Updated at 11:28 p.m. EST, Nov. 9, 2009
The Turkish government unveiled a new peace plan that promises to end a 25-year-long guerilla war with the Kurdistan Workers Party. Meanwhile, at least three Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in the latest violence.
Updated at 8:22 p.m. EST, Nov. 6, 2009
At least four Iraqis were killed and nine more were wounded in the latest attacks. Back in the United States, an army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 fellow soldiers at Fort Hood and fearful of an impending deployment was scheduled to go to Afghanistan, not Iraq.
Updated at 5:17 p.m. EST, Nov. 1, 2009
Today’s attacks were focused on cities just south and west of the capital. Although at first glance the bombings look to be the work of Sunni extremists, internecine Shi’ite rivalries should not be ruled out as the source of some violence. Overall, as many as 25 Iraqis were killed and 75 more were wounded in the latest reports. Meanwhile, the elections law impasse threatens to delay the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. At the heart of the problem is the status of multi-ethnic Kirkuk.
Several small bomb attacks occurred in Baghdad and other central Iraqi towns. At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 34 were wounded in those scattered bombings and in Mosul. Also, one U.S. soldier was killed and two more were wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Ninewa province. Meanwhile, Prime Minster Nouri al-Maliki is in the United States meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama and other officials.
Updated at 7:36 p.m. EDT, Oct. 19, 2009
In a bid for peace, 34 unarmed Kurds crossed into Turkey and handed themselves over to authorities. Back in Iraq though, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 35 more were wounded. A U.S. soldier died in a vehicular accident near Mosul as well.
Updated at 6:05 p.m. EDT, Oct. 13, 2009
At least 11 Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in the latest violence. The political atmosphere in Baghdad, however, nearly eclipsed the reports of attacks across the country. Parliamentary speaker Iyad Al Samarrai warned that issues surrounding Kirkuk could stall the adoption of a new election law. Meanwhile, the Iraqi parliament approved the return of a small number of British troops. Also, Baghdad Operations Command complained their arrests are being politicized.
Updated at 4:55 p.m. EDT, Oct. 7, 2009
At least 13 Iraqis were killed an 32 more were wounded in the latest attacks. Meanwhile, 36 Iranian-opposition detainees were freed. Also, a U.S. soldier was killed in a non-combat incident.
Updated at 8:15 p.m. EDT, Sept. 23, 2009
With the Eid holiday over, news reporting out of Iraq resumed today. At least 13 Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded in the latest violence. Meanwhile, the policeman father of an Iraqi man beaten to death by British troops testified at a public inquiry that he believes the attack was in revenge for his reporting on the theft of money by British soldiers.
At least four Iraqis were killed and two more were wounded in light Eid al-Fitr holiday violence. Meanwhile, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at then-U.S. President George Bush last year, has requested Swiss asylum. Also, a public inquiry in Britain has learned that British troops repeatedly abused Iraqi detainees.
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.
