Iraq Car Bomb Kills Seven

6 May 2004 -- A car packed with explosives blew up in Baghdad today, killing at least six Iraqis and a U.S. soldier.
The U.S. military says the blast at the entrance of the Green Zone government complex in central Baghdad also wounded six U.S. soldiers and 13 Iraqis.

In the northern city of Kirkuk today, assailants shot and killed an Iraqi Agriculture Ministry official and his driver. Police said that the attackers shot the director of agriculture in Kirkuk as he left his house early today.

The incidents occurred a day after U.S. President George W. Bush reiterated in separate interviews with two Arab-language television stations, Al-Arabiyah and Al-Hurra, that the United States is committed to rebuilding Iraq despite continuing attacks against Iraqis and coalition troops.

"The Iraqi citizens must understand America's not going to leave until the job is complete. We want to help Iraq. We've made a commitment, and the United States will keep that commitment because we believe the people Iraq want to be free," Bush said.

UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is expected in Baghdad today to continue efforts to help develop an interim Iraqi government to take power on 30 June, the date U.S. forces are due to hand over sovereignty.

(AFP/dpa)