英闻天下——435 Al-Qaida Branch Claims Responsibility for Attacks

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　　Although, the authenticity² of the group's online statement is yet to be verified.

 

　　They're called the 'Islamic State of Iraq' who apparently³ says Tuesday's attacks were just the first in response to Justice Minister Hassan al-Shammari's comments.

 

　　Al-Shammari earlier pledged to speed up the executions of terrorists after his office building was attacked last week.

 

　　Now Tuesday's bombings mainly struck Shiite areas in Baghdad and nearby towns.

 

　　On top of the 60 or so deaths, more than 200 others have also been injured.

 

　　The attacks fell on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion which ousted⁴ Saddam Hussein.

 

　　Today of course marks that anniversary but people on the streets of Iraq say they've seen little change in a decade since the war began.

 

　　Female "Honestly, it's all the same. All we want is security. Things aren't bad but we do need security for our children - nothing more, nothing less. The situation changes from time to time. Sometimes it's safe, and we say there's nothing to worry about. Then sometimes it isn't safe. It's difficult."

 

　　Male "Ten years have passed, and I still have no proper home, no public services, no electricity, no running water, no education for our children, no schools. All I've got is the house you see here - I built it from mud."

 

　　The US government meanwhile has commemorated⁵ the 10th anniversary, with the White House saying President Barack Obama cherishes the memory of the nearly 45-hundred American troops that were killed in Iraq.

 

　　For more on the situation in Iraq and the Middle East, we spoke⁶ earlier with Li Guofu, senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies.

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