Iraq's Governing Council — a US-sanctioned first step toward democracy in post-war Iraq — today voted to send a delegation to UN Security council even as violence against US Forces erupted again with one soldier killed in a rocket-propelled grenade attack. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended a ceremony in honour of the possible successor to the long-deposed Iraqi throne, Sharif Ali bin Hussein, who greeted well-wishers at his palatial headquarters. The occasion was Revolution Day, the 45th anniversary of a bloody coup in 1958 when nationalists killed King Faisal II, Iraq’s last monarch. At the close of its first full day of business, the Council — which was announced to the world on Sunday — issued a statement that said the UN delegation would ‘‘assert and emphasise the role of the governing council as a legitimate Iraqi body during this transitional period.’’ In West Baghdad, the US lost its 32nd soldier in post-war combat and six others were wounded in the attack by insurgents who fired several rocket-propelled grenades at the military convoy early today, said SPC Giovanni Llorente, a military spokesman. Later, an explosion destroyed an empty car in a parking lot used primarily by journalists to cover events at the Baghdad Convention Centre, near where the Council had met earlier in the day and the site of most press conferences given by coalition officials. The car, a black four-wheel drive vehicle belonging to Tunisian Embassy officials, was not occupied at the time, and there were no injuries, witnesses said. US troops launched their fourth major crackdown on armed resistance to their occupation at the weekend. They detained 226 people, confiscated 800 mortar rounds, 50 machine guns and other weapons in 27 raids, the military said in a statement. ‘‘Six of the detainees are former regime loyalist leaders,’’ the statement said. Meanwhile, Britain’s Independent today said Saddam is hiding in villages along the Tigris river north of Baghdad along with his former chemical weapons chief, known as “Chemical Ali.” The Independent cited the former head of Iraqi military intelligence, general Wafiq al-Samarrai, as saying the two are hiding in an area between Baghdad and the city of Samarra.
