Interior Minister Jawad Bolani said security forces thwarted an attack on the French embassy that was planned by the same insurgents who took over a church last month; however, they were not able to prevent the violence that led to at least 13 Iraqis losing their lives today. Another 33 were wounded as well. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari called the latest WikiLeaks dump "unhelpful and untimely."
Former Foreign Minister under Saddam, Tariq Aziz, was convicted again today and given yet another sentence, ten years for terrorizing Shi’ite Kurds. Aziz is already awaiting execution for other crimes. Former Interior Minister under Saddam, Saadoun Shaker, received a death sentence, as did Mizban Khidher Hadi, a Ba’ath Party member. Two of Saddam’s half-brothers were far luckier and acquitted in their trials.
Four Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded in a blast near a Baquba restaurant. Women and children were among the victims.
A policeman and a soldier were killed as they tried to defuse a bomb in Abu Ghraib. Two others were wounded in the blast.
Baiji police found two bodies. One belonged to a policeman, the other to a Sahwa member.
In Mosul, a female body bearing bullet wounds was discovered. Gunmen killed a man last night.
A tortured and shot corpse belonging to a policeman was discovered in Mussayab. A taxi driver was also shot dead.
A bomb left on a railroad track in Anbar province killed a railroad employee and wounded another.
In Baghdad, a blast in a central location left no casualties.
Fifty suspects were detained in Amara.
An Ansar al-Sunna leader was arrested in Kirkuk.
Three electrical towers were blown up near Qaim.
