Militants ambush Baghdad convoy as talks on president deadlocked

Gunmen killed at least two people in an ambush of a convoy carrying Westerners in the outskirts of Baghdad yesterday.

Gunmen killed at least two people in an ambush of a convoy carrying Westerners in the outskirts of Baghdad yesterday.

Some witnesses said they saw bloodied Westerners being dragged from three SUVs, the four wheel-drive vehicles favoured by security contractors and Western administrators in Iraq. It was unclear whether any hostages had been taken.

The attack in Baghdad's Shoala district occurred at dusk as the convoy headed south toward the city centre. Armed men in another vehicle are reported to have opened fire on the SUVs as they approached a bridge.

There was confusion about what had then happened. Some witnesses said the attackers emerged from their cars, dragged five or six "Western-looking" people from the vehicles and hauled them away.

Two other witnesses, Khalid Zaalan, 22, and Qays Hussein, 15, said there was a shootout, and armed Western men jumped from the wrecked SUVs, commandeered a passing car at gunpoint and escaped.

Crowds of local people were seen dancing and cheering as a bloodied body, wearing a flak jacket, was pulled from the driver's seat of one wrecked vehicle. Others looted tyres and set two vehicles on fire.

Fighting between United States forces and the Shia militia of the cleric Muqtada Sadr broke out again in the holy city of Najaf, threatening to kill a ceasefire deal made last week. The violence came as talks to name a new interim government were deadlocked over the question of who will become president. Iraqis involved in the talks were sayinga dispute with the US over the presidency could delay the planned handover of sovereignty on 30 June.

The disagreement comes after the unexpected appointment of Iyad Allawi to the more powerful job of Prime Minister. The US-appointed Governing Council wants to name its leader, Ghazi Yawar, to the largely ceremonial role of president.

But the US is leaning on them to choose Adnan Pachachi, 81, a former diplomat. Both are more popular choices than Mr Allawi, who has close links to the CIA and MI6. Mr Pachachi and Mr Yawar, a tribal leader, are widely respected by Iraqis. Both are Sunnis, to balance the fact that Mr Allawi comes from the majority Shia population.

The difference is that Mr Yawar has called for US forces to leave Iraq. Although he eschews the use of violence, he has called on Iraqis to use peaceful means to resist the occupation.

Although the Americans claim they will hand over "full sovereignty" to Iraqis on 30 June, President George Bush has said he will not pull US troops out of Iraq any time soon. Mr Pachachi, who has said the Americans must stay until Iraqi forces are ready to take over, is therefore the preferred choice for the US.

There was surprise and controversy after Mr Allawi was named Prime Minister by the governing council on Friday. The council was not expected to name the new government but the man who was, United Nations envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, seemed surprised by the announcement.

The governing council, scheduled to be dissolved on 30 June, appeared to have staged an inside coup, naming one of its own members as premier. But there are suspicions there may have been US involvement in the move. Mr Allawi is likely to be a more malleable choice than the technocrats Mr Brahimi was known to favour.

The renewed fighting in Najaf yesterday may be more destabilising. It came after Sadr had agreed to withdraw his Army of Mehdi from the holy city if US forces did the same - a deal which was supposed to end weeks of fighting in which Iraq's most sacred Shia shrine had been damaged.

Army of Mehdi militiamen apparently opened fire yesterday after US forces tried to advance towards the Wadi al-Salaam cemetery, where much of the earlier fighting took place. Later an explosion was heard from the city centre.

The violence comes after two days of fighting in neighbouring Kufa which have stretched the ceasefire deal. The US-appointed governor of Kufa, Adnan al-Zurufi, accused Sadr of breaking the deal. "There have been no positive initiatives from the office of Sadr so far," he said. "Armed men are filling the streets and there have been a number of attacks on state employees in Kufa."

But reports from Kufa say the renewed fighting broke out after the Americans set up checkpoints to prevent Sadr travelling there from Najaf to preach his usual Friday sermon - checkpoints the Army of Mehdi claims are a breach of the deal. Under the deal, Sadr agreed to withdraw militiamen who originate from outside Najaf, but not locals. It is not clear whether he has withdrawn those from outside or not.