Iraq (parliament) debates worsening security

Source: Al Jazeera English

Members of parliament in Iraq are meeting to debate the reasons behind the escalating violence in the country that has claimed more than 250 lives last week.

Saturday's meeting precedes a planned withdrawal of US troops from most Iraqi cities on June 30.

At least 13 people were killed and dozens wounded in a bomb attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad on Friday.

The bomb, planted on a motorbike at a motorcycle market in the city centre, was the latest in a recent series of major attacks on civilian targets.

Muqtada al-Sadr, a prominent Iraqi Shia leader, has blamed the recent surge of violence on US plans to withdraw its troops from Iraqi streets.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/200962763946489392.html

---

Iraq security concerns grow over US pullout


Iraqi parliament members have been facing questions over why more than 250 people have been killed in violent attacks in the last week.

The spike in bloodshed comes days before US troops are scheduled to pullout from major cities and towns and Iraqi forces take charge of security.

Al Jazeera's Hoda Abdel Hamid reports on what is at stake for Iraq's future and its leader:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNYDhjOi4Ug

The Iraqi authorities are tightening security in preparation for next Tuesday's deadline for US soldiers to pull out of the country's cities.

All police leave has been cancelled and extra troops have been drafted in, amid a spate of bomb attacks this week which has left 250 people dead.

Prime Minister Nouri Maliki says the attacks may be aimed at stirring up sectarian tensions.
But he says he is confident his government can safeguard security.

"(The attackers) want to sweep delight from the Iraqi people's hearts. They have revealed their real intentions," said Mr Maliki. "But this will not bend our determination and will for what we have agreed upon - that is, to return security responsibilities to our military and police forces."

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8122579.stm

Since I cannot start a new post as a new member to this site, I thought this thread was the closest for which to post this somewhat related article. Turborama, please forgive me if it seems as though I'm hijacking your thread, I'm not that sort of person, I just really need to get some posts under my belt so I can contribute my own to the site.

Anyway, here's an interesting tidbit which reminds me that it was a war of choice;

Source: NY Daily News
Former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein bluffed about WMDs fearing Iranian arsenal, secret FBI files show

WASHINGTON - Saddam Hussein feared Iran's arsenal more than a U.S. attack, and even considered asking ex-President George W. Bush "to protect" Iraq from its neighbor, once secret FBI files show.

The FBI interrogations of the toppled tyrant - codename "Desert Spider" - were declassified after a Freedom of Information Act request.

...

Asked how he would have faced "fanatic" Iranian ayatollahs if Iraq had been proven toothless by UN weapons inspectors in 2003, Saddam said he would have cut a deal with Bush.
"Hussein replied Iraq would have been extremely vulnerable to attack from Iran and would have sought a security agreement with the U.S. to protect it from threats in the region," according to a 2004 FBI report among the declassified files.

...

Saddam also said the U.S. "used the 9/11 attack as a justification to attack Iraq" and "lost sight of the cause of 9/11."
The U.S. "was not Iraq's enemy," just its policies, Saddam explained.

Asked about WMDs, Saddam insisted: "We destroyed them. We told you."
"By God, if I had such weapons, I would have used them in the fight against the U.S," he added.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/06/24/200...

Thanks for your input & welcome to DU!

:hi: