Suicide Blast Kills Dozens At Iraq Funeral
At Least 50 Die While Mourning Slain U.S.-Friendly Sunni Tribesmen In Northern Town
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Iraqi Army' soldiers guard detainees suspected of planting IED's (improvised explosive devices) in Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, April 16, 2008. (AP Photo/Loay Hameed)
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Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki (AP)
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Residents look at Iraqi security forces inspecting area after a parked car bomb exploded in downtown Baghdad, Tuesday, April 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
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Young Iraqi children look through a hole caused by an airstrike in the Shiite enclave of Sadr City in Baghdad, Tuesday, April 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Residents observe the scene of an overnight airstrike in Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, April 17, 2008. U.S. helicopters struck a residential complex in Habibiyah, a Shiite dominated area on the edge of the militia stronghold of Sadr City, killing two civilians and wounding 6 others, police said. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Iraq: 5 Years At War
Five years after the U.S.-led invasion, the war wears on.
The blast was the latest this week to break a period of relative calm in Sunni areas, raising concerns that Sunni insurgents are reorganizing.
Over the past months, violence has dropped with the increase in U.S. troops and the growth of so-called Awakening Councils, groups of Sunni tribesmen who have joined American forces in fighting al Qaeda-linked militants.
The suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the town of Albu Mohammed, about 90 miles north of Baghdad, during the funeral of two brothers who belonged to the local Awakening Council who were slain a day earlier, police in the nearby city of Kirkuk said.
At least 50 people were killed and 20 were wounded in the blast, the police officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to the media. The blast was the deadliest attack since March 6, when a bombing in central Baghdad killed 68.
Thursday's attack came on the heels of a string of suicide attacks on Tuesday that killed 60 people in four major cities in central and northern Iraq.
The attack came a day after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki voiced optimism that his government would conquer al Qaeda in Iraq. "We are today more confident than any time before that we are close to the point where we can declare victory against al Qaeda... and its allies," he said in an address to the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
Dozens of Iraqis have been killed this week by bomb blasts. Just one day before al-Maliki's bold comments, nearly 60 people died in a series of blasts in four cities in northern and central Iraq. Those attacks were blamed on al Qaeda.
The deadly bombings struck directly at U.S. claims that the Sunni insurgency is waning and being replaced by Shiite militia violence as a major threat.
The U.S. military has touted the relative calm in Sunni areas as a major success of the troop surge and the strategy of encouraging Awakening Councils and other Sunnis - some former insurgents - to turn against al Qaeda.
We have said all along that there will be variants in which we will see al Qaeda and other groups seek to reassert themselves.
Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner,U.S. military spokesman
"We have said all along that there will be variants in which we will see al Qaeda and other groups seek to reassert themselves," Bergner said.
But the new Sunni violence comes as fighting has increased between U.S.-Iraqi forces and Shiite militiamen, particularly members of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army.
In other developments:

On Wednesday, the Iraqi government said it was replacing two senior military commanders overseeing operations in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city.
Officials insisted the two - security army commander Lt. Gen. Mohan al-Fireji and police chief Maj. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Khalaf - had not been fired but were being reassigned to positions in Baghdad after their assignments ended.
The two Iraqi officers will be replaced by new security commander Maj. Gen. Mohammed Jawad Huwaidi and new police chief is Maj. Gen. Adil Daham, officials said.
U.S. officials have praised al-Maliki for the determination he showed in confronting the militias, but they have also said the Basra operation was hastily arranged and badly executed. Critics said it highlighted the Iraqi army's poor leadership and the low morale among its rank and file after some 1,000 troops deserted or refused to fight in Basra.
© MMVIII, 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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See all 378 CommentsPosted by swwils at 06:28 AM : Apr 17, 2008
yeah we don''t have anything to do with al qaeda in irak. Sure, the republicon party didn''t give them stinger missiles during the soviet invasion nor we didn''t train them and arm them. Saddam Hussein is an angel compared to what bush and the US armed forces brought to those poor people. You say the guy they were burying didn''t work for us? yes he did, thats why they killed him in the first place. Al queda, the ones who perpetrated this attack, also worked for the US in the past, I have a feeling they still do. War makes people rich, only a naive moron thinks this war is about terrorists, this is about money and above all oil. What did being there as a combatant get anyone? did they find the weapons of mass destruction? no.... all they gained is mental illness, disrespect from almost the whole world, maybe the loss of a limb, death, or destroyed the life of another person that could have been a doctor or someone important to this world. Thats what anyone moron that was sent there gained. Oh , and the right to have barbecues on memorial day and ride a harley davidson, as if that will bring anything back. A wasted life......
