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May
2, 2005 -- A bomb-laden terrorist rammed his car
into a Kurd funeral procession near Mosul, Iraq,
yesterday, killing at least 20 and wounding dozens
more amid militants' continued fevered assault
against the country's newly named government.
Since Thursday — when Iraq's first democratically
elected government in 50 years was named —
guerrillas have carried out a furious sequence of
assaults, including more than 15 car bombings in
Baghdad that killed dozens.
Meanwhile, in another development yesterday, Iraqi
officials said they had a breakthrough in the
kidnapping and murder of British CARE worker
Margaret Hassan after arresting several people south
of Baghdad and accusing them of complicity in the
case.
In the car bombing, dozens of bodies were left
sprawled near Mosul as a terrorist rammed his car
into a funeral procession for a Kurdish party
official, Al Arabiya satellite television reported.
At least nine more people died in two other assaults
around Baghdad. Five policemen were shot dead at a
checkpoint.
A U.S. Humvee was bombed in al-Jamea'h in western
Baghdad. It was unclear if there were any
casualties.
As for the Hassan case, Iraqi police said they
arrested 11 suspects in connection with last fall's
kidnapping and murder of CARE International's
director in Iraq.
Cops said five of the detainees, snared in raids
south of Baghdad by U.S. troops, had admitted
complicity in her death.
Her body was never found, but some of her personal
belongings were recovered in the raids.
In another development, Italian authorities said
they would release their own report today concerning
the friendly fire killing of an Italian intelligence
agent by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad.
The two nations drastically disagree on the details
of the March 4 incident that saw Nicola Calipari
slain while en route to Baghdad Airport with Italian
journalist Giuliana Sgrena, a released captive.
The U.S. military Saturday announced its
investigation had cleared American soldiers of
wrongdoing.
Italian newspapers yesterday published what they
said were extracts of the report that said Italian
investigators were informed Americans were told of
the operation several hours before the shooting.
The Italian report also contends that the Americans
quickly cleared away evidence at the shooting,
newspapers said.
The U.S. version said the car Calipari was riding in
was moving twice as fast as the Italians' claim and
did not respond to warning shots or flashing lights
as it neared the checkpoint. With Post Wire Services
www.nypost.com
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