Updated at 7:17 p.m. EDT, Sept. 16, 2009
At least eight Iraqis were killed and 26 more were wounded in light violence as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden continues his visit to Iraq. Meanwhile, talks between Syria and Iraq have broken down, and former deputy prime minister of Iraq, Barham Salih, has been selected to head the semi-autonomous Kurdistan government.
Updated at 6:20 p.m. EDT, Sept. 15, 2009
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad on an unannounced trip. Meanwhile, Iraqi and Syrian officials will meet in Ankara to discuss allegations that recent bombings in Baghdad were orchestrated from Syria. Elsewhere, Military police are investing an allegation that British soldiers raped and maimed an Iraqi man in Basra six years ago. Also, Muntadhar al-Zeidi has been released from jail. At least four Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in light violence.
Updated at 8:59. p.m. EDT, Sept. 14, 2009
Numerous small attacks across central and northern Iraq left at least 18 Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded. A U.S. helicopter played a role in one of the attacks. The D.O.D. reported the death of a U.S. soldier in a vehicle accident on Saturday.
Updated at 7:18 p.m. EDT, Sept. 13, 2009
The gruesome execution of a policeman’s family this morning in Kirkuk overshadowed the other numerous attacks in Iraq. Overall, at least 26 Iraqis were killed and 41 more were wounded across the country. Also, a U.S. soldier killed an American contractor at a U.S. base in Tikrit. The soldier is in custody.
Updated at 5:51 p.m. EDT, Sept. 12, 2009
Baghdad again was targeted by a series of bombs, this time against religious shrines. Overall, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 49 more were wounded there and elsewhere. Also, Prime Minister’s Nouri al-Maliki’s “spat” with Syria could be hurting him politically ahead of January elections. Iraq’s Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi meanwhile announced that he will run in those elections as a member of a new political party.
Updated at 5:35 p.m. EDT, Sept. 11, 2009
Riots broke out in Baghdad Central Prison where a number of people were killed or wounded. Overall, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 54 more were wounded across the country, but most of the casualties were at the prison. No casualties were reported in Baghdad and no attack reports came out of Mosul. Meanwhile, Iraq is asking for help in restoring its archaeological sites. Some suffered massive damage during the wars. Its national art museum remains closed due to ongoing turmoil as well.
Updated at 8:15 p.m. EDT, Sept. 10, 2009
Bombings to the south of Baghdad almost overshadow the new casualties stemming from a bombing in northern Iraq that was reported late yesterday. Overall, at least 12 Iraqis were killed and 86 more were wounded in the latest attacks. The figure includes the news casualties from Wardek. U.S. ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill promised the House Foreign Affairs Committee that the U.S. will stick to its drawdown timetable despite recent violence.
A month ago, most major, corporate media outlets ignored the sworn statements of two former Blackwater employees, one of whom — identified in court papers as John Doe #2 — alleged that the company’s owner Erik Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," and …
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Updated at 11:01 p.m. EDT, Sept. 9, 2009
At least 44 Iraqis were killed and 61 more wounded in attacks, including a significant bombing in a Kurdish village. Meanwhile, two Saddam-era officials were acquitted of war crimes involving the deaths of two British soldiers during the U.S.-led invasion, even as yesterday’s U.S. servicemember deaths have left planners wondering about the feasibility of the U.S. drawdown. Also, Iraqi and Syrian diplomats met behind closed doors in Cairo but failed to resolve tensions over Syria allowing foreign fighters entry into Iraq.
Updated at 9:03 p.m. EDT, Sept. 8, 2009
The recent surge in violence has now left four U.S. soldiers dead in separate attacks. At least 17 Iraqis were also killed and 46 more were wounded. The Iraqi army had to intervene in one bombing when relatives of the dead staged a revenge attack on a neighboring village. Also, Turkish soldiers clashed with the PKK in southeastern Turkey.
