Updated at 8:35 p.m. EST, Nov. 15, 2008
At least 16 Iraqis
were killed and 75 more were wounded in the latest round of violence. Four
U.S. servicemembers died in separate incidents, including a helicopter crash
in Mosul. Meanwhile, Iraqi and U.S. negotiators have agreed
on a draft of a controversial U.S.-Iraqi security pact that will allow U.S. troops
to remain in Iraq after December. The draft now goes to the Cabinet and then Parliament
for approval.
Two
U.S. soldiers were killed when they snagged powerlines as they were trying
to land their helicopter in Mosul. A roadside bomb killed
a U.S. Marine in Ramadi yesterday. Meanwhile, a soldier
passed away at Walter Reed hospital of as yet undetermined causes; he
had been residing there since January when he was injured in a roadside bomb blast.
Also, a U.S. helicopter crashed
in Mosul. The crash was blamed on power cables. No casualties were reported.
A suicide bomb killed at least
11 people and wounded 36 others at a car dealership in Tal Afar.
In Mosul, a man was killed
in a drive-by shooting on Thursday. A wanted man described as dangerous was captured.
In Baghdad, a car bomb killed
three people ane wounded 25 more in Karrada. A bomb targeting a police
patrol wounded seven people,
including three policemen, in Atifiya. Three
people were wounded in Mashtal when a bomb attached to an empty oil
tank exploded. A roadside bomb in Amil wounded
four people. Also, two
dumped bodies were found.
Despite the violence, the Iraqi stock exchange
thrives
while operating in a no-frills manner in Karrada. Throughout Baghdad, musicians
are coming
out of hiding, including
"headbangers."
A roadside bomb wounded
three policemen near Fallujah.
In Kirkuk, a civilian
man was wounded in a roadside bomb blast. A second bomb was defused. Elsewhere,
a sticky bomb fell of a vehicle and exploded with causing injuries.
Diyala
police released 23 innocent
detainees housed at Bucca prison in Basra.
Nine suspects were detained
in Souk al-Shyoukh.
In Hilla, about 3,000 councilmembers
protested
against remarks made by the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Massoud
Barzani. He sees the tribal councils as tools for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
to use for the expansion of his power. Another 300 people came out in support
of Maliki during a demonstration in Tikrit. Demonstrations also took
place in Hawija, Najaf, Karbala, Nasariya and
Samawa.
Compiled by Margaret Griffis