Iraq says more martyrs to hit coalition troops

By JUSTIN HUGGLER

The Iraqi military threatened yesterday that more suicide attacks were coming, and claimed that more than 4000 volunteers from across the Arab world were making their way to Baghdad to fight in a jihad, or holy war.

The tactic of suicide bombing has suddenly taken centre stage in the conflict, unnerving advancing American and British troops.

The weekend suicide bombing by an Iraqi soldier, in which at least four US servicemen died, will not be the last, Hazim al-Rawi, an Iraqi military spokesman, warned yesterday.

"Martyrdom operations will continue not only by Iraqis but by thousands of Arabs who are coming to Baghdad."

It is not clear whether Rawi's claim of more than 4000 is true, but many foreign Arab volunteers are travelling to Iraq, in addition to thousands of Iraqi expatriates who have returned home saying they are going to fight the Americans and British in a war that appears to have suddenly acquired religious overtones.

Some Arab Governments, notably those in Egypt and Jordan, have tried to prevent their nationals travelling to Iraq. But the Syrian border is open to those wanting to travel to Iraq to fight, and although the Saudi border is officially closed, it is long and poorly guarded.

"The attacks by the sons of Iraq and by the armed forces have just begun," Rawi said. "These are the first on the glorious path of jihad against the invaders."

Using highly religious rhetoric that would usually be frowned on by Iraq's Ba'ath Party, Rawi continued: "We are a believing people, a fighting people. Jihad is a must, a duty ordained by God."

The religious language appeared reminiscent of the Afghan war of resistance against the Soviet occupation, when religious mujahideen from throughout the Arab world - including Osama bin Laden - went to Afghanistan to fight.

Although suicide bombing has never been used in Iraq before, the Iraqi Government has handed out money to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers via a small Palestinian faction it supports in the Gaza Strip.

A statement faxed to Reuters in Beirut claimed the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad had sent suicide bombers to Baghdad.

Such a statement cannot be immediately taken as genuine - it would serve the propaganda interests of others, not least the Israeli Government - but an Islamic Jihad representative in Lebanon, Abu Imad al-Rifai, was reported to have confirmed it.

Signed by the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the statement announced "the good news of the arrival of its first martyrdom attackers to the heart of Baghdad".

Rifai said the suicide bombers were not Palestinians from the occupied territories but came from several other countries.

It is extremely difficult for most Palestinians to leave either the West Bank or the Gaza Strip.

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Herald Feature: Iraq war