Suicide Bombers Kill 20, Wound Dozens in North;
Firefight with Jihadis in Tikrit;
VP Abdul Mahdi Praises IranP
At least 35 persons died in political violence in northern Iraq on Thursday. Suicide bombers killed 20 persons and wounded dozens in three attacks on police and recruits, with the largest attack at Sinjar. In Tikrit, Awakening Council tribesmen armed and paid by the US shot to death 15 jihadis in a tanker headed for Baghdad with suicide belt bombs when the driver and his passenger opened fire at a checkpoint. (Details below).
"Turkish warplanes struck 16 Kurdish guerrilla targets in northern Iraq on Thursday morning . . . The statement on the General Staff's Web site said the operation against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) rebel group, launched at 0800 GMT, had been completed successfully. "
Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that Adil Abdul Mahdi, one of two Iraqi vice presidents, is in Tehran for a visit with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. Abdul Mahdi, considered close to the Americans in Baghdad, is nevertheless also a leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, the leading political party that was founded in 1982 in Tehran for Iraqi expatriates by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In Tehran, Abdul Mahdi spoke at a news conference with Ahmadinejad, saying he considered the Iranian president's recent trip to Baghdad "a turning point in the history of the relations between the two countries." He added, "The people and government of Iraq have long valued Iranian support for Iraq and its role as the path of their progress." He said that his visit to Iran is for the purpose of "discussions of economic issues and services, as well as political and security matters."
Gee, that's not how the US talks about Iran. Yet here is Iraq's elected Vice President, and he doesn't seem to agree with John McCain's characterization of Iran's role in Iraq.
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For his part, Ahmadinejad said that the "enemies" are afraid that Iraq might turn into a base against global arrogance (i.e. Western imperialism). He said the Iraqi government and people have a bright future.
Christopher Cerf and Victor Navasky at Tomdispatch.com examine John McCain's actual stances on the Iraq War from 2003 and find that he didn't actually initially oppose it and that he sounded at every point just like Bush. At the same site this week, Frida Berrigan on how the Pentagon has been turned into the Swiss Army Knife of bureaucracies by the Bush administration.
Tom Engelhardt points out that "the U.S. military has, in the last two months, fired at least 200 Hellfire missiles into the Iraqi capital, according to the Washington Post, most of them into Sadr City, the vast, heavily populated Shiite slum in east Baghdad. ("Just six" had been used in Baghdad in the previous three months.)"
Well no one is more happy than I that US military casualties are way down in May. But apparently it is because US troops didn't have to fight in Sadr City so much, because we like bombed it back to the Stone Age, with all those civilians densely packed in there. And no wonder the Mahdi Army suddenly decided to let al-Maliki's troops in. 200 missiles is a lot of missiles to rain down on your extended family.
The proselytizing Marine at Fallujah has been removed from the checkpoint and is under investigation. Apparently it was just one guy flying solo. It will take some time to repair the damage he did.
McClatchy reports political violence on Thursday:
' Baghdad
Gunmen throw a hand grenade in a Kia minibus as both vehicles were driving down Muthanna Military Base Street heading towards Alawi al-Hilla, central Baghdad at 10 am Thursday. The hand grenade detonated severely injuring 6 civilians.
2 unidentified bodies were found in Baghdad by Iraqi Police today. 1 in Saidiyah and 1 in Palestine Street.
General Manager of a private Iraqi oil company, Hussein Ali Abdulhussein survived an assassination attempt in al-Masbah neighbourhood in Karrada at around 9.30 pm. He is now in the neurosurgery hospital being treated for his wounds.
Nineveh
16 recruits killed and 21 others, some severely injured when a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt detonated in a crowd of young men queuing in front of the Directorate of Police in the southern part of the town Sinjar, 120 km to the west of Mosul at 10.30 am Thursday. They were applying for positions in the police force. The Chief of Police of Sinjar has been deposed as a result of this incident.
