Assassinations In Iraq Go Into Overdrive

One of the growing trends in violence in Iraq is the wave of assassinations that have hit the country. Today, many of the attacks are aimed at specific individuals who work for the government and security forces. They require advanced planning, intelligence gathering, and probably sources within the bureaucracy. Roadside bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), pistols with silencers, and adhesive bombs attached to cars are some of the most popular ways to carry out these hits. They have been going on for several years now, but in increasing numbers in the last few months.

The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) has documented some of the recent assassination attempts. It recorded 10 attempts in August 2010 resulting in more than six deaths, four in September with two dead, 11 in October with over 19 deaths, 11 in November leading to 11 dead, 17 in December with 6 dead, 17 again in January 2011 and ten dead, seven in February with five dead, and 16 in March leading to ten fatalities. This is only a partial count with some of the victims being the Director General from the Electricity Ministry killed by gunmen in Baghdad on October 25, and an Army commander killed by an improvised explosive device in the capital on October 28.

Selected Assassination Attempts Recorded by the SIGIR

Totals Attempts/Deaths
August 2010 10 attempts, 6+ deaths
September 2010 4 attempts, 2 deaths
October 2010 11 attempts, 19+ deaths
November 2010 11 attempts, 11 deaths
December 2010 17 attempts, 6 deaths
January 2011 17 attempts, 10 deaths
February 2011 7 attempts, 5 deaths
March 2011 16 attempts, 10 deaths

Location Of Attacks
August 2010: 4 Baghdad, 4 Ninewa, 1 Maysan, 1 Salahaddin
September 2010: 4 Baghdad
October 2010: 6 Baghdad, 2 Ninewa, 2 Salahaddin, 1 Anbar
November 2010: 6 Baghdad, 3 Ninewa, 2 Anbar
December 2010: 12 Baghdad, 2 Ninewa 1 Diyala, 1 Tamim, 1 Wasit
January 1-17, 2011: 2 Anbar, 2 Baghdad, 1 Diyala, 1 Ninewa, 1 Tamim

Date	Target	Location	Means	Fatalities
8/8/10	Governor of Ninewa	Ninewa	Bombs	Governor uninjured, others killed and wounded
8/9/10	Criminal court judge	Maysan	Sticky bomb	No injuries
8/10/10	Tal Afar City councilman	Ninewa	Sticky bomb	No injuries
8/17/10	Judges	Baghdad	Bombs	Judges wounded
8/17/10	Financial Supervision Authority official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
8/18/10	Court officials	Salahaddin	Bombs	2 guards killed
8/18/10	Ministry of Housing official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
8/19/10	Election Commission official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
8/20/10	Ninewa criminal court judge	Ninewa	IEDs	Judge uninjured, 4 wounded
8/27/10	Judge	Ninewa	IED	No injuries
9/6/10	Director General at Agriculture Ministry	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Director general wounded
9/13/10	Intelligence officer	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Officer killed
9/15/10	Undersecretary at Labor Ministry	Baghdad	IED	1 wounded
9/26/10	Integrity Commission official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
10/3/10	Agriculture Ministry official	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Official killed
10/5/10	Director of criminal evidence department	Ninewa	Gunmen	Director killed
10/7/10	Ninewa provincial council member	Ninewa	Gunmen	No injuries
10/9/10	Ministry of Higher Education workers	Anbar	Gunmen	3 killed
10/18/10	Baghdad provincial official	Baghdad	Bomb	Official and several guards killed
10/19/10	Police lieutenant colonel	Salahaddin	Bomb	Lieutenant colonel wounded, 11 others killed
10/19/10	Senior police officer	Salahaddin	IED	No casualties
10/25/10	Ministry of Electricity Director General	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Director General was killed
10/25/10	Ministry of Interior Official	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Official killed, 3 injured
10/26/10	Ministry of Planning undersecretary	Baghdad	IED	Undersecretary uninjured, 4 wounded
10/28/10	Police colonel	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Colonel killed
11/1/10	Senior police officer	Ninewa	Sticky Bomb	Officer killed, driver wounded
11/4/10	Local government official	Anbar	IEDs	Official and driver killed
11/16/10	Senior national security official	Ninewa	Bomb	No casualties
11/19/10	Parliamentarian from Iraqi National Movement	Ninewa	IED	Lawmaker unharmed, 1 bodyguard killed
11/22/10	Senior passport official	Anbar	IED	Official killed
11/22/10	Ministry of Public Works Inspector General official	Baghdad	Gunmen	2 Inspector General officials killed, 2 injured
11/23/10	Ministry of Higher Education official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
11/24/10	Army general	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	General killed
11/24/10	Ministry of Interior colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen	Colonel killed
11/28/10	Police general	Baghdad	Gunmen	General killed
11/28/10	Sunni Endowment official	Baghdad	IED	Official wounded
12/1/10	Ministry of Health official	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Official wounded
12/1/10	Ministry of Human Rights official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
12/1/10	Local government official	Wasit	Gunmen	Official unharmed, 2 wounded
12/1/10	Senior police officer	Tamim	Bomb	No casualties
12/3/10	Dhi Qar intelligence officer	Baghdad	Gunmen	Officer injured
12/14/10	Integrity Commission official	Diyala	Sticky bomb	No casualties
12/16/10	Former Ministry of Electricity official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Former official killed
12/20/10	President of Mosul Univ.	Ninewa	Gunmen	President wounded
12/20/10	Intelligence officer	Baghdad	Gunmen	Officer killed
12/21/10	Shiite Endowment official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official wounded
12/22/10	Ministry of Health official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
12/23/10	Army general	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	General killed, 1 wounded
12/23/10	Police colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen	Colonel injured
12/26/10	Ministry of Interior official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official and driver wounded
12/28/10	Ministry of Foreign Affairs official	Baghdad	IED	Official injured
12/29/10	Criminal court judge	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Judge wounded
12/29/10	Mosul police commander	Ninewa	Suicide bombers	Police commander killed
1/1/11	Ministry of Interior lieutenant colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen	Lieutenant colonel killed
1/2/11	Sunni Endowment official	Diyala	IEDs	Official wounded
1/2/11	Ninewa provincial council chairman	Ninewa	IEDs	No casualties
1/3/11	Ministry of Interior general	Baghdad	Gunmen	General wounded
1/5/11	Local security official	Tamim	IED	Official wounded
1/10/11	Chief of Police	Anbar	IED	Chief and others killed
1/17/11	Provincial Governor	Anbar	Suicide bombe	Governor unharmed, several wounded

