A bomb exploded in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing an Iraqi and wounding 21 others, while the United States-installed government moved to assert itself with a tough new set of guidelines for media covering the occupied country.
A bus was hit by a deadly roadside bomb in the capital while further north another two Iraqis were shot dead as they tried to escape a search of their village, witnesses said.
The blast hit the white minivan on Al-Imam Al-Adaam Street, a main route through central Baghdad, shortly after a US patrol passed through at about 9.30am (5.30am GMT), witnesses said.
The bus was heavily damaged and split open after it crashed into a tree on the road, lined with numerous shops and restaurants. The blast also shattered the windows of a second minivan.
Ahmad Shukair, a policeman at the scene, said one person was killed and 21 wounded, four of them seriously, in the explosion. The bomb was planted on a divider in the middle of the road.
A spokesman for the US military confirmed the explosion but was unable to provide further information except to say no soldiers were involved.
”A minivan bus was hit by shrapnel and crashed into a tree in the middle of the road. The driver was killed on the spot and passengers wounded,” Shukair said. He said people were also wounded in the second minivan.
Ziad al-Rubeii (42), owner of a nearby furniture shop whose windows were shattered, said American soldiers regularly patrol the street, located just a few hundred meters from a US base in the former presidential palace.
”The bomb was aimed at the Americans but by mistake hit Iraqis,” he said.
Mohammed Saddam (23), who works next door, said ”the explosion went off a few seconds after an American patrol passed by on the other side of the street”.
Ali Sattar (37), said the US patrol was in front of a school about 100m away when the bomb went off, ”leaving a gaping hole”.
The attack came as Western media expressed concern over new reporting rules issued by Iraq’s US-installed governing council, warning against coverage that could incite violence or comfort supporters of Saddam Hussein.
The rules barred media from coverage that could incite violence, disorder or religious or racial tensions, advocate the return of the Ba’ath Party or represent Saddam’s group directly or indirectly.
The council vowed to keep a close watch to make sure news organisations toed the line.
”Whenever something goes wrong for a government they start blaming the press,” said Robert Fisk, Middle Eastern correspondent for The Independent in London.
”The sewage is still coming out of the man-hole covers, there are still only 15 hours of electricity a day and the governing council roars like a lion — against journalists!”
John Daniszewski, of the Baghdad bureau for the Los Angeles Times, said it was equally important to cover the remnants of the ousted Ba’ath party, but that this did not mean correspondents were advocating a return of Saddam.
”It’s important that journalists can work unimpeded,” he said.
”If the Ba’ath party were to appear, it’s important that people know about that.”
Outside of Baghdad, two more Iraqis were killed and another wounded after US troops opened fire while conducting a house-to-house search at a village near Baqubah, 66km north of Baghdad.
Mohammed Ismail, a 25-year-old local farmer, said the three were shot after running away from the Americans during a search at al-Jizani, 20km northwest of Baqubah.
He said Mazen Shoukr and Adel Ismail were killed during the search conducted at about 3am on Wednesday (11pm Tuesday). He did not know the name of the wounded Iraqi.
Hussein Ali, a 30-year-old clerical worker at Baqubah hospital, said American soldiers had delivered the bodies of the two dead to the hospital.
A US military spokesperson said he had not received any details concerning the deaths. — Sapa-AFP