Iraq car bombs kill +90, target Eid celebrations: يا قائم ال محمد لك نشتكي. (لماذا يقتلونا )

عااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااجل الفات نظر لكل مسؤل يجلس على كرسي ووراء المكتب ومع الاسف ناسي الشعب وابناء الوطن النتخبوهم وصعدوهم للمناصب بعد ماكانو متسكعين بالدول الي هية هسة استباحة دمنة (((((((((((( اذا باقية عدكم ذرة من المروة والنخوة )))))))))) يمة يمحمد روح للسوك جيبنة دجاج وطرشي اوخظرة يمة يمحمد موتنسة للعطــار تمرلة وتجيب الجاي والكهوة يمة يمحمد لفانة الظيــــــف موتتأخر على امك ياابو المروة ليش اتأخرة يا ظوا العيــــــن عيب من خطارك فاتتة الغدوة يايمة اشمالك تأخر الوكة حيل يمة يمحمد وينك اروحلك فدوة يمة سمعة صوة انفجار ودوة عالي يمة يوليدي وينك يالعــــــزوة اسمعت صوة من ابعـــــــيد ام محمد محمد راحلج فدوة صحة الله اكبر حيــــــــــــل اشبيه اوليدي يربي وشسوة صاحو بية كل الموجيدين ها ام محمد وين محمد ابو النخوة كلت حيل ابلا شـــــــــعور محمد استشهد التحق بالدرة ذاك استشهد بسبب اسرائيل ومحمدنة استشهد بالفـــرة قبل يوم السياسين يقترعون عالمناصب والماينجح يطلع بينة الحرة انا اسف عن الاكمال لان اتفاعلة وية الموقف جدا اسف مشاعري سيطرة علية والدموع انهالة شفت بالعيد كوم دمووووووع-- وشموع الفرح صارت مطفاية طفل بالعيد يلعب وامه تفرح بيه ويصير انفجار وتبدي الدماية وتتحول الفرحة الحزن محتوم يبدي من الفرح بس ما اله نهاية ياريت ماعيدت يارييييييت---لان مو عيد هذا --حفل بجاية ردنة انجيب مطرب يطرب الناس-- بالاخر لطمنا وجبنا ملاية عالاساس نوزع كليجت فرح بالعيد-وزعناها بس اختلفت الغاية ردنا عالفرح تاكل كليجة الناس-اكلت عالثواب انكلبت الاية ضحكة طفل جنت انتظر بالعيد--بس الشفت اني دموع اماية مسؤلين عدنه جلاب ولد جلاب--بس بالاقتراع اذكرو لولاية واحدهم يريد الراتب يزيد---وثانيهم يكول اختلف وي راية بعيون الوطن مرسومة كوم اجراح وبوسط الكلب حطولة سلاية عندي حجاية وحدة وينتهى الموضوع اريد أسأل يناس بياذنب هاية؟؟؟؟؟؟ ياعراق أمتدت أوجاعك إلاما لا نهايه فصبرا صبرا فلقد ولدت لتكوني بلد التضحيات الا متناهيات فهيهات أن تهدأ الحسرات والونات،ويقبع في قلبك حسين شهيد طريد بعيد أعطيت الحزن وتجلببتي به ،وتخدتي الويلات والأكدار حصنا لك وملاذا فقط أطفال العراق مكتوب عليهم القتل اين العالم من هذه الجرائم هذه هدية العيد لهذا الطفل البرئ آلا لعنة الله على الساكتين عن الحق الله واكبر ياعراق شوكت ترتاح منظر يخلي العيون تبجي دمممممممممممممممممممممم بس اريد احد يجاوبني شنو ذنب هذا الطفل وين الحكومة والقادة الامنين والله كلبنة خلص كافي عاد واللة العظيم الحكومة هي المسؤلة الوحيدة سولنة حل كافي بعد الحمدلله رب العالمين ماذنب هولاء الصغار او هذا الشعب ذنبة انه شيعي اوعراقي انولدة على فطرة حب علي وعشنة بهذا البلد المشتكى الى الله سيعلم الذين ظلموا اي منقلب ينقلبون والعاقبة للمتقين انا لله وانا اليه راجعون مؤمل الكربلائي يا قائم ال محمد لك نشتكي. (لماذا يقتلونا ) ﻻ أريد أشكر احد على مروره كلنا أصحاب عزاء، وفي بداية البوست علقت ،وفوضت أمري الى موﻻي الحجه بن الحسن وأنا الآن أخذ باياديكم الكريمه ونرفعها إلى بارئنا ان لم يجيبنا قائمنا فقط نترحم ونشجب ونستنكر هذا هو كل ما لدينا إذن دعوهم يطغون أكثر واكثر أولاد العواهر لاحول ولا قوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم. تبا للجبن وللجبناء الكل يغطي عيونه حتى لا ينظر الى تخاذل وجبن وذل شيعة العراق الله يلعنا في الدنيا وألأخره وتبا لنا من امة نجسة الم ياخذ المالكي رئاسته الوزراء من خلال مرجعيتكم العليا؟ هل الحكومة الحاليه تمثل الشيعه في العراق؟ اهكذا كان علي بن ابي طالب يحكم؟ وهكذا يعامل المواطنين؟ لما هذا الاختلاف الشاسع في بين حكم علي و حكم من يقولون اننا على طريق علي بن ابي طالب؟ اي وبعدين إلى متى والساده ساكتين على اﻻقل اي تصريح يبرد القلب اي تعليق على الوضع الراهن لو نبقى بس على اضعف الايمان! !!!!! جرح والف سؤال .ماذا جنت اطفالنا.... آآآه آه يامنتقم,يامنتقم على العراق اقروا السلام,,, بعد مااحجي من يسمع اطفال بعمر الزهور يملئهم الفرح وهم يحصلون على بعض من النقود (العيديات ) متجهين بها الى اشباه الالعاب لا كالتي في دبي بل هي ارجوحة وبضع العاب بسيطة... المهم الاطفال فرحيين بالعيد وفجأءة تتلاشى احلامهم بعد ان تلاشت اجسادهم باحدى العاب الاجرام فما ذنب الاطفال استشهدوا وهم فرحيين بعيد الفطر. اللهي نشكوا اليك من ضلمنا فانت ربنا وانت تأخذ بحقنا. لا تخرج قبل ان تقل اللهم ارحم شهداء العراق. Sat, Aug 10 13:30 PM EDT "In my country, Eid has died." 11 after noon explosions,took place within an hour, rocked Kadhmiya, New Baghdad, Al-Amel,Ma'alef,Al-Jawadain,Al-Hurriya &Abu Dushair # AFP tracking attacks today in Baghdad, Tuz Khurmatu, Kirkuk, Nasiriyah, Neel (in Babil), Hilla, Qaiyarah, al-Jadaa (in Nineveh). on #Iraq-iyia official TV ,Baghdad's Op commander on+11 car bomb explosions "blames media" for reporting untrue high casualties,#cry loud 1h 55 قتيلا على الاقل وأكثر من 200 جريح في سلسلة تفجيرات في العراق استشهاد واصابة 14 مدنيا بانفجار مفخخة وسط كركوك استشهاد واصابة 40 مدنيا