Feb. 18, 2007
Death Comes To Baghdad Despite Crackdown
Bombings Kill Dozens In Deadliest Attacks Since Security Crackdown
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Plumes of smoke rise from the direction of Baghdad's Shiite district of New Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. Two car bombs exploded in an outdoor market in New Baghdad on Sunday, in the deadliest attacks since U.S. and Iraqi forces began a major security push around the capital. (AP)
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An Iraqi army soldier overlooks the Shalamcha border crossing with Iran, some 340 miles southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP)
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Iraqis stand next to a building heavily damaged in a car bomb explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP)
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U.S. Army Spc. Kevin Mowl, 21, from Pittsford, N.Y. patrols with Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the Beida neighborhood bordering Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007. (AP)
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The attacks in mostly Shiite areas — twin explosions in an open-air market that claimed 62 lives and a third blast that killed one — were a sobering reminder of the challenges confronting any effort to rattle the well-armed and well-hidden insurgents.
Instead, it was the Iraqi commanders of the security sweep feeling the sting.
Just a few hours before the blasts, Lt. Gen. Abboud Qanbar led reporters on a tour of the neighborhood near the marketplace that was attacked and promised to "chase the terrorists out of Baghdad." On Saturday, the Iraqi spokesman for the plan, Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, said violence had plummeted by 80 percent in the capital.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki condemned the bombings as a desperate act by "terrorists" and "criminals" who sense they are being squeezed.
"These crimes confirm the defeat of these perpetrators and their failure in confronting our armed forces, which are determined to cleanse the dens of terrorism," al-Maliki said in a statement.
U.S. military chiefs have been much more cautious. They have insisted the security drive, begun last week, may take months to make clear gains and that counter-punches from militants were likely every step of the way.
The ones dealt Sunday came from the militants' favored weapon of the moment: parked cars rigged with explosives.
The first blast tore through a produce market in the mostly Shiite area of New Baghdad, toppling the wooden stalls and leaving pools of blood and vegetables trampled in the chaos. Minutes later, another car bomb exploded near a row of stores.
More than 125 people were injured, including many women who were shopping, said police and rescue officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
Victims were carried to hospitals on makeshift stretchers or in the arms of rescuers.
Another car bomb in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City left at least one dead and 10 wounded, police said.
It was by far the deadliest day since the security sweeps began. On Thursday, a string of car bombs killed seven civilians on the first full day of the house-to-house searches for weapons and suspected militants.
The U.S.-led teams have faced limited direct defiance as they set up checkpoints and comb neighborhoods. But that could change as they move into more volatile sections of the city. The next could be Sadr City, a stronghold of the Mahdi Army militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
U.S. soldiers pressed closer to Sadr City on Sunday and the reception changed noticeably. In previous days, Shiite families opened their doors to welcome the troops — feeling that the American presence would be a buffer against feared attacks from Sunni militia.
On Sunday, in areas closer to Sadr City, parents slapped away the candy and lollipops given to children by soldiers.
"The Baghdad security plan is very important to push Iraq ahead," said Haider al-Obeidi, a parliament member from the Dawa party of al-Maliki.
In other developments:
(AP)
Moussawi, the plan's spokesman, was quoted in the Azzaman newspaper as saying the crossing points to the two nations would be open for only several hours a day and under "intense observation."
The United States and allies claim Iraqi militants receive aid and supplies from Iran, including parts for lethal roadside bombs targeting U.S. forces. Iran denies any role in trafficking weapons.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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- Typical lib/con conversation:
Lib: Bush lied to Congress about WMD's in Iraq.
Con: Those cowards needed to be lied to.
Lib: Even the CIA reported no WMD's
Con: CNN made that up.
Lib: No, here's the link to the CIA report itself.
Con: The link doesn't work.
Lib: Key the URL in, it'll work.
Con: YOU'RE A LIAR. - Reply to this comment
- Typical lib con conversation...
Con - If libs have their way we'll pull out of Iraq and quit wasting 80 billion dollars every 2 months.
Libs - You morons should have voted for bushs 3rd cousin billionaire John kerry, he would have put these rich people in their place.
Cons - Michael Moore is a fat pig
Libs - Rush limbaugh is a fat pig
Libs - Cons hate us for our freedoms, that's why democrats voted for their patriot act.
Cons - The libs want to install muslim sharia laws...
on and on and on blah blah blah blah blah blah.. what a bunch of retards. - Reply to this comment
- One day, probably not in my lifetime or yours, we will end political spin and resort to the simple truth, or at least I hope so. The simple truth about Iraqi is OUR POLICY HAS FAILED. UNTIL THE IRAQIS STEP TO THE FRONT AND SAY WE WILL NOT TAKE THIS ANY MORE, the sectarian violence will continue. Will Americans die, YES THEY WILL. How long will we take this? As long as it is politically expediant. ANSWER THIS! WHEN DID DEATH BECOME POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT? There will always be a right and a left, however now it is time for the CENTER to speak, and save our dignity, our lives, and our country. Call me crazy, but I still think we have a great country, but we need to take it back from those who use it and the flag for personal glorification and gain. If the founding fathers could see what is going o in this country today, they would all be ill.
- Reply to this comment
- Firstate-
Right on... - Reply to this comment
- JohnShaft4
You do know that the "P" in PNAC is for perverts, right? - Reply to this comment
- LOL, firststate! Thanks, man!
- Reply to this comment
- Virtually everything that Bush/Cheney has done at the behest of their Zionist PNAC, AEI, AIPAC puppet masters has been an abject failure. Why should this, or anything in the future be any different?
- Reply to this comment
- Scott4261
What's wrong with you? How dare you insert rationality and logic into this discussion? Next, you'll try and convince us that the good weapons that our friends, the Saudis send to Iraq to kill our soldiers are as bad as the evil weapons Iran provides. The good Saudi weapons only kill 95% of our KIA, but the evil Iranian weapons kill 1 of every 20 of our KIA. You just don't understand the solace a grieving hero's family gets from knowing that the weapons that killed their loved one was from a country that's a friend, not an evil country. You probably don't even know that force protection is when the Jedi protect the force from the dark side.
Come back when you get over all your rational, sanity based arguments. There's no room for reality to intrude in all these delusions. Don't you know that our administration are all real patriots, they said so. There, now get out there and support der fuhrer, schnell! - Reply to this comment
- And with all due respect, how can you accuse someone of putting the U.N. above country or party if you don't even know him? There were no WMD!
WAKE UP!!!! - Reply to this comment
- Anything to try to help your team win, right? You'd rather carry water for them than to ever admit the liberals were right all along, right? Real patriotism...I see.
- Reply to this comment
