The Common Ills: Nouri's Iraq: Over 800 killed in violence so far this month

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Nouri's Iraq: Over 800 killed in violence so far this month

Fars News Agency reports that the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Danayee-Far, denied today that the Embassy in Baghdad was under fire. Shots were heard. But National Iraqi News Agency reports police says "a member of the force charged with protecting the Iranian embassy in central Baghdad, committed suicide by shooting himself."

Nouri's assault on Anbar Province continues. NINA reports 5 civilians were left injured by the military's bombing of Falljua's residential neighborhoods of Jubail Nazal and al-Sinaei while the military's bombing of western Falluja left 1 woman dead and three members of her family injured in Albu Alwan Village.

As was the case yesterday, the US government doesn't care about the civilians being harmed but a deal with Iran may nix Iraq's future weapons delivery from the US (or a lot of big talk and posing from the US government wants to pretend it might).

Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 787 violent deaths in Iraq so far this month.

And the violence goes on.

National Iraqi News Agency reports a Ramadi car bombing left 3 Iraqi soldiers dead and four more injured, a southern Mosul roadside bombing left 1 police officer and three members of Nouri's federal police dead, 1 civilian was shot dead in eastern Baghdad (Jamilah), 1 police member was shot dead in eastern Baghdad (Baladiat), Joint Operations Command announced they killed 1 suspect in Salahuddin, a southern Baghdad (Awiridj) roadside bombing left two children injured, the Iraqi military boasts they killed 3 suspects in Ramadi, 1 civilian was shot dead in al-Miqdadiya, an Ajeel Village roadside bombing left eight people injured, a Hamrin car bombing targeted a market killing 2 people and leaving eight more injured, Diyala Police Command insist that they killed 1 Da'ash leader, a Karrada car bombing claimed 5 lives and left forty-one more people injured, 1 corpse was discovered southeast of Baghdad, and 2 corpses were discovered dumped in the streets of Mosul.

With at least 22 reported dead today, the 800 mark (death toll) has been reached.

Ava and I wrote "A Stiff and Iffy Start for Seth (Ava and C.I.)" and I would wait and address a response to it on Saturday in "I Hate The War" but they'll be something else by then. A few e-mails to the public account suggest that an entry should have focused on Iraq. Entries here focus on Iraq repeatedly. This one does, the snapshot will later.

We spoke to three groups today and attended a hearing (hearing will be covered in the snapshot).

This morning, I saw that a number of community bloggers had weighed in on Seth Meyers' debut last night. I figured that, later in the day, I'd do a paragraph on that, linking to all of the various posts.

Then Isaiah called about a comic. He was doing Seth as a topic. (I'll change the time on his post after this goes up so that his comic is at the top until the snapshot.)

Now we've got Isaiah's comic. And a friend calls about a critique their outlet run, could I work in a link?

At this point, we're looking at an entry. I quickly work on pulling something together. Ava asks what I'm writing about, I tell her and she says she'll help too since so many in the community weighed in.

So many in the community with websites.

In terms of community members, did anyone complain?

No, the only complaints were to the public e-mail account (not to the private on that community members use).

We cover Iraq. When community members with site end up with an unplanned theme post (no one knew the others were going to write about it, it wasn't planned) and I can amplify it, I will. When Isaiah then does a comic on the topic, there's a good chance Ava and I will work together (as we did) to weigh in and amplify.

We knew Jim would be upset (and he is) and say that it's a TV piece so it belongs at Third. It will be reposted there on Sunday. We knew Jim would be upset, we knew we'd hear fom him. But those thinking this means no Iraq coverage? There's still Iraq coverage at the site and, equally true, covering a non-Iraq topic can attract people who wouldn't normally go somewhere to read about Iraq (which is hugely forgotten in the United States).

The following community sites -- plus Jake Tapper, Antiwar.com, Jody Watley, On the Wilder Side and Ms. magazine's blog -- updated last night and today:

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