Saturday, March 31, 2007
INM daily summary – 31 March 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- Car bombs killed dozens in Hilla, Sadr City and Tuz Kharmatu on Saturday.
- The United States has ruled out a deal to exchange the 15 British sailors and Royal Marines captured by Iran for five Iranians held by US forces.
- Turkey's special envoy for countering terrorism said there was strong evidence that some Iraqi Kurdish groups and their leaders were providing assistance to the terrorist organisation the PKK.
- Moqtada al-Sadr has again called for the US to pull out of Iraq as 500 people have been killed in six days.'
- Iraq's justice minister said Saturday that he had offered his resignation, citing unspecified differences with the government and his own political group.
- Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's representative in Karbala warned on Friday of possible civil war in Iraq after the recent bombing attacks and the events that ensued in the northern Iraqi city of Talafar.
- Muqtada Al Sadr called for a mass demonstration April 9 to mark the fourth anniversary of Baghdad’s fall.
- The status of five Iranian officials captured in a U.S. military raid on a liaison office in northern Iraq on Jan. 11 remains a mystery.
- Round-up of Iraq violence.
- Friends and family of six private security contractors kidnapped in Iraq more than four months ago are frustrated over the lack of information from the U.S. government.
No information on contractors kidnapped four months ago
Security
(International Herald Tribune) - Friends and family of six private security contractors kidnapped in Iraq more than four months ago are frustrated over the lack of information from the U.S. government — and one friend has left for the Middle East to try to contact the kidnappers. The five Americans and one Austrian were kidnapped Nov. 16 in southern Iraq when their truck convoy was ambushed.
Mark Koscilski, a friend of kidnapped American contractor Paul Johnson Reuben, left the United States on Thursday for Kuwait, where he hopes to contact the kidnappers and begin negotiations to free the five, said Sharon DeBrabander, the mother of kidnapped American John Roy Young, 44. "I believe he's going to try to get on one of their news channels where all the Iraqi people can see it, so we can see if someone might have some information or know where they might be," DeBrabander said.
DeBrabander said her family has been given almost no information from government agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. State Department, and Young's employer, Crescent Security Group Inc. "We don't know if they're alive or dead," DeBrabander said. Videos of the hostages were released in December — the last update the family has received. Young appeared to have lost about 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms) and "looked like crap," said his son, John Robert Young.
A State Department spokeswoman said Thursday she could not provide any information on the hostages.
"The office of Overseas Citizens Services routinely works with families of kidnapping victims to provide information and assistance," spokeswoman Janelle Hironimus said. "I've been real quiet before, but now I'm mad," DeBrabander said. "I want more answers than what we've been getting."
Mark Koscilski, a friend of kidnapped American contractor Paul Johnson Reuben, left the United States on Thursday for Kuwait, where he hopes to contact the kidnappers and begin negotiations to free the five, said Sharon DeBrabander, the mother of kidnapped American John Roy Young, 44. "I believe he's going to try to get on one of their news channels where all the Iraqi people can see it, so we can see if someone might have some information or know where they might be," DeBrabander said.
DeBrabander said her family has been given almost no information from government agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. State Department, and Young's employer, Crescent Security Group Inc. "We don't know if they're alive or dead," DeBrabander said. Videos of the hostages were released in December — the last update the family has received. Young appeared to have lost about 25 pounds (11.3 kilograms) and "looked like crap," said his son, John Robert Young.
A State Department spokeswoman said Thursday she could not provide any information on the hostages.
"The office of Overseas Citizens Services routinely works with families of kidnapping victims to provide information and assistance," spokeswoman Janelle Hironimus said. "I've been real quiet before, but now I'm mad," DeBrabander said. "I want more answers than what we've been getting."
Labels: abduction, Austria, Crescent Security Group Inc., John Roy Young, Paul Johnson Reuben, private security contractors, U.S.
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Fate of five Iranians captured by U.S. in Arbil unknown
Security, Iran
(IPS) - As the Western media turns its attention to the fate of 15 Britons detained for allegedly trespassing into Iranian waters over the weekend, the status of five Iranian officials captured in a U.S. military raid on a liaison office in northern Iraq on Jan. 11 remains a mystery. Even though high-level Iraqi officials have publicly called for their release, for all practical purposes, the Iranians have disappeared into the U.S.-sanctioned "coalition detention" system that has been criticised as arbitrary and even illegal by many experts on international law.
Hours before President George W. Bush declared that they would "seek out and destroy the [Iranian] networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq," U.S. forces raided what has been described as a diplomatic liaison office in the northern city of Arbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, and detained six Iranians, infuriating Kurdish officials in the process.
The troops took office files and computers, ostensibly to find evidence regarding the alleged role of Iranian agents in anti-coalition attacks and sectarian violence in Iraq. One diplomat was released, but the other five men remain in U.S. custody and have not been formally charged with a crime. "They have disappeared. I don't know if they've gone into the enemy combatant system," said Gary Sick, an Iran expert at Columbia University who served in the White House under former President Jimmy Carter. "Nobody on the outside knows."
A spokesman for the Multinational Forces Iraq (MFI), Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, told IPS this week from his office in Baghdad, "They are still in 'coalition detention' in accordance with the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1546, 1637 and 1723."
"The Iranian group in Iraq was arrested by American forces, and we have been asking continuously for their release," Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the Saudi daily Al-Riyadh this week, "but this is something different from the British sailors." A State Department official with knowledge of the situation said the Iranians were informed of the status of the diplomats after their detention through the Swiss government, which represents U.S. interests in Iran in the absence of any U.S. diplomatic presence. He referred all additional questions to MFI in Baghdad.
During this month's regional meeting in Baghdad in which U.S. officials also participated, the Iranian delegation requested the release of the five men, according to a State Department spokeswoman. In response, the Iraqi government asked the U.S.-led coalition to investigate the circumstances involving their detention, The legal fate of the captured Iranians turns in part on the issue of whether the two-storey building in Arbil that was the target of the Jan. 11 raid was, as Iran claims, an official consulate, in which case its premises and staff are entitled to diplomatic immunity under the Vienna Convention, or rather a liaison office, as U.S. officials contend, which would not be entitled to the same protections. Both Iran and the Kurdish regional government have agreed that consular activities -- such as the issuance of visas -- had been carried out by office staff since 1992. But the U.S. State Department insists that it was not an accredited consulate and that the five detainees are members of the Quds force, an elite unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) described by spokesman Sean McCormack as specialising in "training terrorists and those sorts of activities".
According to a knowledgeable source at the Iraqi Embassy here, the five were not accredited diplomats, although they had submitted documents for accreditation before the raid was carried out. Their applications were being processed at the time, said the source, who asked not to be identified. The source also said that the Kurdish regional government had treated them as if they were indeed accredited. The raid on the Arbil liaison office was the third in a series of episodes that targeted Iranian officials operating in Iraq.
Labels: Arbil, Hoshyar Zibari, Iranians, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, prisoners, U.S.
Al-Sadr calls for demonstration on April 9
Security
(AP) - Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr made a scathing attack on the United States in a statement issued on Friday, blaming it for Iraq’s woes and calling for a mass demonstration April 9 to mark the fourth anniversary of Baghdad’s fall. The statement was the first by al-Sadr since March 14 when he called on his supporters to resist US forces in Iraq through peaceful means. Al-Sadr has been said by US and Iraqi officials to be in neighboring Iran. His aides insist he is still in Iraq.
The latest statement was read to worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kufa, a holy Shiite city south of Baghdad where al-Sadr frequently led the ritual. “I renew my call for the occupier (the United States) to leave our land,” he said in the statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “The departure of the occupier will mean stability for Iraq, victory for Islam and peace and defeat for terrorism and infidels.”
Al Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militiamen fought US troops in 2004 but have generally cooperated with an ongoing US-Iraqi security push in Baghdad, blamed the presence of US forces in Iraq for the violence raging in the country, lack of services as well as sectarian bloodshed. “You, oppressed people of Iraq, let the entire world hear your voice that you reject occupation, destruction and terrorism,” he said in calling for the April 9 demonstration.
“Fly Iraqi flags atop homes, apartment buildings and government departments to show the sovereignty and independence of Iraq, and that you reject the presence of American flags and those of other nations occupying our beloved Iraq. Keep them there until they leave our land,” he said.
The latest statement was read to worshippers during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kufa, a holy Shiite city south of Baghdad where al-Sadr frequently led the ritual. “I renew my call for the occupier (the United States) to leave our land,” he said in the statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. “The departure of the occupier will mean stability for Iraq, victory for Islam and peace and defeat for terrorism and infidels.”
Al Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militiamen fought US troops in 2004 but have generally cooperated with an ongoing US-Iraqi security push in Baghdad, blamed the presence of US forces in Iraq for the violence raging in the country, lack of services as well as sectarian bloodshed. “You, oppressed people of Iraq, let the entire world hear your voice that you reject occupation, destruction and terrorism,” he said in calling for the April 9 demonstration.
“Fly Iraqi flags atop homes, apartment buildings and government departments to show the sovereignty and independence of Iraq, and that you reject the presence of American flags and those of other nations occupying our beloved Iraq. Keep them there until they leave our land,” he said.
Labels: demonstration, Moqtada Al-Sadr, U.S.
Al-sistani's aide warns of civil war
Security, Religion
(VOI) - Iraq's top Shiite cleric Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani's representative in Karbala warned on Friday of possible civil war in Iraq after the recent bombing attacks and the events that ensued in northern Iraqi city of Talafar.
Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai denounced, during the Friday prayers in Imam Hussein shrine in the city of Karbala, the recent attacks in Talafar that lefts scores killed and injured and the reprisal reacts that led to the killing of over 50 people.
"We strongly criticize these acts which targeted both Shiites and Sunnis in Talafar as well as other violent acts that targeted civilians in Falluja, Ramadi and Kirkuk," he added. The Shiite cleric stressed that Talafar incidents were a clear evidence of savagery. "The incident is a strong alarm for everyone for possible all-out civil war in the country," he warned. Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai also urged Iraqis to use wisdom and not to jump into wrong conclusions.
Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai denounced, during the Friday prayers in Imam Hussein shrine in the city of Karbala, the recent attacks in Talafar that lefts scores killed and injured and the reprisal reacts that led to the killing of over 50 people.
"We strongly criticize these acts which targeted both Shiites and Sunnis in Talafar as well as other violent acts that targeted civilians in Falluja, Ramadi and Kirkuk," he added. The Shiite cleric stressed that Talafar incidents were a clear evidence of savagery. "The incident is a strong alarm for everyone for possible all-out civil war in the country," he warned. Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai also urged Iraqis to use wisdom and not to jump into wrong conclusions.
Karbala is located in southwest of Baghdad. It is the second Shiite city after Najaf. It hosts the Shrine of the third Shiite Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad, and that of his brother Abbas.
COMMENT: Iraq's Iranian-born 75-year-old most senior Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is one of only five living grand ayatollahs. He's known for his more moderate views—he supports an Islamic state but rejects an Iranian-style theocracy. He is revered by conservative and mainstream Shiites (who make up 60% of Iraq's poplulation), both in Iraq and abroad, for his authority to interpret Islamic law and provide guidance on day-to-day matters. He tacitly supports the United Iraqi Alliance, the leading Shiite coalition that supports strong regional governments, prosecuting ex-Baathists, and strictly enforcing the constitution. At times he's been critical of the U.S. handling of post-war Iraq. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai
Justice Minister resigns
Politics
(AP) - Iraq's justice minister said Saturday that he had offered his resignation, citing unspecified differences with the government and his own political group. Justice Minister Hashim al-Shebli, a Sunni Arab member of the secular Iraqi List, said he had presented his resignation to the Cabinet on Thursday but was still waiting for its approval of the decision.
"I have differences with the government on one side and with the my parliamentary bloc on another," al-Shebli told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He did not elaborate on the differences, but al-Shebli has been involved in a dispute over the Cabinet's recent endorsement of a decision to relocate and compensate thousands of Arabs who moved to the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk during "Arabisation" campaign in 1980s. The Iraqi List and several Sunni lawmakers have objected to the decision, saying it fails to address key issues, including property claims.
Al-Shebli said he was still acting as justice minister while awaiting the Cabinet's response. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, could not immediately be reached for comment. Government adviser Sami al-Askari said he had no information about the resignation. The Iraqi List, which is led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, holds 25 seats in the 275-seat parliament.
"I have differences with the government on one side and with the my parliamentary bloc on another," al-Shebli told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. He did not elaborate on the differences, but al-Shebli has been involved in a dispute over the Cabinet's recent endorsement of a decision to relocate and compensate thousands of Arabs who moved to the oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk during "Arabisation" campaign in 1980s. The Iraqi List and several Sunni lawmakers have objected to the decision, saying it fails to address key issues, including property claims.
Al-Shebli said he was still acting as justice minister while awaiting the Cabinet's response. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, could not immediately be reached for comment. Government adviser Sami al-Askari said he had no information about the resignation. The Iraqi List, which is led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, holds 25 seats in the 275-seat parliament.
