The current wave of violence has its roots in Iraq’s own belated version of the Arab Spring a year ago, when the country’s Sunni minority – who enjoyed privileged status under Saddam – began their own mass demonstrations.
They complained of being treated as second class citizens by Iraq’s new Shia-dominated government, alleging that they were subject to mass arrests by the security forces and barred from government jobs because of pasts in Saddam’s Baath party.
While foreign diplomats say their claims were not without foundation, they got little sympathy from Mr Maliki’s government, whose followers point out that Sunnis treated Shias in exactly the same way when they were in power.
In Colin Freeman's 1113 word piece for the Telegraph of London, that factually questionable and brief passage passes for 'coverage' of the protests.
Next Friday will be the one year mark. So where is the coverage in the western media?
Yet another prison escape has taken place in Iraq. National Iraqi News Agency explains, "Conflicting stories about the number of escapees from the prison of al-Adalah of the Federal Police in Kazimiyah area at dawn today." AFP says 22 escaped -- "most were later recaptured" -- and two guards were killed. Reuers says the Ministry of Interior spokesperson is declaring that all but 3 of 22 escapees have been caught; however, "three police sources told Reuters at least 14" remained on the lam with eleven recaptured and that 1 prisoner and 1 police officer were killed in the prison break. All Iraq News notes their police source states 30 escaped originally.
In other violence today, NINA notes an armed attack in Ramadi left 1 police officer dead and another injured, 2 people were shot dead in the al-Shulah section of Baghdad, a Baghdad car bombing claimed 2 lives and left twelve injuted, and a Ramadi car bombing claimed the lives of 2 Iraqi soldiers and 1 police officer with ten more people left injured. All Iraq News notes 1 police officer was shot dead in Beji and 1 corpse was discovered in the streets of Tikrit (shot in head and chest, hand cuffed). Alsumaria adds that a Baghdad home invasion last night left 1 woman dead. Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count notes 370 violent deaths in Iraq so far this month.
The following community sites -- plus The Diane Rehm Show, Dissident Voice, Jody Watley, On the Wilder Side, Pacifica Evening News, Tavis Smiley and Antiwar.com -- updated since yesterday's snapshot:
And we'll close with this from Zed Books:
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The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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