At least 24 Iraqis were killed and 42 more were wounded in attacks across the country. The worst two took place in predominantly Shi’ite neighborhoods, intensifying fears of a new sectarian war.
Updated at 5:30 p.m. EDT, Aug. 16, 2009
At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 46 more were wounded in the latest violence. A Shabak leader survived an assassination attempt with light injuries, but his fellow Arab and Kurd councilmembers used the attack to heighten their own rivalry. This complicated situation in the northern provinces has left the country’s planning minister with no choice but to postpone the first full census in over two decades. The fear is that the count could further intensify sectarian tensions ahead of January’s national election.
Updated at 7:35 p.m. EDT, Aug. 10, 2009
About 72 Iraqis were killed and 356 more were wounded in a devastating day in Iraq. Once again, Ninewa province and Baghdad bore the brunt of the violence. No Coalition deaths were reported. Back in the U.S. though, the Spokane VA Center reported that they had underestimated the suicide rate among local vets. Also, an Iran exile group accused the Iraqi government of human rights violations and asked the Pentagaon to retake control of Camp Ashraf, where about 3,500 Iranian exiles reside.
The Iraqi army chief of staff, Gen. Babaker B. Shawkat Zebari, said attacks in Iraq could continue for years after the U.S. pullout in 2011. Meanwhile, Iraqi lawmaker Hanin al-Qadu, who represents Iraq’s Shabak minority in parliament, blamed Kurd militants for recent bombings in northern Iraq. At least nine Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded in today’s various attacks.
