Iraq Watch: May 8, 2006

Car Bomb Explodes Outside Baghdad Courthouse

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A car bomb exploded outside a central Baghdad courthouse on Monday killing at least five Iraqis and wounding 10 others.

Elsewhere, a car bomb detonated in eastern Baghdad as an Iraqi police patrol passed by leaving two policemen dead and 12 injured.

Also Monday, at least 19 executed bodies were discovered across the sectarian-rife country.

In political developments, officials close to Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Nouri al-Maliki said that the newly appointed Shiite leader will present his choices for the nations new cabinet soon, possibly as early as Tuesday.

Al-Maliki, a member of the Iranian-backed Dawa Party, has until May 22 to finalize a cabinet which will then be voted on by Iraq's 275-member parliament.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, announced the deaths of two U.S. service members Monday.

A MND-B soldier was killed by an IED at approximately 11:10 a.m. Monday southeast of Baghdad.

Separately, CENTCOM reported that a Task Force Band of Brothers soldier died and another was injured yesterday while engaging insurgents near the northern city of Tal Afar.