Raheem Salman, Isabel Coles and Alistair Lyon (Reuters) can write a ton about the Baquba suicide bombing targeting Muthanna al-Jorani's campaign event. They just can't tell you al-Jorani's political identification. Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) can tell you all about the open-air tent the event took place in and even throw the unreleated Syria into the mix but can't tell you the party identification of the candidate targeted. BBC can add that it was a suicide bombing and a grenade attack, they can even get closer to the number of candidates murdered this campaign cycle (it's 12; BBC claims 11 and Reuters claims ten) but they can't tell you the party i.d. of the candidate targeted.
Is it really that difficult?
Not for Xinhua which reports, "The attack occurred around noon when a suicide bomber blew up his explosive vest at a rally of the election campaign of Muthanna al-Jourani, a candidate for the secular bloc of Iraqia, in Baquba, some 65 km northeast of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, the source said on condition of anonymity." It's not hard for Press TV either: "He is running in provincial polls on the ticket of Iraqiya political bloc."
Dropping back to the April 4th snapshot:
The security situation isn't good for candidates -- not ones who are rivals of Nouri al-Maliki. With elections scheduled for April 20th (provincial elections in 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces), Iraqiya is yet again targeted with death. This happened in the March 2010 elections as well where Iraqiya candidates were repeatedly killed in the lead up to the election. At least 12 candidates have been killed this campaign season, many from Iraqiya. All Iraq News quotes Iraqiya MP Talal al-Zubayi stating, "The organized attacks for the candidates of the IS [Iraqiya Slate] are a part of the attempts of targeting [Iraqiya head Ayad] Allawi due to his Arabic, regional and international position." Al Mada reports on the assassination of attorney Salah al-Obeidi who was a member of Iraqiya seeking election this month. The 37-year-old male was one of 12 Sunni candidates killed this election cycle and 7 of the 12 were from Iraqiya. Iraqiya beat Nouri's State of Law in the 2010 elections. NINA notes that Moqtada al-Sadr today called for all Iraqis to participate in the elections while noting reasons for them to be less than eager after elections that appeared to produce little results. He is quoted stating, "The reluctance in elections and no vote would be an injustice for Iraq and Iraqis, because it would be a prelude for muggers and secularists to take power in the councils and parliament."
12 candidates killed, all of them Sunni, 7 of them members of Iraqiya. Today another member of Iraqiya was targeted but watch as the outlets rush to ignore that fact, watch as they undercut the number of candidates killed.
Iraqiya is a political slate. It's made up of many components including Allawi's National Accord, Tareq al-Hashemi's Renewal List, the Iraqi National Dialogue Front, etc. There is dispute in the press over whether al-Jorani belongs to one of the small components. Former Speaker of Parliament Mahmoud Dawud al-Mashhadani has spoken on the matter. All Iraq News reports al-Mashhadani states al-Jorani belongs to his party. That might end the matter if al-Mashhadani had any credibility. Rightly or wrongly, in April 2010, al-Mashhadani's image took a hit it's never recovered from with the rank and file. That's when Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq told the press that al-Mashhadani approached him to join Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law. In exchange for bringing his bloc to State of Law, Nouri would make Saleh President of Iraq.
Whether the always dubious and questionable al-Mutlaq was telling the truth or not, this was seen as a major stab in the back to Sunnis on the part of al-Mashhadani. Regardless of what took place between al-Mutlaq and al-Mashhadani, al-Mashhadani remains a part of Iraqiya and, when it appeared Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi would be stripped of his post (he wasn't), al-Mashhadani was Iraqiya's choice for a replacement.
All Iraq News reports Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi is calling for "an immediate investigation over the bombing that targeted an electoral gathering for the Iraqiya Slate's candidates in Baquba."
Watch the endless distraction that passes for information.
