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The aftermath of what is now being called "Bloody Friday" in which in Baghdad alone there were 13 bombings continued to dominate the English language coverage of  developments in Irak.

There was a lot of coverage of Muqtada al-Sadr’s statement in which he offered the services of the Jaish al-Mahdi to help protect mosques. The translations (see below) while accurate missed the sarcastic tone of the offer.

Khaled

In Sadr City, residents resisted the temptation to point the finger at the Sunni community.

Many said they blamed foreign fighters or the political wrangling that preceded and followed last month’s inconclusive parliamentary election.

Read in full: BBC News – Baghdad bombings heighten religious tensions::

The Day In Quotes:

1. Muqtada al-Sadr’s offering to help to protect mosques by the Jaish al-Mahdi

   "I am ready to supply hundreds of believers to form brigades within the police forces and army to defend the shrines, the mosques, the faithful, the markets, the houses and the people. This would prevent us having to rely on the occupation forces for protection and enable the Iraqis to live peacefully. The government is free to refuse (our offer) but we are always ready to help,"

   Source:

2. Ali Alaq on al-Sadr’s Offer of help to protect mosques by the Jaish al-Mahdi
   
   "Maybe this offer has a political point of view"

   Source:

Political Coverage:

Iraq’s Sadr clarifies stance on militia’s use – latimes.com:

After a follower of Shiite cleric Muqtada Sadr vowed to dispatch militia members to defend Iraqi mosques in the wake of a series of deadly bombings, a statement from Sadr that was widely distributed Saturday made it clear that the Mahdi Army would be reactivated only if the government accepted the offer.

[snip]

The comments Friday by cleric Hazem Arraji and a statement attributed to another senior Sadr aide had raised fears that they signaled a return to those terrible days.

Read in full:

See also:

• The Associated Press: Iraq bombings raise specter of Shiite militia:
• Iraq govt says Sadr security help not needed | Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

KUNA : Islamic Dawa party calls for activating political dialogues between winning

Islamic Dawa Party, led by outgoing Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday called to activate the political dialogues between the winning blocks in response to the recent terrorist attacks in Baghdad.

Read in full 

Security Coverage:

Antiwar.com’s Margaret Griffis lists incidents in which 8 people were killed and 21 wounded.

KUNA : Baghdad Explosions kill 3, wound 19 – Military and Security – 24/04/2010:

Death toll of explosions in Baghdad’s Amil neighbourhood rose to three with 19 injured, Iraqi police sources said.

They sources told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the three explosions happened in a local market in Al-Mekasis area killing three and injuring 19 other Iraqis, mostly youngsters playing billiar or were present at the local popular cafe.

Read in full:

KUNA: Three Iraqi civilians killed, policeman injured in Mosul:

Unknown gunmen opened fire at a policeman who was accompanied by a civilian in Mosul. The shooting killed the civilian and injured the servieman,

Two civilians were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Al-Tanak area in Mosul.

Read in full:

Pakistan embassy in Iraq set to reopen | Peninsula On-line:

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government has made several ambassadorial appointments, including one for Iraq, indicating that the Pakistan embassy in Baghdad is going to be reopened.

Shah Jamal, currently posted in Glasgow as consul-general, has been designated as
ambassador to Iraq.

Read in full:

Commentary and Analysis

Test of resilience in Baghdad: Khaleej Times Online

There is something seriously wrong with the security edifice in Iraq. Back to back bomb blasts have become a routine affair, especially in areas that are thickly Shia populated. It hints at a sinister plot to fuel sectarian conflict in a country, which is highly marginalised when it comes to religion and ethnicity.

Read in full:

استشهد 29 شخصا واصيب 63 اخرون اثر سلسلة التفجيرات التي استهدفت عددا من المساجد والحسينيات في العاصمة بغداد اليوم الجمعة.
وقال مصدر امني فضل عدم الكشف عن اسمه إن 20 شخصا على الاقل استشهدوا في انفجار عبوة ناسفة استهدفت مصلين اثناء خروجهم من مسجد الشروفي في حي الشعب شمالي العاصمة بغداد.
وذكر مسعفون أنهم قاموا بنقل نحو 40 جريحا الى مستشفيي الكندي ومدينة الطب وانهم انتشلوا قرابة 20 جثة من تحت الانقاض.
وفي انفجار عبوتين ناسفتين استهدفتا مسجد الرسول الاعظم في منطقة جسر ديالي جنوبي بغداد قالت الشرطة إن الحصيلة ارتفعت الى اربعة شهداء وثمانية جرحى.
وفي منطقة الزعفرانية جنوبي بغداد ايضا استشهد احد المصلين واصيب ستة اخرون بجروح اثر انفجار قرب حسينية الصدرين لدى خروج المصلين.
كما استشهد اثنان من المصلين واصيب ثلاثة اخرون بجروح بانفجار قرب حسينية الحكيم في منطقة الكمالية شرقي بغداد ، وفي حي الاعلام بمنطقة السيدية غرب بغداد استشهد شخص واصيب اربعة اخرون من المصلين بانفجار قرب حسينية الامام الصادق.

اعلنت مصادر امنية ان سلسلة انفجارات متزامنة بخمس عبوات ناسفة استهدفت عددا من المصلين اثناء خروجهم من عدد من الحسينيات والمساجد في ضواحي العاصمة بغداد اليوم الجمعة، وأدت الى استشهاد اربعة وعشرين على الاقل من المصلين واصابة العشرات، وفق حصيلة اولية. واوضحت المصادر ان سبعة اشخاص على الاقل استشهدوا واصيب خمسة عشر اخرون بجروح بانفجار عبوة ناسفة في داخل مرآب مسجد الشروفي في حي الشعب. وفي منطقة جسر ديالى استشهد اثنان من المصلين واصيب سبعة اخرون بجروح بانفجار عبوتين ناسفتين, استهدفتا حسينية الرسول الاعظم. وفي منطقة الزعفرانية استشهد احد المصلين بانفجار قرب مسجد الصدرين. كما اصيب ثلاثة من المصلين بجروح قرب حسينية الحكيم في منطقة الكمالية. 

There has been a fifth bombing at the mosque of al-Imam al-Sadeq in al-Sayediya. Like the other mosque bombings today this mosque is aligned with the Sadrists.

Update 1: 24 dead 50+ wounded.

Update 2: 29 dead 63 wounded and still rising.

 The toll now stands at 18 dead and 50 wounded. Some of the wounded are not expected to survive.