European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Pace 6 stars and stripes Friday april 132007 Green zone bomb kills 3 iraqi lawmakers total of 8 killed As suicide attacker infiltrates government Sanctuary by Monte Morin stars and stripes Baghdad an explosion ripped through the cafeteria of Iraq parliament building thurs Day killing at least eight people including three lawmakers More than a dozen others were injured in the latest in a string of recent at tacks against the heavily fortified Green zone the us military said a spokesman for the us embassy in Baghdad said no Ameri cans were Hurt the explosion apparently Trig gered by a suicide bomber launched a plume of smoke into the air High above the building and shattered windows through out Baghdad convention Center Security officials at parliament who spoke to the associated press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information said they believed the bomber was a bodyguard of a sunni member of parliament who was not among the dead they would not name the member of parliament the officials also said two Satchel bombs were found near the Caf Eteria a us bomb squad took the explosives away and detonated them without incident iraqi members of parliament had just concluded their business Day when the bomb detonated amid a group of 15 or 20 lawmakers us state department work ers and Kitchen staff hours after the bombing iraqi officials including Deputy prime minister Barham Saleh met with the commander of All us forces in Iraq Gen David Petraeus and decided to put the Interior minis try in charge of Security at Parlia ment iraqi government spokes Man am Aldabbagh said the building he said was previously guarded by a private Security com Pany Petraeus also issued a state ment saying the us military extended condolences to those martyred in the bombing it was an attack on democracy by individuals who oppose the concept of government that is representative of and responsible to the people he said iraqi officials said the bomber struck the cafeteria while several lawmakers were eating lunch and at least three of them two sunnis and a killed i saw everything said wit Ness Sabah Akrawi an iraqi Cul Tural adviser for the us embassy the pieces of meat and blood i dont know if it was a suicide bomber or a bomb i was putting salad on a plate when i heard Boom said Ahmel a Koresh a Kitchen worker then i see my Friend and his Back is All a problem stars and stripes another witness a us state department employee who asked not to be named because he had hot received prior approval to talk to reporters said he was just sit Ting Down to lunch when it happened there was a big Flash and a pain in my ears said the official whose dark Blue suit was torn and covered with powder it was hard to Tell what had happened it was immediately Dusty it was so Dusty you  see anything legislators said Many Parlia ment members already had left the building and the few who remained for lunch were mostly sunni if this happened a half an hour before it would have been very bad Akrawi said witnesses said they suspected the attack was committed by a Sui cide bomber because they had Bush condemns Brazen terror attack Washington presi Dent Bush strongly condemned thursdays attack on Iraq parliament building within the heavily protected Green zone my message to the iraqi government is we stand with you the presi Dent said Bush who planned to meet thursday with sen John Mccain Ariz and sen Lindsey Graham rec both of whom recently returned from Iraq was being kept abreast of the bomb blast it reminds us that there is an enemy willing to bomb inno cent people and a Symbol of democracy Bush said the associated press seen dismembered body parts at the scene while some said they had believed the convention Cen Ter was Safe from such an attack because of an extensive network of checkpoints in the Green zone others said they began worrying when the Job of securing the build ing became the duty of iraqi Secu Rity forces the Days i saw the iraqis in charge i said this is not Good Akrawi said a Security scanner for pedestrians at the Entrance to the Green zone near the parliament building was not working thursday Mohammed Abu Bakr who Heads the Legislatures Media depart ment told the associated press people were searched Only by hand and had to pass through Metal detectors he said the explosion comes amid a period of stepped up mortar and rocket attacks against what is offi truck bomb shears Bridge Over Tigris at least 10 reported dead staff and wire reports a truck bomb exploded on a Bridge in Cen trial Baghdad Early thursday bringing Down part of the Structure and plunging several vehicles into the water at least 10 people were reported killed and nearly 30 others injured in the incident which happened around 7 am police and military officials said police officials said that some 20 other victims might still be trapped in their vehicles or the debris two sections of the steel Al Saraiya Bridge collapsed in the bombing the Bridge connects the Baghdad districts of Wazir Iya a mostly sunni Quarter on the East Side of the Tigris River and Atif Iya a shiite District on the West Side the Bridge is one of 10 that connect the two sides of Baghdad medical City phase 2 v busier photos from the scene showed iraqi divers searching for victims among the debris in the water with police boats circling nearby one police official quoted by the associated press said the blast might have included explosive charges planted on the Bridge we were astonished More when we saw the extent of damage Ahmed Abdulkarim a 45yearold iraqi who lives near the Bridge was quoted As saying by the a i was stand ing in my Garden and i saw the smoke and Fly ing debris its Stark steel form was duplicated in a fal emergency services ook for survivors thurs Day next to a collapsed Bridge in Baghdad a truck bomb exploded on the major Alsa Rafiyan Bridge Early thursday sending cars toppling into the Tigris River police said Lujah Bridge made famous when the burned bodies of four american contractors were Hung from its spans in March 2004 attacking this Bridge affects the morale of iraqis and especially Baghdad residents who feel proud of this Bridge the insurgents want to demolish everything that connects the people with this land Haider Ghazala a 52yearold Baghdad architect was quoted As telling the a Dally called the International zone a Complex of government buildings and military bases that includes the sprawling us embassy on March 27 an american Soldier and a contractor with the embassy were killed in a rocket at tack on the Green zone a second Soldier and four others were wounded in the attack less than two weeks ago the us military reported that it had discovered two unexploded Sui cide vests inside the 2one while the convention Center has been struck before by mortar and rocket fire Over the years Fol lowing the fall of Saddam this is the first time that a bomb was detonated inside the building which still features a enormous tile mural of iraqi soldiers battling a fire breathing dragon marked by an american Flag Dhafer Alani a sunni member of parliament said that one of those who died was Mohammed Awad a former iraqi army officer a sunni and a member of the parliaments Council of dialogue the other dead lawmakers Are Taha Allih Eibi of the sunni accordance front and Niamyah a Mayahi of the shiite United iraqi Alliance bloc legislators and office workers began flooding from the building moments after the explosion As emergency Crews sped to the scene at one Point As us attack helicopters buzzed overhead an injured iraqi Man was loaded into the Back of an ambulance the attack triggered searches by the military throughput the area and some 500 iraqi Green zone workers and officials were herded into a waiting area for Sev eral hours before they were finally released the associated press contributed to this Story email Monte Morin at us deaths in Iraq the associated press As of wednesday at least 3292 members of the us Mili tary have died since the begin Ning of the Iraq War in March 2003 according to an associated press count at least 2674 died As a result of hostile action according to the military numbers the a count is five higher than the defense departments tally last updated wednesday at 10 am Edt the latest deaths reported by the military a Soldier was killed wednesday by a Roadside bomb in Eastern Baghdad so a Soldier was killed tues Day during combat in Southern Baghdad the latest identifications re ported by the military h army 1st it Phillip i Neel 27 Maryland killed sunday in Balad of grenade wounds As signed to the 3rd battalion St cavalry regiment 3rd brigade 1st cavalry division fort Hood Texas