Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Epidemic of terrorist bombings plague Iraq

by Jim Kouri  
 
"Al-Qaeda is on its heels." - President Barack Obama
 
About 35 Iraqi citizens died and another 155 were wounded in a series of car bomb explosions throughout Baghdad on Monday by suspected members of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQII), according to counterterrorism and police official Marvin Gertz. 

In one of the attacks, a car bomb and a roadside bomb ripped through a neighborhood in southern Baghdad, killing upwards of six civilians and wounding 35 others, Gertz, who monitors Middle East terrorism, noted. 

Another car bomb exploded in northern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding eight others, Gertz said. 

Meanwhile in central Baghdad, a third car bomb blast at a popular marketplace left five people killed and 31 others wounded, the source added.

At about the same time, a car bomb exploded at a major thoroughfare in the southern part of the Iraqi capital leaving two people dead and nine others injured, he said.

In Sadr City, five Iraqi civilians were killed and more than 25 sustained injuries after two car bombs were detonated simultaneously in Habibiyah area within the Sadr City in eastern Baghdad, Gertz added. 

These latest car bomb attacks followed two bombings in the afternoon in the capital. One car bomb went off in downtown Baghdad, killing upwards of six people and wounding another 14, while a car bomb was detonated near al-Samarrai mosque in the southern part of the Baghdad, killing one civilian and injuring nine. 

In addition, on Monday, a car bomb exploded in northeastern Baghdad, this time killing three civilians and wounding 15 others, while yet another vehicle filled with explosives blew up near a market in southern Baghdad killing four people and wounding 11 other victims, Gertz said. 

On Sunday in the city of Mosul, bombings and gunfire killed nine, including two soldiers and a police officer, and left 30 others wounded

While no group has claimed credit for the numerous attacks, officials in Iraq believe the improvised explosive devices were built, planted and detonated by al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQII) who are responsible for numerous attacks against the struggling post-Saddam Hussein government. 
 
Jim Kouri, CPP, is founder and CEO of Kouri Associates, a homeland security, public safety and political consulting firm. He's formerly Fifth Vice-President, now a Board Member of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, an editor for ConservativeBase.com, a columnist for Examiner.com, a contributor to KGAB radio news, and news director for NewswithViews.com.


He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at St. Peter's University and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.


In addition, he's a blogger for the Cheyenne, Wyoming Fox News Radio affiliate KGAB (www.kgab.com) and editor of Conservative Base Magazine (www.conservativebase.com). Kouri also serves as political advisor for Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor Michael Moriarty.


He holds a bachelor of science in Criminal Justice from Southwest University and SCI Technical School in New York City and completed training at the NYC Police Academy, FBI Continuing Education Program, and the Certified Protection Professional (CPP) of the American Society for Industrial Security.

Kouri appears regularly as on-air commentator for over 100 TV and radio news and talk shows including Fox News Channel, Oprah, McLaughlin Report, CNN Headline News, MTV, etc.