A detailed review of English language sources for April and May 2011 show much higher numbers. Even when excluding common soldiers, police, and low ranking officers there were 47 attempts in April resulting in 21 deaths, and 40 attempts up to May 20, leading to 16 casualties. In April, the Minister of Industry escaped a roadside bomb and gunmen in Anbar, a Director General at the same ministry was killed in Baghdad, a Director General at the National Investment Commission was wounded by a bomb in the capital, the mayor of Sadiyah in Diyala and three of his bodyguards were wounded by a roadside bomb, the Director General at the Finance Ministry and adviser to the Central Bank escaped gunmen who attacked their motorcade in Baghdad, the Director General of the Education Ministry was killed in Baghdad, a Sadrist parliamentarian escaped an IED attack on his convoy in Babil, the Deputy Minister of Housing went unharmed by a roadside bomb on his convoy in Baghdad, the head of the integrity committee in parliament eluded gunmen with silencers, and a judge in Salahaddin was killed. May saw a similar list of victims.

Assassination Attempts Reported In Media On High Officials-Officers-Politicians 4/1/11-5/20/11

Totals Attempts/Deaths
April 2011 47 attempts, 21 deaths
May 1-20, 2011 40 attempts, 16 deaths

Location Of Attacks
April 2011: 31 Baghdad, 4 Diyala, 3 Anbar, 3 Ninewa, 3 Tamim, 2 Salahaddin, 1 Babil
May 1-20, 2011: 20 Baghdad, 7 Tamim, 5 Ninewa, 5 Salahaddin, 2 Diyala, 1 Basra

