Suicide bomber targeting Baghdad funeral kills 32 mourners

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A suicide attacker killed at least 32 men gathered in eastern Baghdad to mourn the death of a retired Iraqi army officer, a Shi'ite who was slain last week in a car bombing blamed on al-Qaida in Iraq. The attack Tuesday was a reminder of the dangers that persist despite Baghdad's recent decline in violence and of the peril for any mass gathering in a country where the bereaved often find themselves targets. In a New Year's message from London, where he flew last week for what his office described as routine medical tests, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said that "we witnessed sorrow and pain in 2007, but with the effort and brotherhood of Iraqis as well their insistence to wake up, the year ended with victories and successes." He added that he hoped 2008 will "further boost national unity and cooperation" among Iraq's political parties, sects and ethnic groups.