World

Bombs Tear Through 17 Iraqi Cities, More Than 60 Dead

Bombs Tear Through 17 Baghdad, Iraq Cities, At Least 63 Dead, Al Quaida, Al Quada

BAGHDAD (The Blaze/AP) — A relentless barrage of bombings killed 63 people Monday in the most sweeping and coordinated attack Iraq has seen in over a year, striking 17 cities from northern Sunni areas to the southern Shiite heartland.

The surprising scope and sophistication of the bloodbath suggested that al-Qaida remains resilient despite recent signs of weakness. Such attacks, infrequent as they are deadly, will likely continue long after American forces withdraw from the country.

“This is our destiny,” said Eidan Mahdi, one of more than 250 Iraqis wounded Monday. Mahdi was lying in a hospital bed in the southern city of Kut. One of his eyes was closed shut with dried blood, and burns covered his hands and head.

While some Iraqis expressed resignation, others voiced fury at security officials and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

“Where is the government with all these explosions across the country? Where is al-Maliki? Why doesn’t he come to see?” said Ali Jumaa Ziad, a Kut shop owner. Ziad was brushing pieces of human flesh from the floor and off equipment in his shop.

The bombs went off on a hot and sunny morning as people were headed to work. Explosive devices were planted in the vests of suicide attackers, in parked cars, along the sides of roads and even on light poles.

No group immediately claimed responsibility, but the simultaneous attacks, the targeting of Shiite civilians and Iraqi security forces and the use of suicide bombers indicated that al-Qaida in Iraq was responsible.

That the terror group was able to pull off such an attack, spanning half of Iraq’s 18 provinces, came as somewhat of a surprise.

A little over a year ago, U.S. and Iraqi officials said the deaths of al-Qaida in Iraq’s two top leaders in a raid had dealt a severe blow to the organization. The group has suffered from a drop in funding and just last week was calling on former members to come back to the fold, a sign of the group’s diminished status.

But time and again, al-Qaida in Iraq has shown an ability to resurrect itself.

“Al-Qaida in Iraq has been resting and waiting and is now making itself heard to both disrupt the internal Iraqi political process and send a message to the Americans, which have called al-Qaida in Iraq dead and buried,” said Theodore Karasik, a Middle East security expert at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis.

Monday’s violence came less than two weeks after Iraqi officials said they would discuss with the U.S. whether to have some American forces stay in the country past their Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline. U.S. officials have offered to keep about 10,000 of the 46,000 American soldiers currently here into next year if Iraq agrees.
Reuters provides the news report:

Karasik said the timing may be no coincidence, and that al-Qaida may be using reverse psychology. Greater violence could lead to calls for the U.S. to extend its military presence, but the terror group knows that the U.S. is very unlikely to resume a full-scale combat mission and that the troop numbers would be too small to make much of a difference.

“If the U.S. extends its military presence, al-Qaida in Iraq can use it as a tool by saying, `Look, the Americans have reversed their decision to leave and are staying on as occupiers.’ They could use this as a justification for more attacks,” Karasik said.

Joost Hiltermann from the International Crisis Group said such attacks are likely to continue regardless of whether the American forces withdraw because the Sunni population from which al-Qaida in Iraq gets its support still feels threatened by the Shiite-led Iraqi government.

“The point is how strong and cohesive the government, the ruling coalition and the security forces are. That is going to determine whether these guys (al-Qaida) have an opportunity or not. You need to dry up their opportunities,” Hiltermann said.

“The Sunnis are still very unhappy with the Maliki government and the role that they play in it,” he added.

President Barack Obama’s spokesman, Jay Carney, said the White House strongly condemned the bombings, but emphasized that overall violence was down.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters in Washington that the U.S. remains concerned about terrorist attacks.

“In net terms, though, overall, the violence in Iraq is significantly down this year over previous years,” she said. “We consider these to be desperate acts by desperate people. We believe that the Iraqi security forces are getting stronger by the day. And our goal is to continue to strengthen them. And we remain on track to withdraw all our forces at the end of the year.”

