Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAGHDAD1280
2007-04-14 10:38:00
SECRET
Embassy Baghdad
Cable title:
AL QAEDA OFFENSIVE? SPECTACULAR ATTACKS CONTINUE
how-toVZCZCXRO4996 OO RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK DE RUEHGB #1280 1041038 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 141038Z APR 07 FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0716 INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/DIA WASHDC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL IMMEDIATE RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 001280
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2017
TAGS: IZ MOPS PINS PTER
SUBJECT: AL QAEDA OFFENSIVE? SPECTACULAR ATTACKS CONTINUE
REF: BAGHDAD 1268
Classified By: A/Pol-Mil Counselor Apar Sidhu for reasons 1.4 (b/d)
S E C R E T BAGHDAD 001280
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2017
TAGS: IZ MOPS PINS PTER
SUBJECT: AL QAEDA OFFENSIVE? SPECTACULAR ATTACKS CONTINUE
REF: BAGHDAD 1268
Classified By: A/Pol-Mil Counselor Apar Sidhu for reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (S) At about 1030 this morning a suicide car bomb exploded
just south of the Green Zone near the Jadriya Bridge
connecting Baghdad's Karkh district to the Karada Peninsula.
Press reports are ten dead and fifteen injured. The attack
occurred 400 meters west of the actual bridge span and,
although a number of cars were destroyed, the bridge appears
to have sustained little damage. This attack comes two days
after a suicide truck bomb destroyed the al-Sarafiyah Bridge,
leaving only eleven remaining bridges to connect east and
west Baghdad.
2. (S) Less than an hour earlier, a car bomb at a bus station
in Karbala killed at least thirty-six people and injured over
eighty-five. The attack occurred near the Imam Hussein
shrine, one of the most important shrines in Shia Islam and
frequent target for Sunni extremists.
3. (S) Comment: The week's bridge bombings seem to indicate
that Al Qaeda may be broadening its focus to include highly
visible strategic infrastructure targets in Baghdad to
demonstrate that it can conduct spectacular attacks despite
the hardening of market areas and the increased security
presence.
CROCKER
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/14/2017
TAGS: IZ MOPS PINS PTER
SUBJECT: AL QAEDA OFFENSIVE? SPECTACULAR ATTACKS CONTINUE
REF: BAGHDAD 1268
Classified By: A/Pol-Mil Counselor Apar Sidhu for reasons 1.4 (b/d)
1. (S) At about 1030 this morning a suicide car bomb exploded
just south of the Green Zone near the Jadriya Bridge
connecting Baghdad's Karkh district to the Karada Peninsula.
Press reports are ten dead and fifteen injured. The attack
occurred 400 meters west of the actual bridge span and,
although a number of cars were destroyed, the bridge appears
to have sustained little damage. This attack comes two days
after a suicide truck bomb destroyed the al-Sarafiyah Bridge,
leaving only eleven remaining bridges to connect east and
west Baghdad.
2. (S) Less than an hour earlier, a car bomb at a bus station
in Karbala killed at least thirty-six people and injured over
eighty-five. The attack occurred near the Imam Hussein
shrine, one of the most important shrines in Shia Islam and
frequent target for Sunni extremists.
3. (S) Comment: The week's bridge bombings seem to indicate
that Al Qaeda may be broadening its focus to include highly
visible strategic infrastructure targets in Baghdad to
demonstrate that it can conduct spectacular attacks despite
the hardening of market areas and the increased security
presence.
CROCKER