Another Bloody Day In Iraq

Bombs And Battles Hit Northern Iraq, 70 Dead -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Insurgents struck cities across Iraq on Monday with car bombs, suicide attacks and gun battles, killing more than 70 people in worsening sectarian violence.

No group claimed responsibility for the day-long attacks, most of them in northern Iraq, but officials blame much of the violence that has killed nearly 2,000 people since April on Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda's local wing.

The bloodshed has accompanied rising political tensions between Iraq's majority Shi'ite leaders and the Sunni community, who believe they have been marginalized since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

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More News On Today's Violence In Iraq

New wave of Iraq violence kills 70 -- AFP
Iraq Hit by Wave of Bomb Attacks, Killing Dozens -- AP
Car Bombings in Central, Northern Iraq Kill Dozens -- Wall Street Journal
Scores killed in Iraq car bombings -- Al Jazeera
String of car bombs in Iraq leaves dozens dead -- Deutsche Welle
More than 30 killed in rash of attacks in Mosul, Baghdad area -- CNN
Bombs, rockets hit north Iraq's Mosul police HQ, 24 killed -- Reuters
Scores Killed, Many More Hurt In Wave Of Iraqi Bombings -- Radio Free Europe
Bureaucracy hampers Iraq car bombing probes -- AFP

May Was Iraq's Deadliest Month In 5 Years

Iraq Sees Deadliest Month In 5 Years -- Christian Science Monitor

The violence has spanned the country, with an assassination attempt, explosions, shootings, and a series of bombings in Baghdad this week alone. Can the government bring the situation under control?

More than 500 people were killed in Iraq in May, about 120 of them since May 27 alone, making it the deadliest month since June 2008, according to the United Nations.

The uptick in violence has put increased pressure on the government to prove its ability to keep sectarian tensions under control and prevent the country from spiraling into a renewed civil war.

The death toll prompted a warning from UN special representative to Iraq, Martin Kobler. "Systemic violence is ready to explode at any moment if all Iraqi leaders do not engage immediately to pull the country out of this mayhem," Mr. Kobler said in Baghdad, according to CNN.

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Update: Iraq mayhem 'ready to explode' into wider conflict, U.N. official says -- CNN

My Comment: These casualty numbers do not match the monthly 3000+ numbers during the height of Iraq's sectarian war in 2006-2007 .... but the trends are ominous and Iraq's security forces appear to be powerless to stop it.

Update: UN: Iraq saw deadliest month in years -- Al Jazeera

U.N. Official: Iraq Mayhem 'Ready To Explode'

Iraq Mayhem 'Ready To Explode' Into Wider Conflict, U.N. Official Says -- CNN

(CNN) -- A wave of deadly bombings struck Baghdad on Thursday in an already remarkably lethal week in Iraq, prompting a U.N. official to warn the mayhem is "ready to explode" into a wider conflict.

And violence wasn't limited to Iraq's capital -- Anbar province's governor escaped the latest apparent attempt to assassinate him when bombs exploded Thursday near his convoy in Ramadi and injured four of his bodyguards, police said.

In Baghdad, a car bomb exploded Thursday afternoon outside a university, and three car bombs and a roadside bomb exploded Thursday morning in four neighborhoods, killing at least 10 people and wounding 41 others, police said.

The deaths come as political and sectarian violence rises across Iraq, much of it stemming from discord between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Nearly 400 people have been killed in acts of violence in May, according to a CNN tally. And since Monday alone, at least 120 people have been killed.  

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More News On The Growing Violence In Iraq

Violence claims more than 1,000 since April in Iraq -- Watchlist News/Reuters
Iraq attacks push May death toll past 600 -- DAWN/AFP
Fears grow in Iraq as new bombing wave kills 33, governor escapes assassination attempt -- Washington Post/AP
Surging Violence, Sectarian Fears Haunt Iraq -- Voice of America
Alarm grows as Iraqi forces fail to stem violence -- Newsday/AP
Iraqis Fear Return of ‘Death Squads’ To Baghdad Streets -- Al Monitor
Iraqi Shiite militia warns of sectarian fighting -- Salon
Wave of Iraq Violence Continues -- Voice of America
Iraq violence claims more lives -- Al Jazeera
UN Official Urges Immediate Action For Ending Iraq Violence -- RTT
Fears of Civil War Cripple Baghdad Commerce -- Al Monitor
Is Iraq sliding into civil war? -- Dillon Clancy, New Europe

