The Common Ills: As the Falluja 'sparkle' dims

Monday, June 27, 2016

As the Falluja 'sparkle' dims

Falluja is said (again) to be fully liberated.

How's that looking today in Iraq?

Just like before 'liberation' in terms of violence.

ALSUMARIA reports 1 woman was found stabbed to death in Basra, and 2 farmers were shot dead southwest of Baquba, while IRAQI SPRING MC reports a southern Baghdad bombing left 2 people dead, 1 officer with the Ministry of Defense was shot dead and another was left injured in the Abu Ghraib area, an eastern Baghdad bombing killed 1 person and left eight more injured, and a central Baghdad bombing killed 1 person and left eleven more injured.

The 'liberation' also left thousands homeless.

‏@Refugees

We expect 20 more camps will be needed in #Iraq to house 30,000 people fleeing #Falluja http://trib.al/iinEGu7 

89 retweets37 likes

And many will remain homeless for some time if even half the social media reports of Shi'ite militias in Falluja burning homes are true.

As the Falluja 'sparkle' dims, Haider al-Abadi (US-installed prime minister of Iraq) has to deal not only with Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr calling for the end of Haider's government (see last night), he's also got to deal with his recent actions.

Haider sold Iraq's future and hope of independence by signing a deal with the International Money Fund. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani had long been against such a deal. Haider used the distraction of Falluja to sign the deal and now he's having to deal with the beginning of a real backlast. AL MADA reports his office issued a lengthy statement yesterday insisting no one's salary will be reduced or job lost. Haider apparently didn't read what he signed.

Or else he just can't stop lying.

(I vote the latter.)

The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley -- updated: