Tuesday, May 28, 2013

21 dead, 40 injured

Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 759 violent deaths.  There are four days left in the month for them to count.  Including today.  National Iraqi News Agency reports a Baghdad suicide bomber driving a tank took his own life and the lives of 1 police officer and 1 civilian while leaving eight people (four were police officers) injured, a police officer was injured in a Baquba shooting, a Kuther clash left 2 suspects dead and a third injured, and a Samarra roadside bombing left two Sahwa injured.  Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes a Sadr City car bombing which has claimed 4 lives and left twenty-five injured.  Alsumaria notes the death toll has already risen to 5 in the Sadr City bombing.  The toll may increase further as the day goes on.  All Iraq News notes a Mosul bombing claimed the life of Colonel Faris al-Rashidi and left three more officers with Nineveh Police Intelligence injured.  Alsumaria notes that the Iraqi military has killed 11 suspects in Babel Province today.

21 dead (22 counting the tank driver), 40 injured -- that's the reporting so far today.  


Yesterday saw 75 deaths in Baghdad alone.  Robert Camens (Irish Independent) reports, "The bombs struck just a few hours after the ministry of interior released a statement saying that the violence in Iraq cannot be seen as sectarian in nature because the bombs do not distinguish between Sunnis and Shia." The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq issued the following today:


Baghdad, 28 May 2013 –The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG), Mr. Martin Kobler, condemned in the strongest terms yesterday’s wave of bomb attacks that killed and injured dozens of innocent Iraqis in several crowded commercial areas of Baghdad.

“I once again urge all Iraqi leaders to do everything possible to protect Iraqi civilians. It is their responsibility to stop the bloodshed now,” said Mr. Kobler. “It is the politicians’ responsibility to act immediately and to engage in dialogue to resolve the political impasse and not let terrorists benefit from their political differences.”

 “We will continue to remind the leaders of Iraq that the country will slide into a dangerous unknown if they do not take immediate action,” UN Envoy stressed.

Last week on The World Today with Eleanor Hall (Australia's ABC 00 link is audio and text), Madeleine Morris reported on the continued violence:
MADELEINE MORRIS: But Dr Anthony Billingsley, a seasoned Iraq watcher from the University of New South Wales thinks that blaming the violence on external forces is a red herring.

 Rather, he believes the Iraqi leader has brought most of the current problems on himself by marginalising the country's Sunnis, the ethnic group of the former leader, Saddam Hussein.

 ANTHONY BILLINGSLEY: It really requires Nouri al-Maliki to step back and say, okay, I'll moderate my hostility to Sunni. We will give them a look in. We will give them a chance to have some sort of impact on the political system.

 But he's not showing any signs of that at the moment.

 MADELEINE MORRIS: So in that case, you're not confident that there's going to be any let up in the bloodshed any time soon?

 ANTHONY BILLINGSLEY: No, and it doesn't seem to be any particular impulse on the part of the government to address it. I mean, to talk about a reformed security system to an extent suggests that all he wants to do is go after the Sunni more effectively, rather than a reformed political strategy, which is what he needs to do.

 MADELEINE MORRIS: It feels like we could be having this conversation in 2006.

 ANTHONY BILLINGSLEY: That's correct. It's almost a revisiting of the same old problem, the problem of the relationship between the Sunni and the Shia, the unwillingness of the Sunni on one part to accept that they're now the second most powerful community in the country, not the first.


Mohammad Sabah (Al Mada) reports that last week's phone calls by US Vice President Joe Biden to KRG President Massoud Barzani, Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.  The calls are referred to as a "red herring" that the US is still attempting to split Iraq into three regions.  Kurdish MP Mahmoud Othman states that Biden's is trying to throw dust into the eyes of Iraqis and distract them while the country is split in three.  He states that solutions for Iraq's future must come from Iraq not the US.

Dropping back to Saturday:


The Godfather of the Division. That's what they're hailing US Vice President Joe Biden as in the Iraqi media.  We said in yesterday's snapshot that I could not believe the White House is so ignorant of what goes on in Iraq.  For weeks now, one article after another has been about whispers of dividing Iraq into three regions.  They've all noted Joe Biden in those reports (because he favored a federation as late as January 2008).  With all the stress and tension Iraq's currently facing, Joe Biden was the last person who needed to be calling political leaders in Iraq yesterday:  Nouri al-Maliki, Massoud Barzani and Osama al-Nujaifi -- forget their parties, just note that's Shi'ite, Kurd and Sunni.

Friday, we noted this was how the calls would be received.  I'm not a psychic, but I am aware of what the Iraqi press is reporting.  It's a real shame that that White House can't say the same.  They squandered Joe Biden last week.  The phone calls accomplished nothing but sewing more mistrust within Iraq.


In other news, France has Jerry Lewis, Iraq has . . .  Lionel Richie.

The last music legend Motown delivered to America (no one considers Universal's boutique today with the Motown label to really be Motown) is hugely popular in Iraq.   Adam Sherwin (Independent) reports:

 Iraqis who speak no English can still sing the entire Richie songbook.
In the Kurdistan city of Erbil, authors read their poetry to  interpretations of songs by Richie at a literary festival held this year, designed to bring Arabic, Kurdish and British writers together.


The singer-songwriter first came to fame with the Commodores where he sang and wrote the classics "Easy, "Three Times A Lady," "Still" and "Sail On."  In 1981,  he wrote the song "Endless Love."  His solo career took off when he recorded it with Diana Ross and their performance captivated the world, topping the charts in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Brazil, England, Canada and the United States where it topped the charts for nine weeks.   Lionel's hits since include "Stuck On You," "Hello," "Say You, Say Me," "Penny Lover,," Ballerina Girl," "Dancing on the Ceiling"  and "Do It To Me."  He also wrote "We Are The World" with Michael Jackson.  The number one hit featured the two and many others on vocals including Diana Ross.  Richie is also a producer and has produced many hit recordings by other artists including Diana Ross' "Missing You" (which he wrote) and Kenny Rogers' "Lady" (which Lionel also wrote).

Sherman notes:

 Richie, 63, believes a universal message is the key. “It’s a region that has an amount of restrictions in how much you can say but it comes down to ‘I Love You’. That crosses every border. It’s a part of everyone’s life.”
A large number of London Arabs are expected at Richie’s Hyde Park British Summer Time concert on 14 July, where Jennifer Lopez will also perform. The former Commodores star would like to play a show in Baghdad. “The region is opening up and they really want me to come there. It makes me very proud,” he said. “I get direct invitations from the Saudi royals.”




Over the weekend,   Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Lois Lerner on the Job" went up Sunday.  Today, Kat's "Kat's Korner: Shannon with a side order of Clams" and "Kat's Korner: Where are Hanni El Khatib's fingers?..." went up, Ruth's "Ruth's Report" and Isaiah's "Eric Investigates Eric" went up.  And this morning, the following community sites posted:


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