Updated at 5:34 p.m. EDT, July 23, 2008
As predicted President Talabani rejected a controversial elections law. This will likely delay provincial elections until next year. Today’s light violence was marked by a significant amount of arrests, particularly in Babel province. Overall, at least seven Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded. Also, $3 billion has been set aside to rebuild Baghdad.
President Jalal Talabani rejected an elections law that was passed yesterday despite a boycott by Kurdish and other lawmakers. At heart is the power structure of multi-ethnic Kirkuk province. Talabani blamed a lack of consensus among parliament’s ethnic factions for the rejection. The law would have allowed provincial elections to move forward in October, but now those elections will be delayed indefinitely.
In Mosul, a roadside bomb wounded three policemen in a southeastern neighborhood. Mortars striking a police station wounded two civilians. Two Iraqi soldiers were shot dead at a checkpoint. Also, gunmen shot and killed a civilian near his home.
In Kirkuk, a sniper using a silencer killed the son of the editor-in-chief of a local weekly newspaper.
In Baghdad, two bodies were discovered. A large amount of explosives was discovered in a ministry building. Also, four al-Qaeda suspects were detained during a security operation in Khadraa, and 32 others were arrested across Baghdad.
A roadside bomb killed a woman in Muqdadiyah. A joint U.S-Iraqi force arrested 24 al-Qaeda detainees.
Hilla is under curfew as security forces launch an operation in Babel province that has so far netted 50 suspects.
Sixty-five suspects were detained in northern Babel province around the Haswa district.
Nine suspects were arrested across Basra province. Police also confiscated weapons and ammunition and the boats they used to smuggle weapons in.
Thirteen detainees were freed in Diyala province after proving their innocence.
In Turkey, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebels launched a rocket attack that left one Turkish soldier injured. The group is fighting for an autonomous state across parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Armenia. The Turkish military has previously entered northen Iraq to fight rebels holed up in camps there.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis
