The Common Ills: Women and children make up the dead and wounded in Anbar

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Women and children make up the dead and wounded in Anbar

Here come the priests, each one wailing and bemoaning
Lordy, they got their heads bowed down
Here come the madmen, they're too excited for atoning:
"Burn the mosque," they're shouting. "Burn it down!"
-- "Share The End," written by Jacob Brackman and Carly Simon, first appears on her Anticipation

National Iraqi News Agency reports Abu Karma mosque (Diyala Province) was set fire to leaving "material damages" and that this follows the bombing of "two mosques in the Zaganiah village 14 km northeast of Baquba" yesterday. In addition, they note:

Director of Laylan District Mohammed Wayis announced the burning of two shrines south east of the city.
Mohamed Wayis said in a press conference that an unidentified armed group set fire on Tuesday 14, Jan. to the shrines of Sayyed Abdul Majid and Sultan Kozlh Baba on the main road linking between Kirkuk and Laylan District, a matter that led to serious material damages in them. "

And if you think things can't get worse there's MP Kadhim al-Sayadi. He's billed as 'independent' by the press but he usually makes news for doing Nouri's bidding. All Iraq News reports he's insisting he won't return to Parliament until Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi resigns. al-Nujaifi is a member of Iraqiya. Worth noting since last fall, al-Sayadi got into a fist fight with Iraqiy MP Hayder al-Mula. Also last September he began demanding that Iraqiya MP Ahmed al-Alwani be stripped of immunity. You may remember Ahmed al-Alwani.

Nouri ordered the dawn raid and illegal arrest of him on December 28th which kicked off the current conflict. (Six people were killed in the raid including al-Alwani's brother. When Osama al-Nujaifi attempted to lead an investigation into the raid, Nouri's military would not allow al-Nuajifi to leave Baghdad and enter Anbar.)

There is nothing independent about Kadhim al-Sayadi. When Nouri's ass itches, Kadhim provides the scratch. Kadhim is often the trial balloon for Nouri's next plan. So the notion that Nouri wants to get rid of Osama al-Nujaifi is very frightening. Osama is the last check on Nouri.

Nouri controls the judiciary. He's run off Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi (Sunni and a member of Iraqiya). The country has no president. December 2012, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani suffered a stroke. The incident took place late on December 17, 2012 (see the December 18, 2012 snapshot) and resulted in Jalal being admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital. Thursday, December 20, 2012, he was moved to Germany. He remains in Germany currently.

There are no checks left on Nouri al-Maliki except for the Speaker of Parliament -- a post held by a member of the political slate that beat Nouri's State of Law in the March 2010 elections.

And now Nouri's devoted love slave Kadhim al-Sayadi is demanding Osama al-Nujaifi should resign?

Nouri's assault on Anbar Province continues. Alsumaria reports that Anbar Province's Health Committee announced today the vast number of victims (300 dead and 251 injured) in the two week assault have been women and children.

In some of today's violence, NINA reports a Kadhimiyah roadside bombing left six people injured, a western Baghdad (Adil neighborhood) bombing claimed 2 lives (one was a police member) and left three people injured, 1 corpse was discovered in the streets of Buhriz ("bullet in the head and chest"), 1 Supreme Judicial Council judge and his driver were shot dead northwest of Baghdad, Nouri's forces and forces of Anbar tribes killed 21 Daash in Ramadi, a Mosul shooting left 1 man dead and his brother injured, an armed attack in Albotama Village left 4 Iraqi soldiers dead and five more injured, a Baghdad car bombing (Sadr City) left 4 people dead and ten injured, a Khalis clash left 2 people dead and three more injured, an Alwihdah bombing left 1 police members and 1 Sahwa dead as well as five more police injured, an attack to the east of Ramadi left 1 Iraqi soldier dead and four more injured, a western Baghdad car bombing (Ghazaliya area) left 6 people dead and thirteen injured, a Baghdad armed attack left 3 police members dead, "At least four civilians were wounded when two bombed cars expoded on Tuesday evening 14, Jan. south and east of Kirkuk," a Baghdad armed attack (Al-Ersan) left 2 fighters dead, Qarma mortar attacks left 2 children and 1 man dead and ten more people injured, and that a Nineveh Electoral Commission official was assassinated in Mosul.

The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com, Pacifica Evening News, Tavis Smiley, Jake Tapper and Black Agenda Report -- updated last night and today: