At least four Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in light violence. Meanwhile, Iraqis need between two and three million new homes built for them by 2016 but there has been little progress toward that goal. Nor has there been much development in the formation of a new government either, even though fears that Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi will be completely shut out of negotiations are growing. Also, the wife of a man holding dual British-Iraqi citizenship and held in Iraq without charges for the last year has renewed her pleas for help in releasing the man.
Iraq was remarkably quiet today even though security officials said that foreign fighters have been entering Iraq and could be behind some of the notable attacks in recent months. At least five Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in light violence. Among the casualties was an elderly Christian couple.
Updated at 2:09 p.m. EST, Dec. 4, 2010
Many of today’s casualties were Iranian pilgrims visiting Shi’ite religious sites. The attacks, which also struck at Iraqi Shi’ite neighborhoods, came soon after it was discovered that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s may have been placing inexperienced Shi’ite loyalists into security positions. About seven Iranians were killed and 45 more were wounded in these attacks. About 11 Iraqis were also killed and 88 more were wounded. Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle made a brief, unannounced visit to Iraq.
At least one Iraqi was killed and four more were wounded in the latest attacks. The deadliest event, however, occurred in Hilla where two buses carrying Iranian pilgrims accidentally crashed into each other, leaving 24 dead and over 50 wounded.
Updated at 8:49 EST, Dec. 2, 2010
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the U.S. drawdown is making it harder for the U.N. to carry out it’s own operations. Meanwhile, the U.S. military is troubled by the porous Iranian border and lack of functioning security there, which allows for weapons and fighters to stream in. At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 22 more were wounded in the latest violence. An Arab man of unknown nationality was also killed.
Updated at 9:40 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010
At least eight Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded in light violence. Meanwhile, U.S. Army Col. Darsie D. Rogers Jr. said that American special forces now conduct about 25 operations a week–mostly to advise Iraqi forces–or about half as many as they did this time last year. Also, the Sadrists have likely made the greatest gains of any political group since March elections.
Updated at 10:12 p.m. EST, Nov. 30, 2010
Even though U.S. troops are set to leave Iraq next year, the U.S. State Department and Pentagon believe it will stay expensive to keep remaining Americans safe in the country. Iraqi civilians also must worry about such attacks and other hardships they continue to suffer now. At least seven Iraqis were killed and 12 more were wounded in today’s light attacks.
Interior Minister Jawad Bolani said security forces thwarted an attack on the French embassy that was planned by the same insurgents who took over a church last month; however, they were not able to prevent the violence that led to at least 13 Iraqis losing their lives today. Another 33 were wounded as well. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called the latest WikiLeaks dump “unhelpful and untimely.”
Baghdad suffered a number of small bombings today, but few of them left any fatalities . At least seven Iraqis were killed and 35 more were wounded there and across the country. Meanwhile, rumors sparked a flood of Christian asylum-seekers to the French embassy in Arbil.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki insisted today that Iraq has no need of continued U.S. presence after 2011. Nevertheless, at least eight Iraqis were killed and six more were wounded in light violence. Meanwhile, Iraqi refugees who have returned to unacceptable conditions are again leaving the country.
