many more youths who are already in Afghan military ranks waiting for their chance to attack.”

General Azimi said the government was working to root out insurgents from the army and police forces, but acknowledged that the task was daunting. “We have set up a security team who is watching suspicious people inside military forces, but it’s hard to recognize them,” he said.

Even when they are not in the military, insurgents have easy access to police and army uniforms, General Azimi said. An elder in a remote village in the eastern province of Paktika, along the Pakistan border, recently told a reporter for The New York Times that insurgents had been showing up in his village dressed in Afghan Army and police uniforms.

“You know, finding uniforms is easy,” General Azimi said. “They can find it anywhere, and they can make it. People sell military equipment in the bazaar. We have collected and confiscated uniforms several times, but again it’s hard to collect all of them. Besides, you can find them in the provinces as well.”

The attack on the Defense Ministry was just part of a bloody two days for Afghan security forces. In Ghazni Province, south of the capital, six police officers were killed when their vehicle struck a roadside bomb, said Musa Khan Akbar Zada, the provincial police chief.

Three more police officers were killed Sunday night in Oruzgan Province when their vehicle struck an improvised explosive device, said the provincial police chief, Fazal Ahmad Shirzad.

Sharifullah Sahak contributed reporting from Kabul, Scott Sayare from Paris, and Taimoor Shah from Kandahar.

 

Suicide Bomber Strikes in Eastern Afghanistan, Killing 9

 Phil Ittner | Islamabad ?April 16, 2011

Afghan army forces stand guard as the view of the military base is seen in the background after suicide bomber has blew himself up at the entrance to the military base in eastern province of Laghman, east of Kabul, April 16, 2011

A suicide bomber, reportedly wearing an Afghan Army Uniform,? detonated explosives outside a military base near Jalalabad in Eastern Afghanistan.? Officials say at least five NATO service members and four Afghan soldiers were killed and another eight people , including four translators, were wounded in the attack.

The attack coincides with a number of efforts on the diplomatic front to bring a close to the nearly 10 year old conflict. ?

In what is one of the worst attacks on NATO forces in months a man reportedly wearing an Afghan uniform infiltrated security at the base outside Jalalabad in the early morning hours Saturday. ?

The attack comes just a day after another bomber claimed the life of the Police Chief of Kandahar in Southern Afghanistan.

Afghan Defense Ministry authorities say they are looking into whether or not the bomber was just wearing a uniform or if he had actually been in the military. A Taliban spokesman claims the bomber was a sleeper agent who had been in the army for over a month.

Infiltration into the Afghan military has long been a major concern for authorities? in the war zone.? Vetting of applicants remains a major priority.

Another concern is that uniforms are readily available in markets throughout Afghanistan allowing for a quick disguise for terrorists or Taliban.

Traditionally fighting escalates in Afghanistan as the weather turns warmer. The end of April or beginning of May is often referred to as the beginning of the ‘fighting season’.

But these attacks come also at a time when diplomatic efforts are mounting.; in an effort to capitalize on NATO and Afghan gains in the last year.

For Dr. Mohammed Omar Sharifi of the American Institute for Afghan Studies, it is no coincidence that the attacks come at the same time as Pakistan’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani traveled to Kabul.

"It's not the first time actually happening when there is a diplomatic efforts there is always a show of force by the Taliban or their supporters, normally mean both attacks, in a sense, the terrorists and the Taliban are trying to show they are capable of mounting devastating attacks," he said.

Prime Minister Gilani’s trip to Kabul included meetings with Hamid Karzai and Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.

Following those meetings Prime Minister Gilani said all parties, including the U.S. and Afghanistan, were of the same mind that there should be some sort of reconciliation with certain elements of the insurgency in order to bring about peace.

With Pakistan and Afghanistan sharing a porous border, the ongoing war effort is also affecting Islamabad’s authority. And Prime Minister Gilani quickly noted that in many ways the fight is a shared one.

"If there is a military action in our area then people go to Afghanistan, and if there is a military action from the NATO forces they come to Pakistan. Therefore we should have more intelligence cooperation and defense cooperation and political cooperation because we are both suffering, we are brothers, we are neighbors, and we should not suffer more," he said.

With the increase in violence and fighting expected in the coming weeks and months however authorities say it will take a concerted effort on all parties, Afghan, Pakistani and NATO to continue to put pressure on the Taliban to bring them to the table.

And, many say, for their part the Taliban will need to show that they are still capable of launching significant attacks so that they can come to the table from a position of strength as well.

And that may be why things appear to have escalated in recent days.

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