there is one difference comparing 1972 and now. they are not spitting on our armed forces when they come home
Posted by angryman55 at 06:38 AM : Apr 17, 2008
only the whole world is spitting on them, except for americans. Nobody I ran into in three continents support the war, they never supported it. Just because in the US they don''t spit on the service members doesn''t make this war right nor winnable, nor it stops suicides or the death of innocent people. Just because people don''t spit on the soldiers doesn''t mean they support the war nor it makes the war right.
there is one difference comparing 1972 and now. they are not spitting on our armed forces when they come home
Posted by angryman55 at 06:38 AM : Apr 17, 2008
only the whole world is spitting on them, except for americans. Nobody I ran into in three continents support the war, they never supported it. Just because in the US they don''t spit on the service members doesn''t make this war right nor winnable, nor it stops suicides or the death of innocent people. Just because people don''t spit on the soldiers doesn''t mean they support the war nor it makes the war right.
Feel the love of Republicons.....soldiers truly are fire and forget for them..
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Posted by FloydZepp at 07:02 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
Oh and you didn''t add the fact that BOTH Bush and McSame are against the GI Bill which would give these troops back the right to an education when they return. The point of my post was NOT about the divisions and struggles we went through during the Conflict in Vietnam. The Point of my post was that we DID NOT learn from that. We are still trying to "Give" our form of Government to other people. Sieg Heil Bush
Posted by andrew_693
And Democrats say the support the Troops? As you can tell from these posts there is no difference in the statements of IRAN, Al Qaeda and Democrats. They all hate the American Military equally and as you can tell by andrew_693, Democrats cannot wait to spit on our returning veterans.
Amen brother, Amen
Posted by andrew_693
Saddam Hussein was known to the world as the "Butcher of Bagdad". The United Nations stated that in his 30 year reign of "Genocidal Terror", he killed between one or two million people. And andrew_693, like all Democrats find him to be a nice guy. And these are the people who want us to vote for their Angry Hate Filled Anti-American Angenda?
Posted by jamesm12341
I Agree. As many of our boots on the ground in Iraq have said, if the angry hateful Democrats had used half the energy to support the troops as the do to hate the war, then we could have won long ago and brought the troops home. But the complete support for the genocidal terrorist in IRAQ by Democrats has helped the war take longer. When Sen Harry Reid said, "The War is Lost", there was an immediate spike in violence by Democrat Motivated Terrorist bombers that killed women, children and American soldiers. In generations past this would be called Treason. But Democrats like floydepp and Mcvet call it Patriotism. And these people want us to vote for them because they are promising a "New Change for America"?
Posted by demslie
floydepp and Mcvet have never said don''t support the troops they want to support them by bringing them home.
Now that said you too have supported a war based on lies 965 that were never disputed by the GOP. Ever wonder why? Of course not you don''t think you just follow like good little nazis. In case you are wondering my mother was in a concentration camp. So I do know what I am talking about.
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Posted by demslie at 07:46 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
How do you know what political Party this poster belongs to or for that matter IF he belongs to any party. You know NOT all of us are Nazi''s don''t you? YOU DO know that some of us care more for our Country that a PARTY don''t you? Now IF you have the ability and THAT is in serious question here, go search out the speech from that God awlful piece of Human Trash a few, and I mean a very few, still call a President gave us when he LIED us into this War! LISTEN to the LIES, upon LIES, then come back and attack someone else for pointing out those facts. God where does slime like this come from??? Sieg Heil Bush!! Come on Bootlicker... everyone already KNOWs you care more for the "party" than any of those kids dying for these LIES, so sing it out, be PROUD of it... ready?? SIEG HEIL MEIN FUHRER!!
IN other news, the official British report on the seizure of the British sailors revealed that the Iranians were in the right and that the Americans in defining the boundaries of the Coalition claimed waters, neglected to tell the Iranians...creating the perfect circumstances for an incident to develop into war. These waters were part of the disputed waters claimed by both Iraq and Iran.
