Tuesday, July 31, 2007
News & Views 07/31/07
.Photo: A woman reacts outside a hospital morgue in Mahmoudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of
REPORTS – LIFE IN
Children Hardest Hit by Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq
The number of Iraqi children who are born underweight or suffer from malnutrition has increased sharply since the US-led invasion, according to a report by Oxfam and a network of about 80 aid agencies. The report describes a nationwide catastrophe, with around 8 million Iraqis - almost a third of the population - in need of emergency aid. Many families have dropped out of the food rationing system because they have been displaced by fighting and sectarian conflict. Others suffer from the collapse in basic services caused by the exodus of doctors and hospital staff. Although the security crisis forced Oxfam and other agencies to withdraw their foreign staff from
….. Around 40% of
To be a part of a movie
One day, I was on my way to the University. That day I took the role of an escaped deer that runs from the wolves, who were men with masks. I thought they were trying to catch me! The wolves were riding old civilian cars and gesturing to me with their guns to stop, but as a movie heroine I refused to obey their orders and said to myself “I am dead anyway…. no way!!”. So I should die bravely like a heroine without giving up. Surrender will be useless. Suddenly and from nowhere there was a modern car that flew like a cheetah… Alas! It comes! It comes! And all is true! I heard the sound of bullets whizzing. So I hid my head down and pushed on the brakes. The end is come. I sniffed Death's odor. Moments later I realized that I am still alive; so I raise my head to face my fate. There was an Asian face with big mouth shouting back…back and a gun was directed to my face. Oh God, now I see they were not chasing me, only in my mind. They were foreign private security PSDs! And I was obstructing democracy and freedom that is already brought to us by force. "You should remove your plantation from my cattle" says the trespassing cattle heard in an old Iraqi proverb. Hundreds of Iraqis were killed because they found themselves – unfortunately, with the military troops or private security guards in same time and place; so they paid their lives as a price for this mistake. Can you imagine yourself participating in an epical or war movie? That's what's happening in Democratic
Amputations bring health crisis to Iraq
Iraq is facing a hidden healthcare and social crisis over the soaring number of amputations, largely of lower limbs, necessitated by the daily explosions and violence gripping the country. In the north of
A Little Easier to Occupy from the Air
Many Iraqis believe the dramatic escalation in
"Going back to air raids is an alarming sign of defeat," Salim Rahman, an Iraqi political analyst from
“Violence has destroyed my family”
Housekeeper and mother of three Anisah Kaseb, 58, says the relentless violence in
Fifty Kurds arrested for waving the Iraqi flag
Security forces in Dohuk city in the Kurdish Autonomous Region in the north of
Iraq
If 11 young men can instill national pride and a sense of unity by playing soccer, Iraqis are wondering why 275 politicians elected to steer
The Last Jews of Baghdad
According to recent research, the water in the Tigris and
REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS
Kurdish leader warns of Iraqi civil war
The leader of
M.I.A.: 190,000 Guns Given to Iraqi Forces
The Pentagon "cannot ensure that U.S.-funded equipment has reached Iraqi security forces," according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. Not only did Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq (MNSTC-I) fail to "maintain a centralized record of all equipment distributed to Iraqi forces before December 2005." But there's "a discrepancy of at least 190,000 weapons between data reported by the former MNSTC-I commander and the property books," too.
Sunni Arabs say Maliki pushing them out of govt
Audio: Sunni Militants in
There has been a shifting of alliances in a violent district of Baghdad as Sunni militants in the Amiriya neighborhood on the west side of the capital begin fighting alongside
Fixing Iraq
Oil Ministry Bans Cooperation With Unions
REPORTS – US/UK/OTHERS IN
Iraqi man alleges CIA torture
An Iraqi man alleges he was betrayed after helping British intelligence officials who handed him to U.S. CIA agents for torture in a secret prison.Bisher al-Rawl said he was double-crossed by
US envoy accuses Saudis on Iraq
The
A fragile stability on Iraq
The paved road runs out about 10 miles from the Iranian border, and so does the authority of the Iraqi government. High in the jagged peaks above lies territory controlled by a radical band of Kurdish leftists that has emerged as the latest threat to the region's imperiled stability. At the last Iraqi border checkpoint, a squat gray castle flanked by fields of sunflowers and melons, Col. Ahmed Hamid warns travelers that he can't guarantee their safety. "If anything happens to you, the Iraqi government is not responsible," he cautions. "There could be bombing, and there are terrorists everywhere."