بانفجار 3 مفخخات وسط ذي قار people killed /35 wounded in 3 car bomb explosions in 3 different central Thiqar neighborhoods. استشهاد واصابة 16 مدنيا بانفجار مفخخة وسط كربلاء 1h #Iraq 's uncertain future amid wave of violence :bbc http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23637296 …? Suicide bomber detonated bomb in car on busy street in town of Tuz Khurmato, killing at least 10 people /injuring 45 #Iraq RT "@prashantrao: This is becoming an all-too-familiar sight in the @AFP Baghdad bureau: pic.twitter.com/Idfey6khGM ============== By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A series of car bombs in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad killed 50 people and wounded 140 on Saturday, in what appeared to be coordinated attacks on people celebrating the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Ten separate blasts targeting markets, busy shopping streets and parks where families like to mark Eid, were part of a surge in sectarian violence in Iraq since the start of the year. This has been one of the deadliest Ramadan months in years, with regular bomb attacks killing scores of people, especially in the capital. The latest bombings were similar to attacks in Baghdad on Tuesday in which 50 died. More than 1,000 Iraqis have been killed in July, the highest monthly death toll since 2008, according to the United Nations. The Interior Ministry has said the country faced an "open war" fuelled by Iraq's sectarian divisions. Sunni Islamist militants have been regaining momentum in their insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government, and have been emboldened by the civil war in neighboring Syria, which has stoked sectarian tensions across the Middle East. On Saturday, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan said his region was prepared to defend Kurds living in neighboring Syria, in what appears to be the first warning of a possible intervention and a further sign that the conflict is spilling over Syria's borders. Outside Baghdad, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a car on a busy street in the town of Tuz Khurmato, 170 km (105 miles) north of the capital, killing at least 10 people and wounding 45, medical and police sources said. Tuz Khurmato is located in a particularly violent region over which both the central government and autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan claim jurisdiction. Police believe the bomber was trying to reach the local headquarters of a Kurdish political party, but was unable to reach the building because of increased security in the area, a police source said. In the town of Nassiriya, 300 km (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad, twin car bombs near a park killed four people and wounded eight, police sources said. Tensions between Shi'ite, Kurdish and Sunni factions in Iraq's power-sharing government have been rising, and the renewed violence has sparked fears of a return to the sectarian slaughter of 2006-2007. Iraqis have endured extreme violence for years, but since the since the start of 2013 the intensity of attacks on civilians has dramatically increased, reversing a trend that had seen the country grow more peaceful. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad, Mustafa Mahmoud in Kirkuk and Gassan Hassan in Tikrit; Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Mike Collett-White) ================== #Iraqi media claims The Guardian published secret Christopher Hill telegrams on #Saudi terrorist support,any 1 read it in the Guardian?? In Hasakah province, Salafi battalions of SIF like Jaysh al-Tawheed coordinate w/ ISIS/Nusra against Kurdish forces. Note also the boundary between Jabhat al-Nusra & Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham not clear-cut in Hasakah province. Blurring. observation can be inferred from fact Kurdish sources using Jabhat al-Nusra & Islamic State of Iraq & ash-Sham's name. Further, jihadi sources that report on the fighting of the 'apostates' of YPG generally report operations as joint Nusra-ISIS interchangeably رئيس أقليم كردستان #العراق مسعود برزاني يعلن أستعداد الأقليم للدفاع عن أكراد #سوريا اذا تعرضوا للأعتداء من قبل بعض الجماعات المسلحة Local Manbij outlet in rural #Aleppo reporting that FSA and ISIS fighting PKK: ..