At least nine Iraqis were killed and 28 were wounded as their representatives spent the day bickering in parliament.
Updated at 8:22 p.m. EDT, Oct. 1, 2010
As of today, Iraq has spent 208 days without an elected government. It now stands as the country that has gone the longest between parliamentary elections and the formation of a new government. Meanwhile, at least eight Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in light prayer day attacks across the country.
At least three Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in the latest attacks. A U.S. soldier was also killed during a hostile attack in Baquba. Nearby, four Iranian tourists were killed and nine were wounded in a separate attack in Diyala province. Casualties were also reported in an attack in Fallujah.
Although the day was marked by light violence, newly released casualty figures for July hinted at a surge in attacks over the last month. Some blamed the increase on the delay in forming a new government. That impasse could soon be overcome as the party that received the third largest number of parliamentary seats today issued a statement completely rejecting P.M. Maliki’s return to the premiership. Should Maliki step aside, it could move the process forward. Only five Iraqis were wounded in today’s reports.
Updated at 8:21 p.m. EDT, July 28, 2010
At least 35 Iraqis were killed and 60 more were wounded, mostly in two attacks against Shi’ites in Baghdad and Karbala. At a British inquiry, General Richard Dannatt said that the simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan nearly broke the British military in 2006, when he took over as commander. Also, P.M. Maliki blamed foreign influence for a political impasse that many Iraqis view as his party’s own creation.
Updated at 9:27 p.m. EDT, July 10, 2010
At least five Iraqis were killed and 10 were wounded in light violence. Turkish warplanes were to blame for injuries to one Iraqi. Meanwhile, U.S. Army’s Chief of Staff, Gen. George Casey, suggested that the United States could be involved in Iraq and Afghanistan for another decade.
Updated at 8:12 p.m. EDT, May 20, 2010
At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 46 were wounded in a series of small attacks across the country. Meanwhile, the prime minister issued an incendiary statement basically telling the winning party in parliamentary elections to give up on heading the new government. Also, Turkish warplanes launched a two-hour air strike on about 50 suspected PKK rebel locations.
Updated at 8:30 p.m. EDT, May 5, 2010
At least nine Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded in light violence, as details of an agreement that could hasten the formation of the new government were leaked to the press.
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.
At least six Iraqis were killed and 16 more were wounded as a manual recount of ballots begin today in Baghdad. The contentious recount was not without its own controversy as the prime minister’s party found fault with the procedures that could help them win more seats in the new parliament.