Date	Target	Location	Means	Fatalities
4/3/11	Minister of Industry	Anbar	Roadside bomb and gunmen	Minister unharmed, 1 dead, 4 wounded
4/3/11	Cabinet official	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Official wounded
4/4/11	Director General at Ministry of Industry	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	Director General killed, guard wounded
4/4/11	Director General at National Investment Commission	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	Director General and bodyguard wounded
4/6/11	General in charge of Ninewa Nationality Department	Ninewa	Bomb	No casualties
4/6/11	National Director of the Interior Ministry official	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Official killed
4/8/11	Chairman of the Political Prisoners Authority and director of al-Massar TV station	Baghdad	Gunmen	Chairman and director killed
4/9/11	Police colonel	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Colonel injured
4/11/11	Head of Editing Secretariat at the Media Directorate of the Iraqi parliament	Baghdad	Bomb	Head killed, two wounded
4/11/11	Police captain at Interior Ministry	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Captain killed
4/11/11	Colonel at Interior Ministry	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Colonel and driver wounded
4/12/11	Police colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Colonel killed
4/13/11	Assistant Police Director in Kirkuk	Tamim	Sticky bomb	Police director wounded
4/13/11	Director, Sadiyah	Diyala	Roadside bomb	Director and 3 others wounded
4/13/11	Mayor of Sadiyah	Diyala	Roadside bomb	Mayor and 3 bodyguards injured
4/14/11	Police colonel	Diyala	Bomb	3 wounded
4/16/11	Higher Education Ministry official	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	2 wounded
4/16/11	Police lieutenant colonel	Anbar	Sticky bomb	Lieutenant colonel wounded
4/17/11	Traffic police director	Anbar	Roadside bomb	No injuries
4/17/11	National Security Ministry official	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Official and 4 others wounded
4/18/11	Director General at Finance Ministry and adviser to Central Bank of Iraq	Baghdad	Gunmen	No injuries
4/18/11	Adviser to speaker of parliament	Baghdad	Car bomb	1 killed, 3 wounded
4/18/11	Politician	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	Politician, 2 bodyguards, 3 civilians wounded
4/19/11	Director General in Education Ministry	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Director general killed, 2 wounded
4/19/11	Sadr lawmaker	Babil	IED	No injuries
4/20/11	Chairman of Salahaddin court	Salahaddin	Car bomb	4 bodyguards, 4 civilians wounded
4/20/11	Election Commission official	Ninewa	Sticky bomb	No injuries
4/20/11	Deputy Minister of Housing	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	4 injured
4/20/11	Head of Oil Ministry’s oil products	Ninewa	Gunmen	Head wounded
4/21/11	Police major	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Major wounded
4/21/11	Head of parliament’s integrity committee	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	No injuries
4/23/11	Foreign Ministry high official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed, 1 wounded
4/23/11	Housing Ministry official	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Official killed
4/23/11	Colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Colonel killed
4/23/11	Intelligent agent	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Agent killed
4/24/11	Defense Ministry lieutenant colonel	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	No injuries
4/24/11	Defense Ministry general	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	General wounded
4/24/11	Defense Ministry official	Baghdad	Gunmen	Official killed
4/24/11	Director of Taxes Commission	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Director killed
4/25/11	Army major	Diyala	Sticky bomb	Major killed
4/26/11	Secretary to Baghdad’s governor	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Secretary killed
4/26/11	Municipal official	Tamim	Bomb	No injuries
4/27/11	Director General at state directorate of cinema and theater	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	2 guards wounded
4/27/11	Interior Ministry general	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	General killed
4/28/11	General	Baghdad	Gunmen	General wounded
4/28/11	Police chief	Tamim	Bomb	Chief killed, 3 guards, 12 others wounded
4/30/11	Judge	Salahaddin	Bomb	Judge killed, 1 guard, 2 others wounded
5/1/11	Colonel	Tamim	Gunmen with silencers	Colonel killed
5/1/11	Jamia municipal council member	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Member and 1 other wounded
5/2/11	Tribal chief	Salahaddin	Gunmen	Chief wounded
5/2/11	Director of Passport and Nationality Department	Diyala	Bomb	3 wounded
5/3/11	Nimrud Police chief	Ninewa	Roadside bomb	Chief killed, 4 bodyguards and driver wounded
5/3/11	Integrity Commission official	Basra	Bomb	Official wounded
5/3/11	Director of Grain Board	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Driver killed, director and one other wounded
5/4/11	Police major	Tamim	Sticky bomb	Major and 2 others wounded
5/5/11	Tuz Kharmato Asayesh chief	Tamim	Bomb	Chief wounded, 2 Asayesh killed, 4 others wounded
5/5/11	Defense Ministry general	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	General killed
5/7/11	Adviser to President	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Driver wounded
5/8/11	Director Mandean Nationality Certificates Office	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Director killed
5/8/11	Interior Minister officer	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Officer killed, 1 wounded
5/9/11	Police Director General	Baghdad	Bomb	3 bodyguards, 3 others injured
5/9/11	Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council leader	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Leader killed
5/10/11	Baghdad provincial council member	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	Bodyguard and 1 other wounded
5/10/11	Director Baghdad’s Zafaraniya Cement Factory	Baghdad	Sticky bomb	Director killed
5/10/11	Baghdad provincial council member	Baghdad	Bomb	3 wounded
5/10/11	Director of police	Salahaddin	Bomb	Director wounded
5/11/11	Police colonel	Ninewa	Sticky bomb	Colonel wounded
5/12/11	Politician from Iraqi National Movement	Ninewa	Gunmen	Politician killed
5/12/11	Iraqi Turkmen Front deputy chairman	Tamim	Rocket	No injuries
5/12/11	Kirkuk’s Police chief	Tamim	Bomb	2 wounded
5/12/11	Director of certificates offices Tuz Kharmato	Salahaddin	Sticky bomb	Director wounded
5/13/11	Interior Ministry major	Baghdad	Bomb	Several wounded
5/13/11	Kirkuk Police chief	Tamim	Bomb	No injuries
5/14/11	General	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	General wounded
5/14/11	Candidate Iraqi National Movement	Ninewa	Gunmen	Candidate killed, 1 wounded
5/15/11	Intelligence officer	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Officer wounded
5/15/11	Interior Ministry lieutenant colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Lieutenant colonel wounded
5/15/11	Tax officials	Salahaddin	Sticky bomb	4 officials wounded
5/16/11	Provincial council chairman	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	2 guards, 2 others wounded
5/16/11	Judge in charge of Ninewa criminal court	Ninewa	Sticky bomb	No injuries
5/16/11	Provincial council member	Baghdad	Roadside bomb	3 police, 5 others wounded
5/17/11	General, Anti-Terrorism Unit	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	General killed
5/17/11	Police general	Tamim	Sticky bomb	No injuries
5/19/11	Police lieutenant colonel	Diyala	Car bomb	2 killed, 10 wounded
5/20/11	Tikrit Police District Chief	Salahaddin	Sticky Bomb	Director and driver wounded
5/20/11	Interior Ministry colonel	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	Colonel killed
5/20/11	Intelligence officers	Baghdad	Gunmen with silencers	2 officers wounded

