Maliki threatens those aim to hamper political process

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday vowed to punish those standing behind the deadly explosions that target government’s buildings in central Baghdad earlier in the day. “During his tour in the two blasts’ sites, al-Maliki promised to punish ‘Iraq’s enemies’ who aim to spread chaos in the country and to hamper the political process and to prevent holding the parliamentary elections on time,” al-Maliki’s office said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com news agency. “The premier rushed to the scenes shortly after the explosions,” it noted. A police source had said earlier that the final toll of the two deadly explosions in Baghdad is 75 and 460 wounded, all civilians from the Justice Ministry and the Baghdad council’s employees in al-Salehiya region in central Baghdad. “They are targeting the government and the political process in the country,” Maj. Gen. Qassim Atta, spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Command (BOC), said. SH (P)/SR 1