The Common Ills: Iraq: Protests, bombs, the pampered children of officials and still no national guard

Starting with a Tweet:

#IRAQ شمرية العراق ‏@moonnor27 5 hours ago

Protests Sunni civilians After shia militias crimes kidnapped 30 innocent sunnis civilians in Blderso Dyiala #Iraq

View photo41 retweets6 favorites

Protests?

Tuesday saw a demonstration in Balad Ruz, Sunnis decrying the kidnapping of 25 Sunni civilians by Shi'ite militias in the area to 'protect' the people.

No, it has not received media attention from any western outlet.

The violence continues today.

Iraqi Spring MC notes a southern Baghdad roadside bombing left three Sahwa injured. Alsumaria notes a Baquba bombing has left six member of the police injured, All Iraq News adds a Baghdad car bombing has left 3 Shi'ite pilgrims dead and eleven more injured.

And if you survive the Islamic State and/or or the Iraqi forces (including militias) don't kill you, you still have to watch out for the weather. A dust storm, Alsumaria notes, resulted in 97 asphyxia cases in Kirkuk (all 97 received medical attention and survived) while in Anbar 1 person died and 19 others were in need of treatment due to asphyxia from the dust storm.

Not all citizens are at risk.

That video, posted by Iraqi Spring MC, shows the lengths Iraqi forces go to protect a citizen . . . of course he's the son of a government official and this is the Mansour section of Baghdad and he, apparently, really needs to race his car so it's really important that he have security forces standing by to protect him should any threats emerge to his pampered ass.

One thing that US President Barack Obama has pushed for is a national guard in Iraq made up of the three dominant population groups with each of the three responsible for defending the areas in which their group is dominant. Since last summer, Barack and others working for the US government have publicly promoted that idea.

It still hasn't come into being.

Wael Grace (Al Mada) reports that a bill proposing it was read into Parliament a second time but no one bothered to comment during the reading and the excuse is there wasn't time. Grace notes MP reactions indicate support from Sunnis but fear from Shi'ites that a national guard would elevate Sunnis and strip control and/or power from Baghdad. The Badr bloc and the National Alliance (both Shi'ite groups) are said to be against the creation of a National Guard.

The following community sites -- plus Pacifica Evening News, Jane Fonda and Susan's On the Edge -- updated: