Updated at 10:22 p.m. EST, Nov. 22, 2009
At least 16 Iraqis were killed and 22 more were wounded in the latest violence. A sniper killed a U.S. soldier in Wassit province as well. Meanwhile, leaked UK documents show that Britain was already planning to invade Iraq when Tony Blair claimed otherwise in July 2002. Also, Brigadier General David Quantock defended U.S. prison techniques and denied Iraqi accusations of high recidivism rates among detainees.
Iraq’s state television broadcast the confessions of three Ba’athists who carried out deadly bombings in Baghdad. The allegations could not be independently confirmed and there is worry that this could simply be part of an anti-Sunni election agenda on the part of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Shi’ite leaders. Later, a government spokesman said the men had traveled from Syria, but did not go as far to accuse Syria of harboring other terrorists.
A bomb blast at a Garma checkpoint left seven dead and five wounded.
In Baghdad, a blast killed two policemen while gunmen killed a Sahwa fighter, both in Adhamiya. Gunmen killed a police colonel and wounded his son in Saidiya. Six people were wounded in a Salhiyah bomb attack. A roadside bomb damaged a U.S. vehicle in Ur.
In Mosul, an army soldier apparently attacked a judge, wounding him and a guard. Gunmen killed a municipal employee. A thermal bomb killed a 7-year-old and wounded four others. Gunmen killed a Turkmen politition. A civilian was wounded as police detonated a bomb during a controlled explosion.
A sound bomb exploded at Tikrit University and wounded a female student.
Gunmen killed a man in Numaniya.
Qaim police killed a suicide bomber before he rammed their station with his vehicle. Two policemen were wounded.
The chief of police in Rahimawa survived a roadside bomb attack.
Security forces arrested 26 suspects across Dhi Qar province. A provicial council member survived an assassination attempt.
A bomb blasted an army convoy near Amara, but no casualties were reported. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the blast.
Across Basra province, 27 suspects were captured.
Two suspects and a drug smuggler were arrested in Karbala.
A large rocket cache was found in Hashimiyat.
Fourteen suspects were detained in Baquba. The vice governor was arrested for terrorist activities as well.
Iraq’s oil exports were down 4 percent in October due to attacks on pipelines.
