Amidst Iraq Violence, Iraqi Soldier Kills Two American Allies

Bombs rocked Baghdad for a third consecutive day today, killing 23 and wounding roughly 90, according to police reports. Amidst that violence, an altercation of another sort also took place, with an Iraqi solider opening fire on American troops after a dispute took place in the Iraqi army compound in Mosul, where U.S. and Iraqi troops have been working together to rid the area of al-Qaida operatives. The Iraqi solider, identified as Barzan al-Hadidi, was shot and killed by U.S. soldiers during the altercation, but not until two U.S. soldiers had been killed. It marks the second such incident in Mosul this year.

Wednesday’s flurry of bombings started with a car bomb that went off in a busy section of Baghdad during morning rush hour. Four were killed in the blast and another 15 injured. Just a bit later, another car bomb went off in a Shiite neighborhood of Shaab, located in northern Baghdad. Five were killed and 12 wounded in the second blast. Later still, two bombs went off in the Shiite district of New Baghdad.

Iraqi reactions to the bombings indicate a lack of trust in the country’s government, with Hassan Rahim, who lives in the neighborhood where two bombs went off, notes, "I do not know why Iraqi officials keep talking about the improving security in Baghdad everyday. We are fed up with such lies and we will hope that the security file in the capital will not be handed over to Iraqi government." It is not clear exactly why the up-tick in bombings is occurring, though it is worth noting that the increased attacked come amidst joint U.S. and Iraqi attempts to work out a security deal that would have U.S. troops stationed in the country until late 2011.