……In response to a recent surge of PKK attacks,
COMMENTARY
Arms for Arab Authoritarians, As
Just 25 months after Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice denounced 60 years of
'Further modernising the Egyptian and Saudi Arabia Armed Forces and increasing inter-operability will bolster our partners' resolve in confronting the threat of radicalism and cement their respective roles as regional leaders in the quest for Middle East peace and in ensuring Lebanon's freedom and independence,' she added.
….Under the arms-for-allies plan, the
…..The proposed arms sales and aid to the 'moderate' Arab states mark yet another step toward its renewed embrace of the Sunni Arab authoritarian regimes that the Bush administration and its neo-conservative backers had tried to distance themselves from in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in 2001, and particularly after the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
'For 60 years, my country -- the
The
The
…… The $20bn will be spread over 10 years. It'll go to Arab states seen as allies of the
Does it all sound familiar?
In the 1980s Donald Rumsfeld met Saddam Hussein as the
IRAQI REFUGEES
Displaced Iraqis in
Nearly 2 million "externally displaced" Iraqis have crossed the borders into neighbouring
RESISTANCE
Iraq Moratorium Day – September 21 and every third Friday thereafter ~ "I hereby make a commitment that on Friday, September 21, 2007, and the third Friday of every subsequent month I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in
Quote of the day: Rage, rage, rage against that machine! Don't let it eat up you or your children because it uses our flesh and blood to engender enormous profits; and while sending our children off to war to use up their airplanes, bombs, guns, bullets, uniforms, helmets and boots, the machine is sending its children off to expensive private schools to raise more machine heads. – Cindy Sheehan
Security Incidents for Tuesday, July 31, 2007
1) MNF-Iraq is reporting the death of a Marine from enemy action in Al Anbar Province on Monday, July 30th.
________________________________
Baghdad:
#1: six people were wounded when a roadside bomb blew up at about 8:15 a.m. near an Iraqi Army vehicle in the 14th Ramadan Street in Baghdad's western neighborhood of Mansour. The explosion was instantly followed by heavy gunfire between anonymous gunmen and Iraqi soldiers, the source added.
A bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol killed one soldier and wounded seven, a hospital source said. Police said the only casualties in that incident were six wounded civilians.
#2: Another bomb explosion missed a US patrol in al-Jadidah region southeast of Baghdad in the morning, leaving three civilians wounded, the source said.
#3: A U.S. helicopter went down Tuesday after coming under fire in eastern Baghdad, and the crew members were safely evacuated, the military said. The AH-64 Apache helicopter made a precautionary landing after facing ground fire east of the predominantly Shiite New Baghdad district, according to a statement.
#4: Gunmen killed an engineer who was repairing the famous Sarafiya Bridge, damaged by a bomb in April, near his home in northern Baghdad, police said.
#5: At least seven Iraqis were killed and 15 others wounded Tuesday in a blast in north Baghdad, pan-Arab al-Arabiya TV broadcaster reported. No further details were immediately available
#6: Around 9.20 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Palestine street targeting an joint troops (American and Iraqi) injuring two Iraqi policemen.
#7: Around 10.15 am, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Zayouna neighborhood (east Baghdad) . No casualties reported.
#8: Around 10.30 am, a roadside bomb targeted an American patrol at Zayouna neighborhood (east Baghdad) injuring one resident.
#9: Police patrols found on Monday 25 unidentified bodies dumped in different parts of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source said.
Iskandariya:
#1: Gunmen killed two men in a drive-by shooting in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, on Monday, police said
Kut:
#1: Police retrieved the bodies of six people, shot and tortured, from the Tigris River in the city of Kut, 170 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, and in the town of Suwayra, 40 km (25 miles) south of the capital, police said.
Basra:
#1: Pharmacists in the southern city of Basra went on strike after gunmen kidnapped the head of their syndicate on Monday, the Basra health directorate said.
Samarra:
#1: Two policemen were killed and one wounded when a roadside bomb exploded close to their patrol near the city of Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said
Balad:
#1: An unmanned U.S. drone also crashed late Monday while landing at an air base north of Baghdad but it did not appear to be from hostile activity and no casualties were reported, the military said separately.
An MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed at the end of the runway while landing at approximately 11 p.m. local time July 30 at Balad Air Base.
Hawija:
#1: Unidentified gunmen killed a teacher in the district of al-Huweija, southwestern Kirkuk, on Tuesday morning, a police source said. "The gunmen shot down Karim Askar Hassan, a teacher, inside a souk (local market) in Huweija," the source, who asked not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq
Kirkuk:
#1: After 15 minutes of Monday mid-night , clashes took place at Rizgari area in Altoun Copry neighborhood north of Kirkuk injuring one resident who was transferred to Kirkuk hospital.
News from Monday ( Kirkuk)
#1: Around 8.45 am of Monday morning, gunmen opened fire on woman teacher Shourja neighborhood near Ameen building in downtown Kirkuk killing her at once.
#2: Around 10 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Al-Hajaj neighborhood near Khansaa elementary school in downtown Kirkuk targeting a police patrol of Irouba police station injuring two policemen and one civilian who was near the explosion scene .
#3: Around 11.40 am, gunmen riding a sedan car (Toyota, Mark model) opened fire randomly on people at Al-Atba’a Street in Hawija killing two brothers.
#4: Around 11.45 am, gunmen opened fire on an employee of he new Iraqi army on the way between Kirkuk –Mosul near Sirkran check point ( north of Kirkuk city) injuring the employee who was taken to hospital for treatment.
Around 1.20 pm, gunmen riding a sedan car ( Opel model) opened fire on the mayor of Siray neighborhood in Hawija in the big market of the city near the power department killing him after suffering from serious injury .
#5: Monday night, gunmen killed a teacher while he was doing shopping in Hawija market ( west Kirkuk) while he was from Tareeq Baghdad neighborhood in downtown Kirkuk.
Al Anbar Prv:
#1: A Marine assigned to Multi National Force-West died July 30 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province.
#2: Dozens of Iraqis were transferred to hospitals in the capital of Anbar province after eating suspected toxic foodstuffs distributed as part of relief efforts, a provincial police source said on Tuesday. "Dozens of families in Ramadi, and five other nearby towns, were transferred to hospitals on Monday after apparently being poisoned by toxic foodstuffs," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. The relief foodstuffs had been distributed by unknown groups of men to poor families earlier in the day in the violence-laden province, the source said. The exact number of victims were not available yet, said the source, adding that some of the victims were in critical conditions.
Afghanistan:
#1: A suicide car bomber blew himself up near a convoy of U.S. troops on the outskirts of Kabul on Tuesday, leaving up to seven civilians and three soldiers wounded, officials said. The Taliban claimed responsibility. In the aftermath of the attack, U.S. troops opened fire on police arriving at the scene, killing one policeman, officials and a witness said.
The bomber targeted the convoy outside Camp Phoenix, a U.S. base on Jalalabad road - an area frequently targeted by suicide bomb attacks. A statement from the U.S.-led coalition said three Afghan civilians and three coalition service members were wounded. Lt. Cmdr. Brenda Steele, a spokeswoman for NATO forces, said one foreign soldier suffered minor injuries in the attack and seven civilians were wounded. She would not disclose the nationality of the wounded soldier. The differing casualty figures could not immediately be reconciled.
#2: in southern Kandahar province, the Taliban attacked a police checkpoint Monday night in Maiwand district, and the ensuing two-hour gun battle left three Taliban dead, including a senior commander, said provincial police chief Syed Agha Saqib. He said the police suffered no casualties.
#3: Also Monday in northern Kunduz province, a suicide bomb attack killed one employee of the intelligence service, and wounded eight civilians, a policeman and three other intelligence personnel, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday in a statement.
#4: A roadside bomb wounded six paramilitary troops on Tuesday as they delivered food to colleagues in Pakistan’s troubled tribal belt near the Afghan border, officials said. The troops’ vehicle had just entered the rugged South Waziristan tribal zone “and was distributing rations at a checkpost when it hit an improvised explosive device,” local police official Mumtaz Zareen told AFP. Security officials said two soldiers were seriously injured and four others suffered minor wounds in the blast near the town of Tank.
#5: Earlier troops traded gunfire with pro-Taleban militants in the neighbouring region of North Waziristan after rebels launched rockets at government and army buildings, officials said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
#6: One rocket damaged a government-run student hostel in Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, while two landed on the lawns of the main military base in the town, local security officials said.
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Monday, July 30, 2007
News & Views 07/30/07
Photo:
More photos here, a video Iraqi football fans in the Jordanian capital are seen chanting, "With our spirits and blood, we sacrifice ourselves for you, Saddam," as they celebrate the Iraqi team's victory in the Asian Cup finals.
