Suicide bombers attack Baghdad cafe; 33 dead

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Two suicide bombers detonated themselves near a restaurant frequented by Baghdad police early today, killing at least 33 people and injuring 19, police said.

Police Maj. Abdel-Hussein Minsef said two bombers attacked the restaurant at breakfast time, killing seven police officers and 26 civilians.

Samiya Mohammed, a housewife who lives nearby, said she rushed outside when she heard the explosion.

"I went out to see the restaurant heavily damaged. There was bodies, mostly civilians, and blood everywhere inside the place. This is a criminal act that only targeted and hurt innocent people having their breakfast," she said.

There were no Americans in the area, she said.

The latest bombing comes as lawyers for the defense team in the trial of Saddam Hussein and associates said they had ceased to work with the tribunal and considered the next court date to be canceled.

The decision came a day after the assassination of another defense lawyer in the case.

Khalil Dulaimi, head of the defense team, released a statement declaring that the defense considers the Nov. 28 trial date "null and void" after attacks on several of the attorneys "unless there is a direct, neutral international intervention that guarantees" security.

If defense lawyers do not show up for the next hearing, the court has the authority to delay the proceedings or appoint other lawyers to defend the eight former officials. The men are being tried on charges of crimes against humanity.

In the three weeks since the trial's opening, two lawyers on Saddam's defense team have been killed and a third wounded. So far, authorities have no suspects.

Adel al-Zubeidi, lawyer for former Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, was killed by gunmen in Baghdad and another attorney was wounded. On Oct. 20, the day after the trial opened, defense attorney Saadoun Janabi was kidnapped and executed. Janabi represented Awad Ahmad Bandar, the former head of Saddam's Revolutionary Court.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on Wednesday urged authorities to provide the necessary protection for the remaining lawyers.