Suicide bombings in Samawa, Iraq admist civil unrest

Suicide bombings in Iraq’s southern city of Samawa, 155 miles south of Baghdad, once again rocked the country this Sunday amidst already tense civil protests. The blast killed 32 people and wounded 73 others, including women and children. Shortly after, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in a statement made on twitter. The statement included a detailed description of the execution of the attacks stating that the assailant “blew up his car in the middle of a gathering of the Shiite Ministry of Interior Special Forces (al-Maghaweer forces). He killed and wounded a number of them.” After Shiite firefighters and policemen arrived at the scene, a second car explosion went off and killed more victims.

The initial explosion was set off near government office buildings and the second followed some 60 meters away near a bus stop. The double car explosion set debris into the air and huge flames created smoke clouds in the sky. It is expected that the death toll should rise as firefighters continue to clear the scene. Unverified photographs show the remnants of the exploded cars as well as the burnt bodies of civilians on the ground.

The attack occurred in the midst of heated protests by civilians in Iraq’s Green Zone, the international zone of Baghdad that historically has been off limits to normal Iraqi’s. The protestors who had stormed the citadel retreated on Sunday after their Shiite cleric leader, Moktada al-Sadr, mandated it so as to preserve the honor of the 8^th century imam Moussa al-Kadhim. The protestors chanted for government transparency and an end to corruption through the resignation of the President, Prime Minister, and speaker.

Iraq’s internal turmoil and terrorist attacks were echoed in its northern neighbor Turkey, who on Sunday also suffered an ISIS-claimed car bomb attack that left two dead and 22 injured.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/01/middleeast/iraq-violence/index.html

http://www.ibtimes.com/after-isis-suicide-bombing-attack-iraq-samawa-death-toll-expected-grow-2362307

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iraq-car-bombings-isis-claims-responsibility-after-two-blasts-latest-info-in-city-of-samawa-a7008811.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/world/middleeast/iraq-protesters-leave-baghdad-green-zone-on-clerics-order

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-attacks-kill-32-southern-iraq-bombing-turkey-kills-two-n565496

 

Libya’s Request to Trade Arms: The Illicit aid to Terrorists

The illicit trade of weapons, fuel and ammunition across the borders from Libya to Algeria and Tunisia since 2011 has created an immense conflict for the United Nations and the International community. According to Al Arabiya News, since the death of Ghaddafi in 2011, Libya’s Prime Minister, Abdullah al-Thinni has been waging a war with the rival armed factions.

This has resulted in the Islamic State and Ansar-al Sharia to utilize Libya as an OPEC member and have a foothold in the region. According to the NY Times, “Libya has been essentially lawless for 4 years.” In 2011, UN Security Council placed an arms embargo upon the Libyan government to stop ay weapons from ending up in the hands of Ghaddafi supporters.

The recent development is that Libya has asked the UN Security Council to end the embargo and allow for weapons trade. Fox news points out that Libya is making this request after the Islamic State beheaded twenty one Coptic Egyptian Christians and that this deal request simply will not be granted. There is too much concern from countries like the United States that the arms will end up in the hands of terrorists- a threat that cannot manifest. In 2013, Belarus exported 3,000 tons of ammunition to Libya that ended up being distributed to various autonomous groups. Furthermore, in March of last year, 23 assault rifles, 70 handguns, and thousands of tons of ammunition simply went missing at the Tripoli Airport. (Ny times).

The future outcome of this proposal looks improbable. According to ABC, eight member states of the UN Security Council have already put a hold on Libya’s request for a dozen fighter jets, tanks and weapons under the rationale that these materials simply cannot and will not fall into the wrong hands. A UN report stated that Libya needs a maritime force to be able to control the weapons trade in the country.

On Monday, Tunisia seized weapons coming from Libya from a “weapons cache” fifteen kilometers outside of Ben Guerdane in the southeast region. The international dynamic will be interesting as it is determined the extent to which the illicit trade of weapons is considered a prohibition regime worthy of international support.

