Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Bomber kills 57 Iraq army recruits
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
Bomber kills 57 Iraq army recruits
Reuters - Wednesday, August 18
Send
IM Story
Print
By Waleed Ibrahim and Ahmed Rasheed
BAGHDAD - At least 57 recruits and soldiers were killed and 123 wounded when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an army recruitment centre in Baghdad Tuesday, two weeks before the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq.
The blast, which tore through a line of recruits, was one of the bloodiest this year and occurred as suspected insurgents also launched an assassination campaign against judges in the Iraqi capital and a volatile province north of Baghdad.
The bloodshed added to tensions that have simmered following an inconclusive election more than five months ago that has yet to produce a new government.
Insurgents have been targeting Iraqi police and soldiers as they prepare to take full responsibility for security on September 1, when the United States ends a 7-1/2 year combat mission.
U.S. troop numbers will be reduced to 50,000 for a training mission before a full withdrawal planned for next year.
"We were lined in a long queue. There were also officers and soldiers. Suddenly an explosion happened. Thank God only my hand was injured," recruit Saleh Aziz told Reuters Television while doctors in al-Karkh hospital treated his wounds.
A total of 57 people died and 123 were wounded in the attack on an army base near Baghdad's central Maidan square, the media office of the Health Ministry said. One Defence Ministry source said the death toll could be as high as 61.
The White House said President Barack Obama condemned the attacks, but the U.S. withdrawal timetable had not changed.
"Our combat mission ends at the end of the month, but we will still have troops there who are helping to support as necessary," spokesman Bill Burton told reporters on Air Force One.
The site of the attack used to be the Defence Ministry under Saddam Hussein, turned into an army recruitment centre and military base after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
One army source who declined to be identified said there might have been two suicide bombers, a hallmark of Sunni Islamist al Qaeda and its local affiliates.
"They were gathering in large numbers. They let in 250 recruits at a time," the source said.
In Baghdad and Diyala province, meanwhile, insurgents attacked eight judges with bombs and silenced weapons, killing two of them, a source in the Justice Ministry said.
"These attacks are well orchestrated," the source said. "They are targeting the entire judicial system of the country."
POLITICAL TENSION
The bloodshed was the latest attack since the March 7 election produced no outright winner and pitted a Sunni-backed, cross-sectarian alliance against the country's major Shi'ite-led factions.
While overall violence in Iraq has fallen sharply since the height in 2006-07 of the sectarian slaughter between majority Shi'ites and once dominant Sunnis, a stubborn insurgency remains capable of carrying out large scale attacks.
On August 7, around 45 people were killed when explosions struck a market in the southern oil hub of Basra, and 39 were killed on July 18 on Baghdad's southwestern outskirts when a suicide bomber attacked government-backed Sunni militia.
On May 10, around 125 people were killed nationwide in a wave of assaults by al Qaeda-linked militants who security officials said were trying to prove they remained a potent force despite the deaths of many of their leaders earlier this year.
Officials say the insurgents are now trying to exploit political tension stirred up by unsuccessful coalition talks between Shi'ite political factions and the Sunni-backed Iraqiya alliance, which won a narrow victory in March.
Hopes of a possible solution to the stalemate were dashed Monday when Iraqiya, headed by former premier Iyad Allawi, broke off talks with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.
The attackers also want to undermine faith in the Iraqi security forces as U.S. troops depart.
Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim al-Moussawi said half of the suicide bomber's body had been recovered at the army recruitment centre and blamed the attack on al Qaeda.
