Monday 13 July 2009

Juan Cole's Informed Comment

13th July 2009

Al-Zaman reports in Arabic that the Arab political forces in the disputed province of Kirkuk have united under a single banner, They are calling it the Arab Political Council. Meanwhile, Turkmen frightened by recent guerrilla violence are requesting the federal government to allow them to pack heat.

Late reports put the number of Iraqis killed in bombings on Saturday at 10, 4 in a northern village near Mosul and the others in Baghdad. Dozens were wounded. The bombing came in what was described as a largely Shiite village just northeast of Mosul called Gogili [Ar. Kukjili], which I suppose must be Turkmen (about half of the Turkmen are Shiites). Mosul, Iraq's second or third largest city at nearly 2 million (the size of Houston) is majority Sunni Arab and its guerrilla movement deeply resents Shiite dominance over the federal government. Some guerrillas are extremist Salafis, who have a particular hatred for Shiites.

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