Sunday, April 14, 2013

Hejira

In Iraq today, violence claimed 15 lives -- including a corpse bombing -- and left twenty people injured. The United Nations issued the following statement:

 The top United Nations official in Iraq today welcomed the smooth conduct of the Governorate Council Elections' Special Voting, where Iraqi soldiers and policeman cast their ballots ahead of next week's main vote. “Today's special voting marks the beginning of the voting process,” the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Martin Kobler said in a news release.
The country's electoral body, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), demonstrated “a high level of professionalism in this first election organized under full Iraqi ownership,” Mr. Kobler stressed.
“Now that Iraqi security forces, police and military have exercised their right to cast their ballot, all eyes are focused on the election day on 20 April,” the UN Envoy noted. He urged the security forces to ensure a free and secure environment for the elections.
At least 15.5 million Iraqis are eligible to vote in the 20 April polls, according to official estimates, where more than 8,000 candidates are reportedly vying for 378 seats on provincial councils.
Provincial councils are responsible for nominating governors who take charge of the provinces' administration, finances and reconstruction projects.
“It is of the utmost importance that voters turn out in an orderly and safe environment free of violence, threats and intimidation,” Mr. Kobler concluded.
Next week's elections are the first Iraq has held since parliamentary elections in 2010.


Yesterday was early elections.  Fraud was reported and some who showed up were turned away, told their names were not on the voter rolls (the latter was reported especially in Wasit Province).  April 20th is when non-security forces in 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces will vote.


Violence never ends in Iraq.  In the day's most attention-getting violence, National Iraqi News reports there was "a corpse bomb" in a village to the south of Mousl which claimed the lives of 5 police officers and left fourteen people injured.  The corpse was that of a police officer and it was "stuffed with explosives."  In addition, NINA notes a Tikrit sticky bombing claimed the lives of 2 brothers, 2 soldiers were shot dead in Mousl,  1 Iraqi military officer was shot dead in western Anbar Province, a Falluja car bombing claimed the lives of 2 police officers and left three more injured, Dr. Amir Faith al-Jaladi was wounded in a shooting in Kirkuk (assailants were attempting to kidnap him and when that failed, they shot him), a Falluja armed attack left 2 police officers dead (one more injured and one bystander injured), Hameed Ahmed al-Hashim (Chair of Falluja Minucipal Court -- member of Iraqiya) escaped an assassination (bombing) attempt, and provincial candidate Najim al-Harbi (with Iraqiya) was killed by a Diyala Province bombing.

All Iraq News notes that the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq Martin Kobler condemned the assassination today.  The Iraqi Islamic Party joined in condemning the attack and stated, "The Party called on the government to assume their real duties in protecting the Iraqis' lives and address its poor performance."  National Dialogue Front MP Nada al-Jubouri told the press that they're calling for an investigation into the assassination. Yesterday provincial candidate Hatam al-Dulaimi was shot dead in Tirkit.

On the election, Alsumaria reports that schools will be closed across Iraq on Wednesday and Thursday in anticipation of the April 20th vote.








I'm traveling in some vehicle
I'm sitting in some cafe
A defector from the petty wars
That shell shock love away
-- "Hejira," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her album of the same name

 The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4488.


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