Roadside bomb in Baghdad kills 1 Iraqi soldier
BAGHDAD — A roadside bomb struck an Iraqi army patrol Thursday in Baghdad, the latest in a string of attacks that have raised questions about the ability of the country’s security forces to maintain hard-won stability.
The bomb killed one Iraqi soldier when it hit a patrol passing through a busy square in central Baghdad, an Iraqi police official said.
Despite a steep decline in violence in Iraq since 2007, insurgents continue to attack Iraqi security forces throughout the country with some regularity. The bombings also raise concerns about a possible surge in violence as the U.S. military prepares to withdraw combat troops by the end of August 2010.
Thursday’s attack also wounded one civilian and two soldiers. The police official giving the toll spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
The blast followed two attacks Wednesday in Baghdad and the holy Shiite city of Karbala, where three bombs exploded near simultaneously. At least 12 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in the two cities.
The attacks come as Iraqi security forces assume more control from U.S. forces, who are to withdraw from Iraq by the end of 2011 under a security agreement between the two countries. President Barack Obama has ordered all combat troops to pull out by Aug. 31, 2010, leaving up to 50,000 in advising roles.
The U.S. military has said that a majority of its troops would remain in Iraq until at least 60 days after January’s national elections.
Among those campaigning for election to Iraq’s parliament is the attorney who defended Tariq Aziz, one of Saddam Hussein’s best-known lieutenants.
Badee Izzat Aref told The Associated Press that he planned to run as an independent against Iraq’s major political parties.
Iraq is still struggling to rebuild, more than six years after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and reconstruction and economic improvements have become leading campaign issues with those running for office.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks Thursday in Baghdad aimed at boosting Iraq’s postwar recovery. They were to sign several bilateral agreements, including increasing the flow of water to Iraq’s two main rivers — the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers — from Turkey to alleviate a severe drought that has hit Iraq hard.
“The most pressing issue to be discussed is security and water,” government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said of the talks between two leaders.
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Associated Press Writer Qassim Abdul-Zahra contributed to this report.
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