Baghdad Blasts Kill 95
Elizabeth Arrott
|
Cairo
19 August 2009
Multiple explosions in the Iraqi capital have killed 95 people
and wounded at least 310 others, in the worst day of violence in
Baghdad since U.S. forces left urban areas in June.
One of
the biggest bombs went off outside Iraq's Foreign Ministry, causing
casualties both inside and outside the heavily fortified building.
The blast shattered windows in the nearby parliament building, where lawmakers were in session.
Another
truck bomb exploded outside the Finance Ministry, while police say
mortar or rocket attacks struck other government buildings in the
capital.
Baghdad's hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of
injured, with reports that some victims were turned away for lack of
space to treat them.
The explosions came within minutes of each
other, suggesting tight coordination, while the ability of two trucks
laden with explosives to pass through various checkpoints to reach the
center of Baghdad marked a major security breach.
The attacks
are the deadliest in Baghdad since the June 30 withdrawal of U.S.
forces from Iraqi cities. They are also the latest in a spate of
explosions, after a period of relative calm, as the nation prepares for
elections early next year.
Professor Abdallah Al-Ashaal of the
American University in Cairo says the situation poses a dilemma for
both the Iraqis and the United States.
"The United States wants
to get out from Iraq as soon aspossible, according to their schedule,
and they want to leave Iraq secure at the same time," he said.
For
Iraq, the violence further casts doubt on whether the government will
be able to provide security for its citizens, or even provide enough
stability to carry out the elections.
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