AP: Bomber Kills 30; 3 Soldiers Die In Iraq

[Hissyspit]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME

Mar 7, 10:41 PM EST

Bomber Kills 30; 3 Soldiers Die in Iraq

By ROBERT H. REID
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A suicide attacker blew himself up in a cafe northeast of the capital Wednesday, killing 30 people as a wave of violence left 90 Iraqis dead throughout the country.

The bloodshed persisted as Iraqi security forces struggled to protect more than 1 million Shiite pilgrims streaming toward the holy city of Karbala for annual religious rituals that begin Friday. The pilgrims are facing a string of attacks along the way that have claimed at least 174 lives in two days - among 284 killed across Iraq since Tuesday.

They included 22 people - 12 police commandos and 10 civilians - who died Wednesday in a car bombing at a checkpoint in southern Baghdad set up to protect pilgrims, the U.S. military said. An Iraqi TV cameraman working for a Shiite-owned station was among the civilian dead, his station said.

Just north of the capital, a powerful bomb killed three American soldiers trying to clear explosives from a major highway, the U.S. military said. One American soldier was wounded in the attack.

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[The_Casual_Observer]

1. The Iraqis seem to be doing a surge of their own.

[pampango]

4. My guess is that most Iraqis do not support this "surge."

The bombing of cafes, markets, schools and pilgrimages does not seem to be any more popular with most Iraqis than invasion and occupation are. It would be interesting if the next polling done in Iraq adds questions about popular support for attacks on civilians, so there could be some comparison of that with support for attacks on occupation troops.

[saigon68]

2. K & R

[xchrom]

3. welcome to the surge.

[rodeodance]

5. 3 blown up-and one wounded (i wonder how seriously?)--said powerful-