The Common Ills: Bombs across Iraq while State of Law obsesses over al-Hashemi

Bombings are going off throughout Iraq today. The one getting the most attention is near Mosul. National Iraqi News Agency reports a suicide truck bombing took place in Muwafaqiya Village, a Shabak village, which claimed 15 lives and left sixty people injured. Zaid al-Sinjary, Raheem Salman and John Stonestreet (Reuters) quote former Mosul provincial council member Qusay Abbas stating, "At 6 am this morning, a suicide truck bomber detonated himself amidst the houses of my village. There are still some people under the debris of their houses." AFP explains, "The 30,000-strong Shabak community mostly live near Iraq's border with Turkey. They speak a distinct language and largely follow a faith that is a blend of Shiite Islam and local beliefs, and are periodically targeted in attacks by militants." Rafid Jaboori (BBC News) explains:

The Shabak people have lived for hundreds of years in and around the city of Mosul. But the absence of a proper census in post-Saddam Iraq means little is known about their numbers, and facts about the religious and ethnic identity of the community remain confusing.
Early religious documents indicate that the Shabak were part of a Shia sect, with Sunni Muslims among them. However, after the fall of Saddam Hussein's secular but Sunni-dominated regime, the Shabak are regarded as mainstream Shia.

Samer Al Bassam (CNN) reports the death toll has risen to 17 and includes seven children.

Though it is the press focus, it's only one of today's bombings or acts of violence.

NINA notes 4 Wadi Hajar homes blown up (all belonged to police officers) resulting in 4 deaths and leaving two children injured, Hamid al-Hayes' al-Bothiab home was attacked with mortars (he heads the of Anbar Salvation Council), a Tuz Khurmatu suicide bomber ("explosive belt") took his own life and the lives of 4 other people while leaving twenty more injured, 2 east Baghdad car bombings (Aliwah area) left 2 people dead and thirteen more injured, 1 police officer guarding the home of a police officer in Kirkuk was injured when assailants shot at him, 1 police officer was shot dead in downtown Ramadi, and an armed attack on a Falluja police checkpoint left 1 police officer dead and another injured.

In other news, the persecution of Tareq al-Hashemi continues. He's Iraq's vice president that Nouri went after in December 2011. Violating the Constitution, al-Hashemi was tried for 'terrorism.' Even worse, it took place in absentia. Even worse, people were kidnapped and tortured (and at least one person killed) by Nouri's forces to try to get them to testify that al-Hashmie was a terrorist.

For all the nonsense, al-Hashemi is still a Vice President. Parliament never stripped him of his title. Nouri wanted them to but Nouri didn't have the votes.

Today, al-Hashemi was supposed to participate in a human rights conference in Brussells. Nouri's State of Law went into a tizzy. All Iraq News quotes State of Law MP Salman al-Musawi insisting, "The participation of the convicted Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashimi, in a Human Rights Conference held by the European Union violates the sovereignty of Iraq." Then the outlet reports the Iraqi embassy bragged that they had forced the cancellation of a press conference today by Tareq al-Hashemi.

The Vice President been sentenced to death by Nouri's court flunkies. He has nothing to fear at present. After the new Parliament is seated, he may have something to fear. Until then, he remains a government representative and, per the Iraqi Constitution, Nouri's trials against him were illegal so, therefore, the verdicts have no legal standing.

The following community sites -- plus some non-community sites -- updated last night and this morning -- and Wally's "THIS JUST IN! HIS CLAWS COME OUT!" post is not showing up: