Iraq: A suicide car-bomber blew himself up near the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad yesterday, killing himself and a security guard, a month after a bomb devastated the building, writes Jack Fairweather Baghdad
The vehicle exploded after the bomber was turned away from the gates of the UN compound into a nearby car-park. At least 12 other people were injured in the attack.
Last month 22 people were killed at the compound including the UN's highest representative in Iraq, Mr Sergio Vieira de Mello, when an explosive-packed lorry drove into building.
A US military spokesman, Capt Sean Kirley, said there was a brief exchange between the bomber and a policeman shortly before the explosive device was triggered.
"He [the suicide bomber] wasn't going to get into the UN so he changed his target to the civilians outside. He detonated the bomb at that point," said Capt Kirley.
Witnesses at the scene described how the force from the explosion knocked them over, while the car was hurled 10-15 metres by the blast. Ms Hana Tahir, a World Food Programme worker, said: "I was getting my bag checked 30 metres away when I heard a huge explosion and was knocked to the ground. There was dust everywhere and screaming and shouting."
The explosion left a metre-wide crater, with pieces of the car scattered over a wide area. US troops were yesterday sealing off the area with barbed wire, as a helicopter gunship flew overhead.
The bomber struck on the eve of the UN General Assembly in New York where the future reconstruction process in Iraq will be discussed. But other than the timing, yesterday's attack appeared to be poorly planned.
Since the truck-bomb in August, the UN has scaled down its operations to a skeleton team, and at 8 a.m., when the attack occurred, the compound was largely deserted.
This most recent attack will, however, act as a deterrent to the return in force of the UN and other aid agencies. Mr Kevin Kennedy, the senior UN official in Baghdad, said: "This incident today once again underlines that Iraq remains a war zone and a high-risk environment, particularly for those working to improve the lives of the Iraqi people."
Iraq's US administrator said yesterday he did not regard Iraq as ready yet for self-governance, but said it could be done quickly once a constitution was written and elections were held.
"We're not dragging our feet. We're ready to go as soon as there is a legitimate, sovereign Iraqi government," Mr Paul Bremer said in an interview with CBS television.
"There must be a written constitution followed by democratic elections. That will then lead to a fully sovereign Iraqi government." He said he hoped Iraq could start writing a constitution in the next month. - (Reuters)