TROOPS HOME NOW! JAIL TO THE CHIEF! DOWN WITH THE DEMOPUBLICAN REGIME AND THE OLIGARCHY FOR WHICH IT STANDS!
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 07:49 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
SIEG HEIL!! Let''s all just IGNORE the Endless NEEDLESS war we''re into up to our necks. Let''s all just be bootlickers enjoying the LIES and deception brought about by these NAZI''s. Never mind that not ONE Weapon of Mass Distruction has been found. Never mind that Saddam had NOTHING to do with any attack on this nation. Never mind that those who DID attack this nation aren''t even in Iraq... let''s just ignore all the facts and truth!! Now everyone stand and sing it out!! SIEG HEIL MEIN FUHRER!!
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Posted by JERSupporter at 08:54 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
Typical Fascist!! Can''t defend the position so you attack the poster. Try as you might you can NOT get away from the facts and the lies. But I guess you people aren''t going to change... you don''t care about those kids and the REASON they are dying, if you did you''d be as mad as THIS Combat Veteran about all the LIES and Incompetence that put them there. No they aren''t important folks... It''s all about the "Party" and protecting it. Good luck all you fascist... Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by JERSupporter at 08:54 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
I noticed that NONE of you addressed all the Lies! There are 935 of them and they are online for all to see. Would you PLEASE, before you attack Veterans, go to them, read them and come back. Tell us ONE, just ONE of them that is in fact TRUTH. We can not allow our troops to be killed based on LIES. We can not allow our nation to be lead to war on LIES. That is the point they are trying to make AND the point you wish to ignore!!
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Posted by underdogus at 09:07 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
Why can''t you people address the issues? We were LIED into a war and all you can do is attack those who point that fact out!! Do you think that ignoring them will make us successful in Iraq? Any Vet from Vietnam will tell you that''s not going to work.
Let''s look at the words. Is it hateful to tell the truth about the WMDS that the lying dogs in Washington claimed were there? No, of course not.
Is it "hate-filled" to use allude to Nazis when discussing the grandson of a financier of the Nazi Regime who nearly went to jail under the Trading with the Enemy Act...exposed by the Truman Commission during World War II? Bush someone who launched his own Reichstag Fire--9-11--fought any legal investigation of this crime and launched wars of aggression on the basis of it? No!
Even the Regime admits that Saddam had nothing to do with 9-11....Now, who is "hate-filled"?--The lying boot licking dogs who have no response to MCVet''s facts save to smear and obfuscate and lie, lie, lie!!
the neo cons can be very proud of this war
almost as good as Vietnam
Our creatures in Pakistan flew al Qaeda fighters to safety when the Taliban Regime fell...we used al Qaeda in Bosnia and Kosovo...Even now, we protect a KLA terror camp there where al Zawahiri''s al Qaeda brother works and trains...The attacks on civilians are, for the most part, part of the dirty war being waged by the US and its Quisling Regime. These attacks provide a legitimazation for the mission in Iraq and Afghanistan and are blatant attempts to drive the people into the arms of the authorities for protection.
The lies of the US Regime are transparent. Even the Israelis tried to establish a fake al Qaeda cell in Palestine.
upon the face of the Commander-In-chief
I''d say that "Shock and Awe"
has been "Returned to Sender".
Running around Iraq looking like
the insurgents themselves.
Death not being the consequence
we got us a comedy here.
In Basra, British Special Ops troops were captured after murdering an Iraqi policeman...they were dressed in Arab garb and their auto was packed with explosives. We all remember the Israeli contractors who drove about shooting at Arabs and then at Marine positions before the Marines apprehended them, treated them rather shabbily before they were whisked out of Abu Ghraib and out of the country.
The US is behind this dirty war. TROOPS HOME NOW! JAIL TO THE CHIEF! DOWN WITH THE DEMOPUBLICAN REGIME! Its time to free Iraq...leave the monstrous embassy as a monument to the stupidity and venality of the men who own Wall Street and the City.
Posted by jamesm12341 at 09:49 AM : Apr 17, 2008
What''s dying like then, e-ghost of Ken Lay?
You should know.BTW stop haunting these threads.
