Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.

Blasts in Baghdad, Kufa Kill 46
-------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=158C884:A6F02AD83191E160A6692383DC1DE9A59574F7DCC14957C0 No indication
attacks were related to execution of former Iraqi dictator Iraqi
officials say blasts in Baghdad and the southern city Kufa killed at
least 46 people, hours after Saddam Hussein was executed.

Security officials in Baghdad say three coordinated bomb attacks in a
mixed Shi'ite and Sunni area of the city (Hurriya) Saturday killed at
least 15 people and wounded 25 others.

In Kufa, a Shi'ite holy city near Najaf, Iraqi officials say a car
bomb killed 31 people and wounded at least 58 others.

The Kufa blast struck a crowded fish market as people shopped ahead of
the the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

There was no indication the attacks were related to the execution of
former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Also Saturday, U.S military officials announced one American soldier
was killed in Baghdad and another in al Anbar province.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Defense Department spokesman, Bryan Whitman, says
American forces in Iraq are on a high state of alert, anticipating a
possible increase in violence triggered by the former dictator's
execution.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and AP.


.