Friday, May 18, 2007
INM daily summary – 18 May 2007
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- The Iraqi government has reportedly asked Jordan to allow its nationals holding S-series passports to remain inside the kingdom until year-end.
- About 50 suspected insurgents attacked a coalition base in the center of a northern Iraqi city Friday, sparking a battle with U.S. soldiers and helicopters that killed at least six militants, the Iraqi army said.
- The military said Wednesday that it had detained people believed to be "directly linked" to a weekend assault in which attackers ambushed two Humvees, killing four U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter, and leaving three others missing and presumed captured.
- Iraqi Sunni and Shiite clerics met earlier this week in the Syrian capital and called for an end to the sectarian violence in their country without detriment to what they called the right to resistance through combating US occupation.
- Iraqi Prime Minister pledged to act strictly with any violation of law, referring to the clashes erupted on Wednesday in the city of Nassiriyah in southern Iraq, the presidential office said.
- Eyewitnesses affirmed that calm had prevailed in Nasiriyah today after the clashes were over and the regular rhythm of life had returned to the government's departments.
- The Iraqi government has agreed with Iran to start laying oil pipeline between the two countries to export Iraqi oil to the neighboring country.
- Iraqi political factions are divided by the up-coming U.S.-Iran talks on stabilizing Iraq.
- Iraqis are now suffering from an entire lack of electricity, water and fuel.
- The armed Kurdish groups which belong to al-Qaeda "have no popular support in Kurdistan and will not find anywhere to put down roots in this region," warned Saadi Ahmad Bira, a member of the executive of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
- Five Iranians detained by U.S. forces in northern Iraq could be freed within the next month, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Friday.
- Security round-up.
Detained Iranians may be freed next month
Iran
(Reuters) - Five Iranians detained by U.S. forces in northern Iraq could be freed within the next month, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said on Friday. Washington says the five men, detained in January, are linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and were backing militants in Iraq.
Iran insists they are diplomats, wants them freed and has requested access. Mottaki said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who visited Tehran in April, had indicated they could be freed by June 21. "In Mr Zebari's trip, he said that (those detained) will be released in Khordad," Mottaki said, referring to the Iranian month of Khordad, which runs from May 22 to June 21.
Mottaki added that Zebari had said he was quoting U.S. officials in his comments. Mottaki said the five detainees had expressed a wish to meet Iranian consular officials before seeing family members. "Fifteen days ago, it was discussed that the families could meet their arrested loved ones and even some preliminary work was done," Mottaki told reporters in Tehran at a meeting with family members. He did not say who the discussions were with.
"But our colleagues in detention said that we prefer to have a meeting with consulate officials first and then with our families," he said. Mottaki repeated Iran's position that the detention was illegal and said he hoped the men would be released soon. "I told Mr Zebari that even one hour of illegally keeping them in detention is not justified," he said.Iranian family members voiced fears about their detained loves ones during the meeting with Mottaki.
Officials named the other three detained as Bagher Ghabishavi, Moussa Chegini and Abbas Hatami Kasavand. Iranian and U.S. officials are to meet in Iraq on May 28 to discuss security in the country, in a rare face-to-face meeting between the two rivals which have not had diplomatic relations since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. The five Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil. It is not clear where they are being held, but the U.S. military says they have been visited twice by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Iran insists they are diplomats, wants them freed and has requested access. Mottaki said Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who visited Tehran in April, had indicated they could be freed by June 21. "In Mr Zebari's trip, he said that (those detained) will be released in Khordad," Mottaki said, referring to the Iranian month of Khordad, which runs from May 22 to June 21.
Mottaki added that Zebari had said he was quoting U.S. officials in his comments. Mottaki said the five detainees had expressed a wish to meet Iranian consular officials before seeing family members. "Fifteen days ago, it was discussed that the families could meet their arrested loved ones and even some preliminary work was done," Mottaki told reporters in Tehran at a meeting with family members. He did not say who the discussions were with.
"But our colleagues in detention said that we prefer to have a meeting with consulate officials first and then with our families," he said. Mottaki repeated Iran's position that the detention was illegal and said he hoped the men would be released soon. "I told Mr Zebari that even one hour of illegally keeping them in detention is not justified," he said.Iranian family members voiced fears about their detained loves ones during the meeting with Mottaki.
Officials named the other three detained as Bagher Ghabishavi, Moussa Chegini and Abbas Hatami Kasavand. Iranian and U.S. officials are to meet in Iraq on May 28 to discuss security in the country, in a rare face-to-face meeting between the two rivals which have not had diplomatic relations since shortly after the 1979 Islamic revolution. The five Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Arbil. It is not clear where they are being held, but the U.S. military says they have been visited twice by the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Labels: Abbas Hatami Kasavand, Bagher Ghabishavi, Hoshiyar Zebari, Iran, Iranian detainees, Khordad, Manouchehr Mottaki, Moussa Chegini, Revolutionary Guards
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - 17 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 0700 GMT on Friday 18:
MUSSAYAB - A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle at an Iraqi police checkpoint in the town of Mussayab, south of Baghdad, killing three people and wounding four, police said. Police said most of the victims were policemen.
MUSSAYAB - A suicide bomber blew up his vehicle at an Iraqi police checkpoint in the town of Mussayab, south of Baghdad, killing three people and wounding four, police said. Police said most of the victims were policemen.
Labels: Iraq, Mussayab, policemen, suicide bomber, violence
Kurdish politician - no room for Al Qaeda in Kurdistan
Kurdistan, Security
(AKI) - The armed Kurdish groups which belong to al-Qaeda "have no popular support in Kurdistan and will not find anywhere to put down roots in this region," warned Saadi Ahmad Bira, a member of the executive of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) the party of the Iraqi president Jalal Talabani. Speaking to Adnkronos International (AKI) Bira underlined that "Ansar al-Islam is fully backed by Iran. If Tehran continues to support them, we will interpret that as a declaration of war against us".
The politician went on to say that Kurdistan and Iran "have common economic interests, as well as being linked by the long mutual borders which force us to have exemplary ties," he said. Bira said he hoped "the much anticipated talks between Iran and the US are successful and in Iraq's interests." Regarding the internal security situation in Iraq, the Kurdish politician underlined how important it was for "the government of Nouri al-Maliki to move forward its commitment to disarm militias..in particular the Mahdi Army and trim the authority of its leader," Moqtada al-Sadr.
At the same time it is normal that Iran is trying to create problems for the US in Iraq, given the statements by US president George W Bush who declared Iran, Iraq and North Korea the "axis of evil". Given this, Bira concluded, the Baghdad government has two options - "show its capacity to impose the authority of the state and disband the militias or let itself be dragged along by the armed groups."
Labels: Al Qaeda, Ansar al-Islam, Iran, Kurdistan, Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Saadi Ahmad Bira
Iraqis Are Angry…No Power, No Water, No Fuel
Reconstruction
(Al Mashriq Newspaper AR.) - 17 MAY - Iraqis’ “anger level” has reached the top (maximum level)…due to the three-headed crises of: water, power, and fuel. Iraqis were already tired of the security situation years ago. And NOW, the Iraqis are suffering from: an entire absence of electricity… AND a lack of water… AND a lack of fuel!
Iraqis told this Newspaper that the government has failed to find solutions to these crises. And (some more) Iraqis said: the (government) officials have electricity AND water AND fuel… while the (normal) Iraqi people suffer!
This Newspaper called Oil Ministry spokesman Assim Jihad and asked him about the current fuel crisis. Jihad said, “Some (security) checkpoints have not allowed fuel tankers to pass through…some do; but, others do not.” He revealed that the Oil Ministry intends to reopen some of Iraq’s “closed” fuel stations. He further stated: the Oil Ministry has contacted the MOI and MOD about allowing fuel tankers to pass through checkpoints.
Regarding the water problem, an official at Baghdad’s Municipality (government) said, “Due to the electrical power outages, we are unable to operate the eastern Tigris River water project.” He (the Municipality official) stressed that Baghdad’s problem is not (due to a shortage of) water; but, rather it is due to the power outages (electricity drives the water pumps and machinery).
In a related issue, [Note: the following statement is the journalist’s SARCASM:] the Ministry of Electricity delivered welcome news to Iraqis yesterday…saying that an entire power black-out occurred yesterday in southern “Karkh” (Baghdad west of the Tigris).
Iraqis told this Newspaper that the government has failed to find solutions to these crises. And (some more) Iraqis said: the (government) officials have electricity AND water AND fuel… while the (normal) Iraqi people suffer!
This Newspaper called Oil Ministry spokesman Assim Jihad and asked him about the current fuel crisis. Jihad said, “Some (security) checkpoints have not allowed fuel tankers to pass through…some do; but, others do not.” He revealed that the Oil Ministry intends to reopen some of Iraq’s “closed” fuel stations. He further stated: the Oil Ministry has contacted the MOI and MOD about allowing fuel tankers to pass through checkpoints.
Regarding the water problem, an official at Baghdad’s Municipality (government) said, “Due to the electrical power outages, we are unable to operate the eastern Tigris River water project.” He (the Municipality official) stressed that Baghdad’s problem is not (due to a shortage of) water; but, rather it is due to the power outages (electricity drives the water pumps and machinery).
In a related issue, [Note: the following statement is the journalist’s SARCASM:] the Ministry of Electricity delivered welcome news to Iraqis yesterday…saying that an entire power black-out occurred yesterday in southern “Karkh” (Baghdad west of the Tigris).
A source at the Electricity Ministry said that a high voltage power transmission line was “exposed to sabotage” (damaged by an attack). As a [Sarcastic] reminder (from the author)…if this electrical power line was not sabotaged (damaged)… then the Iraqi people could have had one or two hours worth of electricity!!! (per day…referring to the “normal” amount for many areas in Baghdad lately).
Labels: Assim Jihad, electricity, fuel, Iraq, Ministry of Electricity, water
Iraqi Shiite political factions divided over Iran-U.S. talks
Region, Security, Politics
(Gulf News) - Experts expect talks soon between Americans and Iranians on improving security and stability in Iraq. These talks are backed by Shiite parties in the Iraqi government especially the ruling coalition led by Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, a prominent political and religious figure in Iraq, who called for establishing such meetings between the two estranged countries.
Hassan Al Taee, leader in a nationalist party in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim aims at creating objective conditions for establishing a Shiite self-autonomy region in the middle and south of Iraq. "Al Hakim knows his aspiration clashes with the continuation of US-Iranian conflict because Americans would not allow establishing an Iraqi sectarian territory with tolerable ties with Iran, in the light of power struggle in the region."
Al Taee added: "At the other end, Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr's supporters are not satisfied with any US-Iranian talks because it means hindering Iranians' support to Shiite armed militias in Iraq." Esmail Al Jaf, a researcher in the political affairs told Gulf News : "Clearly there is a cleavage amid Shiites concerning US-Iranian dialogue. I think some Shiite parties want to be in reckoning with their rivals by supporting such talks.
"Recently, we witnessed few attacks conducted by the Mehdi Army against offices of the Supreme Council led by Al Hakim in the Sadr neighbourhood and in Diwaniya."
Topics like the Mehdi Army and the Iranian support will occupy top positions at these security talks. Americans accuse Iran of backing and harbouring hundreds of Mehdi members in camps belonging to Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Iran denies the allegations. The American army has repeatedly displayed captured Iranian weapons and arrested cells linked to the Mehdi army who use such weapons, specifically highly explosive devices used to attack armoured American rangers in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas.
Sunni Arabs hold deep suspicions about the US-Iranian talks. They fear that it will harm their political rights.
On the other hand, Baathists are extremely concerned because it weakens their attempts in portraying Iran's vigorous influence and threat in Iraq thereby forcing Americans to accept Baath role in the political life and decision-making process within the Iraqi national reconciliation framework.
Eyad Mousa, member of the dissolved Baath Party, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim sought desperately for US-Iranian dialogue to block Baathists return because Baath is the only Iraqi peer against Iranian influence in the region."
Hassan Al Taee, leader in a nationalist party in Baghdad, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim aims at creating objective conditions for establishing a Shiite self-autonomy region in the middle and south of Iraq. "Al Hakim knows his aspiration clashes with the continuation of US-Iranian conflict because Americans would not allow establishing an Iraqi sectarian territory with tolerable ties with Iran, in the light of power struggle in the region."
Al Taee added: "At the other end, Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr's supporters are not satisfied with any US-Iranian talks because it means hindering Iranians' support to Shiite armed militias in Iraq." Esmail Al Jaf, a researcher in the political affairs told Gulf News : "Clearly there is a cleavage amid Shiites concerning US-Iranian dialogue. I think some Shiite parties want to be in reckoning with their rivals by supporting such talks.
"Recently, we witnessed few attacks conducted by the Mehdi Army against offices of the Supreme Council led by Al Hakim in the Sadr neighbourhood and in Diwaniya."
Topics like the Mehdi Army and the Iranian support will occupy top positions at these security talks. Americans accuse Iran of backing and harbouring hundreds of Mehdi members in camps belonging to Iranian Revolutionary Guard on the Iraqi-Iranian border. Iran denies the allegations. The American army has repeatedly displayed captured Iranian weapons and arrested cells linked to the Mehdi army who use such weapons, specifically highly explosive devices used to attack armoured American rangers in Baghdad and other Iraqi areas.
Sunni Arabs hold deep suspicions about the US-Iranian talks. They fear that it will harm their political rights.
On the other hand, Baathists are extremely concerned because it weakens their attempts in portraying Iran's vigorous influence and threat in Iraq thereby forcing Americans to accept Baath role in the political life and decision-making process within the Iraqi national reconciliation framework.
Eyad Mousa, member of the dissolved Baath Party, told Gulf News: "Al Hakim sought desperately for US-Iranian dialogue to block Baathists return because Baath is the only Iraqi peer against Iranian influence in the region."
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Baathists, Iran, Iraq, Moqtada Al-Sadr, U.S.
Iraq, Iran agree to laying oil pipeline
Oil, Iran
(Voices of Iraq) - The Iraqi government has agreed with Iran to start laying oil pipeline between the two countries to export Iraqi oil to the neighboring country, the official spokesman for Iraq's Oil Ministry said on Thursday. "The agreement came during the meeting between Iraqi oil minister Hussein al-Shahrestani and Iranian Ambassador to Iraq Hasan Kazemi Qomi at the minister’s office," Essam Jihad told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The two agreed to lay the oil pipeline from southern Iraq to Abadan region in Iran in order to export more than 200,000 barrels per day of Iraqi crude oil to Iran according to crude oil international prices," he also said. He noted that the new pipeline will provide a new way to boost the country's export capacity to Iranian refineries in Abadan. "They also agreed to arrange a mutual visit for technicians from both countries to prepare the agreement's contracts," the official added.
"The two agreed to lay the oil pipeline from southern Iraq to Abadan region in Iran in order to export more than 200,000 barrels per day of Iraqi crude oil to Iran according to crude oil international prices," he also said. He noted that the new pipeline will provide a new way to boost the country's export capacity to Iranian refineries in Abadan. "They also agreed to arrange a mutual visit for technicians from both countries to prepare the agreement's contracts," the official added.
Labels: Abadan region, Hasan Kazemi Qomi, Hussain al-Shahristani, Iran, Iraqi government, oil pipeline
Fadila party leader intervenes in Nasiriyah clashes
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Eleven were killed and seventy others wounded in the clashes that flared up between police forces and fighters loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in al-Nassiriyah city, a medical source from Thi-Qar province said on Thursday. Eyewitnesses affirmed that calm had prevailed in the city today after the clashes were over and the regular rhythm of life had returned to the government's departments.
"The final death toll from the clashes is 11 dead, including six policemen, and seventy wounded," Dr. Hadi Badr al-Riyahi, director of Thi-Qar Health Department, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Fierce clashes broke out on early Wednesday between elements of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sard's al-Mahdi army and police forces in different parts of the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah.
Media spokesman for the Thi-Qar police department Radi Abul Heel denied, in statements to (VOI), the killing of chief of the anti-riot forces, Jawad Abdil Kadhem. The man was wounded and is being treated, he said. The clashes flared up after the arrest of one of al-Mahdi army's elements in al-Shatra district in northern Thi-Qar, who was believed to have been involved in attacks against the Multi-National Forces in the province," a security source, who asked not to be named, told (VOI) on Wednesday.
"Armed groups from al-Mahdi army attacked the house of the police chief who was believed to be responsible for arresting the man and the matter flared the clashes," the source also said. Clerics, tribal chiefs and political figures in the Shiite city initiated efforts to contain the crisis, the head of the Shiite Fadhila (Virtue) party in Nassiriyah said yesterday.
"The crisis between Mahdi army fighters and police forces has been contained as Shiite cleric Ayatollah al-Yaqubi intervened in person to settle the dispute," Numan Amber Hwirif, head of Fadhila party in Nassiriyah, told (VOI). Ayatollah al-Yaqubi is the spiritual leader of the Fadhila party.
Hwirif added, "a truce was worked out and it provided that the police forces are the only body responsible for security in the city, in return for police withdraw from the Sadr's office in Nassiriyah. The truce also agreed to end all armed appearances in the city and that no armed militiamen should be out in the city streets," head of Nassiriyah Fadhila party said. Nassiriyah, capital city of Thi-Qar province, is 420 km south of Baghdad.
"The final death toll from the clashes is 11 dead, including six policemen, and seventy wounded," Dr. Hadi Badr al-Riyahi, director of Thi-Qar Health Department, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Fierce clashes broke out on early Wednesday between elements of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sard's al-Mahdi army and police forces in different parts of the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah.
Media spokesman for the Thi-Qar police department Radi Abul Heel denied, in statements to (VOI), the killing of chief of the anti-riot forces, Jawad Abdil Kadhem. The man was wounded and is being treated, he said. The clashes flared up after the arrest of one of al-Mahdi army's elements in al-Shatra district in northern Thi-Qar, who was believed to have been involved in attacks against the Multi-National Forces in the province," a security source, who asked not to be named, told (VOI) on Wednesday.
"Armed groups from al-Mahdi army attacked the house of the police chief who was believed to be responsible for arresting the man and the matter flared the clashes," the source also said. Clerics, tribal chiefs and political figures in the Shiite city initiated efforts to contain the crisis, the head of the Shiite Fadhila (Virtue) party in Nassiriyah said yesterday.
"The crisis between Mahdi army fighters and police forces has been contained as Shiite cleric Ayatollah al-Yaqubi intervened in person to settle the dispute," Numan Amber Hwirif, head of Fadhila party in Nassiriyah, told (VOI). Ayatollah al-Yaqubi is the spiritual leader of the Fadhila party.
Hwirif added, "a truce was worked out and it provided that the police forces are the only body responsible for security in the city, in return for police withdraw from the Sadr's office in Nassiriyah. The truce also agreed to end all armed appearances in the city and that no armed militiamen should be out in the city streets," head of Nassiriyah Fadhila party said. Nassiriyah, capital city of Thi-Qar province, is 420 km south of Baghdad.
Labels: Ayatollah al-Yaqubi, clashes, Fadhela party, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah
Maliki pledges to clamp down on clashes in Nasiriyah
Politics, Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Iraqi Prime Minister pledged to act strictly with any violation of law, referring to the clashes erupted on Wednesday in the city of Nassiriyah in southern Iraq, the presidential office said. This came during al-Maliki's meeting with the Political Council for National Security, chaired by Iraq's President Jalal Talabani.
"The council held on Wednesday night a meeting headed by President Talabani in the presence of Premier Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the two Vice Presidents Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi and the House Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani," Talabani's office said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Thursday.
"President Talabani also posted the meeting with the outcome of his recent visit to Britain and his meeting with the outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair," the statement added. The meeting was also attended by a number of senior Iraqi officials and lawmakers. On Wednesday, fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi police forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah that left scores of casualties.
The Political Council for National Security was established in mid 2006 after forming the current Iraqi government under Nouri al-Maliki. It consists of the Iraq's president and the premier and speaker of the parliament, the two vice presidents, the premier's two deputies, president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, head of the supreme court and heads of the parliamentarian blocs. The council, a consultative body, tackles the political and security developments in the country.
"The council held on Wednesday night a meeting headed by President Talabani in the presence of Premier Nouri al-Maliki, Head of the Unified Iraqi Coalition, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, the two Vice Presidents Adel Abdul-Mahdi and Tareq al-Hashemi and the House Speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani," Talabani's office said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Thursday.
"President Talabani also posted the meeting with the outcome of his recent visit to Britain and his meeting with the outgoing British Prime Minister Tony Blair," the statement added. The meeting was also attended by a number of senior Iraqi officials and lawmakers. On Wednesday, fierce clashes erupted between Iraqi police forces and militiamen loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the southern Iraqi city of Nassiriyah that left scores of casualties.
The Political Council for National Security was established in mid 2006 after forming the current Iraqi government under Nouri al-Maliki. It consists of the Iraq's president and the premier and speaker of the parliament, the two vice presidents, the premier's two deputies, president of Iraq's Kurdistan region, head of the supreme court and heads of the parliamentarian blocs. The council, a consultative body, tackles the political and security developments in the country.
Labels: Iraqi Army, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah, Nouri Al-Maliki, Political Council for National Security
Iraqi Sunni and Shiite clerics call for an end to sectarian violence
Security, Religion
(Asharq Alawsat) - Iraqi Sunni and Shiite clerics met earlier this week in the Syrian capital and called for an end to the sectarian violence in their country without detriment to what they called the right to resistance through combating US occupation. Dozens of clerics who gathered at the Damascus-based Kaftaro Academy, which is close to the Syrian government, said that they have created a gathering to fight division and avoid a civil war through dialogue and fatwa-making.
Syria, which is hosting the gathering called "Iraq Clerics' Group", intensified its warnings in the recent period against a sectarian war in Iraq which may spread to the countries of the region and lead to further instability in the Middle East. The secretary-general of the group, Abdul Latif al-Humaym, said in the opening session of the conference: "We are working to activate dialogue and rapprochement between Muslims whatever their schools of thought, so that we can cooperate to free Iraq from the occupier after we rid ourselves of sectarian sedition," according to a Reuters report.
Al-Humaym further said: "We will start dialogue with all the sides of Iraqi society in order to reach internal peace. We know that Iraq will only be liberated through the determination of all its components." The leaders of the group said that they decided to hold their conference in Syria because of threats they had received in Iraq. The conference was attended by Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun. Syrian President Bashar al-Asad said in his speech last week that one way of stopping violence in Iraq goes through holding a national reconciliation conference and resolving the conflicts between the sects.
Syria, which is hosting the gathering called "Iraq Clerics' Group", intensified its warnings in the recent period against a sectarian war in Iraq which may spread to the countries of the region and lead to further instability in the Middle East. The secretary-general of the group, Abdul Latif al-Humaym, said in the opening session of the conference: "We are working to activate dialogue and rapprochement between Muslims whatever their schools of thought, so that we can cooperate to free Iraq from the occupier after we rid ourselves of sectarian sedition," according to a Reuters report.
Al-Humaym further said: "We will start dialogue with all the sides of Iraqi society in order to reach internal peace. We know that Iraq will only be liberated through the determination of all its components." The leaders of the group said that they decided to hold their conference in Syria because of threats they had received in Iraq. The conference was attended by Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmad Badr al-Din Hassoun. Syrian President Bashar al-Asad said in his speech last week that one way of stopping violence in Iraq goes through holding a national reconciliation conference and resolving the conflicts between the sects.
Ahmad al-Jumayri, a member of the general secretariat of the group, who hails from Ramadi Province, one of the most lethal areas in Iraq for the American forces, said: "Our action will be peaceful. Iraq's crisis is basically political and ideological, not military." He added: "We are working to achieve the unity of the Iraqis and to reach a unified stance to get rid of the occupier. We want a national unity government which will rehabilitate the state institutions and reform the armed forces and the security services so that Iraq is able to rely on itself." Al-Jumayri said that his group, which is not represented in the parliament, includes 600 clerics.
Despite the fact that the conference called for the establishment of national Iraqi institutions, it did not openly call for an immediate withdrawal of the US forces. However, the participants said that resistance is a legitimate right. The member of the higher fatwa commission in Iraq, Rafi Zahir al-Rifai, said: "The enemy is beginning to make us doubt about our fundamental truths, so we started seeking fatwas emphasizing our brothers' belonging to Islam and stressing our right to Jihad against the occupier." Al-Rifai said: "We must all support everyone who stood up and fought the aggressor occupiers, without forgetting to distinguish between them and whoever has killed Iraqi people. Let us always remember that God ordered us to have consultations with all Muslims."
Despite the fact that the conference called for the establishment of national Iraqi institutions, it did not openly call for an immediate withdrawal of the US forces. However, the participants said that resistance is a legitimate right. The member of the higher fatwa commission in Iraq, Rafi Zahir al-Rifai, said: "The enemy is beginning to make us doubt about our fundamental truths, so we started seeking fatwas emphasizing our brothers' belonging to Islam and stressing our right to Jihad against the occupier." Al-Rifai said: "We must all support everyone who stood up and fought the aggressor occupiers, without forgetting to distinguish between them and whoever has killed Iraqi people. Let us always remember that God ordered us to have consultations with all Muslims."
Labels: Abdul Latif al-Humaym, Ahmad al-Jumayri, clerics, Iraq Clerics' Group, sectarian violence, Syria
U.S. military says suspects have been detained
Security
(LA Times) - The military said Wednesday that it had detained people believed to be "directly linked" to a weekend assault in which attackers ambushed two Humvees, killing four U.S. soldiers and their Iraqi interpreter, and leaving three others missing and presumed captured. The commander of the region where the attack occurred, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, offered details Wednesday of the ambush that portrayed the attackers as coordinated, swift and brutally effective.
Lynch said the eight troops in two Humvees were attacked after they had set up a position, guarded by rolls of razor wire, near a crater caused by previous bombings. The blast site, on a road about 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya, had become a favorite spot for insurgents to plant bombs. Additional soldiers were at a patrol base about 1,500 feet to the north, Lynch said. Evidence indicated that the attackers used grenades and other hand-held explosives, and converged from several directions, he said. Drag marks leading to tire tracks showed that the missing men were pulled from the area to vehicles about 45 feet away.
The military is trying to determine whether the two Humvees were sufficient to guarantee the troops' protection and whether the patrol had taken necessary precautions. Those precautions would include not being positioned at a spot previously used by U.S. troops, Lynch said.
Lt. Col. Randy A. Martin, a military spokesman, said 679 people were being held for questioning but did not disclose how many of them were suspected of having direct links to the attack. The Islamic State of Iraq, an insurgent coalition loyal to Al Qaeda, has claimed it is holding the soldiers, but has not provided proof. Terrorism experts have said the group may be attempting to stretch out the agony of its adversary.
"Like all the best terrorists … they seek to maximize the most effect of an act of violence," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University. "It's not just putting the knife in, but twisting it slowly." Psychological warfare is a crucial tactic to insurgents in Iraq, where the battle is aimed at undermining the U.S. occupation and heightening tensions between Iraqi civilians and American troops, said James Phillips, a Middle East analyst at the Heritage Foundation.
Phillips said Al Qaeda groups knew that an ambush leading to the capture of soldiers could attract more attention than merely killing troops in a bombing. "It is possible that all of the people were killed and that they took some of the bodies so they could use them as a psychological counter," he said. "From their point of view, it's more useful to get their message across that they are still a force."
The four soldiers killed in the attack were from the 10th Mountain Division in Ft. Drum, N.Y. Their bodies arrived Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. At a news conference on the base Wednesday, spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick said searchers were operating under the assumption the missing are alive, "and are either under the control of extremists or, possibly, may be attempting to evade. Either way, our premise is that we assume they are alive unless proven otherwise."
Lynch said the eight troops in two Humvees were attacked after they had set up a position, guarded by rolls of razor wire, near a crater caused by previous bombings. The blast site, on a road about 12 miles west of Mahmoudiya, had become a favorite spot for insurgents to plant bombs. Additional soldiers were at a patrol base about 1,500 feet to the north, Lynch said. Evidence indicated that the attackers used grenades and other hand-held explosives, and converged from several directions, he said. Drag marks leading to tire tracks showed that the missing men were pulled from the area to vehicles about 45 feet away.
The military is trying to determine whether the two Humvees were sufficient to guarantee the troops' protection and whether the patrol had taken necessary precautions. Those precautions would include not being positioned at a spot previously used by U.S. troops, Lynch said.
Lt. Col. Randy A. Martin, a military spokesman, said 679 people were being held for questioning but did not disclose how many of them were suspected of having direct links to the attack. The Islamic State of Iraq, an insurgent coalition loyal to Al Qaeda, has claimed it is holding the soldiers, but has not provided proof. Terrorism experts have said the group may be attempting to stretch out the agony of its adversary.
"Like all the best terrorists … they seek to maximize the most effect of an act of violence," said Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at Georgetown University. "It's not just putting the knife in, but twisting it slowly." Psychological warfare is a crucial tactic to insurgents in Iraq, where the battle is aimed at undermining the U.S. occupation and heightening tensions between Iraqi civilians and American troops, said James Phillips, a Middle East analyst at the Heritage Foundation.
Phillips said Al Qaeda groups knew that an ambush leading to the capture of soldiers could attract more attention than merely killing troops in a bombing. "It is possible that all of the people were killed and that they took some of the bodies so they could use them as a psychological counter," he said. "From their point of view, it's more useful to get their message across that they are still a force."
The four soldiers killed in the attack were from the 10th Mountain Division in Ft. Drum, N.Y. Their bodies arrived Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. At a news conference on the base Wednesday, spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick said searchers were operating under the assumption the missing are alive, "and are either under the control of extremists or, possibly, may be attempting to evade. Either way, our premise is that we assume they are alive unless proven otherwise."
Labels: 10th Mountain Division in Ft. Drum, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Islamic State of Iraq, Lt. Col. Randy A. Martin, Mahmoudiya, Missing U.S. troops
Coalition base attacked in Baqouba
Security
(AP) - About 50 suspected insurgents attacked a coalition base in the center of a northern Iraqi city Friday, sparking a battle with U.S. soldiers and helicopters that killed at least six militants, the Iraqi army said. The fighting took place in Baqouba, the capital of Diyala, a Sunni insurgent stronghold that has seen a recent spike in violence largely blamed on militants who fled a 3-month-old security crackdown in Baghdad.
Diyala province - with its mixed Shiite and Sunni Muslim population - has been the scene of frequent sectarian violence as well as attacks by anti-U.S. insurgents. The U.S. military has sent 3,000 additional forces to try to tame the violence.
At 7 a.m. Friday, the day of rest in mostly Muslim Iraq, about 50 suspected insurgents opened fire on a U.S.-Iraqi base in downtown Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi soldiers, an Iraqi army officer said. U.S. forces and helicopters responded at 7:30 a.m., killing at least six insurgents, the Iraqi army officer said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Residents said the fighting sent smoke billowing up from neighborhoods in the area. One local, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from militants, said he heard heavy machine gun fire and then men shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is great in Arabic. Others said they saw U.S. tanks and armored vehicles driving through the street, while aircraft flew overhead.
The base was set up two months ago in a three-story city office building that was abandoned because of the violence in the area, the Iraqi officer said. The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the incident. Baqouba and the rest of the Diyala province have been hit by a string of attacks this week.
Diyala province - with its mixed Shiite and Sunni Muslim population - has been the scene of frequent sectarian violence as well as attacks by anti-U.S. insurgents. The U.S. military has sent 3,000 additional forces to try to tame the violence.
At 7 a.m. Friday, the day of rest in mostly Muslim Iraq, about 50 suspected insurgents opened fire on a U.S.-Iraqi base in downtown Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi soldiers, an Iraqi army officer said. U.S. forces and helicopters responded at 7:30 a.m., killing at least six insurgents, the Iraqi army officer said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Residents said the fighting sent smoke billowing up from neighborhoods in the area. One local, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from militants, said he heard heavy machine gun fire and then men shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is great in Arabic. Others said they saw U.S. tanks and armored vehicles driving through the street, while aircraft flew overhead.
The base was set up two months ago in a three-story city office building that was abandoned because of the violence in the area, the Iraqi officer said. The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the incident. Baqouba and the rest of the Diyala province have been hit by a string of attacks this week.
Labels: Baqouba, Diyala, insurgents, U.S. base
Iraq asks Jordan to allow nationals to stay until year's end
Government
(RFE/RL) - The Iraqi government has reportedly asked Jordan to allow its nationals holding S-series passports to remain inside the kingdom until year-end, Amman's "Al-Dustur" reported on May 16. Jordan said earlier this year it will no longer allow Iraqis carrying outdated passports to remain in the country. However, the Iraqi government has been slow to issue new G-series passports. Iraq's ambassador to Jordan, Sa'd Jasim al-Hayyani, said that 7,000 applications received at the embassy to date and 3,000 passports have been issued. Al-Hayyani said Iraqi officials first requested an extension until September 30, and then until the end of the year. Neither request has been answered by Jordan.
Labels: Iraqi government, Jordan, Sa'd Jasim al-Hayyani, series G passports, series S passports
Thursday, May 17, 2007
INM daily summary – 17 May 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- It is now possible to argue that Iraq is on the verge of being a failed state which faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation. These are some of the key findings of Accepting Realities in Iraq a new Briefing Paper written by Dr Gareth Stansfield and published today by Chatham House.
- NEW LINK: Documents - Accepting Realities in Iraq by Gareth Stansfield, Chatham House and University of Exeter, MAY 2007.
- The US military has offered rewards of up to $200,000 (£100,000) for information leading to the return of three of its soldiers missing in Iraq.
- The military career of Prince Harry was left in doubt on Thursday after commanders decided Iraq was too dangerous a mission for the third in line to the British throne.
- Iraqi police say suspected insurgents set off a bomb near a bridge in southeastern Baghdad today, killing at least two civilians.
- U.S.-Iranian talks about Iraq's security will begin on May 28, Iran's foreign minister said Thursday.
- Mortar rounds hammered the U.S.-controlled Green Zone for a second day Wednesday, killing at least two people, wounding about 10 more and raising new fears for the safety of workers at the nerve center of the American mission in Iraq.
- The so far relatively secure area of Kurdistan is now facing threats from several fronts following large scale attacks and threats.
- The constitutional reform committee has agreed to pass its draft to parliament next Tuesday -- albeit with some passages unresolved.
- Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Wednesday and met with top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
- The Iraqi Parliament has postponed the assignment of seven new Ministers who will replace the six Sadr Movement Ministers and the Minister of Justice.
- Prime Miniter Nour al-Maliki has given Iran preferential treatment in winning contracts in southern Iraq.
- Insurgents destroyed a US military helicopter and damaged nine others in a mortar attack on a US airfield north of Baghdad, a US defense official said Wednesday.
- Unknown gunmen on Wednesday evening blew up a bridging linking the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to Kurdistan Arbil, a police source said.
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Wednesday rejected a Pakistani proposal for a Muslim peacekeeping force, saying more foreign troops were not welcome in Iraq.
- An American diplomatic source has told the Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm that Saudi Arabia is threatening to intervene in Iraq to support Sunni allies.
- An Al Qaeda leader accused of orchestrating 800 to 900 bombings in and around Baghdad will be tried by an Iraqi court, the US military said Wednesday.
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - Wednesday 16 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1100 GMT on Thursday:
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
* Indicates a new or updated entry
* DIWANIYA - At least three civilians were killed, including a woman, and four others wounded in clashes between militiamen and security forces in the Shi'ite city of Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Two civilians were killed and five wounded by a roadside bomb in the Diyala bridge area in southeastern Baghdad, police said.
* ISKANDARIYA - A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded three others in Iskandariya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
HILLA - A policeman was killed and three of his family were wounded when a militant hurled a hand grenade at his home in Hilla, 100 km (60 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* BASRA - Gunmen killed a police major along with his son in the southern Iraqi port city of Basra, police said.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a civil servant in a drive-by shooting in Diwaniya, police said. It was not clear why he was targeted.
* LATIFIYA - Police found two bodies bearing signs of torture and bullet wounds in the small town of Latifiya 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* KIRKUK - Police found a bullet-riddled body in the ethnically mixed northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed six insurgents in different parts of Iraq over the last 24 hours, the Iraqi army said in a statement.
Labels: Basra, Diwaniya, grenade, gunmen, Hilla, Iraqi Army, Iskandariyah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, militias, roadside bombs
Iraq court to try Al Qaeda leader accused of 800 bombings
Crime
(AFP) - An Al Qaeda leader accused of orchestrating 800 to 900 bombings in and around Baghdad will be tried by an Iraqi court, the US military said Wednesday. Omar Wahdallah Dad, also known as Abu Nur and "The Spider," will "face Iraqi justice in the Iraqi legal system," said US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell at a press conference.
Abu Nur, believed by the US military to have been one of Al Qaeda's senior commanders in Baghdad, "has admitted to having a role in between 800 to 900 car and roadside bomb attacks," Caldwell said. Abu Nur will be tried for violating Iraq's anti-terrorism law and could therefore face the death penalty.
The US military accuses Abu Nur of heading a car bomb network responsible for some of the most spectacular bombings that have rocked the capital in recent months, including an attack on the Shiite slum of Sadr City in November 2006. In that attack, considered the worst on Baghdad since the war to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003, a series of blasts killed at least 202 people. "He has admitted to playing a part in the horrific bombings in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad November 23 of last year and he has also admitted to his responsibility in the kidnapping and murder of four Russian diplomats in June 2006," Caldwell said.
According to the charges brought against him Abu Nur personally beheaded two of the diplomats after which his insurgent group circulated a video of the act on the Internet. "Abu Nur has claimed that Al Qaeda targets everybody. He claims there are not any innocent people," Caldwell said. US forces arrested Abu Nur north of Baghdad in December. He is still in US custody.
Labels: Abu Nur, car bomb networks, court, death penalty, Omar Wahdallah Dad, Russian diplomats, Sadr City
U.S. diplomatic source - Saudi threatens to support Sunnis in Iraq
Security, Region
(AHN) - An American diplomatic source has told the Egyptian daily Al Masry Al Youm that Saudi Arabia is threatening to intervene in Iraq to support Sunni allies. The unnamed source was reported as saying that once American troops leave Iraq Saudi Arabia will support the Sunni population militarily.
"Saudi Arabia has threatened direct interference in Iraq to protect Sunnis in case [coalition forces] suddenly pull out," the source said, referring to the current struggle in American politics on the date to remove troops.
Al Masry Al Youm added that the source close to the United States State Department revealed that there was a letter sent to Washington concerning this development. According to the source, American Vice-President Dick Cheney's recent Middle East tour was related to this matter, although the source did not specify the VP by name.
The story in the Egyptian daily commented on the possibility of a greater Middle Eastern war caused by the Iraq crisis. It said that a military escalation could result between Iran and Iraqi Shias vis a vis Saudi Arabia and other regional Sunni powers.
"Saudi Arabia has threatened direct interference in Iraq to protect Sunnis in case [coalition forces] suddenly pull out," the source said, referring to the current struggle in American politics on the date to remove troops.
