The Hindu : 20 killed, 60 injured in Baghdad blast

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jan 19, 2004

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20 killed, 60 injured in Baghdad blast

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA, JAN. 18. About 20 people were killed and more than 60 injured in a suicide car bombing outside the headquarters of the U.S. occupation authorities in Baghdad.

The blast emanated from a white Toyota pick-up vehicle early this morning outside the former Iraqi President's Republican palace, now used by the occupation as its headquarters. The gate where the explosion occurred is usually busy as it is used by people employed by the occupation authorities and for to and fro movement of vehicles.

The powerful blast destroyed half a dozen vehicles and engulfed four of them in flames. It caused three separate fires, which could not be put out for a long time.

The sound of the big explosion could be heard along the banks of the Tigris, about a km away. Black smoke quickly spread across the river into central Baghdad.

While the occupation headquarters has been targeted earlier with mortars, this was the first occasion it was attacked by a car bomb. Iraqi resistance has been striking U.S. troops and Iraqi individuals, especially policemen, whom it sees as collaborators.

U.S. military officials indicated that two American citizens, possibly belonging to the U.S. Department of Defence, were killed, but this was yet to be confirmed. Six Americans were also believed wounded in the attack, the deadliest since the suicide bombing in Khaldiyah, west of Baghdad, which took place on December 14, a day after the capture of the former Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein. Seventeen people had died in that incident.

Witnesses said that another vehicle, a Land Cruiser, also exploded outside the occupation headquarters this morning, but U.S. authorities denied this later.

Analysts say that the purpose of Sunday's explosion could be to discourage the United Nations from playing an active role in Iraq. The blast took place a day before important discussions on Iraq between the U.S. administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, and the U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, were to be held. Washington is reportedly seeking U.N. support for its plans to position an unelected Iraqi transitional government in Iraq by July, after which a constitution can be drafted and general elections held by the end of 2005.

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