Updated at 8:02 p.m. EDT, May 7, 2010
At least 13 Iraqis were killed and 24 were wounded in violent attacks. Meanwhile, Ayad Allawi, the former prime minister whose Iraqiya list won the most seats in parliamentary elections, insisted his party has the right to form the next government. Should Iraqiya, which was favored by Sunni Iraqis, be squeezed out, it could signal a return to sectarian violence.
Update at 4:50 p.m. EDT, April 28, 2010
At least seven Iraqis were killed and 31 more were wounded in several Baghdad attacks, and a roadside bomb blast killed a U.S. soldier in Diyala province. Meanwhile, several Christian groups have asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to encourage Iraqi authorities to protect Christians in Iraq. Also, Human Rights Watch released a report on a secret prison where Sunni detainees were tortured, raped and illegally detained.
The confirmation of the deaths of two al-Qaeda figures on the U.S. most wanted list outweighed even the revelation of a secret Iraqi prison where hundreds of Sunni men may have tortured and the recount of votes from the national election. Meanwhile, at least four Iraqis were killed and 11 more were wounded in other attacks. Also, a U.S. soldier died of non-combat injuries in Basra.
At least four Iraqis were killed and 12 more were wounded in light violence. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki admitted that the Iraqiya party, which won the most seats in last month’s election, must be included in the next government.
An old mass grave believed to contain 14 al-Qaeda victims was unearthed near Samarra. Meanwhile, the formation of the new government is slowly plowing ahead as the Iraqiya bloc met with Iranian officials to gain Shi’ite support. Overall, at least 26 Iraqis were killed, including those found in the mass grave, and another six were wounded.
Baghdad was again the target of a massive, coordinated bomb attack just a couple days after a similar attack struck the capital’s foreign embassies. This attack was more personal as it focused on apartment buildings across the city. Overall, at least 39 Iraqis were killed and 149 more were wounded across the country.
Updated at 9:51 p.m. EDT, March 30, 2010
At least six Iraqis were killed and seven were wounded in light attacks. While violence may have taken a breather today, haggling and complaining over creating the new Iraqi government has not. Neither has the debate over the De-Ba’athification laws. Also, a Dutch-Iraqi man convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans has returned to serve out his time in a Dutch prison.
Iraq’s major political forces are beginning what is likely to be a lengthy and uncertain process of talks to form a government. A key question is whether Iraq’s politically diverse groups will join forces together based on ideological, ethnic, sectarian, or merely pragmatist considerations. "[T]he core contradictions of Iraqi politics will be on display as …
Continue reading “Uphill Coalition-Building Battle for Winners Unfolds”
At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Although final election results were released yesterday, political wrangling continued today.
Although few casualties were reported today, a message from an al-Qaeda leader is raising fears of a coming surge in violence. At least two Iraqis were killed and 15 more were wounded in today’s attacks. Also, a Saddam-era mass grave gave up about 20 victims. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stressed that he will not recognize election results until there is a recount. In the U.S., a four star general testified in a hearing concerning the murder of Iraqis in Haditha five years ago.
