Saturday, April 14, 2007
Tribal chiefs in Diwaniyah demand the departure of U.S. troops
Security, Tribal
(VOI) – Tribal chiefs and notables in Afak and other districts in Diwaniya staged a march on Friday demanding the departure of U.S. forces from Iraq and the handover of security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. A statement issued by a rally and received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) on Friday held the local council and governor responsible for the recent incidents in Diwaniya, capital of predominantly Shiite province of al-Qadissiya.
Diwaniya has witnessed recent violent confrontations between joint Iraqi-U.S. forces and gunmen from Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militias, in which dozens were killed and wounded. The marchers also called for releasing the detainees loyal to al-Sadr and other prisoners "save those whose hands were stained with blood" and compensating the people harmed by operations conducted by U.S. forces. Troops from the Iraqi army's 8th Division and the Multi-National Force have been waging a wide-scale campaign in Diwaniya for a week now under the codename Operation Black Eagle to impose order and law in the city.
Labels: Afak, Diwaniya, Mahdi Army, Operation Black Eagle, tribal leaders, U.S. soldiers
