Sunni Guerrillas at Mosul Kill a US Soldier;
Kirkuk Council Member Predicts Permanent US Base in Kirkuk
Guerrillas in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday subjected a US military base to a barrage of mortar fire, killing a US soldier. The guerrillas successfully targeted a mililtary counter-insurgency office intended to deal with the guerrillas. That move shows that they have infiltrated the base and have someone on the inside telling them where key offices are.
al-Zaman reports in Arabic that the arrival of United Nations counselors in Kirkuk with an aim of compiling a list of 'original' inhabitants of the city has provoked a wave of assassinations in the disputed city.
Meanwhile, the Kurdistan Alliance renewed its call for Article 140 of the constitution to be implemented (i.e. for a referendum to be held in Kirkuk Province on whether it should join the Kurdistan Regional Government. It is thought that the Kurds, who control the security forces, have flooded other Kurds into the province, such that they are now about half of its population. The other two major groups are the Arabs and Turkmen. They typically oppose the plan to join Kurdistan.
Jala Naftji, a Turkmen member of the Kirkuk governing council, told Al-Zaman that he had been afraid of an increasing security vacuum in the province, but has been reassured since Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki sent an Iraqi Army unit up. He also expected that an enduring US base would be established in the city of Kirkuk. He said that in the last meeting of the governing council with Gen. Ray Odierno, the latter had pledged that the US would not give up the security mission before the Kirkuk issue was resolved.
The deputy governor of Kirkuk, Rakan Said al-Juburi, told the paper, "If there is not a joint administration [of Kirkuk Province] and balance throughout the security agencies among the various ethnicities in order to resolve the complicated problem of Kirkuk, I believe that conflict with break out once the Americans withdraw."
Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi of the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party said on the occasion of the visit of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani to Iraq that the visit was unwelcome and that an investigation should be opened into Iranian meddling in Iraq. President Jalal Talabani (a Kurd) criticized al-Hashimi for the statement, saying that it oversteeped the prerogatives of the vice presidency and was unfriendly.
Rafsanjani, now head of the clerical Expediency Council (sort of an Iranian senate), visited the Shiite shrines at Samarra and Karbala. There was no word that he had gone to Najaf, as prominent Iranian visitors typically do, for consultations with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani.
Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that Muqtada al-Sadr blessed an alliance between his followers, who won seats on provincial council as independents, with the Islamic Mission Party (Da`wa) of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Amir al-Kanani, the leader of the List of the Free, which is supported by the Sadrist Bloc, told al-Zaman that Muqtada al-Sadr is supported of the negotiations being conducted by his list with al-Maliki's coalition. The Sadrist position is new, coming nearly a year after al-Maliki and his American allies defeated Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Basra, Diwaniya and Sadr City. Al-Kanani said that each provincial council is negotiating its own arrangements with regard to the distribution of power among the victorious members.
McClatchy reports political violence in Iraq on Tuesday, including the firing of 8 mortar rounds at a US military base at Mosul in the north.
' Baghdad
A roadside bomb targeted a U.S. convoy in al Alawi central bus station, central Baghdad at 10.30 a.m. Tuesday. No casualties were reported.
A roadside bomb exploded on Mohammed al Qassim highway, near New Baghdad at 11 a.m. injuring two civilians.
One unidentified body was found in Shaab, northern Baghdad. The body was cut up in many pieces and dumped.
Twelve unidentified bodies were found in Baghdad Province during the month of February, said Iraqi Police, mostly in the suburbs.
Nineveh
Gunmen riding motorbikes opened fire upon a civilian in al Shaareen marketplace, central Mosul and killed him instantly.
Eight mortar rounds targeted the U.S. military base in al Ghizlani, southern Mosul on Tuesday according to Iraqi Police in Mosul. No comment was available from the U.S. Military at time of publication.
Diyala
A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi Police patrol in Gatoun neighbourhood, southwestern Baquba at 8 a.m. injuring seven people including four policemen and three civilians.
Kirkuk
Gunmen driving a speeding car opened fire upon Werya Fattah Agha al Kakai, brother to Adnan Agha al Kakai, prominent notable of al Kakai clan in Kirkuk, and killed him, on his door step straight away. The incident took place in central Kirkuk, Tuesday morning.'
End/ (Not Continued)
Cont'd (click below or on "comments")
posted by Juan Cole @ 3/04/2009 12:52:00 AM
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5 Comments:
Saying that "..after al-Malik and his American allies defeated Sadr's Mahdi Army militia in Basra, Diwaniya and Sadr City" does not tell the full story.
Sadr himself, and the Iranians, had turned against the Mahdi Army militia in Baghdad and Basra in particular. The militia was outside Sadr's control and had bacome a splintering criminal mob making huge sums from protection rackets, renting out homes after expelling their Sunni owners, running a large scale fuel black market, kidnapping for ransom ...you name it.
The Iranians pulled many of the Mahdi leaders out of Basra and Sadr City (moving them to Iran for future use) and allowed the Iraqi Army in virtually without a fight. Shortly before that arrangement the Iraqi Army was thrashed in Basra causing a national crisis.
Therefore, there is nothing strange about a Maliki-Sadr coalition. Moreover, the Mahdi Army criminal activities shrank support for Sadr enormously, and his share of seats in the local election was abismal.
Juan,
I was expecting a comment on the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team that made headlines here. Only by happenstance, it turned out not to be deadly for the cricket team.
As you no doubt appreciate these sporting contests and connections, not least between India and Pakistan, are very significant.
In Afghanistan meanwhile , spring is coming .
Please see http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hqAko9snGNyKmXZU_IEMRrVE4TIw
Could the SoFA be one of the reasons that Al-Sadr is seeking reconciliation with Maliki. It seems that a large amount of Al-Sadr's militancy was based around purging Sunnis from certain areas, which is done, and around getting rid of the Americans, which is theoretically done. So, what other issues does he differ from Dawa and Maliki on? At least in the broad sense.
"Shortly before that arrangement the Iraqi Army was thrashed in Basra causing a national crisis."
This is a vicious lie and slander. Iraqis have a word for Kherra like you. They call you and yours Muy Jarab.
Stop lying about the Iraqi Army. The Iraqi Army smashed the militias who fought against it in March and April, 2008. They especially smashed the militias in Basrah. They completely cut off the militias and their routes of resupply. They brought in overwhelming fire power, including the IA 26-7, IA 3-1, IA 1-1; and began to mop up the pockets in a methodical manner.
This is why the militias surrendered. They surrendered out of fear.
The Militias performed badly against the IA in Maysan and throughout the South. The only place the rogue militias fought decently was Thawra, Sadr City, Iraq. Here the US advisors helped the 11th IAD defeat them.
The Iraqi Army is the best quality army in the Arab world except for maybe Jordan's army. What other explanation do you have for why Iraqi Army casualties are down close to 90%? Why are their enemies so scared of the Iraqi Army.
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