Updated at 8:41 p.m. EST, Dec. 7, 2010
At least seven Iraqis were killed and 24 more were wounded in violence that mostly occurred in the capital. Meanwhile, Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi warned that “power sharing is not happening” and threatened to quit the new government unless meaningful change happens. A senior U.S. embassy added another threat by cautioning the Iraqis against giving the Sadrists certain ministry positions. Should they ignore the advice, the United States could cut back on aid to them.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
At least eight Iraqis were killed and 17 more were wounded in the latest violence. Meanwhile, lawyers will ask President Jalal Talabani for a pardon for former Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz who was sentenced to death last month.