عن شاهد عيان|| ريف حلب || منطقة الشيوخ وماحولها ||108-2013:: عودة الاشتباكات بين دولة الاسلام في العراق والشام والجيش الحر ضد عناصر البي كي كي تقدم لعناصر الحر في المنطقة والسيطرة على 3 دوشكات واسر عدد من قناصي البي كي كي وقتل مايزيد عن 40 منهم https://www.facebook.com/manbejalfyha/posts/558918884173002 … #Syria @Brown_Moses @vvanwilgenburg === First 60 days of PMLN 360 lost their lives in terror related incidents foreign reserves fall to USD 10.053B in first 50 days and deficit raised to 2 B USD in first 50 days of PMLN govt =========== Attacks Amount to Crimes Against Humanity Reportfrom Human Rights Watch Published on 11 Aug 2013 PrintEmailAuthorities Should End Draconian Responses (Baghdad, August 11, 2013) – Militants who carried out a series of bomb attacks in Iraq on July 29, 2013, deliberately killing more than 60 people committed crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said today. Crimes against humanity are some of the most serious crimes under international law. The Islamic State of Iraq, as Al-Qaeda in Iraq now calls itself, has claimed responsibility, saying publicly that it organized and committed the July 29 attacks and a series of others over the last four months. Al-Qaeda in Iraq has issued statements claiming responsibility for numerous lethal suicide, car bomb, and other attacks in Iraq that, taken together, amount to an ongoing and systematic policy of killing civilians in gross breach of international law. On August 6 and August 10, another series of car bombs targeted busy markets, shopping streets, and parks where families were celebrating the end of Ramadan in and around Baghdad, killing at least 130 people, though no one has claimed responsibility. “The July 29 attacks, coming on top of other horrific attacks in recent months, provide clear evidence that Al-Qaeda in Iraq is guilty of crimes against humanity,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “No political goal or grievance can possibly justify this widespread and organized murder campaign, which is wreaking terrible suffering on Iraqis.” The July 29 attacks were some of the deadliest of 2013. The car bomb explosions, predominantly in Shia neighborhoods in Baghdad, killed more than 60 people and injured hundreds more, including many civilians. They were part of a surge of bomb attacks by al-Qaeda and other militant groups during Ramadan in both Shia and Sunni areas. Attacks also targeted state institutions and military installations. Together, these attacks made July the bloodiest month in over five years according to the United Nations. On August 1, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) released figures showing that acts of terrorism and violence in July claimed the lives of 1,057 Iraqis and wounded 2,326 others. The dead included 204 police officers and 129 members of the Iraqi Security Forces. The acting special representative for Iraq of the United Nations Secretary-General, Gyorgy Busztin, issued a statement on August 1 warning that the past months’ violence may herald a return to an era “when the blind rage of sectarian strife … inflicted … deep wounds upon this country.” According to a report from the Institute for the Study of War, an independent research organization based in Washington, DC, Al-Qaeda in Iraq has repeatedly carried out attacks with vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices during a recent 12-month period. The report said these attacks – as many as eight bombings a day – “became more frequent and lethal” in spring 2013,” sometimes occurring twice a week. The Islamic State of Iraq claimed responsibility on July 30 for the July 29 bombings. On July 23, the group issued a statement claiming responsibility for attacks two days earlier on two Baghdad-area prisons, Abu Ghraib and al-Tajji, which led to a mass escape of prisoners. According to a Justice Ministry statement, the attack on Abu Ghraib killed at least 68 members of the security forces and an unknown number of prisoners. Between 500 and 1,000 detainees escaped. In claiming responsibility for the prison attacks, the group said that attack, and others during the previous four months, were retaliation for an attack by government security forces on a Sunni protest camp in Hawija on April 23 that killed 51 people. On August 6, car bombs in northern, eastern, and southern Baghdad targeted areas crowded with shoppers and worshipers near a mosque, mainly in Shia neighborhoods. A bombing at a football field on June 30 killed 12 people, mostly boys under 16. In another, on July 12, 10 people died when a car bomb explosion at a Shia funeral in Moqdadeya, west of Baghdad, was