August 9, 2005

Last modified August 9, 2005 - 10:05 am

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A suicide car bomber struck a U.S. convoy near a crowded square as a wave of violence killed at least 17 people, including a U.S. soldier, in Baghdad as Iraqi politicians resumed talks on drafting a new constitution.

A U.S. Marine assigned to the 2nd Marine Division also was killed Monday in action by small arms fire in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad, the military said.

The suicide bombing occurred Tuesday afternoon when a driver detonated a vehicle packed with explosives as a U.S. convoy went by, killing an American soldier and at least six Iraqi civilians. Scores of Iraqis and two U.S. soldiers were wounded.

Five civilian cars, one U.S. Army Humvee and an SUV were damaged in the attack near Tahrir Square, well-known for its shops and a large statue of several Iraqi soldiers breaking through chains to freedom. U.S. and Iraqi authorities sealed off the area.

At least 1,836 members of the U.S. military have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Elsewhere, gunmen opened fire on police patrols in three separate morning attacks around the city, killing nine officers. A 10th policeman was killed later Tuesday.

Political leaders, meanwhile, met for a second round of talks aimed at breaking a deadlock over remaining issues on the constitution, which the parliament must approve by Aug. 15. Talks had been postponed Monday by a severe sandstorm.

The constitution also will need approval from voters in an Oct. 15 referendum. Passage would lead to national elections in mid-December.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari hinted Tuesday that political leaders may not resolve all the outstanding issues before next week's deadline but he was still hopeful the draft could be finished on time.

"But if some matters block us and need time, then it might take a little time" after the Monday deadline, he told The Associated Press.

A leading Sunni Arab helping write the charter warned that accepting Kurdish demands for federalism would have "grave consequences" for the nation and the issue should be left for a new parliament to be elected in December.

Saleh al-Mutlaq said the Sunni Arab bloc might formally submit a proposal to delay a decision on the contentious issue until the new parliament takes office.

"I think they will accept it because there is no alternative. We will not accept federalism in these circumstances," said al-Mutlaq, who like most Sunni Arabs fears that federalism might divide Iraq.

Sunni Arabs are expected to take a bigger role in the elections planned for Dec. 15. Many of them boycotted the Jan. 30 vote following calls by religious leaders and threats by insurgents.

Sunnis, who make 20 percent of Iraq's population,hold only 17 seats of the 275-member parliament.

The Kurds, who have enjoyed self-rule in the north since 1991, have demanded that the new constitution codify federalism to prevent a future government from curbing Kurdish autonomy.

However, al-Mutlaq said that if the Kurdish demands are met, "they will have grave consequences." He did not elaborate, but the strong language underscored the depth of passion that the issue of federalism evokes on both sides.

It was unclear whether Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and an outspoken champion of federalism, would attend Tuesday's meeting.

Barzani has been stuck in the north due to bad weather in Baghdad, unable to reach the capital. Sandstorms eased in the Baghdad area on Tuesday, but visibility was still limited.

Al-Mutlaq also called for more political groups to join the constitutional discussions. The United States has heavily encouraged the constitutional process, believing it will ultimately dampen the insurgency and allow for a drawdown of U.S. troops within the next year.

In the attacks earlier Tuesday, gunmen killed five policemen who had fallen asleep in their car, said Lt. Col. Ahmed Aboud.

The men had spent the night on patrol and were waiting for their replacements, he said, adding that their weapons were all in the backseat of their four-wheel drive.

In the southern Dora neighborhood, gunmen assassinated police Capt. Haidir Mizhir Salih and another policeman as they were heading to work, said 1st Lt. Mohammed Hanoun.

A third drive-by shooting around the same time in the eastern Zayouna neighborhood left two officers dead and a third wounded, said Lt. Col. Fuad Assad.

Later in the day, a 10th policeman was killed and two others were wounded in a drive-by shooting in northern Shuaula, police Lt. Haider Hassan said.

In another development, the mayor of Baghdad, Alaa al-Timimi, was fired and responsibility for managing the city was transferred to the provincial governor, government spokesman Laith Kubba said Tuesday. He refused to say why the provincial council fired al-Timimi.

The mayor of a southern Shiite city gripped by riots over lack of municipal services also has resigned under pressure as demanded by the protesters, a local official said Tuesday.

The decision was taken late Monday during a visit to the Shiite city of Samawah, 230 miles southeast of Baghdad, by a delegation sent by al-Jaafari to try to quell the unrest, according to Sheik Mohannad al-Gharrawi.