Talabani consoles with Iranian counterpart over bomb attack

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Tuesday sent a cable of condolences to his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in which he condemned the suicide bombing attack in Sistan province, according to a presidential statement. A man carrying explosives blew himself up as participants headed to a conference between Shiite and Sunni groups in southeastern Iran on Sunday, killing at least 29 people, Iranian media reported. The blast in Sarbaz in the province of Sistan-Baluchestan wounded 28 others, the semi-official Fars news agency said. Among those killed were five senior officers of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps, Fars said. Other media outlets offered conflicting figures for the number of dead and wounded. Earlier, Iran pointed the finger at the United States without disclosing its reasons. “We consider this recent terrorist act to be the result of the U.S. actions and this is a sign of their enmity,” said parliament Speaker Ali Larijani. A U.S. State Department spokesman said the accusation was “completely false.” SH (P)/SR 1