Manila condemns Iraq car bomb attack

The Philippines condemned yesterday the car bombing in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf that killed 83 people in the worst attack since the US-led occupation began.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople said leading Shiite cleric Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim, among the dead in Friday’s attack outside a shrine in the city south of Baghdad, "was a key player in promoting tolerance and in bringing stability to Iraq."

"His death is a great loss, but his death should not be in vain," he said in a statement.

"We are confident that not only will the perpetrators of this heinous crime be brought to justice, but that the vision of the Ayatollah Mohammad Baqer al-Hakim for a stable and peaceful Iraq will be a reality."

Ople said half the Philippine peacekeeping mission to Iraq arrived last week.

"Our deployment has gone smoothly and we hope to receive reports on the actual operations of our contingent," he said.

"Our contingent is taking every necessary precaution to secure themselves. They are also coordinating very closely with the other members of the coalition forces in terms of security."

The mission includes 55 soldiers, 26 policemen, 15 medical workers and a foreign department official. Eighty-one others are expected to follow shortly, Ople said. — AFP, Marvin Sy