More Than 40 Shiite Pilgrims Killed

Dozens More Wounded In Separate Attacks Against Masses Traveling To Holy Shrine Outside Baghdad

(AP)  The streets of the Iraqi city of Karbala are already choked with Shiite pilgrims gathered for a religious observance. But dozens of others who were headed there by foot never made it.

They were killed at the hands of a suicide bomber who attacked today as the pilgrims took a break from their trek at a tent offering food and drink.

The U.S. military says at least 40 people were killed and 60 were wounded.

A local official says the attack "devastated the entire tent."

Iraqi police and U.S. troops quickly responded to the attack, which occurred on a two-lane highway outside a residential area south of Baghdad.

The U.S. military says about 42,000 pilgrims had previously traveled through the area without incident.

The attack in Iskandariyah was the second of the day against pilgrims traveling to the holy city of Karbala.

Earlier, extremists attacked another group of pilgrims in the predominantly Sunni Baghdad neighborhood of Dora, killing three and wounding 36, police said. Officers describing the attacks spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release information.

Also today, extremists targeted U.S. patrols in two separate attacks in northern Baghdad. The military says a soldier was killed in one of the attacks.

The pilgrims were taking part in a walk that lasts for days, taking them
to a shrine south of Baghdad for to mark Arbaeen, the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, one of two revered Shiite figures buried there.

Police Chief Raid Shakir Jawdat has said 40,000 police officers and military troops are being deployed during this period, since Shiite holidays have frequently been targeted by suspected Sunni insurgents. For example, a parked car loaded with explosives was discovered and put out of action near Karbala, one of several potential attacks that have already been averted, Jawdat said Sunday.

Four million pilgrims were already in the city as of a couple of days ago, he said.

The attacks occurred on a day when Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki flew to London for a second round of medical tests, a top aide said. The trip comes about two months after his previous one.

Following that journey, officials said the prime minister had traveled to Britain after falling ill, but no problems were discovered in his check up. Al-Maliki's adviser Yassin Majeed said Sunday that al-Maliki was in good health and that the tests this time are merely to confirm the previous results.

An explosion also struck a minibus carrying electricity department workers in the northwestern city of Mosul on Sunday, killing two and wounding three, police said.

In Hawija, about 30 miles southwest of Kirkuk, a parked car bomb went off Sunday morning next to a patrol of Sunni tribesmen who aligned with U.S. forces to fight al Qaeda in Iraq, police said. One civilian bystander was killed and 10 people were wounded, including seven tribesmen, police Brig. Sarhad Qadir said.

The violence occurred a day after extremists fired an explosive barrage into Baghdad's heavily protected Green Zone, targeting the heart of America's diplomatic and military mission in Iraq. The U.S. military said there were no injuries.

Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman, said Sunday that the military was not certain precisely who was responsible for the rocket volley "but we suspect it was rogue criminal militia groups," referring to Shiite groups that the Americans say are backed by Iran. Tehran denies the allegations.

Police released new details about a suicide bomb attack Saturday that killed the leader of one Awakening Council in Saqlawiyah, a town in Anbar province 45 miles west of Baghdad. A group of gunmen first opened fire on a checkpoint, killing one police officer. Then three of the attackers armed with explosives belts stormed the checkpoint, two blowing themselves up and killing Sheik Ibrahim Mutayri al-Mohamaday. The other was killed.

Police said the two attackers were brothers from the area, and an Associated Press photographer on the scene said that their remains were identified by their father.

[andrew_693]

Religious freaks like to bomb and kill innocent people. Just see how christians bomb clinics and hospitals, and even bombed the olympic games in atlanta. The islamic fundamentalist are the same way. The only peaceful religion is budhism.

[andrew_693]

Religious freaks like to bomb and kill innocent people. Just see how christians bomb clinics and hospitals, and even bombed the olympic games in atlanta. The islamic fundamentalist are the same way. The only peaceful religion is budhism.

