Finaliza Julio en Iraq

Troops deployed in Kirkuk amid upsurge in violence in oil-rich city
By Kareem Abed-Zair
31 July 2008 (Azzaman)

Iraqi troops are being deployed in Kirkuk to ward off attacks and bombings which have disturbed this city’s relative quiet in the past few months.

A suicide bomber targeted a demonstration organized by Kurdish factions in the city on Monday. At least 22 people were killed and 150 others injured.

Shortly after, Kurdish militiamen opened fire on offices belonging to the Turkmen Front which opposes the Kurdish dominance of the city. Several of the front’s offices were burned and vandalized.

The government decision to send in troops signals a rise in tension among the city’s disparate in occasionally warring groups.

The mixed city is crucial to Iraq’s economy. Its old but still prolific fields are currently producing nearly half a million barrels a day most of it shipped to terminals in Turkey for export.

The Kurds want to annex the city to their semi-independent enclave but Arab and Turkmen are fiercely resisting the move.


What happened in Kirkuk?
Hundreds wounded, dozens injured in what began as a peaceful demonstration.
By Qassim Khidhir
31 July 2008 (Kurdish Globe)


Barzani and Talabani urge Kirkuk residents to maintain stability and the spirit of brotherhood among all ethnicities in Kirkuk.

About 200, 000 people, mainly Kurds and a number of original Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians, demonstrated on Monday in Kirkuk city to protest the provincial council elections law.

When protesters neared the Turkmen Front main office in the city, a suicide attacker blew herself up amid them. After that, guards inside the Turkmen Front office opened fire on the protestors. As a result of both events, 23 Kurdish civilians were killed and more than 150 were wounded.

Gen. Sarhad Qadir, the police chief of Kirkuk's outskirts and towns, stated that the female suicide attacker wore a bomb belt. Police forces had detained seven guards of the Turkmen Front office because of the shooting.

The demonstration was peaceful until both incidents occurred, said Gen. Qadir. People then became angry, attacked the Turkmen Front office, burned an office, and wounded several guards inside.

Some of the wounded protestors were immediately taken to hospitals in Erbil and Suleimaniya, and people rushed to hospitals to donate blood for the victims.

After the attacks, security forces in Kirkuk imposed a curfew from 5:00 p.m. on Monday until 7:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and a cautious calm dominated Kirkuk after the curfew took effect.

Meanwhile, a source in the Asayish (Security) Department in Kirkuk said their forces neutralized a BMW rigged with explosives at the North Terminal in downtown Kirkuk province.

Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani urged Kirkuk residents to maintain security and stability.

Barzani, currently in Baghdad to discuss Iraq-U.S. security agreements and the provincial council elections law, condemned the security incidents in Kirkuk and demanded Kirkuk residents maintain the spirit of brotherhood among Kurd, Arab, and Turkmen, and not allow terrorists and the enemies of Kurdistan and Iraq to achieve their goals.

Kurdistan Parliament and the Kurdistan Council of Ministers condemned the security incidents in Kirkuk. Also, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the Multi-National Forces strongly condemned the suicide bombings that occurred in both Baghdad and Kirkuk.

"The targets of these vicious and cowardly attacks were innocent Iraqi men, women, and children who were freely practicing their democratic rights and religious faith," read a joint statement issued by Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker and Gen. David H. Petraeus, a copy of which was received by the Globe.

Kurds blamed Iraqi Parliament for what happened in Kirkuk; Kurdish politicians stated that if Iraqi Parliament had not secretly voted for Article 24, the incidents would not have occurred in Kirkuk.

On July 22, Iraqi Parliament passed the provincial council elections law and secretly voted for Article 24, which delays elections in Kirkuk and divides authority there based on percentages of ethnic Kurds, Arabs, Turkmen, and Christians. This occurred after the Kurdistan Coalition (KC) withdrew from the session and without any KC agreement on the vote.

The law was illegally passed by Parliament since Article 24 was voted on secretly. According to the Iraqi Constitution, no article can be voted on secretly except to elect a head of Parliament or an Iraqi president.

"The Parliamentary blocs that inserted item 24 in the provincial election bill bear the responsibility for the security disturbance that took place in Kirkuk and the resulting casualties," said Saad Barznji, a member of Iraqi Parliament's Kurdistan Coalition list.

"The attack on the Turkmen Front's headquarters was conducted by angry demonstrators after they came under fire from sources within the headquarters," Barznji said.

Barznji accused those whom he described as "dark forces" of being responsible for the suicide bombing that targeted the demonstrators because "democratic expression did not suit them."