REPORTS – LIFE IN
Dear politicians - Words can never describe how grateful we are because our great heroes the Iraqi national soccer team made a miracle by winning Asia Championship. Maybe only the prayers of the widows and orphans of Iraq whom you brought joy to their hearts, maybe their prayers that Allah keeps you safe and blessed can give you your rights, its not the financial rewards of the Prime Minister or the President that give you your rights.
The most important thing our national team did is giving you an important lesson about the most important subject in the school of life. The lesson was (how to be A Real Iraqi). They worked together. We didn’t have 11 players in the field, we had only one player but with 11 bodies. This great player fought like a real lion and like real eagle. He controlled the ground and the sky and captured happiness in spite of his wounds. It was hard job but the Iraqi brave knight accomplished the mission successfully because this knight carries deep in his pure heart the tears of all the widows and all the orphans, the grief of all the old men and more than that, this honest knight carries the hopes of all the honest real Iraqis. This is the lesson I talk about and I hope that you (our politicians) who watched the match and rewarded the knight, I hope you understand the lesson very well and try to pass the exams you have. The political crisis is not more than an exam and you are failures until this moment. I hope you study the lesson of the Iraqi national team again and try hard to pass this final exam.
MAY ALLAH BLESS YOU OUR GREAT YOUNG MEN.
It is dawn now, every one is asleep and I can not sleep. It is tears of joy not for winning the championship but for the men who played against all odds to bring joy to the sad widows, orphans and the wounded country. I am proud of you my brothers, all your people are proud of you. Thanks for every one of you who supported the team.
Third of Iraqis 'need urgent aid'
Nearly a third of the population of
OXFAM: Report on the Humanitarian Challenge in
[I did not read this PDF in full, but the summary presented information that we are either already aware of, like the number of refugees and the number of Iraqis who are without adequate food and shelter, or report in other articles cited today. Eight million Iraqis are in need of assistance now. It also presented information on anonymous agencies still functioning in
AUDIO: “Weakness and Waste in
Economic mismanagement and corruption in
Half of
Said Arikit, a spokesman for the UN mission in
Families in south displaced as former Baathists targeted
Militants in southern areas of
REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS
Iraq's parliament adjourned Monday for an August recess without receiving from the government a series of U.S.-backed draft laws designed to promote national unity and stem support for the Sunni-led insurgency. Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani closed the three-hour session without a quorum present and declared it would not resume work until Sept. 4. Legislators blamed the government of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for failing to construct compromise versions of the key pieces of legislation such as the so-called oil law, intended to ensure a fair distribution of
Interior Ministry mirrors chaos of a fractured Iraq
This is
On the second floor is Gen. Mahdi Gharrawi, a former national police commander. Last year,
IRAQI REFUGEES
Two thousand Iraqis are fleeing their homes every day. It is the greatest mass exodus of people ever in the Middle East and dwarfs anything seen in
….. Kalawar is a horrible place. Situated behind a petrol station down a dusty track, the first sight of the camp is of rough shelters made out of rags, torn pieces of cardboard and old blankets. The stench is explained by the fact the Kurdish municipal authorities will not allow the 470 people in the camp to dig latrines. They say this might encourage them to stay.
….. Asked to list their worst problems Mr Nayef said they were the lack of school for the children, shortage of food, no kerosene to cook with, no money, no jobs and no electricity. The real answer to the question is that the Arabs of Kalawar have nothing. They have only received two cartons of food each from the International Committee of the Red Cross and a tank of clean water.
….. Governments and the media crudely evaluate human suffering in
Video: Child Refugees From
Children are nearly always cited as the most desperate group in any refugee crisis. They are also, unfortunately, too often depicted in archetypal photos, too simplistic to depict the reality of the crisis. This week Hayder Fahad speaks with several Iraqi children living in
RESISTANCE
Iraq Moratorium Day – September 21 and every third Friday thereafter ~ "I hereby make a commitment that on Friday, September 21, 2007, and the third Friday of every subsequent month I will break my daily routine and take some action, by myself or with others, to end the War in
Quote of the day: Got that? The president of the United States just issued a public pronouncement declaring, as a matter of U.S. policy, that a single man has the authority to detain any person anyplace in the world and subject him or her to secret interrogation techniques that aren't torture but that nonetheless can't be revealed, as long as that person is thought to be a "supporter" of an organization "associated" in some unspecified way with the Taliban or Al Qaeda, and as long he thinks that person might know something that could "assist" us. But "supporter" isn't defined, nor is "associated organization." - Rosa Brooks
Bet you didn't see this on your TV
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Iraq won the Asian Cup for the first time Sunday, a beacon of hope for a nation divided by war. Iraq's 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on a 71st-minute header by captain Younis Mahmoud was an inspirational triumph for a team whose players straddle bitter and violent ethnic divides. After the game, Mahmoud called for the United States to withdraw its troops from his nation.
