Wednesday: 7 Iraqis Killed, 18 Wounded

At least seven Iraqis were killed and 18 more were wounded in light violence.

A new U.S. Senate report warns that Americans remaining in Iraq could be in danger once U.S. troops leave at the end of the year, while a top diplomat defended the scope of the U.S. State Department‘s operations that will replace the soldiers. Separately, a former U.S. military interrogator, Air Force Reserve Maj. Anthony Camerino, describes in a new book how he raided the wrong homes in about half of the terrorist searches he participated in. Also, Pfc. Bradley Manning, the U.S. soldier accused of transferring classified documents to WikiLeaks, was sent to Iraq despite a mental health specialist’s recommendation he be disqualified from deployment into a war zone.

Iraq’s speaker of parliament decried a supreme court ruling giving authority of important independent agencies to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s cabinet. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch reported on a number of secret prisons run by an elite brigade who report to P.M. Maliki.

Iraq and Kuwait have agreed on a mechanism to resolve any future territorial disputes. In recent months, Iraqi fisherman have trespassed into what Kuwait believes is its territorial waters, resulting in several arrests and at least one death.

In Baghdad, six people were wounded during two blasts in Shabb. A Trade Ministry employee was killed and two bystanders were wounded in a blast in Yarmouk. Another bombing in Yarmouk killed one man and wounded his wife and child. A female body was discovered in Batawan. A blast against U.S. troops in New Baghdad left no casualties. Two journalists were attacked in separate incidents this week.

Two soldiers were shot dead in Haswa, where authorities rounded-up 20 suspects in connection with the attack.

Gunmen killed a division chief working for the Intelligence official during an attack in Taji. Two relatives were wounded.

A police officer was killed and an old man was wounded during a shooting in Rabiaa.

In Mosul, where reports of violence have nearly disappeared, gunmen wounded two people in separate incidents. Also, an army soldier firing into the air to regulate traffic, accidentally wounded a college student.

An Islamic State of Iraq leader was arrested in Suwayra.

Author: Margaret Griffis

Margaret Griffis is a journalist from Miami Beach, Florida and has been covering Iraqi casualties for Antiwar.com since 2006.