BizarroCub
2005-01-20, 05:59 PM
'Hundreds' of Iraq attacks planned
Thursday, January 20, 2005 Posted: 9:50 AM EST (1450 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Intelligence sources estimate 150 car bombings and 250 suicide attacks are planned ahead of Iraq elections at the end of the month.
A top Iraqi police official told CNN Thursday the information came to light during interrogations of recently-detained insurgents who said targets of the attacks would include election centers and other locations, without being specific.
Responding to the report, a U.S. military spokesman said: "This is the trend we have been expecting as we get closer to the election."
The warnings came one day after four suicide car bomb attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 25 Iraqis and the bombers.
Several Islamic Web sites published claims of responsibility for all four bombings by the terrorist network led by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has ties to al Qaeda.
A bombing Tuesday outside the information office of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq killed at least one person.
Based on information from the Joint Coordination Center -- made up of multinational and Iraqi security forces -- at least three workshops producing car bombs and other explosive devices have been found in Baghdad in recent days, the police official said.
According to him, Multi-National Forces and the Iraqi army will launch additional operations, conducting raids in search of bomb-making workshops and car garages where intelligence indicates they may be located.
Iraq remains under a state of emergency, which was renewed earlier this month by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, as a precaution ahead of January 30 elections.
A statement from Allawi's office said the action was taken because "the terrorists continue to do everything they can to prevent the formation of a new government in Iraq."
The state of emergency essentially puts the country under martial law, and allows the prime minister to restrict freedom of movement, impose curfews and take security and military measures he deems necessary.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials have appealed to Iraqi religious leaders to help win the release of eight Chinese migrant workers kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents. (Full story)
Beijing has sent officials to try to help win their release, Xinhua news agency has reported.
Kidnappers said China must clarify its intentions in Iraq within 48 hours, or the workers would be killed.
Also on Thursday the U.S. military said an insurgent attack the previous day against a U.S. military convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul ended with three dead rebels and no American casualties.
Insurgents were also unsuccessful in an attack on a civilian hospital in Mosul Thursday morning, the military said.
A military news release said soldiers from the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade Combat Team were patrolling along a road in northern Mosul Wednesday when they were fired on by gunmen in a moving vehicle. The soldiers returned fire, killing three insurgents, the military said.
No U.S. soldiers were wounded.
Iraqi Security Forces fought off an insurgent attack against the Al Salam Hospital in eastern Mosul Thursday morning, according to a U.S. military news release. No Iraqi soldiers or civilians were wounded, the military said.
Other developments
# British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday described pictures of Iraqis apparently being abused by British soldiers as "shocking and appalling." The pictures, released by prosecutors at the court martial of three British soldiers, were discovered when laboratory technicians phoned police after a soldier took them to be developed. (Full story)
# Authorities will not disclose the locations of polling places in Falluja and other towns in al Anbar province until shortly before the January 30 election, said U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler. Polling locations will be opened near most of the estimated half-million voting-age Iraqis living in the province. But officials do not want to give insurgents time to plan attacks against voters or polling places.
# In advance of the election, Iraq's leadership plans to seal the nation's borders to thwart any plans to disrupt voting. Closing Iraq's perimeter January 29 to 31 is one of the latest efforts to reduce risks to people planning to cast ballots for a 275-member transitional national assembly.
CNN Producers Cal Perry and Mohammad Tawfeeq contributed to this report.
Thursday, January 20, 2005 Posted: 9:50 AM EST (1450 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Intelligence sources estimate 150 car bombings and 250 suicide attacks are planned ahead of Iraq elections at the end of the month.
A top Iraqi police official told CNN Thursday the information came to light during interrogations of recently-detained insurgents who said targets of the attacks would include election centers and other locations, without being specific.
Responding to the report, a U.S. military spokesman said: "This is the trend we have been expecting as we get closer to the election."
The warnings came one day after four suicide car bomb attacks in and around Baghdad killed at least 25 Iraqis and the bombers.
Several Islamic Web sites published claims of responsibility for all four bombings by the terrorist network led by Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has ties to al Qaeda.
A bombing Tuesday outside the information office of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq killed at least one person.
Based on information from the Joint Coordination Center -- made up of multinational and Iraqi security forces -- at least three workshops producing car bombs and other explosive devices have been found in Baghdad in recent days, the police official said.
According to him, Multi-National Forces and the Iraqi army will launch additional operations, conducting raids in search of bomb-making workshops and car garages where intelligence indicates they may be located.
Iraq remains under a state of emergency, which was renewed earlier this month by interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, as a precaution ahead of January 30 elections.
A statement from Allawi's office said the action was taken because "the terrorists continue to do everything they can to prevent the formation of a new government in Iraq."
The state of emergency essentially puts the country under martial law, and allows the prime minister to restrict freedom of movement, impose curfews and take security and military measures he deems necessary.
Meanwhile, Chinese officials have appealed to Iraqi religious leaders to help win the release of eight Chinese migrant workers kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents. (Full story)
Beijing has sent officials to try to help win their release, Xinhua news agency has reported.
Kidnappers said China must clarify its intentions in Iraq within 48 hours, or the workers would be killed.
Also on Thursday the U.S. military said an insurgent attack the previous day against a U.S. military convoy in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul ended with three dead rebels and no American casualties.
Insurgents were also unsuccessful in an attack on a civilian hospital in Mosul Thursday morning, the military said.
A military news release said soldiers from the U.S. Army's Stryker Brigade Combat Team were patrolling along a road in northern Mosul Wednesday when they were fired on by gunmen in a moving vehicle. The soldiers returned fire, killing three insurgents, the military said.
No U.S. soldiers were wounded.
Iraqi Security Forces fought off an insurgent attack against the Al Salam Hospital in eastern Mosul Thursday morning, according to a U.S. military news release. No Iraqi soldiers or civilians were wounded, the military said.
Other developments
# British Prime Minister Tony Blair on Wednesday described pictures of Iraqis apparently being abused by British soldiers as "shocking and appalling." The pictures, released by prosecutors at the court martial of three British soldiers, were discovered when laboratory technicians phoned police after a soldier took them to be developed. (Full story)
# Authorities will not disclose the locations of polling places in Falluja and other towns in al Anbar province until shortly before the January 30 election, said U.S. Marine Lt. Gen. John Sattler. Polling locations will be opened near most of the estimated half-million voting-age Iraqis living in the province. But officials do not want to give insurgents time to plan attacks against voters or polling places.
# In advance of the election, Iraq's leadership plans to seal the nation's borders to thwart any plans to disrupt voting. Closing Iraq's perimeter January 29 to 31 is one of the latest efforts to reduce risks to people planning to cast ballots for a 275-member transitional national assembly.
CNN Producers Cal Perry and Mohammad Tawfeeq contributed to this report.