Mosques, Green Zone Attacked Despite Iraq Curfew
Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:54 AM EDT
By Paul Tait
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three Sunni Muslim mosques were torched and mortar bombs hit Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Thursday, police said, despite curfews imposed after suspected al Qaeda militants hit a revered Shi'ite shrine.
Thousands of Iraqi and U.S. soldiers were on the streets of Baghdad and other cities trying to enforce the curfews that were imposed after Wednesday's bombing, blamed on al Qaeda, felled the two golden minarets of Samarra's al-Askari mosque.
Police said more than a dozen mortar rounds hit the Green Zone, home to Iraq's parliament and the U.S. embassy, causing some casualties, but they had no further details. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from several areas.
A resident at the Rashid Hotel in the Green Zone said one mortar round fell in the hotel courtyard, killing one employee and wounding several. The hotel is home to some members of parliament, journalists and foreign contractors.
The mortars fell while U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was in a nearby building discussing the Iraq government's efforts to meet key political targets set by Washington and aimed at promoting national reconciliation.
"I ... stressed the urgency of making political progress that will reinforce efforts by coalition and Iraqi security forces to restore stability," Negroponte told reporters.
Separately, an Iraqi al Qaeda-led group said it had killed 14 army and police personnel after a deadline expired. A video posted on the Internet showed a masked man shooting the kneeling, handcuffed men in the head. >>>cont
LinkHere
By Paul Tait
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Three Sunni Muslim mosques were torched and mortar bombs hit Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone on Thursday, police said, despite curfews imposed after suspected al Qaeda militants hit a revered Shi'ite shrine.
Thousands of Iraqi and U.S. soldiers were on the streets of Baghdad and other cities trying to enforce the curfews that were imposed after Wednesday's bombing, blamed on al Qaeda, felled the two golden minarets of Samarra's al-Askari mosque.
Police said more than a dozen mortar rounds hit the Green Zone, home to Iraq's parliament and the U.S. embassy, causing some casualties, but they had no further details. Smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from several areas.
A resident at the Rashid Hotel in the Green Zone said one mortar round fell in the hotel courtyard, killing one employee and wounding several. The hotel is home to some members of parliament, journalists and foreign contractors.
The mortars fell while U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte was in a nearby building discussing the Iraq government's efforts to meet key political targets set by Washington and aimed at promoting national reconciliation.
"I ... stressed the urgency of making political progress that will reinforce efforts by coalition and Iraqi security forces to restore stability," Negroponte told reporters.
Separately, an Iraqi al Qaeda-led group said it had killed 14 army and police personnel after a deadline expired. A video posted on the Internet showed a masked man shooting the kneeling, handcuffed men in the head. >>>cont
LinkHere
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 3:37 PM
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