Al Masry Al Youm added that the source close to the United States State Department revealed that there was a letter sent to Washington concerning this development. According to the source, American Vice-President Dick Cheney's recent Middle East tour was related to this matter, although the source did not specify the VP by name.
The story in the Egyptian daily commented on the possibility of a greater Middle Eastern war caused by the Iraq crisis. It said that a military escalation could result between Iran and Iraqi Shias vis a vis Saudi Arabia and other regional Sunni powers.
Labels: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, security, Sunnis
Iraq rejects Pakistan's offer of Muslim peacekeeping force
Region, Security
(Dawn) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari on Wednesday rejected a Pakistani proposal for a Muslim peacekeeping force, saying more foreign troops were not welcome in Iraq. Opening a meeting of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference on Tuesday, Pakistani President Gen Pervez Musharraf had raised the idea of a peacekeeping force for Iraq drawn from Muslim nations.
Asked by reporters about the idea on Wednesday, Mr Zebari said the idea had been raised and knocked down before. “My government’s position is not for welcoming any more troops. We want our troops, the Iraqi troops, to rise up and stand, let’s say to stabilise the situation,” Mr Zebari said. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said the ongoing meeting is likely to adopt a resolution supporting Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear technology. The three-day foreign ministers’ meeting of the OIC began deliberations on Tuesday.
Labels: Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Musharraf, Muslim peacekeeping force, Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Pakistan
Gunmen blow up Mosul - Arbil bridge, Badoush bridge
Security, Kurdistan
(Voices of Iraq) - Unknown gunmen on Wednesday evening blew up a bridging linking the northern Iraqi city of Mosul to Kurdistan Arbil, a police source said. "Unknown gunmen this evening blew up bridge Aski to the east of Mosul," Brigadier Said Ahmed, Ninewa police media spokesman, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The bridge connects Mosul city to Arbil. Earlier, a police source said unknown gunmen detonated two car bombs on both sides of Badoush bridge in northern Iraq bringing down the bridge with no casualties. "Unknown gunmen blew up Badoush bridge this afternoon after they placed and remotely detonated two car bombs near both sides of the bridge," Brigadier Abul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Badoush bridge connects Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, to districts of Talafar and Rabia near the Iraqi borders with Syria in western Ninewa. Al-Juburi said "the attack left no casualties." The northern Iraqi city of Mosul was placed under curfew on Wednesday after clashes erupted in the Sunni city between armed groups and Iraqi security forces, a police source said.
"Armed clashes broke out this afternoon in a number of Mosul neighborhoods between armed groups and forces from Iraqi army and police," Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Following the clashes, the local government decided to impose a curfew on the city until further notice, Brigadier al-Juburi said.
Al-Jaburu gave no further details. Local residents told VOI on the phone that today afternoon Mosul had been a scene of clashes between gunmen and security forces while U.S. choppers were flying in the sky of the city as non-stop fire exchange was still heard all over Mosul. Mosul is 402 km north of Baghdad.
The bridge connects Mosul city to Arbil. Earlier, a police source said unknown gunmen detonated two car bombs on both sides of Badoush bridge in northern Iraq bringing down the bridge with no casualties. "Unknown gunmen blew up Badoush bridge this afternoon after they placed and remotely detonated two car bombs near both sides of the bridge," Brigadier Abul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Badoush bridge connects Mosul, capital city of Ninewa province, to districts of Talafar and Rabia near the Iraqi borders with Syria in western Ninewa. Al-Juburi said "the attack left no casualties." The northern Iraqi city of Mosul was placed under curfew on Wednesday after clashes erupted in the Sunni city between armed groups and Iraqi security forces, a police source said.
"Armed clashes broke out this afternoon in a number of Mosul neighborhoods between armed groups and forces from Iraqi army and police," Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, head of Ninewa police operations room, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). Following the clashes, the local government decided to impose a curfew on the city until further notice, Brigadier al-Juburi said.
Al-Jaburu gave no further details. Local residents told VOI on the phone that today afternoon Mosul had been a scene of clashes between gunmen and security forces while U.S. choppers were flying in the sky of the city as non-stop fire exchange was still heard all over Mosul. Mosul is 402 km north of Baghdad.
Al-Bawaba provides further details: An apparently co-ordinated attack by five suicide car bombers and scores of gunmen backed by mortars and bombs killed four policemen in the northern Iraqi city Mosul on Wednesday night and injured 30 other people, including 14 police officers, police said.
The attacks started after 7 p.m., when two suicide bombers detonated car bombs near the police station in Mosul, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. Another two suicide car bombers blew up near the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan in another area of town, said Wathiq al-Hamdani, provincial chief of police.
Another suicide car bomber targeting police was shot by guards before he could reach his target, al-Hamdani said. The series of attacks killed four police and wounded 30 other people, police said. Police fought back, killing 15 gunmen, al-Hamdani said.
The attacks started after 7 p.m., when two suicide bombers detonated car bombs near the police station in Mosul, 360 kilometres northwest of Baghdad. Another two suicide car bombers blew up near the headquarters of the Democratic Party of Kurdistan in another area of town, said Wathiq al-Hamdani, provincial chief of police.
Another suicide car bomber targeting police was shot by guards before he could reach his target, al-Hamdani said. The series of attacks killed four police and wounded 30 other people, police said. Police fought back, killing 15 gunmen, al-Hamdani said.
Labels: Arbil, Badoush bridge, bridge Aski, Brigadier Abdul-Karim al-Juburi, car bomb, clashes, curfew, gunmen, Iraqi Army, Mosul
Insurgents destroy helicopter, damage nine others
Security
(Middle East Online) - Insurgents destroyed a US military helicopter and damaged nine others in a mortar attack on a US airfield north of Baghdad, a US defense official said Wednesday. The attack, which occurred Sunday at a US air base at al-Taji but was not disclosed by the US military command in Baghdad, also wounded four US servicemembers, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"One helicopter was destroyed and nine were damaged," said the official, who said that six of the damaged helicopters have been repaired and are "fully mission capable." Insurgents appeared to have targeted the aircraft rather than have struck them with random fire, the official said. "There was some counter-battery fire," the official said. Attacks have damaged aircraft in the past but the military has rarely, if ever, reported so many helicopters being hit in a single insurgent attack. At least two types of helicopter were damaged in the attack but the official would not say what they were.
"One helicopter was destroyed and nine were damaged," said the official, who said that six of the damaged helicopters have been repaired and are "fully mission capable." Insurgents appeared to have targeted the aircraft rather than have struck them with random fire, the official said. "There was some counter-battery fire," the official said. Attacks have damaged aircraft in the past but the military has rarely, if ever, reported so many helicopters being hit in a single insurgent attack. At least two types of helicopter were damaged in the attack but the official would not say what they were.
Labels: helicopters, insurgents, mortar attacks, Taji
Iran given preferential treatment for southern Iraq contracts
Oil
(Azzaman) - Prime Miniter Nour al-Maliki has given Iran preferential treatment in winning contracts in southern Iraq. The move signals the growing influence Tehran exercises in the country particularly in southern provinces where Iraq’s largest and most prolific oil fields are situated.
Maliki is reported to have officially invited Iranian firms to construct four refineries in the area which recently has been the scene of sporadic fighting between Shiite militias – which are generally pro-Tehran – and U.S. and Iraqi troops.
The Iranian firms are to make their offers to build these refineries. The Oil Ministry has asked foreign firms to submit their offers to start working on the 10 refineries. The countries are now considering building a pipeline to carry Iraqi crude to Iranian refineries in Abadan. As foreign firms are reluctant to work in Iraq due to the upsurge in violence, the Iranians seem to be willing to replace them despite security concerns.
Maliki is reported to have officially invited Iranian firms to construct four refineries in the area which recently has been the scene of sporadic fighting between Shiite militias – which are generally pro-Tehran – and U.S. and Iraqi troops.
The Iranian firms are to make their offers to build these refineries. The Oil Ministry has asked foreign firms to submit their offers to start working on the 10 refineries. The countries are now considering building a pipeline to carry Iraqi crude to Iranian refineries in Abadan. As foreign firms are reluctant to work in Iraq due to the upsurge in violence, the Iranians seem to be willing to replace them despite security concerns.
Labels: Iran, Nouri Al-Maliki, oil fields, oil refineries
U.S. blamed for delay in projects
Reconstruction
(Azzaman) - Baghdad municipality has held U.S. troops responsible for the delay and interruption of public projects in two of the city’s low-income areas. The municipality’s chief, Saber al-Aysawi, said the U.S. engineers handling the projects “are not serious in implementing them properly and on time.”
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
In a statement to Azzaman, Aysawi said the sewage project for the neighborhoods of al-Kamaliya and Ubaidy is more than two years overdue causing “great hardships for impoverished people in the two areas. He accused U.S. troops of creating “tensions in these poor and impoverished districts as the delay in the projects has made people blamed the municipality.”
He said the troops were also delaying other projects on purpose and “at the expense of the local population.” The inhabitants of the two densely populated areas went to the streets last month demanding the government to implement the municipal projects under construction.
Labels: al-Kamaliya, Baghdad municipality, reconstruction, Saber al-Aysawi, U.S. troops, Ubaidy
Sadr Movement Opposes Some New Ministers
Political
(Al Bayyna Newspaper) - 14 MAY - The Iraqi Parliament has postponed the assignment of seven new Ministers who will replace the six Sadr Movement Ministers and the Minister of Justice. It was believed that the vote on the new Ministers would occur on Tuesday but arguments among the political entities forced the Parliament Chief, Mahmoud Al Mashahdani, to end the session.
Sources anticipate that the Parliament will witness strong disagreements about the new Ministers. The Sadr Movement clarified that they will object to some Ministers because the nominated Ministers belong to political entities while Sadr Movement told Al Maliki that the new Ministers should be independent and professionally qualified.
Sources said that Al Maliki will face problems in the Parliament regarding the new Ministers. It is expected that the Parliament will reject some of them. Al Maliki promised to replace Al Sadr Ministers with independent Ministers and the nominated names are not independent. This issue will make the Sadr Movement angry.
Sources anticipate that the Parliament will witness strong disagreements about the new Ministers. The Sadr Movement clarified that they will object to some Ministers because the nominated Ministers belong to political entities while Sadr Movement told Al Maliki that the new Ministers should be independent and professionally qualified.
Sources said that Al Maliki will face problems in the Parliament regarding the new Ministers. It is expected that the Parliament will reject some of them. Al Maliki promised to replace Al Sadr Ministers with independent Ministers and the nominated names are not independent. This issue will make the Sadr Movement angry.
The sources added, “The new Ministers names are; Dr. Mayada Abd Al Khadhm Al Hajami as Minister of Civil Society Affairs, Dr. Sabr Al Issawi as Minister of Agriculture, Ahmed Habib Al Abbas as Minister of Justice, Dr. Ridha Shurba as Minister of Antiquities, Dr. Adnan Abid Anouz as Minister of Health, Sami Atiya as Minister of Transportation, and Dr. Rafiya Shubr as a Minister of Province Affairs.
The Al Maliki government includes 32 Ministries and a Minister of State. On April 16th, six of Al Sadr’s Ministers withdrew from Al Maliki’s government because Al Maliki refused to present a [US] withdrawal schedule.
The Al Maliki government includes 32 Ministries and a Minister of State. On April 16th, six of Al Sadr’s Ministers withdrew from Al Maliki’s government because Al Maliki refused to present a [US] withdrawal schedule.
Labels: Iraqi parliament, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sadr movement
Polish Prime Minister visits Iraq
Politics
(AP) - Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Wednesday and met with top Iraqi officials, including Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Kaczynski, whose country has 900 soldiers in Iraq, traveled to the Green Zone, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Robert Szaniawski in Warsaw. The heavily fortified area on the banks of the Tigris River in central Baghdad is where Iraq's government meets and the U.S. and British embassies are located.
During his meeting with Kaczynski, al-Maliki said his country is interested in boosting its relations with Poland, al-Maliki's office said. Al-Maliki considered the visit an attempt to "enhance the cooperation between the countries," the statement said. Warsaw contributed ground troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq in 2003, and has since led an international force south of Baghdad. Twenty Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq.
President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and Romanian President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu have all visited Iraq.
During his meeting with Kaczynski, al-Maliki said his country is interested in boosting its relations with Poland, al-Maliki's office said. Al-Maliki considered the visit an attempt to "enhance the cooperation between the countries," the statement said. Warsaw contributed ground troops to the U.S.-led war in Iraq in 2003, and has since led an international force south of Baghdad. Twenty Polish soldiers have been killed in Iraq.
President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and Romanian President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu have all visited Iraq.
Labels: Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Nouri Al-Maliki, Poland
Constitutional reform committee agrees to pass draft to parliament on Tuesday
Constitution
(Reuters) - An Iraqi committee agreed on Tuesday to send to parliament a plan to reform the constitution, an important step towards implementing national reconciliation laws that Washington says are critical to ending violence.
Once-dominant Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, have long demanded changes to a constitution they say concedes too much power to majority Shi'ites and ethnic Kurds, who were persecuted under Saddam Hussein. Such laws, which include sharing Iraq's vast oil wealth and ending a ban on former members of Saddam's party from public office, are particularly aimed at assuaging Sunnis Arabs and bringing them firmly into the U.S.-backed political process.
Saleem al-Jubouri, from the Sunni Accordance Front, said the constitutional reform committee had agreed to pass its draft to parliament next Tuesday -- albeit with some passages unresolved. He said this would allow it technically to meet a May 15 deadline set by the constitution. "There is a preliminary report that has been approved by committee members," he told Reuters. "Members now have to consult their political parties on the proposals."
But he said some thorny issues had been left open, for parliament to resolve. These included a Shi'ite-backed law that allows provinces to form federal regions, and wording on the Arab identity of Iraq, opposed by Kurds. In another sign of political progress, Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said the presidential council would soon send to parliament a draft proposal to allow thousands of ex-Baath party members to return to public jobs, another Sunni demand. The council comprises Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Shi'ite Vice President Adel Abdul al-Mahdi.
The bills are likely to face fierce debate in parliament. Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, who were oppressed during Saddam's rule, have expressed virulent opposition to seeing former Baathists take up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq.
Sunni Arabs, meanwhile, fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Once-dominant Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of the insurgency, have long demanded changes to a constitution they say concedes too much power to majority Shi'ites and ethnic Kurds, who were persecuted under Saddam Hussein. Such laws, which include sharing Iraq's vast oil wealth and ending a ban on former members of Saddam's party from public office, are particularly aimed at assuaging Sunnis Arabs and bringing them firmly into the U.S.-backed political process.
Saleem al-Jubouri, from the Sunni Accordance Front, said the constitutional reform committee had agreed to pass its draft to parliament next Tuesday -- albeit with some passages unresolved. He said this would allow it technically to meet a May 15 deadline set by the constitution. "There is a preliminary report that has been approved by committee members," he told Reuters. "Members now have to consult their political parties on the proposals."
But he said some thorny issues had been left open, for parliament to resolve. These included a Shi'ite-backed law that allows provinces to form federal regions, and wording on the Arab identity of Iraq, opposed by Kurds. In another sign of political progress, Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi said the presidential council would soon send to parliament a draft proposal to allow thousands of ex-Baath party members to return to public jobs, another Sunni demand. The council comprises Hashemi, President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Shi'ite Vice President Adel Abdul al-Mahdi.
The bills are likely to face fierce debate in parliament. Some lawmakers from the ruling Shi'ite community, who were oppressed during Saddam's rule, have expressed virulent opposition to seeing former Baathists take up government jobs. Non-Arab Kurds, also persecuted under Saddam's pan-Arab policies, resist wording on the Arab identity of Iraq.
Sunni Arabs, meanwhile, fear federalism will allow Kurds in the north and Shi'ites in the south, where Iraq's oil reserves lie, to break away into their own states. Sunni Arabs live mostly in central and western Iraq, which is poor in oil.
Labels: Baathists, constitutional reform committee, Iraqi constitution, Saleem al-Jubouri, Tariq al-Hashemi
The growing threat facing Kurdistan
Kurdistan, Security
(RFE/RL) - Two high-profile bomb attacks targeting Kurdish institutions this month have drawn attention to security in the region, which had escaped much of the violence plaguing other areas in Iraq. But threats against the Kurds from Al-Qaeda and other insurgent groups have been growing.
The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for both attacks in Internet postings. In a statement on the May 9 attack, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group said the attack came "in response to the participation of the apostate peshmerga forces with the Safawi [a reference to the Shi'ite-led government in Iraq] government of [Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri] al-Maliki in the so-called 'Baghdad law enforcement plan.'"
Addressing Kurdistan region President Mas'ud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the group promised more attacks, adding, "We will not stop attacking you until you withdraw your mercenaries from the Baghdad province and cease to support the Crusaders [U.S.-led coalition forces] and the Safawis."
The Islamic State of Iraq first warned Kurdish soldiers against taking part in the Baghdad security plan in January. "We tell you that the martyrs brigades of the Islamic State of Iraq, particularly the Ansar martyrs [a reference to the terrorist group Ansar Al-Islam, whose bases in Kurdistan were crushed by a U.S. bombing campaign in the opening days of the war] cannot wait to confront you as to speed your arrival in hell," an Internet statement said.
The Kata'ib Kurdistan (Kurdistan Brigades), a group that pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in March, also claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted to the Ansar Al-Islam website, the news website Kurdish Aspect reported on May 10. The brigades are reportedly part of Ansar Al-Islam, which is aligned with Al-Qaeda.
According to Kurdish Aspect, a source from within the Kurdish peshmerga said that Ansar Al-Islam and the Ansar Al-Sunnah Army are reorganizing their ranks and deploying their forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish leaders have also attributed recent attacks against Kurdish forces in the town of Penjwin to Ansar Al-Islam, saying the group moves freely across the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish security sources told local media that the KRG was on alert for a terrorist attack in the days preceding the two incidents, based on intelligence that included detained terrorists' confessions, as well as the discovery of weapons caches.
Observations of websites and forums frequented by insurgents in Iraq and their supporters suggest that indeed, the Islamic State of Iraq and Ansar Al-Islam/Sunnah are attempting to gain a foothold on areas in the north. Apart from their stated claim of seeking retribution against the Kurds, their presence in the north would provide them with a valuable gateway for foreign fighters and supplies through the porous Iran-Iraq border.
The resurgence of insurgent activity in Kurdistan can be seen in the plethora of statements appearing on insurgent websites and forums in recent weeks, and Kata'ib Kurdistan has issued at least one video documenting its attacks. Moreover, Kurdish-language statements have appeared on forum websites with increasing frequency, suggesting insurgents may be trying to recruit Kurdish fighters to join their cause.
The frequency of attacks against Kurdish targets both in the Kurdish region and neighboring governorates to the south suggest that Kurds will remain under fire for some time to come. The potential consequences of an Al-Qaeda/Ansar campaign would be devastating to the region's economy, stability and governance. It could prompt Turkey to carry out plans for a large-scale incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan to hunt down PKK militants based there. Or worse yet, Turkey might take steps to secure Turkoman control over Kirkuk, a move that would evoke a violent reaction from Iraqi Kurds.
The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility for both attacks in Internet postings. In a statement on the May 9 attack, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated group said the attack came "in response to the participation of the apostate peshmerga forces with the Safawi [a reference to the Shi'ite-led government in Iraq] government of [Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri] al-Maliki in the so-called 'Baghdad law enforcement plan.'"
Addressing Kurdistan region President Mas'ud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, the group promised more attacks, adding, "We will not stop attacking you until you withdraw your mercenaries from the Baghdad province and cease to support the Crusaders [U.S.-led coalition forces] and the Safawis."
The Islamic State of Iraq first warned Kurdish soldiers against taking part in the Baghdad security plan in January. "We tell you that the martyrs brigades of the Islamic State of Iraq, particularly the Ansar martyrs [a reference to the terrorist group Ansar Al-Islam, whose bases in Kurdistan were crushed by a U.S. bombing campaign in the opening days of the war] cannot wait to confront you as to speed your arrival in hell," an Internet statement said.
The Kata'ib Kurdistan (Kurdistan Brigades), a group that pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda in March, also claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted to the Ansar Al-Islam website, the news website Kurdish Aspect reported on May 10. The brigades are reportedly part of Ansar Al-Islam, which is aligned with Al-Qaeda.
According to Kurdish Aspect, a source from within the Kurdish peshmerga said that Ansar Al-Islam and the Ansar Al-Sunnah Army are reorganizing their ranks and deploying their forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish leaders have also attributed recent attacks against Kurdish forces in the town of Penjwin to Ansar Al-Islam, saying the group moves freely across the Iran-Iraq border. Kurdish security sources told local media that the KRG was on alert for a terrorist attack in the days preceding the two incidents, based on intelligence that included detained terrorists' confessions, as well as the discovery of weapons caches.
Observations of websites and forums frequented by insurgents in Iraq and their supporters suggest that indeed, the Islamic State of Iraq and Ansar Al-Islam/Sunnah are attempting to gain a foothold on areas in the north. Apart from their stated claim of seeking retribution against the Kurds, their presence in the north would provide them with a valuable gateway for foreign fighters and supplies through the porous Iran-Iraq border.
The resurgence of insurgent activity in Kurdistan can be seen in the plethora of statements appearing on insurgent websites and forums in recent weeks, and Kata'ib Kurdistan has issued at least one video documenting its attacks. Moreover, Kurdish-language statements have appeared on forum websites with increasing frequency, suggesting insurgents may be trying to recruit Kurdish fighters to join their cause.
The frequency of attacks against Kurdish targets both in the Kurdish region and neighboring governorates to the south suggest that Kurds will remain under fire for some time to come. The potential consequences of an Al-Qaeda/Ansar campaign would be devastating to the region's economy, stability and governance. It could prompt Turkey to carry out plans for a large-scale incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan to hunt down PKK militants based there. Or worse yet, Turkey might take steps to secure Turkoman control over Kirkuk, a move that would evoke a violent reaction from Iraqi Kurds.
Labels: Ansar al-Islam, Ansar al-Sunnah, bomb attacks, Iran, Islamic State of Iraq, Jalal Talabani, Kata'ib Kurdistan, KDP, KRG, Kurdistan, Kurdistan Brigades, Massoud Barzani, Peshmerga
Two Iraqis killed in mortar attack on Green Zone
Security
(AP) - Mortar rounds hammered the U.S.-controlled Green Zone for a second day Wednesday, killing at least two people, wounding about 10 more and raising new fears for the safety of workers at the nerve center of the American mission in Iraq. About a dozen shells crashed into the 3.5-square-mile area of central Baghdad about 4 p.m., sending terrified pedestrians racing for the safety of concrete bunkers.
No American casualties were reported, and the two dead as well as most of the wounded were Iraqis, U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said. An Iraqi security officer said one of the dead was a driver for the staff of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose office is in the Green Zone. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.
No American casualties were reported, and the two dead as well as most of the wounded were Iraqis, U.S. Embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said. An Iraqi security officer said one of the dead was a driver for the staff of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose office is in the Green Zone. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not supposed to release the information.
"Around 10 mortars impacted on the International Zone, wounding eight people and causing two deaths," US embassy spokesman Lou Fintor said. The two people who were killed and six of the wounded were Iraqis, Fintor said, adding that the other two were "third country nationals," meaning they are neither American nor Iraqi. Powerful explosions rocked the Assassin's Gate area near the Iraqi defence ministry and the US embassy compound, which is inside the walled district and has in recent weeks become a prime target for insurgent attacks.
On Tuesday, five contractors working for the US embassy were wounded by "indirect fire", an embassy spokesman said. On May 2, two Indians, a Filipino and a Nepalese working for the embassy were killed in a rocket attack.
Both the intensity and skill of the attack were noteworthy. The shells, believed to be 122mm, exploded in rapid succession over about a three-minute period. The blasts were relatively close to one another, suggesting an experienced mortar crew using more than one launcher. It was unclear whether the rounds were fired by Sunni or Shiite extremists. Both groups operate in areas of the city within rocket and mortar range of the secured complex despite the ongoing Baghdad security crackdown.
U.S. officials would not comment on damage in Wednesday's attack, citing security. However, the U.S. Institute of Peace said its office suffered "significant" shrapnel damage though there were no casualties among its staff. The institute sponsored the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which outlined a plan last December for the withdrawal of most U.S. combat troops by early 2008.
Nine people were wounded in a rocket attack Tuesday, and four Asian contractors were killed in a barrage May 3. State Department spokesman Tom Casey downplayed the latest attack, saying "it's been part of the operating environment for our officials there, as well as for other people working there."
Nevertheless, the recent increase in attacks has raised alarm among American staffers living and working in what had been considered an oasis of safety in the turbulent Iraqi capital. This month, the U.S. Embassy ordered diplomats to wear flak jackets and helmets while outdoors or in unprotected buildings. Later this year, the United States plans to open a massive new embassy inside the Green Zone despite the ongoing security threat. Embassy staffers have expressed concern that the new facility lacks enough space to house the estimated 1,000 employees in safety.
Those concerns have risen because of a number of high-profile security breaches in the American-controlled zone, located on the west bank of the Tigris River, which flows through the center of the city.
On Tuesday, five contractors working for the US embassy were wounded by "indirect fire", an embassy spokesman said. On May 2, two Indians, a Filipino and a Nepalese working for the embassy were killed in a rocket attack.
Both the intensity and skill of the attack were noteworthy. The shells, believed to be 122mm, exploded in rapid succession over about a three-minute period. The blasts were relatively close to one another, suggesting an experienced mortar crew using more than one launcher. It was unclear whether the rounds were fired by Sunni or Shiite extremists. Both groups operate in areas of the city within rocket and mortar range of the secured complex despite the ongoing Baghdad security crackdown.
U.S. officials would not comment on damage in Wednesday's attack, citing security. However, the U.S. Institute of Peace said its office suffered "significant" shrapnel damage though there were no casualties among its staff. The institute sponsored the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, which outlined a plan last December for the withdrawal of most U.S. combat troops by early 2008.
Nine people were wounded in a rocket attack Tuesday, and four Asian contractors were killed in a barrage May 3. State Department spokesman Tom Casey downplayed the latest attack, saying "it's been part of the operating environment for our officials there, as well as for other people working there."
