Bomb scare prompts evacuation of coalition building in Iraq

BAGHDAD, July 19 (AFP) - Security officials Saturday ordered the evacuation of a Baghdad building housing offices of the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) following a bomb scare there, military officials said.

"A suspect package was found which was a briefcase. The building was evacuated, and a search team was deployed to examine the suspect package," British Major Bob Bone told AFP.

BizVantage – Beyond the news: indepth on business, investment and technology.
Try the free, no-hassle 6 month trial!

No explosives were found in the case, which was discovered about 12:30 pm (0830 GMT) during a routine security check, and no other suspect packages were found, he added.

Employees and other personnel were allowed back inside after half an hour.

The US military has said it is on a heightened state of alert following the admission this week by the head of US Central Command, General John Abizaid, that his troops faced a guerrilla war in Iraq.

On Monday a car bomb went off outside CPA headquarters, but it caused no casualties.

str/mlm/lp/kir

Iraq-US-alert