"I want America to go out," he said. "Today, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, but out. I wish the American people didn't invade Iraq and, hopefully, it will be over soon."
Mahmoud also said he will not return to Iraq to celebrate.
"I don't want the Iraqi people to be angry with me," he said. "If I go back with the team, anybody could kill me or try to hurt me."
Security Incidents for Monday, July 30, 2007
(1) An MNF-Iraq release and a release from the DoD are simultaneously announcing and identifying three new Army deaths from a roadside bombing in the vicinity of Saqlawiyah, just to the northwest of Fallujah, in Al Anbar Province, on Thursday, July 26th
(2) The British Ministry of Defense has issued a brief statement announcing the death of a British Royal Marine in combat operations in southern Afghanistan on Sunday, July 29th.
_____________________________________________
Baghdad:
#1: At least six people have been killed and more than 30 others injured in a suspected bomb attack on a minibus in Baghdad today. The minibus was one of several waiting for passengers heading to predominantly Shiite areas in eastern Baghdad. It exploded near Tayaran Square at around 1pm local time, damaging several nearby cars and kiosks.
#2: The security forces killed a suicide bomber before detonating a car rigged with explosives in Saydiya district southwestern Baghdad, and defused another car bomb in Zayonah neighborhood, eastern Baghdad , the spokesman for the law-imposing security plan on Sunday.
#3: at least five people were killed and nearly 30 wounded by celebratory gunfire after the game.
#4: About two dozen masked gunmen also bombed a Shiite shrine that had a reputation for healing powers in a volatile Sunni area north of Baghdad late Sunday, police said. The attack flattened the building and destroyed the shrine. The shrine was guarded by Sunnis and visited by followers of both Islamic sects, residents said. The gunmen arrived in four vehicles and told people living nearby to leave to avoid being hurt.
#5: a roadside bomb that killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded three in a predominantly Sunni area in northwestern Baghdad
#6: A mortar barrage against a market south of Baghdad that killed one civilian and wounded three others.
Diyala Prv:
#1: Northeast of the capital, dozens of suspected Sunni insurgents attacked a Sunni village south of Baqouba, killing 20 civilians and kidnapping others for not cooperating with them, a local police official said. He declined to be identified because he feared becoming a target himself. The attack began late Sunday and lasted through Monday morning, the officer said. The report could not be independently confirmed
Iskandariya:
#1: Three people were killed and two wounded in a fight between two Shi'ite and Sunni tribes on Sunday in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Diwaniya:
#1: Gunmen killed two policemen in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, 180 km (110 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Kut:
#1: A policeman was killed and another seriously wounded by unidentified gunmen fire in two separate incidents in northern Kut, a police source in Wassit province said on Monday.
#2: Four civilians were injured when their car collided with U.S. vehicle on Monday afternoon on the main road Kut-Baghdad, a police source said.
Basra:
#1: The Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq said it killed a gunman who was about to open fire at its base in the former presidential palaces in central Basra on Sunday night.
#2: The British base in the Basra International Airport came under indirect fire during the past 24 hours but caused no casualties or damage," the spokesman for the MNF told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq
Balad:
#1: A car bomb targeting a police patrol killed one policeman and wounded six others in Balad on Sunday, police said
#2: A suicide fuel truck bomb targeting an Iraqi army and police checkpoint killed four people and wounded six near the town of Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, on Sunday, police said.
Kirkuk:
#1: A series of shootings also killed four people in the disputed northern city of Kirkuk and nearby Hawija. The victims included a female official with the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which is pressing for oil-rich Kirkuk to be incorporated into the autonomous Kurdish region despite opposition by Arabs and Turkomen.
Al Anbar Prv:
#1: Three Soldiers assigned to Multi National Force-West died July 26 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar Province.
Fallujah:
#1: One woman killed and both her children injured along with one man and a young boy also injured in mortar attack upon Nuab al-Dhubbat district, north Falluja.
