Bombings Rip through Iraq in Lead-up to Arab Summit

A wave of bombings rippled through Iraq on Tuesday. The series of apparently coordinated explosions in eight Iraqi cities killed more than 45 people.

The bombings could derail Baghdad’s plans to host the Arab League Summit next week. The gathering would be the first time Iraq has hosted the summit in 20 years.

Reporter Sahar Issa of the McClatchy News Service is in Baghdad. She tells host Lisa Mullins that the violence is unlikely to cancel the conference, or move it to another locale.

“The Iraqi government looks to the summit to give it legitimacy in the Arab world,” says Issa. “I doubt very much that it’s going to let this opportunity slip between its fingers.”

She says the Iraqi government doesn’t want to lose the chance.

“They will want to keep it. It remains for the guests to decide whether they want to come to the site of bombings or not,” she notes.

The bombings on Tuesday also reached deep into northern Iraq. Two car bombs hit a police station in the northern city of Kirkuk. There was another attack in Mosul.

The BBC’s Rami Ruhayem, who is in Erbil, in northern Iraq, tells host Lisa Mullins that the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan is the only area to escape the recent violence.

“It’s had its own security forces even while Saddam was in power,” says Ruhayem. “And this meant they had time to build their security forces, and they had time to build a stable region in Iraq.”

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Lisa Mullins: I’m Lisa Mullins and this is The World. There was no fanfare today to mark the ninth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. That conflict officially ended for the U.S. late last year. When the last American soldiers left Iraq, but there was a brutal reminder today of the ongoing dangers there. A series of apparently coordinated explosions shook eight Iraqi cities killing more then forty five people. From Baghdad to Volusia, to Kirkuk rescuers scrambled to help the many wounded after the blast. The bombings came at a delicate moment for the Iraqi government. It’s getting ready to host an Arab League Summit next week, for the first time in decades. And Iraqi leaders are anxious to show they can provide adequate security now that U.S. troops are no longer in the country. Reporter Sahar Issa of the McClatchy News Service is in Bagdad now. Sahar we’re seeing this wave of bombings in eight different cities. Who’s being targeted and why?

Sahar Issa: Generally security forces are being targeted, but some of these attacks just took place in the middle of nowhere. In main thoroughfares, in small streets, seemingly targeting no one but civilians.

Mullins: And the message behind the attacks, especially right now, as we said just one week before an Arab League Summit is scheduled to take place in Baghdad is what?

Issa: The obvious message would be to undermine the Iraqi governments ability to provide security, for the Summit. As it cannot actually provide security for the Iraqi people. But there are very many political behind the scene factors as well.

Mullins: Behind the scene factors, and I wonder if one of them is the fact that today is the ninth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Issa: That could very well be, it’s a yes. And I think that insurgents want to remind people that although nine years have passed, that everything in Iraqi politics today stemmed from an occupation of the country.

Mullins: The fact that the explosions are continuing now in such a large numbers. What’s the potential that this will derail the Arab League Summit next week?

Issa: The Iraqi government has taken this into consideration I believe, because they have given two days holiday. And there is a high possibility, in fact it is expected that a curfew will be announced. In which case if people want to arrange bombings, of course it will be very difficult. But I don’t believe it will be derailed I believe the Summit will take place. The Iraqi government looks to the Summit to give it legitimacy, in the Arab world. I doubt very much that it’s going to let this opportunity slip between its fingers.

Mullins: Even if it has to embrace this opportunity and hold the Summit against a backdrop of bombings?

Issa: They will want to keep it, it remains for the guests to decide rather they want to come to this site of bombings or not.

Mullins: Thank you for speaking with us reporter Sahar Issi, of the McClatchy News Service in Baghdad. Talking to us about the wave of bombings across Iraq today, on the verge of next weeks Arab League Summit in the Iraqi capitol. Nice to speak with you.

Issa: You are most welcome.

Mullins: The bombings today also reached deep into northern Iraq. Two car bombs hit a police station in the northern city of Kirkuk. There was another attack in Basra. The BBC’s Rami Ruhayem
is in Irbil also in Northern Iraq.

Rami Ruhayem: The entire country, almost, has been targeted with one one exception. Which is the Semi autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan. Now that region is in the north of the country, and it has been enjoying autonomy for awhile. Its had its own security forces even while Saddam was still in power. This was enforced by a no fly zone, so Saddam could not come in here. And this meant that they had time to build their security forces, and they had time to build a stable region in Iraq. Now there are certain parts of Northern Iraq which do not lie in this semi autonomous region. Namely Kirkuk and mussel. Which did suffer from this latest wave of attacks.

Mullins: So while there are concerns about what will happen in terms of security and safety throughout much of Iraq, as the Americans have left. What about in Northern Iraq, is it a concern there as well.

Ruhayem: Not really at the moment it is not. The concern is more in Iraq itself especially in Baghdad, which is supposed to host this very important meeting. Iraq has very high hopes for this meeting it wants to showcase supposedly the stability, the new found stability of Iraq. And it wants to say to the world we are back on the regional stage and on the international stage. And we can host really big international events in Baghdad. But here in the semi autonomous region of Kurdistan things are quite stable, at least on the security side. Politically there’s a lot of tension between Kerby and Baghdad, between the regional government here and the central government in Baghdad. And that’s about how to share the oil well for example, and other logistical issues.

Mullins: All right. Thank you very much, the BBC’s Rami Ruhayem in Arbile in Northern Iraq. Thanks for talking to us.

Ruhayem: Thank you.

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