followed by a suicide bomber’s attack on emergency services workers going to assist the first set of casualties. Other attacks have targeted cafes in a busy Shia neighborhood of Baghdad, government security installations, and both Sunni and Shia mosques. Other armed groups, including Shia militias, have also carried out numerous suicide and car bomb attacks, as well as targeted assassinations. Residents of Moqdadeya town told Human Rights Watch that umat least 100 families fled their homes after the Shia militia group Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq distributed flyers threatening to kill Sunni residents who failed to vacate the area. One local man told Human Rights Watch that he believed that the militia group had issued the threats in reprisal for the attack on the funeral procession. Neither Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq nor Iraqi Hezbollah, another Shia militia, have claimed responsibility for attacks, but the threatening flyers, which Human Rights Watch saw, clearly bear the logo of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq. A third Shia militia, the Moqtar Army, has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks, including repeated attacks on Camp Liberty, where members of an Iranian dissident group are currently accommodated. Crimes against humanity are crimes of universal jurisdiction, meaning that those responsible, including those complicit in such crimes, can be prosecuted anywhere in the world. As a matter of customary international law, the term “crimes against humanity” includes a range of serious human rights abuses, including murder, committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack by a government or organized non-state group against a civilian population. Those who commit crimes against humanity, order, or are otherwise complicit, should be held individually criminally responsible for their actions, Human Rights Watch said. The Iraqi authorities’ failure to hold anyone accountable for security force violence against Sunni protesters, their widespread use of torture to extract confessions from detainees, regardless of their sect, and the courts’ reliance on secret informant testimony that the defense cannot see and coerced confessions to issue arrest warrants and obtain convictions may constitute a failure to take the necessary steps to prevent and prosecute crimes against humanity. Iraqi authorities need to take all possible measures to protect the right to life through ending these attacks. They should identify, arrest, and prosecute those responsible, and others complicit in assisting the attacks. To do that, Iraqi authorities should undertake urgently needed criminal justice reforms, including revising the Draconian anti-terror law. Iraqi authorities should also repeal criminal procedure code articles that allow the use of secret informant testimony and coerced confessions that taint court proceedings. Judges and security officials should base convictions on evidence, not on confessions, which may be coerced. The government should put into effect a zero-tolerance policy for bribery, which permeates much of the justice system, ranging from detention officials who seek bribes to release detainees to security forces who bribe judges for false or after-the-fact arrest warrant. In the past 12 months, Human Rights Watch has spoken to at least 20 current and former detainees who allege that police, army, or other security forces that answer directly to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki held them in prolonged incommunicado detention due to corrupt relations between those holding them and judges who issue detention orders or to coerce them to confess. Some detainees’ families told Human Rights Watch that security forces demanded sums of over US$6,000 to release their relatives. Since the prison breakout on July 21, reports from members of parliament and local activists suggest that the security forces have carried out mass arrests in the Sunni areas, to which they believe the escapees have fled. A member of the parliament’s security and defense committee told Human Rights Watch that Abu Ghraib and Tajji residents told him that security forces had conducted numerous mass arrest operations in these areas, detaining several of their family members at a time, but that he had been unable to verify them because of a security forces clampdown in the areas. A Ramadi lawyer told Human Rights Watch that, according