Police forces nab 3 armed group operatives in Kirkuk
Kirkuk, 31 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq)


Police forces captured 3 operatives of a newly-founded armed group in Kirkuk, a security official said on Wednesday.

"Police forces arrested three gunmen of a newly-founded armed group proclaimed as Nisoor al-Majd (Glory Eagles) in Dumeez district, south Kirkuk," Brig. Anwar Qadir Ahmed, chief of Dumeez police station, told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).

The local security official pointed out "police seized documents and threatening fliers which the group aimed to send to the upper-class figures in the city to extort money and to buy explosive for their armed operations."

"Authorities believed the detainees were involved in car bomb operations that took place in the city," he added.

Kirkuk, 250 km north of Baghdad, is a center for ethnic rivalry between Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, and has recently witnessed a of car bombs.


4 rockets, 9 launchers found in Basra
Basra, 31 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- Police forces on Wednesday found four rockets and nine launchers in Basra's northern area of al-Maqal, a local police media source said.

Government keen to protect Iraqi Christians - PM
Baghdad, 31 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said on Wednesday that his government is keen to provide appropriate security atmosphere to protect Iraqi Christians.

35 wanted men detained in Diala
Diala, 31 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- A total of 35 wanted men were arrested, 12 large depots were detonated and 10 bombs were found within large-scale security operation in Diala, the official spokesman.

Iraqi security forces arrested yesterday 35 wanted men, suspected of being members in terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda, using arrest warrants, detonated weapons caches, defused 10 bombs and seized amounts of weapons and equipments within the security operation in Diala," General Mohamed al-Askari said at a press conference in Baghdad.

"Gunmen in Diala started to escape to neighboring provinces wearing women's dresses and fake IDs," the general noted.

Con retraso,pero volvemos

- Joint operations with Iraqi troops start north of Basra – MNF
________________________________________
Basra, 18 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq)

The Multi-National Force (MNF) in southern Iraq said on Friday that it will start joint operations with Iraqi forces to "track down extremists and deny them chances to attack Iraqi civilians and security personnel".
"The joint operations will take place on Friday in the area of al-Latif, (15 km) north of Basra, and were planned to continue for a week," the media spokesman for the MNF in southern Iraq, Cap. Chris Ford, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).
"The MNF troops will be backing Iraqi security forces and help them maintain security in Basra," he said.
British soldiers were stationed in one base - the Basra International Airport, 25 km northeast of the province - after handing over the former presidential palaces, which they took as a military base, to the Iraqi forces.
The British forces in the port city keep only 4,100 troops within the MNF in Iraq after more than half troops were withdrawn during the past months.


- Sahwa fighters capture al-Qaeda leader in Samarra
________________________________________
SALAH Al-DIN, 18 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq)

Sahwa fighters on Friday arrested al-Qaeda leader who was wearing women’s clothes and seized explosive belts and weapons in east of Samarra, a police source said.
“Sahwa fighters in al-Jabieriya region, east of Samarra, arrested this afternoon Ahmed al-Sameraei, al-Qaeda leader, who was wearing women’s clothes,” the source, who asked to be unnamed, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“The detainee is wanted for killing several army and police elements as well as many civilians,” he also said.
“The fighters found also explosive belts and medium and light weapons,” he added.
Sahwa councils were set up in a number of Iraqi provinces such as al-Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din with the aim of bolstering political and local tribal powers to fight armed groups, particularly al-Qaeda network, in those areas.
These councils are usually led by tribal chiefs or notables in the provinces


- 9 wanted men detained in Mosul
________________________________________
Ninewa, 18 July 2008 (Voices of Iraq)

Iraqi army forces on Friday arrested nine wanted men during two separate operations in western Mosul, the official spokesman for the Ninewa operations command said.
“The forces arrested three gunmen, believed to be members of the Islamic State in Iraq, in 17 Tammuz and al-Islah al-Zeraei regions in western Mosul,” Brigadier Khaled Abdul Sattar told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“The operation was based on intelligence information,” he noted.
“Another army force arrested six wanted men during a security raid in al-Tenk neighborhood in western Mosul,” Abdul Sattar added.
Iraqi security forces have been launching a large-scale military campaign since May 10. The operation, codenamed Za'eer al-Assad (Lion's Roar), was aimed to track down gunmen in Ninewa province. Five days later, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced the operation's second stage under the name Umm al-Rabiain (Mother of Two Springs).
Mosul, the capital city of Ninewa, lies 405 km north of Baghdad.
The original city of Mosul stands on the west bank of the Tigris River, opposite the ancient biblical city of Nineveh on the east bank, but the metropolitan area has now grown to encompass substantial areas on both banks, with five bridges linking the two sides.
Despite having an amount of Kurdish population, it does not form part of the area controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
The fabric Muslin, long manufactured here, is named for this city. Another historically important product of the area is Mosul marble.
The city is also a historic center for the Nestorian Christianity of the Assyrians, containing the tombs of several Old Testament prophets such as Jonah, Yunus in Arabic, and Nahum.