Labels: Hashim al-Shebli, Iraq's justice minister, Iraqi National List
Al-Sadr calls for U.S. withdrawal as 500 killed in six days
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Moqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader who heads the Sadrist movement, has again called for the US to pull out of Iraq. Al-Sadr's statement on Friday was his first since March 14, when he urged supporters to resist US forces in Iraq through peaceful means. He said: "The departure of the occupier will mean stability for Iraq, victory for Islam and peace and defeat for terrorism and infidels." US and Iraqi officials have said al-Sadr remains in Iran, but other sources claim he has returned to Najaf. "I renew my call for the occupier [the United States] to leave our land," he said in the statement.
The Iraqi government says it is doing its best to stop Iraq reaching a "level of despair" after six days of violence that resulted in 508 people dead. On Friday, marketplaces in Baghdad and in the towns of Tal Afar and Khalis - devastated by waves of bomb attacks - stood in ruins. Clean-up crews shovelled broken glass and debris into wheelbarrows in bloodstained streets. Bomb victims in wooden coffins were hoisted atop cars and vans for the trip south for burial in the Muslim holy city of Najaf.
Sami al-Askari, aide to Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, said: "There is a race between the government and the terrorists who are trying to make people reach the level of despair. "But the government is doing its best to defeat terrorists and it definitely will not be affected by these bombings."
Sami al-Askari, aide to Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, said: "There is a race between the government and the terrorists who are trying to make people reach the level of despair. "But the government is doing its best to defeat terrorists and it definitely will not be affected by these bombings."
Labels: Iraq violence, Moqtada Al-Sadr
Turkish official - Kurdish groups and leaders helping PKK
Turkey, Kurdistan
(ntvmsnbc) - There was strong evidence that some Iraqi Kurdish groups and their leaders were providing assistance to the terrorist organisation the PKK, Turkey's special envoy for countering terrorism said Friday. Speaking in an interview with the state Anatolian news agency, Retired General Edip Baser said that Ankara had undeniable and very certain information that the PKK was being supported by some Kurdish groups and Kurdish leaders in Iraq.
In Washington for talks with senior US officials, Baser said that terrorism needed to be looked at in a wider context. "Terrorism should not be considered only as armed actions," he said. "It has also financial and political dimensions. Therefore, co-operation with the other countries is essential in the fight against terrorism. The US was sincere in its desire to combat the terrorist group the PKK, which has bases in northern Iraq, Baser said.
In Washington for talks with senior US officials, Baser said that terrorism needed to be looked at in a wider context. "Terrorism should not be considered only as armed actions," he said. "It has also financial and political dimensions. Therefore, co-operation with the other countries is essential in the fight against terrorism. The US was sincere in its desire to combat the terrorist group the PKK, which has bases in northern Iraq, Baser said.
Labels: General Edip Baser, Kurdistan, PKK, Turkey
U.S. rules out deal with Iran to release British sailors
Iran, U.K., Security
(The Telegraph) - The United States has ruled out a deal to exchange the 15 British sailors and Royal Marines captured by Iran for five Iranians held by US forces. State department spokesman Sean McCormack crushed hopes that the hostages could be swapped as the crisis over the captured Royal Navy personnel entered its ninth day.
The US seized five suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Iraqi city of Irbil in January, fuelling claims that Iran has been supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons. Mr McCormack said: “The international community is not going to stand for the Iranian government trying to use this issue to distract the rest of the world from the situation in which Iran finds itself vis-a-vis its nuclear programme.”
Fears that British sailors would suffer a lengthy incarceration grew as Iranian officials repeated that they could face trial for violating international law. Speaking on Russian television Gholam-Reza Ansari, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said that his country had launched a investigation into the sailors. He said: “It is possible that the British soldiers who entered into Iranian waters will go on trial for taking this illegal action. “The legal phase concerning these British soldiers has started and if charges against them are proven, they will be punished.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said despite the comments, the British position remains unchanged. He said: “It does not change our position. We made it clear that they were seized in Iraqi waters and we demand their release immediately, as well as consular access.” A third letter, purportedly written by Ldg Seaman Turney, the mother of a young daughter, was also published. It said she was being held because of “oppressive” British and US behaviour in Iraq. The letter, in poor English, called for Britain to withdraw from Iraq.
The US seized five suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Iraqi city of Irbil in January, fuelling claims that Iran has been supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons. Mr McCormack said: “The international community is not going to stand for the Iranian government trying to use this issue to distract the rest of the world from the situation in which Iran finds itself vis-a-vis its nuclear programme.”
Fears that British sailors would suffer a lengthy incarceration grew as Iranian officials repeated that they could face trial for violating international law. Speaking on Russian television Gholam-Reza Ansari, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said that his country had launched a investigation into the sailors. He said: “It is possible that the British soldiers who entered into Iranian waters will go on trial for taking this illegal action. “The legal phase concerning these British soldiers has started and if charges against them are proven, they will be punished.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said despite the comments, the British position remains unchanged. He said: “It does not change our position. We made it clear that they were seized in Iraqi waters and we demand their release immediately, as well as consular access.” A third letter, purportedly written by Ldg Seaman Turney, the mother of a young daughter, was also published. It said she was being held because of “oppressive” British and US behaviour in Iraq. The letter, in poor English, called for Britain to withdraw from Iraq.
Britain gained its first significant international backing over the crisis last night when the European Union called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of the 15 Royal Navy personnel. The "message of solidarity" from 26 other European foreign ministers warned Iran that unless the sailors and marines were released, the EU would take further action, including possible suspension of business ties with Teheran and trade sanctions.
The strongly-worded EU response came 24 hours after the United Nations Security Council in New York approved a watered-down statement expressing "grave concern" about the situation. The EU statement pointedly used the word the UN baulked at endorsing by saying the it "deplores" the Britons' continued detention. It backed Britain's insistence that the Royal Navy boarding party had not crossed into Iranian territorial waters and threatened "further measures" if they were not released.
The strongly-worded EU response came 24 hours after the United Nations Security Council in New York approved a watered-down statement expressing "grave concern" about the situation. The EU statement pointedly used the word the UN baulked at endorsing by saying the it "deplores" the Britons' continued detention. It backed Britain's insistence that the Royal Navy boarding party had not crossed into Iranian territorial waters and threatened "further measures" if they were not released.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose political and economic alliance of Iran's U.S.-allied Gulf Arab neighbors - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, also urged an end to the confrontation. The crisis, at a time of heightened Middle East tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions, has helped push oil prices to six-month highs over concerns an escalation might curb crucial oil exports from the region.
Labels: Baghdad security conference, British navy, E.U., Gholam-Reza Ansari, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, oil prices, Sean McCormack, trial, U.K., U.N. Security Council, U.S.
Bombings continue across Iraq
Security
(AP) - A parked car exploded near a hospital in Baghdad's main Shiite district on Saturday as a series of bombings killed at least 10 people and wounded dozens in Iraq, police said. The blast in Sadr City occurred about 10:30 a.m. and was targeting street vendors and pedestrians near the hospital. Police said at least five people were killed and 15 wounded.
Another parked car bomb struck a gas station an hour earlier in the Shiite city of Hillah, killing at least two people and wounding 22, provincial police said. The city, 60 miles south of Baghdad, has been the site of some of the deadliest blasts since the war started four years ago, including a double suicide bombing against a crowd of Shiite pilgrims that killed 120 people on March 6.
In northern Iraq, a car exploded about 7 a.m. after the driver parked it near Iraqis looking for work in the center of Tuz Khormato, 130 miles north of Baghdad. The driver and two workers were killed and 11 others wounded in the attack, police Col. Abbas Mohammed Amin said. He said the driver intended to wait until more workers had gathered before detonating the explosives but they went off prematurely, preventing a higher casualty toll.
Another parked car bomb struck a gas station an hour earlier in the Shiite city of Hillah, killing at least two people and wounding 22, provincial police said. The city, 60 miles south of Baghdad, has been the site of some of the deadliest blasts since the war started four years ago, including a double suicide bombing against a crowd of Shiite pilgrims that killed 120 people on March 6.
In northern Iraq, a car exploded about 7 a.m. after the driver parked it near Iraqis looking for work in the center of Tuz Khormato, 130 miles north of Baghdad. The driver and two workers were killed and 11 others wounded in the attack, police Col. Abbas Mohammed Amin said. He said the driver intended to wait until more workers had gathered before detonating the explosives but they went off prematurely, preventing a higher casualty toll.
Labels: car bombs, Hilla, Sadr City, Tuz Kharmatu
Friday, March 30, 2007
INM daily summary – 30 March 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- One of the 15 British service members held captive in Iran appeared Friday on the government's Arabic-language TV and apologized for entering Iranian waters "without permission."
- The U.S. military announced the capture Friday of a suspected militant linked to the import into Iraq of explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, that the Americans have asserted are coming from Iran.
- Japan's Cabinet approved a two-year extension of the country's air force mission in Iraq after it expires in July, the foreign minister announced Friday.
- Iran's official Arabic-language TV channel said Friday it would broadcast a confession by one of the 15 British sailors and marines detained last week.
- President Jalal Talabani invited Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to send a delegation to carry out investigations in Kirkuk.
- Saudi King Abdullah says U.S. in Iraq is "illegitimate foreign occupation”.
- The Arab summit approved a draft resolution on developments in Iraq, which asserts Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, its Arab and Islamic identity and rejects any plans to divide it.
- Gen. David Petraeus said Thursday that revenge-seeking police apparently were behind retribution killings in northwestern Iraq, but he blamed al-Qaida for starting the carnage with a bombing.
- Suicide bombers killed nearly 130 people and wounding more than 150 in a crowded market in a Shiite district of Baghdad and a mainly Shiite town on Thursday.
- Iraqi insurgents are increasingly hitting Baghdad's fortresslike Green Zone with rockets and mortar shells, officials said Wednesday.
- The World Bank on Thursday approved $124 million in credit for an electricity reconstruction project in Iraq.
- Senate Democrats pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq."
- The US military -- increasing its reliance on robots in war -- soon will be using explosive-sniffing robots to better detect roadside bombs.
- The US State Department's Senior Iraq Coordinator stated that the $12.5 billion given to Iraq should be released in the form of reconstruction projects.
- Iraqi authorities have re-arrested 18 policemen who had been detained but then freed over the reprisal killing of up to 70 Sunni Arab men in Tal Afar.
- The letter released yesterday by Iran, which claims it was written by the British sailor Faye Turney to her parents.
British marine apologises on Arabic TV
Iran, U.K., Security
(AP) - One of the 15 British service members held captive in Iran appeared Friday on the government's Arabic-language TV and apologized for entering Iranian waters "without permission." The serviceman, Royal Marine rifleman Nathan Thomas Summers, said he was aware that the incident in which he was seized was the second time since 2004 that British military personnel had entered Iranian waters.
"Again I deeply apologize for entering your waters," Summers said in the clip broadcast on Al-Alam television. "We trespassed without permission." Summers was shown sitting with another male serviceman and the female British sailor Faye Turney against a floral curtain. Both men wore camouflage fatigues with a label saying "Royal Navy" on their chests and a small British flag stitched to their left sleeves.
The three were among 15 British sailors and marines detained by naval units of the Revolutionary Guards on March 23 while patrolling near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway for smugglers.
Britain has demanded their release, insisting that they were in Iraqi waters at the time they were intercepted. But Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure their release.
Minutes before Summers appeared on TV, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said that he had given a statement. "We entered Iranian waters without permission and we were detained by Iranian coast guards. I would like to apologize for this to the Iranian people," the agency quoted him as saying. "Since our detention on March 23, everything has been very good and I'm completely satisfied about the situation," Summers added.
The TV showed pictures of the light British naval boats at the time of the sailors' seizure. The helicopter flying in the background was British, the Al-Alam newscaster said. Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure the release of the 15 service members.
"Again I deeply apologize for entering your waters," Summers said in the clip broadcast on Al-Alam television. "We trespassed without permission." Summers was shown sitting with another male serviceman and the female British sailor Faye Turney against a floral curtain. Both men wore camouflage fatigues with a label saying "Royal Navy" on their chests and a small British flag stitched to their left sleeves.
The three were among 15 British sailors and marines detained by naval units of the Revolutionary Guards on March 23 while patrolling near the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab waterway for smugglers.
Britain has demanded their release, insisting that they were in Iraqi waters at the time they were intercepted. But Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure their release.
Minutes before Summers appeared on TV, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said that he had given a statement. "We entered Iranian waters without permission and we were detained by Iranian coast guards. I would like to apologize for this to the Iranian people," the agency quoted him as saying. "Since our detention on March 23, everything has been very good and I'm completely satisfied about the situation," Summers added.
The TV showed pictures of the light British naval boats at the time of the sailors' seizure. The helicopter flying in the background was British, the Al-Alam newscaster said. Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure the release of the 15 service members.
Labels: Al-Alam television, British navy, Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, Nathan Thomas Summers, Royal Marine rifleman, U.K.
Full text of British sailor's letter
U.K., Iran, Security
(Guardian) - This letter was released yesterday by Iran, which claims it was written by Faye Turney to her parents. It contains some oddly-worded phrases, and there are concerns it was written under duress.Labels: Faye Turney, Iran, letter, U.K.
