Sunday, May 26, 2013

Hejira

Violence continued today in Iraq -- at least 16 reported deaths and  31 injured.   National Iraqi News Agency reports a Mosul roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier and left another injured, 1 corpse was discovered in Mosul, 1 police officer was shot dead in Mosul, a Mosul car bombing left 3 people dead and fifteen injured, another Mosul car bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer and left four more injured, 1 farmer, his wife and their son were shot dead on their Samarra farm, an armed attack in Baquba left three people injured, a Tikrit roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier and left three more injured, a Falluja bombing injured two people (one was a police officer). 1 teacher was shot dead in Baghdad, a Baghdad drive-by left 3 people dead and a fourth injured, and an Anbar Province roadside bombing killed 1 Iraqi soldier and left two more injured.  Alsumaria adds that three people were kidnapped in Baghdad.


Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 665 violent deaths so far this month.




ibc


 There are six more days of violence IBC has to track, including today.


Other violence today?  All Iraq News reports Nouri's SWAT forces raided the home of Anbar protesters spokesperson Sa'eed al-Lafi.  National Iraqi News Agency adds that they also raided the home of spokesperson Qusay al-Zain in Ramadi.  Kitabat reports that after their failure to find al-Zain at his home, SWAT forces then raided a mosque that al-Zain prayed at.  They terrorized the people inside and nabbed one of al-Zain's bodyguards but al-Zain wasn't present.  Alsumaria notes there is a bounty on al-Lafi.  Al Mada adds that supporters say al-Lafi is being accused of crimes with no proof.    Al Rafidayn notes that thousands of Nouri's troops were sent into Anbar Province today.  And what are they doing in Anbar?  Well, just the west of Ramadi, NINA reports, "Military helicopters landed in the Kilo 160 area, west of Ramadi, arresting owners of restaurants and shopts there."  Justice for all those exploding shawarma in pitas, no doubt.  (That was sarcasm before someone tries to Google "exploding shawarma.")



Meanwhile, Alsumaria reports that on the side of the road in Najaf, someone abandoned two Siamese twins.  The newborn girls were (and are) alive.

On the political front, Al Rafidayn reports a new pact between Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq are partnering up to save Iraq.  That may not last long -- Kitabat reports Saleh gave a speech on Saturday and railed against government corruption.  Related, Alsumaria reports that Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc is stating Nouri is responsible for the purchase and use of the 'magic' wands which do not, in fact, detect bombs but have been used in Iraq since 2009 and continue to be used.




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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Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Lois Lerner on the Job" went up this morning. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


 









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