Baghdad, May 18: The head of the US-appointed Iraqi governing council was killed Monday in a car bomb suicide attack just weeks before the US-led occupation plans to hand over power to Iraqis, as coalition soldiers killed 50 Shiite militiamen in fierce battles in southern cities. The blast came as Washington was still reeling from charges that it gave top-level approval for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners and an admission that it was misled over Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. Governing council chief Ezzedine Salim's car caught the full force of an explosion that left 10 people dead, eight wounded and cars ablaze outside the sprawling high-security compound housing the coalition headquarters in Baghdad. The bombing came less than six weeks before the planned transfer of sovereignty on June 30 to a transitional government charged with organising elections early next year.

The US overseer for Iraq, Paul Bremer, admitted that Salim's death was "a cruel blow" but said "the Iraqi people will ensure that his vision of a democratic, free and prosperous Iraq will become a reality." Bureau Reoprt