iraq

Iraqi PM Downsizes Government

July 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Iraqi Prime Minister wants to reduce his government’s size.

The state officials in Iraq are ready for some lean thinking. The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri Al Maliki, has set a timetable according to which the ministerial positions are to be merged and cut in half. The plan is to improve government efficiency. At present, there are 44 cabinet members and 47 ministries. These are to be reduced to 25. However, it was not clarified which ministries were to stay and which ones were to be discarded.

This shakedown of governmental positions and privileges is a necessity although an inconvenient one. It is for the sake of improving the daily functioning of the state. Iraqi statesmanship remains in an experimental stage especially after its colonization by the United States. There have been allegations of graft and bureaucratic red tape has plagued the nascent government.

The trimming of the ruling elite in Iraq may ruffle a few feathers among those who don’t want to leave their positions of power. This is only natural since those who have become habituated to remaining in the corridors of power are for obvious reasons unwilling to relinquish control.

Iraqi Suicide Bombing in Mosque

June 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sixteen dead in mosque suicide bombing.

At least 16 people have lost their lives in a vicious suicide bombing which took place in a mosque in Iraq. The tragedy occurred during the Friday prayers in a mosque in Saddam Hussein’s home town of Tikrit. This has been the second major attack in recent times.

Over 54 people are among the wounded and some of them are in a critical condition. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Tikrit was Saddam’s home town and several of his close relatives still live there.

Maliki Advises Reforms in Syria

June 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Iraqi PM wants to see a stable Syria.

Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri Al-Maliki called for a more peaceful and placid Syria amidst crackdowns in which at least 15 protesters were killed. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was on a visit to Baghdad when the Iraqi PM issued the statement that he “wanted to see a stable and secure Syria.” They further wanted to enhance commercial ties between the two nations.

Meanwhile, the United Nations was shocked at the brutality with which the government of Bashar Al-Assad has suppressed dissent in Syria. Until now at least 1000 people have been killed and 10,000 have been put behind bars. This is in clear violation of basic human rights one of which is the right to freedom of expression.

Deadly Blasts in Iraq

May 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Bomb explosions spell tragedy in Baghdad.

Bomb blasts killed at least 16 people in the area around Baghdad, according to authorities. Explosions are a commonplace occurrence in Iraq and seem to have increased since the death of Osama bin Laden. 10 people were killed in Taji, north of Baghdad, in a Shia majority area. Of these 7 were police officers.

Dozens of people have been injured by a series of bomb blasts, most of them implanted in cars or on the roadside during the morning rush hour. The unpredictability of the explosions and the fact that they are not easy to prevent has caused much concern among the government authorities.

Three Bomb Blasts Rock Kirkuk

May 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Iraq’s oil center under attack by militants.

The oil hub of Iraq was attacked by militants in a series of blasts that did a lot of damage in terms of human lives lost. Three separate bomb blasts created chaos in Kirkuk which is the oil capital of Iraq. Over 20 people have been massacred in this violent act and at least 80 have been seriously wounded.

The population of the city is a curious mix of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. And the fact that all the crude oil is concentrated in this urban setup is, indeed, cause for concern. Nobody has yet accepted responsibility for the bombing. The vengeance sought by terrorist acts have eradicated all semblance of peace in many nations of the Muslim World.

Iraq: Ten killed in Karbala car bomb

November 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

On Monday, police and hospital officials said that a car bomb detonated in the city of Karbala in central Iraq killed at least ten people & injured hirty-eight, a number of them Iranian pilgrims.

Mohammad Al Moussawi, head of the Kerbala provincial council said, “It was a car bomb. There were Iranian pilgrims in the area. They were targeted”.

Other reports said that the death toll is alot higher, according to the DPA agency at least forty-eight people were killed & sixteen wounded.