#2: One policeman stabbed by unknown person and taken to hospital.
Sulaimaniyah:
#1: One person killed in Kafri district, 150 km south of Sulleimaniya and one woman injured in Bawa Khushen village 70 km south of Sulleimaniya by celebratory fire during celebrations for winning the Asia football cup, yesterday.
Afghanistan:
#1: three troopers of Pakistan's Frontier Corps paramilitary forces died in a roadside blast when they were switching checkpoints set up in North Waziristan's administrative capital of Miranshah, the military's chief spokesman Major General Waheed Arshad said.
#2: Four more soldiers sustained gunshot wounds when suspected Islamic militants ambushed their convoy in the Datakhel area as they were moving towards Miranshah from the town of Bannu located some 60 km eastwards. Two civilian vehicles plying the road were also caught in the line of fire when the attackers positioned on higher grounds engaged the military personnel using heavy weapons. According to Arshad, there were reports of four civilians being killed in the ambush.
#3: In another incident, a remote-controlled bomb was detonated early morning when some army vehicles were moving between the far-flung village of Razmak and the town of Bannu. 'No major damage was done and just one soldier was slightly injured,' he said.
#4: Meanwhile, four soldiers were also wounded in an overnight rocket attack on an army camp in Miranshah. The rockets also caused minor damage to the infrastructure.
#5: Taliban insurgents ambushed and killed 10 Afghan employees of a private security company in the south of the country on Monday, the interior ministry said. Three other staff of the company were wounded in the pre-dawn raid on a highway in the southern province of Zabul, it said in a statement. The insurgents fled after the ambush, the ministry said. A provincial official said the victims worked for a US private security company.
#7: Taliban insurgents stormed a police post in the southwestern province of Nimroz, killing five police and abducting four others, a provincial official said.
#8: It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm the death of a member of the Royal Marines during operations in southern Afghanistan yesterday, Sunday 29 July 2007.
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Sunday, July 29, 2007
A happy day in Iraq 07/29/07
Photo: Iraqi soldiers and residents celebrate in a street in Baghdad July 29, 2007, after their Iraqi team won the final game of the 2007 AFC Asian Cup soccer tournament against Saudi Arabia in Jakarta.
REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ)
They are joyful today, and I am happy for them. I hope many more days of joy come their way soon. And I hope they keep winning their football games (even though I don't care about sports at all)!
I hope this joy unites them...... they certainly showed the world how to be the best at football!!!
News of the Day for Sunday, July 29, 2007
An Iraqi soldier seals off a road before a vehicle curfew in Baghdad July 29, 2007. Iraqi authorities imposed vehicle curfews on Sunday and security forces went on alert for attacks on soccer fans as splintered communities shared a rare moment of unity before the Asian Cup final. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani (IRAQ)
SECURITY INCIDENTS
Baghdad
MND-Baghdad soldier killed by small arms fire north of the capital. This is datelined Baghdad but may have happened in Diyala.
Update: A Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldier was killed during combat operations in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital July 29.
Authorities announce a total ban on all vehicles, including bicycles and carts, in and around Baghdad to try to prevent a repeat of violence in the event of a celebration should the Iraqi soccer team win the Asian cup. U.S. and Iraqi forces deploy to deter incidents, Iraqi forces who join in any celebrations will be disciplined.
And an update: The Iraq national team defeated Saudi Arabia 1-0 to take the Asian cup final. Let's hope for a peaceful celebration!
One person killed, five injured in mortar attack on French ambassador's residence. All the casualties are reported to be Iraqi civilians who were near the residence.
Roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol kills three civilians in western Baghdad.
Bomb hits minibus in eastern Baghdad, killing one passenger and injuring four.
Police man shot to death southeast of Baghdad.
(Actually north of Baghdad, unspecified location) Gunmen open fire on U.S. aircraft, which return fire killing three "militants" and injuring a fourth, according to the U.S. military.
Police find 20 bodies in various locations around the capital. Reuters also reports:
- Iraqi security forces arrested two men in a car filled with explosives in the eastern Baghdad district of Zayouna, police said. The men were accused of waiting to target soccer fans celebrating Iraq's appearance in the Asian Cup final.
- A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol wounded four people, including a soldier, in Baghdad's Zayouna area, police said.
