AFP notes Iraq has executed 5 more people today which, when combined with Monday's 21, makes for 26 executions so far this week and "at least 96 the number of people executed so far this year." The five today were not just Iraqi, they were also foreign nationals. Alsumaria reports 1 Syrian and 1 Saudi were among those executed and that there are approximately 50 crimes which can result in the death penatly in Iraq. Yesterday, Human Rights Watch's Joe Stork told Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN), "Our main concern is what were these people actually convicted of? Terrorism does not tell us very much." Dar Addustour adds that there are at least 200 executions still to be carried out. The news outlet notes that an Iraqiya youth leader is calling for Iraq to stop the executions at least until the much talked of amnesty bill is passed into law. The student accused the government of rushing to carry out executions for sectarian reasons. Al Rafidayn notes that MP Haider Mulla is stating that they will vote on the amnesty last this Monday.
As the month of August winds down, Iraq Body Count tabulates 372 deaths from violence through yesterday.
Violence continues in Iraq. Al Rafidayn notes that Brigadier General Nazim Tayeh, with the Interior Ministry, was shot dead in Baghdad as his car passed the airport and they note that a Kirkuk roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer and left another injured, a Riyadh bombing killed 3 security forces and left four more injured and another Kirkuk roadside bombing left two Peshmerga injured.
In addition, Dar Addustour reports that thieves dressed as police and driving apparent police vehicles robbed a car of 600 million dinars. In a security addition, Daughters of Iraq are being brought into the system. Al Shora reports:
"A decision was made to integrate members of the Banat al-Iraq organisation, the women's armed wing of the Sahwa forces that fought al-Qaeda in Diyala, into the local police force," said Amer al-Khuzaie, the Iraqi government's national reconciliation advisor.
Daughters of the Iraq were the female counterparts of the Sons of Iraq or Sahwa, also known as "Awakening."
On the political crisis front, Al Mada reports that Ibrahim al-Jaafari has declared that there's an open door for reconciliation between Baghdad and Erbil. At one point, that might have meant something. Maybe not. But the reality is that the Kurds don't trust Ibrahim, didn't trust him in 2005, don't trust him today. And since 2005, they've gotten additional reasons not to trust him. So the idea that he can reach out with an olive branch is rather laughable. After the US government, the Kurds were the biggest objection to Ibrahim getting a second term as prime minister following the 2005 elections.
Jalal Talabani may have a little bit more credibility than Ibrahim with the Kurds, Jalal is, after all, Kurdish; however, he fled to Germany for a reason and remains there for a reason so maybe not.
Dar Addustour reports that Jalal is saying he'll return to Iraq in September and that he's agreed to meet with Osama al-Nujaifi, Speaker of Parliament, when he returns to Iraq. He is also scheduled to meet with KRG President Massoud Barzani and there are rumors of a meet-up with Barzani, al-Nujaifi, Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi and Moqtada al-Sadr.
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