Updated at 6:59 p.m. EST, Nov. 30 2009
The Health Ministry reported the lowest casualty figures since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. According to their figures, less than 100 Iraqis were killed in November; howver, at least four Iraqis were killed and 15 more were wounded, many after the release of those results. The Eid al-Adha winds down today, so reports should normalize in the next day or so.
In the United States, the Supreme Court sent a case involving abuse photos back to an appellate court for consideration. A new U.S. law exempts photographs from disclosure. A federal judge had originally ordered the release of 21 pictures that showed U.S. soldiers abusing Iraqi detainees.
At a British inquiry, a former top foreign policy aide working for then-Prime Minister Tony Blair said that U.S. troops seemed more interested in fighting a war than in stabilizing Iraq. David Manning believes that Paul Bremer, the former U.S. Administrator of Iraq, made the situation worse by trying to purge Ba’ath Party members from security roles.
The Czech Republic‘s counterintelligence agency revealed that Saddam Hussein was planning an attack on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty station in Prague after the organization began broadcasting to Iraq. Six diplomats were expelled in connection with the plot. The security agency declassified the information following the stations move to a more secure location this year. Separately, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Vice-President Tariq al-Hashimi today.
Eleven people were wounded in a twin bomb attack in Hawija.
In Mosul, a security guard was shot dead at a festival. A blast killed one policeman and wounded another. Outside the city, gunmen were arrested after attacking a car carrying a Yazidi family; the father was killed while two women and a child were wounded.
An army officer was killed in Kirkuk.
A woman was arrested in Baquba on suspicion of recruiting female suicide bombers and loading an explosives belt for one bomber who was arrested a year ago.
The Anbar police chief declared that an Eid al-Adha security plan was successful.
Three suspects were arrested and two bombs were defused near Fallujah.
Iraq resumed
pumping oil to Turkey days after sabotage left the pipeline damaged.
A Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) was killed during a clash with security forces in Turkey. Both sides in the decades-long guerilla war claim to be working towards a lasting truce.