A U.S. military spokeswoman, Maj. Angela L. Funaro, said Iraq had asked U.S. forces in Tikrit for assistance but that was the only request they received.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani called the attackers cowards but acknowledged in a statement that faults in the security apparatus were to blame for the violence. Al-Maliki vowed in a statement to hunt down those responsible but provided no explanation for how the violence occurred.

Bombs Tear Through 17 Baghdad, Iraq Cities, At Least 63 Dead, Al Quaida, Al Quada

The most lethal explosions took place at an outdoor market in Kut, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southeast of Baghdad. The first bomb went off in a freezer used to keep drinks cold. As rescuers and onlookers gathered, a parked car bomb exploded, officials said. Thirty-five people died and 64 were wounded.

Police sealed off the area where human flesh was scattered on the ground and bloodstained walls were punctured by shrapnel.

“I was heading to a shop when a car bomb went off just less than 70 meters (yards) away from me, a big fire erupted and I fell on the ground,” said 18-year-old Karar Ali, speaking from his hospital bed.

“There were a lot of dead bodies on the ground.”

Elsewhere in southern Iraq, a suicide bomber crashed his vehicle into a checkpoint outside a police building just outside the holy city of Najaf, killing six people and wounding 32, said Luay al-Yassiri, head of the Najaf province security committee.

Three policemen were killed when a parked car bomb blew up on the outskirts of the nearby city of Karbala, according to two police officers.

Northeast of Baghdad, seven bombs went off in the Diyala provincial capital of Baqouba and in nearby towns, killing 11 people including five soldiers said Faris al-Azawi, the province’s health spokesman.

In the northern city of Tikrit, two men wearing explosives belts were able to carry out a deadly and embarrassing security breach. A provincial spokesman, Mohammed al-Asi, said men disguised in military uniforms drove into a government compound, parked their car and attacked a building. Three people were killed.

Earlier this year, insurgents penetrated the exact same compound and attacked a mosque.

According to police and hospital officials around the country, other attacks included:

- A parked car bomb targeting a police patrol in Iskandiriyah, south of Baghdad, killed two people.

- Bombs strapped to light poles in the northern city of Mosul exploded, killing one person.

- A parked car bomb exploded near an Iraqi military patrol in Taji north of Baghdad, killing one person.

- A roadside bombing near a fuel truck in Balad, north of Baghdad, wounded 16.

- A motorcycle bomb exploded in the northern city of Kirkuk, one of three violent attacks in the city over a 24-hour period including a late-night series of blasts at a church. One person was killed.

- A parked car bomb exploded in Baghdad near a convoy carrying officials from the Ministry of Higher Education, wounding eight.

All the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Other reports claim as many as 86 are dead.

AFP brings us scenes of the wreckage:

Comments (55)

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  • georgiavietvet
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 10:50pm

    when we leave iraq, within 2 yrs. iraq will be in the hands of the radical muslims. the present iraqi gov’t will not be able to stand up to radical islam. all the lives lost of our brave troops will have been for nothing because our gov‘t wasn’t strong enough to do the job right. we can thank all the bleeding heart liberals for the result……………………….

    Report Post »  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 11:49pm

      I don’t mind it at all if muslims distory muslims.

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • old white guy
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 7:16am

      muslims killing other muslims. i’m ok with that. the u.s. must get the hell out of iraq and let them get at it. the so called constitution of iraq is based on sharia law there will be no democracy. the u.s. allowed that to occur and should have done more and killed more of the jihadis. they are in the u.s. so keep your heads up and watch carefully.

      Report Post »  
    • Anarcho Capitalist
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 10:09am

      GEORGIAVIETVET

      You can go fight the good fight with your own blood and money bro. Just don’t force me to fight a pointless war. I may even be willing to buy you a plane ticket if you want. I just know you will be welcomed with open arms when you get there. Make sure you let them all know how much you love Israel.

      Report Post » Anarcho Capitalist  
    • Shooter Sarge
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 10:44am

      Normally I would agree with you, and I am a Viet Vet also. That is why we must get out or this will be another viet nam, as will Afganistan and Pakistan. our death toll in these 3 theatres will eventually add up to the 55,000 lost in Nam. These people are at best 600 years behind the Western world and the problem is their religious beliefs. The enemies of our enemies are not our friends. Regardless of which tribe a muslim belongs to, they still want to kill the infidels. We need to isolate ourselves from these people, end legal immigration of muslims to this country, and their visas to our colleges, develop our own rescources and limit our involvement with non-free countries. Tax chinese imports! grt manufacturing back in this country. Screw political correctness, this is what got us to this point in the first place. As long as the dems are calling the shots, we are doomed.! God help us all.

      Report Post »  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 3:07pm

      GeorgiaVietVet

      The wind down of this war is starting to feel like ours. Let’s just make sure that all the troops are welcomed home.

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
  • Mateytwo Barreett
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 9:25pm

    A guy would get really gnarlly right about now! Well anyway the “Iraqi stimulus” worked.
    Nossim dehsilpmocca.

    Report Post » Mateytwo Barreett  
    • mutslie
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 10:55pm

      Was this crap happening before U.S. invaded Iraq.??
      ‘just wondering’……. me thinks this is an invite to stay,‘waste more blood n’ money on goat herders & their hairybacked sheilas (muzslums).

      Report Post »  
  • MUDFLAPS
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 9:14pm

    if these people think that when they die they get 72 virgins then why do their families cry when they die? Never understood that. May every one of them burn in hell for all time.

    Report Post »  
  • Miami
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:40pm

    I know the left does not understand this, even those on the right fail to grasp the mentality of the Islamist.

    There’s no dealing or reasoning with them. The only thing they understand is death and even then only after they’ve met their maker. Bush was warned by those in his father’s administration that going into Iraq was a no win situation. That was then, One hard fact is they only understand strength, they see kindness as weakness and they see Obama as a victim in waiting.

    Report Post » Miami  
  • Ghandi was a Republican
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:32pm

    Thanks obama! Nobel incompetence prize on the war….

    Report Post » Ghandi was a Republican  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:29pm

    Urban renewal…iraqi style.

    Report Post »  
  • NuffSaid
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:03pm

    Call 1-800-Obama, raqui’s! Good luck. He’s screwed every one else. Your just another bunch of sand-o lowlife to the Bama-Mao. My Advice, go back to making WMD’s; make a deal with AL Qaeda. And tell the American presidunk to shove it.

    Report Post »  
  • SkiTuna
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:54pm

    I suspect the same thing will happen here in the US of A. Its only a matter of time. Our security is a joke! These extremist muslim groups will have no hesitation to do here what they do in their own country. The only difference is that it will take a bit more planning to hit here in the US than it does in the land of camel riders. I believe their will to harm us is stronger than most are willing to realize especially our government and security agencies. This clown Obama who poses as a president has to removed from office and replaced with a true AMERICAN!!! That person could be a man or women, gender dosen’t matter. What matters is who ever becomes the next Pres will be loyal and dedicated to what america was meant to be and lead in such a manner. No more if this “fundamental
    change” nonsense. Our country does not need change, it needs freedom and liberty to be respected and honored by all who reside here! One more thing, this country needs a overhall of Congress also.

    Report Post » SkiTuna  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 3:29pm

      The more we learn about the Islamic beliefs the clearer it is that we should have no contact with any Islamic country. It is time to withdraw our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. The need to be welcomed home. If you look at what our fathers (maybe grandfathers) experienced in WWII and Korea, what we experienced in Viet Nam, what our sons experienced in the 1st Gulf War, it is clear that the men and women currently fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan have much more combat time than most of us. Hearts and minds is a failed concept proved in Viet Nam and reinforced in the current war.

      While I think the US will be a continuing target of escalating Islamic jahidist violence, Islam will never gain a true foothold in the US. There are too many combat experienced regular, reserve and guard active duty and veterans. There are enough Viet Nam vets with the muscle memory, if not the stamina, to be deadly. Just look at the last ride of the James/Younger Gang in Northfield, MN. They rode into town and were met by Civil War vets who blew them away.

      Report Post » Dismayed Veteran  
  • Steve
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:51pm

    When we first entered I thought we were doing a noble thing. Supporting the 18 UN resolutions. Weapons of mass destruction that Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, John Kerry, Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, John Edwards, Evan Bayh and George Bush said were there. Then I began to study Islam.

    We can never win the hearts and minds of a people entrenched in a political ideology wrapped around a religious belief of a pedophile and a murderer. On top of this we have a clash of 2 sects within this evil ideology. They will kill themselves and once united or not. (The enemy of my enemy is my friend) they will ensure the commands of a world wide caliphate given to them by a moon god that has no room for the very men and women who have sacrificed their lives to promote and help insure their freedom nor will they look upon the country who spent trillions in helping them as a friend. We are not Muslim! And that folks is about as simple as it gets.

    Pull out of every Islamic State. We are simply wasting lives and our fortunes on a political ideology that feels predetermined to rule the world and nothing we do, say spend, beg, borrow, or steal will change that fact.

    Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 7:12pm

    The religion of peace is soooo peaceful that they celebrate the peace with bombs to kill each other just so they can be reminded how unpeaceful things can get if it were not for their religion of peace.

    Report Post »  
  • Seede
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:58pm

    Where are all of these hypocrites now? The Shehan’s and moveon.org and all the other socialists democrats. Haven’t heard a word out of any of them but when Bush was POTUS thats all you ever heard from newsprint, TV and radio. Shows me how much of this socialist democrat bunch have the balls to call fair shots. There must be a lot of big bucks changing hands in this war machine. That’s about all Obama and his VP turd could holler about for months on end when he lied to the sheep.Takes a man to admit when enough is enough and I haven’t seen that man in the DC gang yet. Can’t understand why any body would volunteer for this military we have now. It takes quite a coward to blow up women and kids and old people just for the sake of killing. That ain’t war or honor. That’s being the girly men that Muhammad and his Arab/Muslims have bred for centuries.

    Report Post »  
  • James
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:42pm

    The Sunni and Shiite Sects of Islam will never come to terms of a national governance. Something we should have considered before going into that dreadfull place, but as the story goes, we were simply protecting American Interests; oil anyone. On Afganistan, well we’re their to protect US Interests in India by keeping Pakistan in a war game. Yeah, I know Taliban are a bad group, but do you really believe we give a hoot about them. It does seem like Osama Ben Ladin was parked 1.5 miles from the Pakistani Military Training Acadamy for about 6 years and of course, no one knew he was there for that period of time.
    If ever there was a case supporting taking care of America First, it’s Iraq, Afganistan, Pakistan and the so-called Arab Spring Countries. If the Chicoms want to fill that void, let ‘em, they too will soon be sorry.

    Report Post »  
    • kryptonite
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 8:03pm

      I hear you, man. I’m angry too. But the future doesn’t look good, no matter what we do.

      Here’s the trillion-dollar question: What happens to the oil fields in the ME? Do we let Ahmuck seize them?

      Next trillion-dollar question: What are we going to do about the nukes in Pakistan? Obama won’t say, ergo, he has no clue.

      One more question (what’s a trillion dollars, anyway): What will happen to Israel? I don’t dare ask what will happen to us, what with open borders, madrasas and sleeper cells all in place.

      Hope you’re right with God.

      Report Post »  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:33pm

    .
    Rahman Noodles caused all of this?…..WTH is wrong with these people?………..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • affinnity
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:33pm

    Wow what a great investment Iraq was. Let’s take enough oil to reimburse us and pull our troops (our children) out NOW. These subhuman Muslim’s are useless and a total waste of our time and money.

    Report Post » affinnity  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:31pm

    A scorecard is needed to let everyone know what sect is the mostest muslim of all. The mostest muslims can slaughter the mediumist muslims and lessest muslims and all infidels. the mediumist muslims can kill the lessest muslims and any infidels. the lessest muslims can only kill infidels. Jews can be killed by any muslims.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • heavyduty
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:27pm

    We keep advertising that our troops are pulling out and this is what that’s left there is going to face. It will get worse until we have to pull an evacuation just like Viet Nam. Just shows the lawmakers don’t need to be telling the military what to do.

    Report Post »  
  • beckwasfox
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:22pm

    Brought to you by the peaceful Religion of Islam!

