A U.S. State Department report warned that bomb-sniffing dogs being sent to Iraq might not have sufficient training. The dogs, which are considered taboo by many Iraqis, were forced on them after it was discovered that the ADE-651 bomb detectors security forces had been using were actually useless.
Kurdish lawmakers, meanwhile, said they are coming close to a deal with the State of Law Party as well. The deal could give them more support in their quest to annex large areas of oil-rich northern Iraq into the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. That deal and the shutout of the Iraqiya party will likely inflame Sunni Iraqis, but Iraqiya is willing to talk to Maliki about a power-sharing scheme that could resolve the issue. State of Law has also taken its struggle to neighboring countries, looking for support.
In Baghdad, a body was discovered in the Tigris River. Two bystanders were wounded in Adhamiya, when a clash broke out after a sniper wounded an Iraqi soldier. A massive demonstration against the political deadlock was held in Firdous Square. A recent spike in rocket attacks on the Green Zone was reported.
The body of a young woman, apparently tortured, was found in Madaen.
In Basra, four prison guards were wounded when prisoners attacked them, and several inmates were treated for tear gas exposure. As many as seven others were wounded earlier when they repelled a boat attack at the same prison. Separately, demonstrators protested against the political deadlock.
The vice president of the Wassit province council was released a day after his arrest.
A protest against the delay in forming a new government was banned in Kut.
Protests were held in Karbala.
In Iran, security forces killed two people, who may have been involved in yesterday’s deadly attack that left five dead and nine wounded. The attack will likely be blamed on Party Of A Free Life Of Kurdistan (PJAK) rebels who base themselves in northern Iraq.
The PJAK are associated with the better-known Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) group, which also operates out of northern Iraq. While the PJAK focuses on Iran, the PKK goes after Turkish targets. The PKK are currently observing a cease-fire in hopes that Turkey may come to the peace table. The tactic may have worked as Ankara has admitted to talking to their jailed figurehead, Abdullah Ocalan.
