Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Doura besieged by U.S.-Iraqi troops
Security
(Azzaman) - The restive Doura quarter of Baghdad has been under siege for nearly two weeks and residents say they are running out of basic items and amenities. Doura is an anti-U.S. stronghold where armed groups have had the upper hand for years. Repeated U.S. assaults have failed to dislodge the rebels, most of them adhering to the strict rules of Islam.
Most Christians have left the district following threats of kidnapping or killing. Doura’s four churches and three monasteries have been evacuated with U.S. troops turning two of them into barracks. But the remaining residents say U.S. military operations and sieges have turned their quarter into a big prison. They say shops have been closed and people cannot leave their homes with U.S. snipers occupying roofs of high buildings.
Iqbal Abdullah said the military cordon prevents civil servants from going to work and has made it impossible for students to join school. “The Doura area is besieged by U.S. and Iraqi troops. I have not been able to go to work for nearly two weeks. The troops prevent people from walking or moving from one place to another,” she said.
Saad Mohammed, a taxi driver, said he had not been able to drive for all this period. “The Doura area is under complete siege. There are no shops, no pharmacy, and no clinic. There is no electricity or water. We are passing through real tragedy,” he said. Omer Ahmad said the troops would not even allow a person to shop from other areas. “The forces in Doura do not allow residents to even walk in the district. Several people have been either injured or killed by snipers as they tried to leave their homes,” he said.
Doura is one of the most violent quarters of Baghdad. The rebels have imposed strict Islamic jurisprudence on the population which included a sizeable Christian minority.
Most Christians have left the district following threats of kidnapping or killing. Doura’s four churches and three monasteries have been evacuated with U.S. troops turning two of them into barracks. But the remaining residents say U.S. military operations and sieges have turned their quarter into a big prison. They say shops have been closed and people cannot leave their homes with U.S. snipers occupying roofs of high buildings.
Iqbal Abdullah said the military cordon prevents civil servants from going to work and has made it impossible for students to join school. “The Doura area is besieged by U.S. and Iraqi troops. I have not been able to go to work for nearly two weeks. The troops prevent people from walking or moving from one place to another,” she said.
Saad Mohammed, a taxi driver, said he had not been able to drive for all this period. “The Doura area is under complete siege. There are no shops, no pharmacy, and no clinic. There is no electricity or water. We are passing through real tragedy,” he said. Omer Ahmad said the troops would not even allow a person to shop from other areas. “The forces in Doura do not allow residents to even walk in the district. Several people have been either injured or killed by snipers as they tried to leave their homes,” he said.
Doura is one of the most violent quarters of Baghdad. The rebels have imposed strict Islamic jurisprudence on the population which included a sizeable Christian minority.
Labels: Doura, U.S.-Iraqi security forces, violence
