Turkey bombed northern Iraq again on Sunday, in an apparent attack on suspected bases of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla group. Early reports were that no one was killed.
US officials in Baghdad are convinced that some of the reduction in the number of attacks on US troops is owing to conscious Iranian decisions not to back the Shiite militiamen who had targeted Americans. If this is true, it is a refutation of the Cheney gang’s insistence that the Iranians can only be dealt with by force and enmity.
Asharq al-Awsat reports in Arabic that the Sadr Movement is planning a big rally on Monday against the appointment of Fadil Raddam as the new provincial police chief for Babil. They maintain that Raddam was the head of the Baath secret police in Najaf in the later Saddam years. Another source says that the tribal leaders are planning a big demonstration for Monday.
The death of the jihadi guerrilla movement in Iraq against the US has been much exaggerated, according to Aljazeera.
McClatchy reports political violence on Sunday:
Baghdad
– Around 6:30 a.m. a roadside bomb targeted civilians in Zafaraniyah, killing two civilians including one woman and injuring two civilians.
– Around 11 a.m. a roadside bomb targeted a joint U.S. and Iraqi convoy in Al Ghazaliyah, no casualties were reported.
– Police found three bodies in Baghdad, one in Sadr, in Doura and Amil.
Diyala
– Gunmen attacked Iraqi army checkpoint in Saqr village near Al Khalis, five gunmen were killed and two soldiers were injured. . .
Kirkuk
– Gunmen attacked police patrol in Al Zarga town south of Kirkuk yesterday, two gunmen were killed and two police officers were injured.
– An IED targeted a house in central Kirkuk. The explosion caused damages to the targeted house. Police said the house belong to Ahmed Zeinal who works with U.S. forces.
Reuters adds:
MOSUL – Gunmen killed Nyyef al-Shimmari, an Iraqi army lieutenant-colonel, in a drive by-shooting in western Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.
NEAR MOSUL – One civilian was killed and five policemen were wounded when a parked car bomb targeted a passing police patrol just south of Mosul, police said. . .
LATIFIYA – A roadside bomb killed one civilian and wounded two others in the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
MAHMUDIYA – One body was found with gunshot wounds in the town of Mahmudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said. . .
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