BAGHDAD, Oct 2: Iraqi police reported finding 50 bodies in the streets of Baghdad on Monday as parliament renewed the government’s emergency powers.
The capital’s dire security was further highlighted by a mass kidnapping carried out by gunmen dressed in military-style fatigues — the second in as many days.
At the same time, the British and US governments announced the deaths of three US marines and a British soldier, as violence continued across the country.
For the past six months, Sunni and Shia death squads have hunted civilians in each other’s communities, leaving a grim toll on the streets — at a rate of 100 dead a day across the country, according to UN and government estimates.
Parliamentarians, meanwhile, have been at loggerheads after revelations a senior Sunni politician’s bodyguard had been implicated in a bomb plot against Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, the seat of the government.
In Monday’s session, however, parliament speaker Mahmud al-Mashhadani cut off further debate on the subject and forced the fractious deputies to focus on the legislative agenda, including renewing the long-running state of emergency.
But Sunni parliamentarians said the powers needed to be reviewed since they clearly were not improving the situation, and alleging security forces were corrupt.
Even after the measure passed with only 32 deputies out of 275 voting against, Sunni parliamentarian Hussein al-Falluji loudly disputed the action.
“If you don’t stop arguing, I will have you ejected,” said Mashhadani.
The parliament had been expected to discuss the federalism law on Monday which would set down the conditions for creating autonomous regions — another contentious issue — but instead chose to focus on minor laws.
The atmosphere has been tense in parliament after the news of the bomb plot, and several Shia deputies have called for investigations into Sunni politicians, suggesting they have links with insurgent groups.
The Sunnis alleged that Shia political parties are sponsoring armed militias responsible for much of the midnight killings across Baghdad.
These shadowy armed groups, many outfitted with government-issue uniforms, carry out assassinations and kidnappings, such as the one on Monday near the techology university.
Seven government-style pickup trucks pulled up to the Sira computer store in broad daylight and took 14 people, both customers and employees from the surrounding shops.
US ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad highlighted the issue in an interview on Sunday where he said the United States still has faith in Iraq’s leaders, but they had to address the civil strife.
“The government, in the course of the next two months, has to make progress in terms of containing sectarian violence,” Khalilzad said.
But while there have been several moves into Sunni insurgent-infested neighbourhoods in western and southern Baghdad, coalition forces have been hesitant to enter the teeming Shia slum of Saddr City.—AFP
