Iraqis take over security, face 'difficult days' ahead

IRAQI forces were in control of towns and cities nationwide yesterday after the pullout of US troops six years after the invasion, but a bloody car bombing underscored the tough challenge ahead.

US President Barack Obama, who opposed the 2003 war ordered by his predecessor George W Bush, hailed the US withdrawal as an "important milestone" but warned of difficult days of bloodshed and violence ahead.

The landmark handover was marred last Tuesday by a car bomb attack on a popular market in Kirkuk, an oil hub which has long been riven by ethnic tensions. Thirty-three people were killed and 92 wounded including women and children, according to local authorities.

"The explosion occurred at a very busy time. I only saw fire and my stall was thrown over. I saw traders on fire in their shops and there were dead and wounded people on the ground," said Aras Omar Ghaffour, a 28-year-old vegetable stallholder.

Iraq had marked the American pullback last Tuesday with a national holiday six years after the invasion which toppled Saddam Hussein but sparked an insurgency and sectarian bloodshed that left tens of thousands dead.

Further military parades took place yesterday in Kirkuk and the restive northern city of Mosul. "Iraqi forces have now an offensive role. We are raiding the hideouts of the terrorists. In 2009 the security situation has improved 80 per cent compared to 2007," Kirkuk police chief Jamal Taher said.

Iraq's 500,000 police and 250,000 soldiers are now in charge of security for urban areas while most of the 133,000 US troops remaining in the country will be based outside towns and cities.AFP