PM Nuri al-Maliki called for widened political participation. He appears to be working on a compromise that might bring the parties of Iyad Allawi and Tariq al-Hashimi/ Adnan Dulaimi back into his government.
Ammar al-Hakim, called on the Iraqi Accord Front and the National Iraqi List to rejoin the al-Maliki government, giving al-Maliki some support.
The USG Open Source Center translates a Kurdish television report that confirms that Turkey again shelled northern Iraq. Both Turkey and the Kurds are close US allies, so their feuding puts Washington in a difficult situation.
“Turkey shells Iraqi Kurdistan Region border areas – Kurdish TV
Kurdistan Satellite TV
Friday, January 11, 2008 . . .
Document Type: OSC Translated Text
Turkey shells Iraqi Kurdistan Region border areas – Kurdish TV
Text of report by Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) satellite TV on 11 January
The correspondent of Kurdistan Satellite TV in Al-Amadiyah (Administrative District, Duhok Governorate) has said that the Turkish army has shelled the Valley of Rashava, Zilyee, Seri, Naheliya area and Nerway in Deraluk region of Al-Amadiyah this morning. He added that the shelling was continuing even while preparing the report.
(Description of Source: Salah-al-Din Kurdistan Satellite TV in Sorani Kurdish — Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) satellite TV)”
Reuters reports other political violence for Friday in Iraq:
BAGHDAD – A suicide car bomb blew up outside a bakery in New Baghdad district in eastern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding eight others, police said. [Al-Hayat is reporting that the bombing killed 4.]
BAGHDAD – Three bodies were found dumped across Baghdad on Friday, police said.
MAHMUDIYA – A roadside bomb wounded three policemen when it hit their patrol in Mahmudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD – Iraqi soldiers killed nine gunmen and arrested 59 others during the past 24 hours across Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.
BAGHDAD – U.S. forces killed two gunmen and detained 11 others during operations on Thursday and Friday in central and northern Iraq, the U.S. military said. (Editing by Robert Woodward)”
Mcclatchy adds: “Diyala – Friday morning , a joint forces ( American army , Iraqi army and Sahwa ( Awakening council) finishing their operation in Muqdadiya ( 36 km north east of Baquba ) in six of its villages clearing the area from Al-Qaeda arresting 20 ( ten of them are wanted while the others are suspected) and killing ten others.”
Jamie Gumbrecht of McClatchy reports that the US Air Force just dropped 40,000 pounds of munitions on Arab Jubour, an area US commanders had been saying had been secured by an Awakening Council.
Sunni Arab guerrillas melted away in the face of American units in Diyala valley east of Baghdad.
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