Bomb kills two

BAGHDAD – The US army said yesterday it has caught a “most wanted” official and tightened the net around Iraq’s former number two Ezzat Ibrahim al-Duri as violence raged unabated, with a car bomb killing at least two people and US forces gunning down nine insurgents.

And the controversy over the declared reasons of the US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein was set to rage on following a US press report casting doubt about the alleged link between the ousted Iraqi leader and the al Qaeda terror network. The US military announced the capture of Khamis Sarhan al-Mohammad, the number 54 on its list of 55 most wanted Iraqis from the former regime.Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt described Mohammad, Baath party chairman in the the southern city of Karbala, as “an enabler for many of the attacks against Iraqis and coalition forces”.In Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, a car bombing outside a police station yesterday morning killed at least two people and injured 29, the US military and medics said.There was confusion over the exact toll in the attack, the second in the town in five days, with Iraqi police and officials claiming the “foreign” bomber also died in the blast.A US military spokesperson confirmed the attack but said it was not a “suicide” bomb.Meanwhile, The New York Times carried a report about a purported directive from Saddam to resistance leaders which appears to challenge the White House’s contention that he had contacts with terrorist groups including al Qaeda when he was in power.Saddam’s directive, found among the documents he had near him when he was captured last month, told resistance leaders to be wary of joining forces with Arab fighters filtering into Iraq, the Times said.US officials said Saddam’s directive responded to his belief that foreign Arabs bent on a holy war against the United States and the West had different goals from his Baathist Party members, who seek to regain control of Iraq.The report comes two days after a paper published by the US Army’s War College sharply criticised the US strategy in the war on terrorism, calling the invasion of Iraq an unnecessary “detour” that diverted attention and resources from the battle against al Qaeda.The purported links were one of two main reasons cited by the United States and Britain for going to war.The other was Saddam’s alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, but none have been found in Iraq so far.- Nampa-AFPThe US military announced the capture of Khamis Sarhan al-Mohammad, the number 54 on its list of 55 most wanted Iraqis from the former regime. Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt described Mohammad, Baath party chairman in the the southern city of Karbala, as “an enabler for many of the attacks against Iraqis and coalition forces”. In Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, a car bombing outside a police station yesterday morning killed at least two people and injured 29, the US military and medics said. There was confusion over the exact toll in the attack, the second in the town in five days, with Iraqi police and officials claiming the “foreign” bomber also died in the blast. A US military spokesperson confirmed the attack but said it was not a “suicide” bomb. Meanwhile, The New York Times carried a report about a purported directive from Saddam to resistance leaders which appears to challenge the White House’s contention that he had contacts with terrorist groups including al Qaeda when he was in power. Saddam’s directive, found among the documents he had near him when he was captured last month, told resistance leaders to be wary of joining forces with Arab fighters filtering into Iraq, the Times said. US officials said Saddam’s directive responded to his belief that foreign Arabs bent on a holy war against the United States and the West had different goals from his Baathist Party members, who seek to regain control of Iraq. The report comes two days after a paper published by the US Army’s War College sharply criticised the US strategy in the war on terrorism, calling the invasion of Iraq an unnecessary “detour” that diverted attention and resources from the battle against al Qaeda. The purported links were one of two main reasons cited by the United States and Britain for going to war. The other was Saddam’s alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, but none have been found in Iraq so far. – Nampa-AFP