Day Six

December 23, 2011.  Thousands of Sunni Muslims in Samarra, Ramadi, Baiji, and Qaim have taken to the streets.  Many of them carry signs and banners protesting the Shi’ah-dominated government of Nouri al-Maliki and expressing support for threatened Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi.

Day Five

December 22, 2011.   Dozens of people were killed as bombs exploded in several Baghdad neighborhoods.  While some of the attacks had the earmarks of Sunni militants linked with al-Quaeda, others were aimed at Sunni and mixed neighborhoods.  Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki blamed the attacks on his political rivals, while Sunni leaders claimed that the bombs were part of a organized campaign to plunge Iraq back into the bad old days of violence, before the Americans had brought peace and stability to Iraq.

Day Three

December 20, 2011.  US officials expressed concern that all the billions of dollars spent on building up Iraqi security, the judicial system, and the media are now being used to stage political show trials that will exacerbate sectarian tensions.

Day Two:

December 19, 2011. The Shi’ite dominated government of  PM Nouri al-Maliki issues warrant for the arrest of Sunni  Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi.  the al-Maliki government made the arrest order a prime time television special. The warrant cannot be executed because  the  vice president was in Kurdistan, which the Baghdad government does not control.

Day One:

December 18, 2011.   Last US troops leave Iraq.

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