Blame for Basra blasts shifts to al-Qaida

Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network have been blamed for bombings in the city of Basra today, killing at least 68 people including 16 children, in co-ordinated bomb blasts.

More than 200 people were injured.

It was the bloodiest attack to hit the mainly Shiite southern city since the occupation began a year ago.

Iraqis pulled charred and torn bodies from mangled vehicles in front of the Saudia police station, near Basra’s crowded main street market – one of three stations and a police academy hit just after 7am (4am Irish time) by a total of five car bombs, each with a suicide attacker inside, according to Basra’s governor.

Two mini-buses were incinerated as they passed by the Saudia police station - one carried children on their way to nursery schools, the other was taking girls, aged between 10 and 15, to middle school.

The attacks “showed once again that terrorists are willing to kill as many people as they can, indiscriminately,” said the top US administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer.

“They have a very warped view of the future of Iraq.”

Two more car bombs and their drivers were captured before carrying out their attacks, said Governor Wael Abdul-Latif, who blamed bin Laden’s terrorists.

“I expect they are from al-Qaida,” he said.

Basra mayor Wael Abdul-Hafeez also blamed Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network for the atrocity.

He said police had recovered the remains of one bearded bomber.

“I accuse al-Qaida,” he said. “We have arrested a person disguised in a police uniform. We are questioning him.”