Nevertheless, the recent increase in attacks has raised alarm among American staffers living and working in what had been considered an oasis of safety in the turbulent Iraqi capital. This month, the U.S. Embassy ordered diplomats to wear flak jackets and helmets while outdoors or in unprotected buildings. Later this year, the United States plans to open a massive new embassy inside the Green Zone despite the ongoing security threat. Embassy staffers have expressed concern that the new facility lacks enough space to house the estimated 1,000 employees in safety.
Those concerns have risen because of a number of high-profile security breaches in the American-controlled zone, located on the west bank of the Tigris River, which flows through the center of the city.
Labels: Green Zone, mortar rounds
U.S.-Iran talks on Iraq to begin May 28
Politics, Security
(AP) - U.S.-Iranian talks about Iraq's security will begin on May 28, Iran's foreign minister said Thursday. Manouchehr Mottaki said the negotiations would be exclusively about Iraq and that a first meeting in the presence of Iraqi officials would try to set a more detailed agenda. "Nothing but Iraq is on the agenda," he told reporters in Islamabad, where he has been attending a ministerial meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
In Baghdad, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared unaware of Mottaki's announcement, saying only that he hoped the talks would take place by the end of the month. "I'm ready to sit down anytime they like," Crocker, who is to lead the U.S. delegation, told reporters. Crocker said the U.S. will be pushing Iran to be a helpful neighbor, singling out allegations that Tehran is providing militants in Iraq with powerful roadside bombs that have been used to deadly effect against American troops.
He declined to be more specific about items that might be on the agenda, but said the talks would be an opportunity for Iran to move into a "whole new era in its relationship with Iraq." Mottaki also gave no details of what Iran wanted to discuss. But he reiterated Tehran's objection to the continued presence of U.S. soldiers in its western neighbor.
"We do believe that a correct approach to Iraq should look to both points, or both areas of the difficulty. Terrorists say that 'we are doing this because of the foreign forces,' and the foreign forces saying that 'we are here because of the terrorist groups,'" he said. The agreement to hold the talks is seen as a political turnabout, but tensions between Washington and Tehran have been escalating. The U.S. accuses Iran of arming and financing militants in Iraq - a claim Iran denies - and the two sides are also at loggerheads over Tehran's nuclear program.
In Baghdad, U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker appeared unaware of Mottaki's announcement, saying only that he hoped the talks would take place by the end of the month. "I'm ready to sit down anytime they like," Crocker, who is to lead the U.S. delegation, told reporters. Crocker said the U.S. will be pushing Iran to be a helpful neighbor, singling out allegations that Tehran is providing militants in Iraq with powerful roadside bombs that have been used to deadly effect against American troops.
He declined to be more specific about items that might be on the agenda, but said the talks would be an opportunity for Iran to move into a "whole new era in its relationship with Iraq." Mottaki also gave no details of what Iran wanted to discuss. But he reiterated Tehran's objection to the continued presence of U.S. soldiers in its western neighbor.
"We do believe that a correct approach to Iraq should look to both points, or both areas of the difficulty. Terrorists say that 'we are doing this because of the foreign forces,' and the foreign forces saying that 'we are here because of the terrorist groups,'" he said. The agreement to hold the talks is seen as a political turnabout, but tensions between Washington and Tehran have been escalating. The U.S. accuses Iran of arming and financing militants in Iraq - a claim Iran denies - and the two sides are also at loggerheads over Tehran's nuclear program.
Labels: Iran, Iraq, Manouchehr Mottaki, Ryan Crocker, security, U.S.
New Diyala bridge attacked again
Security
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi police say suspected insurgents set off a bomb near a bridge in southeastern Baghdad today, killing at least two civilians. It's the second attack on the bridge within one week. On May 11, a large fuel truck drove toward a checkpoint at the new Diyala Bridge and the driver blew up his vehicle, killing about a dozen people. The bridge, which crosses the Diyala River, a Tigris tributary, was damaged.
Labels: new Diyala bridge, truck bomb
British prince won't go to Iraq
Security
(Reuters) - The military career of Prince Harry was left in doubt on Thursday after commanders decided Iraq was too dangerous a mission for the third in line to the British throne. Defense analysts said the 22-year-old, who graduated as a junior army officer a year ago, would have trouble carving out a military career if he could not lead his men into active service.
Reg Keys, who lost his son Tom there, said "It would appear that Harry's life is more valuable than my son's or the other nearly 150 service personnel who have given their lives there." "If it is too dangerous for Harry, it is too dangerous for the rest of the troops out there," said Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon died in the conflict. Harry had been due to be deployed in Basra, in southern Iraq, with his Blues and Royals regiment in the coming weeks as part of the latest British troop rotation.
He had been determined to serve alongside his troops, saying "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst (military academy) and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country." Britain's Ministry of Defense said specific threats made by insurgent groups against Harry, including listing him as a kidnap target, had made any deployment far too risky.
"I've decided the risk to Prince Harry is too great," Richard Dannatt, the head of the British army, told reporters. "I've also decided that the risk he brings to his troop and his squadron ... is also too great." Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, told Reuters: "What this does show is that the state of affairs in southeast Iraq is pretty dire."
April was the most dangerous month for British forces in Iraq since the war in 2003 -- 12 soldiers were killed.
"The politicians have set the military an impossible task. The British have become targets of opportunity. It is completely unsafe to have people like Harry going in there," Rogers said.
Reg Keys, who lost his son Tom there, said "It would appear that Harry's life is more valuable than my son's or the other nearly 150 service personnel who have given their lives there." "If it is too dangerous for Harry, it is too dangerous for the rest of the troops out there," said Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon died in the conflict. Harry had been due to be deployed in Basra, in southern Iraq, with his Blues and Royals regiment in the coming weeks as part of the latest British troop rotation.
He had been determined to serve alongside his troops, saying "There's no way I'm going to put myself through Sandhurst (military academy) and then sit on my arse back home while my boys are out fighting for their country." Britain's Ministry of Defense said specific threats made by insurgent groups against Harry, including listing him as a kidnap target, had made any deployment far too risky.
"I've decided the risk to Prince Harry is too great," Richard Dannatt, the head of the British army, told reporters. "I've also decided that the risk he brings to his troop and his squadron ... is also too great." Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, told Reuters: "What this does show is that the state of affairs in southeast Iraq is pretty dire."
April was the most dangerous month for British forces in Iraq since the war in 2003 -- 12 soldiers were killed.
"The politicians have set the military an impossible task. The British have become targets of opportunity. It is completely unsafe to have people like Harry going in there," Rogers said.
Labels: Basra, Blues and Royals, General Sir Richard Dannatt, Prince Harry
U.S. military offers rewards of $200,000 for information on missing soldiers
Security
(BBC) - The US military has offered rewards of up to $200,000 (£100,000) for information leading to the return of three of its soldiers missing in Iraq. Thousands of US and Iraqi soldiers are involved in the search for the men, who vanished after an ambush on Saturday. The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of militants led by al-Qaeda, has said it is holding the soldiers.
Four US troops and an Iraqi interpreter were killed in Saturday's attack in the town of Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad. In an unverified statement posted on an Islamist website, the militant group claiming to hold the soldiers told the US: "If you want them safe, do not search for them."
Some 170,000 leaflets offering the reward of up to 250m Iraqi dinars have been distributed in the Mahmudiya area, the US military said. The four names in question are Sergeant Anthony Schober, 23, of Nevada, Specialist Alex Jiminez, 24, of Massachusetts, Private Joseph Anzack, 20, of California and Private Byron Fouty, 19, of Michigan.
Four US troops and an Iraqi interpreter were killed in Saturday's attack in the town of Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad. In an unverified statement posted on an Islamist website, the militant group claiming to hold the soldiers told the US: "If you want them safe, do not search for them."
Some 170,000 leaflets offering the reward of up to 250m Iraqi dinars have been distributed in the Mahmudiya area, the US military said. The four names in question are Sergeant Anthony Schober, 23, of Nevada, Specialist Alex Jiminez, 24, of Massachusetts, Private Joseph Anzack, 20, of California and Private Byron Fouty, 19, of Michigan.
About 4,000 US troops and 2,000 Iraqi troops have been searching the area where the ambush happened, known as the Triangle of Death because attacks by insurgents are so common, for the past four days. The US military has said it has "highly credible intelligence information" that the missing soldiers were abducted "by terrorists belonging to al-Qaeda or an affiliated group".
Major General Rick Lynch told the Associated Press news agency that he remained optimistic the three men would be found alive. "We're pursuing all intelligence," he told AP. "Some of those leads tell us that the soldiers have been taken out of the area but the majority tell us that they're still in the area." Last year, two American soldiers were kidnapped in the same area - their bodies were found several days later.
Major General Rick Lynch told the Associated Press news agency that he remained optimistic the three men would be found alive. "We're pursuing all intelligence," he told AP. "Some of those leads tell us that the soldiers have been taken out of the area but the majority tell us that they're still in the area." Last year, two American soldiers were kidnapped in the same area - their bodies were found several days later.
Labels: Islamic State of Iraq, Mahmoudiya, Major General Rick Lynch, Missing U.S. troops, reward
UK think tank report - Iraq almost 'failed state'
Politics, Security
(Royal Institute for International Affairs) - There is not 'one' civil war, nor 'one' insurgency, but several civil wars and insurgencies between different communities in today's Iraq. Within this warring society, the Iraqi government is only one among many 'state-like' actors, and is largely irrelevant in terms of ordering social, economic, and political life. It is now possible to argue that Iraq is on the verge of being a failed state which faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation. These are some of the key findings of Accepting Realities in Iraq a new Briefing Paper written by Dr Gareth Stansfield and published today by Chatham House.
The paper also assesses Al-Qaeda activity within Iraq, especially in the major cities in the centre and north of the country. Dr Stansfield argues that, although Al-Qaeda is challenged by local groups, there is momentum behind its activity. Iraq's neighbors too have a greater capacity to affect the situation on the ground than either the UK or the US. Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey all have different reasons for seeing the instability in Iraq continue, and each uses different methods to influence developments.
Dr Stansfield argues that with the myriad conflicts in Iraq following societal, religious and political divides and often involving state actors, the multinational forces are finding it exceptionally difficult to promote security normalization. The recent US 'surge' in Baghdad looks likely to have simply pushed insurgent activity to neighboring cities and cannot deliver the required political accommodation. A political solution will require Sunni Arab representatives’ participation in government, the recognition of Moqtada al-Sadr as a legitimate political partner, and a positive response to Kurdish concerns.
Further, it would be a mistake to believe that the political forces in Iraq are weak and can be reorganized by the US or the international community, there must be ‘buy-in’ from the key Iraqi political actors. Dr Stansfield says: ‘The coming year will be pivotal for Iraq. The internecine fighting and continual struggle for power threatens the nation’s very existence in its current form. An acceptance of the realities on the ground in Iraq and a fundamental rethinking of strategy by coalition powers are vital if there is to be any chance of future political stability in the country.’
Labels: Al Qaeda, Chatham House, civil war, Dr Gareth Stansfield, Iraq violence, politics
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
INM daily summary – 16 May 2007
Scroll down for full articles.
- A statement attributed to "Al-Qaeda" has warned Kurds against converting to Christianity or Zoroastrianism.
- While stressing that the Arab League has pushed for national reconciliation in Iraq, Musa said that as secretary-general, he has no plans to hold an extraordinary Arab summit on Iraq, and that it would be up to Arab foreign ministers to propose such a meeting.
- A parked car bomb possibly containing chlorine exploded near a market in a Shiite enclave northeast of the capital, killing at least 32 people and wounding 50, police said Wednesday.
- An apparent split emerging in the Mahdi Army, led by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, is where the U.S. military hopes to make its gains.
- 50,000 Turkish soldiers are now concentrated at Turk-Iraqi border region of Sirnak.
- U.S. forces searching for three soldiers abducted in a Saturday attack south of Baghdad believe the troops were kidnapped in a "planned snatch," involving at least 10 insurgents.
- Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya on Wednesday, hospital and police sources said.
- Local citizens of Mahmudiya reported they saw gunmen wearing Iraqi Army uniforms stopping a US patrol that consisted of three Humvees at a fake checkpoint.
- The government has hinted at ongoing talks with armed groups fighting U.S. occupation troops.
- Yesterday, Vice Presidents Tariq Al Hashimi and Adil Abd Al Mahdi met and discussed several issues.
- US company Horne International today announced that Horne Engineering Services has successfully completed the procurement of a mission-critical, dual-fuel replacement core gas turbine engine for the Al-Qudas Power Plant in Iraq.
- Total loans provided by the Farmers Lending Fund in the Ministry of Agriculture for farmers in Basrah province in March alone were nearly IQD58 million (US$46,000) covering five different activities.
- Norwegian oil producer DNO will become the first foreign firm in more than three decades to start pumping Iraqi crude into the global market next month.
- Security round-up.
- Louis Berger Inc. and Versar Inc. have both been awarded multi-million dollar contracts in Iraq from USAID and USACE respectively. Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday said he supported U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad about improving Iraq's security, state-run television reported.
