Targeted Assassinations In Iraq

Violence in Iraq is down across the board. The number of deaths has gone up and down each month in 2009, and are even below the months immediately following the U.S. invasion in 2003. The number of security incidents in 2009 is down almost 66% compared to 2008. Still, there are daily attacks in the country. Militants have turned to targeted assassinations of officials and politicians as one tactic to undermine the government and security forces.

August and September 2009 has seen plenty of examples. In August there were eight such attacks ranging from incidents involving a police general to a mayor to a member of parliament. September 1 to 28 has seen fourteen including an attack on the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party Osama al-Tikriti. The assassinations are a sign that militants are still active in Iraq. At the same time it shows their relative weakness and change in tactics. Shiite militias are no longer involved in the sectarian war, Special Groups only carry out occasional attacks, the Sunni insurgents are no longer about holding territory outside of Mosul. This type of low-level violence is the new norm in Iraq, and likely to continue for the foreseeable future since it is nearly impossible to stop.

Targeted Assassinations August-September 19, 2009

9/28/09 Bomb attached to car kills member of al-Hadbaa party in Mosul

9/25/09 Bomb goes off in front of judge's house in Mosul

9/17/09 District chief in Hilla, Babil killed by gunfire

9/17/09 Islamic studies director of Sunni Endowments wounded by sticky bomb attached to his car in Baghdad

9/16/09 Baghdad provincial council member escaped sticky bomb attack on his car in downtown section of the capital

9/13/09 Member of Iraqi National List shot dead in front of his house in Baghdad

9/10/09 Mayor of Sadiyah, Diyala province escaped car bomb attack on his convoy

9/8/09 Grenade thrown into house of Dawa leader in Diwaniya, Qadisiyah province

9/8/09 Police chief in Amirli, Salahaddin province killed in his convoy by bomb

9/8/09 Deputy governor of Salahaddin’s convoy struck by bomb in downtown Tikrit

9/6/09 Maysan’s palm trees department chief survived IED attack in front of his house in the provincial capital Amarah

9/3/09 Head of Iraqi Islamic Party escaped car bomb in Baghdad

9/2/09 Senior intelligence officer wounded by gunmen in Hilla, Babil province

9/1/09 Mayor of Khalis northeast of Baghdad wounded by roadside bomb

8/28/09 Al Hadbaa member killed outside of mosque in Mosul, Ninewa

8/25/09 District administrator from eastern Baghdad wounded in car bombing

8/22/09 Mayor of al-Qahira neighborhood in Mosul, Ninewa province was killed by roadside bomb

8/21/09 Parliamentarian killed by gunmen in Rabiya, Tamim province

8/16/09 Shabak provincial council member in Ninewa survived IED attack on his motorcade in Mosul

8/12/09 Police general killed by gunmen in Mosul

8/3/09 Official from Oil Products Department assassinated by gunmen in Mosul

8/3/09 Head of the Tal Afar municipal district escaped roadside bomb in convoy

SOURCES

Aswat al-Iraq, “Blast wounds driver, guard of Sunni official,” 9/17/09
- “Deputy governor escapes attempt on life,” 9/8/09
- “Gunmen kill district chief in Babel,” 9/17/09
- “Gunmen kill senior officer south of Mosul,” 8/12/09
- “House of Daawa Party official attacked in Diwaniya,” 9/8/09
- “INL member shot dead by gunmen,” 9/13/09
- “Local official in Missan escapes assassination attempt,” 9/6/09
- “Ninewa local official wounded in IED blast,” 8/16/09
- “Oil official assassinated in Mosul,” 8/3/09
- “Provincial council member escapes assassination attempt,” 9/16/09
- “Roadside bomb kills mayor, 2 children in Mosul,” 8/22/09
- “Senior officer injured north of Babel,” 9/2/09
- “Talafar official escapes attempt on life,” 8/3/09
- “URGENT/Lawmaker, family wounded by gunmen in Kirkuk,” 9/21/09

BBC, “North Iraq bomb kills policeman,” 9/8/09

Gulf News, “Bomb wounds official, 4 other people in Iraq,” 8/25/09

Keyser, Jason, “Iraq’s prime minister accuses Syria of harboring armed groups responsible for attacks,” Associated Press, 9/3/09

Mardini, Ramzy, “Iraqi Insurgents Take the Offensive as Parliamentary Elections Approach,” Terrorism Monitor, Jamestown Foundation, 9/17/09

Reuters, “FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Aug 28,”8/28/09

Salaheddin, Sinan, “Bomb misses Iraq health ministry official, kills 1,” Associated Press, 9/8/09

Xinhua, “Iraqi town mayor escapes suicide car bombing in Diyala,” 9/10/09
- “Seven killed in Iraq’s Diyala violence,” 9/1/09