Updated at 10:07 p.m. EST, April 3, 2010
A gruesome massacre that left at least two dozen Sunnis dead in an area just south of Baghdad has recharged concerns that a new period of sectarian bloodshed is at hand. Overall, at least 31 Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded across the country, mostly in what used to be called the Triangle of Death.
Kelley Vlahos on contractors abusing contractors
With only days left before Sunday’s national elections, Iraqi officials have confirmed an increase in Iraqi deaths over the last several weeks. Nevertheless, only one Iraqi was killed and six more were wounded in light violence today. Also, Kirkuk could become a battlefield after Sunday’s elections; some politicians would like to see U.S. troops keep the peace there.
Light violence left at least one dead and eight wounded across Iraq.
In one case the number of wounded is unknown, but at least three casualties
were counted. U.S. forces also accidentally killed a tribal leader’s son. Meanwhile,
voters are heavily divided
ahead of the elections, but some Iraqis can still find humor
in the colorful campaigns styles of some candidates. Also, the Accountability and Justice Commission will
release
evidence they used to bar candidates.
In Arbil, gunmen attacked election campaign offices, beating up several guards and an employee.
The political contests are particularly heated in Iraqi Kurdistan, but detailed
reports of casualties have been hard to come by. Ten arrest warrants were issued.
At least one of the injured is a political
activist.
U.S. forces killed a tribal
chief’s son and wounded his wife in Kanaan. Villagers were
responding to unknown intruders in the night, and the troops fired back.
In Baghdad, an I.E.D. wounded four people.
Gunmen targeted the home of a political candidate in Qaim,
but they left no
casualties.
Four suspects were arrested over involvement in
recent bombings across Anbar province. Police will employ strict security measures
ahead of the election.
Karbala police will deploy 1,000 policewomen
along with another 15,000 male security personnel during an operation to protect
polling centers.
Iraqi families struggle
with the high rents and small supply of adequate housing.
Updated at 6:49 p.m. EST, Feb. 26, 2010
At least four Iraqis were killed and 48 more were wounded in prayer day violence. It appears that reporters have returned to Mosul after a brief hiatus. Regular reports of attacks have resumed, perhaps in response to a surge in attacks against Christians. In nearby Suleimaniyah, however, reports are having a difficult time leaking out. Also, three mass graves holding hundreds of children killed during the Saddam era were discovered in Kirkuk.
Updated at 8:29 p.m. EST, Feb. 25, 2010
At least six Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in the latest violence. A blast in Fallujah could increase those figures as details about the bombing emerge later. Meanwhile, a leading Sunni party has decided to participate in next month’s elections despite the barring of one of its most popular members.
Only three Iraqis were reported killed on a very quiet day. Iraqis are still concerned over the fallout of a candidate blacklist that could nullify the legitimacy of the elections. Some Iraqis face a long jail term if they choose to criticize the elections through vandalism.
The first official boycott of March 7 elections was called when MP Mutlaq took himself and his party out of the running. The prayer day was otherwise fairly quiet with only two Iraqis having been reported killed while a third Iraqi was wounded. Also, Iraq has rejected international calls to end its death penalty.
Memories of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib have resurfaced as a military appeals court reviews whether the judge in one case conducted the trial properly. Meanwhile, Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani encouraged voters to participate in next month’s national elections. At least eight Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in light violence. Also, there are rumors that the Mahdi Army may be resurfacing as sectarian violence appears to be re-igniting.
The U.S. military reports that troop levels are now the lowest since the 2003 invasion and will remain at 98,000 until after March elections, even as Iraqi soldiers prepare to handle poll-related violence themselves. At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 26 were wounded in new attacks, some election-related. Also, the families of Iraqi detainees are paying blood money to protect their sons upon release.