Remember the morons in the Miami warehouse that the FBI paid 50,000 dollars to to try and get them to affiliate with al Qaeda?...the non-Moslems who have gone through two mistrials in this farce of a "terrorist" trial?
Remember the ''93 attack on the WTC? Where the FBI cooked the bomb, provided the detonator, trained the driver?
Now why would anyone take this attack on civilians at face value? Only the liars and murderers leading the dirty war against the Iraqi people are responsible for these attacks.
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Continue to laugh at this Conspiracy LIB Misinformed Dufus. LMAO. Perhaps if you understood the situation, you may have a clue. Name calling the American commander is funny since you really have zero data is it not. I would attempt to expalin, but that would just be a waste of time. LMAO
Posted by JERSupporter at 10:19 AM : Apr 17, 2008
All your posts are a waste of time - what''s the difference?
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Posted by JERSupporter at 10:19 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
It always happens with you Nazi''s! The time always comes when you are left with NOTHING and I do mean absolutely NOTHING but a need to stiffle all debate. You have no options left but to attempt to silence critic''s. The Mass of Hate, Death and Distruction you have brought to this nation and to the nation of Iraq for NO REASON is so great that all you have left is to fight your OWN people. You think you can win like that?? You people are SICK... absolutely SICK!! Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 10:02 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
You fascist are sad, very sad indeed. You''ve never spent a day in combat and it shows. NO ONE who has ever been there would EVER seek to deny an American their most basic right but you are on here everyday, not debating the issues or facts, but trying to make yourself feel superior by putting down the HONEST beliefs of OTHER American''s. You are ATTACKING your OWN PEOPLE you fascist goon!! How stupid are you freaks?? YOU have an enemy in PAKISTAN who is playing you like a complete IDIOT and YOU are helping him!! SIEG HEIL IDIOT!!!
Posted by JERSupporter at 10:19 AM : Apr 17, 2008
All your posts are a waste of time - what''''s the difference?
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Posted by hungry1968 at 10:25 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
You are right. The AUTHORIZATION given by our CONGRESS is very specific as to what is IRAQ is supposed to be about and not ONCE have I heard this swastika hugger or any of the rest of them EXPLAIN how we LEGALLY got from the WEAPONS called for in that RESOLUTION and the UN RESOLUTION to what we are doing there now. We''re, the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is an OCCUPYING FORCE. OUR TROOPS are POLICE in the nation of IRAQ right now. Sieg Heil Bush
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Posted by notblue at 10:31 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
Do you fascist REALLY think you can win ANYTHING with attacks on YOUR NEIGHBORS and fellow CITIZENS like this. Some of us take the first line of the Constitution VERY seriously. Some of us paid VERY close attention to what WE were told going into this thing. SOME of us LEARN!! Now you can keep on doing what you are and I''ll keep on doing what I''m doing and we''ll see who is more successful or you can join with us in asking our leaders to EXPLAIN every lie and how we got from WMD''s to being Police in downtown BAGDAD in a war we were told was going to last 6 months and is now going into it''s 6th year with no end in sight. ONCE we know why were there then we can decide how to get out. To come on here and even PRETEND that the American People were not lied to is going to only divide us even more as we go forward. I guess what I''m trying to tell you people is that we are NOT fascist, we do NOT mindlessly follow NO leader, regardless of WHO he say''s he talks too. Sieg Heil Bush
To all those who say the surge isn''t working, just take a look at Exxon and Halliburton''s profits. Looks like mission accomplished.
notblue
We can allways count on you to keep us up to date on the latest damage control talking points from the RNC.
lol!
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Posted by jamesm12341 at 10:34 AM : Apr 17, 2008
+ report abuse
Have you worn that swastika so long you can''t read. Now go back and READ the post MORON... No tell you what, since you are obviously without a brain unless the Reich give''s it to you, I''ll walk you through my post. I said to continue to fight your OWN neighbor and fellow citizen, to continue to attack them for NO OTHER reason than they refuse to follow YOUR leader and YOUR Party is SICK. I stand by that statement. The Constitution give''s us ALL every last one of us the responsibility to Govern.. it''s not up to Bush, it''s not up to the RNC... it''s up to us all, liberal and conservative; black and white, old and young, to make SURE that our Government is being HONEST with us and are sending our Kids off to die for a reason. Sieg Heil Bush
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