Bombers kill dozens in two attacks
A suicide bomber attacked a meeting of pro-government Sunni sheikhs west of Baghdad, killing at least 23 people, including three US Marines.
At least 18 more people died in a car bombing in the northern city of Mosul.
Both attacks occurred in Sunni Arab areas where al Qaida in Iraq has been active. They appeared to be part of a campaign by both Sunni and Shiite extremists to undermine US efforts to shore up local administrations and secure the security gains achieved since early last year.
The target of the Mosul blast appeared to be the provincial governor, who was near the explosion but escaped injury.
Colonel Fawzi Fraih, civil defence director of Anbar province, said dozens of sheikhs had gathered in a building in Karmah, 20 miles west of Baghdad, for a meeting attended by US officials when the bomber struck.
Local police Captain Amir al-Jumaili said 20 Iraqis were killed and 20 others wounded.
The US command said two interpreters were killed along with three Marines assigned to Multinational Forces-West. It was unclear if the interpreters were among the 20 dead reported by the Iraqis.
US authorities suspected al Qaida in Iraq was behind the attack.
Two policemen said the bomber was able to penetrate security because he was a wearing the camouflage uniform of the Iraqi police commandos.
The blast occurred only days before US troops are to hand over security responsibility for Anbar to the Iraqis, marking a major milestone in the campaign to lower the US profile in an area that had once been centre-stage of the war.