to Anbar residents, the security forces had arrested “entire families” of escaped prisoners to coerce the escapees to surrender. The two prisons remain “on lockdown,” Ali Shubbar, a member of the parliament’s Human Rights Committee, told local media. He said that he and other members of an official investigation into the prisoner escapes and allegations that guards shot prisoners during the attack could not yet visit either prison. “In the current climate, attacks are committed by all sides – Sunni insurgent groups, Shia militias, and government security forces – and each invokes the others’ violence as a justification for their own,” Stork said. “Rather than responding with increased brutality and resorting to torture, forced confessions, mass arrests, and unfair trials, the government needs to take the lead to end this brutal cycle.” For more Human Rights Watch reporting on Iraq, please visit: http://www.hrw.org/middle-eastn-africa/iraq Human Rights Watch: ============================== Al Qaeda claims bombings in Iraq, warns of more Mon, Aug 12 07:12 AM EDT 1 of 3 By Sylvia Westall BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for a series of bombings in Iraq which killed dozens of people during a Muslim holiday and warned the government to stop arresting suspected militants or face more violence. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), formed earlier this year through a merger of al Qaeda's affiliates in Syria and Iraq, said on jihadist forums it was behind the attacks across Baghdad and southern provinces on Saturday. "The Islamic State deployed some of its security efforts in Baghdad and the southern province and other places to deliver a quick message," ISIL said, according to the SITE Monitoring group, which tracks jihadist websites. Bombs ripped through markets, shopping streets and parks late on Saturday as Iraqi families were out celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Nearly 80 people were killed and scores wounded, police and medical sources said. On Monday, there was no respite from the violence. A roadside bomb close to a school killed two people and wounded 11, including children, in the town of Muqdadiya, 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, police said. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack. It has been one of the deadliest Ramadan holidays in years in Iraq, where Sunni Islamist militants are waging an insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government. July had the highest monthly death toll from attacks since 2008, with more than 1,000 Iraqis killed, according to United Nations statistics. The renewed violence prompted a statement from Washington condemning the attacks and offering to work closely with Baghdad to confront al Qaeda and other groups. ISIL, which has also claimed responsibility for jail breaks in Iraq last month in which hundreds of convicts escaped, said a government campaign to arrest suspects and ramp up security in the capital had only made things worse. "They will pay a high price for what they did, and they will not be secure day or night during Eid or other times," the ISIL statement said according to the SITE translation. "They should watch their footsteps and stop the detention campaigns and cease harming the Sunni clans, and ... expect more of what will harm them and what will bring them to their senses." The Interior Ministry, which said last month it was facing an "open war", said on Sunday that media reports about the attacks had been exaggerated and that its recent security crackdown had been effective. (Editing by Elizabeth Piper) ===================== Baghdad Nightlife Cloaked in Fear Smoke rises in Baghdad, July 16, 2011, after a parked car bomb targeted a nightclub. (photo by REUTERS/Saad Shalash) By: Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor Iraq Pulse Posted on August 12. إقرأ باللغة العربية Ali al-Karadi owns a share in several nightclubs in Baghdad. He drives to his venues after midnight, and with the start of the curfew, carries a special permit for artists and singers who are allowed to commute at that hour. Amid curfews and an unstable security environment, Iraqis in the nightlife business live in constant fear of militia attacks, security raids and customer brawls. The Nights of Baghdad Between Nightclubs and Police Patrols.. And Its Songs Are Captives of Curfews and Customer Greetings Author: Mushreq Abbas Posted on: August 12 2013 Translated by: Naria Tanoukhi Categories : Originals Iraq Security Karadi recently resumed work after Ramadan, during which nightclubs and liquor stores close. He is not sure, however, if his business can survive in light of Ramadan attacks on a number of Baghdad cafes on the ground that they spread vice. Karadi said with concern, “If they have attacked cafes that serve tea and shisha, what will they do to us?" In September 2012, heavily armed security forces descended on nightclubs and other social establishments in Baghdad. They were closed under the pretext that they lacked official permits to conduct business. Karadi told Al-Monitor from Baghdad on Aug. 9, “The government does not issue such permits. The local government in Baghdad municipality has delegated the responsibility of granting permits to the tourist police, and the latter has delegated the responsibility to the Ministry of Tourism." He explained, “No one in Iraq, be they a politician or administrative official, assumes the responsibility of issuing permits to open nightclubs, or even liquor stores, since the religious parties that dominate the state fear that such an act would be used against them by political opponents.” Karadi also revealed, “Still, Baghdad nightclub-goers, who willfully lock themselves inside nightclubs from midnight until the end of the curfew in the morning, do not hesitate to head to clubs, which take the risk of opening on the Eid holidays, especially in major hotels.” During his night rides, Karadi takes along bags filled with food or nuts, which he hands out at checkpoints when he is stopped. Most of the policemen at the checkpoints know him and greet him enthusiastically. They consider these night shifts to be a vacation, some kind of reward, with some bribing their bosses to move them to these slots. Hassan, manning a checkpoint on Sadoun Street in Baghdad, told Al-Monitor, "We relax after the curfew, since hardly any cars drive by, except those carrying government officials. Also, there have been no attacks or operations against checkpoints after midnight, while the day shift carries the risk of death by any of the thousands of vehicles that stop at our checkpoint daily." Speaking of Baghdad's nightlife, Karadi offered, “The police, and even high-ranking officers, do not have negative views about nightclubs. Many of them go to nightclubs in civilian attire. However, some senior officers and government officials would rather see them closed since they attract their children.” According to Karadi, “Senior officers and their children are regular customers at our [nightclubs]. We offer them discounts and facilities in return for protection.” He shared an incident in which a senior officer came to a nightclub frequented by his young son and threatened to close it. Karadi asserted, "I told him quietly that closing the club would not protect your son, as he will find another source of entertainment, either inside and outside Iraq. Here, he is [at least] in front of your eyes and near you." He continued, “The officer only left after I promised to watch his son’s movements. I send him text messages daily about when his son comes to the club, the people he meets and what time he leaves." Sometimes big problems do occur. Said Karadi, "In the presence of prostitutes, dancers, singers, alcohol and impulsive youths, quarrels are inevitable. We have a security team that handles such incidents. But sometimes, incidents happen between gangs or officers and develop into fights that we try to move outside the club." Karadi described a club, saying, “The show opens with a singer and usually lasts for an hour. However, the singer only sings for a few minutes. He wastes most of the time walking between tables and sending greetings from one table to another or to themselves and their families. This is accompanied by the scattering of hundreds of bills, as a display of wealth, influence and clout." A young singer who requested anonymity told Al-Monitor, "We are forced to do this. The market price of a singer in Baghdad is determined based on the amount of money scattered during his show, and not his singing." The singer, who wore shiny white clothes and hair gel, added, "The problem is that when these greetings begin to convey political, racial or sectarian messages, we find ourselves in a very awkward position. Sometimes, we get attacked, whether for sending these greetings or refraining from doing so." The singer, who has worked at clubs