On Thursday at least 50 people were killed and over 125 wounded in multiple terrorist attacks in Iraq. Suicide bombers struck at Tal Afar, in northern Iraq, killing 34 people while at least seven were killed in Baghdad by two bombs hidden in refuse. In the evening a further nine people were killed by a bomb in the Kasra district of Baghdad. The combined toll of dead and wounded has made Thursday the bloodiest day in Iraq since the withdrawal of US combat troops from major cities and towns on 30 June.
The toD verdict: It is no secret that US commanders on the ground in Iraq have had long standing concerns regarding the Obama administration's strategy of transferring forces from Iraq to Afghanistan, with resulting lower troop levels in Iraq. Thursday's events provide a clear illustration of their concerns. The issue is not simply one of al-Qaeda-linked insurgents versus foreign troops. Factors linked to regionalism, resources and ethnic rivalries are also central. Tal Afar is mainly populated by members of the Turkmen ethnic group, a minority within Iraq as a whole. The north of Iraq is a key battleground in terms of Iraq's mineral resources. In the wake of incidents such as Thursday's terrorist attacks, key questions are being asked about the ability of Iraq's security forces to fill the gap left by the withdrawal of US troops.
In spite of these horrific attacks, Iraq is much less prominent in the press than during the height of post-war violence in 2007. With an upsurge in violence in Afghanistan, and a belated focus on northern Pakistan as a key theatre in the wider war, the media lens has shifted to events in south Asia. But the carnage on Thursday should serve as a macabre reminder that the denouement of the Iraq war is only just beginning and may well result in greater bloodshed in the days ahead.
Urumqi Mosques defiant as Beijing orders lockdown
In the western Chinese city of Urumqi, at least two mosques have defied a Chinese order to close and admitted worshippers for Friday prayers. So far there has not been a government response to the move. The order by the Beijing government, ostensibly for the sake of ‘public saftey', came in the wake of days of unrest in Urumqi, the provincial capital of China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, which has left 156 people dead, most of them Han Chinese. Meanwhile thousands of people are apparently attempting to flee the city, with the local bus terminals twice as crowded as normal.
Attack on Iran would be a ‘catastrophe': Sarkozy
On Thursday, AFP quoted French President Nicolas Sarkozy as saying that any Israeli attack on Iran over the latter's supposed nuclear ambitions would be an "absolute catastrophe". Speaking after a summit of the G8 in Italy on Wednesday, Sarkozy said that the major powers would pursue negotiations with Iran over its controversial nuclear programme, saying that: "If there is no progress by then we will have to take decisions." In response to the French President's comments, Ali Akbar Velayati, top International Relations adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei, said that Iran would not retreat "even one step" from its nuclear programme, which Tehran claims is intended for peaceful purposes.
On Wednesday, US President Barack Obama insisted that Washington had definitely not given Israel the "green light" to attack Iran, saying that he was seeking a solution to the standoff through peaceful negotiations. This clarification comes in the wake of US Vice President Joe Biden's remarks, made at the weekend, to the effect that the US would not stand in the way if Israel decided to launch an attack.
British soldier dies as violence in Afghanistan continues
On Tuesday, Operation Panther's Claw sustained another loss as a British soldier was killed while fighting against Taliban insurgents near the town of Gereshk in Helmand province. The solider is the seventh to die in a week, and brings the total British death toll in Afghanistan to 176 since 2001.
On Thursday, a roadside bomb killedat least 25 people, including 15 students. The operations conducted by coalition troops have at this point resulted in the highest level of violence in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. At this point it is unclear whether this offensive into Taliban strongholds in the south of the country will result in an increase in domestic security across the rest of the country.