Baghdad Rocked By Wave Of Bombings

More Than 70 Killed In Wave Of Baghdad Bombings -- Reuters

(Reuters) - More than 70 people were killed in a wave of bombings in markets in Shi'ite neighborhoods across Baghdad on Monday in worsening sectarian violence in Iraq.

No group claimed responsibility for the blasts. But Sunni Muslim Islamist insurgents and al-Qaeda' s Iraqi wing have increased attacks since the beginning of the year and often target Shi'ite districts.

More than a dozen blasts tore into markets and shopping areas in districts across the Iraqi capital, including twin bombs just several hundred meters apart that killed at least 13 people in the capital's Sadr City area, police and hospital officials said.

"A driver hit another car and left pretending to bring traffic police. Another car rushed to take him away and right after his car exploded among people who had gathered to see what was happening," said bystander Hassan Kadhim. "People were shouting for help and blood covered their faces."

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More News On Today's Bombings In Baghdad

Wave of bombings in Iraqi capital kill at least 66 -- FOX News/AP
Dozens killed in string of Baghdad bombings -- RT
Bombs in Baghdad Kill 66 -- Voice of America
Iraq violence: Baghdad car bombs kill more than 57 -- BBC
Dozens killed in wave of Baghdad bombings -- CNN
Wave of Baghdad bombings targets Shiites -- Deutsche Welle
Iraq: Sunni Supremacists Call For Victory Or More Terrorism -- Strategy Page
STRIFE IN IRAQ: Worse And Worse -- Business Insider/The Economist
A look at some of the deadliest attacks in Iraq since the 2011 US troop pullout -- Washington Post/AP

My Comment: Iraq's security forces are clearly not capable of stopping this bloodshed. This violence will only fan the fires of a renewed civil Sunni-Shiite civil war.

Baghdad Rocked By Wave Of Explosions

Residents gather at the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad. A series of apparently coordinated blasts hit Shiite districts across Baghdad and south of the Iraqi capital on Tuesday. Mohammed Ameen / Reuters

Iraq Rocked By Wave Of Explosions -- The Guardian

Dozens killed and scores more injured as Sunni extremists target Shia civilians in series of blasts across Baghdad.

Baghdad was convulsed by a deadly wave of explosions as terrorists detonated up to nine explosions in the course of a few hours on Tuesday morning on the 10th anniversary of the US-led invasion.

Early reports suggested that at least 34 people were killed and dozens more wounded as car bombs hit Shia areas, including a mosque and a restaurant across the city.

At the ministry of the interior in central Baghdad, the Guardian heard one explosion in the distance, followed by a rising plume of smoke. Helicopters could be seen hovering above the scene.

An hour later, in another part of the city, a second blast was audible and another column of smoke a half a mile or so away, this time from an attack in Karrada,.

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More News On Today's Bombings In Baghdad

Blasts rock Shia districts across Baghdad -- Al Jazeera
Attacks tear through Baghdad area, killing 56 on eve of 10th anniversary of US-led war -- Washington Post/AP
Bombs kill 50 on Iraq invasion anniversary -- Reuters
Wave of Deadly Attacks Hits Baghdad -- Wall Street Journal
Attacks claim 48 lives on Iraq anniversary -- CNN
Attacks Kill 50 in Iraq -- Voice of America
Bombs kill at least 50 on anniversary of Iraq invasion -- NBC

A Bloody Day In Baghdad

Smoke rises from the site of a bomb attack in central Baghdad on March 14. Radio Free Europe

Iraq Attack Shows Coordination, Planning, And Numbers -- Christian Science Monitor

What the latest terrorist attack in Baghdad tells us about the health of Sunni militant groups (hint: pretty healthy).

The clocks are ticking down to the tenth anniversary of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq. Forums and roundtables are convening to look back at all the spending and the death and trying to put a bow around what it means and what we've learned from the fiasco.