RT notes that 25 people are dead from the attack and another sixty are injured.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, MP Raad al-Saadi was targeted with assassination. All Iraq News reports the Sadr bloc MP survived unknown assailants opening fire upon his motorcade but 3 of his bodyguards were killed and two more were "severly injured." Strange isn't it, how it's always Nouri's political rivals who are targeted for assassination. It would almost seem to suggest that State of Law is behind the assassination attempts. Alsumaria adds that al-Saadi waas treated by medical staff for wounds. They do not note whether the wounds were mild or severe.
Of course that's not all of the violence today. National Iraqi News Agency reports 1 Christian was shot dead in Mosul, a Falluja bombing left a police officer injured, 1 police officer was shot dead in Baquba, 1 Ministry of Commerce official was shot dead in Baquba, an armed clash in Mosul left two Iraqi soldiers injured, and 1 civilian was shot dead in Mosul. All Iraq News adds a Tikrit bombing left two people injured, and a Shurqat bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi police officer and left two brothers injured. Alsumaria notes a doctor was shot dead in front of his Mosul home.
NINA notes that Ayad Allawi, leader of Iraqiya, gave a speech today where he said the way out of Iraq's current internal conflicts is for The Erbil Agreement to be implemented. That's the contract the US-brokered that gave Nouri a second term as prime minister (as the White House wanted). To get the leaders of the political blocs to sign off, the contract had to include promises from Nouri. Nouri has refused to honor his promises and broke the contract -- this despite the US government swearing in November 2010 that they would stand by the contract and ensure it was enforced. They never did and, as we noted in yesterday's snapshot, sicko, neocon and Barack's buddy Brett McGurk declared yesterday that the answer for Iraq was a 'majority government' not a power-sharing one. The Erbil Agreement guarantees a power-sharing government. So the Barack Obama lied to Iraqis again. He can't be trusted anymore than Nouri al-Maliki. Neither keeps their word.
Mohammad Sabah (Al Mada) reports that Moqtada's bloc, the Kurdistan Alliance and Iraqiya are objecting to Nouri's claim that he will form a majority government. Sadr's MPs consider this the creation of a "new [political] crisis" on top of the already existing ones. The Kurds call it unrealistic and Iraqiya promises to oppose any such move. Others are noting that Nouri still hasn't been able to create a Cabinet. Back in July, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observed, "Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has struggled to forge a lasting power-sharing agreement and has yet to fill key Cabinet positions, including the ministers of defense, interior and national security, while his backers have also shown signs of wobbling support." If Nouri's second term had been won and not crafted, he would be governed by the Constitution. But he failed to win and the White House went around the Constitution and created The Erbil Agreement to give him a second term. Had the Constitution applied, even if he'd won a second term in the elections, he still would have been stripped of the title because the Constitution only gives you 30 days to put together a full Cabinet.
For over 100 days now, approximately 10% of Iraqis have taken to the streets to protest Nouri. Nouri's forces have attacked them, followed them, harassed them and, in Falluja and Mosul, openly killed them. And the reaction from the White House has been silence because Barack must love it when innocents bleed to death. A new twist showed up last week. From Tuesday's snapshot: "National Iraqi News adds that FBS Lieutenant Walid al-Khshmani was arrested yesterday for participating in a sit-in in Tikrit." All Iraq News reports today, "A security force arrested five security officers for participating and supporting demonstrations in Samarra." And still the White House is silent because freedom doesn't mean a damn thing to Barack Obama. He will support the tyrant Nouri as long as he can.
In other news, look:
Iraq - Growing tribulations of Iraqi journalists
As noted in Tuesday's snapshot, Monday evening saw Dar Addustour, Al-Parliament, Al-Mustaqbal and Al-Nas attacked in Baghdad, their employees threatened (five people stabbed, more left with bruises and fractures), offices destroyed and cars set on fire (a fifth Baghdad newspaper, Al Mada, was threatened but not attacked). Al Mada notes that the National Union of Iraq Journalists have condemned the attacks. All Iraq News adds that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi denounced the attacks, "Nujaifi assured that targeting the journalists is a dangerous issue and against the dialogue and democracy in Iraq. He stressed that the repetition of such attacks is a justification for the ignorant of the performance of the press in Iraq."