Tal Afar police 're-arrested'
Security
(Reuters) - Iraqi authorities have re -arrested 18 policemen who had been detained but then freed over the reprisal killing of up to 70 Sunni Arab men in the northern town of Tal Afar this week, police said on Friday. The governor of Nineveh province, which includes Tal Afar, had said on Thursday that policemen who took part in the shootings were released to prevent unrest.
Shi'ite gunmen including police went on the killing spree hours after truck bomb attacks in Tal Afar killed 85 people in a Shi'ite area on Tuesday. Police in the nearby city of Mosul said the 18 policemen had been re-arrested. It was unclear where they were being held.
Nineveh provincial governor Durad Kashmula had said the culprits would be brought to justice in due course.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, has ordered an inquiry into the involvement of police in the killings. Tal Afar was held up by U.S. President George W. Bush only a year ago as an example of progress towards peace in Iraq. Militia infiltration of security forces has long been a problem in restoring stability to Iraq, with many Sunni Arabs complaining they are unfairly targeted by police and army.
Shi'ite gunmen including police went on the killing spree hours after truck bomb attacks in Tal Afar killed 85 people in a Shi'ite area on Tuesday. Police in the nearby city of Mosul said the 18 policemen had been re-arrested. It was unclear where they were being held.
Nineveh provincial governor Durad Kashmula had said the culprits would be brought to justice in due course.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite, has ordered an inquiry into the involvement of police in the killings. Tal Afar was held up by U.S. President George W. Bush only a year ago as an example of progress towards peace in Iraq. Militia infiltration of security forces has long been a problem in restoring stability to Iraq, with many Sunni Arabs complaining they are unfairly targeted by police and army.
Labels: arrest, Durad Kashmula, Nouri Al-Maliki, police, Tal Afar
$12.5 billion to be released in the form of reconstruction projects
Finance, Reconstrution
(MENAFN) - The US State Department's Senior Iraq Coordinator stated that the $12.5 billion given to Iraq should be released in the form of reconstruction projects. In his statement to the House Foreign Relations Committee, he said that Iraq needs around $4 billion in order to enable it to spend the $12.5 billion that the Iraqi government already has in its accounts, among which $3.5 billion are assigned to the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
He pointed out that the additional budget is needed to activate the former budget in order to provide most of Iraq's ministries and targeted sectors with the opportunity to maintain and establish new investments such as wells, bring new equipments like vehicles.
It is worth noting that Iraq has not spent the $12.5 billion due to the lack of mechanisms, the lack of the experience and capacity to spend funds. Therefore, the new budget comes as part of presenting the needed mechanisms and expertise to the Iraqi government in order to start utilizing the allocated funds.
(MENAFN) - The US State Department's Senior Iraq Coordinator stated that the $12.5 billion given to Iraq should be released in the form of reconstruction projects. In his statement to the House Foreign Relations Committee, he said that Iraq needs around $4 billion in order to enable it to spend the $12.5 billion that the Iraqi government already has in its accounts, among which $3.5 billion are assigned to the Iraqi Oil Ministry.
He pointed out that the additional budget is needed to activate the former budget in order to provide most of Iraq's ministries and targeted sectors with the opportunity to maintain and establish new investments such as wells, bring new equipments like vehicles.
It is worth noting that Iraq has not spent the $12.5 billion due to the lack of mechanisms, the lack of the experience and capacity to spend funds. Therefore, the new budget comes as part of presenting the needed mechanisms and expertise to the Iraqi government in order to start utilizing the allocated funds.
COMMENT: The other reason the funds have not been spent yet is because the security situation is too bad to get out on the ground and carry out reconstruction projects. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: reconstruction
U.S. military to use explosive-sniffing robots to detect roadside bombs
Defense, Business
(Zeenews) - The US military -- increasing its reliance on robots in war -- soon will be using explosive-sniffing robots to better detect roadside bombs which account for more than 70 per cent of the US casualties in Iraq. 'Fido' is the first robot with an explosives sensor integrated into its body. Irobot Corp. is filling the military's first order of 100 in this southwest Ohio city and will begin shipping the robots over the next few months. There are nearly 5,000 robots in Iraq and Afghanistan, up from about 150 in 2004. Soldiers use them to search caves and buildings for insurgents, detect mines and ferret out roadside and car bombs.
As the war in Iraq enters its fifth year, the US government is spending more money on military robots and the two major us robot-makers have increased production. Foster-Miller Inc., of Waltham, Massachusetts, just delivered 1,000 new robots to the military. Irobot, of Burlington, Massachusetts, cranked out 385 robots in 2006, up from 252 in 2005. The government will spend a total of about USD 1.7 billion on ground-based military robots between fiscal 2006 and 2012, according to Bill Thomasmeyer, head of the National Centre for Defence Robotics, a Congressionally funded consortium of 160 companies, universities and government labs. That's up from USD 100 million in fiscal 2004.
Labels: Fido, Foster-Miller Inc., IED, Irobot Corp., roadside bombs, robots
Democrats push through bill for troop withdrawal
U.S., Security
(CBS/AP) - Senate Democrats pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief. In a mostly party-line 51-47 vote, the Senate signed off on a bill providing $123 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also orders Mr. Bush to begin withdrawing troops within 120 days of passage while setting a nonbinding goal of ending combat operations by March 31, 2008. The president says he can't accept those terms and has promised a veto, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. The troops' money hangs in limbo — with each side saying it's the other who's not supporting the boots on the ground.
While Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that setting timelines for withdrawal would hamper U.S. commanders in Iraq, he said Thursday that the debate on Capitol Hill has "been helpful in bringing pressure to bear" on the Iraqi government. He said it has made it clear to the Iraqis that "there is a very real limit to Americans' patience." Gates also said he was disturbed to hear one of his military officers say it will be fall before they have a good idea how well the latest Baghdad campaign is going. He said he hopes that Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, will be able to make that evaluation by summer.
Labels: Iraq, troop withdrawal, U.S.
World Bank loans Iraq $124 million for power plant
Finance
(Reuters) - The World Bank on Thursday approved $124 million in credit for an electricity reconstruction project in Iraq. The project aims to increase generating capacity at the Hartha power station in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the World Bank said in a statement. ‘The project will double the output of the Hartha power station from 400 megawatts to 800 megawatts, providing additional generating capacity to the national grid and benefiting household and industrial consumers,’ Tjaadra Storm van Leeuwen, the project’s Task Team Leader said.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $150 million. The bank approved an additional $6 million from a donor fund administered by the World Bank and the Iraqi government is contributing $20 million, the statement said. This is the second power rehabilitation project in Iraq to be funded by the World Bank. The lender approved $40 million in credit in December 2006 for the repair of two hydroelectric power stations in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $150 million. The bank approved an additional $6 million from a donor fund administered by the World Bank and the Iraqi government is contributing $20 million, the statement said. This is the second power rehabilitation project in Iraq to be funded by the World Bank. The lender approved $40 million in credit in December 2006 for the repair of two hydroelectric power stations in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.
Labels: Basra, Hartha power station, reconstruction, Tjaadra Storm van Leeuwen, World Bank
Green Zone increasingly targeted by rockets and mortars
Security
(Washington Post) - Iraqi insurgents are increasingly hitting Baghdad's fortresslike Green Zone with rockets and mortar shells, officials said Wednesday. Insurgents have struck inside the Green Zone, which includes the U.S. Embassy, on six of the past seven days, once with deadly consequences. A U.S. soldier and a U.S. government contractor were killed Tuesday night by a rocket attack that also seriously wounded a civilian, military and embassy officials said. One soldier and at least three other civilians received minor injuries, U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said.
The attack stunned a workforce normally blase about Baghdad's habitual wartime booms and blasts. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said, "There are increasing attacks on the embassy. These are people who are trying to kill Americans," the official added. "They have someone who is a straight shooter."
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy did not answer calls or return e-mails seeking comment early Thursday. The Tuesday attack was the gravest in a series that have hit the walled zone of about four square miles in recent days, U.S. officials said. Three rockets crashed down Wednesday, Fintor said. Two attacks, coming two hours apart, hit Monday. The zone was also hit Saturday and Sunday, officials said. At least 10 people were wounded in those attacks.
A week ago, a rocket attack landed about 100 yards from the Green Zone residence of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, jolting the room where he was holding a news conference with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Ten rocket and mortar attacks have struck inside the heavily protected sector this month, according to the U.S. military. Most have hit in the past week.
"It's clear that there have been increasing targeting attacks against the international zone," Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said at a news conference. The increased use of mortars and rockets is a "change in tactics," he said, and part of an overall strategy to disrupt the government and incite sectarian violence.
Wednesday morning, embassy personnel received a bulletin citing the "recent increase of indirect fire attacks on the embassy compound." It included strict instructions: Body armor and helmets would now be required for all "outdoor activities" within the sprawling embassy complex, even short walks to the cafeteria. There would be no group gatherings outside, including at the famed Palace Pool. No "nonessential" visitors would be allowed in the compound.
A U.S. official in Baghdad characterized embassy personnel as "anxious and alert." Fadhil Shuweili, an adviser to Iraq's minister of state for national security, said most rockets and mortars targeting the Green Zone are believed to come from Sunni areas on the outskirts of Baghdad.
The attack stunned a workforce normally blase about Baghdad's habitual wartime booms and blasts. A State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said, "There are increasing attacks on the embassy. These are people who are trying to kill Americans," the official added. "They have someone who is a straight shooter."
A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy did not answer calls or return e-mails seeking comment early Thursday. The Tuesday attack was the gravest in a series that have hit the walled zone of about four square miles in recent days, U.S. officials said. Three rockets crashed down Wednesday, Fintor said. Two attacks, coming two hours apart, hit Monday. The zone was also hit Saturday and Sunday, officials said. At least 10 people were wounded in those attacks.
A week ago, a rocket attack landed about 100 yards from the Green Zone residence of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, jolting the room where he was holding a news conference with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. Ten rocket and mortar attacks have struck inside the heavily protected sector this month, according to the U.S. military. Most have hit in the past week.
"It's clear that there have been increasing targeting attacks against the international zone," Rear Adm. Mark I. Fox, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said at a news conference. The increased use of mortars and rockets is a "change in tactics," he said, and part of an overall strategy to disrupt the government and incite sectarian violence.
Wednesday morning, embassy personnel received a bulletin citing the "recent increase of indirect fire attacks on the embassy compound." It included strict instructions: Body armor and helmets would now be required for all "outdoor activities" within the sprawling embassy complex, even short walks to the cafeteria. There would be no group gatherings outside, including at the famed Palace Pool. No "nonessential" visitors would be allowed in the compound.
A U.S. official in Baghdad characterized embassy personnel as "anxious and alert." Fadhil Shuweili, an adviser to Iraq's minister of state for national security, said most rockets and mortars targeting the Green Zone are believed to come from Sunni areas on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Labels: Green Zone, International Zone, mortar rounds, rocket attack
Multiple suicide bombings kill 130
Security
(Gulf News) - Suicide bombers killed nearly 130 people and wounding more than 150 in a crowded market in a Shiite district of Baghdad and a mainly Shiite town on Thursday. Five suicide bombers struck Shiite marketplaces in northeast Baghdad and a town north of the capital at nightfall Thursday in one of Iraq's deadliest days in years.
The upsurge in sectarian violence threatens all-out civil war and Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, a Shiite, called for restraint and urged Iraqis to work with security forces to prevent the violence spiraling out of control. Bombs earlier this week in northern Iraq sparked mass reprisal killings.
Two suicide bombers wearing vests packed with explosives killed 76 people in a market in the Shaab district of northern Baghdad, police and medical sources said, in what appeared to be the latest of a string of attacks on Shi'ite districts and towns blamed on Al Qaida. More than 100 were wounded. Most of the victims were women and children, who had been out shopping in the crowded market before the start of the nightly curfew, he said.
At about the same time, three suicide car bombs exploded within minutes of each other in Khalis, 80 km north of Baghdad, killing 53 people and wounding 103, police said. There has been a spike in bloodshed, particularly outside the Iraqi capital, in recent days. Violence between majority Shiites and minority Sunnis has killed tens of thousands in the past year. Iraq's Sunni vice-president urged the Shiite-led government to do more to purge the security forces of militias.
In Khalis, one car bomb exploded in a commercial area and a second at a police checkpoint leading to the police headquarters and court building, police said. A third bomber attacked police patrols rushing to the scene.
The upsurge in sectarian violence threatens all-out civil war and Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, a Shiite, called for restraint and urged Iraqis to work with security forces to prevent the violence spiraling out of control. Bombs earlier this week in northern Iraq sparked mass reprisal killings.
Two suicide bombers wearing vests packed with explosives killed 76 people in a market in the Shaab district of northern Baghdad, police and medical sources said, in what appeared to be the latest of a string of attacks on Shi'ite districts and towns blamed on Al Qaida. More than 100 were wounded. Most of the victims were women and children, who had been out shopping in the crowded market before the start of the nightly curfew, he said.
