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European leaders condemn bombings
BRUSSELS, Belgium -- European leaders condemned the "depraved and wicked" attack on the International Red Cross in Baghdad, which vowed to continue its work in Iraq. European Union officials at a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels, expressed their "outrage" at the attack. At least 30 people died in a series of bomb attacks that struck the Iraq capital Monday. Most of the victims were Iraqis working for the ICRC and Iraqi police. A spokesman for British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the attacks "evil and wicked," dubbing the suicide bombers as "terrorists and criminals." UK Foreign Minister Jack Straw reacted with "shock and outrage" to the strikes. Straw added: "The fact that terrorists have yet again targeted not U.S. or UK troops but an international organization... shows the depth of depravity to which they stoop." France also condemned the attacks, saying it was proof that the transfer of power from occupying U.S. forces to Iraqi authorities should be speeded up. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous in Paris, said: "In the face of such acts of violence, it is more urgent than ever to embark on a political process, based on the restoration of Iraqi sovereignty, mobilizing all energy toward the country's reconstruction." The ICRC said they did not know why they had been targeted -- the first time the Geneva-based organization had been attacked by suicide bombers. The ICRC, which has been working in Baghdad since 1980, said they were not politically-motivated in their work. ICRC spokesperson Florian Westphal said the attack "is a major blow." "It's a big shock. It is obviously impossible to move onto a normal day's business, so we really have to step back and take stock." The Red Cross and other international organizations have reduced their Baghdad staffs after the car bombing of the U.N. headquarters in the capital on August 19 in which 23 people died. But another Red Cross spokesperson said the ICRC will stay in Iraq. "We believe we have to stay here because we do have an important job to do here for the Iraqis," Baghdad ICRC spokeswoman Nada Doumani told reporters. (Full Story) Iraqi officials blamed outside forces for the killings. Deputy Interior Minister Brig. Gen. Ahmed Ibrahim told The Associated Press: "Iraq is safeguarding freedom and no one will take that away from us...Some countries, unfortunately, are trying to send people to do attacks." He did not mention which countries these were. Mouwafak al-Rabii, a Shiite Muslim member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, backed the French line by saying that Washington must speed up the training of Iraqi police and soldiers and employ ruthless measures to crush the insurgency. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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