[antizion]

US, British and Israeli special forces have been caught numerous times detaining an Iraqi motorist, planting explosives in the trunk while they are being interrogated and then the driver is told his drivers license has been handed over to local police and to go get it.

When the driver pulls up to the police station, they detonate the car from a helicopter.

It is an old trick the Israelis use on the Palestinians all the time. Usually they murder a person, put the dead body in the trunk and drive the car to the site. They were caught on video doing that in Pakistan to a Jewish temple.. False flag terrorism, just like 911.

Al CIAda is the Mossad, CIA, MI6, etc.

[antizion]

US, British and Israeli special forces have been caught numerous times detaining an Iraqi motorist, planting explosives in the trunk while they are being interrogated and then the driver is told his drivers license has been handed over to local police and to go get it.

When the driver pulls up to the police station, they detonate the car from a helicopter.

It is an old trick the Israelis use on the Palestinians all the time. Usually they murder a person, put the dead body in the trunk and drive the car to the site. They were caught on video doing that in Pakistan to a Jewish temple.. False flag terrorism, just like 911.

Al CIAda is the Mossad, CIA, MI6, etc.

[antizion]

US, British and Israeli special forces have been caught numerous times detaining an Iraqi motorist, planting explosives in the trunk while they are being interrogated and then the driver is told his drivers license has been handed over to local police and to go get it.

When the driver pulls up to the police station, they detonate the car from a helicopter.

It is an old trick the Israelis use on the Palestinians all the time. Usually they murder a person, put the dead body in the trunk and drive the car to the site. They were caught on video doing that in Pakistan to a Jewish temple.. False flag terrorism, just like 911.

Al CIAda is the Mossad, CIA, MI6, etc.

[jerr11]

Let Carnage continue? Surrender to evil-doers?

Posted by dumbshun at 10:02 PM : Feb 24, 2008


Speaking of evil-doers, Bush wins hands down.

935 LIES

4000 DEAD Americans.

Tens of thousands Iraqis dead.

The American treasury looted.

******** Cheney and Halliburton buddies laughing all the way to the bank.

If this is not the work of Satan, what is!

[demslie]

Yes there is another terrorist bombing and as usual the only people happy about it is IRAN (who planned it), Al Qaeda (who did it) and Democrats (who love it for thier evil political agenda). This is the new Change in America Democrats promised us.

[fstop100]

Sleep Tight George!

[briannorwood]

Here we go again.

[luigi999-2009]

All this killing of innocents over a false religion. These people are barbarian maniacs and don''t belong with the rest of us.

[beehive21-2009]

The muslims are a bloodthirsty group ,the quran is a book of killing ,allah teaches death to whom ever refuses to heed.They kill each other for no good reason,the robots have been trained well.The muslims start trouble where ever they can for attention ,feels like there time is growing short.All religions must be banned, if the Earth is to go on, as the fools will blow everything up,in the name of some fairytale.

[ontheleft]

The surge of death continues while the Iraqi government accomplishes nothing.

[joyous88]

thanks the gods for gw bush and the surge and the freedom they have in iraq,

[dgermenis]

Yippee!

[dgermenis]

Anyone with a name like "***" should be killed.

[joyous88]

nice to see that the fascist amerikan nazi surge is working so well,

why arn''t all the rest of you chcikenhawk, war monger, war profiteer, capitalist pigs in Iraq, chicken?

[it_oldtimer]

"More Than 40 Shiite Pilgrims Killed"

Good!

[runningralph]

These Islamics are a barrel of laughs. What could be more fun than suicide bombing a bunch of folks on the way to a church revival? And there is Allah with a big welcoming smile and 72 virgins. What a blast! And it could be a big hit in the West. All the libs swear there is no difference between Islam and all the other religions.

[smirk5]

That enemy that we supposedly have had on the run for months now hasn''t gone too far.

[joyous88]

a new mayor of havana