At least 27 women have died in "honor killings" over the past four months in Kurdish Iraq, an official from the regional government said Nov. 26. Aziz Mohammed, human rights minister in the Kurdish administration, said 10 of the murdered women were from Arbil, 11 from Dohuk and six from Sulaimaniyah—the three provinces making up the Kurdish region. "We can say that the violence against women continues" in Iraqi Kurdistan, Mohammed said. He also said 97 women had attempted suicide by self-immolation during those four months.

Retired Army Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, former US commander in Iraq, gave the Democratic Party's weekly Saturday radio address Nov. 24, calling Bush's Iraq adventure a failure—while emphasizing he was not representing the party. Said Sanchez: "That failure continues today. At its base is the mistaken belief, despite years of evidence to the contrary, that victory can be achieved through the application of military power alone." The former commander is backing congressional Democrats who want $50 billion in additional war funding linked to the goal of US withdrawal by the end of next year. That legislation was blocked by Senate Republicans who want $70 billion for the war without conditions. Democrats voted down that measure, and no additional funds were approved before Congress left for its Thanksgiving break. (VOA, Nov. 24)

US Rear Admiral Gregory Smith accused Iran-backed "special groups" of being behind the bombing of a Baghdad pet market, which left 15 dead and 55 wounded Nov. 22. Two bombs hidden in a cardboard bird box exploded simultaneously at al-Ghazl market while it was crowded with people. The market's recent re-opening was hailed as sign of returning normalcy in Baghdad. "In raids overnight, Iraqi and coalition forces were able to identify and detain four members of a militia extremist group we assess as responsible for this horrific act of indiscriminate violence," Smith said. "Based on subsequent confessions, forensics and other intelligence, the bombing was the work of an Iranian-backed special groups cell operating here in Baghdad." However, Smith said there was "no evidence that the Iranian government ordered the attack."

From the New York Times, Nov. 21:

The American military is sending an Iraqi photographer for The Associated Press it accuses of aiding the insurgency into Iraq’s criminal justice system, according to the American authorities and The A.P.

Just as the Kurdistan crisis seemed to be de-escalating, come reports in the Turkish press that Turkish warplanes bombed three villages frequented by PKK guerillas in Iraqi territory near the border town of Zakho in pre-dawn raids Nov. 13. Officials are full of denials. Said Turkey's air force chief, General Aydogan Babaoglu: "Turkish air force planes have not engaged in any action across the border. There was no such thing. These reports are completely baseless." Said Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan: "All the operations that have taken place have been within the borders of Turkey, there have been no cross-border operations." Said Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell: "As far as we know, there were no cross border operations... no air strikes, as had been reported." But Jamal Abdallah, a spokesman for the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq, was more equivocal: "Yesterday evening Turkish planes dropped flares on border areas near Zakho. We do not know the reason why they dropped flares. There was no air strike or bombing. But an abandoned police outpost was shelled."

Six US soldiers were killed in three separate attacks in Iraq Nov. 5, bringing the number of deaths this year to 852—and making 2007 the deadliest year of the war for US troops. The news comes days after the military announced a steep drop in the rate of US deaths this year. In October, 38 US soldiers were killed in Iraq, the lowest monthly tally since March 2006. November's total, if the current pace continues, would be higher, but still below the war's average of 69 US military deaths per month. Despite the decline, US commanders acknowledged that 2007 would be far deadlier than the second-worst year, 2004, when 849 US soldiers died. (NYT, Nov. 7) The news also comes as Congress has yet again approved war funding—reported by the NY Times Nov. 7 under misleading headline "Military Bill Approved, but Without Iraq Increase." The text reveals far greater wiggle room than the headline would indicate:

From the Iraq Freedom Congress (IFC):

Amid Passionate Revolutionary Chants, Iraq Freedom Congress Concludes First Convention with Great Success
Delegates determined to challenge serious security conditions for success of the first convention
On October 21, 2007 the first Convention of Iraq Freedom Congress was held in the city of Kirkuk, attended by many elected delegates who came from different provinces and cities of Iraq (Basra, Nasiriyah, Shatrah, Diwaniyah, Kut, Hashemite, Suwayrah, Numaniyah, Kifl, Hillah, Alexandria, Baghdad, Samarra, Tikrit, Bejee, Mosul and Kirkuk). The delegates were able to reach the conference hall despite the serious danger they could have faced on their way and the collapse of the security situation, such as booby-trapped cars, bombs and sectarian gangs...

Days after a car bomb in the normally (relatively) peaceful northern city of Kirkuk left eight dead in a Kurdish neighborhood (Reuters, Oct. 28), comes this ominous news from AlJazeera Nov. 6:

Kirkuk's Arabs paid to pack up
It is a volatile city, but one that is vital to Iraq's future, and Kirkuk is now facing its toughest test yet. Just weeks before a scheduled referendum on the city's future, Arab residents are being paid to pack up and leave.