- U.S. and Iraqi forces mulling new offensive on Falluja
By Omer al-Mansouri
________________________________________
18 July 2008 (Azzaman)

The city of Falluja has been placed under tight curfew as U.S. and Iraqi troops are said to be gearing for a new offensive.
Iraqi security forces have established checkpoints forbidding movement of people and traffic.
Pick-up trucks mounted with loudspeakers roam the city warning residents that Qaeda operatives have infiltrated Falluja once again.
Police and troops from other areas are being deployed in the city in what police officials say is a harbinger for a major attack.
U.S. occupation troops are not far away as they are still deployed in camps across the Province of Anbar, of which Falluja is a major city.
Iraqi military sources, refusing to be named, said the government has made it clear to U.S. army commanders that it cannot do the job on its own without direct U.S. military intervention in the “imminent offensive”.
The sources said an operation on the scale of latest campaigns to subdue Diyala and Mosul was necessary.
Any delay would certainly be to ‘enemy’ advantage, they said.
Violence is returning to the Province of Anbar after months of relative quiet.
Falluja was once the main stronghold of Iraqi resistance groups and Qaeda.

Related articles

• 4 civilians wounded in Diala (18th Jul 2008)
• 4 wanted men detained in Mosul (18th Jul 2008)
• 3 soldiers killed, 7 wounded in suicide blast in Mosul (18th Jul 2008)
• Three civilians injured in bomb explosion in Baghdad (18th Jul 2008)
• Anti-Qaeda groups spokesman escapes assassination attempt in Diala (18th Jul 2008)
• 10 persons arrested in Diala (18th Jul 2008)
• U.S. soldier killed in Mosul - Pentagon (18th Jul 2008)
• 9 wanted men detained in Mosul (18th Jul 2008)
• Daawa Party-Iraq Organization still boycotting UIC meetings (18th Jul 2008)
• Sahwa fighters capture al-Qaeda leader in Samarra (18th Jul 2008)
• Joint operations with Iraqi troops start north of Basra – MNF (18th Jul 2008)
• Iraqi paper welcomes Diwaniya security handover (17th Jul 2008)
• Joint forces arrest head of Baaquba municipality council (17th Jul 2008)
• Police free kidnapped girl in Wassit (17th Jul 2008)
• 3 al-Qaeda members detained in Mosul (17th Jul 2008)
• 16 suspected al-Qaeda gunmen captured in south of Samarra (17th Jul 2008)
• Police detonate small shop in eastern Mosul (17th Jul 2008)
• UNAMI calls for investigation over activist's assassination in Ninewa (17th Jul 2008)
• 15 wanted, suspects arrested in Baghdad in 24 hours (17th Jul 2008)
• Police: Iraq suicide bombers kill 28 army recruits (16th Jul 2008)
• Wave of suicide bombings claims 37 victims in Iraq (16th Jul 2008)
• Iraqi Diwaniya Province announces curfew in-wait for security handover decision (16th Jul 2008)
• Iraq, Afghanistan wars creating new arms markets (16th Jul 2008)
• Saddam deputy in 'message' to Iraq insurgents (16th Jul 2008)
• Britain to send 120 more troops to Iraq (16th Jul 2008)
• Baghdad prepares for 'a decisive' campaign against Al Qaida (16th Jul 2008)
• Iraqi and US forces gear up for massive operation (16th Jul 2008)
• Violence returns to Anbar following months of relative quiet (16th Jul 2008)
• 2 U.S. soldiers killed in Diala, Anbar (16th Jul 2008)
• 72 detainees freed in Diala (16th Jul 2008)
• 2 civilians injured by bomb blast in Mosul (16th Jul 2008)
• Three gangs busted in Karbala (16th Jul 2008)
• 4 civilians killed, injured in two attacks in Babel (16th Jul 2008)
• IED injures Sahwa fighter in Babel (16th Jul 2008)
• Suicide bomber wounds 6 civilians in Mosul (16th Jul 2008)
• Security forces lift curfew on Diwaniya (16th Jul 2008)
• Rockets, roadside bombs seized in Kut (16th Jul 2008)
• Arms, ammunition seized in Baghdad (16th Jul 2008)
• Another car bomb leaves 11 casualties in Mosul (16th Jul 2008)
• IED defused in Kut residential area (16th Jul 2008)
• 26 persons captured in 24 hours (16th Jul 2008)
• Security plan in Karbala ahead of Shiite imam's birthday (16th Jul 2008)
• Merchants' mass execution court resumes (16th Jul 2008)
• VP vows to continue lawsuit of kidnapped Olympic Committee members (16th Jul 2008)
• 109 killed, wounded in Talafar car bomb (16th Jul 2008)
• Man, daughter wounded by mortar in Mosul (16th Jul 2008)
• Member of Shiite sect survives assassination attempt in Basra (16th Jul 2008)
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• Violence against women in Duhuk symposium (16th Jul 2008)
• Iraq hopes for full security control by year-end (16th Jul 2008)

