Progress

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Bombings in Baghdad kill scores

Story Highlights
• At least 166 people killed on Wednesday in series of bombings in Baghdad
• 119 dead, 116 wounded in Sadriya market in central Baghdad
• U.S. troops kill six suspected terrorists near cities of Falluja, Taji, and Mosul

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgent bombers launched a series of attacks across Baghdad on Wednesday and killed at least 166 people and wounded scores -- a particularly violent day in a bloody capital city enduring sectarian warfare and an aggressive government crackdown against insurgents.

Further south, British forces transferred security control to Iraqi troops in Maysan province, a sign that Iraq is taking another step toward "self-reliance." However, the spate of Baghdad blasts reflects the stiff challenges posed by what has been a resilient insurgency.

The Interior Ministry issued this update:

• 119 dead, 116 wounded in Sadriya market in central Baghdad;

• 28 dead, 44 wounded in an attack near an Iraqi Army checkpoint at one of the entrances to Sadr City, the official said.

• 11 civilians were killed and 13 others wounded when a parked car bomb detonated in central Baghdad's Karrada district. The car was parked near a hospital and a market.

• 4 police officers were killed and 6 civilians wounded shortly when a suicide car bomber exploded at an Iraqi police checkpoint in southern Baghdad.

• 2 civilians were killed and 9 others wounded when a roadside bomb detonated at a busy intersection in central Baghdad.

• Two policemen were killed and five were wounded by a bomber targeting a police patrol near a checkpoint in Saidiya, in southwestern Baghdad.

... But Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says he sees "progress" ...

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates answered questions earlier on Wednesday about Iraq's instability.

During an appearance before the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo, Egypt, stressed that he believes political reconciliation is the key to taming the current instability in Iraq.

"I think that there is progress being made. I believe that faster progress can be made in the political reconciliation procress in Iraq," Gates said. He said there could be progress once "sectarian" factions "decide to live peacefully with one another." (sounds easy... make it so!)

Gates explained that there aren't "thousands of people in the streets in Iraq trying to kill each other."

"What you have are armed gangs of death squads going around killing people. You have large vehicle-borne IEDs that are being used by al Qaeda to try and bring to bring massive casualties to the Shia in hope of stoking sectarian violence."

And, he said, "you have a Baathist insurgency."

(Other than that, things are just great!)

"These are not mass movements." he said, "and so if there is a political reconciliation the Iraqi security forces, with some of our help and that of our coalition partners, I think, are in a position to control both the insurgency, the death squads and al Qaeda."

But, he emphasized, "we need for all of the parties involved to help with the process of reconciliation." (Four years and counting....)