The Common Ills: Dog bombs in Iraq -- yes, dog bombs

Saturday, June 08, 2013

Dog bombs in Iraq -- yes, dog bombs

In Iraq today, a new form of bomb: Dog bomb. National Iraqi News Agency reports a bomb disposal expert died in Baquba today "while attempting to defuse a dog bomb" -- whether the dog died in the explosion or the bomb was attached to a dead dog is not reported. In addition, they note a Falluja car bombing injured one person, Fadel Hadeed was assassinated in Mosul (his father is running for a seat on the Nineveh Provincial Council), a roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer in Mosul, and a Mosul suicide car bomber left twenty people injured (including 12 Iraqi soldiers). Alsumaria updates the toll with thirty-four injured and notes armed clashes in Tikrit left 1 Iraqi soldier dead and another injured. . Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports a Baghdad car bombing which claimed 3 lives and left twenty people injured. Trend News Agency notes, "In the city of Baquba, a suicide bomber targeted a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims on their way to Baghdad to visit Shiite shrines. The blast, which took place in the city that is 57 kilometres north-east of Baghdad, killed two passengers and wounded seven." Through Friday, Iraq Body Count counts 92 deaths from violence so far this month.

Dropping back to Wednesday's snapshot:

Alsumaria notes that an "ambush" in Nukhaib has left 14 security personnel dead and a Tikrit bombing has left two Iraqi soldiers injured. Sahar was talking about the fake checkpoints. Last week, part of Nouri's photo ops included going around Baghdad and insisting the fake check points do not exist. We also heard Rami Ruhayem (BBC) dismiss the talk of fake checkpoints and dimiss the over one thousand deaths last month as important when speaking to Meghna Chakrabarti on Here and Now (NPR) -- (see last Friday's snapshot for transcript of those remarks). They do exist, they've been reported by the Iraqi press many times over the last month and Sahar noted them today. So does Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) -- the ambush noted above reports that the ambus was carried out "by gunmen pretending to be a military checkpoint on a central Iraq highway, police said in Ramadi." Spain's Agencia EFE also reports it was a fake checkpoint. And apparently the BBC has finally found their first fake checkpoint in Iraq.

Today, Alsumaria reports, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr called for the government to take responsibility for the violence in Nukhaib and the failure to provide security. He called the attack a cowardly attack. Nouri al-Maliki may feel he has little to worry about for now. Alsumaria reports that State of Law has formed an alliance with outgoing Najaf Governor Adnan al-Zurfi. This is neither surprising or meaningful.

Let's deal with not meaningful first. He's outgoing. Not by choice. Which means he didn't do too well in the election and that even a merger with Nouri's State of Law won't save his ass. This time.

In 2009's provincial election, he wasn't able to win the post of governor either. But teaming up with Nouri after the election gave him enough votes to take the position. The party that actually earned it in the election that year was the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq.

And another thing, Al Mada reports Moqtada and Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq leader Ammar al-Hakim have teamed up in Najaf. Their alliance this year means they control 156 seats in the province. Apparently the rumors that began Tuesday in Iraqi social media about Ammar and Nouri's tightness disappearing had some validity.

Stephen Lendman (Mathaba) discusses the state of Iraq:

It's illegally occupied. It's colonized for capital. It's victimized by genocide. Vital infrastructure is absent.
Poverty is extreme. So are unemployment, malnutrition, repression, fear and human misery. Squatters struggle to survive. They live under bridges, alongside railroad tracks, and near garbage dumps. Others are externally displaced.
Over eight million Iraqis need humanitarian aid. Child mortality is horrific. Only around half of all primary-aged children attend school.
About five million orphans get by best they can. Around 70% of Iraqis have no potable water. Around 80% have no clean sanitation. Millions depend on food aid.
War crimes continue. Daily killing persists. Iraq's a virtual free-fire zone. Washington bears full responsibility. What Bush began, Obama continues.

The following community sites -- plus Ms. magazine's blog -- updated yesterday and today: