Car bombs kill 54 in Shi'ite districts of Baghdad

Mon, Sep 30 11:27 AM EDT 1 of 9 By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Car bombs killed at least 54 people in mostly Shi'ite Muslim areas of Baghdad on Monday as suspected Sunni Muslim militants pursued a campaign to plunge Iraq back into sectarian strife. Altogether 14 bombs shook Baghdad, the deadliest of them in Sadr City, where a white car blew up near where men had gathered to seek work, killing seven people, including two soldiers. "The driver said he would move the car soon, but it exploded a few minutes later," said Abu Mohammed, a worker at the scene, where bits of molten metal lay among cars wrecked in the blast. Violence blamed mostly on Sunni militants who view Shi'ites as heretics has killed more than 6,000 people this year, according to the monitoring group Iraq Body Count, reversing a decline in sectarian bloodshed that had climaxed in 2006-07. At that time, Sunni tribesmen helped U.S. forces rout al Qaeda, but many of those "Sahwa (Awakening)" fighters say the Shi'ite-led government has reneged on promises to reward them. Their discontent reflects wider resentment among minority Sunnis against the government that came to power after the U.S.-led invasion that vanquished Saddam Hussein in 2003. Sunnis launched street protests in December after Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sought to arrest a senior Sunni politician. A bloody raid by security forces on a protest camp in April touched off a violent backlash by Sunni militants. "The (security situation) will get worse because al Qaeda and its allies will increase their attacks against both sects to incite people and force them to respond," said a senior security official who declined to be named. So far Shi'ite militias, most of which disarmed in recent years and joined the reconstituted security forces or entered the political process, have largely held their fire, but several attacks in recent weeks suggest that some are retaliating. Iraq's sectarian balance has come under further pressure from the civil war in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni rebels are fighting to topple a leader backed by Shi'ite Iran. Both Sunnis and Shi'ites have crossed into Syria from Iraq to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Al Qaeda's Iraqi and Syrian branches merged earlier this year to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on both sides of the border. "ATTRACTIVE TARGET" On Sunday, the Kurdistan region, a northern enclave relatively insulated from the violence that afflicts the rest of Iraq, suffered its first major bombing since 2007. A charred crater in the road marks where a car bomb exploded during a suicide assault on the security headquarters in the regional capital Arbil in which at least six people were killed. A stench of burnt tarmac still hung over the scene, and the remains of a slain assailant lay on the grassy road divider. "We realize that Arbil is a big, attractive target for terrorists," said the city's governor Nozad Hadi. "During the past seven years there were constant attempts by terrorists to undermine the security of the capital." Kurdistan's relative security has attracted some of the world's largest oil companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron Corp and Total to the region, which is autonomous and polices its own borders. Most of these oil firms have their main offices in Arbil, but after Sunday's attack they took extra security measures and restricted the movements of their staff, industry sources said. No group has claimed responsibility for the Arbil attack, but it was hailed by hardline Sunni Islamists, who in recent months have been fighting a Kurdish militia in Syria. Analysts say the assault may have been carried out by al Qaeda-affiliated militants in revenge for the Kurdistan Regional Government's perceived support for Kurds in Syria. A risk consultancy said militants would try to strike the region again, but would find it difficult because the Kurdish security apparatus is "relatively well developed". "Further attacks should therefore be expected but they are likely to remain infrequent occurrences," said John Drake, of the AKE consultancy. "The day-to-day operating environment will remain stable but we will continue to warn against complacency." (Additional reporting by Suadad al-Salhy in Baghdad and Isabel Coles in Arbil; Editing by Alistair Lyon) =============================== محصلة تفجيرات اليوم 213 بين شهيد وجريح في المناطق الآتية : إنفجار سيارة مفخخة في الكاظمية إنفجار مفخخة في منطقة الشعب إنفجار سيارة مفخخة في حي أور شرقي بغداد إنفجار سيارة مفخخة في ساحة عدن إنفجار سيارة مفخخة مقابل البريد في منطقة بغداد الجديدة. إنفجار سيارة مفخخة في شارع المركز بمنطقة الغزالية. إنفجار سيارة مفخخة في منطقة الشعلة. إنفجار مفخخة في مدينة الصدر. بأي مناطق تتوقعون باجر حتصير الإنفجارات ؟؟؟!؟!؟ ================

At least 80 killed in attack in Baghdad Shi'ite stronghold

At least 65 killed in attack in Baghdad Shi'ite stronghold Sat, Sep 21 14:21 PM EDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 65 people were killed in a triple bombing that targeted a tent filled with mourners in Baghdad's Shi'ite Muslim stronghold of Sadr City on Saturday, police and medical sources said. A car bomb went off near the tent where a funeral was being held, a suicide bomber driving a car then blew himself up, and a third explosion followed as police, ambulances and firefighter were gathering at the scene, police said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, in which at least 120 others were wounded, medics said. "Crowds of people were visiting the tent to offer their condolences when suddenly a powerful blast ... threw me to ground," said 35-year-old Basim Raheem. "When I tried to get up, a second blast happened. My clothes were covered with blood and human flesh. I thought I was wounded, but later discovered I was lying in a pool of others' blood," he added. A Reuters reporter said distraught survivors attacked policemen and firefighters who tried to move them away from the scene. Puddles of blood surrounded the tent. In a separate incident, at least eight people were killed when a car bomb exploded in a busy street in the predominantly Shi'ite Ur district of northern Baghdad, police said. Iraq's delicate sectarian balance has come under growing strain from the civil war in neighboring Syria, where mainly Sunni Muslim rebels are fighting to overthrow a leader backed by Shi'ite Iran. Both Sunnis and Shi'ites have crossed into Syria from Iraq to fight on opposite sides of the conflict. Al Qaeda's Iraqi and Syrian branches merged earlier this year to form the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which has claimed responsibility for attacks on both sides of the border. Around 800 Iraqis were killed in acts of violence in August, according to the United Nations. Earlier on Saturday, four attackers killed six officers in an assault on a police station in Baiji, about 110 miles north of Baghdad. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; Writing by Isabel Coles; Editing by Andrew Heavens) ========================= At least 78 killed in Pakistan church attack: minister Sun, Sep 22 11:55 AM EDT image 1 of 5 ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - At least 78 people were killed on Sunday in a twin suicide bomb attack on a church in Pakistan, including 34 women and seven children, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said. "Who are these terrorists killing women and children?" he said on live television, speaking from the northwestern city of Peshawar where the attack took place outside the church after Sunday mass. (Reporting by Syed Raza Hassad; Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by Robin Pomeroy) Suicide bombers kill 78 Christians outside Pakistani church Sun, Sep 22 18:49 PM EDT image 1 of 5 By Fayaz Aziz PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - A pair of suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a 130-year-old Anglican church in Pakistan after Sunday Mass, killing at least 78 people in the deadliest attack on Christians in the predominantly Muslim country. Islamist violence has been on the rise in Pakistan in past months, undermining Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's efforts to tame the insurgency by launching peace talks with the Pakistani Taliban. Within hours of the attack, Sharif toughened his stance considerably but fell short of calling for outright military action against insurgents holed up in tribal areas on the Afghan border - an option supported by Pakistan's all-powerful army. "Such incidents are not conducive of peace talks," Sharif said in televised remarks. "Unfortunately, because of this, the government is unable to move forward on what it had envisaged, on what it had wished for." Explosions struck the historic white-stone All Saints Church in the city of Peshawar, near the frontier tribal areas where Islamist militants have their strongholds, as hundreds of parishioners, many of them women and children, streamed out of the building. "I heard two explosions. People started to run. Human remains were strewn all over the church," said one parishioner, who gave only her first name, Margrette. Her voice breaking with emotion, she said she had not seen her sister since the explosions ripped through the area around the gate of the church enclosure. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the death toll of 78 included 34 women and seven children, in remarks televised live from Peshawar. More than 100 people were wounded. "Who are these terrorists killing women and children?" Nisar said. The Taliban-linked militant group TTP Jundullah claimed responsibility within hours of the attack. "They are the enemies of Islam, therefore we target them," said the group's spokesman, Ahmed Marwat. "We will continue our attacks on non-Muslims on Pakistani land." TURNING POINT? An assault of such scale and audacity could be a turning point for Sharif after months of inconclusive efforts to engage the Pakistani Taliban in talks, offering him a cue to give in to the tougher approach backed by the military. The army, which keeps thousands of troops in the tribal belt, an area where insurgents are based, opposes talks with the Pakistani Taliban, saying previous attempts to bring the militants to the negotiating table yielded no results. Christians make up about 4 percent of Pakistan's population of 180 million, and tend to keep a low profile in a country where Sunni Muslim militants frequently bomb targets they see as heretical, including Christians and Sufi and Shi'ite Muslims. Attacks on Christian areas occur sporadically around the country but Sunday's assault, in a densely populated Christian residential area in the old walled city in Peshawar, was the most violent in recent history. In 2009, 40 houses and a church were set ablaze by a mob of 1,000 Muslims in the town of Gojra in Punjab province. At least seven Christians were burnt to death. Seventeen Christians were killed in an attack on a church in Bahawalpur in 2001. Some residents, enraged at the lack of adequate security at the church, took to the streets immediately after the attack, burning tires and shouting slogans. Shops were closed in the Kohati Gate area where several other churches are located. "Terrorists have not spared mosques, temples and churches. Please have mercy on us," one man outside the church, his face distorted by fear and anger, told Pakistan's private Geo television channel. Protests by Christians were also reported in other cities including Multan and the violent port city of Karachi. A bomb disposal source said two blasts had been set off by a pair of attackers. More than 600 parishioners were inside the church for the service. (Writing by Maria Golovnina; Additional reporting by Hameedullah Khan in Peshawar, Syed Raza Hassan in Islamabad, Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan and Asim Tanveer in Multan; Editing by Andrew Heavens) =============== Smoke pours from Kenya mall as forces 'close in' Mon, Sep 23 11:58 AM EDT image 1 of 15 By Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Richard Lough NAIROBI (Reuters) - Thick smoke poured from the besieged Nairobi mall where Kenyan officials said their forces were closing in on Islamists holding hostages on Monday, the third day since Somalia's al Shabaab launched a raid that has killed at least 62 people. It remained unclear how many gunmen and hostages were still cornered in the Westgate shopping center, after a series of loud explosions and gunfire were followed by black smoke billowing from one part of the complex. Kenya's interior minister told a news conference militants had set fire to mattresses in a supermarket on the mall's lower floors. The ministry later said the blaze was under control. Two attackers had been killed on Monday, the minister added. Another assailant had died on Saturday. The gunmen came from "all over the world", Kenya's military chief said, adding: "We are fighting global terrorism here." President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed on Sunday a demand that he pull Kenyan forces out of neighboring Somalia. Kenyatta, who lost one of his own nephews in Saturday's bloodbath, said he would not relent in a "war on terror" in Somalia, where Kenyan troops have pushed al Shabaab onto the defensive over the past two years as part of an African Union-backed peacekeeping mission across the northern border. Security officials near the mall said the explosions heard at lunchtime were caused by Kenyan forces blasting a way in, but Interior Minister Joseph Ole Lenku said he had no information on any blasts and a military spokesman declined to comment when asked if militants had set off charges. Al Shabaab warned it would kill hostages if police moved in. Echoing other officials, who have highlighted successes in rescuing hundreds of trapped people after Saturday's massacre, Ole Lenku said most of the complex was under the authorities' control and escape was impossible. A senior police officer said the authorities, who have been receiving advice from Western and Israeli experts, were "closing in". Ole Lenku said: "We are doing anything reasonably possible, cautiously though, to bring this process to an end. "The terrorists could be running and hiding in some stores, but all floors now are under our control." Ole Lenku said all the attackers were men, after witnesses had reported seeing women brandishing arms in the attack. But three sources, one an intelligence officer and two soldiers, told Reuters that one of the killed attackers was a white woman. This is likely to fuel speculation that she is the wanted widow of one of the suicide bombers who attacked London's transport system in 2005. Asked if it was Samantha Lewthwaite, called the "white widow" by the British press, the intelligence officer said: "We don't know." MULTINATIONAL AFFAIR Ole Lenku acknowledged "support" from foreign governments but said Kenyan forces were managing without it so far. Western powers have been alarmed by a spread of al Qaeda-linked violence across Africa, from Nigeria and Mali in the west, though Algeria and Libya in the north to Somalia and Kenya in the east. Nairobi saw one of the first major attacks by al Qaeda, when it killed more than 200 people by bombing the U.S. embassy in 1998. While some analysts said the latest raid may show al Shabaab lashing out in its weakness after the successes of Kenyan troops in Somalia, the risk of further international violence remains. Julius Karangi, chief of the Kenyan general staff, called the gunmen "a multinational collection". He said they had set the fire as a distraction but could now have no hope of evading capture: "If they wish, they can now surrender," he said. "We have no intention whatsoever of going backwards." On Sunday, President Kenyatta said 10 to 15 assailants were holding an unknown number of hostages in one location, apparently the supermarket. On Monday, it was not clear whether they may be more dispersed, including on the upper floors. A spokesman for al Shabaab warned they would kill hostages if Kenyan security forces tried to storm their positions. "The mujahideen will kill the hostages if the enemies use force," Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage said in an audio statement posted online. On Twitter, the group posted: "They've obtained large amounts of ammunition and are, by the blessings of Allah alone, still firm and still dominating the show." The Red Cross and Ole Lenku put the death toll so far at 62. The Red Cross said it had also recorded 63 people as missing. Survivors' tales of the assault by squads of attackers throwing grenades and spraying automatic fire have left little doubt the hostage-takers are willing to go on killing. Previous raids around the world, including at a desert gas plant in Algeria nine months ago, suggest they are also ready to die. SECURITY CHALLENGE It remains unclear who the assailants are. Al Shabaab - the name means "The Lads" in Arabic - has thousands of Somali fighters but has also attracted foreigners to fight Western and African Union efforts to establish a stable government. A London man, Jermaine Grant, faces trial in Kenya for possession of explosives. Police suspect an al Shabaab plot to attack restaurants and hotels used by Westerners and have been hunting for the "white widow" Lewthwaite. The term "black widow" has been used by Chechen militants for women taking part in attacks after their husbands have died. Kenya's president, son of post-colonial leader Jomo Kenyatta, is facing his first major security challenge since being elected in March. The crisis might have an impact on his troubles with the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Judges there let his vice president, William Ruto, fly home for a week, suspending a trial on Monday in which Ruto is charged with crimes against humanity for allegedly coordinating violence after an election in 2007. Kenyatta is due to face trial on similar charges in November. Al Shabaab's siege underlined its ability to cause major disruption with relatively limited resources, even after Kenyan and other African troops drove it from Somali cities. "While the group has grown considerably weaker in terms of being able to wage a conventional war, it is now ever more capable of carrying out asymmetric warfare," said Abdi Aynte, director of Mogadishu's Heritage Institute of Policy Studies. Others said divisions within the loose al Shabaab movement may have driven one faction to carry out the kind of high-profile attack that may help win new support. Al Shabaab's last big attack abroad was a double bombing in Uganda that killed 77 people watching soccer on TV in 2010. (Reporting by Edmund Blair, James Macharia, Duncan Miriri, Richard Lough, Drazen Jorgic, Humphrey Malalo, Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Kevin Mwanza in Nairobi, Pascal Fletcher in Johannesburg, Feisal Omar and Abdi Sheikh in Mogadishu, Roberta Rampton in Washington, Anthony Deutsch at The Hague, Myra MacDonald in Tbilisi and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Writing by Edmund Blair and Alastair Macdonald; editing by David Stamp) ==================

تقلل احتمالات الحرب الطائفية وتزيد التوقعات بالعنف بين الاحزاب

Sadr City bombings .. Reduce the prospects of war and sectarian violence increase expectations among the parties Author: ZJ Editor: NK | BS Wed 01 شباط 2012 13:32 GMT The effects of the bombing in Sadr City in the twenty-fourth of January last Sumerian News / Baghdad Seen Mohammed Jaffer (34 years) with sadness to the effects of the devastation caused by a car bomb explosion near a gathering of workers in Sadr City, a week ago, putting his hands on his cheek to utter after the silence lasted for a few minutes dialect popular angry "Ashlon get rid of! Every day Hajmana us." He adds Jaafar said in an interview for "Alsumaria News" which raises the debris scattered near his shop after the explosion, said the car bomb attacks and improvised explosive devices to Sadr City, which was repeated in the recent period "is not a good sign and is designed to ignite the situation sectarianism in Baghdad." Jaffer adds that the occurrence of these bombings and the lack of action by the security services to prevent "means that the officials in a simple to Aieiron attention to the lives of innocent people who fall between the dead and dozens wounded." The city of al-Sadr over the month of January last series of bombings that killed and injured at least 150 people, recorded the first on the fifth of January in the current four bombings, car bombs and improvised explosive devices, as recorded the second on Wednesday, 24 January detonated two car bombs. Attacks against the city did not stop since 2006 For some citizens of the city, the attacks on Sadr City, the latter do not carry anything new or surprising, since the city contend that the targeting of a security has not stopped since the outbreak of the spark sectarian war in Iraq. Said Hussein Ali, 45 years that the city of al-Sadr has not seen since 2006, stopped the car bomb attacks and improvised explosive devices that killed thousands of citizens in spite of a period of calm that passed over the city such as bombings two years. He adds Hussein, in an interview for "Alsumaria News," Everyone now knows that the reason for this deterioration is the conflict between the blocks and what we have seen the involvement of Vice President of the Republic and protection, in the killing and bombing and carry out several terrorist operations, "he adds, stressing that" All of this underlines the lack of respect for the sanctity of Iraqi blood. " Murder in the city was easy to be the result of the conflict For some citizens of the city there is no dispute that the killings, bombings and is located on the people of the city, but the dispute over the reasons for murder and his goals, while the Department is bombing attempt viscous sons of the city in a confrontation with the government is another section that what is happening but a settling of accounts between those responsible security from the city and conflicting with each other. According to Ahmed Mohammed Amin (41 years), a citizen of another of the city of al-Sadr, the Sadr City, the densely populated considered Sidon important for armed groups to drag the country into a new civil war, and says that killing, "easy in," explaining that "the bombing simple improvised explosive device kills many ". He adds Amin said in an interview for "Alsumaria News," the citizen has become known of these schemes that want to attract him to the civil war, "and asks" What's the goal of these explosions, but provoke a reaction against the government of the people of this city, which is centered by the majority follow the Sadrist movement. " But Saif Shuwaili (30 years), one of the inhabitants of the city he may another point of view, it is likely to be "non-acceptance of the Sadrist movement to enter the headbands right in the government or the political process, the main reason behind the attempt of this group to destabilize security in Sadr City, which represents the main base of the stream" . City is the source of the most densely populated areas in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, although that does not exceed an area of ​​about 25,010 square meters with a population of more than three million people living in the seventy-nine sectors which is the name given to the shops and neighborhoods in the city. The date of the founding of the city, to the reign of Iraqi Prime Minister Abdul Karim Qasim early sixties of the last century and which aimed to resettle the displaced population of southern Iraq at the time because of poverty and feudal agricultural, and named after then-city of the revolution such as to change its name to the city of Saddam during the rule of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and after in 2003 the municipal council decided to name Sadr City in reference to the name of the late Shiite cleric Mohammad Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr. Police are responsible for violations and must be dismissed "the leader" And assume the security and defense committee parliamentary Baghdad police responsibility that security breaches in the city from time to time, and stresses that the police have become unable to perform the responsibility of the army without attribution. According to a member of the security and defense committee parliamentary governor Zamili that "the security file can not be reduced to two lines, the presence of several files barbed and overlapping it," and adds that "the Baghdad police semi-dormant now depends entirely on the army, which can not turn that covers all ports and entrances to the city." In the opinion of Zamili in an interview for "Alsumaria News", "responsible for security breaches is the chief of police (Major General Adel Daham)," explains by saying "I have failed in Baghdad as before in Basra." And calls for bringing Zamili police chief of "police services in order to be able to activate their role in particular, and it has a huge number of affiliates at this time", stressing the need to take the police role in the security file. Does not hide his Zamili feared to see the Sadr City bombings, the other "most" in the future, and warns: "If that did not take the police an effective role, and if we do not try to bring sophisticated equipment instead of sonar, which only works effectively 20%, will continue to tragedy." Interior: our doing its best For its part, shows the interior ministry, said the security agencies do their best in order to stabilize the country, and stresses at the same time that "the issue of security does not solve the sacking of a field commander, but the full cooperation of the citizens with the security, and ease political tension." He says senior agent of the Ministry of the Interior Adnan al-Asadi said in an interview for "Alsumaria News, that the security forces do their best now and at all levels, in order to stabilize security in the country, and provides every day a constellation of martyrs." He continues, al-Asadi, his talk by pointing out that "the security services render ineffective dozens of improvised explosive devices and sticky bombs and car bombs, for every security breach occurs," explains, "so it is placed security can not be solved by sacking a field commander here or there." And confirms Asadi that it is required now is a "full cooperation of citizens with the security, and ease political tension and political statements convulsive is the best solution for the stability of the country and defeat terror," and shows that "sleeper cells armed groups take advantage of non-Alastaqra political insecurity." Why in the new political system In the view of the current Vice-Sadr in Sadr City that the ongoing violence in Iraq, Sadr City, but a struggle between political partners, produced by the current political system in the country. He