Iraq Continues to Deteriorate

Wave of violence kills 3 dozen in Iraq
By PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer ​

Two CBS News crew members and an American soldier were killed Monday during a wave of car bombings and shootings in Iraq that also killed at least three dozen other people. Network correspondent Kimberly Dozier was seriously wounded and underwent emergency surgery.

As parliament discussed the nation's disintegrating security, lawmakers pressed for the appointment of defense and interior ministers — seen as a necessary step toward Iraqi forces assuming more control so U.S.-led troops can begin withdrawing.

At least eight bombings rocked the capital in the worst wave of violence in days. A car bomb exploded as a U.S. convoy patrolled in central Baghdad, killing veteran CBS cameraman Paul Douglas, 48; soundman James Brolan, 42; and an American soldier, U.S. officials said.

Dozier, 39, an American, was in critical condition at a U.S. military hospital in Baghdad, said Kelli Edwards, a CBS News spokeswoman. By early Tuesday, Dozier was undergoing her second surgery for injuries from the bombing, Edwards said.

On Monday, doctors had said they were cautiously optimistic about her prognosis.

The CBS crew was on patrol with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, when the bomb exploded. The U.S. military said an Iraqi interpreter also was killed and six American soldiers were injured.

There were conflicting reports on whether the car was moving or parked when it detonated.

According to CBS and Iraqi police, the journalists were reporting outside their armored Humvee when the blast occurred just before noon in Tahariyat Square, a mixed area in south-central Baghdad. The blast collapsed the front end of the Humvee.

All three journalists were believed to have been wearing protective gear at the time, CBS said.

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