Iraq's Governing Council received warning of truck bombing a week ago

["Alain St-Amour" <alainstamour@xxxxxxxx>]

http://tinyurl.com/ksvz

Iraq's Governing Council received warning of truck bombing a week ago
Wed Aug 20

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq (news - web sites)'s 25-member interim Governing Council 
received intelligence on August 14 that a truck bombing was imminent in the 
capital, council member Ahmad Chalabi, head of the Iraqi National Congress, 
said.

"The intelligence specifically said that a large-scale act would take place ... 
against a soft target, such as Iraqi political parties or other parties 
including the UN," said Chalabi, who is a favourite of the US Defense 
Department.

He stressed that according to the information, neither the ruling Coalition 
Provisional Authority nor coalition troops would be targeted.

Chalabi added that the intelligence had warned the attack would be a truck 
bombing, using either a kamikaze driver or a remote control detonator, but 
declined to disclose the source of his information or how it was collected.

Chalabi said the council shared the news with US intelligence agents.

However, it was not clear if the information had been relayed to the United 
Nations.

Chalabi also said: "Meetings had taken place between former members of the 
regime and extremists," ahead of Tuesday's attack on the United Nations 
headquarters here that killed 24 people, including the world body's top 
official in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=1512&u=/afp/20030820/wl_afp/iraq_un_blast_chalabi_030820160231&printer=1