A roadside bomb targeted an American convoy passing through the Sharqa intersection near Bayaa bus station injuring three Iraqis. McClatchy also reports:
- Around 8 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood (east Baghdad). No casualties recorded
- Around 10 am, Katyusha missiles targeted Zafaraniya neighborhood. No human casualties recorded. Not clear whether this means affirmatively that there were no casualties, or simply that there are no reports as yet. These reports were clearly prepared by Iraqi staff, I have copy-edited the English. -- C
Diyala province
Early morning , terrorists bombed The Prophet Daniel shrine near Wajihiya town (north of Baquba) and it is fully destroyed. McClatchy also reports:
- Early morning, terrorists attacked Bihbisa village , which is close to Daniel shrine , firing some houses , killing 3 men , kidnapping five and destroying 11 houses which forced some family to displace the area.
- Around 10 am, a roadside bomb exploded in front of a shop whose owner was supplying people for food ration which had months of delay [sic] killing one man and injuring 25 other at Belad Rouz ( 40 km east of Baquba. Most of the injured are women and children.
- Around 10 am, three policemen were killed and three others injured when a roadside bomb targeted their patrol near Deli Abass (east Baquba).
- Around mid-day, a resident of Behrz town was killed when gunmen opened fire a café in the town.
- Gunmen killed a police man elsewhere in Behrz.
- Police has two members of Al-Qaeda in custody during a raid on some buildings opposite the police directorate in Bauba admitting of committing many crimes.
- Police found a dead body at Al-Ameen square (east Baquba) which was sent to Baquba morgue.
Note: It is apparent that McClatchy has one or more stringers in Diyala who called in these reports. As McClatchy emphasizes in this post, and as we try to remind readers from time to time, the reports of violence in Iraq are very incomplete. We only get a sampling. -- C
Yusufiyah (south of Baghdad)
U.S. forces hunted for a "foreign terrorist facilitator and Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader." No word on whether they found him.
Kut
Gunmen killed a police officer.
Basra
British forces say they spotted individuals planting an explosive device in the road, killed one and captured another. Aswat al-Iraq also reports:
- British forces arrested an individual with several guns in his possession. Just sounds like a typical Iraqi -- C
- All British bases in Basra have come under indirect fire in the past 24 hours, no casualties reported.
I'm going to reproduce this in full because it appears utterly senseless:
Basra, Jul 29, (VOI) – Unidentified gunmen blew up the Lion of Babylon statue in central Basra during the early hours of Sunday, eyewitnesses said. "An explosive charge was planted under the statue, completely destroying it the historical monument in Basra," an eyewitness told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The statue, one of the historical landmarks in Basra, 590 km south of Baghdad, was built in the 1920s and symbolized the Babylonian civilization.
The Lion of Babylon, large and splendidly carved in basalt, is reminiscent of the legend that the lion was the symbol of the goddess Ishtar, the ancient Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, and war. In the sculpture, the lion's back has marks indicating that it was meant for a precious saddle upon which the goddess Ishtar would stand.
Fallujah
One policeman killed, two injured by assailants in al-Shurta neighborhood. VoI reports an ambulance driver killed in a separate attack.
Tuz Khurmato
Saturday night, gunmen riding two sedan cars penetrated Yankeja village near Tuz Khurmatu (90 km north of Tikrit and 76 km south of Kirkuk) having 12 people in custody and making them stand in one line opening fire on them. Six people were killed and the six others were injured. All of the people are Turkmans.
Gunmen opened fire on shoppers, killing seven and injuring six. Not 100% sure this is a separate incident but it seems to be.
This report further confuses the situation: Police Chief in Touz city, Abbas Mahmoud Amin, said: 'Unidentified gunmen attacked a predominantly Turkomen area, 85 km south-west of Kirkuk killing six and wounding six others.' Amin added: 'One of the six wounded died shortly after the attack, raising death toll to seven. The (five) other wounded are being treated in Kirkuk and Touz hospitals, but they are in a very critical condition.' A source who spoke on condition of anonymity told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI): 'The gunmen stormed the house (of the Turkoman leader) shooting those present and killing six people, including two sons of the leader and four of his bodyguards.'
The source did not reveal the name of the Turkoman leader. 'Eight gunmen were able to infiltrate security barricades manned by Kurdish Peshmerga and fled the scene unscathed,' he said.
So, we have three reports of attacks on Turkmen in the same area, all with similar casualty numbers but what appear to be different targets and MOs. All the reports are from different sources. Possibly this was a gang going around doing serial hits? Or garbled reports of the same incident? I wish I could provide more clarity. Thanks as usual to Whisker for the big help.
