Iraqis bury bomb victims as US says pullout on its track
Güncelleme Tarihi:
AFP
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 26, 2009 00:00
BAGHDAD - Families of 62 people killed in a Baghdad blast began burying their loved ones on Thursday, as the White House insisted that Washington was not reconsidering pulling U.S. troops out of Iraqi cities.
The attack in a market in the predominantly Shiite slum neighborhood of Sadr City in northeast Baghdad was one of the deadliest this year, and also left about 150 people wounded, officials said.
A motorcycle rickshaw loaded with explosives covered with fruit and vegetables caused a massive blast at 16:00 GMT on Wednesday at a busy time in the market.
The attacker jumped off the rickshaw and managed to escape before the bomb was set off. The area was closed off by Iraqi security forces for their investigation.
"I heard a boom and saw a ball of fire," said 30-year-old father-of-two Najim Ali, who was shopping in the market when the bomb went off. "I saw cars flying in the air because of the force of the explosion," he added, saying he fainted after the attack and awoke to find himself in a nearby hospital.
It was the third major attack in Iraq this month, and means that June's death toll from violence will top the 155 Iraqis killed in May. A June 20 truck bomb near the northern city of Kirkuk killed 72 people and wounded more than 200 in the deadliest attack in 16 months, and on June 10, a car bomb in the largely peaceful province of Dhi Qar killed 19 people.
Security forces under fire
Despite several large bombings, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, had told President Barack Obama the June 30 deadline for American troops to leave Iraqi cities, towns and villages would be kept. Asked whether Obama had any second thoughts about the pullback, or whether he had approached the Iraqi government about a change in arrangements, Gibbs said "No, No."
Iraqi security forces came in for criticism over the Sadr City bombing, with local residents throwing rocks and shouting at soldiers who fired rounds into the air in a bid to clear the area after the attack.
"After hearing the explosion (in Sadr City), I rushed to the market," 20-year-old local resident Saif Mohammed said. "I saw pieces of flesh and pools of blood ... Explosions like this confirm that the Iraqi security forces are not able to protect the people from violence or war." Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned earlier this month that insurgents and militiamen were likely to step up their attacks in a bid to undermine confidence in the Iraqi security forces. But Maliki later told French daily Le Monde that Iraq would not call on U.S. forces to take part in combat operations after they pull out.
Violence has dropped markedly in Iraq in recent months, with May seeing the lowest Iraqi death toll since the 2003 invasion.
A motorcycle rickshaw loaded with explosives covered with fruit and vegetables caused a massive blast at 16:00 GMT on Wednesday at a busy time in the market.
The attacker jumped off the rickshaw and managed to escape before the bomb was set off. The area was closed off by Iraqi security forces for their investigation.
"I heard a boom and saw a ball of fire," said 30-year-old father-of-two Najim Ali, who was shopping in the market when the bomb went off. "I saw cars flying in the air because of the force of the explosion," he added, saying he fainted after the attack and awoke to find himself in a nearby hospital.
It was the third major attack in Iraq this month, and means that June's death toll from violence will top the 155 Iraqis killed in May. A June 20 truck bomb near the northern city of Kirkuk killed 72 people and wounded more than 200 in the deadliest attack in 16 months, and on June 10, a car bomb in the largely peaceful province of Dhi Qar killed 19 people.
Security forces under fire
Despite several large bombings, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said the top U.S. commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, had told President Barack Obama the June 30 deadline for American troops to leave Iraqi cities, towns and villages would be kept. Asked whether Obama had any second thoughts about the pullback, or whether he had approached the Iraqi government about a change in arrangements, Gibbs said "No, No."
Iraqi security forces came in for criticism over the Sadr City bombing, with local residents throwing rocks and shouting at soldiers who fired rounds into the air in a bid to clear the area after the attack.
"After hearing the explosion (in Sadr City), I rushed to the market," 20-year-old local resident Saif Mohammed said. "I saw pieces of flesh and pools of blood ... Explosions like this confirm that the Iraqi security forces are not able to protect the people from violence or war." Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned earlier this month that insurgents and militiamen were likely to step up their attacks in a bid to undermine confidence in the Iraqi security forces. But Maliki later told French daily Le Monde that Iraq would not call on U.S. forces to take part in combat operations after they pull out.
Violence has dropped markedly in Iraq in recent months, with May seeing the lowest Iraqi death toll since the 2003 invasion.