Thursday, February 02, 2006

Translating

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A bomb exploded alongside a group of Iraqi men waiting for work in eastern Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least eight and wounding more than 50 … [snip]

Baghdad's latest bomb attack struck at about 7 a.m. near the Sunni Muslim al-Samaraei mosque in the New Baghdad neighborhood. Police sealed off the area and the wounded were taken to nearby hospitals.

Col. Ahmed Abboud, chief of police in New Baghdad, cited eyewitnesses saying a man placed a bag full of explosives near a cart that sold tea to men waiting near a crowded intersection for a day's work.
"The people did not suspect him when he first came with the bag because all workers carry their food in such bags,"

Abboud told The Associated Press. Abboud and another police official, Capt. Mohammed Jassim Jaber, said at least eight people were killed and more than 50 wounded. … … …
Let's translate that from "reporterese" into Engllsh:
  • A group of men were waiting for the chance to work in Eastern Baghdad.
  • Eastern Baghdad is a very poor neighbourhood.
  • The men were looking for badly paid physically arduous day labourer jobs.
  • Somebody decided to attempt to further disrupt the American led occupation of Iraq by attacking those men as they waited for work.
  • At least 8 men were killed by the bomb at least 50 were wounded.
  • As always their relatives and dependents are left to grieve and wonder how they will now survive.