Three killed in Baghdad mortar blast
A mortar round slammed into a street in north-eastern Baghdad today, killing three Iraqi bystanders and wounding three others.
Earlier in the day, soldiers discovered the bullet-riddled bodies of six men, aged between 25 and 30 years old and wearing handcuffs, in western Baghdad.
On the political front, Iraqi leaders trying to form a national unity government were expected to resume talks today after a few days off to consult their political blocs over the critical issue of what powers the next prime minister would have over security issues.
There were some tensions with the US government over reports of interference in Iraqi political affairs.
A letter from US President George Bush to Iraq’s supreme Shiite spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, was hand-delivered earlier this week but sits unread and untranslated in the top religious figure’s office, according to a key al-Sistani aide.
