Mediaboss Marketing

Published November 23, 2014

BAGHDAD Authorities in Iraq say a car bomb explosion at an outdoor market south of Baghdad has killed seven people.

Police officials say the attack took place Sunday morning in the busy market in the town of Youssifiyah, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital. They say the blast killed seven people and wounded 16.

A medical official confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast.

Iraq is facing its worst crisis since the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops as the Islamic State group is in control of about a third of the country. U.S.-led airstrikes now target the militants in Iraq and in Syria.

See more here:
Authorities say car bomb blast in Iraq at outdoor market south of Baghdad kills 7 people

Iraq: Condemning Destruction of Shrine, UNESCO Urges End to Cultural Cleansing

28 October 2014 The Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) strongly condemned the destruction of the Imam Dur shrine in the governorate of Salah-e-Din in Iraq, and called for an end to such acts of cultural cleansing.

Such acts are war crimes, said Irina Bokova, noting in a press release that the destruction of the Imam Dur Mausoleum is not an isolated case.

The cultural cleansing underway in Iraq must stop. The persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, combined with the systematic destruction of some of the most iconic representations of Iraqs rich and diverse heritage, testifies to an ideology of hatred and exclusion, she added.

Hailing the shrine which was built during the eleventh century A.D. as one of the emblematic representations of Islamic architecture of its time, the Director-General said that the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions.

Ms. Bokova lamented that the intentional targeting and systematic destruction of cultural heritage in Iraq was reaching unprecedented levels. Over the past months, we have witnessed similar attacks on historical buildings, in particular mosques, churches and shrines, she noted.

UNESCO stands by all Iraqis in their efforts to safeguard their heritage, a heritage for mankind, she added.

ENDS

Scoop Media

See the original post:
Iraq: Condemning Destruction of Shrine

MEDays 2014 - Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen: How to Reboot these Failing States?
Forum MEDays 2014 (12-15 novembre), Sous le Haut Patronage de Sa Majest le Roi Mohammed VI. Panel F1: Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen: How to Reboot these Failing States? Vendredi 14 ...

By: Institut Amadeus

Read the rest here:
MEDays 2014 - Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen: How to Reboot these Failing States? - Video

DW: Libya seems to be sinking into chaos. What's your impression of the current situation in the country?

Andreas Dittmann: Until a few months ago, we were still debating whether Libya was becoming a "failed state" or had already become a "failed state." Unfortunately, the question has now been answered. Libya barely exists now as a state today. It still appears on maps, but the state organizations are no longer able to carry out their duties.

What exactly is threatening the country?

Libya is facing several conflicts. One is the age-old clash between the western and eastern parts of the country, Tripolitania against Cyrenaica. This is a conflict between the Islamic, and partly Islamist, values of the east and the somewhat more secular values of the west.

Dittmann: Libya is facing several conflicts at once

And other conflicts run along those lines?

Yes. There's a very old religious opposition in Libya, dating back to the Italian occupation. At that time they were seen as religious freedom fighters. Today, we would call this movement Islamist. Its members mainly come from eastern Libya. When Moammar Gadhafi was still in power this group was seen as his most dangerous opposition, despite the implantation of many Islamic edicts and the introduction of Sharia law in many parts of the country. But that wasn't enough for the religious zealots, and this attitude has remained long after the revolution.

And now the conflict is heating up once again.

And that's because yesterday's leaders do not enjoy a very high reputation among the younger, more radical Islamists. The younger Islamists are joining the "Islamic State" (IS), and are pushing for an Islamic domain that is not limited by geography. Many have fought for the IS in Syria and Iraq, and are aiming to realize the dream of an Islamic caliphate on Libyan soil. It's an issue of religious and political gaps and at the same time, a generational one as well. For the young, religion plays a very important role. By no means is it a cloak behind which they can hide other interests.

Over and over, we've been getting reports that even former members of the Gadhafi regime have allied themselves with the jihadists. Is that correct?

Read the original here:
'Libya is destroying itself'

Attorney General Eric Holder released a video message Friday, announcing new guidance for police when they respond to demonstrations and calling for protesters to act in a peaceful manner.

His comments come as a grand jury is expected to make a decision in the case involving a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri and the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in August -- an event that resulted in violent clashes between protesters and police.

"History has also shown us that the most successful and enduring movements for change are those that adhere to non-aggression and nonviolence," Holder said in the video. "And so I ask all those who seek to lend their voice to important causes and discussions, and who seek to elevate these vital conversations, to do so in a way that respects the gravity of their subject matter."

Holder said the new guidelines compile "information, tools, and best practices that will help law enforcement officers maintain public safety while safeguarding constitutional rights."

The basic facts of the case -- that Darren Wilson, a white police officer, fatally shot Brown, a black 18-year-old who was unarmed, on August 9 -- are not in dispute. Most everything else about the case is, leading to emotionally and racially charged divisions about what should happen next.

The officer's supporters have claimed Wilson fired only in self-defense, pointing to witness testimony and leaked grand jury documents that suggest Brown might have attacked Wilson, struggled for his gun and perhaps even charged the officer moments later.

Brown's backers have been likewise adamant in blaming Wilson, claiming the officer shot a young man who, according to some accounts, was holding up his hands in surrender at the time.

This dispute as to what happened at that crucial moment, the handing of the investigation from the outset and the fact that charges were not brought against Wilson sparked days of protests on the streets of Ferguson. The ensuing police response, which many have called heavy-handed, and the violence, property damage and looting of some during the protests only deepened the sense of mistrust.

Read this article:
Holder calls for calm ahead of Ferguson decision