Is Diyala Heating Up, or is This Business as Usual?

by: Chris LeJeune

Wed May 28, 2008 at 12:36:22 PM EDT


A number of different stories over the past few days suggest that Anbar might not be the only province starting to heat up.

Security authorities released 160 detainees from Iraqi detention centers through the Diala police department after proving that they were not involved in any criminal acts, the chief of local police said on Wednesday morning.

"The Diala police freed 160 detainees from the Bucca detention center in Basra and Karkoush jail in Baladruz after they had been proven not guilty of involvement in any crime," General Ghanem al-Qureshi told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).
"The total number of detainees released as of January 2008 until now reached 1,435," the general explained.

Detainee release has been happening across Iraq for several years now, and by itself does not seem to point to any increase in violence.  However, that story was from today, and was followed by a number of other stories also released in the last 72 hours.

"An explosive charge detonated, this morning, in al-Khwelis village near Ba'aquba, killing a civilian and wounding another,"

Two civilians were killed and a third was wounded on Wednesday as a roadside bomb exploded in Diala province, central Iraq, a local official source said.

Both of those attacks were from today, this was from yesterday:

At least an Iraqi soldier was killed and another wounded on Tuesday morning as gunmen attacked a checkpoint in Diala, central Iraq, a police source said.
"Gunmen, believed to be from Qaeda Organization, launched an attack on a checkpoint manned by Iraqi troops in Hibhib district, killing a soldier and wounding another,"

Even the livestock isn't safe:

Four shepherds disappeared along with their livestock on Monday in the desert areas in southwest Baaquba, an official security source said.
"Four herdsmen disappeared today in the desert area in Baladruz, southwest of Baaquba,"
"Their families informed security authorities of their disappearance along with scores of livestock,"

Ba'aquba, the capital of Diyala, lies 57 km northeast of Baghdad.  So, is this normal for Diyala province, or a sign of change?  Could this be related to the detainee releases, or AQI moving from one area into another?
Chris LeJeune :: Is Diyala Heating Up, or is This Business as Usual?
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Is it Iraqi Politicos jockeying for power? (0.00 / 0)
I'm going to start with the news release that said the Oct. Iraqi elections  may have to be postponed until Nov. Official reason: not all provinces have an understanding of how the Constitution applies to the elections. Also, the possibility of the voting taking place over several days.

Does this mean that they want to wait until the US elections are over?

Also, the voting over several days? Universally spread over several days or different provinces on different days? Easier to 'fix the votes' or easier to provide security?

Both the Oil Minister and the Deputy Interior Minister seem to be busy. Chalabi is out and the "oil", "ports", and "airport" bosses have been replaced in the Basra area. And the Deputy always announcing 'arrests'. [see Mosul below]

Is there a 'split' amongst the ranks that have supported al Sadr?
al Sistani posting when it is ok to kill a US soldier on his web page.

Mosul has had a lot of activity. [creating a whack-a-mole? the missing livestock needed to feed the 'displaced?] Somewhere I read that this might be really 'ethnic' cleansing. It is always an AQinI or a Sunni from Saudi. The prison warden there was stabbed to death.

Footnote: Kuwait Agility just got a $2.3B contract to supply log to US Troops in Kuwait/Iraq.
Turkey is 'pipeline' dealing with Russia and maybe a problem with Turks and the US-Brit attitude toward the PKK.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/
Also, Europe is facing $9/gal gas with protests. Some sources say that they blame the USA for the high oil prices.



Chris, do you have this link? (0.00 / 0)
http://schema-root.org/region/...

Just pick your city on the left.
homepage can be found at:
http://schema-root.org/

I remember Gen. Mixon saying that we did not have enough troops to control Diyala when he first took command there. Since that statement when he had a presser, he pretty much followed the 'company line'.

Also, did you catch that al Sadr has called for a vote to let Iraqis decide about US Troops

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/...


Iraq's main Sunni bloc suspends talks with government.. (0.00 / 0)
deMeme (4.00 / 1)
Thank you.  I had seen some of these, but not all.  You have just given me plenty of blogging fodder for a while.
Thank you.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

[ Parent ]
From personal experience in Diyala, (0.00 / 0)
Baqubah and it's surrounding areas have  been pretty bad for a while. From what I understood it turned into a huge shit hole during the troop surge. At that point AQIZ proclaimed Baqubah to be its capitol. The troop surge  did succeed in making it known that the insurgency is flexible and moves around the whole country.  

Hey thanks! Good info! (0.00 / 0)
I was hoping to hear from someone with personal experience there.  I was mostly in Baghdad/Fallujah back in 2003/04.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

[ Parent ]
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