Shiite and Sunni Muslims have been killing each other for years over trivial differences in the way they interpret the Koran. The violence took a turn for the worse in 2006 when the two sects began fighting for control over the Askariya Shrine in Samarra, a site that has been deemed holy. Since then, retaliatory attacks have been exchanged and left hundreds of civilians dead.
A recent attack by a suicide bomber who rammed his car into a Shiite religious building killed 18 and left 125 wounded. Later that day, a bomb was found lodged in the back of a Sunni Endowment office. The area was cordoned off where police safely detonated it.
Sunni and Shiite endowment offices are the logistical centers for religious matters regarding mosques and cultural locations. The two authorities have been disputing over how the Askariya shrine and surrounding perimeter should be reconstructed and developed.
While violence in Iraq has quelled in recent months, sectarian attacks remain a serious epidemic. Just a few days before, a series of bombings took place at a Shiite neighborhood market, killing 17 and injuring scores of others.
Some locals suspect that some of the attacks are orchestrated by government officials, as it is believed that some who hold office have ties to militia.
Following the 2006 bombing, an army brigade was dispatched to seize control of the shrine from the Sunni locals. This began a steady transition where rights to the shrine were given to the Shiite endowment. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, however, has taken measures to prevent full control from being granted to the Shiites. Sunni officials from Sumarra have vowed to take legal action to limit Shiite authority over the shrine.
Though Sunni Muslims are the minority, they held control over most of Iraqi policy and law. That is, until the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein’s reign. Since then, the tide has shifted to the Shiite majority. This has created embitterment that led to the back and forth violence that has resulted in nothing other than countless civilian deaths.
This doesn’t mean, however, that al-Qaeda is no longer a threat. They are still capable of inflicting heavy damage; this was evident when they launched an assault on a housing compound for foreign workers in Afghanistan that claimed seven lives.
The chief of the Egyptian Natural Gas Company, Mohamed Shoeb, maintained that the choice to sever the deal agreement was due to a business dispute and not a political one. He also added that part of the decision was due to Israel failing to pay for its gas in the last four months, a claim that Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor dismissed as false.
Bombings occur in Iraq on a daily basis, though the number has diminished over the last few years. This attack, however, served as a hellish reminder that an active insurgency remains in the country and will probably not be dissipating anytime soon.
There are sports fans, and there are sports fanatics. The latter are extremists who will resort to violence and chaos regardless of whether their team is victorious or defeated. It is both sad and pathetic that such people will create destruction and harm innocent lives all in the name of sports.
In a continued effort by the U.S. and the United Nations to prevent Iran from reaching nuclear capability, a meeting was scheduled in Istanbul where negotiations resumed. Intelligence officials have been working hard to determine Iran’s true intentions with its uranium development program. 
In March of 2011, Bajadi was detained in the Qassim province following a protest over the detention of civilians accused of militant activity. Bajadi was charged with organizing the demonstration, supporting protests for pro-democracy and possession of illegal books. 
Abassi’s statement, if believed, is a good sign in the right direction. However, another Iranian official released a statement that completely runs counter to Abassi’s announcement. Foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi made his own announcement that Iran has no plans of agreeing to any preconditions before negotiation resumes.
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