How quickly the cheers turn to howls in Iraq. Just yesterday Col Mohammed Alewi was being hailed as the brand new police chief of Falluja. Today, National Iraqi News Agency reports his home was bombed. NINA also notes a western Mosul bombing left three police members injured, a Baquba bombing left a police member and a civilian injured, 1 Iraqi soldier was shot dead in Kirkuk, a Baghdad car bombing left 2 people dead and thirteen injured, an Adhamiya Corniche car bombing claimed the life of 1 person and left nine injured, a south Mosul roadside bombing left six construction workers injured, an eastern Baghdad car bombing left 1 person dead and ten more injured, and a downtown Baghdad car bombing claimed 5 lives and left thirteen more injured.
Yesterday wasn't even the half-way mark but, according to Iraq Body Count, the number killed in violent attacks so far this month reached 420 on Sunday.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Baghdad today.
The United Nations notes:
Voicing concern about the deteriorating security in parts of Iraq, United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon today urged all political leaders to unite against
terrorism and work together to stabilize the country and stop the
“senseless deaths of Iraqi women, children and men.”
“We agreed that the challenges facing Iraq require all political
leaders to fulfil their responsibilities to ensure social cohesion,
dialogue and progress over political obstacles,” Mr. Ban said, speaking alongside Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, following their meeting in Baghdad.
He also met with the Vice-President, the Foreign Minister, the
Speaker of the Council of Representatives and President of the
Independent High Electoral Commission.
“The people of Iraq are looking to their leaders for tangible
benefits and a better future,” he added, noting that the parliamentary
elections due to held in April are an “opportunity” to deliver on these
legitimate expectations.
Urging Iraq’s leaders to address root causes of the current wave
of unrest, ensuring that “nobody is left behind,” Mr. Ban encouraged
measures to strengthen the country’s social fabric – through political
participation, democratic processes and institutions, respect for the
rule of law and human rights, and inclusive development.
Of course, Nouri used the photo-op to speak a different language, insisting he would never, ever dialogue with terrorists. So he's no longer going to speak to his son Ahmed?
Ban Ki-moon heads to the KRG tomorrow.
Yesterday Kat's "Kat's Korner: Limp Bruce" and Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Duty" went up.
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