Israel: Turkish leader fuels anti-Semitism

JERUSALEM – The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Turkey’s prime minister of fueling anti-Semitism with his criticism of Israel, officials said Tuesday, threatening to spark a new diplomatic row with one its few Muslim allies.

The report comes weeks after Israel’s deputy foreign minister enraged Turkey by summoning Ankara’s ambassador for a humiliating public reprimand. It said the reprimand made it clear to Turkey that there must be a limit to its criticism.

Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol to protest a Turkish TV show depicting Israeli agents as cruel, and refused to shake his hand while making him to sit on a low sofa.

Israel was forced to apologize after Turkey threatened to recall the ambassador.

The new report concluded that Turkey viewed the incident as a “severe blow” to its pride — but added that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone overboard in his repeated criticism of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians.

“The way the crisis was handled by top Turkish officials, including Erdogan, could indicate that Turkey understands that they have crossed a red line and the outer limits of the Israeli government’s patience,” added the report.

Excerpts of the report were published in the Haaretz daily and confirmed by an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential document.

Erdogan, who leads an Islamic-oriented government, has repeatedly condemned last year’s Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The report accused Erdogan of using anti-Semitic language in his rhetoric and creating “negative public opinion” toward Israel.

“He does this by repeating motifs in his speeches of describing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and blaming Israel of committing war crimes, going as far as using anti-Semitic expressions and incitement,” the report said.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu rejected the charge. “To criticize Israel is not anti-Semitism,” he told independent NTV television. “Criticism of Israel’s policies should not be given other meanings.” He called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza.

Israel and Turkey have forged close military and economic ties in recent decades. Turkey has given Israel a rare ally in the Muslim world, while for Ankara the alliance has boosted its standing with the West.

Last year, the Turks mediated several rounds of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.

The alliance, however, has become strained since Erdogan’s party came to power in 2002 — and particularly since the Gaza war.

Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including about 900 civilians, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups. Israel, which launched the operation to halt years of Hamas rocket attacks, says the militant group caused civilian casualties by hiding in residential areas.

In a sign of the poor relations, Israeli officials said this week that Israeli tourism to Turkey has plummeted about 45 percent over the past year. Tourism officials said 300,000 Israelis went to Turkey last year, compared with 560,000 in 2008. Turkey had been a popular destination for Israelis, attracted by low prices and the convenience of a 90-minute flight.

Some Israeli labor unions have even declared boycotts, choosing alternative destinations for organized group trips.

Yossi Fattal, head of the Israel Tourist and Travel Agents Association, said politics and tourism are inextricably linked.

“This is not only about political differences, but something more basic, about the personal relationship between the countries,” he said. “Unless something meaningful is said by the (Turkish) government, the drop in numbers will continue.”

Basaran Ulusoy, president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, said he was not concerned about the boycott calls and was confident tourists would return.

“Both countries need each other and tourism has always remained outside political relations,” he said.

___

AP correspondent Shira Rubin contributed to this report.

JERUSALEM – The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused Turkey’s prime minister of fueling anti-Semitism with his criticism of Israel, officials said Tuesday, threatening to spark a new diplomatic row with one its few Muslim allies.The report comes weeks after Israel’s deputy foreign minister enraged Turkey by summoning Ankara’s ambassador for a humiliating public reprimand. It said the reprimand made it clear to Turkey that there must be a limit to its criticism.Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon summoned Ambassador Ahmet Oguz Celikkol to protest a Turkish TV show depicting Israeli agents as cruel, and refused to shake his hand while making him to sit on a low sofa.Israel was forced to apologize after Turkey threatened to recall the ambassador.The new report concluded that Turkey viewed the incident as a “severe blow” to its pride — but added that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan had gone overboard in his repeated criticism of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians.”The way the crisis was handled by top Turkish officials, including Erdogan, could indicate that Turkey understands that they have crossed a red line and the outer limits of the Israeli government’s patience,” added the report.Excerpts of the report were published in the Haaretz daily and confirmed by an Israeli official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a confidential document.Erdogan, who leads an Islamic-oriented government, has repeatedly condemned last year’s Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip.The report accused Erdogan of using anti-Semitic language in his rhetoric and creating “negative public opinion” toward Israel.”He does this by repeating motifs in his speeches of describing the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza and blaming Israel of committing war crimes, going as far as using anti-Semitic expressions and incitement,” the report said.Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu rejected the charge. “To criticize Israel is not anti-Semitism,” he told independent NTV television. “Criticism of Israel’s policies should not be given other meanings.” He called on Israel to lift its blockade of Gaza.Israel and Turkey have forged close military and economic ties in recent decades. Turkey has given Israel a rare ally in the Muslim world, while for Ankara the alliance has boosted its standing with the West.Last year, the Turks mediated several rounds of indirect peace talks between Israel and Syria.The alliance, however, has become strained since Erdogan’s party came to power in 2002 — and particularly since the Gaza war.Some 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including about 900 civilians, according to Palestinian and international human rights groups. Israel, which launched the operation to halt years of Hamas rocket attacks, says the militant group caused civilian casualties by hiding in residential areas.In a sign of the poor relations, Israeli officials said this week that Israeli tourism to Turkey has plummeted about 45 percent over the past year. Tourism officials said 300,000 Israelis went to Turkey last year, compared with 560,000 in 2008. Turkey had been a popular destination for Israelis, attracted by low prices and the convenience of a 90-minute flight.Some Israeli labor unions have even declared boycotts, choosing alternative destinations for organized group trips.Yossi Fattal, head of the Israel Tourist and Travel Agents Association, said politics and tourism are inextricably linked.”This is not only about political differences, but something more basic, about the personal relationship between the countries,” he said. “Unless something meaningful is said by the (Turkish) government, the drop in numbers will continue.”Basaran Ulusoy, president of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies, said he was not concerned about the boycott calls and was confident tourists would return.”Both countries need each other and tourism has always remained outside political relations,” he said.___AP correspondent Shira Rubin contributed to this report.

Book: John Paul pardoned shooter immediately

VATICAN CITY – Pope John Paul II decided to forgive his would-be assassin while he was in the ambulance on his way to the hospital moments after being shot in St. Peter’s Square, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case.

The revelation is contained in one of the many previously unpublished speeches and memos drafted by John Paul that are contained in the book, including two documents in which he outlined the criteria for which he would resign if he became incapacitated.

The book, “Why He’s a Saint” also confirms that John Paul practiced self-mortification — he whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation — and frequently slept naked on the floor as acts of penitence.

The book was written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator, or main promoter, for John Paul’s canonization cause and was released Tuesday. It was based on the testimony of the 114 witnesses and boxes of documentation Oder gathered on John Paul’s life to support the case.

Pope Benedict XVI put John Paul on the fast-track for possible sainthood weeks after his April 2, 2005 death by waiving the customary five-year waiting period before the process can begin. Last month, Benedict moved John Paul a step closer to possible beatification — the first major milestone in the process — by approving a decree on his “heroic virtues.”

The Vatican must now confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul’s intercession occurred in order for him to be beatified — a step which many Vatican watchers have suggested may come as early as October.

The book publishes for the first time a never-delivered speech John Paul prepared for his weekly general audience Oct. 21, 1981, five months after the Turkish gunman, Ali Agca, shot him in St. Peter’s Square.

Agca served a 19-year sentence in an Italian prison for shooting the pope, and earlier this month was released from a Turkish jail where he served a 10-year sentence for killing a Turkish journalist in 1979.

John Paul had publicly forgiven Agca on May 17, 1981 — for days after the assassination attempt. And he visited Agca in prison in 1983.

But five months after the attack, John Paul prepared a lengthy treatise on the power of forgiveness and the need for it in society, using his own experience as an example.

“The act of forgiveness is the first and fundamental condition so that we aren’t divided and placed one against another like enemies,” he wrote in what Oder called “an open letter” on the Agca case. “It’s important that not even an episode like that of May 13 succeeds in opening an abyss between two men, creating a silence that would result in breaking all forms of communication.”

In the speech, he revealed that he while he had publicly forgiven Agca on May 17, “the possibility of pronouncing it before — in the ambulance that brought me from the Vatican to the Gemelli hospital where the first and decisive surgery was performed — I consider the fruit of a particular grace given to me by Jesus.”

Oder speculates that John Paul decided against delivering the speech he had prepared “out of prudence” for the ongoing criminal investigation into the shooting.

The book also reports that John Paul first considered the possibility of resigning when he turned 75, the normal retirement age for bishops, going so far as to convene a group of close collaborators for an informal discussion on the topic.

He tasked then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican’s orthodoxy office and future Pope Benedict XVI, to study the theological and historic issues implied in having an “emeritus pope.”

In the end, John Paul left the question up to “providence” — he never resigned.

But he did outline on two separate occasions the criteria for which he would do so.

In 1994, he wrote what appeared to be a speech to be delivered to cardinals in which said he intended to resign “in the case of an illness determined to be incurable and which impedes the (sufficient) exercise of the function of the petrine ministry.”

In a memo signed and dated five years earlier, on Feb. 15, 1989, he similarly wrote that if he was unable to sufficiently do his job because of an incurable illness, he would “renounce my sacred and canonical office” and leave it up to the top cardinals to carry out his wishes.

John Paul suffered from Parkinson’s disease for many years before he eventually died of septic shock and cardiocirculatory collapse, preceded by heart and kidney failure brought on by a urinary tract infection.

Prior to his death, John Paul had been in and out of the hospital for two months and, by the end, had lost the ability to speak.

VATICAN CITY – Pope John Paul II decided to forgive his would-be assassin while he was in the ambulance on his way to the hospital moments after being shot in St. Peter’s Square, according to a new book by the Polish prelate spearheading his sainthood case.The revelation is contained in one of the many previously unpublished speeches and memos drafted by John Paul that are contained in the book, including two documents in which he outlined the criteria for which he would resign if he became incapacitated.The book, “Why He’s a Saint” also confirms that John Paul practiced self-mortification — he whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation — and frequently slept naked on the floor as acts of penitence.The book was written by Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the postulator, or main promoter, for John Paul’s canonization cause and was released Tuesday. It was based on the testimony of the 114 witnesses and boxes of documentation Oder gathered on John Paul’s life to support the case.Pope Benedict XVI put John Paul on the fast-track for possible sainthood weeks after his April 2, 2005 death by waiving the customary five-year waiting period before the process can begin. Last month, Benedict moved John Paul a step closer to possible beatification — the first major milestone in the process — by approving a decree on his “heroic virtues.”The Vatican must now confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul’s intercession occurred in order for him to be beatified — a step which many Vatican watchers have suggested may come as early as October.The book publishes for the first time a never-delivered speech John Paul prepared for his weekly general audience Oct. 21, 1981, five months after the Turkish gunman, Ali Agca, shot him in St. Peter’s Square.Agca served a 19-year sentence in an Italian prison for shooting the pope, and earlier this month was released from a Turkish jail where he served a 10-year sentence for killing a Turkish journalist in 1979.John Paul had publicly forgiven Agca on May 17, 1981 — for days after the assassination attempt. And he visited Agca in prison in 1983.But five months after the attack, John Paul prepared a lengthy treatise on the power of forgiveness and the need for it in society, using his own experience as an example.”The act of forgiveness is the first and fundamental condition so that we aren’t divided and placed one against another like enemies,” he wrote in what Oder called “an open letter” on the Agca case. “It’s important that not even an episode like that of May 13 succeeds in opening an abyss between two men, creating a silence that would result in breaking all forms of communication.”In the speech, he revealed that he while he had publicly forgiven Agca on May 17, “the possibility of pronouncing it before — in the ambulance that brought me from the Vatican to the Gemelli hospital where the first and decisive surgery was performed — I consider the fruit of a particular grace given to me by Jesus.”Oder speculates that John Paul decided against delivering the speech he had prepared “out of prudence” for the ongoing criminal investigation into the shooting.The book also reports that John Paul first considered the possibility of resigning when he turned 75, the normal retirement age for bishops, going so far as to convene a group of close collaborators for an informal discussion on the topic.He tasked then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican’s orthodoxy office and future Pope Benedict XVI, to study the theological and historic issues implied in having an “emeritus pope.”In the end, John Paul left the question up to “providence” — he never resigned.But he did outline on two separate occasions the criteria for which he would do so.In 1994, he wrote what appeared to be a speech to be delivered to cardinals in which said he intended to resign “in the case of an illness determined to be incurable and which impedes the (sufficient) exercise of the function of the petrine ministry.”In a memo signed and dated five years earlier, on Feb. 15, 1989, he similarly wrote that if he was unable to sufficiently do his job because of an incurable illness, he would “renounce my sacred and canonical office” and leave it up to the top cardinals to carry out his wishes.John Paul suffered from Parkinson’s disease for many years before he eventually died of septic shock and cardiocirculatory collapse, preceded by heart and kidney failure brought on by a urinary tract infection.Prior to his death, John Paul had been in and out of the hospital for two months and, by the end, had lost the ability to speak.

Travolta flies jetload of relief supplies to Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – John Travolta has flown a jetliner carrying relief supplies into the Haitian capital, along with doctors and ministers from the Church of Scientology.

The 55-year-old actor piloted his own Boeing 707 from Florida with six tons of ready-to-eat military rations and medical supplies for survivors of Haiti’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake late Monday.

His wife, Kelly Preston, was also aboard.

“We have the ability to actually help make a difference in the situation in Haiti and I just can’t see not using this plane to help,” Travolta said.

Travolta compared the mission to aid efforts following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. “We were there right away, with this airplane, because you know we have the ability and the means to do this so I think you have responsibility on some level to do that.”

Aid groups have been desperate to fly their own planes into the over-stressed airport. U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Tuesday that at least 800 planes with relief items are on a waiting list for the airport, which can handle only about 130 flights a day due to a lack of space to park planes as they unload.

The aid group Doctors Without Borders has complained that the flight scheduling priorities of U.S. military controllers running the airport delayed the arrival of field hospitals, resulting in some deaths.

More than 150,000 people have already been buried since the magnitude-7 quake, which destroyed entire Port-au-Prince neighborhoods and landmarks and crumbled nearby towns.

Hundreds of thousands of people are living in the streets, with scores of injured wanting for proper medical care.

Travolta and Preston returned to Florida as soon as their supplies and passengers were unloaded.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – John Travolta has flown a jetliner carrying relief supplies into the Haitian capital, along with doctors and ministers from the Church of Scientology.The 55-year-old actor piloted his own Boeing 707 from Florida with six tons of ready-to-eat military rations and medical supplies for survivors of Haiti’s devastating Jan. 12 earthquake late Monday.His wife, Kelly Preston, was also aboard.”We have the ability to actually help make a difference in the situation in Haiti and I just can’t see not using this plane to help,” Travolta said.Travolta compared the mission to aid efforts following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. “We were there right away, with this airplane, because you know we have the ability and the means to do this so I think you have responsibility on some level to do that.”Aid groups have been desperate to fly their own planes into the over-stressed airport. U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said Tuesday that at least 800 planes with relief items are on a waiting list for the airport, which can handle only about 130 flights a day due to a lack of space to park planes as they unload.The aid group Doctors Without Borders has complained that the flight scheduling priorities of U.S. military controllers running the airport delayed the arrival of field hospitals, resulting in some deaths.More than 150,000 people have already been buried since the magnitude-7 quake, which destroyed entire Port-au-Prince neighborhoods and landmarks and crumbled nearby towns.Hundreds of thousands of people are living in the streets, with scores of injured wanting for proper medical care.Travolta and Preston returned to Florida as soon as their supplies and passengers were unloaded.

Car bomb hits Baghdad police crime lab, 21 killed

BAGHDAD – A suicide car bomber struck a police crime lab in central Baghdad Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens a day after suicide attacks hit several hotels favored by Western journalists, officials said.

