Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi blamed ”criminals” for Wednesday’s car bombing near the Baghdad compound housing his government and said it may have been revenge for a police operation that netted hundreds of suspected criminals.
”This is a naked aggression against the Iraqi people. We will bring these criminals to justice,” he said after the attack, which killed at least 10 people.
”We think this is a response to recent arrests in the last couple of days,” Allawi said, referring to a police sweep in the capital on Monday that netted more than 525 suspected outlaws.
”We have caught some prominent criminals. They are under investigation. They are cooperating and have been divulging important information [on criminal activities]. One of them is a non-Iraqi.” — Sapa-AFP