The Common Ills: More US soldiers sent to Baghdad

Friday, October 12, 2012

More US soldiers sent to Baghdad

Al Mada reports that another brigade of of US soldiers have arrived in Iraq to help the others US soldiers who began inspecting Iranian planes crossing over Iraq to Syria (the others began last week). Look for the US press to ignore this news that's been reported for a week now in Iraq. To continue to ignore.

Meanwhile the September 27 attack on the prison in Tikrit is back in the news. Kitabat reports that the attack that resulted in at least 16 deaths and injuries as well as over 100 escapees is being claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq. They claimed credit for the attack, boasted that they had infiltrated the prison and smuggled guns and bombs inside. Alsumaria adds that today's announcement also stated that five members of the Islamic State of Iraq had been killed in the operation. July 22nd, the Islamic State of Iraq released an audio recording announcing a new campaign of violence entitled Breaking The Walls which would include prison breaks and killing "judges and investigators and their guards." Since they made their July announcement there have been minor and major attacks throughout Iraq.

Part of the reason for the Islamic State of Iraq's successes of late is that they have a cause that is sympathetic when they focus on prisoners due to the fact that the Iraqi prison system has become a labyrinth that few ever escape from. The disappeared are often impossible for the families to track and often wait years and years for a court appearance that may or may not come. When Nouri was interested in looking like a leader to the American people -- a portion of 2007 and 2008 -- he spoke about the need to pass an amnesty law. Nothing was ever passed. His State of Law remains the biggest obstacle to an amnesty law. All Iraq News notes that the Kurdistan Alliance is calling for the amnesty bill to contain more guidelines and that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi has postponed the latest scheduled vote to Saturday. Alsumaria notes the infrastructure bill is also supposed to be voted on Saturday.

On the Parliament, they recently scheduled a month long vacation to begin in November. Al Mada reports that Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq is calling on the members of Parliament to postpone the vacation until an amnesty law is passed.

All Iraq News reports that human rights activist Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim has been arrested in Mosul after Governor Ethel al-Nujaifi swore out a complaint against him. For what isn't stated. al-Nujaifi is not just the governor of Nineveh Province, he is also the brother of Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi. In other surprising news, Alsumaria reports that they have official documents revealing vast wasted public funds on a parcel of land that a hosptial was supposed to be built upon in Karbala. But the big government news for Iraqi outlets continues to be Nouri's weapons shopping spree this week, $4.2 billion to Russia for weapons and an undisclosed sum to the Czech Republic for more.

Alsumaria notes yestereday's press conference in Prague where Nouri announced the agreement with the Czech Republic but was coy on details such as the value of the weapons contract.

Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 65 people killed in Iraq from violence this month so far.
Alsumaria reports 1 Iraqi soldier was shot dead in Saydiya. In related news, Al Mada notes State of Law is insisting that the continued absenses of heads of the security ministries is not Nouri's fault. They insist that he can only take names and nominate them apparently trying to insist that its the responsibility of someone else to come up with names for nominations. Maybe that's written into the Erbil Agreement? If not and if we're going by Iraq's Constitution, it's Nouri's job to come up with nominees. All Iraq News reports that Iraqiya MP Khalid al-Alouni has declared that Nouri only wants nominees from his own State of Law political slate.

The following community sites -- plus Cindy Sheehan, CCR, Tavis Smiley, IPS, Adam Kokesh, Susan's On the Edge, the Guardian and Antiwar.com -- updated last night and this morning: