Juan Cole: April 14, 2005 Part 1

At least 17 Killed by Bombs, 4 US Contractors Wounded

AP reports that guerrillas detonated a car bomb near a US convoy, killing five Iraqis and wounding 4 US contractors. Two other explosions in the capital did little damage. A fourth set a fuel tanker ablaze near two US Humvees. AP adds:

"Near Kirkuk, 12 policemen gathered to help dismantle an apparent decoy bomb were killed by another explosion Wednesday, police said. Three others were injured."

Ghazi al-Yawir, a vice president of Iraq, is complaining that the new elected government (dominated by religious Shiites and by Kurds) is not doing enough to reach out to the alienated Sunni Arabs. He is incensed by the decision to reduce the number of ministries going to Sunnis from 6 to only 4. Further alienating the Sunni Arabs could deepen and prolong the civil war.