Updated at 9:12 p.m. EDT, July 31, 2010
An unconfirmed message purportedly from Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who was Iraq’s military commander under Saddam, was released to the media. In it, the voice warned the government of attempting to root out Ba’ath loyalists. At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 39 more were wounded in attacks unrelated to the threatening message. Several of the attacks occurred yesterday but went unreported until today. Separately, an Italian anti-death penalty group reported that state executions rose in number last year.
Iraqi politicians are increasingly worried that the United States or the international community will intervene in the political stalemate preventing a new government from taking power. Iraqi lawmaker Jamal al-Bateekh of the Iraqiya party suggested that the U.S. could intervene to make sure its "project" in the region remains undisturbed; however, Izat al-Shabandar from rival State of Law party said the U.S. would stay out of the fray. Meanwhile, the head of Iraqiya, Ayad Allawi, welcomed input from Arab community.
Four people were killed and 11 were wounded south of Baghdad in Yusufiya, during a blast that occurred when security personnel were called to investigate an earlier bombing that left no casualties.
Three people were killed and eight were wounded when their minibus struck a roadside bomb in Tarmiya yesterday.
A sticky bomb placed on a police brigadier’s vehicle yesterday in Shirqat killed one person and wounded four others.
In Baghdad, a blast wounded two civilians in Khadraa yesterday. A mortar round wounded a civilian in Shabb.
In Mosul, the body of an unidentified civilian was found. A man died when the bomb he was allegedly planting exploded prematurely. An off-duty policeman was found dead hours after he was kidnapped.
A fuel tanker exploded at a checkpoint in Fallujah, killing two people and wounding three others.
A blast in Zinjili wounded eight people.
A soldiers’ body was discovered in Qayara.
In Ramadi, a roadside bomb wounded a policeman.
A fifth person died in a previously reported attack in Buhriz.
Gunmen in Kirkuk wounded a policeman.