Dos heroes más

En estos casi quince días de ausencia,hemos de lamentar la muerte de dos servidores de la patria en tierras que ya por desgracia han visto derramada mucha sangre española, mi más emocionado recuerdo, al Teniente Santiago Hormigo Ledesma y el Sargento Joaquín López Moreno.Tampoco quiero olvidar a los otros veinte héroes cuyos nombres figuran en el monumento en la plaza de España en Mostar,todos ellos descansen en paz y que jamas olvidemos que España se hace de muchas formas y no solo cuando ganamos la Eurocopa.

Y ahora retomemos lo que ha ocurrido en Iraq.

- Deadly suicide bombing hits northern Iraq
Tikrit, 30 June 2008 (Gulf News) -- A suicide bomber struck a police patrol in northern Iraq's Salahuddin province on Sunday, killing at least seven policemen.

- Iraq pledges $100m to rebuild Sadr City slum
Baghdad, 30 June 2008 (Gulf News)


Iraq will spend $100 million to rebuild the east Baghdad slum of Sadr City and create jobs for many of its two million residents, an official said on Sunday.

The Shiite slum is a stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's Mahdi Army.

Sadr City was largely outside the government's control until the truce allowed Iraqi soldiers to deploy.

"The government has ordered an allocation of $100 million to reconstruct and develop Sadr City," government spokesman Tahseen Al Sheikhli told a news conference.

He did not give a timeframe for spending the money, but said that part of the funding would go toward easing unemployment. Another $10 million would be used for rebuilding infrastructure.

A separate $50 million would be spent redeveloping the Baghdad neighbourhood of Shula, another poor Shiite district.

Sheikhli said the funds for Sadr City would be spent on a variety of projects, including building two sports stadiums, several schools, health clinics and a blood bank, a dental clinic, markets and parks.

Iraqi Officials Angered by U.S. Raid near Kerbala
Baghdad, 30 June 2008 (Reuters)

Iraqi officials have expressed outrage over a U.S. raid near the holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala, which they said should have been approved by local authorities since security for the area is under Iraqi control.

One man was killed in the early morning raid on Friday, the officials told a news conference. They described him as a civilian.

The U.S. military has not responded to questions about the incident.

The row comes at a sensitive time for Washington, which is negotiating a new security pact with Baghdad to provide a legal basis for American troops to stay in Iraq after a United Nations mandate expires on December 31.


- Hopes, concerns ahead of Anbar security handover
Anbar, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq)


A few days ahead of the security handover of Anbar, a Sunni province that once was once Iraq's most dangerous, some Iraqis have voiced their concerns over their national security forces' ability to handle the situation on their own, with others expressing their happiness about the return of self-governance.

Speaking to Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq- (VOI), Colonel Dawoud al-Maree, a spokesman for Falluja police, said that Iraqi forces are ready to receive the security responsibilities from the Multi-National Force (MNF), ruling out any deficiencies in military equipment.

"The shortage of police personnel is not a shortcoming that hinders the security handover," the colonel said.

On Friday, the U.S. army said that the ceremonies to hand Anbar to Iraqi control, which was scheduled to take place on Saturday, were indefinitely put off due to expected bad weather conditions in the Sunni province.

The colonel explained that the fall in violence had paved the way for the security transfer of the province, arguing that incidents of sporadic violence will not affect the work of Iraqi police personnel.

Expressing a different view on the issue, Faris Na'em al-Alwani, a 29-year-old owner of a mobile phone shop, said that Iraqi security forces lack experience and are in urgent need of the services of "senior officers from the former army."

