Iraq blast appeared to be aimed at Australian embassy

Alexander Downer

The fatal bomb blast outside the Australian embassy in Baghdad appeared to be aimed at the Australian embassy, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer said today.

"With the information I have now from Baghdad, and I've spoken to the ambassador (in Iraq) at some length, it looks as though the embassy itself was targeted," Downer told reporters in Los Angeles today.

Commonsense pointed to the attack being directed at Australia, Downer said.

"The vehicle was clearly directed towards the incomplete apartment block adjacent to the embassy where a lot of our soldiers are based," Downer said.

"It would have only headed in that direction if it was aiming at our embassy."

Downer's comments are at odds with Defence Minister Robert Hill who said he believed the blast was a random attack on coalition forces and was not specifically targeted at Australians.

A truck blew up yesterday outside an apartment block housing Australian troops in Baghdad killing two Iraqi civilians and injuring two Australian soldiers.

The building was located next to the Australian embassy which houses about 300 Australian soldiers.

Downer said he regretted the deaths of the two Iraqis and the injuries sustained by two Australian soldiers.

"These attacks by fanatics will not deter us in continuing to play our role to help with the election and the emergence of a free Iraq fully in control of its own affairs," Downer said.

"The last thing any of us should do is be intimidated by these fanatics.

"We cannot afford to be defeated by these people.

"... if we give into these people, these people will take the country over."

Downer said Australian troops would leave Iraq only when "the job is finished".

"The real job here is the Iraqi security forces -- the police and military -- are trained up to replace what the international community is doing there."

Downer spoke to reporters before giving an address to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council in downtown LA today.

- AAP