in the biggest attack on the U.S.-protected area in weeks. U.S. officials said the barrage wounded an undisclosed number of people but caused no deaths.
The blast Friday in the al-Ghazl pet market killed at least 15 people, wounded 56 and shattered a growing sense of public confidence that has emerged following a sharp decline in the bombings and shootings that once rattled the Iraqi capital daily.
Baghdad was generally calm Saturday, with no major incidents reported by police. But the recent uptick in attacks raised questions whether anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, head of the Mahdi Army militia, would call off the six-month truce he ordered last August.
U.S. officials have said the truce was generally holding and partly responsible for a 55 percent decline in attacks nationwide since June.
American commanders have been careful not to accuse al-Sadr himself of any role in recent attacks.
(and most probably continue with their position that the surge is working)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20071124/iraq/