At about the same time, three suicide car bombs exploded within minutes of each other in Khalis, 80 km north of Baghdad, killing 53 people and wounding 103, police said. There has been a spike in bloodshed, particularly outside the Iraqi capital, in recent days. Violence between majority Shiites and minority Sunnis has killed tens of thousands in the past year. Iraq's Sunni vice-president urged the Shiite-led government to do more to purge the security forces of militias.
In Khalis, one car bomb exploded in a commercial area and a second at a police checkpoint leading to the police headquarters and court building, police said. A third bomber attacked police patrols rushing to the scene.
Labels: Khalis, markets, Shaab district, suicide bomber
Petraeus blames Al-Qaeda for instigating Tal Afar violence
Security
(AP) - A U.S. commander said Thursday that revenge-seeking police apparently were behind retribution killings in northwestern Iraq, but he blamed al-Qaida for starting the carnage with a bombing in its bid to foil a security sweep in Baghdad by stoking sectarian violence elsewhere. Gen. David Petraeus also said the surge in attacks in Tal Afar and other cities was posing a challenge to bringing long-term stability to Iraq, but he expressed confidence in the U.S.-Iraqi crackdown on violence, now in its seventh week.
He said al-Qaida fighters had failed to incite sectarian violence despite increased attacks in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Anbar to the west, and the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul. "They did succeed in Tal Afar in killing a number of innocent civilians in a predominantly Shia marketplace that touched off ... we're still trying to get the exact details of what happened but it appears that there clearly were some kind of retribution killings by police," Petraeus told The Associated Press and another news agency in a brief interview.
His comments were the first military confirmation that Shiite-dominated police forces were among the militants who went on a shooting rampage against Sunnis Wednesday in the religiously mixed Turkomen city, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials said as many as 70 men were killed execution-style. Representatives from the government's security ministries had traveled to the city to investigate the events, Petraeus said, calling it "a horrific situation and a real tragedy for a community that has generally stayed together pretty much."
He said al-Qaida fighters had failed to incite sectarian violence despite increased attacks in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, Anbar to the west, and the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul. "They did succeed in Tal Afar in killing a number of innocent civilians in a predominantly Shia marketplace that touched off ... we're still trying to get the exact details of what happened but it appears that there clearly were some kind of retribution killings by police," Petraeus told The Associated Press and another news agency in a brief interview.
His comments were the first military confirmation that Shiite-dominated police forces were among the militants who went on a shooting rampage against Sunnis Wednesday in the religiously mixed Turkomen city, 260 miles northwest of Baghdad. Iraqi officials said as many as 70 men were killed execution-style. Representatives from the government's security ministries had traveled to the city to investigate the events, Petraeus said, calling it "a horrific situation and a real tragedy for a community that has generally stayed together pretty much."
Labels: Al-Qaeda, General David Petraeus, police, Tal Afar
Arab summit rejects plans to divide Iraq
Region
(Voices of Iraq) - The Arab summit, which was held in the Saudi capital Riyadh, approved a draft resolution on developments in Iraq, which asserts Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, its Arab and Islamic identity and rejects any plans to divide it, well-informed sources in Riyadh said on Thursday.
“The resolution also underlines the importance of not interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs,” participating Arab diplomatic sources told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). “Arab leaders and heads of delegations agreed on the resolution during the closed session late Wednesday,” they added.
The 19th Arab summit kicked off on Wednesday in Riyadh with the participation of all Arab countries except Libya.
“The resolution also underlines the importance of not interfering in Iraq’s internal affairs,” participating Arab diplomatic sources told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). “Arab leaders and heads of delegations agreed on the resolution during the closed session late Wednesday,” they added.
The 19th Arab summit kicked off on Wednesday in Riyadh with the participation of all Arab countries except Libya.
Labels: 19th Arab Summit, Iraq, Riyadh
Saudi King Abdullah says U.S. in Iraq is "illegitimate foreign occupation”
Region, U.S.
(AP) -- King Abdullah's harsh - and unexpected - attack on the U.S. military presence in Iraq could be a Saudi attempt to signal to Washington its anger over the situation in Iraq and build credibility among fellow Arabs.
The White House, in a rare public retort Thursday, rejected the king's characterization of U.S. troops in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation," saying the United States was not in Iraq illegally.
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people. We disagree with them," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told senators. "We were a little surprised to see those remarks."
The king made his remarks Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day Arab summit his country hosted in Riyadh. It was believed to be the first time the king publicly expressed that opinion. "In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war," said Abdullah, whose country is a U.S. ally that quietly aided the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The next day, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani bristled at the comment in his speech to the summit, saying the term occupation has "negative implications" and is "in contradiction" to the vision of "Iraqi patriotic and national forces."
A Saudi official said the king was speaking as the president of the summit and his remarks reflected general frustration with the "patchwork" job the Americans were doing to end violence in Iraq. The king also wanted to send a message that Iraq is an issue that Arabs cannot turn their back on, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. It was not clear what kind of diplomatic fallout could result -- but the comments did nothing to help bring Arab nations closer to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite.
The White House, in a rare public retort Thursday, rejected the king's characterization of U.S. troops in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation," saying the United States was not in Iraq illegally.
"The United States and Saudi Arabia have a close and cooperative relationship on a wide range of issues," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. "And when it comes to the coalition forces being in Iraq, we are there under the U.N. Security Council resolutions and at the invitation of the Iraqi people. We disagree with them," Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns told senators. "We were a little surprised to see those remarks."
The king made his remarks Wednesday at the opening session of the two-day Arab summit his country hosted in Riyadh. It was believed to be the first time the king publicly expressed that opinion. "In beloved Iraq, blood is flowing between brothers, in the shadow of an illegitimate foreign occupation, and abhorrent sectarianism threatens a civil war," said Abdullah, whose country is a U.S. ally that quietly aided the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
The next day, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani bristled at the comment in his speech to the summit, saying the term occupation has "negative implications" and is "in contradiction" to the vision of "Iraqi patriotic and national forces."
A Saudi official said the king was speaking as the president of the summit and his remarks reflected general frustration with the "patchwork" job the Americans were doing to end violence in Iraq. The king also wanted to send a message that Iraq is an issue that Arabs cannot turn their back on, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue. It was not clear what kind of diplomatic fallout could result -- but the comments did nothing to help bring Arab nations closer to the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a Shiite.
Labels: 19th Arab Summit, Iraq, King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia, U.S.
Talabani invites Erdogan to send a delegation to carry out investigations in Kirkuk
Turkey, Iraq
(AINA) - Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani discussed the controversial subject of Kirkuk during a meeting at the Arab League Summit in Riyadh, with Erdoğan seeming keen to accept Talabani's invitation to send a delegation to the oil-rich northern Iraqi city.
When Erdoğan explained to Talabani the discomfort that Turkey felt over events in Kirkuk, Talabani replied: "Is there a mistake that the Iraqis have made with regards to Kirkuk? Send a delegation, let them carry out investigations in Kirkuk. Let them look into whether the records of deeds have been erased. Let them carry out demographic studies. The base for these deeds is in Baghdad. Let Turkey's consulate in Mosul look into this." Erdoğan greeted Talabani's suggestion that a delegation be sent with pleasure, and has confirmed that Ankara will be "analyzing this and making a decision very soon."
During the Erdoğan-Talabani meeting, the Iraqi foreign minister and head of the Foreign Affairs Commission were also present. Erdoğan, who confirmed that his meeting with Talabani had gone well, had this to say: "Talabani told me 'We need Turkey. We cannot deny everything you have done for us. We have made some mistakes, but then, so have you.' They are particularly uncomfortable with the polemic that appears in the media. I reminded him that I had called him, as the prime minister of Turkey, while he was in the hospital."
Erdoğan also touched on Talabani's words regarding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terror presence in northern Iraq, noting that Talabani had said, "We are against anyone who is against Turkey." Erdoğan also underlined that Talabani had said he was pleased with Turkey's new petroleum laws.
When Erdoğan explained to Talabani the discomfort that Turkey felt over events in Kirkuk, Talabani replied: "Is there a mistake that the Iraqis have made with regards to Kirkuk? Send a delegation, let them carry out investigations in Kirkuk. Let them look into whether the records of deeds have been erased. Let them carry out demographic studies. The base for these deeds is in Baghdad. Let Turkey's consulate in Mosul look into this." Erdoğan greeted Talabani's suggestion that a delegation be sent with pleasure, and has confirmed that Ankara will be "analyzing this and making a decision very soon."
During the Erdoğan-Talabani meeting, the Iraqi foreign minister and head of the Foreign Affairs Commission were also present. Erdoğan, who confirmed that his meeting with Talabani had gone well, had this to say: "Talabani told me 'We need Turkey. We cannot deny everything you have done for us. We have made some mistakes, but then, so have you.' They are particularly uncomfortable with the polemic that appears in the media. I reminded him that I had called him, as the prime minister of Turkey, while he was in the hospital."
Erdoğan also touched on Talabani's words regarding the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terror presence in northern Iraq, noting that Talabani had said, "We are against anyone who is against Turkey." Erdoğan also underlined that Talabani had said he was pleased with Turkey's new petroleum laws.
Labels: Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, PKK, Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
Iran - 'confession' by British sailor to be broadcast
Iran, U.K., Security
(AP) - Iran's official Arabic-language TV channel said Friday it would broadcast a confession by one of the 15 British sailors and marines detained last week in what Tehran insists were its territorial waters. A newscaster on Al-Alam television said the taped confession would show a British sailor explaining how he and his colleagues entered Iranian waters "in an illegal way." He did not identify the sailor, but added the tape would appear later Friday.
Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure the release of the 15 service members. Earlier this week, it appeared the two countries were moving toward a resolution of the crisis. Mottaki told reporters Wednesday that the only woman in the group, Faye Turney, would be freed shortly.
However, the Iranians were angered by tough talk out of London, including a freeze on most bilateral contacts and a British move to refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council. On Thursday, the council expressed "grave concern" over Iran's seizure of the military personnel and called for an early resolution of the escalating dispute.
As tensions spiked again Thursday, the Iranians rolled back on their offer to free Turney. On Friday, however, the Turkish prime minister's office said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had indicated his government is willing to reconsider freeing Turney, who is married and has a young daughter.
Iran has demanded that Britain acknowledge that its sailors had violated Iranian waters, with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki saying Thursday that such an admission would help to secure the release of the 15 service members. Earlier this week, it appeared the two countries were moving toward a resolution of the crisis. Mottaki told reporters Wednesday that the only woman in the group, Faye Turney, would be freed shortly.
However, the Iranians were angered by tough talk out of London, including a freeze on most bilateral contacts and a British move to refer the issue to the U.N. Security Council. On Thursday, the council expressed "grave concern" over Iran's seizure of the military personnel and called for an early resolution of the escalating dispute.
As tensions spiked again Thursday, the Iranians rolled back on their offer to free Turney. On Friday, however, the Turkish prime minister's office said that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had indicated his government is willing to reconsider freeing Turney, who is married and has a young daughter.
Labels: British navy, Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Manouchehr Mottaki, U.K.
Japan to extend Iraq mission by two years
Security, International
(AP) - Japan's Cabinet approved a two-year extension of the country's air force mission in Iraq after it expires in July, the foreign minister announced Friday. Tokyo has been airlifting U.N. and coalition personnel and supplies into Baghdad and other Iraqi cities from nearby Kuwait since early last year as part of efforts to support Iraq's reconstruction. The mission had been set to end July 31.
"A two-year extension is necessary to continue stable airlifting support" because Iraq's reconstruction has not been completed, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said in a statement after Cabinet approved the plan. "International society seeks support for Iraq's reconstruction and that (Japan's continuing support) also serves Japan's national interest," Aso said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet hopes to get parliamentary approval of a bill for the extension by late June. Tokyo has backed the U.S.-led Iraq invasion and provided troops for a non-combat, humanitarian mission in the southern city of Samawah beginning in 2004. Japan withdrew the ground troops in July 2006, and has since expanded its Kuwait-based air operations.
"A two-year extension is necessary to continue stable airlifting support" because Iraq's reconstruction has not been completed, Foreign Minister Taro Aso said in a statement after Cabinet approved the plan. "International society seeks support for Iraq's reconstruction and that (Japan's continuing support) also serves Japan's national interest," Aso said.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Cabinet hopes to get parliamentary approval of a bill for the extension by late June. Tokyo has backed the U.S.-led Iraq invasion and provided troops for a non-combat, humanitarian mission in the southern city of Samawah beginning in 2004. Japan withdrew the ground troops in July 2006, and has since expanded its Kuwait-based air operations.
Labels: extension, Foreign Minister Taro Aso, Japan
U.S. forces claim to have captured EFP importer
Security
(AP) - The U.S. military announced the capture Friday of a suspected militant linked to the import into Iraq of sophisticated roadside bombs that the Americans have asserted are coming from Iran. The suspect, who was detained by U.S. and Iraqi forces during a raid in the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City, was believed to be tied to networks bringing the weapons known as explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, into Iraq, the military said.
