Bombings of Kurdish Headquarters Are War Crimes. by Human Rights Watch 3:03pm 2nd Feb, 2004   (New York, February 2, 2004)    The suicide bombings at Kurdish party headquarters in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil on February 1 were part of a systematic policy by Iraqi insurgents to target civilians. Such attacks constitute war crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.    The nearly simultaneous attacks killed at least 100 persons in the Irbil headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). The bombers blew themselves up in auditoriums crowded with people celebrating the Muslim festival of `Id al-Adha.    Those killed included several senior KDP and PUK regional officials. No individuals or groups claimed responsibility.    “The timing indicates that these attacks were meant to kill and maim large numbers of civilians as well as local political leaders,” said Joe Stork, acting executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. “Attacks that systematically and indiscriminately target civilians are crimes against humanity and war crimes.”    Insurgents previously carried out numerous car bombings in Baghdad and other cities that targeted or caused disproportionate harm to civilians. Human Rights Watch called on Iraqi political groups and community leaders, including those opposing the United States-led military occupation, to denounce such attacks unequivocally, and to support efforts to bring to justice those responsible for planning and ordering them.    Human Rights Watch has also condemned as war crimes and crimes against humanity Palestinian suicide bombing attacks against Israeli civilians.    February , 2004     "Twin suicide bombings in iraq killed 101 people, tearing into the heart of the two main Kurdish political parties". (Published by ABC News Online: AM. Reporter: Jane Hutcheon).    TONY EASTLEY: The difficulties of handing over power in Iraq were starkly highlighted overnight. In the country's north, twin suicide bombings killed 101 people, tearing into the heart of the two main Kurdish political parties. Supporters of the war in Iraq, the Kurds have readily cooperated with the American-led Coalition Provisional Authority.    Among the dead were the Governor of the region as well as senior party officials. At least 133 people are wounded, many of them seriously. Correspondent Jane Hutcheon is in Baghdad. Jane this bombing stands out not just because of the shocking toll, but the style of the attack.    JANE HUTCHEON: That's right Tony. In the last few days and weeks we've seen roadside bombings, there have been shootings and of course very serious car bombings where somebody drives a car packed full of explosives into a building such as a hotel or a restaurant.    In this particular attack it was more similar to the methods used by Palestinian suicide bombers. Two bombers were involved here, one was apparently dressed as a Muslim cleric, the other was dressed in traditional Kurdish robes. They entered two buildings, the offices of the KDP, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the PUK, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. They're rival Kurdistan parties in the north.    They entered these buildings, which were of course full of people because it is the Eid festival at the moment, and detonated their bombs there amongst the people.    TONY EASTLEY: Jane, does an attack like this indicate that the security situation is actually getting worse in the lead up to the handover of sovereignty to Iraqis?    JANE HUTCHEON: It is difficult to say given there are obviously periods such as the last 48 hours when there have been many deaths, I believe almost 90 people, both Americans and Iraqis, have died in the last 48 hours, but there are slow periods also.    A short time ago, the Coalition's Brigadier General, Mark Kimmitt, had this assessment of the security situation.    MARK KIMMITT: By one measure the situation is improving, by the number of daily attacks that we have against Coalition forces. By another measure the number of attacks that we see against Iraqi civilians, Iraqi government authorities, Iraqi security forces, those numbers are either stable or climbing.    But the real measure is how many people do we have on the ground from the Iraqi security services. The more Iraqi police that we have, the more Iraqis in the new Iraqi army, the more soldiers we have in the Iraqi civil defence corps, the border police, those are the ones that are bringing security to this country and form the foundation of the security of this country for the future and so as that measure of success, how many do we have fielded, how many are operational and how many are out on the streets everyday, by that measure the security situation is improving tremendously.    TONY EASTLEY: That's Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt and on the line is Jane Hutcheon.Jane, as we go towards the hand over of sovereignty are we likely to see more of these political attacks against parties, like in this case the Kurds?    JANE HUTCHEON: I think there is no doubt that will happen Tony. One thing we have to point out too, Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt was talking about the increase of numbers of Iraqi security personnel actually on the ground. The big problem is though many Iraqi people don't have faith in these security personnel, don't believe they can actually make the country secure enough. As a result, many people are concerned once the American forces leave on June the 30th, if indeed that goes ahead, what is going to happen in the country after that..
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