Global General

26 die as insurgents storm Iraq's central bank

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-06-14 12:57

But Sunday's attack appeared also to have a political motive as insurgents led by al-Qaida in Iraq seek to undermine confidence in the US-backed government and other state institutions. It was reminiscent of violence that was common at the height of sectarian violence that almost pushed the country to the brink of civil war in 2006-2007 before a series of US-Iraqi offensives.

Insurgents have targeted government institutions several times over the past year.

Gunmen also killed two policemen in the northern city of Mosul, which has been one of the hardest areas to tame since the 2003 US-led invasion, according to Iraqi officials.

All the Iraqi officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.

The narrow victory of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya party in the March 7 parliamentary vote was initially heralded as a groundbreaking step toward a secular Iraqi government after years of Sunni-Shiite tensions.

But an alliance between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and another major Shiite coalition, brokered with the help of Iran, has sparked months of political maneuvering, leaving the government in limbo.

In a sign resolution was still far away, senior Iraqiya member Hassan al-Allawi said he would not lead Monday's opening parliamentary session as had been planned, saying it would take up to five months to form a government and he didn't want to hold the job that long. He said he has handed over the job to Kurdish lawmaker Fouad Massoum.

Earlier Sunday, an independent public watchdog panel said Iraq's government suffered more corruption last year than any other since the US-led invasion in 2003. Rahim al-Ogaili, chairman of Iraq's Commission on Public Integrity, cited 7,797 cases of waste, fraud and abuse in 2009 that resulted in the loss of about 842 billion Iraqi dinars, or about $718 million. He did not give details about how the money was wasted, or the total funds lost since 2003.

Al-Ogaili, whose panel reports to parliament, said Iraqi leaders largely ignore evidence of corruption, adding: "There are no real and serious measures to fight it."

The trial of British security contractor Danny Fitzsimons also was postponed until Aug. 4. He is accused of fatally shooting two colleagues, a Briton and an Australian, during a fight in Baghdad's Green Zone last summer.