Back in Iraq of course, the war never really ended, as a highly sophisticated series of attacks that claimed over 25 lives in downtown Baghdad today demonstrated.

Though Iraq is much more peaceful than it was during the height of its sectarian civil war from 2003 to 2009, which claimed more than 165,000 lives, it remains one of the world's most dangerous places. In 2011 it suffered more terrorist attacks and deaths from terrorist attacks than any other country but Afghanistan.

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More News On Today's Attack In Central Iraq

Blasts, clashes kill at least 25 in central Baghdad -- Reuters
Blasts, suicide bombers strike busy central Baghdad, killing at least 18 -- CNN
Coordinated bombings, assault kill at least two dozen in Iraq -- FOX News
Baghdad bombings kill at least 22 -- The Guardian
Al Qaeda in Iraq launches suicide assault in Baghdad -- Threat Matrix
At Least 20 Killed In Baghdad Attacks -- RTT
24 killed in hour-long street battle in Iraq -- The National
Iraq bombers target Baghdad ministries -- BBC
Coordinated Bombings and Assault Leave Several Dead In Baghdad -- Radio Free Europe

Iraq Rocked By More Bombings And Shootings

Bomb Attacks Kill At Least 37 In Iraq -- Wall Street Journal

BAGHDAD—Car bombs tore through shopping areas within minutes of each other in mainly Shiite neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital Sunday, killing at least 37 people and wounding more than 100.

The attacks come amid rising sectarian discord in Iraq and appear aimed at shaking Iraqis' confidence in the Shiite-led government.

The explosions struck at the start of the local workweek and primarily targeted outdoor markets.

Violence in Iraq has fallen since the height of sectarian fighting in 2006 and 2007, but insurgents still frequently launch lethal attacks against security forces and civilians. It was the third time this month that attacks have claimed more than 20 lives in a single day.

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More News On Recent Bomb Attacks In Iraq

Series of deadly blasts hit Iraqi capital -- Al Jazeera
Car bombs kill at least 37 in Iraq capital -- Newsday
Deadly car bomb blasts hit Shia areas in Baghdad -- BBC
Car Bombs Hit Shi'ite Areas of Baghdad, Killing at least 28 -- Voice of America
25 killed in series of bombings, gunfire in Iraq -- Xinhuanet
Baghdad bombings reflect sectarian tensions -- L.A. Times

Many Killed In Bomb Attack In Iraq

35 Killed In Iraq Suicide Bombing, Police Say -- CNN

Baghdad (CNN) -- A suicide bomber killed at least 35 people and wounded scores more Wednesday at a funeral near a Shiite mosque in northern Iraq, police said.

The attack occurred in the ethnically mixed town of Tuz Khurmatu, roughly 56 miles (90 kilometers) south of Kirkuk, and also wounded at least two senior Iraqi government officials.

Among the injured is Ahmed Abdul-Wahed, deputy governor of Salaheddin province, a largely Sunni region in north central Iraq.

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad called the bombing "cowardly and reprehensible."

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More News On Today's Bomb Attacks In Iraq

Iraq suicide bomb at Shiite mosque kills 42 -- AFP
Iraq Suicide Blast Kills 24 at Funeral -- Wall Street Journal
Suicide bomber kills 22 at Iraqi Shi'ite mosque -- Reuters
Iraq bomb: Many dead in Shia mosque in Tuz Khurmato -- BBC
At funeral suicide bomber kills 35 -- Global Post
Husseiniyah Suicide Attack Claims 42 Iraqi Lives -- Al Manar News

Iraq Hit By Bomb Attacks Amid Anti-Government Protests

Iraq Is Still Bloody -- The Economist

Though violence has dipped since June, Iraqis are still a sad and fearful bunch.

ON THE last day of 2012, a year after the last American troops left Iraq, ending nearly nine years of military occupation, at least 36 Iraqis perished in a wave of bombings and shootings across the country that targeted policemen, government officials and ordinary people of varied sects. According to Iraq Body Count (IBC), a meticulous mainly American and British monitoring group, the overall toll in deaths of civilians due to political violence last year was 4,471, slightly more than the year before. On average, there were 18 bombings and 53 violent deaths a week. Iraq is hardly a country at peace.

