Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber kills 31 at Iraqi Army base in Taji

[longknife]

by Bill Roggio

An al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber attacked a group of Iraqi Army recruits outside of a base in Taji, just north of Baghdad, earlier today, killing at least 31 people.

From Reuters:

The bomber drove his car into crowds of troops and recruits outside the base in Taji, 20 km (12 miles) north of the Iraqi capital, leaving body parts and burned vehicles scattered in the streets outside, police and hospital officials said.

At least 31 people were killed, mostly soldiers, and another 50 people were wounded in the blast, a hospital source said.

"There were army trainees leaving the base and small buses were waiting for them when the explosion took place," said Ahmed Khalef, a policeman working nearby. "We immediately started to rescue the wounded. You could smell of charred bodies."

Read more: Al Qaeda in Iraq suicide bomber kills 31 at Iraqi Army base in Taji - Threat Matrix

 

[irosie91]

why?

 

[freedombecki]

why?

From the longknife's link:

The attack took place just one day after an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman told Al shorfa that the military and police "stormed a building in Taji, north of Baghdad, arrested 11 al-Qaeda gunmen who had in their possession two car bombs, a third one that was ready to be wired, improvised explosive devices, sticky bombs, and silencer-equipped guns. The detainees confessed to planning to launch a large-scale terrorist attack targeting different areas of the capital this week."

It sounds purely like retribution for Iraq's DOD stopping a large terrorist attack on the Iraqui capital. But I can't say for sure.

 

[RoccoR]

freedombecki, et al,

This is a continuation of the anti-government insurgency.

why?

The attack took place just one day after an Iraqi Defense Ministry spokesman told Al shorfa that the military and police "stormed a building in Taji, north of Baghdad,

It sounds purely like retribution for Iraq's DOD stopping a large terrorist attack on the Iraqui capital. But I can't say for sure.

(COMMENT)

They were doing this went I was there in 2004, and they were doing this in 2010 when I left.

This is not about the US occupation, but about discontent with the corrupt democracy we left behind.

Most Respectfully,
R

 

[waltky]

Jailbreak!...

Iraqi inmates seize weapons, escape from prison
Jan 11,`13 -- A dozen prisoners including al-Qaida-linked death row inmates escaped from a prison near Baghdad on Friday, the latest sign that Iraq still struggles with basic law and order more than a year after American troops withdrew, officials said.

The brazen prison break happened hours before thousands of mostly Sunni protesters rallied in the capital and other parts of the country, keeping pressure on the Iraqi government. Among the demands of the three-week wave of protests are the release of detainees held in Iraqi jails and changes to a tough counterterrorism law that Sunnis believe unfairly targets their sect. The prisoners managed to escape through windows in their cells early in the morning and then seized the weapons of guards manning two observation towers, according to a police official. He said all of the prisoners had been convicted on terrorism charges and that some were awaiting execution, but did not provide further details of the crimes they were alleged to commit nor give a specific number for how many escaped.

A guard chief in Taji prison confirmed the account. He said a number of guards were arrested and are being questioned to see if they helped the prisoners escape. Security forces launched a manhunt to arrest the escapees. He and the police official agreed to discuss the incident on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media. Jailbreaks are not uncommon in Iraq. In September, scores of inmates escaped following clashes at a prison in Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit that left 12 people, including 10 guards, dead. The government acknowledged the inmates in that escape had help from the inside.

Meanwhile, several thousand demonstrators took to the streets for the third Friday in a row in the western province of Anbar and in other predominantly Sunni parts of the country. The protests began last month following the arrests of bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, one of the central government's most senior Sunni officials. He has since become a rallying point for the demonstrators, who are angry over perceived second-class treatment by the Shiite-led government. Al-Issawi roused a crowd of several hundred people gathered at a Baghdad mosque after midday prayers Friday, saying the demonstrations "will be able to shake any throne."

Without naming Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki or other officials directly, he warned that anyone who threatens the protesters could face the same downfall as Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president who was pushed from power by the Arab Spring protests in 2011. "If you want to stay out of prison after your term ends, do not stain yourselves with protesters' blood," he said. The rallies have for the most part been peaceful, and government forces have not tried to break them up. His address was frequently interrupted by chants from the crowd demanding the toppling of the government.

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