A member of the new Iraqi Governing Council was shot and seriously
wounded in an assassination attempt in Baghdad. Aquila Hashemi was
driving
in her car on Saturday when she was shot by six gunmen who raced past in
a
pickup truck.
Ms. Hashemi is a Shi'ite and one of three women on the 25-member
council, Middle East Newsline reported. Regarded as the chief candidate to become Iraq's foreign
minister,
Ms. Hashemi had been preparing to leave for the United National General
Assembly meeting in New York on Tuesday.
"The members of the Governing Council and ministers will not be
intimidated by the terrorists," Ahmad Chalabi, president of the
Governing
Council, said. "They will continue to do their patriotic duty to move
Iraq
towards freedom, democracy and sovereignty."
The Governing Council has blamed Saddam loyalists for the attack.
Officials said Ms. Hashemi was attacked by both a rocket-propelled
grenade
and automatic fire when she left her house in Baghdad. Three of the
council
member's bodyguards were injured.
Officials said Saddam loyalists, backed by Islamic insurgents, have
targeted key members of the new Iraqi regime. Last week, the police
chief of
Khaldiya was assassinated by gunmen in the Sunni Triangle.
