2008 Woodie Awards
Casualties in Iraq mounting
Issue date: 2/25/05 Section: World
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"I though violence in Iraq was toning down quite a bit until that election on Jan.30. Since that election violence has been a daily routine in Iraq," said Sergeant First Class Scott Sculley, in an interview with The Guilfordian.
On Feb.7 a suicide bomber detonated a bomb killing 12 and wounding four outside of Jumhuriya Hospital located in Monsul.
"I heard and explosion. When I went to check, I saw bodies everywhere" said Tahseen Ali Mahmoud al-Obeidi according to CNN.
Around 4 a.m., half and hour after the hospital explosion in a taxi full of explosives blew up killing 15 people.
"The dead were civilians looking for work, either as police officers or in civilian posts available at the station," said Col. Dana Pitard, Commander of the 3rd Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, to CNN.
According to The New York Times, Monsul has been the scene of daily rebel attacks and clashes with American troops and Iraqi security forces. Violence has increased since an insurgent uprising in Nov. drove out nearly all of the city's police force.
The deadliest attack since last week's election happened in Baghdad. A suicide bomber blew up a group of Iraqis outside of an army recruitment center. The bomb killed 21 people and injured 27 more, according to CBS News.
Explosions sounded over the Baghdad as militants battled Iraqi security troops leaving five Iraqis dead.
Mithal al-Alusi, a politician who heads the Nation Party, was shot at while driving in his car with his two sons. Mithal al-Alusi wasn't hit by the assailants, but his two sons were killed.
Mithal al-Alusi was the former leading figure in the Iraqi National Congress Party.
Last year he was expelled from the party after attending a conference on terrorism in Israel. Al -Alusi was one of the candidates who ran in the Jan. 30 elections.
"It's just an on-going attempt to drive the United States out of Iraq; we are a foreign occupying power and there are a lot of people in Iraq who want to settle their own differences their own way," said Barton Parks, Professor of Justice and Policy Studies.
"These people want the United States out," said Parks.
