Iraq’s enemies seek to impose themselves on political regime – Iranian amb.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iranian Ambassador in Baghdad, Hassan Kazzemi Qomi, said on Sunday that Iraq’s enemies seek to impose themselves on the political regime in Iran, according to the Iranian Fars news agency (FNA). “The elements of the terrorist attacks are seeking to inspire this idea in the public that the government of Iraq is inefficient and incapable of providing security for the country,” the ambassador said. “Moreover, they are seeking to impose their views on Baghdad in a bid to win political privileges,” Kazzemi Qomi told FNA. He reminded that most parts of Iraq enjoy good security and that insecurities mostly arise in the country’s capital and also in northwestern regions. Qomi expressed confidence that the Iraqi government would be able to remove problems and insecurities in the country through security plans and measures. Iraqi officials have warned of possible increases in violence prior to Iraq’s national elections due to be held on Jan 16. The Iraqi police said that the death toll from today’s twin bombings in Iraq’s capital reached 132 people with more than 500 wounded in one of the deadliest attacks in Baghdad this year. The first explosion took place at about 10:30 a.m. (0730 GMT) when a suicide bomber drove a truck loaded with explosives near the building of the Iraqi Ministry of Justice in al-Salhiyah district and blew it up, causing severe damages to the building and other surrounding buildings. Shortly after, a second truck bomb struck the building of Baghdad Provincial Council about 500 meters away from the first blast which is also close to the Mansour Hotel where many foreign media and companies live. SH (S)/SR 1