Death Toll in Iraq Blast Climbs Over 100

IRBIL, Iraq - The number of dead rose to 101 Tuesday in the twin suicide bombings of two Kurdish political offices, the highest confirmed toll in any terrorist attack since the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Kurds blamed Ansar al-Islam, a militant group allegedly linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida.

The string of insurgent attacks killed another American soldier Tuesday and came as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with President Bush and announced he'll send a team to Iraq to break an impasse between the U.S.-led coalition and the Shiite Muslim clergy over how to transfer power to Iraqis.

In Baghdad, the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority put the death toll from Sunday's attacks against the offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan at 101, with 133 people still hospitalized.

The attacks - by bombers with explosives wired to their bodies - were the bloodiest since at least Aug. 29, when a vehicle bombing outside a Shiite mosque in Najaf killed more than 85 people. Some estimates have placed the Najaf death toll much higher.

The victims of the earlier attack included Shiite leader Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim.

U.S. Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the U.S. investigation has not determined who was behind the attacks in Irbil, though he would not rule out either Ansar al-Islam or al-Qaida.

Kimmitt, deputy chief of staff for operations, also said there had been an average of 23 engagements each day over the past week between U.S. forces and Iraqi insurgents, a slight increase over the figure of 18 reported last week.

One American soldier was killed and another was wounded Tuesday when a roadside bomb exploded during an operation to clear such weapons, the U.S. command said. The explosion happened near Iskandariyah, 35 miles south of Baghdad.

Earlier Tuesday, insurgents fired two rockets at Baghdad International Airport but caused no casualties, the U.S. military said. The airport is used as a major base for the military.

West of Baghdad, in Ramadi, witnesses reported insurgents fired mortars after sundown but caused no damage. Police said they believed the attack was aimed at the home of Ramadi's police chief, Ji'dan Mohammed al-Alwani.

Despite the violence, Annan announced Tuesday in Washington that he had given the final go-ahead to send a team to Iraq to study the feasibility of early legislative elections as demanded by the Shiite clergy. The United States believes security is too precarious for elections and instead wants legislators to be appointed in regional caucuses.

The legislature would in turn select a new government to take power by July 1.

During a meeting at the White House with Bush, Annan said the U.N. team would work with the Iraqis "in finding the way forward" and talk to as many Iraqis as possible to "steer things in the right direction." Annan had earlier said he wanted to make sure the team's security would be provided.

"I believe that the stability in Iraq is in everyone's interest. The U.N. does have a role to play," Annan said. Annan noted the differences about how to establish a provisional government, and said the U.N. team would try to help resolve those issues.