2 policemen killed and 10 people, 5 policemen and 5 civilians injured when a suicide car bomber detonated targeting a Rapid Response Force patrol in the Ghabat area to the north of Mosul. The suicide bomber was dressed in police uniform and driving a police vehicle, said the commander of RRF battalion. The explosion also caused a great deal of material damage in the area.
Diyala
A roadside bomb targeted an Iraqi Army patrol in Bizayiz Buhruz, 20 km to the south of Baquba at 10 am Thursday, killing 2 servicemen.
A roadside bomb exploded on he main route between Khanaqeen and Qara Teppa 70 km to the northeast of Baquba seriously injuring a man and his son. Rasheed Nebeel and his son Husam are both in hospital.
Salahuddin
A tank truck was stopped at a Sahwa checkpoint at the northern entrance to Tikrit. The truck that was headed towards Baghdad was stopped and the driver was asked to open the tanker for searching. Instead of complying with the order, the driver and his assistant took out weapons and started shooting. The Sahwa members and the security forces returned fire and killed them both. Then they opened the tanker and found at least 10 men with explosive belts on. They took them out and executed them." '
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 5/30/2008 12:34:00 AM
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6 Comments:
"The proselytizing Marine at Fallujah .... Apparently ... was just one guy flying solo."
Do I detect the deadest of deadpans here? Hasn't every misstep to date been proclaimed solo or small-group? This particular effort somehow involved the minting of coins with Arabic inscriptions. So a solo flight with an extensive ground crew back home.
Was it not the case that a collection of "evangelicals" gathered in Syria back in aught-three, with the intention of surging across the border after the war to save the locals?
I'd be careful putting too much value into all of these reports from Al-Alam. I don't think it's any coincidence that most of the stories about Sistani, etc. have been from Al-Alam. I think they're just trying to stir things up in Iraq and pressure Iraqi political and religious leaders to take a stand on the security agreement.
Okay, as to the Missionary Marine, where did he get these coins and who paid for them? I have heard they are real silver, not cheap. I would think he didn't make them himself, in Arabic no less. They look very neatly minted; i.e. mass produced at a factory. First order of business is to uncover the outfit running this missionary campaign. And believe me, he is not the only one if somebody out there is printing up a supply of these coins.
The churches in our area made no secret that they hoped the war would be an opportunity for evangelism and they are very angry that it has not turned out to be so. They also attempted to establish a missionary presence in Pakistan after the Kashmir earthquake and a few have infiltrated Afghanistan under the cover of doing NGO work.
Sometimes they are just unstable individuals endangering themselves and others but usually they are well organized. Where there is one, look for many others.
This proselytizing seems another indication of a lack of discipline since the US military is clearly worn down by the years of fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan. That's likely the lesson US military commanders will take, although it's clear some in the Middle East like to make the US military jump. For example check out the photo at Middle East Online with the title "Back to the days of the Crusades?": http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=26198
General Odierno will, once confirmed, be the new military commander in Iraq and he seems highly respected. However my view is most US troops need to be out of Iraq by June 30, 2009. Clearly a residual US force is needed for training purposes and to provide air and artillery protection, something like the British are doing in Basra. That's how I read Iraqi references to ending the "occupation" as opposed to removing all US troops, which thus far only Muqtada al-Sadr is advocating. The Iraqi's undoubtedly are aware that no other country besides the British have volunteered to help train their military, who US military hope will eventually be a formidable force capable of taking on important missions outside Iraq.
I wouldn't take what vice president Abdul-Mahdi says too seriously. He is not only pro-Iran and pro-USA at once, he is also a Francophile, Exxonist, Muslim fundamentalist but non-religious, ex-Ba'thist, ex-Maoist ...etc.
Very good points, all. Why isn't the Marine Corps releasing the name of the coin distributor and the crack-shot sniper who managed to put a few bullets through a Quran at fifty paces? Why aren't the Establishment media reporters trying to discover this information and track down the source of the coins?
