Secretary-General condemns 'senseless' double bombings in Baghdad

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned the double bombings which killed and wounded hundreds today in Baghdad, and called on all Iraqis to work to protect the progress the country has achieved so far.

The car bombings near the Iraqi Ministry of Justice and the Baghdad Provincial Governorate Building in central Baghdad are the deadliest since the explosions on 19 August that killed around 100 people in the capital.

Mr. Ban “strongly condemns these senseless and indiscriminate acts of violence that repeatedly target the innocent and aim to disrupt Iraq's recovery,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

“The Secretary-General urges all Iraqis to unite in the face of these deplorable acts and to work with heightened urgency to protect Iraq's political progress, including by adhering to the date of 16 January 2010 to hold free and fair national elections,” the statement added.

The Security Council also condemned today's attacks in a statement released to the press by Ambassador Le Luong Minh of Viet Nam, which holds the rotating monthly presidency of the 15-member body for October.

Council members reiterated that “no terrorist act can reverse a path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Iraq, which is supported by the people and the Government of Iraq and the international community.”

Last month Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called on the UN to set up an independent international commission to probe deadly bombings and attacks that have struck the country since 2008, including the 19 August blasts.