Baghdad
The Iraqi government this week asked Arab and other governments not to let a wave of assaults on diplomats deter them from setting up embassies in Baghdad. The group calling itself Al Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, kidnapped and killed Egypt’s ambassador, Ihab el-Sherif last week. It also claimed responsibility for an attack that wounded a Bahraini diplomat. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari pledged that his government would protect foreign embassies. “Our message to ambassadors and diplomats is to respond to these attacks, threats, blackmail, and intimidation by going ahead and sending diplomats and ambassadors to Baghdad,” Zebari said. But attacks on Iraqis have stepped up as well. A suicide bomber killed 23 people at an Iraqi Army recruiting center this week, and insurgents killed nine Iraqi soldiers at an army checkpoint.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Ballad of Wallis Island: bittersweet British comedy is a 'delight'The Week Recommends A reclusive millionaire lures his favourite folk duo to an island for an 'awkward reunion'
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendshipsThe Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
