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.
read moreWednesday: 8 Iraqis Killed, 8 Wounded
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.
read moreTuesday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 12 Wounded
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.
read moreMonday: 13 Iraqis Killed, 33 Wounded
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.”
read moreSunday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 35 Wounded
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.
read moreSaturday: 8 Iraqis Killed, 7 Wounded
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.
read moreFriday: 3 Iraqis Killed, 9 Wounded
At least three Iraqis were killed and nine more were wounded in light violence. Both Iranian refugees at Camp Ashraf and Iraqi journalists throughout the country have long maintained they are the targets of illegal harassment under the Maliki government. Two significant stories that were published today appear to support their allegations.
European lawmakers are asking the United States and United Nations to help the People’s Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (Mujahedeen-e-Khalq). Part of the aid would include removing the group from the U.S. State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. The group, which has lived at Camp Ashraf for the last two decades, had fought against their home country alongside Saddam in the 1980s, but is also accused of helping Saddam suppress the Kurds. After the 2003 invasion, the M.E.K. (also P.M.O.I) came under the authority of U.S. forces, but their protection ended at the beginning of 2009. Since then, several reports of abuse, harassment and even a deadly raid demonstrate the Iraqi government’s desire to be rid of the refugees. No third country currently will take them and they fear being returned to Iran.
Cairo-based al-Baghdadiya T.V. shut down its Iraq operations, accusing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of censorship and personally meddling in their negotiations with the authority that controls the media. Furthermore, security forces have occupied the channel’s studios since last month, when the station broadcast the demands of gunmen who were holding hostages at a Baghdad church. They also allege that their journalists are in imminent danger of arrest. Al-Baghdadiya’s most famous journalist is arguably Muntazer al-Zaidi, who threw his shoes at former-U.S. President George Bush during a press conference with Maliki.
In Baghdad, a roadside bomb planted near a Karrada restaurant wounded three civilians. A bomb targeting police wounded six people in Ghazaliya. A police officer was shot dead. An Interior Ministry official was killed in a separate shooting.
In Kut, five suspects were captured in connection with the death of a civilian yesterday.
Mortars fell on a U.S. base in Hilla, but no casualties were reported.
Thirty suspects were detained in Basra province.
read moreThursday: 10 Iraqis Killed, 30 Wounded
At least six Iraqis were killed and 28 more were wounded in violence that mostly occurred in the north. Also, Nouri al-Maliki was formally tasked with forming the next government as its prime minister today.
read moreWednesday: 15 Iraqis Killed, 32 Wounded
At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in the latest violence. Meanwhile, Ba’athists are looking into using Wikileaks documents to support a lawsuit against the United States, which they accuse of running an illegal occupation.
read moreTuesday: 12 Iraqis Killed, 11 Wounded
At least 12 Iraqis were killed and 11 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Meanwhile, a Christian lawmaker called foreign offers of asylum “meddling” in the country’s affairs and instead demanded that Iraq increase protection of the religious minority. Christians, however, aren’t the only Iraqis stressed over their situation. Sunnis, with good reason, fear they are treated unfairly in the court system. Also, a special committee to address problems with implementing the census was formed.
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