2 May 2014

Everybody, especially the political blocs and parties, was surprised by the transport of the Anbar ballot boxes to the Baghdad International Fair (being used as the national balloting center). The boxes were collected at the Ayn Al-Asad military base in Al-Baghdadi (between Hit and Haditha) and then transported by air to Baghdad. This first-time-ever step has surprised and angered the participating political entities; they fear that this will facilitate the manipulation of the results, in the absence of observers and representatives of the parties and blocs, and has cast a shadow over the political scene in Anbar where everyone is awaiting the results, regardless of whatever is happening behind the scenes.

There were clashes and heavy shelling today in Fallujah and Al-Garma. Fallujah has been shelled by artillery fire and air strikes which has been broadened to include most of the city's residential districts. A casualty estimate announced a short time ago indicates one person being killed and 10 others, mainly women and children, were injured.

In Al-Garma, there were violent clashes and heavy shelling in a number of the town's districts. There have been some civilian casualties, but the violent military action is still underway as of this afternoon (Friday).

Meanwhile, official Anbar sources have stated today that there are secret negotiations in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the leadership of the Military Council of Anbar Revolutionaries and high-level representatives of the central government. Sabah Karhout, the leader of the Anbar Governorate Council, said in a press release that the next few days might produce a way out of the crisis, and the return of displaced families to their homes.

Water levels of the Euphrates River have risen and the flooding has inundated vast tracts of agricultural fields in and around the township of Abu Ghraib and the western outskirts of Baghdad. We have learned that the Governor of Baghdad, Ali Al-Timimi has stated that the flooding is beyond the control of the local government. He has called on the relevant ministries to provide a solution, given the spread of the flooding toward the capital.

29 April 2014

The parliamentary elections are due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday), but late last night a car bomb was detonated at a polling station in the center of Haditha in western Anbar, injuring a number of military and police personnel assigned to guarding the station.

This morning a number of mortar rounds struck a number of polling stations in Ramadi, indicating the difficulties being faced in conducting the balloting. The election commission has announced that it has completed all the preparations for the general balloting; the commission has set up more than 40 polling stations to be used by those displaced from their homes in Ramadi and Fallujah and who are now taking refuge in the western Anbar townships.

In Fallujah, there is no possibility of conducting any balloting and there are no polling stations in the city that has continued through today to be plagued by indiscriminate shelling; 2 women have been declared killed and 7 others were wounded as a result of the shelling of a number of the city's residential districts.

Clashes and shelling are also ongoing in Al-Garma's residential districts, including the areas around the Al-Ru'oud Bridge that has been the scene of major clashes between army forces and the 'Tribal Revolutionaries'.

Today, everybody is awaiting tomorrow's balloting that just might alter the political map of Iraq and that of Anbar in particular.

28 April 2014

This morning, more than 50 polling stations were opened in Anbar Governorate to allow 91,082 members of the Internal Security and those of the police and the army, as well as hospital and prison personnel to cast their votes. The polling went smoothly in spite of the curfew in most of Anbar's regions. The first few hours of voting drew large numbers of voters but by this afternoon the numbers went down, particularly in places where some military operations are still underway.

In Habbaniya, a number of mortar shells targeted a polling station but there were no casualties and only slight damages to the station. An army patrol was also the target of an explosive device which killed 3 people and injured 4 others.

There have been some technical problems when some of the electronic polling machines broke down, but replacements were on hand. The representatives of the candidates' blocs registered some procedural violations which led to delays in allowing the representatives into the stations which was supposed to take place at 7:00 a.m. but the delay lasted until 9:30.

Today has been set aside in the polls for members of the security, police, and army personnel to cast their votes. Some of the violations observed by the bloc representatives and civil observers included the fact that some high-ranking army officers had ordered some of their personnel and pressured them in one way or another to vote for the bloc headed by the Defense Minister, Sa'adoun Al-Dulaimi, and which is expected to take first place in the balloting as a result of the inappropriate interference.

The polls are due to close at 6:00 p.m. to enable the Election Commission to announce some results and percentages in the voting.

So far, none of the factions who have been fighting against the government forces have not nominated or backed anybody officially. The armed groups of the 'Tribal Revolutionaries' have apparently chosen to remain quiet, as their statements have always indicated that they do not expect much from the political process, but rely rather on the military option in attaining the realization of their demands.

26 April 2014

At dawn this morning gunmen blew up a school being used as a polling station in the Al-Karabla in Al-Qa'im township in western Anbar on the border with Syria. The school was completely demolished but there were no casualties.

In Ramadi, there are some relatively low-level clashes still going on; the various hot-zone districts are relatively calm, although some gunfire could be heard during the night.

In Fallujah, a large number of families - and some from Ramadi - have migrated towards Kurdistan, firstly as a result of the flooding of the city's southern sector, and also as a result of the continuing indiscriminate shelling that has today caused the death of one resident and injured 6 others.

A pedestrian crossing point has been opened after the flooding of vast areas of Fallujah.

Al-Garma is completely closed off by the army with nobody able to get into or out of the town which has been the target of intensive shelling during the past three days.

Also today, the Anbar Governorate Council has disbursed some of the funds allocated as compensation to the city of Ramadi. The disbursement amounts to 10 million Dinars (about $8400) to each residential home. The amount is insufficient, but the local government has said that it represents the first partial payment of the compensation for those whose homes have been destroyed.

Sheikh Ali Hatem, who had led the Military Council of Anbar Tribal Revolutionaries, left the country yesterday (Friday) by way of the Treybeel crossing into Jordan on his way to Amman. This has raised questions: he is wanted by the government but left the Governorate and the country using his Iraqi passport through the official border crossing at Treybeel. Some are saying that negotiations are about to take place in Amman, and that he secured permission by the central government to leave. Others are saying that he was given a large sum of money that secured his exit to Amman.

Regarding the upcoming elections, there are differences of opinion among the Anbar residents about whether to take part or not. Obviously, there are numerous hindrances, particularly in Ramadi and Fallujah that can only undertake a limited partial balloting.