Iraq Homicide Bomber Targets Police, Killing 26

BAGHDAD A homicide bomber struck police lined up at the entrance of the main police academy in Baghdad on Sunday, killing more than two dozen people and wounding dozens of others, officials said. The blast was a bloody reminder of the ability of insurgents to stage dramatic attacks as the U.S. begins to draw down its forces. The U.S. military was expected to announce the withdrawal of two more brigades on Sunday. The bomber detonated his explosives near a side entrance of the academy, which is in a mainly Shiite area of eastern Baghdad. One police officer said the bomber was riding a motorcycle when he drove into the line, but the Interior Ministry said the method of attack had not yet been determined. Extremists have increasingly targeted Iraqi forces as they try to prove they can take over the country's security so the American troops can go home. Baghdad's main police academy has been hit by several bombings. Another homicide bombing there killed at least 33 people and wounded dozens on Dec. 1. Iraqi officials provided conflicting casualty tolls, as is common in the chaotic aftermath of bombings. Three medical officials and one police officer in the area where the bombing occurred said 26 people were killed and nearly 60 wounded. Another police officer at the Interior Ministry said 28 were killed and 57 wounded.