More 'security stations' planned

Dubai: Al Qaida coordinated the string of car bombs that killed over 170 Iraqis civilians on Wednesday, according to a senior US military official in Iraq.

The deadly attacks were a direct challenge to the recent Baghdad security crackdown, said the spokesperson for the multi-national forces.

President Bush's Baghdad security offensive has seen an extra 28,000 US troops ordered to Iraq and thousands more US and Iraqi troops deployed in Baghdad since February.

"We condemn these horrific attacks, which clearly show the kind of enemy the people of Iraq are facing," Major General William B. Caldwell, the US Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Effects said via telephone from Baghdad.

"The people of Iraq were beginning to see a change in their lives as of about two weeks ago… Many were starting to say on a larger scale that they had confidence in the Iraqi and coalition forces and were cooperating with them."

Maj Gen Caldwell told Gulf News that according to US military figures, 149 civilians were killed in Wednesday's attacks along with two members of the Iraqi security force. Over ten more were killed in a bombing in Baghdad yesterday, according to reports.

The US military believes the attacks were planned to undermine confidence in the Iraqi government, as well as the security forces. The bombings had the hallmarks of an Al Qaida attack, Maj Gen Caldwell said, something that was backed up by "human intelligence."

As part of the Baghdad security crackdown, 54 "security stations" have been set up across the city, each receiving between 10 and 15 calls per day from the local communities, he explained. The number of stations is set to increase to 76 in the coming weeks, as more people report incidents in their areas.

"What we are trying to do is find a balance between providing security and not impeding people's lives," said Maj Gen Caldwell.

However, with more such attacks expected, the US military is planning to "tighten and focus on the vehicle bomb networks", he said.