says Jawad al-Jubouri in an interview for "Alsumaria News, that what is happening now from the violence that that which comes within the" conflict of interest and the intersection of wills, "and adds" the new system led to to reach the partner, are planned to some extent confuse the success of the other partner through these breaches " . And calls Jubouri security agencies to "caution and vigor," he adds, "is a claim today, more than any other time so, as the understanding and dialogue between the political leaders was also required so in this period, in order to protect the lives of the people." And attached member of the security and defense committee parliamentary governor Zamili who is also deputy of Sadr City, saying "I have asked for security and defense committee after most of its investigations to dismiss the many officers and field commanders, but some did not apply, because there is a gap between the parliament and the executive, especially the Council of Ministers." Observers: What we expect of violence between the parties and not a sectarian war But observers and even though they acknowledge that the violence that is being aimed at luring the Shiite sectarian war, what they expect to happen is the war between the parties and not between the components of Iraqi society. He says political analyst Ihsan Al Shammari said in an interview for "Alsumaria News" that "armed groups continue to focus its work on the paper sectarianism in order to create chaos in the country through reactions to the bombings carried out by, especially in areas that represent the depth popular component of the Shiite." And excludes Shammari to achieve those bombings goals at least "political ones," explains that "the component Shiite has become known as the risks that surround it, and knows those who are pushing the heart of the political equation, the current was persuaded not to the responsibility of the year for what is happening today from violence." . However, the Shammari at the time ruled out a sectarian war between Almukonat Iraq, it is considered that the continuation of the bombings underlined the fragility of security plans and develop preparedness of the security services on the line and confirms the existence of a great imbalance in the security services, "and considered that" the lack of interest in the political class events are security you get in country confirm their interest in things partisan, "expected to" be there violence between political parties if they continued crisis in the country. " It is noteworthy that Baghdad has seen since the beginning of this year, an escalation in the violence of operations of the bombing and assassination, were recorded during the month of January last killing and wounding at least 421 people in the capital only at a time when the country's political crisis following the issuance of an arrest warrant against the Vice President of the Republic and leader of the Iraqi List, Tariq al-Hashimi, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a request to parliament to withdraw confidence from the deputy leader of the Iraqi List, also Saleh al-Mutlaq, which led the list led by Iyad Allawi, to suspend its membership in the Council of Ministers and House of Representatives and submit a request to parliament to withdraw confidence from the Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. =============== تفجيرات مدينة الصدر.. تقلل احتمالات الحرب الطائفية وتزيد التوقعات بالعنف بين الاحزاب الكاتب: ZJ المحرر: NK | BS الأربعاء 01 شباط 2012 13:32 GMT آثار التفجير الذي وقع في مدينة الصدر في الرابع والعشرين من شهر كانون الثاني المنصرم السومرية نيوز/ بغداد ينظر محمد جعفر (34 سنة) بحزن الى اثار الدمار الذي خلفه انفجار سيارة مفخخة قرب تجمع للعمال في مدينة الصدر قبل أسبوع، واضعا يديه على خده ليتفوه بعد صمت استمر لدقائق بلهجة شعبية غاضبة "أشلون ما تخلص! كل يوم هاجمينا علينا". ويضيف جعفر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز" وهو يرفع الانقاض التي تناثرت قرب محله عقب الانفجار، ان الهجمات بالسيارات المفخخه والعبوات الناسفه على مدينة الصدر والتي تكررت في الفترة الأخيرة "امر لا يبشر بالخير ويهدف الى اشعال الاوضاع الطائفية في بغداد". ويضيف جعفر ان وقوع هذه التفجيرات وعدم وجود تحرك من قبل الاجهزة الامنية لمنعها "يعني بشكل مبسط ان المسؤولين لايعيرون اهتماما لارواح المواطنين الابرياء الذين يسقطون بالعشرات بين قتيل وجريح". وشهدت مدينة الصدر على مدى شهر كانون الثاني المنصرم سلسلة تفجيرات ادت إلى مقتل وجرح ما لا يقل عن 150 شخصا، سجلت الأولى في الخامس من كانون الثاني الحالي بأربع تفجيرات بسيارة مفخخة وعبوات ناسفة، فيما سجلت الثانية يوم الأربعاء ـ24 من كانون الثاني بتفجير سيارتين مفخختين. الهجمات ضد المدينة لم تتوقف منذ 2006 وبالنسبة لبعض مواطني المدينة فإن الهجمات ضد مدينة الصدر الأخيرة لا تحمل أي شيء جديد أو مفاجئ، إذ يؤكدون أن استهداف المدينة أمنيا لم يتوقف منذ اندلاع شرارة الحرب الطائفية في العراق. ويقول حسين علي 45 سنة ان مدينة الصدر لم تشهد منذ العام 2006 توقفا للهجمات بالسيارات المفخخة والعبوات الناسفة التي اودت بحياة الاف من المواطنين على الرغم من فترة الهدوء التي مرت على المدينة قبيل التفجيرين الاخيرين. ويضيف حسين في حديث لـ" السومرية نيوز، ان "الكل بات يعلم ان سبب هذا التدهور هو الصراع الدائر بين الكتل وما شاهدناه من تورط نائب لرئيس الجمهورية وحمايته، في قتل وتفجير والقيام بعدة عمليات ارهابية"، ويضيف مشددا على أن "كل ذلك يؤكد عدم احترام حرمة الدم العراقي". القتل سهل في المدينة وقد يكون نتيجة صراع فيها وبالنسبة لبعض مواطني المدينة فلا خلاف على أن القتل والتفجيرات واقعة على أهالي المدينة بل الخلاف على اسباب القتل واهدافه، ففي الوقت الذي يعتبر قسم التفجيرات محاولة لزج ابناء المدينة في مواجهة مع الحكومة يعتبر قسم آخر أن ما يجري إنما تصفية حسابات بين الجهات المسؤولة امنيا عن المدينة والمتصارعة فيما بينها. ويرى احمد محمد امين (41 سنة) وهو مواطن اخر من مدينة الصدر، ان مدينة الصدر المكتظة بالسكان تعتبر صيدا مهما للجماعات المسلحة لجر البلاد إلى حرب أهلية جديدة، ويقول إن القتل "سهل فيها"، موضحا أن "تفجيرا بسيطا بعبوة ناسفة يودي بحياة الكثيرين". ويضيف امين في حديث لـ" السومرية نيوز، "المواطن بات يعرف هذه المخططات التي تريد ان تجره لحرب اهلية"، ويتسائل "ما هدف هذه التفجيرات، إلا إثارة رد فعل ضد الحكومة من اهالي هذه المدينة، التي يتمركز بها غالبية اتباع التيار الصدري". لكن سيف الشويلي (30 سنة) وهو من اهالي المدينة فله وجهة نظر اخرى، إذ يرجح ان يكون "عدم قبول التيار الصدري لدخول عصائب الحق في الحكومة او العملية السياسية السبب الرئيس وراء محاولة هذه الجماعة زعزعة الامن في مدينة الصدر التي تمثل القاعدة الاساسية للتيار". وتعتبر مدينة المصدر من اكثر المناطق كثافة سكانية في العاصمة العراقية بغداد على الرغم من مساحتها التي لاتتجاوز نحو 25010 متر مربع حيث يبلغ عدد سكانها اكثر من ثلاثة ملايين نسمة يعيشون في تسعة وسبعين قطاعا وهو الاسم الذي يطلق على المحلات والاحياء في المدينة. ويعود تاريخ تاسيس المدينة، الى عهد رئيس الوزراء العراقي عبد الكريم قاسم مطلع ستينيات القرن الماضي والذي هدف لتوطين السكان النازحين من الجنوب العراقي انذاك بسبب الفقر والاقطاع الزراعي، وسميت انذاك بمدينة بالثورة قبيل ان يغير اسمها الى مدينة صدام ابان حكم الرئيس العراقي السابق صدام حسين وبعد عام 2003 قرر مجلس البلدي اطلاق اسم الصدر على المدينة في اشارة منه الى اسم المرجع الشيعي الراحل محمد محمد صادق الصدر. الشرطة مسؤولة عن الخروق وتجب إقالة "القائد" وتحَمِّل لجنة الامن والدفاع البرلمانية شرطة محافظة بغداد مسؤولية الخروق الامنية التي تشهدها المدينة بين الحين والاخر، وتؤكد أن الشرطة اصبحت غير قادرة على اداء مسؤوليتها من دون اسناد الجيش. ويقول عضو لجنة الامن والدفاع النيابية حاكم الزاملي ان "الملف الامني لايمكن اختصاره بسطرين، لوجود عدة ملفات شائكة ومتداخلة فيه"، ويضيف أن "شرطة بغداد شبه نائمة الان وتعتمد بشكل كامل على الجيش الذي لا يستطيع بدوره ان يغطي كل منافذ ومداخل المدينة". ويرى الزاملي في حديث لـ" السومرية نيوز"، أن "المسؤول عن الخروق الأمنية هو قائد الشرطة (اللواء عادل دحام)"، ويوضح بالقول "لقد اثبت فشله في بغداد كما من قبل في البصرة". ويطالب الزاملي بجلب قائد شرطة من "اجهزة الشرطة كي يكون قادرا على تفعيل دورها خصوصا وانها تمتلك عدد هائل من المنتسبين في الوقت الحالي"، مشددا على ضرورة ان تاخذ الشرطة دورها في الملف الامني. ولا يخف الزاملي مخاوفه من أن تشهد مدينة الصدر تفجيرات أخرى "أشد" في المستقبل، ويحذر بالقول "اذا لم تأخذ الشرطة دورها الفاعل، واذا لم نحاول جلب اجهزة متطورة بدلا من اجهزة السونار، التي لا تعمل الا بكفاءة 20 %، ستستمر المأساة". الداخلية: أجهزتنا تبذل قصارى جهدها ومن جانبها، تبين وزارة الداخلية، ان الاجهزة الامنية تبذل قصارى جهدها من اجل بسط الاستقرار في البلاد، وتؤكد في الوقت ذاته ان "موضوع الامن لا يحل باقالة قائد ميداني، وانما بالتعاون الكامل من المواطن مع الاجهزة الامنية، وتخفيف حدة التوتر السياسي". ويقول الوكيل الاقدم لوزارة الداخلية عدنان الاسدي في حديث لـ" السومرية نيوز، ان الاجهزة الامنية تبذل قصارى جهدها حاليا وعلى جميع الاصعدة، من اجل استقرار الامن في البلاد، وهي تقدم كل يوم كوكبة من الشهداء". ويتابع الاسدي، حديثه بالاشارة إلى أن "الاجهزة الامنية تبطل مفعول العشرات من العبوات الناسفة والعبوات اللاصقة والسيارات المفخخة، مقابل كل خرق امني يحدث"، ويوضح "لذلك فان موضوعة الامن لا يمكن ان تحل باقالة قائد ميداني هنا او هناك". ويؤكد الأسدي ان المطلوب حاليا هو "التعاون الكامل من المواطنين مع الاجهزة الامنية، وتخفيف حدة التوتر السياسي والتصريحات السياسية المتشنجة هو الحل الافضل لاستقرار البلاد ودحر الارهاب"، ويبين أن "الخلايا النائمة للجماعات المسلحة تستغل عدم الاستقرا السياسي لزعزعة الامن". السبب في