Al-Qaida claims responsibility for Iraq blasts

[unhappycamper]

Al-Qaida claims responsibility for Iraq blasts
By Chelsea J. Carter - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Dec 10, 2009 6:59:53 EST

BAGHDAD — Al-Qaida’s umbrella group in Iraq claimed responsibility Thursday for coordinated Baghdad bombings this week that killed 127 people and wounded more than 500, warning of more strikes to come against the Iraqi government.

The group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq, said in a statement posted on the Internet that the attacks in the Iraqi capital targeted the “bastions of evil and dens of apostates.”

It also warned the group is “determined to uproot the pillars of this government” in Iraq and said “the list of targets has no end.” The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified, but it was posted on a Web site commonly used for militant messaging.

The blasts Tuesday were the third major strike against government sites in the Iraqi capital since August, raising serious questions about the abilities of Iraqi security forces ahead of national elections and the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops.

Al-Qaida’s claim gave renewed emphasis to U.S. military warnings that insurgents would likely continue high-profile attacks in an attempt to destabilize the Iraqi government in advance of the March 7 parliamentary elections.


Rest of article at:http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/ap_iraq_121009/