Naseer Al-Nahr, Arab News Staff

BAGHDAD, 24 February 2004 — A suicide bomber killed 13 Iraqi police officers yesterday as US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld flew into Iraq and accused Syria and Iran of complicity in the continuing violence.

The bomber rammed a car into a police station in the northern city of Kirkuk, killing 13 policemen and wounding 51 people, police Lt. Salam Zangana said.

“He took us by surprise. We didn’t even manage to fire a single bullet at the bomber,” said policeman Saman Ali.

Pools of blood covered patches of snow after the bomber drove his car into the gate of the unfortified police station.

“Parts of the suicide bomber, his legs and hands, were scattered inside the police station,” said Amjad Reda, a policeman.

During his unannounced visit, Rumsfeld accused Iran and Syria of allowing militants to cross their borders into Iraq to carry out attacks. “Syria and Iran have not been helpful to the people of Iraq”, he told journalists during a visit to Baghdad. “They have allowed people to move from their countries to engage in terrorist attacks against the Iraqi people.” Asked if pressure should be put on Damascus and Tehran to cease their alleged activities, Rumsfeld replied, “That wouldn’t be a bad thing.”

The latest bloodshed erupted at a delicate time as Iraq’s Kurds press for greater autonomy and compete for influence in Kirkuk with Arabs and the Turkmen.

Meanwhile, chief US administrator L. Paul Bremer said he believed the Governing Council would approve by a Feb. 28 deadline an interim constitution.