The suspect was believed to be involved with several violent extremist groups responsible for attacks against Iraqis and U.S.-led forces, according to the statement. It did not name the suspect or the groups, but the U.S. military has asserted in recent months that Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Quds force have been providing Shiite militias with weapons and parts for sophisticated armor-piercing bombs. The EFPs are responsible for the deaths of more than 170 American and coalition soldiers since mid-2004, the military says.
Residents claimed the man arrested was a 58-year-old father of six children who was unemployed. They said the raid began at 2 a.m. and targeted four houses, and the American and Iraqi troops seized money, a computer and several cell phones.
The suspect was believed to be involved with several violent extremist groups responsible for attacks against Iraqis and U.S.-led forces, according to the statement. It did not name the suspect or the groups, but the U.S. military has asserted in recent months that Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Quds force have been providing Shiite militias with weapons and parts for sophisticated armor-piercing bombs. The EFPs are responsible for the deaths of more than 170 American and coalition soldiers since mid-2004, the military says.
Residents claimed the man arrested was a 58-year-old father of six children who was unemployed. They said the raid began at 2 a.m. and targeted four houses, and the American and Iraqi troops seized money, a computer and several cell phones.
Labels: EFPs, explosively formed projectiles, Iran, Quds Force, Shia militias
Thursday, March 29, 2007
INM daily summary – 29 March 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- The Islamic Conquest Corps, an offshoot of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, has reportedly announced it will change its name to the Islamic Conquest Brigades.
- U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker was sworn in as the new top U.S. envoy to Iraq on Thursday.
- Local authorities plan a reconciliation meeting between Tal Afar’s Sunni and Shiite leaders while al-Maliki calls for an investigation.
- A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-rigged car on Wednesday morning at the entry to a school used by U.S. forces as a base, near Haditha.
- Teachers in the southern Iraqi province of Wassit threatened, on Wednesday, to suspend working at schools in the province in early April if no salary rise is given.
- An Iraqi monitoring group said Wednesday that detention centers have become severely overcrowded since a security crackdown began six weeks ago in Baghdad and most of the inmates were being held without evidence.
- Iraq's president tried to win Arab support Wednesday, promising Baghdad will give a greater political role to Sunni Muslims but calling on Arab countries to help stop terrorism in Iraq.
- The female sailor's release may be delayed as British troops are accused of firing at the Iranian consulate in Basrah.
- In an Iraq jobs program, the Pentagon has helped reopen three factories shuttered after the 2003 invasion, seeding the ground by buying uniforms and armored vehicles from two of them.
- The authorities in the southern province of Missan say they have received several requests from foreign firms to develop the province’s gigantic oil fields.
- The Interior Ministry asked foreign visitors to Iraq to state their residence in Iraq 10 days after arrival in the country.
- Nearly a million displaced people in Iraq's increasingly volatile southern provinces are in urgent need of food, medicines and municipal services.
- An Independent research institute will begin undertaking census of Iraqis in Jordan.
- Sebastian River Holding's, Inc., today announced that the company has invested in the Iraqi economy by purchasing 100,000,000 Iraqi dinars.
- Mobi-Tel signs three-year exclusive contract.
- Round-up of violence across Iraq.
Round-up of violence across Iraq
(Reuters) - Security developments in Iraq as of 1300 GMT on Thursday.
Mobi-Tel signs three-year exclusive contract
Business
(Portal Iraq) Mobi-Tel - the first 3G network in Iraq to provide its SMS/MMS 2way services - will open up to more than 518 new operators through Monty Mobile's hub in the next six months. Subscribers will be able to send and receive SMS/MMS throughout the world.
Labels: 3G network, contract, Mobi-Tel, Monty Mobile
American company buys 1 bn dinars
Business
(Portal Iraq) - Sebastian River Holding's, Inc., today announced that the company has joined the United States and has invested in the Iraqi economy by purchasing 100,000,000 Iraqi dinars. The company feels that the investment will increase dramatically in the near future. As of today, 1,000,000 Iraqi dinars is equal to $784.93, according to the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI).
Since it is nearly impossible to purchase directly from CBI, 1,000,000 Iraqi dinars is being sold as high as $1,340 in the United States, according to the company. Prior to war with Iraq, the Iraqi dinar was valued as high as $3.20 per dinar; this means 1,000,000 dinars was worth as high as $3,200,000, the company explained in its announcement."We are on our way to become large investors in foreign currency," Sebastian River Holding's, Inc., President and CEO Daniel Duffy said.
"Since Iraq has the largest natural gas reserve in the world and is the second largest proven oil reserves in the world with over 100,000,000,000 barrels of oil, the company feels that the dinar reaching one dinar per U.S. dollar is feasible. If the rate goes one dinar for one U.S. dollar, this would give Sebastian River Holding's, Inc., a profit of well over $99,000,000 from this one investment."
Labels: Daniel Duffy, Iraqi dinars, Sebastian River Holding's Inc.
Independent research institute to begin undertaking census of Iraqis in Jordan
Humanitarian
(IRIN) - The huge influx of Iraqis in Jordan over the past year has caused the creation of an illegal employment market that is undercutting the wages of ordinary Jordanians and sometimes robbing them of their jobs, local officials say.`In addition, some Jordanians blame incoming Iraqis for property price rises, and increasingly overburdened education and health systems. "Iraqis who are educated can easily get good jobs in the black market but they are not well paid, and are exploited by working longer hours without being compensated," Mustafa Abdel-Kadder, a spokesman for the Association of Iraqis in Jordan (AIJ), said.
"They [Iraqis] accept these conditions to keep their families in the country and avoid deportation," he added. About 750,000 Iraqis of different religious persuasions and ethnic backgrounds have found refuge in Jordan after fleeing the uncontrolled violence in their country, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Only 250,000 are officially registered as refugees, the agency says.
"They [Iraqis] accept these conditions to keep their families in the country and avoid deportation," he added. About 750,000 Iraqis of different religious persuasions and ethnic backgrounds have found refuge in Jordan after fleeing the uncontrolled violence in their country, according to the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR. Only 250,000 are officially registered as refugees, the agency says.
To determine the exact numbers of Iraqis in Jordan and their respective needs, the Jordanian government and Fafo Foundation, a Norwegian independent research institute, will begin undertaking a census of Iraqis in Jordan from 1 April. The government hopes an internationally recognized study would persuade donors to grant Jordan the support it needs to accommodate the refugees and their respective needs. The survey is expected to take two months to complete and Jordanian authorities have said any Iraqis who do not cooperate will be deported.`According to specialists, most of the Iraqis in Jordan work in 'black market jobs', without proper documentation or government approval. With a huge pool of Iraqis willing to do menial jobs, business owners prefer to hire illegal Iraqi workers at a lower pay.
While Iraqi refugees are scattered all over Jordan, many live in the capital, Amman. This surge of people looking for refuge in the kingdom has led to huge price increases in the property market and in many other areas of the economy."
Labels: census, Fafo Foundation, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, UNHCR
Almost a million in the south are in dire need of help
Humanitarian
(IRIN) - Nearly a million displaced people in Iraq's increasingly volatile southern provinces are in urgent need of food, medicines and municipal services, local officials and NGOs say. Aid workers have called on international humanitarian organizations and the central government to provide more assistance to the growing numbers of displaced in the south of the country. "Najaf, Kerbala and Basra provinces, in particular, are greatly suffering with a continued increase in displacement. There are dozens of families arriving every day at camps for the displaced, causing a lack of essential needs such as food and health care," said Ali Fakhouri, a spokesman of Najaf provincial council. "The past two months were the worst for those families. For security reasons, the delivery of aid has decreased considerably and because of a lack in medicines in the region's hospitals and inaccessibility to hospitals, children are more vulnerable to diseases," Fakhouri added. "Diarrhea is common among children in displaced groups in the south."
There are dozens of families arriving every day at camps for the displaced, causing a lack of essential needs such as food and health care. Fakhouri said that nearly 90 percent of the 700,000 internally displaced people in the southern provinces lack essential needs. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), of this total, at least 310,000 arrived there after the bombing on 22 February 2006 of a revered Shia shrine in the northern city of Samarra caused an escalation of sectarian violence. Fakhouri said that unofficial records suggest there are at least 200,000 more displaced people in the southern provinces, bringing the total to nearly a million. The economically poorer southern cities have few jobs to offer this massive influx of people. As such, the displaced are largely unemployed and depend on assistance from aid organisations.
There are dozens of families arriving every day at camps for the displaced, causing a lack of essential needs such as food and health care. Fakhouri said that nearly 90 percent of the 700,000 internally displaced people in the southern provinces lack essential needs. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), of this total, at least 310,000 arrived there after the bombing on 22 February 2006 of a revered Shia shrine in the northern city of Samarra caused an escalation of sectarian violence. Fakhouri said that unofficial records suggest there are at least 200,000 more displaced people in the southern provinces, bringing the total to nearly a million. The economically poorer southern cities have few jobs to offer this massive influx of people. As such, the displaced are largely unemployed and depend on assistance from aid organisations.
Compounding the health problems the displaced face in Iraq's southern provinces is a lack of access to food. According to Ministry of Trade officials, the continuous movement of families to southern areas has caused delays in the delivery of food rations (distributed as aid by the Ministry of Trade to help poor families registered by the government). The result is many newly displaced people do not receive food rations "for a period of time because of technical arrangements", said Farhan. Based on information from Najaf provincial council, at least 120,000 people in the province have not received their food rations after fleeing their homes in Baghdad or neighboring cities.
Labels: Basra, IDPs, Kerbala, Najaf
Visitors to Iraq to register with Ministry of Interior
Security
(Al-Sabaah) - The Interior Ministry called leaders of all political, religious and social parties and blocs at all provinces to register their offices at the ministry, while it asked foreign visitors to Iraq to state their residence in Iraq 10 days after arrival in the country, Interior Minister Jawad Bolani said at statement. A source at the residence of the directorate said that these procedures aim to prevent illegal residence and control those who enter the country with violent intent.
Labels: foreigners in Iraq, Ministry of Interior
Foreign firms offer to develop Missan's oil fields
Oil
(Azzaman) - The authorities in the southern province of Missan say they have received several requests from foreign firms to develop the province’s gigantic oil fields. The officials refused to name the firms but said the relative stability which the province currently enjoys was luring both foreign and Iraq entrepreneurs to invest.
The province, which borders Iran, is among Iraq’s most impoverished with a rickety infrastructure. It was a battle scene in the eight years of Iraq-Iran war. “The provincial council has received offers from international and Arab firms to invest in the oil sector,” said Taha al-Dhaif, head of the Development Commission in the province. He said investors were also interested in developing the province’s tourist infrastructure and have made several offers to construct hotels and other tourist installations.
Some of the finest Iraqi marshes are situated in the province and the officials said the wetlands were flourishing once again and the authorities were considering ways to turn into tourist attractions. Dhaif said the council has an offer from a foreign firm to develop the massive West Gurna oil field, one of the largest unexplored oil fields in the country.
He said the council was keen to attract investors to help reduce the high unemployment rate and fight poverty. The province relies mainly on agricultural produce as its huge oil fields, with billions of barrels of proven oil reserves, remain undeveloped. Dhaif said the province was in need of power stations and it has already received an offer to construct one. There have been requests to construct housing apartments, and rehabilitate idle industries such as the prefab factory.
Iraq has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is total proven reserves are estimated at 112 billion barrels, with as many as 220 billion barrels of resourced deemed probable. Of the country’s 74 discovered and evaluated oil fields, only 15 have been developed.
Some of the finest Iraqi marshes are situated in the province and the officials said the wetlands were flourishing once again and the authorities were considering ways to turn into tourist attractions. Dhaif said the council has an offer from a foreign firm to develop the massive West Gurna oil field, one of the largest unexplored oil fields in the country.
He said the council was keen to attract investors to help reduce the high unemployment rate and fight poverty. The province relies mainly on agricultural produce as its huge oil fields, with billions of barrels of proven oil reserves, remain undeveloped. Dhaif said the province was in need of power stations and it has already received an offer to construct one. There have been requests to construct housing apartments, and rehabilitate idle industries such as the prefab factory.
Iraq has the third largest proven oil reserves in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. It is total proven reserves are estimated at 112 billion barrels, with as many as 220 billion barrels of resourced deemed probable. Of the country’s 74 discovered and evaluated oil fields, only 15 have been developed.
Labels: foreign firms, Maysan, Missan, oil fields, Taha al-Dhaif, West Qurna
Pentagon does business with Iraqi factories
Business
(AP) - In an Iraq jobs program, the Pentagon has helped reopen three factories shuttered after the 2003 invasion, seeding the ground by buying uniforms and armored vehicles from two of them. Reopening state-owned factories that produced everything from cement to buses for Saddam Hussein's regime is among efforts President Bush hopes will boost the economy and help salvage a violent Iraq. His controversial strategy of increasing troops there to try to calm violence is meant to buy the Iraqi government time to move forward on political reconciliation and reconstruction.
