At the risk of antagonizing Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Sunni Parliamentary Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi came out against some of the excesses of the current administration. Meanwhile, at least four Iraqis were killed and 14 more were wounded in the latest violence.
Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi strongly criticized human rights violations in the security forces and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki‘s attempts to stop the provincial autonomy movements. Maliki controls the ministries that oversee the national police and army, where some of the worst abuses, which include torture and secret prisons, have taken place.
Perhaps sensing such accusations, M.P.Adnan Al-Mayahi claimed two days ago that these abuses were the work of "infiltrators." Mayahi belongs to the same State of Law party as Maliki. Nujaifi’s comments could further antagonize Maliki who has recently been trying to oust Sunni rivals from office. The latest political row began with the call for semi-autonomy from Sunni areas of the country. Nujaifi reminded Maliki that such bids are constitutional.
If M.P. Hamid Al Mutlag has his way, the first concessions towards Anbar province from the prime minister could be the release of 15 army officers who were detained, perhaps illegally, two weeks ago. Maliki has promised to honor a list of demands from the province in exchange for the provincial council to drop any bids for semi-autonomy. The council says they have, so far, seen little effort to that end.
In Kirkuk, a sticky bomb wounded two civilians. Last night, another bombing left one dead and four injured.
A bomb in Buhriz killed one person and wounded two others.
In Baquba, one civilian was killed and another was wounded during a blast.
One person was killed in a bombing in Saidiya.
In Baghdad, Katyusha rockets wounded four people at a Doura housing project.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for yesterday’s attack against Finance Minister Rafe al-Issawi, but a third guard has now been reported wounded.
Two kidnapping victims were liberated near Tikrit.