Other News of the Day
The Kurdistan government prepares to deploy 12,000 Peshmerga (the Kurdistan army) to protect power lines and oil facilities in the Kirkuk region, pending agreement with the Baghdad government. (Although the VoI report suggests that the Maliki government is prepared to approve this operation, the article does not explain how controverial this must be, perhaps because Iraqi readers will already understand. A large deployment of Peshmerga in the Kirkuk area, which is contested between Arabs and Kurds, may not go well with the local Arab population. At the same time, it would not be as troubling to the Maliki government, which is based in the Shiite south and not a party to this conflict. -- C)
Both Talabani and representatives of the government sharply criticize Iraqi Accordance Front for its threat to withdraw from the government. Note: This is further evidence of the dynamic of a Kurdish-Shiite alliance against the Sunni Arab faction. Excerpt:
By HAMZA HENDAWI
The Iraqi government sharply criticized the country's largest Sunni Arab bloc Friday over its threat to quit the ruling coalition, with the Kurdish president calling the move "unacceptable" and the government spokesman dubbing it "blackmail."
President Jalal Talabani also said the Iraqi Accordance Front should have discussed its demands with the country's political leadership in private rather than publicizing them. "It's an unacceptable position," Talabani said in an interview with U.S.-funded Alhurra television, explaining that announcing the demands to the media meant a public spat with the government. He conceded, however, that the Accordance Front's demands were "mostly fair" and acknowledged some government failures, which he did not identify.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government also criticized the Accordance Front's threat, although the Shiite leader himself issued no public word on the subject.
The Sunni Arab bloc announced Wednesday it was suspending its membership in al-Maliki's government for now, but would quit it altogether if its demands were not met in a week's time.
The 11 demands include a pardon for security detainees not charged with specific crimes, a firm commitment to human rights and the participation of all coalition partners in the handling of security issues.
Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh contended the criticism contained many "distortions" and amounted to an attempt to hinder the political process.
"The policy of threats, pressure and blackmail is useless," al-Dabbagh said in a four-page statement, which charged that the Front, which has six Cabinet members and 44 of parliament's 275 seats, has contributed to some of the policies it criticized.
WHO regional director addresses a conference in Syria on the health needs of Iraqi refugees. There are an estimated 2 million displaced Iraqis in neighboring countries. Excerpt:
DAMASCUS, July 28 (KUNA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) expressed "deep concern" Sunday over the deterioration of security in Iraq that led to the displacement of more than four million Iraqis both at home and to the neighboring countries.
WHO's Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Dr Hussein Al-Gezairy was addressing a ministerial gathering in Damascus on the health needs of Iraqis in neighboring countries, adding that despite persistent efforts by the Iraqi government and other concerned parties, the situation in Iraq still inspired worry and fears at the regional and international levels.
The Damascus conference that opened today is attended by ministers of health of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Syria, as well many international organizations.
More than a million Iraqis were displaced at home while other 2.2 million had to leave to Syria, Jordan and other neighbors, he said, noting that the process was on the rise as an estimated 60,000 Iraqi fled the country monthly.
He said that the host countries would not be able to carry on with the health services they offered to the refugees who are gradually increasing.
The dilemma, according to the WHO regional director, was not only the huge numbers of refugees or the USD one billion needed annually to cover the services they received at the host countries, but it lied in the fact that the refugees included the professional Iraqis, which hits the national capabilities.
One of the aims of the Damascus WHO event is to discuss the present challenges facing the Iraqi health sector.
U.S. says an insurgent faction called the 1920 Revolution Brigades has "reconciled" with the government and the occupation.
The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says the Maliki government has refused to take control of 2,000 construction projects, forcing the U.S. to commit more money to keep them running. It's not entirely clear what's going on here, but this AP report seems to suggest that the Iraqi government simply lacks the resources and capability of running the projects. As it further notes, many projects which the Iraqis have taken over have subsequently failed. - C
Quote of the Day
It's remarkably common for a grandson to take up his grandfather's major project. This occurred to me when I read recently of Thor Heyerdahl's grandson taking up his mission to cross the Pacific on a raft. But what really struck me was the BBC story aired on July 23rd documenting President George W. Bush's grandfather's involvement in a 1933 plot to overthrow the U.S. government and install a fascist dictatorship. I knew the story, but had not considered the possibility that the grandson was trying to accomplish what his grandfather had failed to achieve.
-- David Swanson
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