Incident Summary:
08/19/2009: On Wednesday morning between 1030 and 1100, in the Ar Rusafa and Al Karkh districts of Baghdad, Iraq, a suicide bomber detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) on an overpass near the Finance Ministry in the central Bab al Muazzam neighborhood. Simultaneously, assailants detonated a VBIED outside the Foreign Ministry near the central International (Green) Zone, killing 101 government employees, civilians, and children; wounding 552 government employees, civilians, and children; and damaging one overpass, scores of vehicles, three government buildings, at least one hundred residences including apartment buildings, one school, one hotel, and over at lease one hundred other buildings. Authorities discovered and safely defused two more VBIEDs near the Foreign Ministry. The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI) claimed responsibility, but authorities also blamed Baathists from the former regime.
Overview
GTD ID:
200908190001
When:
2009-08-19
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Middle East & North Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Baghdad
City:
Baghdad
Location Details:
The attack took place in the Bab al Muazzam neighborhood.
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Government (General) |
Name of Entity |
Iraqi Government |
Specific Description |
The Finance Ministry building |
Nationality of Target |
Iraq |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Major (likely > $1 million but < $1 billion) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Vehicle |
Weapon Details |
Two suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | Yes |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Additional Information |
The most recent available sources listed the fatalities for this attack from 82 to 101, and the injuries for this attack from 310 to 1,203, so the majority casualty figures have been used in order to preserve statistical accuracy in the database. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
102 Fatalities / 552 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
102 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
1 |
Total Number of Injured |
552 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
Voice of Iraq, "Footage of "Confessions" by Wednesday Bombings' Prime Suspect Broadcast," http://en.aswataliraq.info/?p=117928 (August 23, 2009). |
National Counterterrorism Center, "101 Government Employees, Civilians, and Children Killed, 1,203 Government Employees, Civilians, and Children Wounded in Suicide Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Device and Vehicle Bourne Improvised Explosive Device Attacks by Islamic State of Iraq in Baghdad, Iraq," Worldwide Incidents Tracking System, January 13, 2010. |
Elizabeth Arrott, "Baghdad Blasts Kill Ninety-Five," http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-08-19-voa8.cfm (August 19, 2009). |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties