Three car bombs exploded in front of Iraqi police stations in the southern city of Basra this morning, killing 68 people and wounding 98, the governor of Basra said. The deaths included 23 schoolchildren and 9 police officers. The governor, Waei Abdul Latif, said he believed the attacks were the work of an alliance between Al Qaeda and extremists in Iraq. He said that the attacks had been simultaneous. “The attacks have the hallmark of Al Qaeda,” he told reporters in Basra, adding that he expected more violence as the June 30 date for the return of sovereignty to Iraqis nears. In Falluja, United States marines were locked in heavy fighting, using helicopters and tanks, even as insurgents began to hand over weapons today as part of a deal that American officials and civic leaders hoped would lead to an end to the violent confrontation there. But skeptical American troops who inspected the weapons said the armaments were mostly old and did not reflect a true intention to fully disarm. Full Story
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