Nur al-Cubicle

A blog on the current crises in the Middle East and news accounts unpublished by the US press. Daily timeline of events in Iraq as collected from stories and dispatches in the French and Italian media: Le Monde (Paris), Il Corriere della Sera (Milan), La Repubblica (Rome), L'Orient-Le Jour (Beirut) and occasionally from El Mundo (Madrid).

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Christmas Day: Events in Iraq.

Feedback from Fallujah. Returning residents have left the city, saying not even animals could live there.

Balad. An Iraqi was killled when a roadside bomb detonated prematurely.

16:15 Mossul. Homemade bomb blows up police van. A police van was blown up in Mossul. The driver had just dropped off Iraqi security forces at their base and was killed or kidnapped.

16:09 Ramadi. Rebels linked to al-Zarqawi captured. US Marines say Saleh Arugayan Khalil, known as Abu Obaida, and Bassem Mohammad Hazim, known as Abu Khattab, were captured between 8 and 12 December.

15:48 Baghdad. Christian churches empty. Only Our Lady of Salvation Church celebrated Christmas mass in Baghdad.

15:33 Khan al-Nus. Carbomb kills five. Five persons were killed in the blast of a carbomb meant for a US convoy in Khan al-Nus between Karbala and Najaf.

13:40 Baquba, Iraqi interpreter and wife ambushed and killed.

13:05 Najaf. Police accuse Syria for Najaf bombing. Najaf Police Chief Ghaleb al Jazairim blamed Syria for the recent bombing in Najaf, claiming a suspect confessed and named Syria as acting behind the scenes.

13:02 Ankara. Ransom demanded for kidnapped Turk. A kidnapped Turkish shipowner is being ransomed for $25 million, reported the Turkish private TV netwok NTV. Kahraman Sadikoglu was kidnapped in the port city of Umm Qass together with a ship captain and Sadikoglu's chauffeur and bodyguard. All four are Turkish. Sadikoglu is the CEO of International Marine Contractors, based in Dubai. His company was awarded a contract for $25 million for the salvaging of 19 sunken ships in a canal at Umm Qasr. Sadikoglu was about to be awarded a second contract for $90 million by the UN for the salvaging of other wrecks.

12:27 Kuwait City. Philippines Embassy car fired upon. Unknown gunmen opened fire on a car carrying a family which had diplomatic plates belonging to the Embassy of the Philippines.

12:18 Ankara. Two Turkish nationals kidnapped. A Turkish businessman and one of his employees were kidnapped in Iraq according to footage broadcast by the Turkish network NTV. The black and white footage shows a man who says in Turkish and in English that his name is Kahraman Sadikoglu and that he runs a firm operating in Basrah and Umm Qasr. A second man, introduced as Captain Ahmet, is an employee of Sadikoglu. "We were kidnapped with a group of four others 5 days ago because we did something bad in Iraq." The video was dated 23 December.

11:21 Baghdad. Three Iraqis killed. Three Iraqis were killed by a US patrol in west Baghdad. In north Baghdad, two others were killed by unknown gunmen.

10:40 Baghdad. EIght killed in explosion. Eight persons including the bomber were killed and 19 wounded yesterday in Baghdad. Another two bodies were recovered this morning. In total eight bodies were recovered: 5 women, two men and the bomber.

09:32 Mossul. Dozens arrested. US troops arrested 34 people in Mossul following the bombing of a US base on Tuesday which killed 22.

09:20 Baghdad. Death toll climbs in suicide bombing.

08:50 Baghdad. Blast caused by truck bomb. A fuel truck exploded in the Mansour district in west Baghdad. At least two are dead and 13 are wounded.

08:24 Baghdad. Powerful blast witnessed. A powerful blast was heard in the Mansur district. A dense column of smoke is seen rising from the scene. US troops have surrounded the area.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good god almighty. What a fiasco. Sounds like all hell is breaking loose, a deathly Christmas celebration for the troops.

I just stopped by to offer you my sincere and heart-felt wishes for a nice holiday, however you may celebrate (or not,) hoping with every ounce of my being that we can all see more peace in the coming new year.

Kate S.,
Alaska

10:05 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home