BAGHDAD — A top official of Iraq’s biggest Sunni party escaped assassination in a Baghdad car bombing that killed at least two people Wednesday — only 10 days ahead of an election that could reshape local power bases.
The U.S. military blamed al-Qaeda in Iraq for the attack against Ziyad al-Ani, deputy secretary-general of the Iraqi Islamic Party and dean of the Islamic University, a Sunni institution.
His party said the blast was a “dangerous indication” of the perilous security in Iraq, even as President Barack Obama prepares to shift America’s focus to Afghanistan.
The car blew up near al-Ani’s convoy as it traveled through the former Sunni insurgent stronghold of Azamiyah in northern Baghdad.
Al-Ani, who said he survived two other assassination attempts last year, was not injured.
The U.S. military initially reported college guards were killed but later said two Iraqi civilians had died. Iraqi police and hospital officials reported four people killed in the attack.
It also was unclear whether al-Ani was targeted because of his party position or his job as an educator.
Al-Ani said he believed al-Qaeda was to blame. Al-Qaeda largely controlled Azamiyah for years before rival Sunni tribal leaders decided to join forces with the Americans.
“The motive of the attack is to destroy the educational system and afterward the political process,” al-Ani said by telephone. “They want to return us to square one, when they were able to spread chaos and terror through assassination attempts.”
The U.S. military has warned that insurgents would likely step up attacks ahead of the Jan. 31 vote for ruling councils in 14 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Al-Ani was not a candidate in the elections.
However, a strike against a senior political figure could serve as a warning signal to voters and to the party, which is part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government.
