At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 17 more were wounded in new and updated attacks. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki asked resident Jalal Talabani to pardon 50 followers of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The request underscores Maliki’s need of Sadr’s favor to maintain power.
The big question looming over U.S.-Iraqi negotiations on a U.S. military presence after 2011 is what game Shi’a leader Moqtada al-Sadr is playing on the issue. U.S. officials regard Sadr as still resisting the U.S. military presence illegally and are demanding that Sadr call off his Promised Day Brigades completely. But Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s …
Continue reading “What Is Sadr’s Game on Future US Troop Presence?”
At least 87 Iraqis were killed and 153 more were killed in a series of bombings across Baghdad. The most serious attack occurred at a funeral. If attacks occurred in other parts of the country, they went unreported, even in volatile Mosul.
A newly released WikiLeaks document on Iraq and the new political alignment between Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki both provide fresh evidence that Gen. David Petraeus’s war against Shi’ite militias in 2007-2008 was a futile exercise. The WikiLeaks document is an intelligence report identifying the Shi’ite commander who Petraeus said was the …
Continue reading “Leaked Report, New Iraqi Alignment Reveal US War Failure”
Massive demonstrations decrying the lack of an elected government months after national elections were held in the capital and southern Iraq today. The demonstrations remained peaceful, but there were reports of a few attacks across the county. At least two Iraqis were killed and 14 were wounded in them.
Vlahos on Moqtada the menace and tonight’s speech
Updated at 7:50 p.m. EDT, July 19, 2010
An attack in northern Iraq killed one Briton and as many as three other foreign nationals. At least 17 Iraqis were killed and 55 more were wounded in that attack and in other violence across the country. Meanwhile, Ayad Allawi outlined his plans for the new government should he become the next prime minister. He also met with Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who blamed Iraq’s security woes on the United States, during a trip to Damascus.
Updated at 6:10 p.m. EDT, May 4, 2010
At least five Iraqis were killed and 21 more were wounded in the latest attacks, while two U.S. soldiers were killed in separate, non-combat events. The Mahdi Army has officially revived its public face in what it says is an attempt to keep violence in check and ensure the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defence is looking into allegations that Britain took part in chemical warfare. Also, Iraqis have begun to address the psychological effects of the war and look into the number of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and similar conditions.
