A SUICIDE CAR BOMBER BLEW HIMSELF UP IN A CROWDED MARKET IN OIL-RICH SOUTHERN BASRA, KILLING 28 PEOPLE AND WOUNDING 62. MEANWHILE, IRAQ'S PRIME MINISTER WAS POISED TO APPOINT MINISTERS TO RUN THE ARMY AND POLICE, DESPITE LINGERING DISAGREEMENT AMONG IRAQ'S ETHNIC AND SECTARIAN PARTIES. FILLING THE POSTS IS SEEN AS A KEY STEP TOWARD PRIME MINISTER NOURI AL-MALIKI'S PLAN FOR IRAQI FORCES TO TAKE CONTROL OF SECURITY FROM U.S.-LED TROOPS IN 18 MONTHS, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED. AROUND IRAQ, AT LEAST 42 PEOPLE WERE KILLED SATURDAY AND DOZENS WERE WOUNDED, AND POLICE DISCOVERED THE REMAINS OF 12 PEOPLE, INCLUDING EIGHT SEVERED HEADS. ON SUNDAY, GUNMEN IN A CAR OPENED THE FIRE ON A MINIBUS CARRYING TELECOMMUNICATIONS EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN AN AREA NEAR THE SHIITE SLUM OF SADR CITY, KILLING FOUR AND WOUNDING TWO, COL. HASSAN CHALLOUB SAID. IN BASRA, THE COUNTRY'S SECOND-BIGGEST CITY, THE SUICIDE CAR BOMB EXPLODED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON SATURDAY WHEN MANY PEOPLE WERE SHOPPING, POLICE CAPT. MUSHTAQ KADHIM SAID. THE BLAST LEFT POOLS OF BLOOD AROUND THE MARKET SQUARE AND SET SEVERAL VEHICLES ON FIRE.