The media has reported even higher numbers, but without any details. First, the New York Times reported on May 4, that there were 12 assassinations in February, 31 in March, and 44 in April in Baghdad alone. On May 16, a Reuters' story quoted the Baghdad Operations Command as saying that there had been 38 officials killed since January. A source in the Interior Ministry gave a higher total of 51 since the beginning of the year. The differences in numbers are probably due to who is included in the counts, leading officers or all victims.

The government has bandied about with who is responsible for the assassination campaign. At first, officials blamed Al Qaeda in Iraq. In early May for example, the Baghdad Operations Command showed a video of three suspects who said they were part of an Al Qaeda cell confessing to some of the attacks. The three said they received commands from a different group about a target, and then a woman would deliver guns with silencers to them. They did not know whom their targets were, just where they would be at a specific time. After the hit, the woman would return to collect the weapons. The Baghdad Operations Command claimed that there were leaks in the government who were informing the militants about the whereabouts of potential targets. Later, security officials told the media that Shiite militias backed by Iran, rather than Islamists were behind the wave of assassinations going on in Baghdad. Security sources said that the Shiite militants were targeting people they thought were Baathists, claiming that they feared a return to power of former regime members. Allegedly Shiite groups had put together hit lists and posted them on the internet. A Defense Ministry official for example was quoted as saying that eight of its senior officers had been killed in April, and most of them were Sunnis. A Shiite officer claimed that the security forces were deeply penetrated by the militias with another stating that many of the assassins carried official badges and permits to carry weapons to conceal their operations. Based upon the location of the hits, it’s likely that both Sunni and Shiite groups are behind the assassinations. In Baghdad for example where the vast majority of the incidents take place, it’s nearly impossible to tell who could be behind them unless an organization claims responsibility. Salahaddin, Tamim, and Ninewa on the other hand, are still insurgent hot spots, pointing towards their involvement. No matter who is responsible, they aim to undermine the functioning of the government and the competency of the security forces, and they appear to be working.

Many Sunni and Shiite groups are concentrating more upon targeted killings these days. Mass casualty attacks still occur in Iraq like the recent assault upon a police station in Kirkuk on May 19, but those are happening less frequently as militants lack the capabilities and resources they once had. Instead many seem to be using their limited manpower on assassinations. These political hits mean that the average Iraqi is safer than before. Officials however, are being shaken. Common workers to generals to governors to ministers have all been targeted causing a general sense of unease that any of them could be next. They have been warned not to stay at their homes, drive their cars, or follow their normal routines. That still hasn’t stopped the hits, pointing to collusion within the government itself, and the intelligence capabilities of the insurgents and militias. These incidents are also much harder to prevent, meaning that they are likely to continue into the near future, and become a larger part of the changing security situation within Iraq.

