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June 26, 2009

Baghdad Market Blast Increases Tensions Before June 30 US Pullout from Iraqi Cities
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Second major bomb blast in Baghdad in 48 hours leaves at least 13 people
dead, over 40 wounded, according to Iraqi security officials 
Iraqis load destroyed motorcycles in Baghdad following bombing, 26 Jun
2009The second major bomb blast in Baghdad in 48 hours has left at least
13
people dead and over 40 wounded, according to Iraqi security officials.
The attacks came as US forces prepare to pull out of most Iraqi cities,
towns and villages on June 30. Iraqi police and local workers swept up
broken glass and carried off the burnt wreckage of several dozen
motorcycles, following an early morning blast at Baghdad's top
motorcycle market in the Nahda district of the city. Reports say
that a booby-trapped motorcycle filled with nails and ball-bearings
went off around mid-morning, when the market was crowded with shoppers
leisurely going about their business on the muslim day of rest. Friday's
explosion was the fourth major blast in Iraq since the beginning of
June, and police officials say the death toll for the month has already
exceeded the figure of 155 Iraqis killed in May. Analyst Joost
Hiltermann of the International Crisis Group says that those who are
fomenting trouble in Iraq now think that they might be able to push the
United States to change its plans by increasing violence. But he says
he doubts they will be successful."They're thinking that maybe
if they can force or convince the Americans to stay that this will be
highly unpopular with the Iraqi public and would create other problems
for the government; so that is their strategy. But, effectively, I
don't think that the violence is going to go up a lot in these areas,
because, in any case, the Americans are not really in these areas. So,
it doesn't really have a direct relationship between these attacks and
the American presence," said Hiltermann. The Iraqi parliament
has summoned top security officials to discuss the fragile security
situation, Monday, in the lead up to the June 30th US troop withdrawal.
The
United States agreed to withdraw its forces from Iraqi towns and cities
by June 30th in a new security pact with the Iraqi government, signed
last November. All U.S. forces are due to withdraw from the Iraq by
December 2011.  


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