In a program started nearly a year ago, the Defense Department has reopened a large textile factory in Najaf by buying uniforms for Iraqi soldiers and police that the U.S. has been training, and has reopened a vehicle factory south of Baghdad by buying armored vehicles, said Paul Brinkley. He is deputy undersecretary of defense in charge of Pentagon business modernization efforts and has been running the program.
Officials helped find other customers for the third restarted factory, in Ramadi, which makes ceramic products the U.S. has no need for in Iraq. An American company has agreed to buy 120 trucks from the transport company and another is expected to buy clothing from the textile factory that Brinkley said could be on American shelves by fall. Brinkley declined to name the companies, saying they are still negotiating.
Brinkley said the program will reopen private as well as government factories. Military commanders have long seen employment as one of the keys to slowing the violence. Of some 200 large factories that made up Iraq's former industrial base, Brinkley said the Pentagon believes 140 are potentially viable and has identified ways to get 56 of them running again, hopefully this year.
In a program started nearly a year ago, the Defense Department has reopened a large textile factory in Najaf by buying uniforms for Iraqi soldiers and police that the U.S. has been training, and has reopened a vehicle factory south of Baghdad by buying armored vehicles, said Paul Brinkley. He is deputy undersecretary of defense in charge of Pentagon business modernization efforts and has been running the program.
Officials helped find other customers for the third restarted factory, in Ramadi, which makes ceramic products the U.S. has no need for in Iraq. An American company has agreed to buy 120 trucks from the transport company and another is expected to buy clothing from the textile factory that Brinkley said could be on American shelves by fall. Brinkley declined to name the companies, saying they are still negotiating.
Brinkley said the program will reopen private as well as government factories. Military commanders have long seen employment as one of the keys to slowing the violence. Of some 200 large factories that made up Iraq's former industrial base, Brinkley said the Pentagon believes 140 are potentially viable and has identified ways to get 56 of them running again, hopefully this year.
Labels: Iraqi factories, Najaf, Paul Brinkley, Pentagon, Ramadi
Female sailor's release may be delayed as U.K. accused of gunfire near Iranian consulate in Basrah
U.K., Iran, Security
(AP) - The Iranian consul in Basra charged Thursday that British soldiers had surrounded his office in the southern city and fired shots into the air. Britain denied the allegation. The allegation comes at a critical period in the crisis over Iran's seizure of 15 British sailors and marines. The Ministry of Defense in London said the shooting was an exchange of gunfire after British troops on a foot patrol near the Iranian consulate were ambushed.
But Iranian Consul-General Mohammed Ridha Nasir Baghban said British forces had engaged in a "provocative act" that "could worsen the situation of the British sailors." Iran may delay the release of the female British sailor if Britain takes the issue to the U.N. Security Council or freezes relations, the country's top negotiator Ali Larijani said Thursday.
Speaking on Iranian state radio, Larijani said: "British leaders have miscalculated this issue." If Britain follows through with its policies on the 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran last week, Larijani said "this case may face a legal path", a clear reference to Iran's prosecuting the sailors in court. Earlier Thursday, Britain asked the Security Council to support a call for the immediate release of detainees, saying in a statement they were operating in Iraqi waters under a mandate from the Security Council and at the request of Iraq. The issue was expected to be debated Thursday.
But Iranian Consul-General Mohammed Ridha Nasir Baghban said British forces had engaged in a "provocative act" that "could worsen the situation of the British sailors." Iran may delay the release of the female British sailor if Britain takes the issue to the U.N. Security Council or freezes relations, the country's top negotiator Ali Larijani said Thursday.
Speaking on Iranian state radio, Larijani said: "British leaders have miscalculated this issue." If Britain follows through with its policies on the 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran last week, Larijani said "this case may face a legal path", a clear reference to Iran's prosecuting the sailors in court. Earlier Thursday, Britain asked the Security Council to support a call for the immediate release of detainees, saying in a statement they were operating in Iraqi waters under a mandate from the Security Council and at the request of Iraq. The issue was expected to be debated Thursday.
Labels: Ali Larijani, Basra, Iranian consulate, U.N. Security Council
Talabani seeks regional support at summit in Riyadh
Region, Politics, Security
(AP) - Iraq's president tried to win Arab support Wednesday, promising Baghdad will give a greater political role to Sunni Muslims but calling on Arab countries to help stop terrorism in Iraq. A summit of Arab leaders in the Saudi capital Wednesday is taking a tough line on Iraq, demanding it change its constitution and military to include more Sunnis and end a program uprooting former members of Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath party.
The Sunni-led governments of the Arab world have long been suspicious of Iraq's new Shiite leadership, blaming it for fueling violence by discriminating against Sunni Arabs and accusing it of helping mainly Shiite Iran extend its influence in the Middle East. In a speech to the summit, Saudi King Abdullah denounced the U.S. military presence in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation" and warned that sectarian bloodshed was leading to civil war.
The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, warned that the Iraqi government's sectarian policies were threatening a wider conflict. "The clash between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq and the policies that enflame and exploit it could light a horrific regional inferno that will leave no one victorious," he said.
Ahead of the summit, Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and President Jalal Talabani promised to introduce new legislation to let former members of Saddam's ruling Baath Party resume jobs in the government. The legislation, which has yet to be put to parliament, was seen as an attempt to avert criticism at the Arab summit. Al-Maliki is said to fear rising support among U.S.-allied Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for an Iraqi national unity government led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a favorite of Washington.
Talabani, a Kurd, called on Arab nations to back the Iraqi government by cancelling Iraqi debts and help stop militants from crossing into Iraq to join the insurgency. "Our utmost need will remain that we should act together to break the neck of terrorism," he said.
The Sunni-led governments of the Arab world have long been suspicious of Iraq's new Shiite leadership, blaming it for fueling violence by discriminating against Sunni Arabs and accusing it of helping mainly Shiite Iran extend its influence in the Middle East. In a speech to the summit, Saudi King Abdullah denounced the U.S. military presence in Iraq as an "illegitimate foreign occupation" and warned that sectarian bloodshed was leading to civil war.
The head of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, warned that the Iraqi government's sectarian policies were threatening a wider conflict. "The clash between Sunnis and Shiites in Iraq and the policies that enflame and exploit it could light a horrific regional inferno that will leave no one victorious," he said.
Ahead of the summit, Iraq's Shiite prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and President Jalal Talabani promised to introduce new legislation to let former members of Saddam's ruling Baath Party resume jobs in the government. The legislation, which has yet to be put to parliament, was seen as an attempt to avert criticism at the Arab summit. Al-Maliki is said to fear rising support among U.S.-allied Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan for an Iraqi national unity government led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a favorite of Washington.
Talabani, a Kurd, called on Arab nations to back the Iraqi government by cancelling Iraqi debts and help stop militants from crossing into Iraq to join the insurgency. "Our utmost need will remain that we should act together to break the neck of terrorism," he said.
Labels: 19th Arab Summit, Amr Mousa, constitution amendment, Iyad Allawi, Jalal Talabani
Overcrowding in Iraqi prisons worse since security operation
Humanitarian
(AP) - An Iraqi monitoring group said Wednesday that detention centers have become severely overcrowded since a security crackdown began six weeks ago in Baghdad and most of the inmates were being held without evidence. Maan Zeki Khadum, the deputy head of the governmental legal oversight group, said one facility on the western edge of Baghdad held 272 inmates although it was designed for 75, while another lockup south of the capital, with room for 75, reportedly held nearly 800 prisoners.
He said his team of 17 lawyers visited the detention center at the Iraqi-run Muthanna Air Base on the western outskirts of Baghdad on March 13 and found the prisoners in poor conditions, with five people crammed into a cell built for one.
He said his team of 17 lawyers visited the detention center at the Iraqi-run Muthanna Air Base on the western outskirts of Baghdad on March 13 and found the prisoners in poor conditions, with five people crammed into a cell built for one.
Khadum's group reports to Shiite politician Ahmed Chalabi, head of a committee responsible for building public support for the neighborhood-by-neighborhood sweep to end sectarian violence in Baghdad. Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, a spokesman for the security plan, could not immediately be reached for comment. But an Interior Ministry spokesman denied there was overcrowding and said the prison conditions had met human rights requirements.
The lawyers also visited a detention center in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in northern Baghdad, which he said had more than 1,000 inmates and was in even worse condition than the facility at the air base. He also said the team had reports that nearly 800 prisoners were being housed in a detention center with a capacity for 75 in the Sunni city of Mahmoudiyah, south of Baghdad, although the lawyers had not yet visited that facility, which is in a volatile area that suffers frequent insurgent attacks.
Labels: Ahmed Chalabi, Maan Zeki Khadum, Muthanna Air Base, prisons
Teachers in Wassit threaten to go on strike
Security
(VOI) - Teachers in the southern Iraqi province of Wassit threatened, on Wednesday, to suspend working at schools in the province in early April if no salary rise is given, head of teachers union in Wassit said. "Teachers in the teachers union will suspend working at schools on April 1st if no measures are taken to improve their living conditions, including a salary raise," Fadhel Abbas Majid told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Teachers in Iraq are given an average of monthly pay of approximately 300,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $200) in a country where house rent eats up to 150,000 Iraqi dinars. He added, "we also demand a new pay scale that takes into account years of experience and allowances, and offers allowances to cover transportation to and from the school. "The teachers union, a civil society organization, was established in 2004. Most teachers in Wassit province, 180 km southeast of Baghdad, are members of it.
Labels: strikes, teachers, Wassit
U.S. base targeted by suicide bomber in Haditha
Security
(VOI) - A suicide bomber detonated an explosive-rigged car on Wednesday morning at the entry to a school used by U.S. forces as a base, near Haditha, 380 km west of Baghdad, an eyewitness said. "A suicide attacker this morning detonated a vehicle at the main gate of a U.S. base in Albo Haiyat village near Haditha," an eyewitness told the independent news agency by telephone. He said "the attacked base is at a school in the village. "No immediate comment was made by the U.S. army on the incident.
Labels: Haditha, suicide bomber, U.S. base
Al-Maliki orders investigation into Tal Afar sectarian violence
Security
(VOI) – The Iraqi Prime Minister has ordered an investigation committee to be formed to punish elements believed to have been involved in attacks on citizens after the recent bomb attacks in the city, the state-run al-Iraqiya satellite channel said on Wednesday. Demonstrations were staged earlier in Talafar streets, during which the protesters called for the city’s mayor and chief of police to be dismissed.
A total of sixty executed bodies arrived at the Talafar public hospital on Wednesday, the director of the hospital said. Dr. Saleh al-Qdou told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI), “The victims are men, women and children who were executed late Tuesday." Meanwhile, eyewitnesses confirmed that armed militiamen with police wearing civilian clothes had gone to the streets and carried out executions.
For his part, Turkuman front official in Ninewa province Ali al-Talafari confirmed the news, asserting that the irresponsible acts by some police elements were contained while 18 policemen were arrested. The police did not comment on the incident. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also strongly criticized the bombing attacks in Talafar that left 51 dead and 183 wounded. He vowed to track down the perpetrators.
Sectarian violence continued Thursday, when five mortar shells hit a Shiite district, wounding three people, according to police Brig. Abdul-Karim al-Jibouri. The city was under curfew Thursday for the second successive day, said al-Jibouri. Husham al-Hamdani, head of the provincial government's security committee in nearby Mosul, said local authorities planned a reconciliation meeting between the city's Sunni and Shiite leaders. He also announced that policemen arrested Wednesday on suspicion of taking part in the revenge killings have been freed. He declined to give a reason.
Labels: Ali al-Talafari, Brig. Abdul-Karim al-Jibouri, sectarian violence, Tal Afar
U.S. Ambassador sworn in
U.S.
(AP) U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker was sworn in as the new top U.S. envoy to Iraq on Thursday, saying that he was taking over the "most critical foreign policy mission" facing his country. A series of bomb blasts in Baghdad and its suburbs underlined how tough his job will be. Crocker, a fluent Arabic speaker, used that language when he told the embassy's Iraqi employees, "You are the heroes of the country, in the true meaning of the word."
Taking up where his predecessor, Zalmay Khalilzad, left off, the 57-year-old Crocker warned Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that his government "must take all the necessary steps to unite the country." He left no doubt of his commitment to the Bush administration's policy in Iraq, which is under withering attack in the Democrat-controlled Congress.
Taking up where his predecessor, Zalmay Khalilzad, left off, the 57-year-old Crocker warned Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that his government "must take all the necessary steps to unite the country." He left no doubt of his commitment to the Bush administration's policy in Iraq, which is under withering attack in the Democrat-controlled Congress.
Labels: Ryan Crocker, Zalmay Khalilzad
Offshoot of 1920 Revoltion Brigades changes name
Insurgency
(RFE/RL) - The Islamic Conquest Corps, an offshoot of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, has reportedly announced it will change its name to the Islamic Conquest Brigades, Al-Jazeera television reported on March 27. In addition to its name change, the group said it wants to be known as the Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) of Iraq.
The group called on fellow fighters to work towards better coordination and cooperation, Al-Jazeera reported. The insurgent website mohajroon.com carried a statement by the 1920 Revolution Brigades on March 18 that announced the establishment of two brigades, Fatah Al-Islam and Jihad Al-Islam. The group said the two brigades are authorized to cooperate and integrate with other groups.