SOURCES

Agence France Presse, “5 killed in Iraq attacks,” 5/4/11

Alsumaria, “Bombing targeting Babel Rescue Police thwarted,” 5/7/11
- “Iraq bomb kills Police Major,” 5/3/11
- “Kirkuk Police Chief escapes assassination attempt,” 5/13/11

Aswat al-Iraq, “1 killed, 3 injured in Tikrit,” 5/15/11
- “2 civilians wounded by sticky bomb in Kirkuk,” 5/6/11
- “2 Kurdish security elements killed, 4 injured in assassination attempt,” 5/5/11
- “8 killed, including 4 officers, 4 injured, in Baghdad blasts,” 5/8/11
- “Assistant Chairman of Iraqi Turkomen Front escapes assassination attempt,” 5/12/11
- “Civilian killed, 9 others injured in Baghdad blasts,” 5/9/11
- “Colonel Assassinated, 2 Intelligence Officers Wounded, Security Sources Say,” 5/20/11
- “Director General in Iraqi Police escapes assassination attempt,” 5/9/11
- “Director of Tuz Nationality Certificates Office Director injured,” 5/12/11
- “High-ranking Iraqi Defense Ministry officer assassinated,” 5/5/11
- “High-ranking officer, 2 policeman, injured in Salahal-Din,” 5/10/11
- “Interior ministry cameraman killed in Baghdad,” 5/6/11
- “Iraqi anti-terror officer killed in Baghdad,” 5/17/11
- “Iraqi Integrity Comission employee injured in central Basra blast,” 5/3/11
- “Al-Iraqiya Parliamentary candidate assassinated in Mosul,” 5/14/11
- “Kirkuk Hawija township’s Police director escapes assassination attempt,” 5/17/11
- “Kurdish Security Officer killed in Kirkuk,” 5/1/11
-  “Local official, officer wounded in attempt near Baghdad,” 5/1/11
- “Nimrud’s Police Director killed,” 5/3/11
- “Northeast Iraq Diala Provinces Passport & Nationality Director escapes assassination attempt,” 5/2/11
- “Police officer injured in Mosul blast,” 5/11/11
- “Police officer’s legs amputated in blast,” 5/20/11
- “Policeman killed in northeast Iraq’s Baaquba city,” 5/2/11
- “Policeman killed in sticking charge blast in Mosul,” 5/5/11
- “Three persons wounded in assassination attempt against Baghdad Council’s Member,” 5/10/11
- “Three Traffic policemen injured in Kirkuk blast,” 5/4/11
- “Tribal Chieftain seriously injured in armed attack,” 5/2/11
- “Two persons injured in Kirkuk blast,” 5/12/11
- “Two persons seriously injured in Baghdad blast,” 5/19/11
- “URGENT / Baghdad Provincial Council’s Chairman escapes assassination attempt,” 5/16/11

Faraj, Salam, “Iraq violence kills six, wounds two Norwegians,” Agence France Presse, 5/16/11

Jakes, Lara, “Militants claim slipping guns to prison inmates for weeks before attempted Baghdad escape,” Associated Press, 5/12/11

Mahmoud, Mustafa, “Blasts in North Iraq oil city kill up to 25: sources,” Reuters, 5/19/11

Reuters, “FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 3,” 5/3/11
- “FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 9,” 5/9/11
- “FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 16,” 5/16/11
-  “FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, May 19,” 5/19/11

Al-Salhy, Suadad, “Exclusive: Shi’ite groups behind Iraq killings, officials say,” Reuters, 5/16/11

Schmidt, Michael and Ghazi, Yasir, “As Baghdad Violence Evolves, Officials Grapple With New Scourge: Assassinations,” New York Times, 5/4/11

Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, “Quarterly Report and Semiannual Report to the United States Congress,” 1/30/11
- “Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,” 10/30/10
- “Quarterly Report to the United States Congress,” 4/30/11

Xinhua, “Gunman killed, 3 policemen wounded in Baghdad silenced weapons attacks,” 5/15/11
- “One killed, 11 injured in bomb attacks in Iraq,” 5/10/11
- “Two killed, 3 al-Qaida members captured in Iraq,” 5/3/11

Al-Zaman, “Baghdad Military Command Attributes Assassinations to Iran-Financed Shi’a Militia, Not Al-Qaeda,” MEMRI Blog, 5/17/11