The timing of the blast, a day after Iraq hanged Saddam Hussein’s  and stalwart “Chemical Ali,” prompted speculation that the latest attacks were retaliation by Sunni insurgents.

But the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he saw “absolutely no connection” between the bombings Monday that killed at least 41 people and the execution. The U.S. military did not have any immediate comment on Tuesday’s bombing.

“We didn’t turn Chemical Ali over until yesterday afternoon. … There was no way anybody could have known about that,” Odierno said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with reporters in his office at Camp Victory, the sprawling U.S. military headquarters on the outskirts of Baghdad.

This week’s bombings highlight a pattern of increasingly large and well-planned attacks on high-profile targets in the capital. They began with coordinated suicide attacks in August against the Foreign and Finance ministries that killed nearly 100 people.

Since then, Baghdad has been hit repeatedly with major attacks every few months targeting government offices. On Monday, the targets shifted to hotels frequented by Western journalists and security contractors. Nearly 450 people have been killed in Baghdad since the August strike.

Each wave of attacks has dealt another blow to the Iraqi government before March 7 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is struggling to answer for security lapses.

The execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid was likely to raise pre-election tensions between the Shiite-led government and minority Sunnis, who are already angered by a candidate blacklist they claim is being used as a political tool to undercut rivals. More than 500 names have been placed on the list for suspected links to Saddam’s Sunni-dominated regime.

While there has been no formal claim of responsibility for the attacks at the hotels and against the Ministry of Interior offices, Odierno said it appeared to be the work of al-Qaida. Multiple bombings are a hallmark of the terror network.

Family members arrived in Baghdad to collect al-Majid’s body for burial in the family hometown Tikrit later Tuesday, a day after he was hanged for atrocities such as the mass killing of Kurds in a poison gas attack in 1988 and other crimes against humanity.

Local authorities demanded a quick and simple burial without chanting or firing shots in the air as is common in Iraqi funerals, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. The time of the burial was not made public.

In the Kurdish town of Halabja in northern Iraq, the scene of the 1988 poison gas attack that killed 5,000 people and cemented Chemical Ali’s infamy, more than 400 Kurdish government officials and families who lost loved ones in the gassing defied the January chill to gather in a cemetery and at a monument to the victims.

“I am wondering which of my family’s graves I would visit first to tell them about the death of Chemical Ali so they can sleep in peace,” said Parvin Kamal Jalal, a 53-year-old woman who said she lost her parents and 12 other family members in the attack.

Rescue crews were combing through the rubble, looking for casualties of Tuesday’s bombing. Officials say the majority of those killed were likely police officers who worked in the forensic investigation office at Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah. At least 82 people were reported injured.

Police and hospital officials said the bomber tried to drive a pickup truck through a checkpoint and blast walls protecting the forensic evidence office.

Among those confirmed killed were 12 police officers and some civilians visiting the office. Officials said more than half the wounded were police.

Rescue teams in blue jumpsuits combed through the debris of the partially damaged three-story building shortly after the blast as a crane removed some of the 10-foot, 7-ton concert blast walls toppled by the explosion.

The office targeted in the attack mainly dealt with data collected during criminal investigations, including fingerprints and other pieces of evidence. It is next to the Interior Ministry’s major crimes office, which deals with terrorism cases.

Government offices have been frequent targets of major attacks in the capital since blasts struck the foreign and finance ministries in August, raising questions about the ability of Iraqi security forces to keep the country safe. While the criminal evidence offices have not been targeted by a major suicide bombing before, attackers have struck nearby.

The attack destroyed rooms on the ground floor of the building and damaged parts of the second floor. The office is surrounded by low-rise buildings with shops, takeaway restaurants and offices that were also damaged.

The toll from Monday’s attacks continued to rise, with 41 people confirmed killed and up to 106 reported injured, police and health officials said Tuesday. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details.

The bombings targeted the Sheraton Ishtar Hotel, Babylon Hotel and Hamra Hotel.