Jihad Al-Islam will be responsible for insurgent activities in northern Iraq, including Mosul, Kirkuk, and Tikrit, as well as areas of southern Baghdad and its environs and Abu Ghraib. Fatah Al-Islam will be responsible for activities in Diyala, Samarra, areas of northern and central Baghdad, Al-Fallujah, Al-Ramadi, and the western regions. The Diyala branch of the 1920 Revolution Brigades is reportedly distancing itself from Al-Qaeda because of the latter's tactics, including its targeting of civilians, the "Los Angeles Times" reported on March 27.
Labels: Fatah Al-Islam, HAMAS, Islamic Conquest Brigades, Islamic Conquest Corps, Islamic Resistance Movement, Jihad Al-Islam, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
INM daily summary – 28 March 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- Global positioning data shows that 15 British sailors and marines were well inside Iraqi waters when they were captured by Iran last week, Britain's MoD said on Wednesday.
- Gunmen rampaged through a Sunni district in the northwestern town of Tal Afar overnight, killing more than 50 people in apparent reprisal for bombings in a Shi'ite area.
- Harith Dhaher al-Dhari, leader of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a major Sunni Arab insurgent group, was killed Tuesday west of Baghdad, the group announced in an Internet statement.
- Two Americans, a contractor and a soldier, were killed in a rocket attack on the heavy guarded Green Zone on Tuesday.
- The 19th Arab summit begins Wednesday in Riyadh. During the two-day summit Saudi Arabia in trying to resolve a string of crises in the Middle East, particularly the Lebanon crisis, the bloodshed in Iraq and Sunni Arab fears over the growing power of mainly Shiite Iran.
- Sectarian clashes have intensified once again despite the surge in U.S. troops.
- South Korean U.A Energy Company said on Thursday that it had won the deal to build power stations in Iraq.
- Iraq’s government does not need an order from the Arab summit on how to amend its constitution and boost national reconciliation, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said yesterday.
- Insurgents attacked a local government building in Fallujah with two chlorine truck bombs, on Wednesday injuring Iraqi and U.S. security forces.
- The President of Criticare Systems Inc. announced that the company has was awarded a $2.2 million contract from the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
- Britain said it was freezing talks on all other issues with Iran until it freed 15 Royal Navy crew members seized last week
- Round-up of violence across Iraq
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(Reuters) - Security developments in Iraq as of 1230 GMT on Wednesday.
(Reuters) - Security developments in Iraq as of 1230 GMT on Wednesday.
U.K. freezes talk with Iran as female prisoner may be released
Iran, U.K., Security
(AP) - Britain said it was freezing talks on all other issues with Iran until it freed 15 Royal Navy crew members seized last week, and the British military released what it said was proof its boats were within Iraqi territorial waters when they were seized. Iran's foreign minister said meanwhile a female British sailor held captive by Iran may be released later Wednesday or on Thursday, a Turkish TV station reported.
"The woman soldier is free either today or tomorrow," CNN-Turk television quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying on the sidelines of an Arab summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the woman, identified as sailor Faye Turney, 26, had been given privacy.
Britain's military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when Iran seized the sailors and marines on Friday. Style gave the satellite coordinates of the British crew as 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude, and said it had been confirmed by an Indian-flagged merchant ship boarded by the sailors and marines.
"We had hoped to see their immediate release; this has not happened. It is now time to ratchet up the diplomatic and international pressure in order to make sure the Iranian government understands its total isolation on this issue," Blair said. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Britain had frozen bilateral talks with Iran on all other issues until Tehran frees the crew. "No one should be in any doubt about the seriousness with which we regard these events," Beckett told lawmakers.
The Iranian Embassy statement said: "We are confident that Iranian and British governments are capable of resolving this security case through their close contacts and cooperation." In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the case was following normal procedures, holding out the possibility that the Britons could be brought to trial.
In talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Beckett demanded that British diplomats be allowed to meet with the crew to make their own assessment of their health.
"The woman soldier is free either today or tomorrow," CNN-Turk television quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying on the sidelines of an Arab summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the woman, identified as sailor Faye Turney, 26, had been given privacy.
Britain's military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when Iran seized the sailors and marines on Friday. Style gave the satellite coordinates of the British crew as 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude, and said it had been confirmed by an Indian-flagged merchant ship boarded by the sailors and marines.
"We had hoped to see their immediate release; this has not happened. It is now time to ratchet up the diplomatic and international pressure in order to make sure the Iranian government understands its total isolation on this issue," Blair said. British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said Britain had frozen bilateral talks with Iran on all other issues until Tehran frees the crew. "No one should be in any doubt about the seriousness with which we regard these events," Beckett told lawmakers.
The Iranian Embassy statement said: "We are confident that Iranian and British governments are capable of resolving this security case through their close contacts and cooperation." In Tehran, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said the case was following normal procedures, holding out the possibility that the Britons could be brought to trial.
In talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Beckett demanded that British diplomats be allowed to meet with the crew to make their own assessment of their health.
Labels: British navy, Faye Turney, Iran, Manouchehr Mottaki, U.K.
Foreign company wins Ministry of Health $2.2 mn contract
Contracts
MENAFN
The President of Criticare Systems Inc. announced that the company has was awarded a $2.2 million contract from the Iraqi Ministry of Health for installing a portable multi-parameter vital signs monitor, Iraq Portal reported.
The official indicated that the company has received the contract after winning a tender bid initiated by the Iraqi government earlier this year. He added that the company plans multiple shipments beginning in its fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, with completion anticipated in its first quarter of fiscal 2008.
He pointed out that the company is interested in investing in the Iraqi market despite the current security situation, as the Iraqi authorities facilitate the investment climate in the country with all available means.
The President of Criticare Systems Inc. announced that the company has was awarded a $2.2 million contract from the Iraqi Ministry of Health for installing a portable multi-parameter vital signs monitor, Iraq Portal reported.
The official indicated that the company has received the contract after winning a tender bid initiated by the Iraqi government earlier this year. He added that the company plans multiple shipments beginning in its fourth quarter of fiscal 2007, with completion anticipated in its first quarter of fiscal 2008.
He pointed out that the company is interested in investing in the Iraqi market despite the current security situation, as the Iraqi authorities facilitate the investment climate in the country with all available means.
Labels: Criticare Systems Inc., Ministry of Health
Chlorine truck bomb attacks in Falluja
Security
(Reuters) - Insurgents with two chlorine truck bombs attacked a local government building in Falluja, western
Iraq, on Wednesday and 15 Iraqi and U.S. security forces were injured, the U.S. military said. "Numerous Iraqi soldiers and policemen are being treated for symptoms such as labored breathing, nausea, skin irritation and vomiting that are synonymous with chlorine inhalation," a U.S. statement said.
It said no Iraqi or U.S. forces were killed in what it called a "complex attack" using mortars and small arms as well as the truck bombs. Earlier Iraqi police said two car bombs exploded near an Iraqi checkpoint outside a U.S. military base in Falluja, killing eight Iraqi soldiers. It was not immediately clear if they were referring to the same incident but the U.S. statement was sent to Reuters in response to a query about the earlier report.
"Iraqi police identified the first suicide attacker and fired on the truck, causing it to detonate before reaching the compound," the U.S. statement said. "Iraqi Army soldiers spotted the second suicide truck approaching the gate and engaged it with small arms fire, causing it to also detonate near the entrance of the compound." U.S. commanders and the Iraqi government have blamed al Qaeda militants for several recent attacks using chlorine gas that poisoned hundreds of people in Anbar, a restive mainly Sunni Arab province in western Iraq.
Iraq, on Wednesday and 15 Iraqi and U.S. security forces were injured, the U.S. military said. "Numerous Iraqi soldiers and policemen are being treated for symptoms such as labored breathing, nausea, skin irritation and vomiting that are synonymous with chlorine inhalation," a U.S. statement said.
It said no Iraqi or U.S. forces were killed in what it called a "complex attack" using mortars and small arms as well as the truck bombs. Earlier Iraqi police said two car bombs exploded near an Iraqi checkpoint outside a U.S. military base in Falluja, killing eight Iraqi soldiers. It was not immediately clear if they were referring to the same incident but the U.S. statement was sent to Reuters in response to a query about the earlier report.
"Iraqi police identified the first suicide attacker and fired on the truck, causing it to detonate before reaching the compound," the U.S. statement said. "Iraqi Army soldiers spotted the second suicide truck approaching the gate and engaged it with small arms fire, causing it to also detonate near the entrance of the compound." U.S. commanders and the Iraqi government have blamed al Qaeda militants for several recent attacks using chlorine gas that poisoned hundreds of people in Anbar, a restive mainly Sunni Arab province in western Iraq.
Labels: Al Qaeda, chlorine bombs, complex attack, Fallujah, security forces
Zebari tells Arab Summit not to interfere with Iraqi constitution
Politics, Region
(AFP) - Iraq’s government does not need an order from the Arab summit on how to amend its constitution and boost national reconciliation, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said yesterday. “Amendment of the constitution is an obligation written in the text of the constitution, and we are determined to do it without waiting to be told,” Zebari told AFP.
Arab foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit here agreed Monday to call for an amendment of Iraq’s constitution to give Sunni Arabs a greater share of power in the war-ravaged country and prevent its breakup. The call came in a draft resolution to be submitted to Arab heads of state starting their annual summit today.
“We have obligations toward our people and we know them. We don’t need a diktat from Arab countries. We tell them (Arab states) that the idea of national reconciliation is ours, not yours,” Zebari said. The Iraqi government has initiated moves to review the de-Baathification law, he added. The Arab foreign ministers also called Monday for “reviewing the de-Baathification law in order to enhance the national reconciliation process in Iraq,” according to one minister.
What Iraq does need from fellow Arab states is their help in “fighting terrorism and controlling the borders to stop arms crossing” into the country, said Zebari. Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani sent to the Cabinet on Monday a new de-Baathification law aimed at promoting national reconciliation, the premier’s office said.
Arab foreign ministers meeting ahead of the summit here agreed Monday to call for an amendment of Iraq’s constitution to give Sunni Arabs a greater share of power in the war-ravaged country and prevent its breakup. The call came in a draft resolution to be submitted to Arab heads of state starting their annual summit today.
“We have obligations toward our people and we know them. We don’t need a diktat from Arab countries. We tell them (Arab states) that the idea of national reconciliation is ours, not yours,” Zebari said. The Iraqi government has initiated moves to review the de-Baathification law, he added. The Arab foreign ministers also called Monday for “reviewing the de-Baathification law in order to enhance the national reconciliation process in Iraq,” according to one minister.
What Iraq does need from fellow Arab states is their help in “fighting terrorism and controlling the borders to stop arms crossing” into the country, said Zebari. Iraq’s Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki and President Jalal Talabani sent to the Cabinet on Monday a new de-Baathification law aimed at promoting national reconciliation, the premier’s office said.
Labels: 19th Arab Summit, constitution, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari
South Korean company wins deal to build power stations in Iraq
Business, Reconstruction
(Iraq Directory) - South Korean U.A Energy Company said on Thursday that it had won the deal to build power stations in Iraq, overcoming the competitor German and Finnish companies. The company said that the stations, which consist of 60 containers with a capacity of 1.6 kilowatts, are portable and easy to transport compared with regular power stations. The construction will take between six and eight months.
The Stations, contracted on, will generate total of 306 megawatts of energy enough to fill the needs of 120,000 Iraqis. U.A Energy would subcontract with Hyundai Heavy Industries for implementing this project. The implementation of the project is scheduled to be completed in March 2009.
The Stations, contracted on, will generate total of 306 megawatts of energy enough to fill the needs of 120,000 Iraqis. U.A Energy would subcontract with Hyundai Heavy Industries for implementing this project. The implementation of the project is scheduled to be completed in March 2009.
Labels: Hyundai Heavy Industries, power stations, South Korea, U.A Energy Company
Despite U.S. troop surge, sectarian violence sprials
Security
(Azzaman) - Sectarian clashes have intensified once again despite the surge in U.S. troops. Sectarian factions have resumed attacking mosques of the opposite sects and dumping bodies of rivals on streets. A mortar shell was fired on a mosque in the town of Iskandariya in the Province of Babel, south of Baghdad, killing one person and injuring five others.
Fierce clashes erupted in the town in which attacks were carried out on three Husayniyats. There are differences in the places of worship attended by Muslim Shiites and Muslim Sunnis. Shiites’ pray at Husayniyats, which are modest structures in comparison to the mosques normally attended by Sunnis.
Security in Babel Province, though predominantly Shiite, has worsened recently as U.S. and Iraqi troops are striving to tighten their grip on Baghdad where 17 corpses dumped on streets were collectd by police yesterday. Iraqi troops say they have imposed a curfew on Iskandariya and the surrounding areas and called in U.S. helicopter gun ships to chase insurgents.
