At Least 40 Killed At U.S.-Iraqi Base
Also, Gunmen Kidnapped 16 Employees Of Iraqi Trading Company
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Play CBS Video Video Anger In Iraq Over U.S. Attack A particularly bloody day in Iraq was overshadowed by repercussions from a U.S.-Iraqi assault on what Shiites say is a mosque. Lara Logan has more.
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Video Northern Iraq Suicide Bombing A suicide bombing at an Iraqi army recruitment center in northern Iraq has resulted in many casualties. Lara Logan reports.
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Video Mosque Raid Sparks Outrage Only On The Web: Iraqis began to bury the dead from a March 26th mosque raid, which the U.S. military insists it was not a part of, but there are still many upset people over the ordeal.
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Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers inspect the scene of a roadside bomb explosion Monday, March 27, 2006 in Mosul, Iraq. (AP)
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A woman who lost 10 relatives to the continuing sectarian slaughter looks at the remains of one of her relatives in a coffin loaded on a blood spattered van outside Baghdad, Iraq Monday, March 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)
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An Iraqi police car is seen burning afer it was hit in a roadside bomb in the northern city of Mosul, March 27, 2006. (Getty Images/Mujahed Mohammed)
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An Iraqi man looks at a wrecked car at the site of a U.S. backed raid on a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad Monday, March 27, 2006. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Iraqi policemen secure the site where a roadside bomb targeted a police car in the northern city of Mosul, March 27, 2006. (Getty Images/Mujahed Mohammed)
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Interactive Battle For Iraq The government, the insurgency, key players, background and photos.
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Interactive Saddam's Judgment Background on the former Iraqi leader's alleged crimes, his life and capture, plus video and photos.
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Interactive Held Hostage Details on foreign workers and soldiers captured by insurgents in Iraq.
Accounts of the Baghdad raid varied. Aides to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr said 18 men were killed in the joint U.S.-Iraqi raid on a mosque. Police said 22 people were killed in the incident at the al-Mustafa mosque. The Americans said Iraqi special forces backed by U.S. troops killed 16 "insurgents" in a raid on a community meeting hall after gunmen opened fire on approaching troops.
The firestorm of recrimination over Sunday's raid in northeast Baghdad will likely make it harder for Shiite politicians to keep a lid on their more angry followers as sectarian violence boils over, with at least 151 dead over the two-day period. A unity government involving Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds is a benchmark for American hopes of starting to withdraw troops this summer. Logan reports talks regarding a national unity government were suspended for at least a day.
Associated Press reporters who visited the scene Monday morning said the site of the attack was clearly a neighborhood Shiite mosque complex, although the American military insisted, "no mosques were entered or damaged during this operation." The military said a non-Western hostage was freed, but no name or nationality was provided.
"As elements of the 1st Iraqi Special Operations Forces Brigade entered their objective, they came under fire. In the ensuing exchange of fire...(Iraqi troops) killed 16 insurgents. As they secured their objective, they detained 15 more individuals," the military statement said.
Also Monday, Baghdad Gov. Hussein Tahan told reporters the local government had cut ties to the U.S. military and diplomatic mission.
"The Baghdad provincial council has decided to stop dealings in regards to services and politics with the coalition forces and the U.S. Embassy because of the cowardly attack on the al-Moustafa mosque," he said without elaboration.
"Harsher measures will be taken in the future to preserve the dignity of the Iraqi citizens," Tahan said.
Jawad al-Maliki, a lawmaker from the United Iraqi Alliance, told a news conference that the Shiite bloc had cancelled Monday's session of negotiations to form a new government.
"We suspended today's meetings to discuss the formation of the government because of what happened at the al-Moustafa mosque." He said the alliance was expected to decide on Tuesday when to resume the talks.
Logan reports it remains unclear what happened, but the raid comes on the back of several incidents where Americans are being investigated for use of force on Iraqis, and there is talk on the street of revenge (video).
Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite, expressed concern and telephoned Iraqi military leaders and U.S. commander Gen. George Casey to "discuss the situation," said spokesman Abdul Rezzaq Al-Kadhimi.
He said the prime minister promised government compensation for families of those killed in the raid and called for Iraqis to be patient until an investigation was completed.
©MMVI CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
