Transcript of: Suicide bomber posed as a recruit
BRIAN WILLIAMS, anchor:
Now we turn to news from overseas tonight, to
Iraq
specifically. A terrible attack with curious timing, just as US combat troops are getting ready to pull out. It happened in central
Baghdad
at an
Army
recruiting station. Suicide bomber blew himself up, killing at least 57 recruits and soldiers, wounding 123 others. Our chief foreign correspondent
Richard Engel
in
Baghdad
for us.
Richard
, good evening.
RICHARD ENGEL reporting:
Good evening,
Brian
. This was one of the worst attacks here in months. The recruiting center was exceptionally crowded on this hot morning. Hundreds of people were gathered. Some had been waiting for hours, others since last night, hoping to find positions in the armed forces. Unemployment is high in this country. There aren't that many jobs available. One of the would-be recruits was actually a suicide bomber. He detonated his vest right in and among the crowds, killing or wounding everyone around him. Iraqi officials say
al-Qaeda in Iraq
was very likely responsible for this attack, and that it was timed while Iraqis are already nervous about the withdrawal of American combat troops from this country. Iraqis are wondering, will their
security forces
be strong enough to maintain stability after American combat troops leave. American officials say that even after the
combat mission
is over, 50,000 American trainers will remain in
Iraq
, but those trainers won't be out on the streets. They won't be providing security. Mostly they'll have office jobs, they'll be working with
Iraqi army
and police to try and plan missions, not carry them out boot to boot.
Brian
:
WILLIAMS:
Richard Engel
covering the
end of an era
in that war he has covered so much of.
“ ”