Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Increasing attacks on Green Zone
Security
(AP) - The U.S. military acknowledged "an increasing pattern of attacks" against the Green Zone, a day after a mortar barrage against the heavily fortified area sent soldiers and contractors scrambling for cover. Militants fired a volley of mortar rounds into the Green Zone, which houses the U.S. and British embassies, as well as the Iraqi government on the west bank of the Tigris River, officials said. The U.S. Embassy said no casualties were reported, but the attack was the latest in what has become a nearly daily occurrence despite stringent security measures aimed at protecting the area.
Rear Adm. Mark Fox, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, declined to provide details on the number of attacks against the Green Zone, which is also known as the International Zone, but said they were increasing. Iraqi military spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi said the attacks were coming from inside residential areas, causing difficulties in responding to them because of concern about civilian casualties. He said security forces were receiving daily information about the location of the launching pads.
A security official working in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office also said a shell landed in the garden of the home of Human Rights Minister Wijdan Mikaeil. Two shells fell short of their Green Zone target, with one hitting Abu Nwas Street near the Jumhuriya Bridge, and a second fell into the Tigris. One shell landed near the home of Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh. A June 5 U.N. report said insurgents had bombarded the Green Zone with rockets and mortar fire more than 80 times since March, reportedly killing at least 26 people.
Rear Adm. Mark Fox, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, declined to provide details on the number of attacks against the Green Zone, which is also known as the International Zone, but said they were increasing. Iraqi military spokesman Qassim al-Moussawi said the attacks were coming from inside residential areas, causing difficulties in responding to them because of concern about civilian casualties. He said security forces were receiving daily information about the location of the launching pads.
A security official working in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's office also said a shell landed in the garden of the home of Human Rights Minister Wijdan Mikaeil. Two shells fell short of their Green Zone target, with one hitting Abu Nwas Street near the Jumhuriya Bridge, and a second fell into the Tigris. One shell landed near the home of Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh. A June 5 U.N. report said insurgents had bombarded the Green Zone with rockets and mortar fire more than 80 times since March, reportedly killing at least 26 people.
Labels: Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, Green Zone, International Zone, mortar rounds, Rear Adm. Mark Fox
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Over 200 killed in bloodiest day since start of security operation
Security
(AP) - Grieving relatives retrieved bodies from hospital morgues Thursday, and passers-by gawked at the giant crater left by a market bomb in one of four attacks that killed 183 people on the bloodiest day since the U.S. troop increase began nine weeks ago. But violence did not abate Thursday, as a suicide bomber exploded in another mostly Shiite district, killing at least 11 people and wounding 28, police said. The car bomb exploded next to a fuel tanker in Karradah, setting fire to the truck. The death toll was expected to rise.
Many of the more than 230 Iraqis killed or found dead nationwide a day earlier were buried in quiet ceremonies before Thursday's noon prayer, according to Muslim tradition. Other bodies lay in refrigeration containers, still unidentified, at morgues across Baghdad. The most devastating blast struck the Sadriyah market as workers were leaving for the day, charring a lineup of minibuses that came to pick them up. At least 127 people were killed and 148 wounded, including men who were rebuilding the market after a Feb. 3 bombing left 137 dead.
On Thursday, collective wakes were being held for multiple victims in huge tents erected in narrow alleys and at nearby mosques within view of the blast site. Onlookers gathered around a crater about three yards wide and one yard deep, left by the force of the explosion. The car bombing appeared meticulously planned. It took place at a pedestrian entrance where tall concrete barriers had been erected after the earlier attack. It was the only way out of the compound, and the construction workers were widely known to leave at about 4 p.m., the time of the bombing.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told The Associated Press that al-Qaida in Iraq was suspected in the bombing. "Initial indications based on intelligence sources show that it was linked to al-Qaida," Caldwell said in a late-night telephone interview. The attacks appeared to be yet another attempt by Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida to force Shiite militiamen back onto the streets. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had ordered his Mahdi Army fighters to put away their weapons and go underground before the security crackdown began, leaving regions like those bombed on Wednesday highly vulnerable.
