Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Violence claims at least 19 lives, leaves at least 24 injured

Yesterday's violence claimed "at least 55" lives (here and here).  Iraq Body Count counts 62 deaths.  Today's already gearing up to be another day of mass violence.


National Iraqi News Agency reports a Kut car bombing has claimed 3 lives and left eight people injured, 1 generator worker was shot dead in Mosul,  1 police officer was shot dead in Mosul and his brother was left wounded, a Tarmiyah car bombing claimed 1 life and left five people injured, 2 Sahwa were shot dead in Sharqat and another two were left injured, a Hilla roadside bombing has left two police officers injured,  a Mussayyib roadside bombing claimed 2 lives and a a Jurf al-Sahker attack left 2 Iraqi soldiers dead. Alsumaria adds that 2 guards and 1 bystander were killed last night at a Baghdad polling station, a Falluja car bombing claimed 2 lives and an attack on a Babylon military headquarter base claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldiers and left six more injured.  All Iraq News notes that Major Wail Hashim Rashid, head of Salman Bak Internal Affairs, was assassinated by a sticky bombing in Salah il-Din Province.

Mohammad Sabah (Al Mada) reports that members of Parliament -- including from Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc -- are saying Nouri al-Maliki's refusal to appear before Parliament to report on the security situation makes him a partner in terrorism.  Alsumaria reports that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi noted the Iraqi security forces are supposed to be better today than ever before and wonders why they aren't able to repel the attacks?

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 Barack hadn't given Nouri a second term via The Erbil Agreement, the prime minister of Iraq in 2010 would have had to have formed a full Cabinet -- no empty spaces.  Nouri's failure to form a full Cabinet means he's responsible for those empty positions.  That means any security failures -- including yesterday's -- rest squarely on his shoulders.

 Al Mada notes that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is said to be more worried about Iraq than ever before.  The violence and the various political crises have greatly alarmed al-Sistani. 



In other news of violence, NINA reports that 3 men and 1 woman have been sentenced to death by the Criminal Court of Rusafa-Baghdad.  Apparently, coming in third for 2012 wasn't good enough [see Amnesty International released a new report [PDF format warning] " Death Sentences and Executions in 2012" ], Iraq wants to be number one in 2013 with executions.


Meanwhile Saturday is when 12 of Iraq's 18 provinces get to vote.  Alsumaria notes some people will be voting in Nineveh -- as many as 2250 displaced persons.  Due to violence, they fled their own provinces.  While residents of Nineveh proper will not be voting, IDPs will be.

Finally, Kitabat reports that arrest warrants have been issued against the Inspector General for the Ministry of Health and his wife; however, the two and their children have apparently fled Iraq.







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