BAGHDAD — Five suicide bombers struck Shiite marketplaces in northeast Baghdad and a town north of the capital at nightfall Thursday, killing at least 122 people and wounding more than 150 in one of Iraq’s deadliest days in years.

The savage attacks came as a new American ambassador began his first day on the job, and Senate Democrats ignored a veto threat and approved a bill to require President Bush to start withdrawing troops.

At least 178 people were killed or found dead Thursday, which marked the end of the seventh week of the latest U.S.-Iraqi military drive to curtail violence in Baghdad and surrounding regions.

The suicide bombers hit markets in the Shiite town of Khalis and the Shaab neighborhood in Baghdad during the busiest time of the day, timing that has become a trademark of what are believed to be Sunni insurgent or al-Qaida suicide attackers.

The carnage in Iraq cast a shadow over Ryan Crocker’s first day as ambassador. He takes over in the midst of the U.S.-Iraqi security sweep, for which Bush committed nearly 30,000 additional troops to dampen what had become uncontrollable violence in the capital./AP

Arab Summit

King’s Iraq remarks provoke U.S. response

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — King Abdullah’s harsh, unexpected attack on the U.S. military presence in Iraq could be a Saudi attempt to signal to Washington its anger over the situation in Iraq and build credibility among fellow Arabs.

The king made his remarks Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day Arab summit his country hosted in Riyadh.

“In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war,” said Abdullah, whose country is a U.S. ally that quietly aided the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

The White House, in a rare public retort Thursday, rejected the king’s characterization of U.S. troops in Iraq as an “illegitimate foreign occupation,” saying the United States was not in Iraq illegally.

“The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. “And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people.”

The next day, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani bristled at the comment in his speech to the summit, saying the term occupation has “negative implications” and is “in contradiction” to the vision of “Iraqi patriotic and national forces.”/AP

Arab Summit

Talk of arms race, nukes in Middle East

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Arab leaders pushed ahead Thursday with plans to develop nuclear programs, even as they warned of a possible Middle East nuclear arms race created by their powerful rivals Israel and Iran. On the final day of their annual summit, Arab League leaders said they would hold a high-level meeting this summer to review plans for an Arab nuclear industry.

Wael al-Assad, the league’s official in charge of preparations for the meeting, said closer nuclear cooperation was prompted by fear of Israel’s nuclear weapons, and Iran’s escalation of its program.

The Arab summit was focused mainly on reviving a land-for-peace offer to Israel and forging a united stance in the numerous crises facing the Middle East — including the bloodshed in Iraq.

But in a final statement, the Arab leaders warned of “launching a dangerous and destructive nuclear arms race in the region.” They called for a nuclear arms-free zone in the Mideast, though they stressed all nations’ rights to a peaceful nuclear program./AP

Outer Orbit

Astronaut will run Boston marathon, from space

 BOSTON — Zooming through low-Earth orbit at 17,500 mph, Suni Williams completes the standard marathon distance every 5.4 seconds.

Williams is registered for next month’s Boston Marathon, even though she’ll be stuck on the international space station when the rest of the field lines up for the 111th edition of the race. So the U.S. Navy commander will run the equivalent distance on a treadmill — 210 miles above Earth, and tethered to her track by bungee cords so she doesn’t float away.

Not since runner Rosie Ruiz hopped the ‘T’ to the finish line to accept the winner’s wreath in 1980 has a Boston Marathon competitor relied so heavily on public transportation.

“She thought it would be cool if she gave it a try,” said Williams’ sister, Dina Pandya, who will run the race the traditional way. “She said, ‘I’ll call you on Heartbreak Hill.”’

The race starts at 10 a.m. EDT on Earth, but Williams might not be able to run contemporaneously because her sleep schedule is set for the arrival of a Soyuz mission./AP