Carbomb Kills 47 Wounds 114 In Karkh

Carbomb Kills 47, Wounds 114 in Karkh

Luke Harding writes for The Guardian in Baghdad that a huge car bomb killed 47 and wounded 114 at the al-Karkh Police station. Targeted were prospective recruits to the police force.

In Baqubah, guerrillas attacked a mini-bus full of police, killing 11 along with a civilian, as they headed home to their base.

US troops fought guerrillas in Ramadi, and the fighting left 8 dead and 18 wounded.

Although the shadowy Monotheism and Holy War (MAHW) organization tried to take credit for the Baghdad bombing, it most likely was committed by Iraqi nationalists. It is not clear whether these post-Baath nationalists are using MAHW as a screen, or whether MAHW is grandstanding and just taking credit, or whether American intelligence organizations are using MAHW as plot device that allows the Bush administration to continue to link Iraq and al-Qaeda. (Actually, anyway, Monotheism and Holy War is a rival to al-Qaeda that refuses to share resources with it, so even if it exists it doesn’t prove an al-Qaeda link to Iraq).

Colin Freeman of the Scotsman offers a clear-eyed assessment of what a farce the “turn-over of sovereignty” has come to be.