Lt. General Qais al-Maamouri, who commands the Iraqi division deployed in Iskandariya, claimed that his troops had the city under control. The violence started when a Husayniya was blown up by a car bomb in the district of Haswa, killing eight people and injuring 43.
Fierce clashes erupted in the town in which attacks were carried out on three Husayniyats. There are differences in the places of worship attended by Muslim Shiites and Muslim Sunnis. Shiites’ pray at Husayniyats, which are modest structures in comparison to the mosques normally attended by Sunnis.
Security in Babel Province, though predominantly Shiite, has worsened recently as U.S. and Iraqi troops are striving to tighten their grip on Baghdad where 17 corpses dumped on streets were collectd by police yesterday. Iraqi troops say they have imposed a curfew on Iskandariya and the surrounding areas and called in U.S. helicopter gun ships to chase insurgents.
Lt. General Qais al-Maamouri, who commands the Iraqi division deployed in Iskandariya, claimed that his troops had the city under control. The violence started when a Husayniya was blown up by a car bomb in the district of Haswa, killing eight people and injuring 43.
COMMENT: This comes as no surprise, despite sectarian deaths being down in Baghdad during the security operation, they have now risen again - probably due to the presence and actions of Mahdi militia resulting in reprisals. Throughout the security operation violence intensified in the provinces. Violent elements were merely lying low in Baghdad and biding their time. A troop surge will only achieve short term objectives. The solution has to be political, as well as miltary. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Husayniya, Iskandariyah, mosques, sectarian violence
19th Arab Summit begins in Riyadh
Region, Security
(AP) - U.S. Arab allies at a summit Wednesday tried to rally other Arabs behind ways to win Israeli and Western support for an Arab land-for-peace offer, despite reluctance from Syria, hoping to build momentum for a breakthrough in the Mideast peace process. The peace initiative is the centerpiece of the two-day Arab summit, which convenes in the Saudi capital at a time when the United States has shown some progress in maneuvering all sides into place for a resumption in long-stalled negotiations.
The Riyadh summit comes amid a more assertive diplomatic role by Saudi Arabia in trying to resolve a string of crises in the Middle East, particularly the Lebanon crisis, the bloodshed in Iraq and Sunni Arab fears over the growing power of mainly Shiite Iran. On the Iraq issue, the summit is expected to push the Shiite Muslim-led Iraqi government to include more Sunni Arabs. The summit's final resolutions call for Baghdad to rewrite the constitution and rebuild the armed forces to accommodate more Sunnis.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari bristled at the resolutions, telling The Associated Press: "We do not need dictation from the Arab countries. Our national interest is our concern, not theirs. We want them to help fight terrorism and monitor (Iraq's) borders to prevent the influx of weapons," he said.
Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, is attending the summit as a guest. The Arab League is dominated by Sunni Muslim-led nations that are deeply suspicious of mainly Shiite Iran's influence in the region and see Iraq's Shiites as backing Iranian interests.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari bristled at the resolutions, telling The Associated Press: "We do not need dictation from the Arab countries. Our national interest is our concern, not theirs. We want them to help fight terrorism and monitor (Iraq's) borders to prevent the influx of weapons," he said.
Iran's foreign minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, is attending the summit as a guest. The Arab League is dominated by Sunni Muslim-led nations that are deeply suspicious of mainly Shiite Iran's influence in the region and see Iraq's Shiites as backing Iranian interests.
Labels: 19th Arab Summit, Hoshyar Zibari
Contractor, soldier killed in International Zone
Security
(AP) - Two Americans, a contractor and a soldier, were killed in a rocket attack on the heavy guarded Green Zone on Tuesday, according to statements from the U.S. Embassy and the military. Five other people were wounded, one contractor who was seriously hurt and three with slight wounds. A second soldier also was wounded in the attack, but the military did not give a condition.
Insurgents and militia fighters routinely fire rockets and mortars into the Green Zone, the nominally secure area in central Baghdad that is site of the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government and parliament. The attacks seldom cause casualties or damage because they are poorly aimed and the zone contains much open space.
Minutes later the U.S. command issued a terse statement that the soldier was killed and a second wounded. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information, said all the dead and wounded were victims of the same rocket assault.
The last known U.S. death in the Green Zone was in February when an American contractor was killed in a checkpoint shooting in the Green Zone.
On Oct. 14, 2004, twin bombings struck a cafe and an open market inside the Green Zone, killing six people, including four Americans, and wounding nearly 30.
On Nov. 25, 2004, a mortar attack killed four employees of a British security firm and wounded at least 12 in the Green Zone. Britain's Foreign Office said the four security workers for London-based Global Risk Strategies were former Gurkhas, renowned Nepalese soldiers.
On Jan. 29, 2005, insurgents hit the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad with a rocket, killing two Americans, a civilian and a Navy sailor, on the eve of landmark elections. The rocket hit the embassy compound after nightfall, near the building itself. Four other Americans were wounded.
On Oct. 14, 2004, twin bombings struck a cafe and an open market inside the Green Zone, killing six people and injuring nearly 30.
Insurgents and militia fighters routinely fire rockets and mortars into the Green Zone, the nominally secure area in central Baghdad that is site of the U.S. Embassy and the Iraqi government and parliament. The attacks seldom cause casualties or damage because they are poorly aimed and the zone contains much open space.
Minutes later the U.S. command issued a terse statement that the soldier was killed and a second wounded. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information, said all the dead and wounded were victims of the same rocket assault.
The last known U.S. death in the Green Zone was in February when an American contractor was killed in a checkpoint shooting in the Green Zone.
On Oct. 14, 2004, twin bombings struck a cafe and an open market inside the Green Zone, killing six people, including four Americans, and wounding nearly 30.
On Nov. 25, 2004, a mortar attack killed four employees of a British security firm and wounded at least 12 in the Green Zone. Britain's Foreign Office said the four security workers for London-based Global Risk Strategies were former Gurkhas, renowned Nepalese soldiers.
On Jan. 29, 2005, insurgents hit the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad with a rocket, killing two Americans, a civilian and a Navy sailor, on the eve of landmark elections. The rocket hit the embassy compound after nightfall, near the building itself. Four other Americans were wounded.
On Oct. 14, 2004, twin bombings struck a cafe and an open market inside the Green Zone, killing six people and injuring nearly 30.
Labels: Green Zone, International Zone, rocket attack
Leader of 1920 Revolution Brigades killed
Insurgency
(AP) - A military leader of the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a major Sunni Arab insurgent group, was killed Tuesday west of Baghdad, the group announced in an Internet statement. A local official confirmed the death of Harith Dhaher al-Dhari, saying he died when rocket-propelled grenades hit his car and an accompanying vehicle in the Abu Ghraib district. Two associates also died, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
The U.S. military, however, said al-Dhari was killed when two suicide car bombers targeted a house in the Abu Ghraib area. Three bodies were found by U.S. troops, it said. The district official also blamed the attack on al-The authenticity of the brief statement could not be verified but it appeared on a site that routinely publishes militant literature.
The killing of al-Dhari is likely to deepen the increasingly bloody rift between government-backed opponents of al-Qaida and supporters of the terror group in the Sunni Arab communities west of Baghdad. Government-backed tribal militias have been trying to chase al-Qaida fighters out of the vast province, and al-Qaida has responded with bomb attacks on leaders and key supporters of the tribes allied against them.
The 1920 Revolution Brigades has consistently been rumored to have taken part in talks with American and Iraqi officials, which are believed to have been deadlocked over the demand that insurgents lay down their arms and join the political process.
Al-Dhari's father is the sheik of al-Zuba'a tribe in Abu Ghraib. Also a member of this tribe is Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie, who was seriously wounded Friday when a suicide bomber blew up his vest of explosives at the prayer room of his Baghdad home. The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack on al-Zubaie, which killed nine people.
In separate statements, al-Dhari was mourned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab party, and by the Association of Muslim Scholars, a radical Sunni group led by the slain leader's uncle, Harith al-Dhari.
Both groups have long been suspected of maintaining links to Sunni Arab insurgent groups. The Islamic Party, however, is widely viewed as a force of moderation within the Sunni Arab minority, which is deeply embittered by the loss of its domination under Saddam Hussein. The association, by contrast, has grown increasingly militant.
The U.S. military, however, said al-Dhari was killed when two suicide car bombers targeted a house in the Abu Ghraib area. Three bodies were found by U.S. troops, it said. The district official also blamed the attack on al-The authenticity of the brief statement could not be verified but it appeared on a site that routinely publishes militant literature.
The killing of al-Dhari is likely to deepen the increasingly bloody rift between government-backed opponents of al-Qaida and supporters of the terror group in the Sunni Arab communities west of Baghdad. Government-backed tribal militias have been trying to chase al-Qaida fighters out of the vast province, and al-Qaida has responded with bomb attacks on leaders and key supporters of the tribes allied against them.
The 1920 Revolution Brigades has consistently been rumored to have taken part in talks with American and Iraqi officials, which are believed to have been deadlocked over the demand that insurgents lay down their arms and join the political process.
Al-Dhari's father is the sheik of al-Zuba'a tribe in Abu Ghraib. Also a member of this tribe is Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zubaie, who was seriously wounded Friday when a suicide bomber blew up his vest of explosives at the prayer room of his Baghdad home. The Islamic State in Iraq, an al-Qaida-linked group, claimed responsibility for the attack on al-Zubaie, which killed nine people.
In separate statements, al-Dhari was mourned by the Iraqi Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab party, and by the Association of Muslim Scholars, a radical Sunni group led by the slain leader's uncle, Harith al-Dhari.
Both groups have long been suspected of maintaining links to Sunni Arab insurgent groups. The Islamic Party, however, is widely viewed as a force of moderation within the Sunni Arab minority, which is deeply embittered by the loss of its domination under Saddam Hussein. The association, by contrast, has grown increasingly militant.
Labels: Al Qaeda, al-Zobaie tribe, Harith Dhaher al-Dhari, Iraqi Islamic Party, Muslim Scholars Association, the 1920 Revolution Brigades
Shiite gunmen go on killing rampage in Tal Afar
Security
(Reuters) - Gunmen rampaged through a Sunni district in the northwestern Iraqi town of Tal Afar overnight, killing more than 50 people in apparent reprisal for bombings in a Shi'ite area, Iraqi officials said on Wednesday. The attack was on the Sunni district of al-Wahda in Tal Afar, where tensions have been rising between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims, who are mostly Turkish-speaking ethnic Turkmen.
"Shi'ite armed groups killed Sunni men inside their homes. More than 50 were killed," said Brigadier Najim al-Jubouri, mayor of Tal Afar, which is close to the Syrian border and the regional capital of Mosul. He said 18 people had been detained. A security source who declined to be named said many of the suspects were policemen. A curfew was imposed as Iraqi soldiers took control of the city.
The killings came after the U.S. Senate on Tuesday endorsed a March 31, 2008, target date for withdrawing American combat troops from Iraq. The White House threatened a veto, moving Congress a step closer to a showdown with Bush over the war.
Gunmen raided the Tal Afar neighborhood shortly after twin truck bombings on Tuesday that police said killed 55 people and wounded 180. One suicide bomber lured victims to buy wheat loaded on his truck in a Shi'ite neighborhood. A second truck bomb exploded in a used car lot in a religiously mixed area.
"Shi'ite armed groups killed Sunni men inside their homes. More than 50 were killed," said Brigadier Najim al-Jubouri, mayor of Tal Afar, which is close to the Syrian border and the regional capital of Mosul. He said 18 people had been detained. A security source who declined to be named said many of the suspects were policemen. A curfew was imposed as Iraqi soldiers took control of the city.
The killings came after the U.S. Senate on Tuesday endorsed a March 31, 2008, target date for withdrawing American combat troops from Iraq. The White House threatened a veto, moving Congress a step closer to a showdown with Bush over the war.
Gunmen raided the Tal Afar neighborhood shortly after twin truck bombings on Tuesday that police said killed 55 people and wounded 180. One suicide bomber lured victims to buy wheat loaded on his truck in a Shi'ite neighborhood. A second truck bomb exploded in a used car lot in a religiously mixed area.
Violence has seen Shi'ites and Sunnis flee previously mixed neighborhoods, which are now largely segregated along sectarian lines. Some Sunnis in Tal Afar have complained that the arrival of Shi'ite-dominated security forces has led to oppression. Police, who are seen as allied to Shi'ites, are frequently targeted in car and roadside bombings in the town. Two policemen were among 10 people killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up in a market in the town on Saturday.
(VOI) - Unidentified gunmen blocked the way of vehicles carrying medical assistance from Mosul to Talafar, west of Mosul, to aid victims of three bombing attacks that rattled the city earlier, an official in Ninawa province said on Tuesday."A group of unidentified armed men blocked the way that links Mosul with Talafar to prevent ambulances and other vehicles from entering the city," the Head of Security and Defense Committee in Ninawa provincial council Hesham al-Hamadani told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) over the phone.At least 50 people were killed and 120 others were wounded on Tuesday in three bombing attacks in Talafar, Talafar mayor had said earlier.
Labels: Brigadier Najim al-Jubouri, Shiite militias, Tal Afar, Turkomen
