The Common Ills: Saleh al-Mutlaq survives assassination attempt

Friday, April 11, 2014

Saleh al-Mutlaq survives assassination attempt

World Bulletin reports, "Iraqi Deputy Premier Saleh al-Mutlaq and lawmaker Talal al-Zawbai survived an attempt on their lives in western Baghdad on Friday." DPA notes the attack took place in Abu Ghraib. al-Mutlaq is running for re-election. Parliamentary elections are supposed to take place April 30th. al-Mutlaq is a Sunni and, until 2013, was considered part of Iraqiya (the coalition that won the 2010 parliamentary elections besting Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law coalition). AFP reports:

While an interior ministry official said only that gunmen attacked the convoy, Mutlak's assistant specifically blamed the army.

"We were the target of an assassination attempt by the army who opened fire on us, and the bodyguards responded in the same way," the assistant said, without elaborating.

There is widespread anger among Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, which complains of being marginalized and mistreated by the Shiite-led government and security forces.

Saad Abedine (CNN) reports, "One of al-Mutlaq's bodyguards died in the attack, and five others were injured." Abedine identifies al-Mutlaq and al-Zobaie as members of Iraqiya. Iraqiya is not a coalition in the 2014 elections. I have no idea of al-Zaobaie's status but al-Mutlaq was disowned by Iraqiya. This has been covered extensively in the Iraqi press and Ayad Allawi also made this clear in a lengthy interview he did with the BBC last summer. AP notes, "A group of armed men in army uniforms and driving military vehicles opened fire at their convoy, triggering a shootout with guards and soldiers protecting al—Mutlaq, said al—Zobaie. "

In other election news, Alsumaria reports a candidate has been arrested for attempting to buy electronic voting cards. They offer this report on why some citizens might sell the cards (poverty). All Iraq News reports, "The Kurdistani Alliance announced its rejection to the nomination of the Premier, Nouri al-Maliki, for a third term of the Prime Minister's post."

National Iraqi News Agency reports a Ghatoon-Razi roadside bombing left 1 man and a child dead (with three more people injured), 2 rebels were killed in a battle near Aladheim, a Halawah Village bombing left 1 person dead and nine more injured, and Joint Special Operations Command announced they killed 44 suspects in Anbar. All Iraq News notes that 1 woman (a teacher) was shot dead in Mosul. Alsumaria adds the corpse of a police member was discovered outside of Kirkuk, hours after he was kidnapped and that two people in Ramadi were injured by a rocket attack.

The following community sites updated: