Truck Explosion Outside Sunni Mosque One Day After Politician's Son Detained

At least 35 people were killed and more than 60 injured outside a mosque near Baghdad when a truck bomb exploded as worshippers were leaving worship. The terrorist attack may well be an outward sign of increasing Sunni struggles, which had previously been kept private. The imam of the Habbaniyah mosque, located roughly 50 miles west of the Iraqi capital city, had recently spoken out against insurgents who were fighting against the U.S.-backed Iraqi government.

This comes on the heels of a tumultuous Friday, which saw the son of a prominent Shiite politician stopped and detained at a checkpoint between Iran and Iraq. Ammar al-Hakim was stopped as he attempted to enter Iraq's Wasit province. the checkpoint had previously been used by smugglers, and U.S. military officials said that al-Hakim's entourage "met specific criteria for further investigation."

After detaining al-Hakim and his bodyguards, their luggage was searched, and - according to al-Hakim - personal effects from his bodyguards were never returned. Those effects, he says, included seven Russian rifles, a dozen handguns, cell phones and more than $4,000 in cash.

In a statement released Saturday, the U.S. military disputed the politician's son's account of the events. It stated that "unfortunate incidents" will happen as "Iraq continues to secure its borders," but stated that al-Hakim was treated with respect. The military also refuted the idea that any possessions had been kept by the military.

In addition, the military contends that al-Hakim and his bodyguards were arrested only after the men failed to "cooperate with coalition forces and displayed suspicious activities."

This arrest points a spotlight on the often dicey relationship between U.S. military attempting to quell sectarian violence, and Iraqi politicians, who often have strong ties to backers in Syria and Iran.