Insurgents in Iraq continued their attacks on Iraqi government targets and U.S. forces Tuesday including the assassination of the governor of the Baghdad. Insurgents killed Ali Haidari, the governor of the province that includes the city of Baghdad. Haidari is the highest ranking government official to be killed since May, 2004.

Haidari was killed when gunmen attacked his convoy as it rode through one of Baghdad's poorer neighborhoods. Members of his security team were also killed in the attack.

An Islamist website posted a message warning of other attacks. 'A group of mujahideen of the Qaeda Organisation for Holy War in Iraq assassinated a tyrant and American agent, the governor of Baghdad Ali Haidari,' said the statement, which was posted on an Islamist site. 'We warn every traitor and ally of the Jews and the Christians that this will be your fate,' it added.

With elections less than four weeks away, attacks throughout the country intensified. At least eight Iraqi policemen were killed earlier Tuesday in Baghdad when a fuel truck detonated near the Interior Ministry. The explosion also killed an undetermained number of civilians.

Two separate attacks on American troops were also reported. Four U.S. soldiers were killed in the attacks, one of which was just north of the Baghdad and the other which took place near the town of Balad.

Secretary of State Colin Powell commented in Thailand that, 'It once again shows that there are these murderers and terrorists . . . who don't want to see elections. They don't want the people of Iraq to choose new leaders,' he said. 'They want to go back to the past. They want to go back to the tyranny of Saddam Hussein's regime and that's not going to happen.'