in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, says that nightlife in Baghdad is no different from anywhere else in the world. It is secretive, however, constrained by curfews and filled with anxiety about potential attacks by militias or security agencies and fist fights between customers who have grown tired of showing off by spending money. Mushreq Abbas is a contributing writer for Al-Monitor’s Iraq Pulse. He has been managing editor of Al-Hayat’s Iraq bureau since 2005 and has written studies and articles on Iraqi crises for domestic and international publication Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/08/nighclub-workers-baghdad-attacks-fear.html#ixzz2bowoAO6W ========================= Deadly Iraq bombings target cafe, school and playground Mon, Aug 12 14:04 PM EDT 1 of 3 By Sylvia Westall BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 16 people were killed and 41 wounded on Monday in a suicide bomb attack on a crowded cafe in Balad, 80 km (50 miles) north of Baghdad, part of the worst wave of violence in Iraq in around five years. Two roadside bombs - one planted near a playground and another near a school - also killed six people and wounded dozens, some of them children, in the town of Muqdadiya, 80 km northeast of the capital. Those blasts underlined a shift in tactics by suspected Islamist militants, who are increasingly targeting not only military checkpoints and marketplaces, but also cafes and recreational areas used by families and children. The latest bloodshed came as al Qaeda claimed responsibility for weekend bombings across Iraq which killed dozens of people during Eid al-Fitr, the festive end to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, heightening fears of even wider sectarian slaughter. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), formed earlier this year through a merger of al Qaeda's affiliates in Syria and Iraq, said on jihadist forums it was behind the attacks across Baghdad and southern provinces on Saturday. It also warned the government to stop arresting suspected militants or face more violence. "The Islamic State deployed some of its security efforts in Baghdad and the southern province and other places to deliver a quick message," ISIL said, according to the SITE Monitoring group, which tracks jihadist websites. Bombs ripped through markets, shopping streets and parks late on Saturday as Iraqi families were out celebrating Eid. Nearly 80 people were killed and scores wounded, police and medical sources said. DEADLY RAMADAN It has been one of the deadliest Ramadan holidays in years in Iraq, where Sunni Islamist militants are waging an insurgency against the Shi'ite-led government. July had the highest monthly death toll from attacks since 2008, with more than 1,000 Iraqis killed, according to United Nations statistics. The renewed violence prompted a statement from Washington condemning the attacks and offering to work closely with Baghdad to confront al Qaeda and other groups. The worst single incident on Monday occurred in Balad, where mayor Maliki Laftah told Reuters that all of the casualties were civilians. In a separate attack near the city of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, gunmen intercepted a car carrying three soldiers who were on their way to join their unit and shot them dead, police said. It was not immediately clear who was behind Monday's violence, although suspicion is likely to fall on ISIL. The group, which has also claimed responsibility for jail breaks in Iraq last month in which hundreds of convicts escaped, said a government campaign to arrest suspects and ramp up security in the capital had only made things worse. "They will pay a high price for what they did, and they will not be secure day or night during Eid or other times," the ISIL statement said, according to the SITE translation. "They should watch their footsteps and stop the detention campaigns and cease harming the Sunni clans, and ... expect more of what will harm them and what will bring them to their senses." The Interior Ministry, which said last month it was facing an "open war", said on Sunday that media reports about the attacks had been exaggerated and that its recent security crackdown had been effective. (Additional reporting by Ziyad al-Sanjari in Mosul, a Reuters reporter in Baquba, Ghazwan Hassan in Tikrit and Suadad al-Salhy in Baghdad; Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Mike Collett-White) ==================