An outburst of violence from the Shiite militia would also ease pressure on the Sunni insurgents, creating a second front for U.S. and Iraqi soldiers struggling to diminish violence in the capital and provide time for the Iraqi government to gather momentum for sectarian reconciliation.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the Iraqi military spokesman, said, "We have not seen such a wave of attacks since the security plan began. These are terrorist challenges. Ninety-five percent of those killed today were civilians." Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of the Iraqi army colonel who was in charge of security in the region around the Sadriyah market. The colonel's name was not given.
The 127 deaths in Wednesday's market bombing were recorded by Raad Muhsin, an official at the al-Kindi Hospital morgue where the victims were taken. A police official confirmed the toll, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
Besides the market attack, bombs struck Shiite targets in the capital at a police checkpoint, near a hospital and in a small bus. Nationwide the number of people killed Wednesday or found dead was 233, which was second only to a total of 281 killed or found dead on Nov. 23, 2006. Those figures are according to AP record-keeping, which began in May 2005.
Many of the more than 230 Iraqis killed or found dead nationwide a day earlier were buried in quiet ceremonies before Thursday's noon prayer, according to Muslim tradition. Other bodies lay in refrigeration containers, still unidentified, at morgues across Baghdad. The most devastating blast struck the Sadriyah market as workers were leaving for the day, charring a lineup of minibuses that came to pick them up. At least 127 people were killed and 148 wounded, including men who were rebuilding the market after a Feb. 3 bombing left 137 dead.
On Thursday, collective wakes were being held for multiple victims in huge tents erected in narrow alleys and at nearby mosques within view of the blast site. Onlookers gathered around a crater about three yards wide and one yard deep, left by the force of the explosion. The car bombing appeared meticulously planned. It took place at a pedestrian entrance where tall concrete barriers had been erected after the earlier attack. It was the only way out of the compound, and the construction workers were widely known to leave at about 4 p.m., the time of the bombing.
U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told The Associated Press that al-Qaida in Iraq was suspected in the bombing. "Initial indications based on intelligence sources show that it was linked to al-Qaida," Caldwell said in a late-night telephone interview. The attacks appeared to be yet another attempt by Sunni insurgents and al-Qaida to force Shiite militiamen back onto the streets. Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had ordered his Mahdi Army fighters to put away their weapons and go underground before the security crackdown began, leaving regions like those bombed on Wednesday highly vulnerable.
An outburst of violence from the Shiite militia would also ease pressure on the Sunni insurgents, creating a second front for U.S. and Iraqi soldiers struggling to diminish violence in the capital and provide time for the Iraqi government to gather momentum for sectarian reconciliation.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the Iraqi military spokesman, said, "We have not seen such a wave of attacks since the security plan began. These are terrorist challenges. Ninety-five percent of those killed today were civilians." Late Wednesday, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered the arrest of the Iraqi army colonel who was in charge of security in the region around the Sadriyah market. The colonel's name was not given.
The 127 deaths in Wednesday's market bombing were recorded by Raad Muhsin, an official at the al-Kindi Hospital morgue where the victims were taken. A police official confirmed the toll, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
Besides the market attack, bombs struck Shiite targets in the capital at a police checkpoint, near a hospital and in a small bus. Nationwide the number of people killed Wednesday or found dead was 233, which was second only to a total of 281 killed or found dead on Nov. 23, 2006. Those figures are according to AP record-keeping, which began in May 2005.
Labels: Al Qaeda in Iraq, Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, Karrada, Sadriyah market, suicide bomber, violence
Monday, April 09, 2007
Weapons stash found in Sunni politician's home
Security, Politics
(AP) - U.S. and Iraqi troops found a huge stash of weapons in a raid on the home of a Sunni lawmaker and detained at least a dozen men for questioning, officials said Sunday. Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman for the Baghdad security plan, said the raid targeted a house of legislator Khalaf al-Ilyan — one of the three leaders of the Iraqi Accordance Front, which holds 44 seats in parliament.
"During the search, we discovered many weapons and explosive materials," al-Moussawi said at a news conference. He did not say when the raid took place, but a U.S. military statement said it occurred Tuesday. Among the weapons found in the house were 33 Kalashnikov rifles, three pistols, one hand grenade, 4.4 pounds of TNT and 13 82-mm mortar rounds, al-Moussawi said. The U.S. military said eight 57-mm rockets and 5,000 rounds of ammunition were also seized, along with photos of burning British soldiers and American flag-draped coffins. A detailed search revealed buried mortar rounds with new explosive timing and initiation devices.
