Iraq is disintegrating as a country under the pressure of a mounting political, social and economic crisis, says Iraqi leaders.
They add that 10 years after the US invasion and occupation the conflict between the three main communities -- Shia, Sunni and Kurd -- is deepening to a point just short of civil war. "There is zero trust between Iraqi leaders," says an Iraqi politician in daily contact with them.
Worries about the above don't prevent Nouri from having his school girl crushes. He (or his office) Tweets today about posting a new photo to his Facebook page.
Oh my goodness! Bashar Assad! I could so picture Nouri with Bashar! If they were a couple, they'd be Ba-No. Like the lead singer of U2!
It sure is nice to know that Iraq's continued disentigration has not interfered with Nouri's scrapbook time.
Alsumaria reports protesters in Khan Bani Saad have cut off the main road from Baghdad to Baquba as they protest the deterioration of basic public services. Meanwhile Iraqi Spring MC reports that Nouri's forces are raiding the homes of protesters in Samarra today. In other protest news, Jake Rudnitsky (Bloomberg News) reports, "The Iraqi army broke up a protest today by people seeking work at the OAO Lukoil-operated West Qurna-2 oil field, according to a Moscow-based company official. Several dozen people blocked the entrance to a central processing facility run by Samsung Group, according to the official, asking not to be identified due to company policy." Reuters, which has become state-controlled media in Iraq, adds,"Officials of the state-run Southern Oil Company said there was no disturbance around any of the producing oilfields in the south of Iraq and production was proceeding as normal."
Violence continues today in Iraq. Alsumaria reports a Mosul suicide bombing targeting a police headquarters which left 5 police officers dead and eleven pople injured, a Mosul roadside bombing injured three more police officers. and, dropping back to last night, 3 Babil Province bombings are said to have injured two soldiers and caused an army major to have a heart attack which killed him. The National Iraqi News Agency notes 1 female corpse was discovered in Hilla, a Mosul firefight between Nouri's forces and unknown assailants has left a bystander dead -- a 10-year-old bystanded who was shot in the head, and "Unidentified gunmen attacked an Iraqi army vehicle [. . .] carrying 4 wounded [. . .] Syrian government troops in western Anbar this afternoon."
In New Zealand's Listener, Toby Manhire rushes to prop up Andrew Sullivan -- the War Hawk who found he could get more media attention by moving faux left. Maybe Toby Manhire needs to rethink his praise for bareback Sullivan? He has no choice but to admit he was wrong about the illegal war. And maybe when he apologizes to the memory of Susan Sontag and to all the other people he smeared repeatedly, he'll be taken seriously.
Finally, AFP reports French journalist Nadir Dendoune has finally made it home to France after being imprisoned in Iraq for the 'crime' of reporting.
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