Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Admiral Michael Mullen in Baghdad and reiterated his belief that Iraq’s military is prepared to take over when the last U.S. soldier leaves at the end of the year. Meanwhile, at least eight Iraqis were killed and 17 more were wounded.
Six decomposed bodies were found in Samarra. A roadside bomb blast targeting a judge killed a child and wounded four people.
In Baghdad, gunmen wounded a police major in Adhamiya. A bomb in central Baghdad wounded three people. A liquor store was shot up and bombed in Jihad; seven people were wounded, including the owner. The Integrity Commission chief survived an assassination attempt.
A protest against extending U.S. military presence in Iraq is in its 10th day in Mosul. A curfew implemented by security forces pre-empted a general strike scheduled for today. Separately, a student was killed. An oil ministry official was wounded in a drive-by shooting. An electoral official was wounded in a sticky bomb attack.
Hundreds of lawyers staged a demonstration in Falluja. They are asking for the withdrawal of U.S. troops and for the release of innocent detainees from prison. Many in Iraq are trapped in jail without having been given the chance to prove their innocence in the courtroom.
Three former secret agents were sentenced to death for the assassination of an Iraqi lawmaker’s father.
In Basra, 33 suspects were arrested.