Iran's spiritual leader approves U.S.-Iran talks
Politics
(AP) — Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday said he supported U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad about improving Iraq's security, state-run television reported. But he warned that the talks would only focus on American responsibilities in Iraq — not Iranian influence in its neighboring country — and said they were not a change in Tehran's policy toward Washington.
"The talks will only be about the responsibility of the occupiers in Iraq," the broadcast quoted Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, as saying. "They think that Islamic Republic has changed its firm, logical and defendable policy in rejecting negotiation with the U.S. They are wrong," he was quoted as saying during a speech to a group of clerics in Mashad city, about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) northeast of Tehran.
(AP) — Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday said he supported U.S.-Iran talks in Baghdad about improving Iraq's security, state-run television reported. But he warned that the talks would only focus on American responsibilities in Iraq — not Iranian influence in its neighboring country — and said they were not a change in Tehran's policy toward Washington.
"The talks will only be about the responsibility of the occupiers in Iraq," the broadcast quoted Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, as saying. "They think that Islamic Republic has changed its firm, logical and defendable policy in rejecting negotiation with the U.S. They are wrong," he was quoted as saying during a speech to a group of clerics in Mashad city, about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) northeast of Tehran.
The two countries recently said they would hold ambassador-level talks about Iran's war-torn neighbor, Iraq. Although such talks are seen as a political turnabout, potential for real progress is low as tensions between Iran and the U.S. have continued to escalate.
Contacts between the countries have long been taboo, a status enforced by Iran's top leadership — made up of Shiite clerics — since the U.S. cut ties with Iran after the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Khamenei said Iran's Foreign Ministry decided to talk with the U.S. only because Washington did not fulfill its responsibilities in Iraq and accused the U.S. of trying to topple the current Shiite-led Iraqi government.
"The Iranian Foreign Ministry, based on a request by Iraqi government, decided to remind the U.S. of its responsibilities and duties regarding security ... in a face-to-face negotiation and give them an ultimatum," he was quoted as saying. The broadcast did not elaborate or say what the ultimatum was.
Contacts between the countries have long been taboo, a status enforced by Iran's top leadership — made up of Shiite clerics — since the U.S. cut ties with Iran after the 1979 seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Khamenei said Iran's Foreign Ministry decided to talk with the U.S. only because Washington did not fulfill its responsibilities in Iraq and accused the U.S. of trying to topple the current Shiite-led Iraqi government.
"The Iranian Foreign Ministry, based on a request by Iraqi government, decided to remind the U.S. of its responsibilities and duties regarding security ... in a face-to-face negotiation and give them an ultimatum," he was quoted as saying. The broadcast did not elaborate or say what the ultimatum was.
But he stressed that Iran's stance on Washington was the same and would only change if the U.S. changed its policies. The broadcast came as dozens of Iranian hard-line students gathered Wednesday in front of the presidential palace in downtown Tehran and criticized the government's decision for holding talk with the U.S.
Baghdad has been encouraging Iran and the United States — the two countries with the greatest influence in Iraq — to talk.
The U.S. accuses Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and supplying Shiite militias in Iraq with roadside bombs used to kill U.S. troops. Iran denies the allegations. During a trip to the region last week, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney warned that the U.S. and its allies would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and dominating the region. Iran has demanded the U.S. leave the Middle East.
Baghdad has been encouraging Iran and the United States — the two countries with the greatest influence in Iraq — to talk.
The U.S. accuses Iran of secretly trying to develop nuclear weapons and supplying Shiite militias in Iraq with roadside bombs used to kill U.S. troops. Iran denies the allegations. During a trip to the region last week, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney warned that the U.S. and its allies would prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and dominating the region. Iran has demanded the U.S. leave the Middle East.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran, U.S.
Louis Berger, Versar Inc. awarded large contracts in Iraq
Contracts
(FedBizOpps) - Agency for International Development, Overseas Missions has awarded a contract for $342,901,758, for INMA (Growth) intended to improve agricultural productivity and provide agricultural business development services to USAID beneficiaries in the 18 governorates in Iraq.
(Washington Business Journal) - Versar Inc. has received $20.3 million in orders to provide management services to support the Army's reconstruction efforts in Iraq. The new delivery orders come from the first option year of Versar's existing contract to provide services for about 360 personnel involved in construction management in Iraq. The Army Corps of Engineers awarded the orders to Springfield-based Versar, a program management company.
Versar said that these delivery orders increase the company's work by nearly 50 percent from what was originally planned. The orders are expected to be completed by April 2008. Performing the work is VIAP, Versar's international division in Iraq. Ted Prociv, president and CEO of Versar (AMEX: VSR), said the company's work in Iraq should result in more business opportunities overseas.
Versar said that these delivery orders increase the company's work by nearly 50 percent from what was originally planned. The orders are expected to be completed by April 2008. Performing the work is VIAP, Versar's international division in Iraq. Ted Prociv, president and CEO of Versar (AMEX: VSR), said the company's work in Iraq should result in more business opportunities overseas.
Labels: Louis Berger Group, reconstruction contracts, Ted Prociv, USACE, USAID, Versar Inc., VIAP
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - 15 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1130 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - Roundup of violence in Iraq - 15 May 2007
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed Al Dulaimy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1130 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* ABU SAYDA - A truck bomb laden with chlorine gas exploded in a market area in the mostly Shi'ite town of Abu Sayda, north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing 45 people and wounding 60, police said on Wednesday.
* NASIRIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hospital and police sources said.
* AL-SHATRA - At least four people were killed and 20 others were wounded after clashes erupted between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and police in the town of al-Shatra, near Nasiriya, a source in the hospital said.
* DIWANIYA - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces wounded eight civilians, a policeman and an Iraqi soldier, hospital and Iraqi military sources said. A curfew was imposed until further notice.
* FALLUJA - Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and three wounded when gunmen attacked an Iraqi army patrol in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
* BAQUBA - Gunmen attacked police Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, the head of the Iraqi-U.S. Joint Coordination Centre of Diyala Province, killing two of his guards and wounding another, police said. Hiyali was not harmed in the attack.
* KIRKUK - The head of the Riyadh city council was killed along with another member in the council when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in the town of Riyadh, 60 km (40 miles) southwest of the northern city of Kirkuk, police said.
* LATIFIYA - Gunmen opened fire at a car, killing one person and wounding four others in the town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 15 people were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - Four people were killed and four others were wounded by a mortar attack in Ur district in northern Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA - A roadside bomb exploded near a minibus, killing one person and wounding another on Tuesday in the town of Mahmudiya, some 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Abu Saydah, Al-Shatra, Baqouba, Brigadier-General Najib al-Hiyali, chlorine bombs, Diwaniya, Fallujah, Kirkuk, Latifiyah, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah, roadside bombs
DNO to start pumping Iraqi crude oil onto global market
Oil
(BI-ME) - Norwegian oil producer DNO will become the first foreign firm in more than three decades to start pumping Iraqi crude into the global market next month, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. It will begin producing a small amount of oil from the Northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan, marking a symbolic return of foreign companies to Iraq after 35 years of state control.
The company’s experience is being closely watched by larger competitors, eager for a slice of the world’s third-largest oil reserves, but deterred by security fears and the lack of a legal framework for Iraqi oil. The sharing of oil resources has been a point of dispute between Iraq’s sectarian communities. The Kurdish authorities’ decision to sign separate contracts, could add strain to relations between Iraq’s Kurdish authorities and the central government in Baghdad. Ashti Hawrani, the Kurdish oil minister, said Kurdistan’s regional government would share revenue with the rest of the country.
In Asian trading, oil slipped early on Wednesday ahead of data expected to show rises in US crude and fuel inventories, but Brent prices held near US$68 after a rally on further supply disruptions in the world's eighth largest exporter Nigeria. London Brent crude, currently seen as more representative of the global oil market, was talked at US$67.83/US$67.95 a barrel for June, ahead of the contract's expiry on Wednesday. US crude futures dipped 12 cents to US$63.05 a barrel.
The company’s experience is being closely watched by larger competitors, eager for a slice of the world’s third-largest oil reserves, but deterred by security fears and the lack of a legal framework for Iraqi oil. The sharing of oil resources has been a point of dispute between Iraq’s sectarian communities. The Kurdish authorities’ decision to sign separate contracts, could add strain to relations between Iraq’s Kurdish authorities and the central government in Baghdad. Ashti Hawrani, the Kurdish oil minister, said Kurdistan’s regional government would share revenue with the rest of the country.
In Asian trading, oil slipped early on Wednesday ahead of data expected to show rises in US crude and fuel inventories, but Brent prices held near US$68 after a rally on further supply disruptions in the world's eighth largest exporter Nigeria. London Brent crude, currently seen as more representative of the global oil market, was talked at US$67.83/US$67.95 a barrel for June, ahead of the contract's expiry on Wednesday. US crude futures dipped 12 cents to US$63.05 a barrel.
Labels: Ashti Hawrani, crude oil, DNO, Kurdistan, Tawke
Basrah farmers receive new loans
Agriculture
(BI-ME) - Total loans provided by the Farmers Lending Fund in the Ministry of Agriculture for farmers in Basrah province in March alone were nearly IQD58 million (US$46,000) covering five different activities. The Director of Basrah Cultivation, Amir Salman Abdul-Hussein, said in a statement that during his presence at the Ministry the loans granted within the new budget to the Fund increased from IQD25 billion (US$19.8 million) to IQD50 billion (US$39.7 million) for the current year.
This will provide great opportunities to serve a wide spectrum of farmers and the various activities of the Fund, which include 17 different specialties. He expressed confidence that the numbers of farmers applying for loans from the fund will increase during the coming months.He said loans granted to farmers in central Basrah and Qurnah district were distributed as IQD37 million for the first instance, and IQD20 million for the second to cover the purchase of trailers at the cost of IQD10 million, drilling wells at IQD37 million, IQD4 million for the cultivation of wheat, IQD3 million for orchards, and IQD2.5 million to develop apiaries.
Labels: Amir Salman Abdul-Hussein, Basrah, farmers, Farmers Lending Fund, Ministry of Agriculture
U.S. company buys gas turbine for Iraqi power plant
Business
(BI-ME) - US company Horne International today announced that Horne Engineering Services has successfully completed the procurement of a mission-critical, dual-fuel replacement core gas turbine engine for the Al-Qudas Power Plant in Iraq. This procurement was executed under a subcontract with Wintara-Salihi Group, and had a contract value of approximately US$7 million. The Al-Qudas Power Plant is located near Baghdad and is part of the Iraqi infrastructure being repaired or rebuilt by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Iraq Ministry of Electricity.
Horne Engineering Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Horne International and has been providing procurement services related to the reconstruction of Iraq’s infrastructure since January 2004. This support has included the purchasing of large quantities of engineered equipment, materials, and supplies, as well as contract review and assurance activities, with a combined value in excess of US$50 million.
Regarding this latest procurement effort, Horne International President and CEO Darryl Horne said: “Not only am I gratified that our business partners continue to seek us out for our global procurement expertise, but I am especially proud of the constructive role our company continues to play in rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure. Only Horne could accomplish such a highly complex and technically challenging acquisition in less than four weeks. There was no room for excuses.”
Wintara-Salihi Group is a joint venture between Salihi Group International of Kirkuk, Iraq, and Wintara, of Fort Washington, Maryland in the US, that provides rapid response engineering and maintenance services for utility systems throughout Iraq.
Horne Engineering Services is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Horne International and has been providing procurement services related to the reconstruction of Iraq’s infrastructure since January 2004. This support has included the purchasing of large quantities of engineered equipment, materials, and supplies, as well as contract review and assurance activities, with a combined value in excess of US$50 million.
Regarding this latest procurement effort, Horne International President and CEO Darryl Horne said: “Not only am I gratified that our business partners continue to seek us out for our global procurement expertise, but I am especially proud of the constructive role our company continues to play in rebuilding Iraq’s infrastructure. Only Horne could accomplish such a highly complex and technically challenging acquisition in less than four weeks. There was no room for excuses.”
Wintara-Salihi Group is a joint venture between Salihi Group International of Kirkuk, Iraq, and Wintara, of Fort Washington, Maryland in the US, that provides rapid response engineering and maintenance services for utility systems throughout Iraq.
Labels: Al-Qudas Power Plant, Darryl Horne, Horne Engineering Services, Horne International, Wintara-Salihi Group
Vice Presidents Tariq Al Hashimi and Adil Abd Al Mahdi meet
Politics
(Al Mada Newspaper) - 14 MAY - Yesterday, Vice Presidents Tariq Al Hashimi and Adil Abd Al Mahdi met; also attending this meeting was Iraq’s Ambassador to Russia; during their meeting the men discussed: Iraq’s foreign affairs, the current political situation, and the continuing efforts to remove “obstacles” between the (various Iraqi) political “blocs” in order to foster a better political environment.
The President (Talabani’s) Media Office released the following statement:
· Iraq’s two Vice Presidents discussed: DeBaathification, and (they resolved their differences regarding) a number of disagreements.
· Yesterday afternoon, Al Hashimi met with Sayid Amr Al Hakim, the Secretary General of the Al Muharab Martyr’s Organization. They discussed the results of SCIRI’s (a powerful Shiite group’s) ninth annual conference.
