Al-Qaida claims responsibility for Iraqs violence

Iraqs al-Qaida branch claimed responsibility Friday for attacks that killed dozens in the capital and across the country the day before, the worst wave of violence in weeks.The sudden spike dashed hopes that Iraq was calming and raised fears of escalating sectarian violence in the turmoil following the U.S. military pullout last December.Lawmakers representing Iraqs minorities denounced the bloodshed as a tragic but inevitable result of the Shiite-led governments attempts to sideline them and dominate Iraqi politics.The Islamic State of Iraq, as al-Qaida in Iraq calls itself, said it targeted security forces and government officials in response to the campaign of detaining, torture, embargo and confiscation of lands of Sunni people, especially in Baghdad and its outskirts.