    Report Post » beckwasfox  
    • Obama Bin Lying
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:25pm

      More like the religion of perpetual outrage

      Report Post » Obama Bin Lying  
    • ThoughtfulConservative
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:28pm

      …And Bernard‘s Burka’s and Scarves…don’t have your wife beaten and raped for showing her face… Save the Scars…use Bernard’s!! .. Back to You Chuck!

      Report Post »  
  • BOMUSTGO
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:06pm

    It is all going to get worse everywhere!

    Report Post » BOMUSTGO  
  • biohazard23
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:04pm

    And….?

    Report Post » biohazard23  
  • ThoughtfulConservative
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:58pm

    Well…Glad to see that the War in Iraq is moving in a positive direction uhh…Not so much…
    But hey, the one in Afghanistan is well, not so good either…hmmm? Maybe this war thing isn’t such a hum dinger of a good idea after all…How bout this…We, as the american people DEMAND that our brave and over-worked men and women be returned home…NOW! Enough is Enough! We will NEVER make any Positive Changes in Iraq or Afghanistan…Did we in Korea? Nope. How about Vietnam? So we’re like 2 for 6 if you count Granada and Kuwait…Not to knock America, but let’s maybe get outta this war business…With some face left to save…Before it gets blown away by another car bomb

    Report Post »  
    • Mr. Oshawott
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:27pm

      @ThoughtfulConservative

      Absolutely well said! ^_^ If we don’t put a stop to these wars soon, we’ll eventually end up drowning ourselves in red ink in addition to seeing the death toll of our American troop rise even further (which is even worse than going broke). It’s the military-industrial complex that’s making huge profits from these unnecessary wars.

      Report Post » Mr. Oshawott  
    • Mr. Oshawott
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:33pm

      Whoops! “Troop” should have been “troops.”

      Report Post » Mr. Oshawott  
    • Stuck_in_CA
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:40pm

      The blood and treasure we’ve wasted in this needless war is sickening. The M.I.C. and the rest of the ruling class hurry to the microphones to ridicule and berate Ron Paul for is non-interventionist (NOT isolationist) policies. He’s right on a lot of this stuff, tho.

      Report Post » Stuck_in_CA  
  • discardofevil
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:55pm

    I have an idea let’s send Obama there! He and his loving religion could work all this country’s problems out! He loves the Arabs!

    Report Post »  
  • the wireworker
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:50pm

    They are resilient because we have a “0” as our prez.

    Report Post » the wireworker  
  • starman70
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:48pm

    Odummer has declared Iraq “safe enough” to withdraw our troops. Boy what a doofus he is. Either he misread the tea leaves or they weren’t tea leaves at all but the product of a California Maryjane farmer.

    But let’s pull out of both Iraq and Afghanistan and let the slaughter each other. They are already doing a pretty good job of it. We have lost too many lives and wasted far too many dollars on these Islamic slime pits. Let’s GET THE HELL OUT NOW!

    Report Post »  
  • jackeric61
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:48pm

    This country will never be safe as long as the US is still there. We need to leave at once and let the stongest of the country take charge. Until that happens the bloodshed will continue.

    Report Post »  
    • Captain Crunch
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:00pm

      “Bombs Tear Through 17 US Cities, More Than 60 Dead”

      This is what we can expect headlines to read in the future if we turn into isolationist the way Ron Paul advocates.

      Report Post »  
    • @ Coyote2
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 6:33pm

      Israhell is about to do ANOTHER false flag operation in the US that will make their like 9-11thing look like a sunday school picnic. Stay tuned.

      Report Post »  
    • Steve
      Posted on August 16, 2011 at 5:42am

      jackeric61
      Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:48pm
      This country will never be safe as long as the US is still there.

      This country will never be safe as long as Islam remains in the world!

      Report Post »  
  • NHwinter
    Posted on August 15, 2011 at 5:47pm

    This will never end. Did we really think we could make a difference. God bless all the innocent people who would love to see peace in their land. Unless we fight wars like we did long ago, with the desire to win and conquer, we might as well leave the Middle East and let them kill each other.

    Report Post » NHwinter  
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