A female suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt hidden under her all-encompassing black robe at a checkpoint in Baghdad, killing at least two women and wounding five, AP quoted police as saying.
The attack occurred just after noon as women were being searched in a room before being allowed to enter a commercial street in the predominantly Sunni Amariyah neighborhood in southwest Baghdad, according to police officials.
The women attackers were waiting at one of two entrances to the Amal al-Shaabi market district, agencies reported.
29 January 2008
To My Mother (R.I.P), 6 Months Later...
"The night comes and asks me:
How the morning would come,
And how the sun would shine,
On many who have suddenly been deprived of her presence?"
How the morning would come,
And how the sun would shine,
On many who have suddenly been deprived of her presence?"
23 January 2008
BBC News Article: Iraq parliament approves new flag
Iraq's parliament has voted to change the country's flag.
The three stars that represented Saddam Hussein's Baath Party will be removed, to address the concerns of Iraqi Kurds.
They have refused to fly the flag since the fall of Saddam Hussein, saying it is too closely associated with a regime that repressed and killed their people.
The flag was also changed in 2004, when a line of script, allegedly in Saddam Hussein's own handwriting, was changed to Kufic script.
But the latest change - passed by 110 votes to 50 - is only temporary, as a design for a new flag will be sought after one year.
Agreement over the flag is another sign that the Iraqi parliament is moving forward on difficult issues, says the BBC's Jonny Dymond in Baghdad.
A measure that should allow former Baath party members to rejoin the bureaucracy and military was passed 10 days ago.
However, big obstacles to unity remain. The Iraqi parliament said on Tuesday that attempts to pass the 2008 budget had stalled, leading to fears that infrastructure projects would be delayed.
Changing times
The new flag retains the three colours of the old one - red, white and black.
But the stars that represented the ideology of the Baath party - unity, freedom and socialism - will be removed.
The Arabic inscription "Allahu Akbar" ("God is great") in green will be retained. As with the 2004-2008 version, it is written in Kufic script, making clear it is no longer in Saddam Hussein's handwriting.
Kufic is an ancient form of Arabic script that originated in what is now Iraq.
"The new flag has no signs of Saddam's regime and is a sign that change has been achieved in the country," said Humam Hamoudi, a prominent Shia politician and member of the powerful Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council party.
11 January 2008
BBC News Article: Baghdad wakes up to rare snowfall
now has fallen in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, for the first time in living memory - though it mostly melted into puddles on touching the ground.
People came out on to the streets to watch and some Iraqis said it was the first time they had seen such weather other than in films.
Snow is common in Iraq's mountainous Kurdish north but the closest thing Baghdad usually sees is hail.
Freezing night temperatures in the city are forecast for the weekend.
"I woke up and I saw snow falling, so I woke up all the family and told them to come and see the snowfall," Baghdad resident Aysar Khaled told Reuters news agency.
"Everyone in Baghdad is delighted because this is a new thing, this is the first time that it snows in Baghdad... The view is very beautiful."
Mohammed Abdul-Hussein, 63 and retired, told the Associated Press he had heard from his father when he was young that snow fell in the early 1940s on the outskirts of northern Baghdad.
"But snow falling in Baghdad in such a magnificent scene was beyond my imagination," he added.
Fawzi Karim, 40, said he had asked his 80-year-old mother, and she had never seen snow before in Iraq.
"This is so unusual, and I don't know whether or not it's a lesson from God," he added.
People came out on to the streets to watch and some Iraqis said it was the first time they had seen such weather other than in films.
Snow is common in Iraq's mountainous Kurdish north but the closest thing Baghdad usually sees is hail.
Freezing night temperatures in the city are forecast for the weekend.
"I woke up and I saw snow falling, so I woke up all the family and told them to come and see the snowfall," Baghdad resident Aysar Khaled told Reuters news agency.
"Everyone in Baghdad is delighted because this is a new thing, this is the first time that it snows in Baghdad... The view is very beautiful."
Mohammed Abdul-Hussein, 63 and retired, told the Associated Press he had heard from his father when he was young that snow fell in the early 1940s on the outskirts of northern Baghdad.
"But snow falling in Baghdad in such a magnificent scene was beyond my imagination," he added.
Fawzi Karim, 40, said he had asked his 80-year-old mother, and she had never seen snow before in Iraq.
"This is so unusual, and I don't know whether or not it's a lesson from God," he added.
guardian.co.uk Article: Snow delights residents of Baghdad
Elizabeth Stewart and agencies
Friday January 11, 2008
Guardian Unlimited
Snow fell on Baghdad today for the first time in living memory, delighting residents who declared it an omen of peace.
"It is the first time we've seen snow in Baghdad," said 60-year-old Hassan Zahar. "We've seen sleet before, but never snow. I looked at the faces of all the people, they were astonished.
"A few minutes ago, I was covered with snowflakes. In my hair, on my shoulders. I invite all the people to enjoy peace, because the snow means peace."
Murtadha Fadhil, who works for the traffic police, huddled under a balcony to keep dry, and declared the snow "a new sign of the new Iraq".
He said the phenomenon was a sign of hope and purity. "We hope Iraqis will purify their hearts and politicians will work for the prosperity of all Iraqis," he said.
For a city still under a heavy military presence, this was a snow patrol with a difference. The streets of the capital were hushed as big, thick, wet flakes fell this morning. The temperature hovered around freezing and the snow mostly melted into grey puddles when it hit the ground.
"But it was still lovely," said Mohanned Rahim, a baker: "This snow will bring pleasure to the people of Iraq. It's beautiful."
Friday January 11, 2008
Guardian Unlimited
Snow fell on Baghdad today for the first time in living memory, delighting residents who declared it an omen of peace.
"It is the first time we've seen snow in Baghdad," said 60-year-old Hassan Zahar. "We've seen sleet before, but never snow. I looked at the faces of all the people, they were astonished.
"A few minutes ago, I was covered with snowflakes. In my hair, on my shoulders. I invite all the people to enjoy peace, because the snow means peace."
Murtadha Fadhil, who works for the traffic police, huddled under a balcony to keep dry, and declared the snow "a new sign of the new Iraq".
He said the phenomenon was a sign of hope and purity. "We hope Iraqis will purify their hearts and politicians will work for the prosperity of all Iraqis," he said.
For a city still under a heavy military presence, this was a snow patrol with a difference. The streets of the capital were hushed as big, thick, wet flakes fell this morning. The temperature hovered around freezing and the snow mostly melted into grey puddles when it hit the ground.
"But it was still lovely," said Mohanned Rahim, a baker: "This snow will bring pleasure to the people of Iraq. It's beautiful."
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