"His features suggest he isn't Iraqi. We are conducting an investigation but the fingerprints are obvious in this explosion," Moussawi said.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Ex-governor defiant after hung jury on Obama seat scheme AFP - 16 minutes ago
Palestinian in Turkish embassy drama 'ex-Israel agent' AFP - 42 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 49 minutes ago
Blagojevich guilty on one count, faces retrial Reuters - 2 hours 27 minutes ago
British gov't enjoys political honeymoon 100 days on AFP - Wednesday, August 18
News Search
Top Stories
Michael Douglas cancer fight, halts Hong Kong trip
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
US must support flagging housing market: Geithner
S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar
German investment sentiment slumps
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
Tearful German pop star confesses in HIV trial
S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar
Court blocks California gay marriage
Eight killed, 12 injured in California desert race
More Most Viewed »
Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero
40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity
Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors
Calcium supplements linked to heart attacks: study
Massive ice island breaks off Greenland glacier
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy
- Terms of Service
- Community
- Intellectual Property Rights Policy
- Help
Other News on Wednesday, 18 August 2010 Two blasts rock Russia's Caucasus region
India rachets up pressure on BlackBerry
US must support flagging housing market: Geithner
Florida teachers warned not to 'friend' students online
S.Korea archaeologists uncover 7,000-year-old oar
German investment sentiment slumps
India says may drag US to WTO over visa fee hike
Big B's Shoot Ad At 'Serene And Pious' Sabarmati Ashram
Russia halves fires area as weather chills
Canada's Potash rejects $38 bln offer from BHP
British inflation eases to 3.1%
India to reprieve some BlackBerry services
Soccer Star David Beckham's Sister On Welfare
Man shot after rushing Turkish embassy
|
UAE, Blackberry may soon resolve spat: diplomats
"Jersey Shore's" Snooki Gets Denied A Trademark
U.S. neighborhood bookstores thrive in digital age
Sandra Bullock's Ex Jesse James Linked To Kat Von D
Mel Gibson Involved In Car Crash
Wedbush initiates Google with underperform
DNA tests on chess champion's corpse exclude paternity
|
Microsoft's Kinect to hit EMEA stores Nov 10
China's telcos gear up on 3G in growth push
US urges open N.Korea in Twitter tit-for-tat
US, Vietnam step up defence co-operation amid China concerns
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
India to reprieve some BlackBerry services
|
Time-shifting on TV more than doubles in past year
Economists Seek Regulatory Changes to U.S. Mortgage Industry
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory
|
Taiwan parliament approves China trade pact
Cancer Costs World Economy Nearly $1 Trillion Per Year
William Shatner reinvents TV image with new shows
July Factory Output Rise Higher Than Expectation
Sen Kerry: Karzai must fight graft or lose support
"Real Housewives Of New Jersey" Danielle Staubs Reacts To Rumors Of Being Fired
Singer Erykah Badu gets probation for stripping
SC Mother Admits To Killing Children; Unemployment, Stress Among Motives
Geeks on a bad streak at box office
Anti-War Protester Charged After Attacking Sen. Levin With Pie
Two Parents Arrested For Starving Their Autistic Boy
Study Suggests Marriage Reduces Stress
Gay couples have equal inheritance rights: top German court
Brazilian Waxing Another Disturbing Adult Procedure For Children
Was James Bond just a "neo-fascist gangster?"
More Than One Million American Kids Misdiagnosed With ADHD
Hip-hop stars diversifyin' to stay rich: report
|
Time-shifting on TV more than doubles in past year
|
Singer Erykah Badu gets probation for stripping
|
William Shatner reinvents TV image with new shows
|
Spike Lee film shows New Orleans 5 years after storm
|
Geeks on a bad streak at box office
|
Russia hosts Karzai, Zardari for Afghan summit
U.N. says secured more Pakistan flood relief funds
|
British gov't enjoys political honeymoon 100 days on
US-TECH Summary
Dozens missing after landslide in southwest China
|
Most US students think Beethoven is a dog
Man shot after rushing Turkey's Israel embassy
Romania orders tit-for-tat expulsion of Russian diplomat
Groupon expands to Japan and Russia
FACTBOX
Chavez signs law barring Venezuela brokers from fx, govt debt
|
Two blasts rock Russia's Caucasus region
Bing starts powering searches in US
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory
59 die in suicide attack on Iraq army recruitment centre
Haiti commission earmarks $1.6 bln for recovery
|
US Congress letter stirs 'net neutrality' debate
