Updated at 6:51 p.m. EDT, Oct. 6, 2010
At least two Iraqis were killed and four were wounded in new attacks. Although violence was light, other news stories took the headlines as American officials publicly spoke against one particular political alliance that could help end the power vacuum in Baghdad.
Ambassador James F. Jeffrey gave a news conference in Baghdad, where he warned an alliance with Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr could harm a strategic partnership with Washington. Last week, the Sadrists announced their support for a second Maliki turn as prime minister so long as their demands are honored. The move has alienated other Shi’ite groups; however, if Kurdish lawmakers join them, it could still give Maliki enough votes to return as premier.
The Turkish government is asking parliament for an extension of its mandate to launch cross-border strikes against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq. The Iraqi Army has stressed its inability to focus on the PKK, leaving Turkey to stage its own attacks. Currently, the PKK is observing a unilateral ceasefire in hopes of bringing Turkey to peace talks.
A lawmaker from the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition (KBC) has asked Kurds to calmly protest the delay of the census. Bakir Hama-Saeed believes the census was postponed to delay an article that could resolve territorial issues in northern Iraq.
In Mosul, gunmen killed two civilians.
In Baghdad, a sticky bomb injured a police colonel in Dolaee. A suspect was captured in Jamiaa, and thirteen bombs were defused across the city.
Two policemen were wounded in a blast in Tuz Khormato.
A rocket wounded a man in Kirkuk.
The director of Kurdish Asayesh security forces warned that Ansar al-Islam is planning further attacks in Kurdish regions.
Five bombs were defused near Amara.
Fourteen suspects were arrested in Basra.