Al-Ilyan was believed to be in Jordan at the time of the raid, and was unreachable for comment. Al-Moussawi said troops detained 12 people for questioning. A U.S. military statement put the number of detainees at 14, and said they were al-Ilyan's personal bodyguards. As a parliament member, al-Ilyan has immunity from prosecution. But al-Moussawi said "no one is immune when it comes to the law, and if anyone is convicted the person will be detained by security forces."
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman, suggested U.S. officials would not back away from prosecuting a parliament member. "Anytime we find someone operating outside the law, not following the rules that have been set by this government, they are subject to being detained and arrested," Caldwell said. Last month, Iraqi security forces raided the home of another prominent Sunni lawmaker, Dhafer al-Ani, and seized four vehicles, confiscated weapons and detained seven suspects.
"During the search, we discovered many weapons and explosive materials," al-Moussawi said at a news conference. He did not say when the raid took place, but a U.S. military statement said it occurred Tuesday. Among the weapons found in the house were 33 Kalashnikov rifles, three pistols, one hand grenade, 4.4 pounds of TNT and 13 82-mm mortar rounds, al-Moussawi said. The U.S. military said eight 57-mm rockets and 5,000 rounds of ammunition were also seized, along with photos of burning British soldiers and American flag-draped coffins. A detailed search revealed buried mortar rounds with new explosive timing and initiation devices.
Al-Ilyan was believed to be in Jordan at the time of the raid, and was unreachable for comment. Al-Moussawi said troops detained 12 people for questioning. A U.S. military statement put the number of detainees at 14, and said they were al-Ilyan's personal bodyguards. As a parliament member, al-Ilyan has immunity from prosecution. But al-Moussawi said "no one is immune when it comes to the law, and if anyone is convicted the person will be detained by security forces."
Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman, suggested U.S. officials would not back away from prosecuting a parliament member. "Anytime we find someone operating outside the law, not following the rules that have been set by this government, they are subject to being detained and arrested," Caldwell said. Last month, Iraqi security forces raided the home of another prominent Sunni lawmaker, Dhafer al-Ani, and seized four vehicles, confiscated weapons and detained seven suspects.
COMMENT: The Iraqi Accordance Front is an alliance of three mainly Islamist Arab Sunni groups that boycotted elections in January. It was created on October 26, 2005 to contest the December 2005 general election. Sheikh Abdul Nasir al-Janabi is a leader of Iraqi Accord Front. The Front consists of Iraq's largest Sunni political movement, the Iraqi Islamic Party, which is running with a group called the Iraqi National Dialogue and an umbrella Sunni movement called the General Conference of the People of Iraq.
The Front pledges to push for the withdrawal of foreign forces, and promises security through dialogue and by bringing back former Iraqi army officers. Its leaders also want to change articles in the constitution especially wording on the devolution of power to Iraq's regions. The General Council for the People of Iraq is led by Adnan al-Dulaimi, the Iraqi Islamic Party is led by VP Tariq al-Hashimi and the Iraqi National Dialogue Council, a bloc of parties led by Khalaf al-Ulayyan. In the December 2005 elections, the alliance won 15.1% and 44 out of 275 seats, the largest number of any Sunni Arab-led list. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, Iraqi Accordance Front, Khalaf al-Ilyan, weapons stash
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Baghdad curfew shortened
Security
(AP) - Citing improved security in the capital, the Iraqi government said Tuesday that it was shortening the Baghdad curfew by two hours and would allow citizens to be on the streets until 10 p.m. The easing of the ban on movement around the city coincided with a one-day sharp drop in the number of people known to have been killed in sectarian violence nationwide. According to police and morgue reports, 18 people were killed or found dead Tuesday.
Violence in the capital has declined since the latest U.S.-Iraqi joint security operation began on Feb. 14, though there have been spectacular attacks. But bloodshed has increased elsewhere in Iraq after insurgents and militiamen moved operations out of the capital in advance of the security crackdown. Last week more than 600 people were killed nationwide in sectarian attacks, mainly truck and suicide bombings thought to be the work of Sunni insurgents or al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, said the curfew had been shortened in the capital "because the security situation has improved and people needed more time to go shopping." Since the start of the security operation, the military had enforced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban. Before that, the curfew had been 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Violence in the capital has declined since the latest U.S.-Iraqi joint security operation began on Feb. 14, though there have been spectacular attacks. But bloodshed has increased elsewhere in Iraq after insurgents and militiamen moved operations out of the capital in advance of the security crackdown. Last week more than 600 people were killed nationwide in sectarian attacks, mainly truck and suicide bombings thought to be the work of Sunni insurgents or al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the spokesman for the Baghdad security operation, said the curfew had been shortened in the capital "because the security situation has improved and people needed more time to go shopping." Since the start of the security operation, the military had enforced an 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. ban. Before that, the curfew had been 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Labels: Baghdad, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, curfew
Monday, March 19, 2007
Iraqi Red Crescent Society - humanitarian relief deliveries improve
Security, Humanitarian
(IRIN) - Baghdad's month-old new security plan is showing signs of progress as the capital's death toll has dropped by 30 percent and execution-style slayings have halved, say specialists. As such, access for humanitarian relief deliveries has improved, say aid workers. However, car bombs and suicide attacks are still commonplace.
The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the country's only aid agency operating throughout the country, said that its teams are working like "bees" through its 40 offices in Baghdad. "We are still able to reach anyone who needs our help and our movement has not been hampered… It's better than before," Mazin Abdullah Saloom, a Red Crescent spokesman said. "We still have access to displaced families in Baghdad and its suburbs while medicine and essential items are still being brought into hospitals," Saloom added.
For the first time in many months, downtown shoppers have returned to Baghdad's outdoor markets as the rattle of gunfire and the blasts of bombs can be heard much less frequently. On 14 March, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman of the US-Iraqi security plan, said the number of civilians killed in the capital since the operation started a month before had plunged to 265, compared with 1,440 people killed during the previous month.
Moussawi also said 94 militants had been killed while 713 militants and 1,152 other suspects had been arrested since 14 February. In the same period, 24 kidnap victims had been released and more than 2,000 displaced families had returned to their homes.
However, despite the improvement in security, Baghdad residents said that Shia militias and Sunni insurgents were still around, lying low or hiding outside the city until the new security operation is over. The absence of Sunni insurgents and the radical Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr and his fearful militiamen is considered one of the reasons behind the reduced violence in the capital.
The Iraqi Red Crescent Society (IRCS), the country's only aid agency operating throughout the country, said that its teams are working like "bees" through its 40 offices in Baghdad. "We are still able to reach anyone who needs our help and our movement has not been hampered… It's better than before," Mazin Abdullah Saloom, a Red Crescent spokesman said. "We still have access to displaced families in Baghdad and its suburbs while medicine and essential items are still being brought into hospitals," Saloom added.
For the first time in many months, downtown shoppers have returned to Baghdad's outdoor markets as the rattle of gunfire and the blasts of bombs can be heard much less frequently. On 14 March, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, spokesman of the US-Iraqi security plan, said the number of civilians killed in the capital since the operation started a month before had plunged to 265, compared with 1,440 people killed during the previous month.
Moussawi also said 94 militants had been killed while 713 militants and 1,152 other suspects had been arrested since 14 February. In the same period, 24 kidnap victims had been released and more than 2,000 displaced families had returned to their homes.
However, despite the improvement in security, Baghdad residents said that Shia militias and Sunni insurgents were still around, lying low or hiding outside the city until the new security operation is over. The absence of Sunni insurgents and the radical Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr and his fearful militiamen is considered one of the reasons behind the reduced violence in the capital.
"But this doesn't mean they are gone forever; they are just adopting a new tactic by bowing to the storm to reorganise themselves more to resurface later," said Baghdad-based analyst Mohammed Abbas al-Hamad. "Key leaders [of Shia militiamen and Sunni insurgents] have left the country or the capital while others are still around but have frozen their activities for the time being," al-Hamad added.
Labels: aid, Brig. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, insurgents, Iraqi Red Crescent Society, IRCS, militias
