Iraq Watch: July 25, 2005

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A suicide bomber detonated his minibus packed with explosives at a checkpoint near the Sadeer Hotel in the capital city of Baghdad early Monday morning killing at least 12 people and wounding 18 others. The blast, which occurred at around 6:15 a.m., sent large plumes of black smoke over the city.

Less than three hours later a second suicide bomber exploded his vehicle outside one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces killing two Iraqi police commandos and injuring at least 10 more. The blast occurred on Kindi Street in the west-central part of the city according to CNN.

The U.S. military announced the death of a U.S. soldier who was killed by an IED near the central city of Samarra on Monday.

Also in Samarra, located along the banks of the Tigris, the head of the city's local council, Taha Ahmed, was killed late Sunday along with one of his associates by insurgents.

Sunni Arab members of the committee drafting the nations new constitution decided to end their boycott of the process on Monday, six days after having walked out. The bloc had been on strike to protest the killings of two of its members last week.

Sunni participation in drafting the new constitution is vital in order not to further alienate and isolate the minority Sunnis who are believed to make up the core of the current insurgency.

Elsewhere Monday, Australian Prime Minister John Howard made a suprise visit to Baghdad where he met with various Iraqi leaders and also to 'Camp Smitty' in southern Iraq to met with some of Australia's 750 troops currently serving in Iraq.