النظام السياسي الجديد ويرى نواب التيار الصدر عن مدينة الصدر أن ما يجري من عنف في العراق ومدينة الصدر انما صراع بين الشركاء السياسيين، انتجه النظام السياسي الحالي في البلاد. ويقول جواد الجبوري في حديث لـ" السومرية نيوز، ان ما يجري حاليا من عنف أنما ياتي ضمن "صراع المصالح وتقاطع الإرادات"، ويضيف "النظام الجديد ادى الى ان يصل الشريك، بشكل مخطط له الى حد ارباك نجاح الشريك الاخر من خلال هذه الخروق". ويدعو الجبوري الأجهزة الأمنية إلى "الحيطة والحذر والهمة"، ويضيف "هي مطالبة اليوم اكثر من اي وقت آخر بذلك، كما ان التفاهم والحوار بين القادة السياسيين هو الاخر مطلوب جدا في هذه الفترة، وذلك لحماية ارواح الناس". ويعلق عضو لجنة الامن والدفاع النيابية حاكم الزاملي وهو أيضا نائب عن مدينة الصدر بالقول "لقد طالبت لجنة الامن والدفاع بعد اغلب تحقيقاتها باقالة الكثر من الضباط والقادة الميدانيين، لكن بعضها لم يطبق، وذلك لوجود فجوة بين البرلمان والاجهزة التنفيذية، وخصوصا مجلس الوزراء". مراقبون: ما نتوقعه عنف بين الاحزاب وليس حربا طائفية لكن مراقبين وعلى الرغم من أنهم يعترفون بأن العنف الذي يجري حاليا هدفه استدراج الشيعة لحرب طائفية فإن ما يتوقعون حدوثه هو حرب بين الاحزاب وليس بين مكونات المجتمع العراقي. ويقول المحلل السياسي إحسان الشمري في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز" ان "الجماعات المسلحة لا تزال تركز في أعمالها على الورقة الطائفية من اجل خلق فوضى في البلاد من خلال ردود الفعل على التفجيرات التي تنفذها خاصة في المناطق التي تمثل العمق الشعبي للمكون الشيعي". ويستبعد الشمري أن تحقق تلك التفجيرات اهدافها على الأقل "السياسية منها"، ويوضح أن "المكون الشيعي بات يعرف حجم المخاطر التي تحيط به، كما يعرف الجهات التي تدفع باتجاه قلب المعادلة السياسية الحالية وهو على قناعة بعدم مسؤولية السنة عن ما يجري اليوم من عنف". إلا أن الشمري في الوقت الذي يستبعد الحرب الطائفية بين الموكونات العراقية، فإنه يعتبر أن استمرار هذه التفجيرات يؤكد هشاشة الخطط الامنية وتضع جاهزية الاجهزة الامنية على المحك ويؤكد وجود خلل كبير في الاجهزة الامنية"، ويعتبر ان "عدم اهتمام الطبقة السياسية بالاحداث الامنية التي تحصل في البلاد تؤكد اهتمامها بامور حزبية"، متوقعا ان "يكون هناك عنف ما بين الاحزاب السياسية اذا ما استمرت الازمة في البلاد". يذكر أن بغداد شهدت منذ مطلع العام الحالي تصعيدا في اعمال العنف المتمثلة بعمليات التفجير والاغتيال، وقد سجل خلال شهر كانون الثاني المنصرم مقتل وإصابة ما لا يقل عن 421 شخصا في العاصمة فحسب في وقت تعيش فيه البلاد أزمة سياسية عقب إصدار مذكرة قبض بحق نائب رئيس الجمهورية والقيادي في القائمة العراقية طارق الهاشمي، وتقديم رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي طلباً إلى البرلمان لسحب الثقة من نائبه القيادي في القائمة العراقية أيضاً صالح المطلك، الأمر الذي دفع القائمة بزعامة إياد علاوي إلى تعليق عضويتها في مجلسي الوزراء والنواب وتقديم طلب إلى البرلمان لحجب الثقة عن رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي.

300+ killed in 25 bomb blasts in Iraq's capital: انفجار سياره مفخخه بساحة العروبة واخرى بساحة الزهراء بالكاظمية المقدسه شمالي بغداد

SECURITY: Explosions kill 9, injure 35 in east Baghdad's Sadr city 1/5/2012 10:00 AM BAGHDAD / Aswat al-Iraq: At least 9 civilians have been killed and 35 others injured in 2 successive explosions and a motorbike blast in east Baghdad's Sadr city on Thursday morning, a security source reported. "Two explosive charges blew off early today (Thursday) close to al-Sadr Public hospital early on Thursday, killing and wounding a number of civilians," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. Iraqi Security forces remove 720 road blocks from Sadr city today. District completely open for the first time He said that "a motorbike blew off early in the day against a group of workers in Jamila district of al-Sadr city, also causing many casualties.| The security source stressed that the "final result of the explosions have reached 9 civilians killed and 35 others injured, some seriously, that could raise the number of casualties to a higher figure," adding that the security forces rushed to the venues of the blasts, giving no further details. ================ 05 Jan 2012 07:07 Source: Reuters // Reuters (Updates toll, adds details, background) Two car bombs kill 12 in Iraq's capital-police 05 Jan 2012 07:17 Source: Reuters // Reuters BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - At least 12 people were killed and 32 others wounded when two car bombs exploded in a mainly Shi'ite area in northwestern Baghdad, Iraqi police said on Thursday. The blasts occurred in Kadhimiya district and followed two earlier explosions that killed 10 people and wounded 37 others in Sadr City, another mainly Shi'ite area in the capital. (Reporting by Kareem Raheem; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares) By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded in a mainly Shi'ite Muslim area of Iraq's capital Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 37, police and hospital sources said. One bomb was planted on a parked motorcycle and the other was a roadside device, a police source said. The attacks occurred in the impoverished Sadr City neighbourhood in northeast Baghdad. "There was a group of day labourers gathered, waiting to be hired for work. Someone brought his small motorcycle and parked it nearby. A few minutes later it blew up, killed some people, wounded others and burned some cars," said a police officer at the scene, declining to be named. A Reuters reporter said there were blood stains all around the site of the motorcycle bomb attack and that tarmac on the road had been ripped up by the explosion. Building tools and shoes were scattered across the site. Police said they found and defused two other bombs. Iraq is still plagued by a deadly Sunni Muslim insurgency and Shi'ite militias nearly nine years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi militia once fought U.S. and Iraqi troops. He is now a key ally of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. A political crisis that erupted shortly after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq on Dec. 18 has revived concerns about sectarian strife in Iraq, which teetered on the brink of civil war in 2006-7. Maliki angered rivals when he asked parliament to have his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlaq removed and sought an arrest warrant for Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran death squads. On Tuesday, members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc boycotted Iraq's parliament and cabinet, accusing Maliki's bloc of governing alone in a power-sharing coalition that was supposed to ease sectarian tensions. A spate of bombings that killed 72 people in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad a few days after the political crisis began have only deepened the fears of rising sectarian tensions. The inclusion of Iraqiya in the governing coalition was widely considered crucial to prevent a slide back into the kind of sectarian violence that was unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Thousands were killed in the violence. Many Sunnis have complained of being sidelined in the political process since Saddam was ousted and the majority Shi'ites dominated the government. (Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Ralph Gowling) =================== عاجل , مصدر امني ... انفجار سياره مفخخه بساحة العروبة واخرى بساحة الزهراء بالكاظمية المقدسه شمالي بغداد ........ ومن المتوقع بدئ سلسلة انفجارات فالى ذلك نسترعي انتباه المواطنين ..(( انشر ابويه انشر )) عاجل ..... عاجل ..... عاجل انفجارين كبيرين يهزان مدينة الكاظمية الاولى في ساحة العروبة والثانية في الشوصة وصقوط شهداء وجرحى وورود معلومات عن وجود سيارة ثالثة في شارع النواب عاجل ..... عاجل ..... عاجل انفجارين كبيرين يهزان مدينة الكاظمية الاولى في ساحة العروبة والثانية في الشوصة وصقوط شهداء وجرحى وورود معلومات عن وجود سيارة ثالثة في شارع النواب ============== مقتل وإصابة 23 شخصا بتفجير مزدوج شرق بغداد المحرر: HAH الخميس 05 ك2 2012 05:41 GMT السومرية نيوز/ بغداد أفاد مصدر في الشرطة العراقية، الخميس، بأن 23 شخصا سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بتفجير مزدوج بعبوتين ناسفتين في مدينة الصدر شرق بغداد. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "عبوة ناسفة انفجرت، صباح اليوم، في منطقة الداخل التابعة لمدينة الصدر، شرق بغداد، من دون معرفة حجم الخسائر البشرية والمادية"، مضيفا أن "عبوة ثانية انفجرت مستهدفة دوريات الشرطة التي هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث، مما أدى إلى مقتل ثلاثة أشخاص وإصابة 20 آخرين بجروح متفاوتة". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة امنية طوقا امنيا على منطقة الحادث وتمكنت من إبطال مفعول عبوة ثالثة، من دون وقوع خسائر بشرية او مادية". وشهدت بغداد، أمس الاربعاء، مقتل قيادي في الصحوة وزوجته بهجوم مسلح نفذه مجهولون يرتدون زيا عسكريا على منزله في قضاء أبو غريب غرب العاصمة، فيما اعتقلت قوة امنية 10 من عناصر تنظيم القاعدة وعثرت على مخبأ للعتاد وأسلحة مقاومة للطائرات خلال عملية أمنية نفذتها جنوب بغداد. يذكر أن العاصمة بغداد شهدت خلال العام الماضي، ارتفاعاً في وتيرة أعمال العنف كان أخرها مقتل 63 شخصا وإصابة 197 آخرين، في الـ22 من كانون الأول الماضي، بسلسلة تفجيرات بعبوات ناسفة ولاصقة وأحزمة ناسفة وسيارات مفخخة، في وقت تعيش فيه البلاد أزمة سياسية كبيرة تتمثل بإصدار مذكرة قبض بحق نائب رئيس الجمهورية القيادي في القائمة العراقية طارق الهاشمي، وتقديم رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي طلباً إلى البرلمان بسحب الثقة عن نائبه القيادي في القائمة العراقية أيضا صالح المطلك، الأمر الذي دفع القائمة العراقية بزعامة إياد علاوي إلى تعليق عضويتها في مجلسي الوزراء والنواب، وتقديمها طلباً إلى البرلمان بحجب الثقة عن رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي. ======================== مقتل وإصابة 60 شخصا حصيلة تفجير الكاظمية المزدوج المحرر: HAH الخميس 05 ك2 2012 07:18 GMT تفجير سيارة مفخخة (الارشيف) السومرية نيوز/ بغداد أفاد مصدر في الشرطة العراقية، الخميس، بان 60 شخصا سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح حصيلة التفجير المزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين بمنطقة الكاظمية شمال بغداد. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "حصيلة التفجير المزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين في منطقة الكاظمية، شمال بغداد، بلغت 10 قتلى و50 جريحا"، مرجحا "ارتفاع حصيلة الضحايا بسبب شدة التفجير". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة أمنية طوقا أمنيا على منطقة الحادث وقطعت جميع الطرق المؤدية اليه". وكان مصدر في الشرطة العراقية قال في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، في وقت سابق من اليوم، إن عددا من الاشخاص سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بتفجير مزدوج بسيارتين مفخختين بمنطقة الكاظمية، شمال بغداد. وشهدت بغداد، اليوم، مقتل 10 اشخاص وإصابة 35 آخرين بتفجير مزدوج بعبوتين ناسفتين في مدينة الصدر، شرق بغداد. يذكر أن العاصمة بغداد شهدت خلال العام الماضي، ارتفاعاً في وتيرة أعمال العنف كان أخرها مقتل 63 شخصا وإصابة 197 آخرين، في الـ22 من كانون الأول الماضي، بسلسلة تفجيرات بعبوات ناسفة ولاصقة وأحزمة ناسفة وسيارات مفخخة، في وقت تعيش فيه البلاد أزمة سياسية كبيرة تتمثل بإصدار مذكرة قبض بحق نائب رئيس الجمهورية القيادي في القائمة العراقية طارق الهاشمي، وتقديم رئيس الوزراء نوري المالكي طلباً إلى البرلمان بسحب الثقة عن نائبه القيادي في القائمة العراقية أيضا صالح المطلك، الأمر الذي دفع القائمة العراقية بزعامة إياد علاوي إلى تعليق عضويتها في مجلسي الوزراء والنواب، وتقديمها طلباً إلى البرلمان بحجب الثقة عن رئيس الحكومة نوري المالكي. ================== Four blasts kill 25 in Iraq's capital 05 Jan 2012 08:05 Source: Reuters // Reuters People gather at the site of a bomb attack in Sadr city, eastern Baghdad January 5, 2012. REUTERS/Ali al-Mashhadani * At least 25 dead, 69 wounded by four bomb blasts * Attacks in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas of Baghdad * Spate of violence comes after PM sparks political crisis By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Four bombs in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas in Iraq's capital Baghdad killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens of others on Thursday, police and hospital sources said. Fears are escalating of increased sectarian strife after Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought the removal of two senior Sunni politicians just as U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq - the worst political crisis in a year. In Baghdad's northwestern Kadhimiya district, two car bombs killed at least 15 people and wounded 32 others, the sources said. Another two bombs, one planted on a parked motorcycle and another, also a roadside device, killed at least 10 people and wounded 37 others in the impoverished Sadr City district in northeastern Baghdad, they said. "There was a group of day labourers gathered, waiting to be hired for work. Someone brought his small motorcycle and parked it nearby. A few minutes later it blew up, killed some people, wounded others and burned some cars," said a police officer at the scene, declining to be named. A Reuters reporter said there were blood stains all around the site of the motorcycle bomb attack and that tarmac on the road had been ripped up by the explosion. Building tools and shoes were scattered across the site. Police said they found and defused two other bombs. ===================== Iraq is still plagued by a deadly Sunni Muslim insurgency and Shi'ite militias nearly nine years after the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Saddam Hussein. Sadr City is a stronghold of radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose Mehdi militia once fought U.S. and Iraqi troops. He is now a key ally of Maliki. The premier angered rivals when he asked parliament to have his Sunni deputy Saleh al-Mutlaq removed and sought an arrest warrant for Iraq's Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi on charges he ran death squads. On Tuesday, members of the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc boycotted Iraq's parliament and cabinet, accusing Maliki's bloc of governing alone in a power-sharing coalition that was supposed to ease sectarian tensions. A spate of bombings that killed 72 people in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad a few days after the political crisis began has only deepened the fears of a return to sectarian strife in Iraq, which teetered on the brink of civil war in 2006-7. The inclusion of Iraqiya in the governing coalition was widely considered crucial to prevent a return to the kind of sectarian violence that was unleashed after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Thousands were killed in the violence. Many Sunnis complain of having been sidelined in the political process since Saddam was ousted and the majority Shi'ites dominated the government. (Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Louise Ireland) ===================== Toll from south Iraq bomb rises to 30 killed-official 05 Jan 2012 12:12 Source: Reuters // Reuters BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber targetting Shi'ite pilgrims killed at least 30 people and wounded at least 70 others in southern Iraq on Thursday, Qusay al-Abadi, head of the provincial council in Nassiriya said. Abadi and local security sources said the attack occurred at a police checkpoint just west of Nassiriya, 300 kilometres (185 miles) southeast of Baghdad. Police sources initially said the explosion was a roadside bomb. (Reporting by Suadad al-Salhy; Writing by Serena Chaudhry; Editing by Sophie Hares) SECURITY: 5 visitors killed, 10 injured in Shiite Religious occasion west of Nassiriya city 1/5/2012 2:43 PM SECURITY: Victims of al-Batha'a township, Thi-Qar Province, rise to 30 killed, 70 injured 1/5/2012 4:27 PM THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq: The result of the explosion that took place in Batha'a township west of Nassirya city, the center of Thi-Qar Province, has risen to 30 visitors killed and over 70 injured, according to a Thi-Qar security source on Thursday. "A man, wearing an explosive belt, blew himself up during lunch time against the visitors of the 40th anniversary Day of Imam Hussein Bin-Ali's martyrdom at the dawn of Islam, has reached 30 persons killed and 70 others injured," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. He said the casualty figure might rise, because the number of visitors had been huge, during their gathering for lunch on Thursday noon, adding that the wounded people were driven to hospitals, and other visitors were kept away from the area of the explosion, to avoid another blast that might cause further casualties. THI-QAR / Aswat al-Iraq: Five visitors of the occasion of the 40th Day of the Anniversary of Imam Hussein Bin-Ali's Martyrdom have been killed and ten others were injured, in an explosive charge explosion in al-Bat'haa township, west of Nassiriya, the center of southern Iraq's Thi-Qar Province on Thursday, a security source reported. "An explosive charge blew off against the visitors of Imam Hussein's 40th Day Martyrdom anniversary, killing 5 visitors and wounding 10 others, close to al-Bat'haa entrance west of Nassirya, while heading to Karbala city to commemorate the occasion," the security source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency. ============== Blasts hit Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq, 15 dead, 52 hurt 09 Jan 2012 19:28 Source: Reuters // Reuters Iraqi Shiite Muslim pilgrims walk to the holy city of Kerbala to mark Arbain in Baghdad's Doura District January 9, 2012. Arbain falls 40 days after the Shi'ite holy day of Ashura. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani * Pilgrims headed to Kerbala for Arbain rite * Iraq political crisis threatens shaky coalition government (Adds details, background) By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Two bombs exploded near crowds of Shi'ite pilgrims walking through Iraq's capital on Monday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 52 others, police and hospital sources said. Thousands of Shi'ites are making the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Kerbala for the Arbain religious rite amid Iraq's worst political crisis in a year after the Shi'ite-led government moved against two prominent Sunni politicians. The crisis threatens to unravel Iraq's fragile coalition government of Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish factions and has raised fears of renewed sectarian violence. Police and hospital sources said a suicide bomber drove a car from a side road into a group of pilgrims in a main road in the Bayaa district of southwestern Baghdad, killing nine people and wounding 28 others. In the northern Shaab district of the capital, a car parked near a market exploded, killing two civilians and four police officers assigned to protect the pilgrims, and wounding 24 other people, the sources said. The explosion had little impact on the market because it was tucked behind thick concrete blast walls. Unprotected pilgrims on the other side of the road got the brunt of the explosion, a police officer said. Shi'ite pilgrims have been under attack for days in Iraq. The explosion of two roadside bombs in southern Baghdad earlier in the day killed at least two people and wounded 12, while a sticky bomb attached to a bus carrying Afghan pilgrims blew up late on Sunday, wounding nine. Last Thursday, bombings in mainly Shi'ite areas killed at least 73 people and wounded scores of others. The largest toll occurred at a police checkpoint near the southern city of Nassiriya where a suicide bomber killed 44 and wounded 81. Arbain marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed who was killed in a 7th century battle in Kerbala. Shi'ites believe his remains are entombed there. Shi'ite rituals have been a target for attacks since Saddam Hussein was ousted in the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. Some Sunni Islamist groups such as al Qaeda view Shi'ites as heretics. The annual event draws hundreds of thousands from Iraq's Shi'ite majority who were unable to practise such rites freely under Saddam, a Sunni Arab. Thousands of Shi'ites come to Iraq from other countries, mainly neighbouring Iran, for the rite. Iraq's worst political crisis since the contentious formation of its cross-sectarian government in 2010 erupted when Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sought the arrest of Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi and the removal of Maliki's Sunni deputy, Saleh al-Mutlaq. The moves came shortly after the last U.S. troops left Iraq on Dec. 18 and were followed a few days later by a series of bombings in mainly Shi'ite areas of Baghdad that killed more than 70 people, reviving concerns of renewed sectarian conflict. Thousands of people were killed by the sectarian slaughter unleashed by the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam. (Writing by Jim Loney; Editing by Matthew Jones) =============== TIMELINE-Deadliest attacks in Iraq in last year 09 Jan 2012 19:51 Source: Reuters // Reuters Jan 9 (Reuters) - Here are details of some of the major attacks in Iraq in the past year: Jan. 18, 2011 - A suicide bomber attacks Iraqi police recruits in Tikrit, killing 50 people and wounding over 100. Jan. 20 - Two separate car bombs kill up to 45 pilgrims near Iraq's holy Shi'ite city of Kerbala ahead of the culmination of a major Shi'ite Muslim religious rite. Jan. 27 - A car bomb at a wake in a Shi'ite part of Baghdad kills more than 35 people and wounds scores of others. March 29 - At least 53 people are killed and 98 wounded when gunmen take hostages at a provincial council headquarters in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, precipitating a battle with security forces who sweep in to end the siege. Aug. 15 - A wave of attacks strike cities across Iraq, killing around 70 people and wounding more than 200 in the bloodiest day yet in 2011. -- In the worst incident, a roadside bomb followed by a car bomb targeting police kills at least 37 people in Kut, 150 km (95 miles) southeast of Baghdad. Other deadly attacks took place in Tikrit, Najaf, Diyala and Kerbala. Aug. 28 - A bomber wearing a cast on his arm blows himself up in the main hall of the Umm al-Qura mosque, an important Sunni religious site in Baghdad. At least 32 people are killed and 39 wounded. -- Leaders of the Iraqi Islamic Party, a major Sunni political bloc, said Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), an affiliate al Qaeda, carried out the bombing to hit one of IIP's most prominent leaders, Sunni lawmaker Khalid al-Fihdawi. Dec. 22 - More than 10 coordinated bombings strike Baghdad, killing at least 72 people, with around 200 wounded. -- At least 18 people are killed when a suicide bomber detonated an ambulance he was driving near a government office in the Karrada district. More bombs explode in the central Alawi area, Shaab and Shula in the north, all mainly Shi'ite areas. -- The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for al Qaeda-linked insurgents, later claims responsibility. Jan. 5, 2012 - Four bombs in mainly Shi'ite Muslim areas of Baghdad kill at least 73 people. -- The biggest attack was beside a police checkpoint west of Nassiriya in the south, where a suicide bomber targeting Shi'ite pilgrims killed 44 people and wounded 81. Jan. 9 - Two car bombs kill at least 15 people and wound 52 in the capital. (Reporting by David Cutler, London Editorial Reference Unit) ===================== Shi'ites brave crisis, bombs for Iraq pilgrimage 10 Jan 2012 16:06 Source: Reuters // Reuters * Streets of Iraqi capital filled with pilgrims * Thousands of Iranians crossing every day * Iraq political crisis no deterrant to walkers By Mohammed Ameer and Aref Mohammed BAGHDAD/SHALAMCHA CROSSING, Iraq, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Shi'ite Muslims are pouring into Iraq's holy city of Kerbala, despite having become the main targets of a bombing campaign that followed the withdrawal of U.S. troops last month. A political crisis since the U.S. withdrawal has raised fears among many Iraqis of a return to the sectarian slaughter in which tens of thousands were killed in 2006-07. Attacks targetting Shi'ites have killed scores of people since the Shi'ite-led government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni vice president and the main Sunni backed party boycotted parliament. Pilgrims have choked the streets of the capital Baghdad and border crossings with Iran this week for Arbain, one of the main holy days of the Shi'ite calendar. Many pilgrims say they are fully aware of the dangers but are determined to commemorate the end of a 40-day mourning period for Imam Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Mohammed who was killed in a 7th century battle in Kerbala. "I am not afraid to come to Iraq, but I have a 4-year-old child I left in Iran and I wrote my will before coming here," Zahraa Qaeli, a 32-year-old Iranian housewife from Khorramshahr, told Reuters at the Shalamcha crossing on the border near Basra. Arbain has been a frequent target of militants since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, who banned Shi'ite festivals. Scores of people have been killed and more than 200 wounded in attacks on pilgrims in the last five days. In the worst, a suicide attacker detonated a bomb at a checkpoint crowded with pilgrims near Nassiriya on Thursday, killing 44, part of a wave of attacks that day in mainly Shi'ite areas that killed at least 73 people. A series of bombs in mainly Shi'ite districts of Baghdad on Dec. 22 killed 72 people. Nonetheless, traffic across the Iraqi capital has been diverted or tied up for days as thousands of defiant pilgrims make the 80 kilometre walk to Kerbala. Tents are set up along main roads to serve food and drinks and provide beds for pilgrims, and ambulances stand at ready to offer emergency medical care. 'WELCOME MARTYRDOM' "I would definitely sacrifice my soul for Imam Hussein. Even if this political crisis is followed by bombings, that does not deter me from the pilgrimage along with my friends," said Abdul-Hussein al-Obeidi, 45, who carried a green flag bearing an image of Hussein. "We welcome martyrdom for the sake of Imam Hussein," said one of Obeidi's companions, who wore a blue track suit and walked with a cane. Iraq in general, and Baghdad in particular, saw devastating sectarian violence between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims in 2006-07, and is still plagued by a Sunni insurgency and Shi'ite militias. "I avoid some dangerous Baghdad districts, such as Doura," said Abdullah, 45, walking quickly with his brother as he pointed towards the former Sunni insurgent stronghold. Many of the recent suicide and car bomb attacks against pilgrims bore the signature of methods used by the Iraq branch of al Qaeda. "I defy terrorists. They are a few gangsters, while we are the majority here," said Zahraa, 22, who wore a niqab that revealed only her eyes as she sat at a roadside tent in Baghdad. "This is my fourth pilgrimage to Imam Hussein despite a trip of several days." An official at the Shalamcha border point said 36,000 Iranians had crossed in eight days, and the number had climbed to 8,000 to 9,000 a day, with bigger numbers expected before the rite reaches a peak on Friday and Saturday. Iraqi officials usually put the number of Arbain attendees in the millions, many from mainly Shi'ite Iran. "This the first time I have come to Iraq. The situation here is great. We haven't