Iraqi Village Recovers From Deadly Car Bomb Attack (VIDEO)

After a car bomb kills 30 people in this village, the U.S. Army and Iraqi Police formulate plans to increase patrols.

This is the market that was blown up days before this report, killing over 30 and injuring up to 50 people. Photos and video by Tim King Salem

(AL DUJAIL, Iraq) - American soldiers enter this town cautiously today. Just days earlier, a VBID- Vehicle Borne Explosive Device, ripped through a supermarket, killing 32 people and injuring as many as 50.

1st Lt. Mike Hammand with the Army's 101st Airborne explained what happened.

"An unknown insurgent comes up and brings the vehicle, either targeting the IP station across the street or the market. Detonates the vehicle right around 18:00, the time when most people have stopped fasting for Ramadan and have gone to the market, or restaurants around the market area to eat dinner, or get food for dinner, and blew the vehicle up."

Specialist Daniel Caldwell said this particular type of attack is deadly and can take people by surprise.

"It's a vehicle borne IED, The car has explosives in it, the vehicle driver drives up and pulls the trigger."

The platoon is here to meet with a local Iraqi police chief and his staff, and coordinate new joint patrols between the U.S. Army and the Iraqi Police.

Their hope is that the joint patrols will help reduce or prevent deadly incidents like the car bombing, by having the police integrate more fully into the community. The Americans bring an interpreter so that they can communicate with these Iraqi law enforcement officers, and learn how to work together more closely and effectively.

The car bomb blew this station wagon into the foundation and rubble of an adjacent building.

After paying his compliments to the quality of the local police response to the car bomb attack, Hammand explained to the police chief how the program would work, and the chief agreed to the idea.

The Iraqi Police here at Al Dujail agreed to a tour of their station, and they raised no objections to the presence of my television camera.

The station is located very close to where the car bomb exploded, but the station itself did not receive any damage.

The people of Al Dujail have seen a reduction of violence, at least until the recent car bomb incident. In the past, the town was the place for a very interesting assassination attempt on the former leader of this country.

The platoon interpreter who goes simply by the name Jason, said that in 1984, people here launched an attempt on the life of Saddam Hussein. His reaction was to completely level the village. Other records indicate that this actually took place in 1982. The Online video war game called Kuma Wars actually recreated the assassination attempt and subsequent military response in a game they offer for free called: The Crime of Dujail, Sadam Hussein's Revenge

Peace is a somewhat evasive commodity in this part of Iraq right now, and the recent car bomb is proof that the insurgency while tempered by U.S. payments for the time being, is as deadly and active as ever. The Iraqi Police and the U.S. soldiers say they will remain vigilant for now, and they hope the joint patrols make a difference.

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Tim King is a former U.S. Marine with twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. In addition to his role as a war correspondent, this Los Angeles native serves as Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. Tim spent the winter of 2006/07 covering the war in Afghanistan, and he was in Iraq over the summer of 2008, reporting from the war while embedded with both the U.S. Army and the Marines.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing, including the Silver Spoke Award by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (2011), Excellence in Journalism Award by the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (2010), Oregon AP Award for Spot News Photographer of the Year (2004), First-place Electronic Media Award in Spot News, Las Vegas, (1998), Oregon AP Cooperation Award (1991); and several others including the 2005 Red Cross Good Neighborhood Award for reporting. Tim has several years of experience in network affiliate news TV stations, having worked as a reporter and photographer at NBC, ABC and FOX stations in Arizona, Nevada and Oregon. Tim was a member of the National Press Photographer's Association for several years and is a current member of the Orange County Press Club.

Serving the community in very real terms, Salem-News.com is the nation's only truly independent high traffic news Website. As News Editor, Tim among other things, is responsible for publishing the original content of 82 Salem-News.com writers. He reminds viewers that emails are easily missed and urges those trying to reach him, to please send a second email if the first goes unanswered. You can write to Tim at this address: newsroom@salem-news.com

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