· Vice President (Al Hashimi) believes that SCIRI provides the true reflection of Iraq’s current political situation; and, he confirmed the need to unify (bring together) all of Iraq’s “patriotic” (national unity) efforts… in order to solve Iraq’s crises.
· Al Hashimi also met with a Fadhila Party (another Shiite party, which sometimes differs with SCIRI and the Shiite Alliance List) delegation led by Dr. Hassan Al Shimari. They discussed the recent activities in Basrah (demonstrations, clashes, calls to remove the Governor) …and legal ways to resolve these issues. They also discussed a number of political and economic issues.
The President (Talabani’s) Media Office released the following statement:
· Iraq’s two Vice Presidents discussed: DeBaathification, and (they resolved their differences regarding) a number of disagreements.
· Yesterday afternoon, Al Hashimi met with Sayid Amr Al Hakim, the Secretary General of the Al Muharab Martyr’s Organization. They discussed the results of SCIRI’s (a powerful Shiite group’s) ninth annual conference.
· Vice President (Al Hashimi) believes that SCIRI provides the true reflection of Iraq’s current political situation; and, he confirmed the need to unify (bring together) all of Iraq’s “patriotic” (national unity) efforts… in order to solve Iraq’s crises.
· Al Hashimi also met with a Fadhila Party (another Shiite party, which sometimes differs with SCIRI and the Shiite Alliance List) delegation led by Dr. Hassan Al Shimari. They discussed the recent activities in Basrah (demonstrations, clashes, calls to remove the Governor) …and legal ways to resolve these issues. They also discussed a number of political and economic issues.
Labels: Adil Abdul Mahdi, Fadhela party, Sayid Amr Al Hakim, SCIRI, Tariq al-Hashimi
Al-Askari - Kurds agree to postpone referendum on Kirkuk
Politics
(Azzaman) - The government has hinted at ongoing talks with armed groups fighting U.S. occupation troops. An adviser to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he saw such meetings as important. Sami al-Askari did not deny that Maliki had himself taken part in the meetings but said, “In principle we will be please in case such meetings have taken place.”
Askari also confirmed that progress was made in efforts to revise a law that made it impossible for former members of the Baath party to assume government jobs. With regard to constitutional amendments, he said Iraqi deputies and personalities charged with the task have also reported ‘good progress.’
But more important for the government has been, according to Askari, Kurds’ consent to postpone a referendum on the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The ethnically mixed city, where some of Iraq’s largest oil fields are situated, is contested by Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. Its destiny was to be decided by the end of this year but the United Nations charged of organizing the referendum says security conditions would discourage the stationing of independent monitors there.
Askari also confirmed that progress was made in efforts to revise a law that made it impossible for former members of the Baath party to assume government jobs. With regard to constitutional amendments, he said Iraqi deputies and personalities charged with the task have also reported ‘good progress.’
But more important for the government has been, according to Askari, Kurds’ consent to postpone a referendum on the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. The ethnically mixed city, where some of Iraq’s largest oil fields are situated, is contested by Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. Its destiny was to be decided by the end of this year but the United Nations charged of organizing the referendum says security conditions would discourage the stationing of independent monitors there.
Labels: armed groups, Baathists, Kirkuk referendum, meetings, Sami al-Askari
Mahdi Army clashes with Iraqi Army in Nasiriyah
Security
(Reuters) - Clashes between militias loyal to Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and Iraqi forces killed eight people and wounded 40 in the southern city of Nasiriya on Wednesday, hospital and police sources said. Saadi al-Majad, director of the Nasiriya hospital, said three Iraqi soldiers were among the dead. A city official who did not want to be identified put the death toll at 10.
A police lieutenant said Mehdi Army militias clashed with Iraqi forces after police arrested two militiamen on Tuesday on suspicion they were members of a team planting roadside bombs. Witnesses in Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) south of Baghdad, said the fighting erupted before dawn. Fighting eased by noon after the militias withdrew from the city's centre. Iraq's Shi'ite south has seen less violence than in Baghdad and other areas, but fighting between rival Shi'ite factions and security forces erupts from time to time.
Sadr, an influential cleric and political figure, commands the Mehdi Army militia, which has strongholds in Baghdad's Shi'ite areas and in the south."They burned all the vehicles in front of one of the provincial government buildings in the centre of the city, but the governor was in another building next to it," said Colonel Rahim Ali of the Iraqi police. Police moved quickly to close off roads leading into and out of Nasiriyah and declared a city-wide curfew as they moved to quell the violence.
When the sun rose on Wednesday the parking lot in front of one of the main local administration buildings was filled with the charred shells of scores of vehicles, according to police. Although the Shiite south of the country has seen less fighting than the areas in and around the capital, street fights often break out among rival political parties, many of which have infiltrated the security forces.
A police lieutenant said Mehdi Army militias clashed with Iraqi forces after police arrested two militiamen on Tuesday on suspicion they were members of a team planting roadside bombs. Witnesses in Nasiriya, 375 km (235 miles) south of Baghdad, said the fighting erupted before dawn. Fighting eased by noon after the militias withdrew from the city's centre. Iraq's Shi'ite south has seen less violence than in Baghdad and other areas, but fighting between rival Shi'ite factions and security forces erupts from time to time.
Sadr, an influential cleric and political figure, commands the Mehdi Army militia, which has strongholds in Baghdad's Shi'ite areas and in the south."They burned all the vehicles in front of one of the provincial government buildings in the centre of the city, but the governor was in another building next to it," said Colonel Rahim Ali of the Iraqi police. Police moved quickly to close off roads leading into and out of Nasiriyah and declared a city-wide curfew as they moved to quell the violence.
When the sun rose on Wednesday the parking lot in front of one of the main local administration buildings was filled with the charred shells of scores of vehicles, according to police. Although the Shiite south of the country has seen less fighting than the areas in and around the capital, street fights often break out among rival political parties, many of which have infiltrated the security forces.
Labels: Iraqi Army, Mahdi Army, Nasiriyah
Mahmudiya Residents: Gunmen In Military Uniforms Attacked US Patrol
Security
(Azzaman Newspaper) - 14 MAY - The US forces began search operations in orchards and villages near Mahmudiya after seven US soldiers and their translator were attacked, killing five of them and leaving three missing. Reuters reports that the patrol was attacked just before dawn near Mahmudiya, which is the same area Al Qaida kidnapped two US soldiers last year.
Another US unit heard an explosion near the US patrol but was unable to contact them. The US Army said that a UAV observed burning vehicles. An hour later when US troops arrived at the location of the incident they found five bodies. Local citizens said that the US forces began a huge search operation using helicopters and UAVs. They are searching creeks, orchards, and buildings.
They set up checkpoints trying to prevent the gunmen from escaping. Local citizens of Mahmudiya reported they saw gunmen wearing Iraqi Army uniforms stopping a US patrol that consisted of three Humvees at a fake checkpoint. When the patrol stopped, the gunmen attacked them. Finally, a group from Al Qaida said that they “arrested” the soldiers and described them as crusaders.
Labels: Iraqi Army uniforms, Mahmoudiya, Missing U.S. troops
Missing U.S. soldiers named, abduction believed to be 'planned'
Security
(CNN) - U.S. forces searching for three soldiers abducted in a Saturday attack south of Baghdad believe the troops were kidnapped in a "planned snatch," involving at least 10 insurgents, a senior U.S. military official said. Insurgents targeted a "stationary observation post" -- where troops looked for people planting bombs, the official said.
The kidnapping was part of a "complex attack," meaning the attackers used many different weapons such as firearms and grenades, but the source wouldn't be specific on the kinds of weapons used. A nearby unit heard explosions early Saturday "and attempted to establish communications, but without success." Later, an unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two burning vehicles and coalition forces arrived within the hour.
Four soldiers also were killed in the attack in a region known as the Triangle of Death. Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers -- backed by everything from air support to dog teams -- are searching for the missing troops. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said 11 people have been detained, and four of them are considered high-value targets. As of Monday, 460 people have been questioned since the search was launched, Garver said, and the military has received more than 50 tips from people.
The slain and missing U.S. soldiers -- all men -- were from Fort Drum in New York, and all have been identified as members of the 10th Mountain Division's Second Brigade. The families of the seven have been notified that their kin were involved. Three of the slain have been identified by the Pentagon. They are Pfc. Christopher E. Murphy, 21, of Lynchburg, Virginia; Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Vermontville, Michigan; and Sgt. 1st Class James D. Connell Jr., 40, of Lake City, Tennessee. The number of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq now stands at 3,401, including seven contractors.
Four others -- three missing and one of the dead -- remain listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." The military can't yet sort out precisely who is missing because one of the four bodies is so badly burned that it can't be immediately identified. The Department of Defense identified the four as Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nevada; Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts; Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California; and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan.
The military was performing a DNA test to determine the soldier's identity and hopes to have the testing completed by midday Wednesday. The bodies were to arrive on Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The Islamic State of Iraq -- a Sunni insurgent coalition that includes al Qaeda in Iraq -- issued a statement Monday saying it is holding the troops and is warning the U.S. military to call off its search. CNN cannot independently verify the claim, posted on Islamist Web sites.
The kidnapping was part of a "complex attack," meaning the attackers used many different weapons such as firearms and grenades, but the source wouldn't be specific on the kinds of weapons used. A nearby unit heard explosions early Saturday "and attempted to establish communications, but without success." Later, an unmanned aerial vehicle spotted two burning vehicles and coalition forces arrived within the hour.
Four soldiers also were killed in the attack in a region known as the Triangle of Death. Thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers -- backed by everything from air support to dog teams -- are searching for the missing troops. Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said 11 people have been detained, and four of them are considered high-value targets. As of Monday, 460 people have been questioned since the search was launched, Garver said, and the military has received more than 50 tips from people.
The slain and missing U.S. soldiers -- all men -- were from Fort Drum in New York, and all have been identified as members of the 10th Mountain Division's Second Brigade. The families of the seven have been notified that their kin were involved. Three of the slain have been identified by the Pentagon. They are Pfc. Christopher E. Murphy, 21, of Lynchburg, Virginia; Pfc. Daniel W. Courneya, 19, of Vermontville, Michigan; and Sgt. 1st Class James D. Connell Jr., 40, of Lake City, Tennessee. The number of U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq now stands at 3,401, including seven contractors.
Four others -- three missing and one of the dead -- remain listed as "duty status whereabouts unknown." The military can't yet sort out precisely who is missing because one of the four bodies is so badly burned that it can't be immediately identified. The Department of Defense identified the four as Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nevada; Spc. Alex R. Jimenez, 25, of Lawrence, Massachusetts; Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, California; and Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Michigan.
The military was performing a DNA test to determine the soldier's identity and hopes to have the testing completed by midday Wednesday. The bodies were to arrive on Tuesday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The Islamic State of Iraq -- a Sunni insurgent coalition that includes al Qaeda in Iraq -- issued a statement Monday saying it is holding the troops and is warning the U.S. military to call off its search. CNN cannot independently verify the claim, posted on Islamist Web sites.
Labels: 10th Mountain Division's Second Brigade, Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Mahmoudiya, Missing U.S. troops, Pfc. Joseph J. Anzack Jr., Pvt. Byron W. Fouty, Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, Spc. Alex R. Jimenez
50,000 Turkish soldiers on Turk-Iraqi border
Security, Turkey, Kurdistan
(PanARMENIAN) - 50,000 Turkish soldiers are now concentrated at Turk-Iraqi border region of Sirnak. According to military sources a large operation by Turkish military forces aimed at PKK (Worker's Party of Kurdistan) terrorists in the provinces of Sirnak near the Iraqi border continues. Units of the Turkish military are fighting in the Cudi and Gabar mountains, as well as the Bestler-Dereler points near Sirnak. New positions have been staked out by Turkish armed forces near the border, taking the border into direct target in preparation for terrorists trying to cross over. While the transfer of soldiers and vehicles to the border area continues, as it has for 3 months now.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson stated the United States supports the Turkish military operation in its pursuit of PKK terrorists. "Turkey has been in a leader position for a long time in the fight against terror. It has faced terror on a high level for a long time. Turkey has lost 40 thousand lives fighting in the last years," Wilson stated speaking at an anti-terrorism conference held this week at the Swissotel in Istanbul.
Speaking in direct reference to the renewed efforts by Turkish security forces against PKK forces last week, Wilson said, "In recent weeks, the Turkish security forces began an open struggle against the PKK. The U.S. supports this struggle," Ross Wilson underlined, Hurriyet reports.
U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Ross Wilson stated the United States supports the Turkish military operation in its pursuit of PKK terrorists. "Turkey has been in a leader position for a long time in the fight against terror. It has faced terror on a high level for a long time. Turkey has lost 40 thousand lives fighting in the last years," Wilson stated speaking at an anti-terrorism conference held this week at the Swissotel in Istanbul.
Speaking in direct reference to the renewed efforts by Turkish security forces against PKK forces last week, Wilson said, "In recent weeks, the Turkish security forces began an open struggle against the PKK. The U.S. supports this struggle," Ross Wilson underlined, Hurriyet reports.
Labels: PKK, Sirnak province, Turk-Iraqi border, Turkish soldiers
