UN resumes work in Iraq tomorrow; Abizaid: Ansar al-Islam are in Baghdad
Iraq, Politics, 8/22/2003

The UN announced yesterday it will resume tomorrow its activities in Iraq after transferring its headquarters to new offices but with minimizing the of its employees to two thirds.

However, investigators stressed that Baghdad's explosion which claimed the life of 32 persons, including the UN representative and wounded scores, was a "suicide operation." Meantime, the chairman of the American central leadership Gen. John Abizaid said that terrorism constitutes "the first danger" which undermines security in Iraq, stressing that the number of American soldiers in this country is enough to withstand it ( terrorism). He said "Clearly, it is emerging as the No. 1 security threat, and we are applying a lot of time, energy and resources to identify it, understand it, and deal with it," Army General John Abizaid said.

He added that Ansar al-Islam operations, which are accused by Washington of having ties with al-Qaida organization, has increased its operations and migrated from the northern part of Iraq to an area near Baghdad "and we think that they're established there. It's not good for us when they get established in an urban area."

Meantime, al-Arabia TV said yesterday that an unidentified Iraqi group calling itself "the armed vanguards of Muhammad II army" claimed responsibility in a statement for the Baghdad explosion, and threatened to launch a war on all foreigners with similar operations. The statement warned the Arab states from sending armed forces to Iraq and called for continued "Jihad against all those who support the US even if they are Arabs and Muslims."

Meanwhile, one American soldier was killed and other two wounded in a bomb explosion in al-Karakh area in Baghdad.

The US army announced yesterday that Iraqi resistance fighters traced an Iraqi translator on Tuesday to his house near Sameraa town to the north of Baghdad and shot him in the head because he is working with the occupation forces. They left a written paper near his body threatening to attack more of the "Collaborating Iraqis."

Previous Stories:
  UN, international organizations in Iraq evacuated because of the explosions   (8/21/2003)
  Saudi Arabia agrees to host Iraqi governing council delegation which meets with Amir of Kuwait   (8/21/2003)
  Unidentified Iraqi organization vows to liberate its country   (8/20/2003)
  Iraqi toppled Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan arrested   (8/20/2003)

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