A truck crammed with 500 kilos of explosives blew up outside the U.S.-led coalition headquarters in the heart of the Iraqi capital as crowds of people and cars were waiting to enter the walled compound, known as the Green Zone.

The blast at Assassin's Gate came the day before Iraqi and U.S. officials, including U.S. administrator Paul Bremer, were to meet with a wary U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York to discuss a future U.N. role in Iraq.

It was the deadliest single attack in the capital since the capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a month ago and one of the bloodiest days since U.S. President George W. Bush declared major combat over in May.

U.S. occupation forces said at least 20 people were killed while civilian hospitals in Baghdad reported another five dead. Most of the victims were Iraqis, but included at least two Americans, U.S. military officials said, while about 100 people were injured.

The Japan Times Weekly: Jan. 24, 2004
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