Agence France-Presse,
The United States on Thursday denounced a suicide bombing that bloodied Iraq's parliament complex, shook Baghdad's fortress-like Green Zone, and rattled wary optimism about a US-led crackdown.
Officials in Washington struggled to explain the staggering breach inside the heavily guarded area, blaming it on the bomber's ferocity rather than on failures in the three-month-old security push.
“I strongly condemn the action. It reminds us, though, that there is an enemy willing to bomb innocent people and a symbol of democracy,” President George W. Bush told reporters after the Green Zone blast killed eight and wounded at least 23.
“Our hearts go out to those who suffered as a result of this bombing. Our message to the Iraqi government is we stand with you as you take the steps necessary to, not only reconcile politically, but also put a security force in place that is able to deal with these kind of people,” he said.
An Iraqi security official said two lawmakers and a parliamentary official were among the dead and 20 people were wounded, around half of them MPs, when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt struck the Iraqi parliament canteen.
US military commander Major General William Caldwell later put the death toll at eight with another 23 wounded, giving no further details.
“It's very troubling that this happened inside the Green Zone. And we're going to work to make sure that, one, we find out how it happened and that it doesn't happen again,” said Bush spokeswoman Dana Perino.
Asked if the blast raised questions about the success of the US-led Baghdad security plan, White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe replied: “No, I think it shows the determination of the terrorists and extremists.”
At the State Department, spokesman Sean McCormack said that US officials visit the bloodied building “on a regular basis” but that it was unclear whether any were there at the time of the attack.
The strike came four years after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and three months after Washington launched a last-ditch attempt to quell sectarian violence and crush extremists in Iraq.
McCormack said it was critical “to ensure that this (Iraq's parliament) is a place where parliamentarians and those working on behalf of the Iraqi government can do what they need to do in a safe, secure atmosphere.”
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice blamed the attack on “the terrorists and those who wish to stop the Iraqi people from having a future that would be based on democracy and stability.”
Rice's comments came as she met with Republican Senator John McCain, a 2008 presidential hopeful who has drawn criticism for insisting that parts of Baghdad are safe enough for westerners to walk unescorted.
Rice sought to contain worries the blast may be a sign that a months-old security plan that deployed thousands more US troops in the Iraqi capital may never quell deadly sectarian violence.
“There will be good days and bad days,” Rice said. “But the commanders are carrying out their responsibilities and working to try to make the population more secure.”
McCain said the attack should not deter the United States from pursuing its security surge, saying the US public should expect “more spectacular attacks” on the Green Zone in order to cripple support for the unpopular war.
“But I don't think that that should change the larger picture which means we're achieving some small successes already with the strategy being employed,” the lawmaker said.
Later, after meeting with Bush, US national security adviser Stephen Hadley, and other officials at the White House, McCain downplayed the severity of the breach, saying: “Suicide bombings are very, very difficult to counter.
“But there is now some stability in some of the areas of Baghdad. In Anbar province there's been some progress and we hope and pray that that will continue,” he said.