"Army and police personnel can take over from the U.S.-led coalition if qualified officers from the former army took control," Alwani noted.

Alwani said that the security situation in Falluja has recently deteriorated, in reference to explosions and suicide bombings that ripped through several parts of Anbar city, which lies 45 km west of Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Colonel Khudeir Rasheed al-Fahdawi from Anbar police told VOI that Iraqi security forces have strengthened their capabilities throughout the past five years. "All areas in Anbar province that were once under al-Qaeda control are currently controlled by the Iraqi forces," the colonel added.

Ghayth Ahmed Muhammadi, a 33-year-old government employee and a resident of Anbar, said that Iraqi officers are torn between their loyalty to their parties and their country. The struggle over power has driven the city to the verge of explosion, Muhammadi said, noting that local residents are the major victims of political instability.

A few residents of the province praised what they described as the "relative success" of Sahwa (Awakening) councils in restoring stability and driving al-Qaeda operatives from the province.

The Sahwa councils were set up in a number of Iraqi provinces such as Anbar, Diala, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din with the aim of bolstering political and local tribal powers to fight armed groups, particularly al-Qaeda network, in those areas. These councils are usually led by tribal chiefs or notables in the provinces.

Anbar should have been the 10th out of Iraq's 18 provinces to receive security responsibilities since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and the first Sunni province to be handed to Iraqi control.

Thamir Mustafa al-Aani, a government employee, said: "The Iraqi police have done a lot to the province…and have managed to purge many areas of al-Qaeda fighters."

"Falluja police are able to impose security in the province," al-Aani, 37, said.

Linking domestic stability to Iraq's neighboring countries, Sheikh Abu Muhammad, an Aameriya al-Falluja Sahwa council leader, said: "It is not possible to tell whether the Iraqi police and army are fully prepared to take over security responsibilities. Anbar is a large province and has borders with three countries." The tribal leader accused foreign bodies of attempting to destabilize security in the country, calling on Iraq's neighbors to abide by their commitments to Iraq.

- Security forces release 1213 detainees in Mosul
Ninewa, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq)


Ninewa security official on Sunday said 1213 persons held in Iraq’s detention centres were released in Mosul.

"438 people who surrendered to security forces were released according to an amnesty decree issued by Premier Nouri al-Maliki, during the military operations in Mosul city," Brigadier Khalid Abdul-Sattar, spokesman for Ninewa security operation, told Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq – (VOI).

The spokesman noted “775 detainees were set free in groups after investigations cleared them of charges.


- Wassit ready for security handover – Police chief
Wassit, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq)


Wassit Police chief on Sunday expressed his forces’ readiness for security handover from Multi National Forces (MNF) in the border province.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held in Wassit, Brig.Gen. Abdul-Haneen Humood said "Wassit police forces are ready for security handover from MNF, at any time or place."

"Wassit has seen a big security improvement, and is able to handle security issues and provide protection for residents," he noted.

The police chief pointed out "security responsibility in Wassit is currently in the Iraqi forces' hands, but MNF have some security activities in the province in cooperation with Iraqi authorities".

He indicated "crime levels in Wassit have gone down, except for some exceptional cases of vendetta killings or tribal scores settling”.

The security official highlighted “no crimes were recorded for sectarian reasons,” adding "the province sects live in harmony”.

He asserted Wassit Police forces are “bent on enforcing law, fighting gun-bearers and criminals, and any act that may disturb security regardless of the results”.

Kut, the capital city of Wassit province, which borders The U.S bitter enemy Iran, is 180 km southeast of Baghdad.

- 13 persons captured in Baghdad in 24 hours
Baghdad, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq)


A total of 13 suspects and wanted persons were arrested over the past 24 hours in different parts of the Iraqi capital, an official spokesman for Baghdad's operations command said on Sunday, noting that a large amount of arms and ammunition were seized during the operations.

"Security forces captured nine wanted individuals and four suspects, defused five improvised explosive devices, and seized a large amount of arms, ammunition, and explosives throughout the past 24 hours in different parts of Baghdad," Major General Qasim Ata told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI)

- 7 wanted men arrested in Baghdad
Baghdad, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- Seven wanted men were captured and a large number of mortar shells seized in two separate security operations in western and southeastern Baghdad on Sunday.

- 4 wounded in Diala attacks
Diala, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- Three farmers and a civilian were wounded in two separate attacks north and south of the city of Baaquba on Sunday, a police source in Diala said.


