A bomb exploded in central Baghdad early Monday and killed at least four laborers and wounded 14 other people, police and hospital officials said.

The explosion happened near Liberation Square in the Bab Sharqi area shortly before 8 AM where a group of men were waiting for daily work, said police Lt. Ali Mutib.

Hussein Mohammed Naama, who sells tea and falafel sandwiches to such workers, said a man bought a cup of tea from him and left a black plastic bag near his sidewalk stand.

"He drank his tea and left the bag near the stand. I went to a nearby restaurant to get water and then the bag exploded," said a distraught Na'ama, who had tears running down his face. "We don't know what to do, we need a solution. We can't live like this."

Ambulances with sirens blaring sped to the bomb scene, where at least four people were killed and 14 wounded, Mutib and a hospital official said. A policeman was among the wounded.

At least three shop fronts were blown out by the blast and several cars were destroyed. Workers swept shattered glass and pools of blood that covered the sidewalk.

"We want to live but the government doesn't care about us, the Americans and the police are only protecting themselves while nobody protects us," said one of the workers, Sayeed Issa, 28.

Impoverished Iraqi workers, normally Shiites, have been targeted previously in the country's increasingly random campaign of violence. On. Feb 1, a bomb killed eight men waiting for day labor in a largely Shiite area of Baghdad.

(Chinadaily.com via agencies February 20, 2006)