The Week in Iraq

Increasing Violence

by Lily Hamourtziadou

27 Aug 2006

This weekend Al-Maliki stated that 'the violence is not increasing' in Iraq. It certainly increased during this week.

On Monday 21 August there were around 25 dead civilians including a 10-year-old boy accidentally shot dead by US forces and 8 fruit traders on their way to buy watermelons.

Tuesday 22 was no better, as another 25 civilians died violent deaths, including a family of 5 (2 children among the dead). Also, British forces, using helicopters and 65 tanks, surrounded a neighbourhood in Amara and following clashes a woman and a child were killed.

On Wednesday 23 another 25 died, including dead bodies found in a mass grave.

By a freak coincidence, on Thursday 24 August 25 peoplewere reported dead again. The most outrageous killing this time involved US forces and a family shot dead as suspected terrorists: 5 members of a family (an old man, 2 women and 2 young men) were shot dead as they were leaving their home in Mosul.

Friday 25 August saw a rise in violent deaths, as over 30 people died around the country. US tanks shelled a mosque in Ramadi, after coming under attack, killing 4 civilians in the process (2 of them shot in the head by American snipers). During a football match 10 died, as bombs exploded in a field. US forces again raided a house in Al-Jalayilah, killed a husband and arrested the rest of the family.

On Saturday 26 August over 30 civilians died again. The violent incidents included the shooting of two sisters working as translators for the British consulate, as they were leaving a British military base. One was killed and the other one was injured, while those responsible spread the 'good news' that they had killed 'agents who work for British forces'. Among the dead on this day were also 4 members of the same family (2 women and 2 children).

Again, Sunday was the bloodiest day of the week. Today, Sunday 27 August, over 80 people were killed in Iraq (latest estimate 86 -DPA ) in various incidents around the country, including a bomb on a minibus, market bombs, car bombs, shootings, and another attack outside the office of 'Al-Sabah' newspaper.

Altogether around 250 civilians were killed this week in Iraq through the usual violence.