Juan Cole - April 24, 2005

Guerrillas Kill 16 in Iraq

Associated Press reports that a 'series of explosions shook the Iraqi capital Saturday. The deadliest was a roadside bomb that exploded near an Iraqi army convoy on the outskirts of Baghdad, killing nine soldiers and wounding 20 . . . The attack occurred near the Abu Ghraib prison . . ." Also, an explosion in Mosul left a cameraman dead among others.

Ellen Knickmeyer of the Washington Post reports, that the security situation is deteriorating in palpable ways. "In city after city . . . security forces who had signed up to secure Iraq and replace U.S. forces appear to have abandoned posts or taken refuge inside them for fear of attacks. ''We joined the police, and after this, the job became a way of committing suicide,'' said Jasim Khadar Harki, a 28-year-old policeman in Mosul, where residents say patrols are dropping off noticeably, often appearing only in response to attacks. Tips from Mosul's residents have dropped off as well, with residents doubtful that police can protect informants from retaliation."