Wednesday: 35 Iraqis Killed, 60 Wounded

by , July 28, 2010

Updated at 8:21 p.m. EDT, July 28, 2010

At least 35 Iraqis were killed and 60 more were wounded, mostly in two attacks against Shi’ites in Baghdad and Karbala. At a British inquiry, General Richard Dannatt said that the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan nearly broke the British military in 2006, when he took over as commander. Also, P.M. Maliki blamed foreign influence for a political impasse that many Iraqis view as his party’s own creation.

In a meeting with Admiral Mike Mullen, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed "regional interference" for the impasse preventing the formation of the new government. Meanwhile, a senior member of Maliki’s State of Law party admitted that they will not allow a prime minister backed by the winning Sunni bloc to take the premiership. Iraqiya won the most seats in the new parliament and constitutionally has first crack at forming the new government. Separately, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Rowsch Nuri Shaways warned that allowing the impasse to continue could result in a painful intervention from the international community, suggesting the solution actually lies within Iraq.

The U.S. military began honoring requests to prohibit citizens of countries that ban travel to Iraq from seeking contractor work on U.S. bases. The change in policy has forced Nepal to drop its ban or face the return of 30,000 newly jobless Nepalese.

Last night, a Katyusha rocket attack left 16 dead and at least 37 wounded in Karbala. Five suspects in the attack were arrested. A sand storm was blamed for a helicopter crash that killed six soldiers providing security for pilgrims traveling to the holy city for al-Ziyara al-Sha’abaniya (Mid-Sha’aban) observances.

A blast in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City left six dead and 15 wounded near a bank. Authorities credited Mid-Sha’aban travel to Karbala for reducing the number of people waiting for bank services.

In Mosul, an Iraqi soldier was shot dead near his home. Gunmen killed a police captain and two other officers; the attack also killed a girl and wounded her father. A grenade attack killed two civilians and wounded three soldiers.

A bomb planted near a mosque in Fallujah wounded the imam and two bystanders.

An explosion at a home in Zamar left a soldier’s wife with injuries.

Anbar police said several suspects have been killed or arrested, reducing the ability of al-Qaeda to operate in the province.

A Naqshabandiya Army suspect was arrested near Hawija.

A French conglomerate has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to modernize the electrical infrastructure in Iraq. Earlier this summer a lack of sufficient power lead to demonstrations against the government.

Read more by Margaret Griffis