NEWS ALERT: SITUATION WORSES IN BAGHDAD: MOTORCYLE BOMB KILLS 19

The situation in Baghdad worsened on Friday when a motorcyle bomb went off in a crowded bazaar in Baghadad killing 19 people. There have been numerous attacks in Baghdad in the past week killing over 200 people as the violence escalats in Iraqi capital city.

BAGHDAD (AP) -- A booby-trapped motorcycle exploded in a crowded bazaar Friday in Baghdad, killing at least 19 people, Iraqi officials said, part of an apparent trend toward increased use of motorcycles to thwart stepped up security measures.

SOURCE: DALLAS MORNING NEWS: http://tinyurl.com/npf5u4

The attack was the latest in a week of violence that has killed more than 200 people, with just four days to go before the deadline for U.S. combat troops to withdraw from cities.

The spike has raised fresh doubts about the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security and fight a stubborn insurgency as their American partners become less visible.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have warned they expect more violence in the days surrounding the deadline as militants stage a show of force to try to stoke sectarian bloodshed and undermine confidence in the government.

But American commanders and Iraqi leaders have insisted the withdrawal will go ahead as scheduled. Under a security pact, the Americans must pull back from cities by June 30 and from the entire country by the end of 2011.

The Baghdad explosion occurred just after 9 a.m. when the market was packed with young people buying or selling motorcycles in central Baghdad, according to police and hospital officials.
Ghaith Abdul-Allah, 35, was unloading motorcycles he planned to sell from his truck when the blast occurred.