Maybe because that would embarrass some Pastor Hagee or Jimmy Swaggert-type church of rapture bunnies who concocted the whole scheme. I guess Big Establishment Media considers embarrassing a church to be off limits unless the information they have can be used to smear a black politician.
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Iraqis say Marine handed out Christian coins
30 May 2008
....The distribution of the coins was the second perceived insult to Islam by American service members this month. A U.S. sniper was sent out of the country after using a Quran, Islam's holy book, for target practice in a predominantly Sunni area west of Baghdad.
Photographs of the coins, which were inscribed with phrases in Arabic, were widely distributed via cell phones in Fallujah and were seen by an Associated Press employee.
One side asked: "Where will you spend eternity?"
The other contained a verse from the New Testament: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16."
Such actions by American service members threaten to alienate Sunni Arabs who have become key allies in the fight against insurgents, a movement that started in Anbar province, which includes Fallujah.
Distribution of the coins in Fallujah was particularly sensitive because the city, 40 miles west of Baghdad, is known for its large number of mosques. It was the center of the Sunni-led insurgency before a massive U.S. offensive in November 2004.
Sheik Abdul-Rahman al-Zubaie, an influential tribal leader in the city, spoke of his outrage over perceived proselytizing by American forces and warned patience was running thin.
"This event did not happen by chance, but it was planned and done intentionally," al-Zubaie said. "The Sunni population cannot accept and endure such a thing. I might not be able to control people's reactions if such incidents keep happening."
Sunni officials and residents said a Marine distributed about 10 coins at a checkpoint controlling access to the city, the scene of one of the fiercest battles of the war.
Al-Zubaie said a man brought one of the coins to a mosque on Wednesday to show it to him and other Sunni leaders.
He accused the Marines of trying to do missionary work in Fallujah and said Sunni leaders had met with U.S. military officials and demanded "the harshest punishment" for those responsible to make sure it doesn't happen again.
Mohammed Hassan Abdullah said he witnessed the coins being handed out on Tuesday as he was waiting at the Halabsa checkpoint, although he didn't receive one himself.
The U.S. military -- still smarting from the Quran shooting -- said a Marine was removed from duty Friday "amid concerns from Fallujah's citizens regarding reports of inappropriate conduct."
A statement said the reports about the coin's distribution were being investigated and promised "appropriate action" if the allegations are confirmed.
Lt. Col. Chris Hughes, a spokesman for U.S. forces in western Iraq, said it didn't appear to be a widespread problem, stressing that the military forbids "proselytizing any religion, faith or practices."
"Indications are this was an isolated incident -- an individual Marine acting on his own accord passing out coins," Hughes said in an e-mailed statement. The issue was first reported by McClatchy Newspapers.
Col. James L. Welsh, chief of staff for American forces in western Iraq, also said the matter has their "full attention."
Al-Zubaie said U.S. military officials met with tribal leaders on Thursday and expressed "astonishment about (the) behavior of this Marine, saying that they have already settled the matter of the violation of the Quran and suddenly a new problem has emerged."
Dr. Muhsin al-Jumaili, a professor of law and religious studies in Fallujah, said the act was especially provocative in Fallujah and risked alienating residents who recently have joined forces with the Americans against al-Qaida in Iraq.
"As Muslims, we cannot accept this," he told The Associated Press. "The Americans should concentrate on maintaining security and not doing missionary work."
"Such deeds will not make Muslims trust American troops any more and might create a feeling of hatred among Muslims and Christians" at a time when they're finally living in peace, he added.
The revelation that an American sniper had used a Quran for target practice earlier this month prompted similar outrage and drew apologies from President Bush and senior U.S. commanders.
The alliances between Sunni tribes and U.S. forces have been key to a steep decline in violence over the past year. But tensions have risen over a series of incidents, including the accidental killings of U.S.-allied fighters, that have raised concerns about the fragility of the support for the American forces.
U.S. troops also have struggled to overcome the perception that they are insensitive to Islamic traditions after several missteps in the early stages of the war in Iraq.
Full story Here.
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