- Basra intel. chief assassinated
Basra, 29 June 2008 (Voices of Iraq) -- Unidentified gunmen assassinated the Basra intelligence chief while he was on vacation in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source in Basra said on Sunday.

- # U.S. army says 3 Marines, 2 interpreters killed in Anbar (28th Jun 2008)
# Baghdad test center shooting investigated – PM (28th Jun 2008)
# National project to eliminate unemployment in Iraq – VP (28th Jun 2008)
# Parl't committee urges solutions over families to be evacuated from govt. buildings (28th Jun 2008)
# Judge assassinated in Baghdad (28th Jun 2008)
# Random arrests among Sadrists in Karbala (28th Jun 2008)
# U.S troops transfer 1000 Humvees to Iraqi security forces (28th Jun 2008)
# U.S. military aircraft makes emergency landing in Baghdad (28th Jun 2008)
# Security condition still fragile – VP (28th Jun 2008)
# Anbar security transfer delayed due to bad weather – U.S. (28th Jun 2008)
# U.S. army replaces troops in Wassit (28th Jun 2008)
# 2 wanted al-Qaeda members captured in Anbar (28th Jun 2008)
# 12 wanted men arrested in Basra (28th Jun 2008)
# U.S. forces detain al-Dor police chief (28th Jun 2008)
# 43 arrested in Baghdad during past 48 hours (28th Jun 2008)
# 15 arrested in separate operations until Saturday noon (28th Jun 2008)
# Key gunman, 4 others captured in Huweija (28th Jun 2008)
# U.S. forces release Salah al-Din journalists' syndicate's chief (28th Jun 2008)
# 10 arrested in raid south of Kirkuk (28th Jun 2008)
# 2 senior al-Qaeda members arrested in Diala (28th Jun 2008)
# Basra's Sadr office manager arrested in Amara (28th Jun 2008)
# 5 wanted al-Qaeda elements arrested in Mosul (28th Jun 2008)
# 2 policemen wounded in Mosul (28th Jun 2008)
# Debaathification law not applicable to security agencies – MP (28th Jun 2008)
# Dozens of Thi-Qar residents demonstrate to join police force (28th Jun 2008)
# Discovery of weapons in school playgrounds rings alarm bells in Missan (28th Jun 2008)
# Iraqi Supreme Court judge shot dead in ambush (28th Jun 2008)
# At least 38 killed in Iraq bombings (27th Jun 2008)
# Conditions worsen in Mosul following short period of relative calm (27th Jun 2008) * Bush tries to allay suspicions over strategic pact with Iraq (26th Jun 2008)
* Iraq-Kuwait talks on Kuwaiti missing, property must be in conformity with UNSC resolutions - Al-Murad (26th Jun 2008)
* Bush meets Iraqi president on strategic framework agreement (26th Jun 2008)
* Britain can't fight two wars at same time (26th Jun 2008)
* 'More must be done to meet needs of Iraqi child refugees' (25th Jun 2008)
* London mayor fumes over Iraq cigar case probe (25th Jun 2008)
* Are They Really Oil Wars? (25th Jun 2008)
* Iraq and EU to sign cooperation agreement (24th Jun 2008)
* Two Caliphates in Baghdad (24th Jun 2008)
* 2 U.S. reports stress security improvements, pessimistic about politics, economy (24th Jun 2008)
* U.S Ambassador Crocker laments U.S nationals killing in Sadr City (24th Jun 2008)
* Turkish-Iraqi talks on promoting cooperation (23rd Jun 2008)
* Iran's role in Iraq, stance on security agreement in Arab press (22nd Jun 2008)
* Maliki and Bush discuss "SOFA" framework (22nd Jun 2008)
* Obama or McCain, a same priority in Iraq (22nd Jun 2008)
* Political pressure may delay US-Iraq security deal (22nd Jun 2008)
* Ahmadinejad reveals attempt on his life during Baghdad visit (21st Jun 2008)
* Negotiations between Iraq, U.S. on MKO headquarters (21st Jun 2008)
* Iraq and US: the Path of the Future (20th Jun 2008)
* Amid worsening wars, Brown spins (20th Jun 2008)
* Congress to vote on USD 162 billion Iraq, Afghanistan war funding (20th Jun 2008)
* Afghanistan replacing Iraq as focus of terror war (20th Jun 2008)
* Jokes and kebabs help hammer out strategic pact (20th Jun 2008)
* US official: security deal includes handing over prisons to Iraqis (19th Jun 2008)
* Iraq, EU talks enter its 5th season (19th Jun 2008)
* 52 Iraqi Kurdish Asylum Seekers forcibly deported to Sulaimania Airport, refugee org (19th Jun 2008)
* British parliamentary group calls for UK to support Kurdistan Region as model for Iraq (19th Jun 2008)
* The US should devise a new relationship with Iraq (19th Jun 2008)
* Torture techniques linked to top Bush officials (19th Jun 2008)
* Embrace Iraq back into Arab family, says US (19th Jun 2008)
* Iraqi FM meets Bush on security agreement (19th Jun 2008)
* President to discuss security deal Washington (18th Jun 2008)
* Over 6000 Families Return Back Homes (18th Jun 2008)
* Iraq deal with US to end immunity for foreign contractors (18th Jun 2008)
* Obama plans pre-election trip to Iraq (18th Jun 2008)
* Haditha charges dropped against Marine officer (18th Jun 2008)
* FM, U.S. vice president agree on completing security pact before end of July (18th Jun 2008)
* Iranian embassy welcomes Iraqi govt. stance against opposition group (18th Jun 2008)
* Bush denies Iraq row with Brown (17th Jun 2008)
* US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,098 (17th Jun 2008)
* Europe urged not to turn away Iraqi refugees (17th Jun 2008)
* Iran shells border areas in northern Iraq (16th Jun 2008)
* Bush flies to London to warn over troop cut- paper (16th Jun 2008)







