Al-Hayat reports in Arabic on the aftermath of the horrific bombings on Thursday at Shiite mosques in Baghdad that left 26 persons dead and dozens wounded.
Wa’il Abd al-Latif, an independent member of parliament saw a relationship between the bombings and the sources of the recent political tension that have not been resolved. One of these contentious issues is the security agreement being negotiated by PM al-Maliki with the Bush administration. He said that there is a crisis of confidence over the ability and willingness of the (Shiite-dominted) government and the Awakening Councils (Sunni Arab Iraqis willing to take a US salary to fight the Muslim radical vigilantes).
Murtada al-Qazwini, the Friday prayers sermonizer at the al-Husayn shrine complex in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, requested the government during his Eid or holy day sermon to refuse to sign the security agreement being worked out with the Bush administration, because, he said, the current draft allows US troops in Iraq to commit crimes against Iraqis and the things they hold sacred without recourse for the victims to Iraqi courts.
Muhammad Ismail al-Khazraji of the Fadhila (Islamic Virtue) Party blamed the Iraqi government for the escalation of violence, saying it had failed to implement a plan for national reconciliation. He said the bombings were done by political actors who sought concrete goals.
McClatchy reports political violence in Iraq on Thursday:
‘ BaghdadA suicide bomber wearing a suicide vest targeted a Shiite mosque in Baghdad al-Jadeeda, eastern Baghdad after Eid prayers, at 7.45 a.m. Thursday, killing at least twelve civilians, injuring twenty five.
A suicide car bomb targeted a Shiite mosque in Zafaraniyah, southeastern Baghdad at 7.45 a.m. Thursday killing eight people including four Iraqi Army members, injuring ten including one soldier.
A suicide car bomb targeted a U.S. military convoy in Ameriyah, west Baghdad at noon. A U.S. army vehicle was destroyed and two Iraqi civilians were injured according to Iraqi police. The U.S. military confirmed the incident, adding that the investigation was ongoing.
One mortar round slammed into the Green Zone near the Ministry of Defence, said Iraqi Police. No casualties were reported.
One unidentified body was found in Nidhal Street, central Baghdad by Iraqi Police today.
Nineveh
Gunmen attempted to assassinate Radhwan Izuddin, religious sheikh of al-Furqan Mosque in al-Zuhur neighbourhood, eastern Mosul. Izuddin survived the attack that took place in front of the mosque with superficial injuries.
Diyala
Gunmen opened fire upon a Kia minibus from a speeding car in Wajihiyah, 20 km to the east of Baquba killing three women, one man and two children ages five and six, injuring two people: a woman and a man.’