Taiwan parliament approves landmark China trade deal
|
Israeli ex-soldier defends 'shameful' Facebook snaps
Australia's Labor to scrape back into power
|
WikiLeaks gets new host -- Swedish pirates
Bomber kills 57 Iraq army recruits
NATO soldiers among dozens killed in Afghan unrest
Sony Playstation 3 to come with more memory
US report 'not beneficial' for military ties: China
Australia's Labor to scrape back into power
Outrage in Philippines over police torture video
Dozens missing in latest China mudslides
US singer Erykah Badu fined for public nudity
US to support UN Myanmar war crimes inquiry
Blagojevich guilty on one count, faces retrial
Bond writers take on international action thriller
Bodies found after boat sinks in Southern Ocean
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb
|
Court says US-Colombia base deal unconstitutional
Leaked "Vampires Suck" hits 100,000 downloads
35 dead in Philippine bus accident
Cuba's first transsexual in the spotlight
Haiti waits to hear if Wyclef Jean can run for president
Flood aid flowing slowly to desperate Pakistan
Groupon expands to Japan and Russia
|
Foxconn holds morale-boosting exercise in China
NY Governor to discuss relocating Muslim center
To US students Beethoven's a dog, Michelangelo a virus
Aircraft crash in China 'could be N.Korea chopper'
Global minimum and maximum temperatures
Windows 7 mobile phones will link to Xbox 360 consoles
PlayStation 3 memory beefed up in North America
50 years after Beatles' first gig, Hamburg pays tribute
S.Korean bonds fall early on U.S. lead
Korea Hot Stocks
Seoul shares edge up led by LG Elec, Kia
China to loan Ecuador one billion dollars
Indian energy giant may counter Vedanta
Vietnam devalues currency 2.1 percent
North Korea says it has joined Twitter, YouTube
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb
|
Taiwan's legislature approves China trade pact
Leaked Vampires Suck hits 100,000 downloads
|
Bond writers take on international action thriller
|
Outsourcing boss 'wins bail' in giant fraud case
Last Palestinian tied to 1972 Munich attack dies
Michael Douglas cancer fight, halts Hong Kong trip
Security firm ban could affect Afghan aid: officials
|
Dates or oil? Iraq's farmers fear gold rush
UAE talks with BlackBerry 'making progress'
Taliban prison said found in Afghanistan, 27 freed
|
Kidnapped Mexican mayor found dead: reports
|
China Voices Opposition To Pentagon Report, Calls Relations Important
S.Korea's KT Corp website jams on iPhone preorders
Karzai says Afghanistan needs Russia's support
|
Embassy 'hostage taker' is ex-Israeli informer: lawyer
Afghans to shut 900 polling centers on security fears
|
Fighter Jets Deployed Around Obama's Seattle Event
Taliban attack Afghan official's home, killing 2
More than 1 million South Africa state workers strike
|
Finance Worker Arrested For Allegedly Ejaculating Into Coworker's Water Bottle
Anti-US protest blocks highway in east Afghanistan
Stevens To Be Laid To Rest Wednesday
Haiti electoral body postpones ruling on candidates
|
Hundreds of Millions of Eggs Recalled Over Salmonella Fears
Japan analysing damage to tanker in Hormuz Strait
World War Two bomb shuts part of Milan airport
|
Backstreet Boys And New Kids On The Block Collaborating On Joint Tour
Chocolate May Reduce Heart Failure Risk
Indian school collapse kills 18 children
White House: Deadline For Pulling U.S. Troops From Afghanistan 'Non-Negotiable'
Levi's new brand targets Asia's middle class youth
Cougar Town's First Season Out on DVD Today
Maroon 5 Singer Adam Levine Gets Into Fashion Retail
Australian leaders face voters in pre-election forum
Thailand tries to block WikiLeaks website
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi
Gambling hub Macau to hold pop culture auction
Thai court to rule on Russian 'arms dealer': lawyer
Lindsay Lohan faces grim career options
N.Korea producing badges of heir apparent: report
Rocker John Mellencamp likens Internet to A-bomb
US opposes use of force in South China Sea dispute
N.Korea sought summit after warship sinking: report
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi
|
`Eat Pray Love' star Julia Roberts happy as is
Dell CEO gets fewest investor votes in election
|
Malaysian economy surges 8.9% in second quarter
NZ home affordability improves in July
Q+A-Pakistan refinancing risks after floods
Pakistani stocks up; rupee, o/n rates flat
Asian markets close mixed despite bright US data
iPhone preorders jam S.Korea website
E-commerce sales in China surge
Everbright Bank shines in Shanghai market debut
Taiwan dollar flat; cbank move offsets risk appeal
Vedanta willing to relocate controversial India mine
Lindsay Lohan faces grim career options
|
People magazine iPad app delayed by paparazzi
|
CBS, Reliance Broadcast start Indian TV network
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights