VZCZCXRO9982
RR RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHSF #0292 0581353
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 271353Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1506
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0089

UNCLAS SOFIA 000292 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PTER KDEM KPAO PREL PGOV IZ BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA CONDEMNS AL-ASKARIYA SHRINE BOMBING 
 
REF: STATE 28802 
 
¶1. (SBU) Poloff delivered reftel demarche to Venelin Lazarov, 
Head of the MFA's Near East and North Africa Section, on 
February 24.  The MFA issued an official statement February 
24 condemning the Al-Askariya bombing and calling on Iraqis 
to exercise restraint. 
 
¶2. (U) Embassy Sofia's unofficial translation of the MFA's 
statement follows: 
 
"MFA Statement on Violence in Iraq 
February 24, 2006 
 
The Republic of Bulgaria expresses its concern over the 
continuing acts of violence in Iraq, as well as the attacks 
carried out against the religious symbols in that country. 
 
We condemn the bomb attack, which took place on February 
22nd, on the Askariya Mosque in Samarra--one of the holiest 
Shiite temples and part of the cultural and historical legacy 
of the Iraqi state.  Such terrorist acts are intolerable. 
Their only goal is to fan tensions between the religious 
communities in the country and to drag it into civil war. 
 
We call upon all groups in Iraqi society to demonstrate 
self-control and to respect the law which will allow the 
Iraqi state to accomplish the building and strengthening of 
its democratic institutions." 
Beyrle