Parliament Votes to Boot Speaker; 104 Killed in Iraq

During Parliament’s Thursday session, lawmakers failed to vote on a list of proposed cabinet nominees. Instead, 171 of Parliament’s 328 members voted to dismiss Speaker Salim al-Jabouri, along with two deputies, Humam Hamoudi and Aram Sheikh Mohammed. Apparently, the trio was absent from the session; however, they were in the building at the time of the vote. Jibouri insisted his removal as speaker was unconstitutional. He also said he did not attend the session because there was no quorum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was not present.

The proposed change in cabinet members is one of the premier’s attempts to rid the government of corruption. However, powerful blocs in parliament, who gain from the current system, have refused to allow this change.

Security forces liberated Hit.

An advance group of Italian workers are arriving at the Mosul Dam where engineers are eventually expected to shore up the ailing dam before it fails.

Militants destroyed a 2,000-year-old wall at a historic ruin in Mosul.

Violence left at least 104 killed and 24 wounded:

Two people were killed and seven were wounded by a blast in Mahmoudiya.

A bomb in Baghdad killed one person and wounded seven more.

Sixty militants were killed during an operation in Rashid.

In Baraziya, strikes left 16 militants dead.

An airstrike near Sinjar killed 12 militants who were transporting chlorine.

Thirteen militants were killed and 10 were wounded during strikes on Hamdaniya.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.