 

AFP. “Tunisia Seizes Arms Haul near Border with Libya.” DailyMail.com. N.p., 9 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

“HOMEU.S. UN Diplomats Put Hold on Libya’s Request for Jets, Tanks.” ABCnews.go. N.p., 10 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Associated Press. “UN Report Calls for Tightening of Libya Arms Embargo.” Foxnews.com. N.p., 2 Mar. 2015. Web.

Nichols, Michelle. “U.N. Experts Concerned Libya Arms Could Be Diverted to Militias.” Http://english.alarabiya.net. N.p., 7 Mar. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

Reuters. “Libya Needs International Maritime Force to Help Stop Illicit Oil, Weapons: U.N. Experts.” New York Times. N.p., 26 Feb. 2015. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.

LAX Shooting: TSA Agent Dead, Gunman In Custody At Airport

Posted: 11/01/2013 12:56 pm EDT  |  Updated: 11/01/2013 2:46 pm EDT

A gunman opened fire at LAX, killing a Transportation Security Administration agent and wounding several others at the airport, NBC News reports.  A suspect wearing camouflage and carrying a high-powered rifle was shot and secured by cops at about 9:30 a.m. local time, authorities told CBS. It’s unclear how the alleged gunman got through security. The LAX Twitter account confirmed multiple injuries and that the gunman was apprehended. Fox News reports that the suspect is connected in some way to TSA.  Read more here.

Scores Killed by Suicide Bomb in Pakistan—NYT

A suicide attack on a historic church in northwestern Pakistan killed at least 78 people on Sunday in one of the deadliest attacks on the country’s Christian minority  in years. The attack occurred as worshipers left a church service in the old quarter of the regional capital, Peshawar. Up to 600 people were leaving when two explosions ripped through the crowd. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who arrived in Peshawar on Sunday evening, said that 78 people had been killed, including 34 women and 7 children. Akhtar Ali Shah, the home secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, said that more than 100 people had been wounded. Mr. Khan said that 37 of those were children. Witnesses reported mayhem as rescue workers ferried victims from the church, which was scattered with body parts, shrapnel and bloodied clothing. Read more here.

Dozens Killed in Terror Attack on Nairobi Mall—NYT

Masked gunmen stormed into a crowded mall in Nairobi Saturday and shot dead at least 39 people and wounded more than 150 in one of the most chilling terrorist attacks in East Africa since Al Qaeda blew up 2 U.S. embassies in 1998. Parents hurled their bodies over their children, people jumped into ventilation shafts to save themselves, and shoppers huddled behind the mannequins of designer clothing stores as 2 squads of gunmen believed to be linked to a Somali terrorist group moved through the mall, shooting shoppers in the head. Hours later, the mall’s gleaming floors were smeared with blood as police dashed through the corpse-strewn corridors, trying to find the assailants. A standoff with the attackers, who were reported to be heavily armed and holding an unknown number of hostages, continued as the sun rose on Sunday. Read more here.

India arrests Indian Mujahideen terror suspect—CNN

(08-29-13) Indian intelligence agencies have arrested Yasin Bhatkal, one of the country’s most wanted terrorism suspects, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said Thursday. Bhatkal is believed to be a co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, a militant group banned in India and listed by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. Intelligence officials arrested him Wednesday in the eastern state of Bihar, near India’s border with Nepal, Shinde said.  Read more at CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/world/asia/india-terrorist-arrest/

Attack on Syria may trigger terrorists acts against U.S., Israel—WashTimes

(08-28-13) “With the White House closer to launching a surgical military strike on Syria, questions swirl over the extent to which such an attack could trigger a wave of terrorism directed at the U.S. and Israel. Some analysts say that Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese militia fighting in support of embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, likely would be inspired to ramp up operations in Iran’s “shadow war” with the U.S. and its allies.” Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/aug/26/attack-on-syria-could-trigger-terrorists-acts-agai/#ixzz2dKBi1QFg