Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr came out in support of Sunni protestors today. He blamed Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shi’ite, for the tensions between Sunni Iraqis and the government. He also warned Maliki not to allow this to turn into an Arab Spring for Iraq.
Perhaps in response to Sadr, the premier gave a televised interview later in the evening. He called Sunni protests unconstitutional and warned demonstrators that the protests cannot go on indefinitely. He gave in to one demand, though. About 700 female prisoners will be freed.
At least 17 people were killed and 16 more were wounded in scattered violence.
In Tuz Khormato, five people were killed and two more were wounded in a series of blasts. An I.E.D. wounded four people.
Four soldiers were killed in a Tarmiya bombing.
Near Kirkuk, a Sahwa commander and his aide were killed in a shooting. A policeman was killed and another was wounded in a bomb blast.
A roadside bomb in Abu Ghraib killed two civilians and wounded a third one.
A soldier was killed and another two were wounded in Falluja blast. A tribal clash left one dead and three wounded.
In Baiji, gunmen killed a civilian.
Two policemen were wounded in a shooting in Albu Ajeel.
A bomb wounded a policeman in Tikrit.