encountered any problems," Iranian civil servant Muhsen Shehrazad, 27, said. "I am not afraid of the security situation. The love and passion we hold for Imam Hussein, peace be upon him, will not be dispelled by intimidation and explosions. Dying in the path of Hussein's passion is a wish." (Editing by Jim Loney and Peter Graff) ==================== Bomber kills 32 in attack on Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims 14 Jan 2012 09:17 Source: Reuters // Reuters * Scores wounded, toll rising * Bomber disguised himself as police officer * Militants attack Shi'ite pilgrims (Updates toll) By Aref Mohammed BASRA, Iraq, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman killed at least 32 people and wounded scores in an attack on Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims at a checkpoint in the southern Iraqi city of Basra on Saturday, police said. The attack at the end of Arbain, one of the main religious observances on the Shi'ite calendar, came as a political crisis in the Shi'ite-led government renewed fears of a return to sectarian violence in the country. "A terrorist wearing a police uniform and carrying fake police I.D. managed to reach a police checkpoint and blew himself up among police and pilgrims," said a police official at the scene of the bombing. The pilgrims had been on their way to a major Shi'ite mosque to the west of Basra, police said. Security forces sealed off the main hospital in Basra, fearing further attacks. Weeping relatives gathered at the hospital as soldiers, police and civilians rushed blood-covered victims there. Some of the wounded were stuffed into car trunks. "Now we have 32 killed and more than 100 wounded," said Ahmed al-Sulaiti, deputy head of the Basra provincial council. "We are waiting for more details from the security forces about the reasons behind the attack and how they managed to do it." A provincial health official who asked not to be named put the toll at 35 dead and 90 wounded. Arbain has been a repeated target of militants since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein. Scores of people have been killed in attacks on pilgrims in the last few weeks, including a suicide bombing which killed at least 44 people. Many of the incidents involved methods such as suicide bombings, the signature of Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate. Attacks on Shi'ites have killed dozens of people since Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government issued an arrest warrant for a Sunni vice president, triggering a political crisis that risks scuttling a power-sharing agreement. Violence had declined since the height of sectarian slaughter in 2006-2007, when thousands were killed in intercommunal strife. But the withdrawal of the last American troops in December has fanned worries of a resurgence. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Andrew Roche) http://www.alsumarianews.com/ar/iraq-security-news/-2-34537.html سقوط قتلى وجرحى بينهم نساء وأطفال بهجوم انتحاري غرب البصرة المحرر: SZ | GS السبت 14 ك2 2012 06:57 GMT السومرية نيوز/ البصرة أفاد مصدر في شرطة محافظة البصرة، السبت، بأن عدداً من المدنيين سقطوا بين قتيل وجريح بينهم نساء وأطفال بتفجير انتحاري بحزام ناسف غرب المحافظة. وقال المصدر في حديث لـ"السومرية نيوز"، إن "انتحارياً يرتدي حزاماً ناسفاً فجر نفسه، صباح اليوم، مستهدفاً مواطنين متوجهين إلى جامع الخطوة في حي الأمن الداخلي (8 كم غرب البصرة)، مما أسفر عن سقوط قتلى وجرحى بينهم نساء وأطفال لم يتم معرفة عددهم حتى الآن". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "سيارات الإسعاف هرعت إلى منطقة الحادث ونقلت الجرحى إلى مستشفى قريب لتلقي العلاج، وجثث القتلى إلى دائرة الطب العدلي، فيما فرضت قوة أمنية طوقاً على منطقة الحادث ومنعت الاقتراب منه". يذكر أن جامع الخطوة (المسجد الجامع) هو ثاني مسجد بني في الإسلام بعد المسجد النبوي في المدينة المنورة، كما أنه أول مسجد بناه المسلمون خارج الجزيرة العربية، ويقع بالقرب من موقع مدينة البصرة القديمة عند المدخل الشرقي لمركز قضاء الزبير، و قد صلى به الامام علي بن ابي طالب اثناء معركة الجمل في العام 36 للهجرة، ويكتسب الجامع أهمية دينية كبيرة عند المسلمين الشيعة بحيث جرت العادة أن يقصده في بعض المناسبات الدينية آلاف المواطنين من كافة مناطق المحافظة سيراً على الأقدام. ================ 64 killings, 137 wounded in Basrah explosion 1/14/2012 5:35 PM BASRA / Aswat al-Iraq : Security sources said here that the result of the suicide bomber reached today to 64 killings and 137 wounded, most of them were women and children. The source told Aswat al-Iraq that the explosion was targeted against the pilgrims who were visiting Al-Khatwa mosque, 18 km west of Basra. The pilgrims in Basra are divided into two groups, the first head for Kerbela, but the weaker ones walk to this mosque. Basra, center of the province, lies 590 km south of the capital, Baghdad. ==================== Jan. 14, 2012 4:26 AM ET Iraq: Bomb kills 30 Shiite pilgrims in south AIM Share Shiite faithful pilgrims gather at the Imam Hussein Shrine in Karbala, for Arbaeen, which marks the end of the forty-day mourning period after the anniversary of the 7th century martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban) 1 of 4 More News Video Roadside bomb kills 2 in southern Afghanistan Jan. 14, 2012 3:58 AM ET Lebanese held as terror warning issued in Bangkok Jan. 13, 2012 1:23 PM ET Bomb kills Iranian nuclear expert Jan. 11, 2012 9:27 AM ET Iraq: Bombs kill 2 state workers, wound 3 boys Jan. 10, 2012 9:58 AM ET Philippine leader warns of possible terror attack Jan. 8, 2012 9:01 PM ET Advertisement Advertisement ZUBAIR, Iraq (AP) — A bomb killed at least 30 Shiite pilgrims near the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, Iraqi officials said. It was the latest in a series of attacks during Shiite religious commemorations that threaten to further increase sectarian tensions just weeks after the U.S. withdrawal. Basra hospitals have received 30 killed and 90 wounded after the blast, said Dr. Riyadh Abdul-Amir, the head of Basra Health Directorate. Witnesses said the attack occurred outside the town of Zubair, southwest of Basra, as pilgrims were making their way to a Shiite shrine nearby. A police official confirmed the death toll. He spoke anonymously because he was not authorized to release details to the media. The governor of Basra province's spokesman, Ayad al-Emarah, said it was not clear whether the blast was caused by a suicide attacker or a roadside bomb. Zubair is a predominantly Sunni enclave in Iraq's largely Shiite south. The explosion came as Shiites commemorate the climax of Arbaeen, which marks the end of 40 days of mourning following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, a revered Shiite figure. Majid Hussein, a government employee, was one of the pilgrims heading to the shrine. He said people began running away in panic when they heard a loud explosion. "I saw several dead bodies and wounded people, including children on the ground asking for help. There were also some baby strollers left at the blast site," he said. The attack, which bore the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents, is the latest in a series of deadly strikes in this year's Arbaeen. Scores of pilgrims have been killed. The largest of the Arbaeen attacks — a wave of apparently coordinated bombings in Baghdad and outside the southern city of Nasiriyah — killed at least 78 people on Jan. 5. It was the deadliest strike in Iraq in more than a year. The attacks raise fears of a new sectarian rift that could destabilize the country now that U.S. troops are gone. The last U.S. combat troops left Iraq on Dec. 18, ending a nearly nine-year war. Many Iraqis worry that a resurgence of Sunni and Shiite militancy could follow the Americans' withdrawal. In 2006, a Sunni attack on a Shiite shrine triggered a wave of sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war. Just as the American troops were leaving, a political crisis erupted that has paralyzed Iraq's government. It pits the country's mostly ethnic- and religious-based political blocs against one another. Iraq's Sunni minority dominated the government under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, but since he was overthrown, Shiites have controlled most key posts. The political dispute appears far from being resolved. On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq called for Iraq's leader, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, to step down or face a parliamentary vote of no-confidence. Al-Mutlaq's Sunni-backed Iraqiya party has been boycotting parliament and Cabinet meetings since last month to protest what it sees as efforts by al-Maliki to consolidate power, particularly over state security forces. Al-Maliki's government, meanwhile, has demanded the arrest of the country's top Sunni politician, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi of Iraqiya, accusing him of running a hit squad targeting government officials. Al-Hashemi denies the allegations. ___ Associated Press writers Bushra Juhi, Sameer N. Yacoub and Adam Schreck contributed reporting ===================