Iraqi Vice President dodges bomb in apparent assassination attempt; 10 Die

[DeepModem Mom]

Iraqi Vice President Dodges Bomb; 10 Die
By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press Writer
February 26, 2007

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Iraq's Shiite vice president escaped an apparent assassination attempt Monday after a bomb exploded in municipal offices where he was making a speech, knocking him down with the force of the blast that left at least 10 people dead.

Adel Abdul-Mahdi was bruised and hospitalized for medical exams, an aide said. Police initially blamed the attack on a bomb-rigged car, but later said the explosives were apparently planted inside the building.

The attack sent another message that suspected Sunni militants could strike anywhere despite a major security crackdown across the capital. Hours before the blast, U.S. military teams with bomb-sniffing dogs combed the building, said workers at the site.

The bomb struck while Abdul-Mahdi was addressing municipal officials in the upscale Mansour district, which has many embassies and saw a rise in private security patrols after past kidnappings blamed on militants.

Abdul-Mahdi is one of two vice presidents. The other, Tariq al-Hashemi, is Sunni....

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/wire/ats-ap_top14feb26,0,2349262.story?coll=la-ap-topnews-headlines

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

1. It's A Good Thing There's No Civil War

Imagine if they were trying to kill leaders on the other side.

Ooops, wait....they are.

Never mind.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. And note, from the article, that this occurs despite what I assume they mean as the "surge" --

"The attack sent another message that suspected Sunni militants could strike anywhere despite a major security crackdown across the capital. Hours before the blast, U.S. military teams with bomb-sniffing dogs combed the building, said workers at the site."