BAGHDAD, DECEMBER 28 Guerrillas detonated a bomb in a Baghdad shopping district on Sunday, killing a US soldier and two Iraqi children, while another US soldier died in an attack on a convoy west of the capital. The ambushes came a day after coordinated attacks in the holy city of Kerbala killed 19 people.
The Baghdad attack, which targeted US vehicles driving through the Karada shopping area, wounded five American soldiers, eight members of the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps and an Iraqi translator. Northeast of Falluja, another bomb attack on a convoy killed one soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division and wounded three. The attacks raised to 212 the number of US soldiers killed in action since Washington declared major combat over on May 1.
Meanwhile, Iraq’s interim Trade Ministry is investigating alleged corruption of up to $40 million by members of the US-led coalition provisional authority and senior ministry officials, the minister said today. Ali Allawi told AFP that he discovered a month ago that a contract for wooden doors worth about $80 million had been manipulated.
‘‘I think a third of it was stolen,’’ he said, specifically estimating that ‘‘probably around 30, 40 million’’ disappeared. Allawi, who returned from his job as a London investment banker to take up his post in September, said a few ‘‘key individuals’’ were under investigation. The Coalition Provisional Authority could not immediately comment on the case. Allawi said Paul Bremer, who heads the CPA, has asked each ministry to appoint an inspector general.
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