17 hours ago
As noted in Tuesday's snapshot, Monday evening saw Dar Addustour, Al-Parliament, Al-Mustaqbal and Al-Nas attacked in Baghdad, their employees threatened (five people stabbed, more left with bruises and fractures), offices destroyed and cars set on fire (a fifth Baghdad newspaper, Al Mada, was threatened but not attacked). Al Mada notes that the National Union of Iraq Journalists have condemned the attacks. All Iraq News adds that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi denounced the attacks, "Nujaifi assured that targeting the journalists is a dangerous issue and against the dialogue and democracy in Iraq. He stressed that the repetition of such attacks is a justification for the ignorant of the performance of the press in Iraq."
So on Saturday, Reporters Without Borders -- just informed of the attack by The Pony Express -- finds the words to call out the Monday attack:
Reporters Without Borders condemns the attacks that
around 50 men armed with clubs and knives carried out on four
Baghdad-based newspapers – Al-Nass, Al-Barlaman, Al-Dustour and Al-Mustaqbal Al-Iraqi
– on 1 April. The assailants smashed computer equipment and furniture
and assaulted employees. Six journalists were hospitalized. It is still
not known for sure who was behind the attacks.
Various theories have been proposed. Al-Dustour editor
Bassam Al-Sheikh said he thought the attackers were members of a radical
Shiite militia led by Mahmoud Al-Hassani Al-Sarkhi, who had been
criticized in all four newspapers in connection with his suspected
ambition of controlling the Shiite holy city of Karbala. Al-Mustaqbal
Al-Iraqi editor Ali Al-Darraji told Reporters Without Borders he thought
the attacks were carried out with the aim of intimidating and “gagging
independent voices.”
They are the latest and most serious in a string of
cases of harassment and violence against journalists. While the interior
ministry condemned this week’s attacks, Reporters Without Borders is
concerned about the lack of concrete measures by the authorities to
protect media personnel. “We deplore the increase in abuses targeting
journalists and the fact that the Iraqi security forces are often
involved in cases of reporters being harassed and prevented from doing
their work,” Reporters Without Borders said.
Next week, Reporters Without Borders finds the strength to condemn the shooting death (by LA sheriff's dept) of Ruben Salazar, a journalist killed August 29, 1970 while covering the National Chicano Moratorium March.
Of course, in fairness to Reporters Without Borders, we should note that the so-called Committee to Protect Journalists has still not said one word about the Monday attack on four newspapers -- though they do have time to screeen in pain for the plight of the on television comedian. They have their priorities -- they just aren't journalistic priorities.
Alsumaria reports that Ministry of the Interior senior agent Adnan al-Asadi declared today that they have photographs of the persons who attacked the four newspapers. In the news conference, al-Asadi declared that the attacks were an attack on a free and independent press and that at least 50 assailants took part in those attacks.
The following community sites -- plus Cindy Sheehan who interviews Nora Barrows-Friedman tomorrow, Ms. magazine's blog and the Pacifica Evening News -- updated last night and today:
Lastly, Jonathan Owen (Indepenent) reports:
Hitherto unseen evidence given to the Chilcot Inquiry by British intelligence has revealed that former prime minister Tony Blair was told that Iraq had, at most, only a trivial amount of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and that Libya was in this respect a far greater threat.
Intelligence officers have disclosed that just the day before Mr Blair went to visit president George Bush in April 2002, he appeared to accept this but returned a "changed man" and subsequently ordered the production of dossiers to "find the intelligence" that he wanted to use to justify going to war.
This and other secret evidence (given in camera) to the inquiry will, The Independent on Sunday understands, be used as the basis for severe criticism of the former prime minister when the Chilcot report is published.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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