Iraqi suspect: It cost $10,000 to pass checkpoints

[IDemo]

Source: Associated Press

By SINAN SALAHEDDIN, Associated Press Writer – 55 mins ago

BAGHDAD – Attackers paid $10,000 to get a bomb-laden truck past checkpoints and next to the Iraqi Finance Ministry in last week's attacks, one of the suspected masterminds said in a confession broadcast Sunday.

Seeking to fend off widespread criticism over security lapses, the Iraqi military released what it said was the confession of a Sunni man it identified as the planner of one of the two suicide truck bombings targeting government buildings in Baghdad.

Iraqi lawmakers and other senior officials have traded blame and called for investigations into how the bombers were able to get the explosives-packed trucks so close to government institutions in the heart of the capital.

Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief military spokesman for Baghdad, said the man was a senior member of Saddam Hussein's ousted Baath Party who had confessed to supervising the attack against the Finance Ministry before his lawyer and the chief prosecutor.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090823/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_i...

[tomm2thumbs]

1. pretty cheap - even ten times that amount is cheap given the results they get

sounds like bribery is the new weapon of choice

[Dr.Phool]

2. And I'm sure they got the "confession" with ice cream and a feather duster.

[timeforpeace]

5. That's the REAL terrorism, not the bombs that killed so many innocents.

[StopTheNeoCons]

3. Well, we suceeded in bringing capitalism to Iraq....n/t

[quakerboy]

4. Hey, its what the market wanted...

I'm sure it will take care of itself.

[Dan]

6. The only question is

what congress member took the bribe? But, for $10,000, I'm almost prepared to believe that it was a U.S. congress member.

[ohio2007]

7. Bribery is back up and running in Baghdad and at a tribal loyalty party discount

didn't they arrest top dogs in Baghdad's inner circle of security to get this info ?

Let the tribes deal with them as it always has been the cultural case until a real brutal master reigns them in.