-

Volvemos con noticias de Iraq

Ante todo mi recuerdo a un soldado de España muerto en acto de servicio en tierras lejanas,el caballero legionario Felipe Jasón Ospina Velez(D.E.P),un abrazo muy fuerte para su seres queridos y toda la familia militar.

- Iraq readies forces for militia crackdown
Amara, 16 June 2008 (Reuters)


Iraq's government beefed up army and police units in the southern city of Amara on Sunday for a new crackdown on Shiite militias, witnesses said.

Convoys, including armoured vehicles and tanks, were moving through the northern side of the city, said a Reuters reporter. The operation, which officials say will start on Thursday, is the latest stage in Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki's drive to stamp his government's authority on areas previously controlled by Shiite militias or Sunni Arab insurgents.

Army Major-General Tareq Abdul Wahab, leader of the security operation, said government forces had a list of hundreds of "outlaws, criminal gangs and those who violate security" it would hunt down.

Amara is a stronghold of Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, who agreed to a ceasefire after US-backed Iraqi forces launched a major offensive on his Mehdi Army militia in Basra in March.

Success in Amara could boost Maliki's image ahead of provincial elections, due on October 1, seen as the battleground for a power struggle that could redraw Iraq's political map.

- Baghdad Green Zone provides lucrative job opportunities
By Basil Adas
Baghdad, 16 June 2008 (Gulf News)


The Green Zone, which is the US military headquarters and also houses coalition states' embassies and major Iraqi government offices, is also the place which offers job opportunities with salaries unmatched in most of Iraq.

The Green zone is Baghdad's most secured area with strict procedures.

The procedures start with providing the civil status identity to those who wish to enter the Green Zone and are searched thoroughly followed by personal inspection done by American security companies and the Iraqi army.

Strict security

As the last stage in security search, police dogs search vehicles. The police dogs are trained to detect gunpowder or explosives, and they decide who and which vehicle enters the Green Zone.

The people who enter the Green Zone are classified into guests and employees, who go through strict security measures.

Haleem, a 17-year-old, told Gulf News: "I left school two years ago to work inside the Green Zone. I work in lavatories [as a cleaner]. In return I get $450 [about Dh1,653] in addition to free lunch and tips. It is very comfortable to me compared with employees who do the same job I do outside the Green Zone where they receive $100-150 per month."

At 2pm, workers start leaving the Green Zone through the four or five gates specifically devoted to them, triggering off traffic congestion especially near Karada Bridge and Salhia near Jumhoria Bridge.

Fadel Khalil, 44, an Iraqi, told Gulf News: "I am an electrician and worked in the Green Zone for four years. The salaries here are magnificent. The small contracts I took here earned me a salary exceeding $3,000 per month. It may equal wages of contract work abroad."

Residents say working inside the Green Zone is like travelling abroad to save money and improve one's economic situation.

Some analysts think that the Green Zone might become a place that provides thousands of job opportunities if the reconstruction of roads and facilities start within the region.

Jabar Mirza, an Iraqi economic analyst, agreed: "More than 95 per cent of the installations, roads, and water, electricity and sewage systems in the Green Zone require [huge manpower].

"Besides there are hundreds of projects planned by the Iraqi government ... in the region and of course this needs thousands of workers and employees."

