Wave of Attacks Kills Nearly 50 in Iraq

[maddezmom]

By FRANK GRIFFITHS, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 1 minute ago



BAGHDAD, Iraq - A man strapped with explosives blew himself up Sunday at a military recruiting center, one of series of suicide attacks that killed at least 48 people. Five U.S. troops were wounded in a bombing as the prime minister complained Americans were too quick to fire on civilians deemed suspicious.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, released Iranian-American Cyrus Kar, a 44-year-old aspiring filmmaker from Los Angeles who has been detained in Iraq for nearly two months, officials said. Kar was taken into custody May 17 near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad, when potential bomb parts were found in a taxi in which he was riding.

Sunday's deadliest attack hit the army recruiting center at Muthana airfield in central Baghdad when a man dressed in civilian clothes detonated two explosive-laden belts among a crowd of recruits, killing 25 others and wounding nearly 50, U.S. and hospital officials said. Most of the dead were believed to have been recruits.

Al-Qaida in Iraq claimed responsibility in a Web posting but the authenticity could not be verified. In February, a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the same garrison, killing 21 people.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050710/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_050710193813

[etherealtruth]

1. This is better for the Iraqi people...?

Better than what?

[Straight Shooter]

2. Suicide bombers in Iraq, but not consistently elsewhere in the world.

What's wrong with this picture? If al-Qaida is so hellbent on destroying those who participate in Western civilization, and if they have suicide bombers ready and willing to give their lives for al-Qaida's agenda, which includes specifically targeting those who are invaders/aggressors/occupiers in Iraq, then why aren't there more suicide bombers in England, Italy, Australia and the U.S.?

It seems to me if this were truly the work of al-Qaida, why would they do this only within the borders of Iraq, and of course just recently, this attack in London?

Something doesn't fit. It isn't logical for an extremist group to practice one form of terrorism in one locale and not do so elsewhere. Suicide bombs, I would think, are the easiest to disguise and detonate.

Oh, well, I'm just thinking out loud here. Has anyone else wondered why the U.S. hasn't experienced a rash of suicide bombings that al-Qaida would claim responsibility for?

[aquart]

6. Maybe because we do NOT have a zillion terrorist cells?

And possibly not even one?

Of course, if your point is that things explode when George dips in the polls, well, yeah, I noticed that.

[Warren Stupidity]

7. the muslim community in the us is too small

to hide or harbor al qaeda cells. There might be one or two, but most likely there aren't any. In London and Madrid the muslim community is large enough to support active groups, but not large enough that whomever is making decisions wanted to use up their resources with suicide attacks. Instead in Madrid the group appeared to be intending to strike again when they were caught, and presumably the same is true in London. In Iraq there is no shortage of human resources and suicide bombings are extremely effective both psychologically and physically, however the most common form of attack is the IED, which is the more traditional 'homicide bomber' attack (to use the reichwing meme correctly) not suicide bombs.

Of course everything could be not what it seems, but I think for now assuming that the London attack is what it has been called: an al qaeda attack, is a prudent assumption.

[cambie]

10. Because

they don't want to destroy anyone's civilization, that would be bushspeak. They just want the troops out of their countries. Not complicated, that is what they say.

[Straight Shooter]

15. Thank you to all for responding to my inquiry.

I'm just confused that in the entire U.S., there isn't one person who would claim allegiance to al-Qaida who hasn't taken it upon himself or herself to become a suicide bomber. This would seem to imply that there is actually no threat of AQ in the U.S. How can that be, when we had such a massive coordinated attack in 2001? Did all the followers of Osama, all the members of AQ just disappear?

If it's true that suicide bombers are a direct reflection of the presence of al-Qaida, then we have surely brought terrorism to Iraq. We did not make the terrorists do what they did, but we have provided them the incentive and we have also, unfortunately, provided them the means when we failed to guard the ordnance.

I'm still perplexed by the horror in Iraq being fostered by al-Qaida. Perhaps they are just seizing an opportunity to gain control of Iraq, an opportunity which Little Boots and his gang gave them, wittingly or unwittingly.

[wryter2000]

3. OMG

What horror. Damn you, Bush. :mad: :cry:

[Xipe Totec]

4. You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."

Matt 7:15-23

What has Bush brought but death and destruction?

[fedsron2us]

5. As one London caller to the BBC said yesterday

"We are lucky, the citizens of Baghdad get this every day of the week"

[NNN0LHI]

8. Sometimes 50 times a day I have read

Bet Shock And Awe was no picnic to live through either.

Don

[leftchick]

17. the rest of the world

well at least those here in AmeriKa ignore that little fact.

:(

[Ouabache]

9. just some MORE "last throes" per Dickless

nt

[bribri16]

11. You will only see this on the feeders on the MSM. Only Dennis

is getting 24 hour coverage.

[XNGH]

12. More knotches

50 more knotches on Bushes gun handle ... I'm so proud

[justinsb]

13. Not the same story in Canada

This was labeled a dupe but in the Yahoo Canada story it also talked about the Iraqi prime ministers critisizm of US forces

http://news.yahoo.com/s/cpress/20050710/ca_pr_on_wo/ira...

[vickie]

14. And the horror continues......

[NYC Liberal]

16. Where are the memorials to these innocent people?

And where is the wall-to-wall coverage of this attack?

[Seabiscuit]

18. Attack of waves kills nearly 50 in Pensacola.

(Not really - I just have hurricane brain today)