The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[CountDeMoney]

The worst ISIS attack in days is the one the world probably cares least about
By Ishaan Tharoor
July 3 at 11:14 AM

First, they came for Istanbul. On Tuesday night, three suspected Islamic State militants launched a brazen assault on Turkey's main airport, exploding their suicide vests after gunning down numerous passengers and airport staff. At least 45 people were killed. The world panicked; Istanbul Ataturk Airport is one of the busiest hubs in Europe and the Middle East, and it is among the most fortified. Are our airports safe, wondered American TV anchors. Could this happen here on the Fourth of July?

Next, they came for Dhaka. Gunmen whom many have linked to the Islamic State raided a popular cafe in an upscale neighborhood in Bangladesh's teeming capital. After a 10-hour standoff, authorities stormed the establishment; at least 20 hostages, mostly Italian and Japanese nationals, died at the militants' hands. U.S. college students also were among the dead. The Islamic State's reach is growing far from the Middle East, security experts fretted. Foreigners are at risk all over the Muslim world.

Then, they attacked Baghdad. In the early hours of Sunday morning, as hundreds of Iraqis gathered during the holy month of Ramadan, a car bomb exploded in the crowded Karrada shopping district. The blast killed a staggering number of people — the latest death toll is at least 121 — including many children. The area is predominantly Shiite, making it a choice target for the Sunni extremist group.

It's unlikely that this attack, just the latest in an unending stream of tragedy to envelop the Iraqi capital, will generate the same panic in the West as the earlier two incidents. For years now, we have become almost numb to the violence in Baghdad: Deadly car bombings there conjure up no hashtags, no Facebook profile pictures with the Iraqi flag, and no Western newspaper front pages of the victims' names and life stories, and they attract only muted global sympathy.

The BBC has a timeline of the recent attacks linked to the Islamic State in the city and elsewhere in Iraq, including a hideous week of bombings in Baghdad in mid-May:

    9 June 2016: At least 30 people killed in and around Baghdad in two suicide attacks claimed by IS

    17 May 2016: Four bomb blasts kill 69 people in Baghdad; three of the targets were Shia areas

    11 May 2016: Car bombs in Baghdad kill 93 people, including 64 in market in Shia district of Sadr City

    1 May 2016: Two car bombs kill at least 33 people in southern city of Samawa

    26 March 2016: Suicide attack targets football match in central city of Iskandariya, killing at least 32

    6 March 2016: Fuel tanker blown up at checkpoint near central city of Hilla, killing 47

    28 February 2016: Twin suicide bomb attacks hit market in Sadr City, killing 70

And all of this is only from this year. Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and the bungled occupation that followed, Baghdad has been the site of numerous rounds of sectarian bloodletting, al-Qaeda attacks and now the ravages of the Islamic State. Despite suffering significant defeats at the hands of the Iraqi army, including the loss of the city of Fallujah, the militant group has shown its willingness and capacity to brutalize the country's population.

Public anger in the Iraqi capital, as my colleague Loveday Morris reports, is not being directed at foreign conspirators or even — first and foremost — at the militants, but at a much-maligned government that is failing to keep the country safe.

"The street was full of life last night," one Karrada resident told The Washington Post, "and now the smell of death is all over the place."

[celedhring]

It's the main piece in the cover of most of our newspapers today, so dunno.

Yeah, the social media crowd won't go bananas with Iraqi flag overlays, but I find social media panics are better left out of serious discussion.

[garbon]

Hasn't made yahoo news.

[jimmy olsen]

Casualties are up to 250 killed.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36720720

[Valmy]

Deadly car bombings there conjure up no hashtags, no Facebook profile pictures with the Iraqi flag, and no Western newspaper front pages of the victims' names and life stories, and they attract only muted global sympathy.

Do hashtags and Facebook pictures make a big difference to anybody? I mean I could make a few twitter accounts and just start tweeting out some hashtags everytime there is a terrorist attack someplace if this will help things in some way.

Remember when we were promised that removing Saddam would bring more stability to the region? Granted even if we had handled that occupation correctly that neighborhood would have probably blown it up anyway.

It is just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since 2003. Or really 1990.

[frunk]

It is just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since 2003. Or really 1990.

Or really 1980.

[DGuller]

It is just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since 2003. Or really 1990.

Or really 1980.

Or really 1258.

[PJL]

Yeah, it's been pretty downhill since about 3000BC Civilisation was definitely a bad move there.

[Valmy]

Or really 1258.

See? Ours was not the worst occupation Baghdad has had.

[Zanza]

It is just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since 2003. Or really 1990.

Or really 1980.

Trump praises Saddam Hussein because he 'killed terrorists'
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/06/donald-trump-saddam-hussein-barack-obama-hillary-clinton/86742648/

[Duque de Bragança]

Well, Saddam did kill Abu Nidal, inter alii. Pretty good statement for Trump.

[Queequeg]

It is just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since 2003. Or really 1990.

Or really 1980.

Or really 1258.

Or really 636.

[frunk]

I think you guys are missing the "just terrible how bad things have been for the Iraqi people since" clause.  They've had some better times in the past 1400 years.

[jimmy olsen]

Now that is a great man

http://www.india.com/news/world/iraq-blast-man-embraces-suicide-bomber-reducing-the-death-toll-outside-shiite-shrine-1322083/

Iraq blast: Man embraces suicide bomber, reducing the death toll outside Shiite shrine

The suicide bomber's target was the Sayyed Mohammad Shrine, a Shiite shrine 80 km north of Baghdad.

By India.com News Desk on July 10, 2016 at 7:14 PM

New Delhi, July 10:

After the deadly attack that killed nearly 300 people in Baghdad this months, a second attack by an ISIS suicide bomber claimed 26 lives on Friday. However, the death toll could have been much higher had it not been for Najih Shaker Al-Baldawi, a local resident of Balad. The man, now being hailed as a hero, mitigated the impact of the blast embracing the suicide bomber just before he was about to pull the trigger.

As a result, Al-Baldawi's body absorbed most of the impact from the explosion. According to local media, the suicide bomber's target was the Sayyed Mohammad Shrine, a Shiite shrine 80 km north of Baghdad. Hundreds of Muslims, including women and children, were present at the shrine celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr. In addition to destroying the shrine, the suicide bomber also intended to kill policemen guarding the shrine.

According to Iraqi police officials, 26 people died and a number of other were injured. This attacks comes days after the attack in Baghdad, which killed almost 300 people. It was the deadliest attack in Iraq since the US invasion in 2003. ISIS claimed responsibility for both attacks.


The sectarian conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims have claimed thousands of lives over the years. Hezbollah was quick to denounce the attack in "a sacred place where Holy God is worshipped reflects the contempt of those criminals for the sanctities".

The statement release by Hezbollah's Media relations further added, "this new crime confirms that the terrorists' murder crimes target in an undistinguishing way the Muslims and the Christians as well as the Sunnites and the Shiites without minding the sanctity of blood, time and place".

[Valmy]

According to local media, the suicide bomber's target was the Sayyed Mohammad Shrine, a Shiite shrine 80 km north of Baghdad. Hundreds of Muslims, including women and children, were present at the shrine celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr. In addition to destroying the shrine, the suicide bomber also intended to kill policemen guarding the shrine.

That is unbelievable. I mean I know terrorist attacks on Islamic holy sites have been going on for years now but it is still shocking to think somebody thinks that this is a good use of their life.