- Iraq's Al Maliki issues final warning in crackdown
Baghdad, 16 June 2008 (Gulf News)

Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki called on outlaws on Saturday to surrender to authorities in a new government security crackdown on militias in southern Iraq.

In a statement read on Al Iraqiya television hours after local officials said army and police units had been sent to Amara in southern Maysan province, Al Maliki issued whate he called a final warning to outlaws and criminals to hand over their weapons.

* IED blast leaves 4 casualties in Kirkuk (16th Jun 2008)
* Academic gunned down in northern Mosul (16th Jun 2008)
* 4 cops wounded in Salah al-Din blast (16th Jun 2008)
* IED defused, ammunition found in Missan (16th Jun 2008)
* New police chief for Missan ahead of security operation (16th Jun 2008)
* Three wanted men arrested in eastern Baghdad (16th Jun 2008)
* Parliament's employees protest new search procedures (16th Jun 2008)
* 6 people killed, 22 wounded in Iraq in 24 hours (16th Jun 2008)
* Wassit provincial council gives police 14 explosives/drugs detectors (16th Jun 2008)
* Al-Qaeda intends to send 25 female suicide bombers to Diala (16th Jun 2008)
* Security forces arrest 3 suspects in Diala (16th Jun 2008)
* Diwaniya security handover in July – military spokesperson (16th Jun 2008)
* Gunmen kill lawyer at office in Mosul (16th Jun 2008)
* Security forces arrest 11 wanted persons, seize weapons in Basra (16th Jun 2008)
* Police foils suicide car bomb attack in Ninewa (16th Jun 2008)
* Iraq's Al Maliki issues final warning in crackdown (16th Jun 2008)
* Female suicide bomber targets football fans in Iraq (16th Jun 2008)
* Troops and police sent to Iraqi city of Amara (16th Jun 2008)
* 1 Sahwa fighter killed, another wounded in Diala blast (14th Jun 2008)
* "Dangerous" al-Qaeda member captured in Diala (14th Jun 2008)
* 3 Iraqi soldiers killed, wounded in blast (14th Jun 2008)
* Al-Qaeda operative killed, 15 suspects captured in Mosul-MNF (14th Jun 2008)
* 8 wanted persons captured, 2 arms caches seized in Baghdad (14th Jun 2008)
* Cop wounded in attack on Basra checkpoint (14th Jun 2008)
* Woman wounded in eastern Mosul blast (14th Jun 2008)
* 4 suspects arrested, IED defused in Ninewa (14th Jun 2008)
* Army force mistakenly shoots "mentally ill" man- authorties (14th Jun 2008)
* Arms found in downtown Mosul cellar - spokesman (14th Jun 2008)
* Missan residents urged to stay home when security operation begins (14th Jun 2008)
* Security forces deployed to Missan's outlets, border areas (14th Jun 2008)
* Diala suicide bombing casualties up to 39 (14th Jun 2008)
* Militant leader's aide captured in Kirkuk (14th Jun 2008)
* Maliki says Missan disarmed, gives gunmen 4 days to hand over weapons (14th Jun 2008)
* Sons of Iraq members arracked by Al-Qaeda fighters in Salahuddine (13th Jun 2008)
* 12 wanted men arrested, weapons seized in Basra (13th Jun 2008)
* 2 unknown bodies found in Baghdad (13th Jun 2008)
* Five civilians killed, wounded in Hilla (13th Jun 2008)
* 3 cops injured as bomb explodes in Mosul (13th Jun 2008)
* 9 killed, 28 injured until Friday afternoon (13th Jun 2008)
* Explosion kills 2 Iraqi troops in Salah al-Din (13th Jun 2008)
* U.S. fatalities in June rise to 14 as 2 soldiers die (13th Jun 2008)
* Charge targets cop's house in Kirkuk (13th Jun 2008)
* Shiite cleric Sadr authorizes setting up "resistance cells"-Sadrist (13th Jun 2008)
* Police officer killed while freeing captive in Diwaniya (13th Jun 2008)
* Calls to protect journalists in Diala on Aref’s first anniversary (13th Jun 2008)
* U.S., Iraq fight insurgents in Mosul (12th Jun 2008)
* Top secret British reports on Al-Qaeda, Iraq left on train (12th Jun 2008)
* Iraqis feel imprisoned in Baghdad's Sadr City (12th Jun 2008)
* Roadside bomb kills 5 riding minibuses in Baghdad (12th Jun 2008)
* Iraqi women left without husbands or hope (12th Jun 2008)