• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Iraqi Council Sworn In As Blasts Rock Green Zone

1 September 2004 -- The members of Iraq's new National Council were sworn in at its inaugural session today as several explosions went off near the venue site.

A spokesman for the U.S. military, Lieutenant Colonel Steven Boylan, said between three and five blasts went off near a checkpoint and there was one report of an Iraqi citizen being injured.

The explosions went off inside Baghdad's high-security Green Zone, which also houses Iraq's interim government and the U.S. embassy.

The 100-member council, which is supposed to monitor Iraq's interim government until popular elections in January, was expected today to organize committees, elect a parliamentary speaker, and draw up an agenda for the next few months.

(Reuters/AP)

Copyright (c) 2004. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org