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Iraq Premier Expects Tough Weeks Ahead
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's interim prime minister said Thursday he expects insurgents to strike harder in the coming weeks and announced the creation of an intelligence service designed to combat terrorism. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's comments to The Associated Press came amid a spate of new violence, including a car bomb Thursday that killed 10 people and wounded 40 others. Also, a decapitated body wearing an orange jumpsuit was found in the Tigris River, possibly that of a foreigner taken hostage.Allawi said militants aiming to undermine Iraq's new government are determined not only to kill civilians and soldiers but also to destroy the nation's infrastructure in a campaign of sabotage. "Whether it's electricity, oil, water, hospitals, roads, bridges, this is a clear sign that the terrorists are so evil that they are not only satisfied by hitting the targets, and killing and inflicting loss of life, but also (causing) destruction," he said. Iraq's new government has talked increasingly tough about cracking down on insurgents. It passed emergency laws giving Allawi broad powers to combat violence; police have conducted sweeps of terror suspects in Baghdad and other cities. Those actions may have spurred militants to launch their series of attacks in recent days, Allawi said. "They know that they should not give us a chance to rebuild our capabilities - security, police and the army. So they want to undermine our efforts," he told AP, sitting in front of the red, green and white Iraqi flag. They will "hit harder in the weeks ahead, and maybe even months ahead." Posted by: Steve White 2004-07-16 |
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