Blast kills five as Iraq invasion marked

A car bomb has killed at least five people and wounded 17 in central Baghdad, on the fourth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

The blast followed the execution of Saddam Hussein's former vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan and occurred near a police station and in the vicinity of several schools.

It is not immediately clear if the casualties are police or civilians.

The almost daily suicide bombings and attacks have led to new polls showing many in the US oppose the war and there are growing calls for President George W Bush to pull his troops out of the country.

However, Mr Bush warned on Monday of the dire consequences of a swift troop withdrawal during a brief televised appearance at the White House and acknowledged that "prevailing in Iraq is not going to be easy."

Marking the fourth anniversary of the war, he said a major Baghdad security crackdown is "in its early stages, and success will take months, not days or weeks."

He has previously said around 30,000 troops and additional support personnel will be sent to Iraq over coming months.

Mr Bush said: "It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating."

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