Iraqi parliament votes to revoke an MP’s immunity. Details:
Earlier this year he was caught at Baghdad airport carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars in a suitcase, reinforcing the belief of many that he was engaged in illicit profiteering.
During the debate on lifting his parliamentary immunity, the head of the integrity commission said that Mr Jubouri had been siphoning off the equivalent of about $75m a month. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
He is believed to be abroad.
The speaker of parliament said Mr Jubouri was willing to return and defend himself but felt unable to travel because there was an Interpol alert for him at all airports and he did not want to be arrested.
Indeed. Not to mention being blown up by the speaker’s bodyguards…
Serious fighting in Diwaniyah between the Americans and the Sadrists. Note especially the destruction of a tank in a multiple RPG ambush. Also note that the Iraqi government’s crackdown on militias is, predictably, a crackdown on everyone except their militia.
The US Army is suffering a high casualty rate in Baghdad due to snipers. These things seem to be cyclical. After the RPGs, the IEDs, then the snipers in late 2004, then the big company-sized raids in 2005, now back to snipers.