___

BAGHDAD – A suicide car bomber struck a police crime lab in central Baghdad Tuesday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens a day after suicide attacks hit several hotels favored by Western journalists, officials said.The timing of the blast, a day after Iraq hanged Saddam Hussein’s cousin and stalwart “Chemical Ali,” prompted speculation that the latest attacks were retaliation by Sunni insurgents.But the top American commander in Iraq, Gen. Raymond Odierno, said he saw “absolutely no connection” between the bombings Monday that killed at least 41 people and the execution. The U.S. military did not have any immediate comment on Tuesday’s bombing.”We didn’t turn Chemical Ali over until yesterday afternoon. … There was no way anybody could have known about that,” Odierno said Tuesday during a question-and-answer session with reporters in his office at Camp Victory, the sprawling U.S. military headquarters on the outskirts of Baghdad.This week’s bombings highlight a pattern of increasingly large and well-planned attacks on high-profile targets in the capital. They began with coordinated suicide attacks in August against the Foreign and Finance ministries that killed nearly 100 people.Since then, Baghdad has been hit repeatedly with major attacks every few months targeting government offices. On Monday, the targets shifted to hotels frequented by Western journalists and security contractors. Nearly 450 people have been killed in Baghdad since the August strike.Each wave of attacks has dealt another blow to the Iraqi government before March 7 parliamentary elections. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is struggling to answer for security lapses.The execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid was likely to raise pre-election tensions between the Shiite-led government and minority Sunnis, who are already angered by a candidate blacklist they claim is being used as a political tool to undercut rivals. More than 500 names have been placed on the list for suspected links to Saddam’s Sunni-dominated regime.While there has been no formal claim of responsibility for the attacks at the hotels and against the Ministry of Interior offices, Odierno said it appeared to be the work of al-Qaida. Multiple bombings are a hallmark of the terror network.Family members arrived in Baghdad to collect al-Majid’s body for burial in the family hometown Tikrit later Tuesday, a day after he was hanged for atrocities such as the mass killing of Kurds in a poison gas attack in 1988 and other crimes against humanity.Local authorities demanded a quick and simple burial without chanting or firing shots in the air as is common in Iraqi funerals, said an official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. The time of the burial was not made public.In the Kurdish town of Halabja in northern Iraq, the scene of the 1988 poison gas attack that killed 5,000 people and cemented Chemical Ali’s infamy, more than 400 Kurdish government officials and families who lost loved ones in the gassing defied the January chill to gather in a cemetery and at a monument to the victims.”I am wondering which of my family’s graves I would visit first to tell them about the death of Chemical Ali so they can sleep in peace,” said Parvin Kamal Jalal, a 53-year-old woman who said she lost her parents and 12 other family members in the attack.Rescue crews were combing through the rubble, looking for casualties of Tuesday’s bombing. Officials say the majority of those killed were likely police officers who worked in the forensic investigation office at Tahariyat Square in the central neighborhood of Karradah. At least 82 people were reported injured.Police and hospital officials said the bomber tried to drive a pickup truck through a checkpoint and blast walls protecting the forensic evidence office.Among those confirmed killed were 12 police officers and some civilians visiting the office. Officials said more than half the wounded were police.Rescue teams in blue jumpsuits combed through the debris of the partially damaged three-story building shortly after the blast as a crane removed some of the 10-foot, 7-ton concert blast walls toppled by the explosion.The office targeted in the attack mainly dealt with data collected during criminal investigations, including fingerprints and other pieces of evidence. It is next to the Interior Ministry’s major crimes office, which deals with terrorism cases.Government offices have been frequent targets of major attacks in the capital since blasts struck the foreign and finance ministries in August, raising questions about the ability of Iraqi security forces to keep the country safe. While the criminal evidence offices have not been targeted by a major suicide bombing before, attackers have struck nearby.The attack destroyed rooms on the ground floor of the building and damaged parts of the second floor. The office is surrounded by low-rise buildings with shops, takeaway restaurants and offices that were also damaged.The toll from Monday’s attacks continued to rise, with 41 people confirmed killed and up to 106 reported injured, police and health officials said Tuesday. All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release details.The bombings targeted the Sheraton Ishtar Hotel, Babylon Hotel and Hamra Hotel.___