Tikrit
IED attack on a police convoy injures 3 policemen, including a captain, disrupting a celebration of the anniversary of the Iraqi police force.
Basra
Police free three abducted children, arrest their captors. No indication as to whether this incident was politically motivated.
Other News of the Day
Iraqi Parliament convenes, to hear address by Secretary of the Arab League Amr Moussa, in anticipation of an Arab summit to be held in Baghdad in March. This is seen as an important step toward reintegration of Iraq into the community of Arab nations.
If you didn't catch it yesterday, this AP account of Muqtada al-Sadr's address in Najaf on Saturday is worth reading. It puts al-Sadr in both contemporary and historical context. As always, he presents himself as a non-sectarian Iraqi nationalist, and a fierce opponent of the U.S. presence and influence.The truth about Sadrist involvement in sectarian violence, however, should not be forgotten. The extent of control he had personally over Sadrist associated militias, and the extent to which they acted reactively vs. pro-actively, is disputed, but his commitment to peaceful political action is clearly a conversion. -- C
Iran and Iraq are said to reach an agreement on joint exploitation of shared oil fields along their border. This has been a source of contention, including minor military posturing.
Iraq will purchase $26 billion worth of armaments from the U.S., $13 billion by 2013. So the U.S. doesn't get control of the oil fields, but does get a customer for its most important industry.
Afghanistan Update
Danish soldier killed by an IED in Helmand Province.
Three civilians, including a child, are killed during a firefight between ISAF and Taliban forces in Helmand. It is not clear which side's fire was responsible. Separately, two civilians were killed and three injured by a rocket said to be fired by insurgents.
Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna issues a statement following talks with Afghan FM Zalmay Rasool during a two-day diplomatic visit to Kabul. He is scheduled to meet with Hamid Karzai later. In a more detailed summary of his remarks, it appears he is warning against excessive Pakistani influence in a possible resolution of the conflict. “Any external interference in the reintegration process would be detrimental to its success and for the future of democratic, stable, pluralistic and prosperous Afghanistan,” Mr. Krishna said.
A French soldier is killed in Afghanistan on Saturday, the French government confirms.
Quote of the Day
after 9/11, when General Musharraf chose to ally with the Americans in the "war on terror", it was a fundamental blunder. Overnight he turned the jihadi groups created to fight foreign occupation from supporters into enemies, people prepared to fight the Pakistani army because of its support for the US invasion. . . .
There is no military solution in Afghanistan, only dialogue, so the supreme irony is that in siding with the Americans all we have done is send the levels of violence up in Pakistan. The "war on terror" has weakened the state and then, thanks to the George Bush-sponsored National Reconciliation Ordinance in 2007, which allowed an amnesty for all the biggest political crooks, we now have the most corrupt government in our history. The "war on terror" is destroying Pakistan.
Imran Khan
No comments:
Post a Comment