A suicide bomber slammed a car packed with explosives into the gate of al-Hout prison north of Baghdad, killing at least 19 people. In central Baghdad, an explosion in a car park at Iraq’s parliament killed at least one person and wounded several others, including a politician.
The US will spend more than $6 billion in Iraq in 2012 even though its forces are to withdraw from Iraq in late 2011, according to the US ambassador. Mahdi Army militiamen are joining the government’s security services under a secret deal between the government and the Sadrist movement.
Iraq, Turkey end bans on flights, open skies to other country’s planes
Iraq: Mosul Christians ‘terrorized’ and ‘ready to leave’
Lobbying by Iranian Group M.E.K. Reaches Across Party Lines
Insurgents killed 15 Iraqis in bombings and attacks in Baghdad and Anbar provinces. The US Army said the Iran-backed Asaib al Haq is stepping up attacks to “to give the impression that our forces are being chased and forced to leave.”
US Forces in Iraq Send a Message to Civilians
Iraq executed 12 al Qaeda members who were convicted for the massacre of 70 people at a wedding. A string of bombings in Basra killed 19 people on Thursday evening and injured dozens more. Militants attacked a security checkpoint in Fallujah, killing one soldier and injuring three others.
US Easing Out Of Nation-Building Business
Insurgents stormed a police station in Hawijah and killed a pharmacist in Samarra. The government said Exxon violated the country’s laws when it struck a deal with the Kurdish Regional Government.
US Clashes With Baghdad Over Fate of Last Detainee
The US has transferred all detainees, save Hezbollah leader Musa Ali Daqduq, over to Iraqi control. Police killed a suicide bomber in Mosul.
Insurgents killed two Kurdish troops in Kirkuk. Security forces arrested a “terrorist” involved in assassinations in Mosul. A parliamentary committee said the Iraqi Air Force needs five years before it can defend Iraqi airspace.
Insurgents killed five policemen during an attack on a police checkpoint in Ramadi; three insurgents were also killed. An Iraqi security official claimed US troops killed two civilians after opening fire following an IED attack in Yusifiyah.
Insurgents killed five people in a bombing outside a policeman’s home in Saqlawiyah and four Iraqis in bombing outside three mosques in Abu Ghraib. Iraq is discussing with the UN the closure of the MEK’s Camp Arshaf.
Iraq executed a Tunisian al Qaeda operative who was involved in the 2006 bombing of the Golden mosques in Samarra; one Egyptian and nine Iraqis were also executed for terrorism charges. Muqtada al Sadr said he supports Syrian President Bashir al Assad.
Insurgents killed a policeman and a doctor in Mosul, and a US soldier in central Iraq. The government approved a $17.2 billion deal for Royal Dutch Shell PLC to process gas in Basrah.
Security forces killed three suicide bombers in Baghdad, and captured al Qaeda’s governors of Diyala and southern Baghdad. Security forces also detained 19 “terrorists” in Diyala.
As US prepares to leave Iraq, Iran’s influence looms large
Insurgents killed an Iraqi Army officer in Tikrit, a policeman in Fallujah, and two civilians in Baghdad. The US turned over two radar installations to the Iraqi military. Iraq abstained from the vote that suspended Syria from the Arab League.
Iraq Criticizes Exxon Mobil for Its Deal With the Kurds
Security forces detained five al Qaeda fighters in Wasit and six armed men in Baqubah. Insurgents killed a police commander in Fallujah. The Kurdish government reached a tentative agreement with Baghdad on petroleum exploration.
Security forces captured an al Qaeda emir in Karbala and a military doctor who supported terrorists in Khalis. Insurgents killed an Awakening member in Baqubah.
Insurgents killed an Awakening leader in Salahadin and attempted to assassinate the mayor of Mosul. The US has turned over the massive airbase at Balad to the Iraqi military.
Iranian influence seeping into Iraq
The governor of Anbar province dodged an assassination attempt in Abu Ghraib as he traveled to Baghdad. Kuwait denied it planned to host more troops as the US draws down in Iraq.
Iraq Factions Spar Over Security Forces Just Weeks Before Last U.S. Troops Depart
Insurgents killed 10 Iraqis in three bombings at the Shurja market in Baghdad. Insurgents also killed a civilian in a bombing in Sadr City.
Insurgents killed a US soldier in northern Iraq. Iraqi forces arrested three members of an al Qaeda assassination cell in Diyala. A US military spokesman warned that Iran’s Qods Force and al Qaeda in Iraq will remain a threat after US forces depart.
Ten Iraqis were killed in a suicide and car bomb attack on Awakening Council members in Baqubah. The US is requesting that Iraq transfer Hezbollah commander Ali Mussa Daqduq to US custody. Muqtada al Sadr claimed the US is planning to occupy the Middle East.