Updated at 4:31 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2009
A major car bombing in the capital interrupted an otherwise quiet day in Iraq. At least 43 Iraqis were reported killed and 79 more were wounded. The only political news came from Diyala where the police chief reiterated the central government’s claims that the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq is in custody and added that the man was also a provincial politician.
Updated at 7:17 p.m. EDT, May 18, 2009
At least five Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in the latest attacks. A man the Iraqi government claims is a top leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq gave a detailed interview to security officials on his alleged operations. Also, Iraq’s Federal Court selected January 30 as the date for the next general elections. These will be the first national elections since late 2005. Meanwhile, a leading politician in Diyala was arrested.
Updated at 7:28 p.m. EDT, May 17, 2009
At least 20 Iraqis were killed and 21 more were wounded in today’s reported attacks. No Coalition deaths were reported. Despite the shrinking number of attacks, Iraqis still worry if violence will explode after U.S. troops leave Iraqi cities. Meanwhile, security forces continue to arrests dozens of Iraqis in operations around the country. Although there is a need to control violent gunmen, some of those captured in these operations could simply be the victims of harassment.
Updated at 5:50 p.m. EDT, May 15, 2009
At least six Iraqis were killed and another nine were wounded in the latest attacks. No Coalition troops deaths were reported, but a British employee of a security firm was killed in Hilla. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki called for a reduction in power-sharing pacts between Shi’ites and minority groups.
Updated at 8:45 p.m. EDT, May 13, 2009
At least five Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in the latest attacks, but security forces also found an old mass grave containing about 100 bodies in Diwaniya. No Coalition deaths were reported. Meanwhile, Iraq again claimed they have an al-Qaeda leader in custody and U.S. forces returned the ancient city of Ur back to Iraqi control.
Updated at 7:58 p.m. EDT, May 12, 2009
At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 33 more were wounded in today’s attacks. The number of casualties in a suicide bombing in Kirkuk could rise. No Coalition deaths were reported, but authorities identified the U.S. soldier who killed five fellow soldiers yesterday in Baghdad. Meanwhile, a man claiming to be Abu Omar al-Baghdadi said he was not in Iraqi custody. Also, it seems that the central government has again changed its mind on Kurdish oil sales.
Updated at 6:43 p.m. EDT, May 11, 2009
Six U.S. soldiers were killed in two alarming events today, one of them a mass murder by a fellow soldier. At least 14 Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in other attacks. Meanwhile, Australia announced its Iraq mission will come to an end in July. Also, the U.S. demanded that Syria stop the flow of fighters through its borders, while Iran demanded that Iraq deal with Kurdish rebels near its border.
Updated at 3:05 p.m. May 10, 2009
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt dropped in on Iraqi lawmakers to discuss increasing the United States’ role in intelligence gathering even as troops withdraw from the country. Meanwhile, at least four Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Also, the central government avoided aggravating tensions between the Kurdish Regional Government and themselves by approving the sales of Kurdish oil to foreign clients.
At least three Iraqis were killed and 11 more were wounded in the latest violence. In one attack a police general was killed in Basra even a security forces claimed the province was safe enough for foreign workers. No Coalition deaths were reported.
Updated at 7:05 p.m. EDT, May 8, 2009
This prayer day was particularly quiet. Only two Iraqis were reported killed and another four were wounded. One U.S. soldier died yesterday from wounds sustained in a May 5 accident. Back in the U.S., an American soldier was convicted of raping a 14-year-old girl and murdering her along with her family. The girl’s remaining relatives are pressing for the death penalty. Also, the Kurdish Regional Government claimed it was ready to start exporting oil, but the central government said no permission was given to use national pipelines for the transfer. Oil has been the source of tensions between the Kurds and Shi’ite-led central government.
