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A blog on the current crises in the Middle East and news accounts unpublished by the US press.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).

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

January 19 Events in Iraq

Ramadi. Violent Clashes. Combat broke out in three districts in Ramadi, 100 km west of Baghdad, after an attack on a US army patrol. US troops supported by ten armored vehicles, reinforced their positions as helicopters and warplanes overflew the city. The death toll is unknown. Witnesses report that a Humvee was destroyed and that a number of civilians were caught in the crossfire.

Baghdad. Cellphone service to be cut off during Iraqi elections. The Iraqi caretaker government announced that in order to provide security for the polls on January 30, cell and satellite phones will be cut the day before, of and after the elections.

19:21 Baiji. British national killed in ambush near power station. Guerrillas ambushed a British national and another colleague working as security guards for a power plant. Their car was disabled and the Briton was then shot. The second guard was kidnapped; his nationality is unknown.

15:30 Osnabrueck. British troops were ordered to punish looters. British troops were ordered to mete out harsh treatment to looters of a food storehouse near Basrah. The order caused soldiers accused of abuse to go beyond acceptable limits.

15:18 Kirkuk. Oil pipeline shut down following sabotage. The pipeline running from the Kirkuk oilfields to Turkey will be shut down for 15-20 days following sabotage in Fatha, near Baiji. Repairs from a prior bombing in the same area had just been completed.

15:10 Mosul. Two Iraqis killed. Miltants released a video showing the execution of two Iraqis who worked for a US communications firm in Iraq installing equipment for the upcoming elections. Ansar al Sunna militants executed the pair by pistol shot. They had been installing wide area network in Mosul and Erbil.

14:49 Baghdad. Ulema demand liberation of Chinese hostages. The Committee of Iraq Ulema call for the release of the Chinese hostages in celebration of Eid al Adha. The Chinese workers were taken prisoner as they were leaving Iraq. During interrogation, the eight admitted that they were employed in the construction of US military installations in Iraq. The group is from Pingtan, in Fujian Province, the same area as that of 11 Chinese workers kidnapped in Fallujah in April.

13:35 Latifiyah. US raid on guerrillas. Eleven Iraqis were killed and nineteen arrested during a raid on the town of Latifiyah, south of Baghdad.

13:14 London. Blair expresses shock. The pictures of British prisoner abuse were shocking and appalling, says Tony Blair. The difference between democracy and tyranny is not that in a democracy bad things don't happen. It is that in a democracy, when they do happen, people are held to account., he said. [It that the dumbest thing a modern British leader has said or what? --Nur]

13:08 Baghdad. Al Zarqawi claims credit for bombings. A group linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi claimed credit for today's bombing of the Australian Embassy and a police barracks.

13:04 Erbil, attacks on Kurds. Two roadside bombs targeted convoys escorting Kurdish notables. The first incident occurred in Erbil when assassins targeted Wirya Maaruf, Director of the local police academy. Maaruf was unharmed. A second bomb targeted a group of Kurdish notables in Dohuk, killing one and wounding another.

12:54 London. UK outrage over torture pictures. Images of prisoner abuse carried out by British troops were broadcast on TV and printed in all major newspapers provoking national outrage.

12:15 Mosul. Roadside bomb targets US military convoy, wounding an Iraqi civilian.

12:00 Baghdad. Sixth carbomb. A police officer was killed and two others wounded when a booby-trapped car exploded south of Baghdad on the highway between Mahawil and Al-Mousayyib (80 km south of Baghdad).

10:57 Baghdad. 26 killed in this morning's carbombings.

10:34 Baghdad. Fifth carbomb. A fifth carbomb exploded in front of the Al-Rafidaïn bank where police where collecting their salaries. One civilian and seven police officers were wounded. At least one death is reported.

11:46 Baghdad. Dutch soliders kill two. At least two Iraqis are dead after Dutch troops opened fire in al Muthana Province. The troops opened fire on a passenger car after the driver ignored orders [in Dutch?--Nur] to stop.

08:30 Baghdad. Fourth carbomb. A fourth suicide carbomb went off in front of the south gate of the al-Mouthanna military base. A white pickup truck of a type typically used by the Iraqi military detonated, killing one civilian and three soldiers. Another twelve persons were wounded.

08:15 Baghdad. Third carbomb. A suicide carbomb detonated southwest of Baghdad Airport, killing two security guards and wounding three others.

07:09 Baghdad. Second carbomb. A second carbomb killed twelve and wounded twenty-three near the al Andalus traffic circle adjacent to the Al-Alwiyya Hospital in downtown Baghdad.

07:06 Baghdad. Carbombing in vicinity of Australian Embassy. A carbomb targeted the Australian Embassy inside the Green Zone. Two Iraqi garbage collectors were killed and seven other were wounded. A 7-story building across the street from the Embassy housing Australian security personnel took the brunt of the blast in which a truckbomb--a cab without the trailer-was driven at high speed into a barricade. Two Australians were slightly injured in the blast, which blew out the windows of the building.

02:10 Washington. Important Mesopotamian art treasures including several 4000 year-old marble and alabaster seals were returned to Iraq by the US Ambassador to the UN. The precious artifacts were stolen from the Iraqi National Museum by a US researcher, who was intercepted by US customs.

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