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More News On Iraq

At least 70 killed during religious festival as bombers target Iraq pilgrims, cops -- NBC
Suicide car bomber kills 27 Shi'ite pilgrims in Iraq -- Reuters
Deadly car blast shatters Iraqi town -- Al Jazeera
Car bomb kills Shia pilgrims south of Baghdad Iraq -- BBC
Car bomb stokes Iraq sectarian tensions -- Financial Times
Anti-Maliki Protests Sweep Iraq -- Al-Monitor
Protests engulf west Iraq as Anbar rises against Maliki -- BBC
Iraq PM warns Sunni protesters to end rallies -- Al Jazeera
IBC says 4417 killed in Iraq in 2012 -- Aswat

Bomb Attacks Sweep Iraq Killing Dozens

Deadly Bomb Attacks Rock Iraq For A Third Day -- CNN

Baghdad (CNN) -- At least 43 people were killed and more than 120 injured Thursday in Iraq as a series of bomb attacks ripped through the country for a third day running.

Eight people were killed and 21 others wounded when a car bomb exploded in the southern town of Twareej as a bus carrying Shiite pilgrims passed by, police officials said.

Sixteen more people were killed and another 75 wounded when two car bombs exploded outside popular restaurants in a commercial area of Hilla, about 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Baghdad.

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More News On Today's Bomb Attacks In Iraq

Scores killed in Iraq blasts -- Al Jazeera
Bombings in Iraq Kill at Least 48 -- New York Times
Iraq bombs take 43 lives -- Gulf Today
Iraq Bombings Target Shi'ite Areas -- Voice of America
Bombings kill Shias in Iraq cities of Hilla and Karbala -- BBC
Scores Dead in Iraq Attacks -- Wall Street Journal

Another Wave Of Bombings In Iraq

String Of Iraq Car Bomb Blasts Kill At Least 32 -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Bombings and shootings killed more than 32 people across Iraq on Sunday, underscoring the government's struggle with a stubborn insurgency more than nine months after the last U.S. troops withdrew.

In Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of the capital Baghdad, bombs in three parked cars went off separately, killing 11 people and wounding 24, including several policemen.

Reuters footage of the scene of one of the explosions showed the remains of an exploded car surrounded by several completely and partially destroyed houses and cars.

Taji has one of Iraq's largest military airbases but the bombing hit a civilian neighborhood.

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More News On Today's Wave Of Bombing Attacks In Iraq

Gun and bomb attacks kill more than 32 across Iraq -- Independent
Wave of Bomb Attacks Kills 26 in Iraq -- Voice of America
Iraq car bomb attacks target security forces and Shias -- BBC
Al Qaeda-style strikes on Shiites in Iraq kill at least 26 -- Christian Science Monitor/AP
At least 26 killed in Iraq in wave of car bomb attacks -- RT
Police targeted in deadly attacks across Iraq -- Deutsche Welle

Is Syria's Civil War Spilling Into Iraq

Iraq Blasts Point To Spillover -- Wall Street Journal

BEIRUT—Iraq suffered its worst day of violence in nearly two years as bombings and attacks in nearly two dozen towns left almost 100 people dead, in what Iraq's government characterized as a clear spillover of sectarian violence from neighboring Syria.

Attacks broke out at dawn Monday and lasted throughout the day, targeting security and military sites and several predominantly Shiite areas across the Shiite-majority country. As late as 11 p.m. local time, reports came in of a bombing in the Hay Ur neighborhood of Baghdad, raising the death toll to at least 96 people and 318 wounded, according to official tallies.

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My Comment: I have doubts that Syria`s civil war spilling into Iraq. The focus for Sunni extremist groups in the region is to overthrow Assad .... not to launch a terror campaign in Iraq that would only force the Iraqi government to take sides .... including the possibility of assisting the Assad regime.These bombing attacks are the work of Iraqi terror groups, groups that have been at war with the Shiite dominated government since the beginning.