Attacks in Kirkuk Kill US Soldier Just Weeks Before Withdrawal

Reports of violence were scant today, possibly because Hajj observances begin tomorrow in Mecca. Only two Iraqis were killed and one more was wounded. Also, gunmen, reportedly using a thermal bomb, killed a U.S. soldier in Kirkuk yesterday. He is the first servicemember to die in combat since President Obama, on Oct. 21, said the White House had given up on negotiations to keep troops in Iraq past a Dec. 31 deadline. Another attack on U.S. troops today left no casualties.
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Bombers Strike Big in Iraq for Second Day in a Row

Updated at 5:21 p.m. EDT, Nov. 3, 2011 For a second day in a row, bombers were successful in amassing a large number of casualties in a single coordinated attack. Today’s main blasts occurred at a military base near Baquba. Overall, at least 18 Iraqis were killed and 56 more were wounded in this attack and other violence. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are angling to keep a high-profile detainee in their custody.
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Iraq Provinces Emboldened in Bids for Autonomy

Salah ad Din province is moving ahead with its request for autonomous region status despite a negative reaction from the Iraqi premier. Diyala province may not be far behind. Also, at least five Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in the latest violence.
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16 Iraqis Killed As Basra Contemplates Autonomy

At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in new violence, most of it small arms attacks. Meanwhile, a conference that aims to have Basra province formally declared a semi-autonomous region is underway. Although the area is oil-rich, much of the population is poor; it’s believed that semi-autonomy could turn the region into an economic powerhouse like Iraqi Kurdistan.
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More Ba’ath Party Arrests As 9 Iraqis Killed in Attacks

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki lauded the mass arrests of suspected Ba’ath Party members, while downplaying obvious criticisms of the operation. Meanwhile, insurgents killed nine Iraqis and wounded 17 more in attacks.. Across, the border in a Kurdish area of Turkey, a female suicide bomber killed three people and wounded twenty others.
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13 Killed in Attacks Against Iraqi Police

Today’s violence appeared to focus mainly on Iraqi police forces. The attacks came just a day after a controversial crackdown on alleged supporters of the now outlawed Ba’ath Party. A second mass arrest, of Arabs in predominantly Kurdish Kirkuk, is also drawing fire from critics. It is not clear if any of the attacks are related to the arrests. At least 13 Iraqis were killed and 37 more were wounded.
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