Thursday, October 04, 2007
Key SIIC leader in Diwaniyah killed
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - A key leader from the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) was killed in the predominantly Shiite province of Diwaniya, a local official said on Wednesday. "Unknown gunmen attacked, on Tuesday evening, Ali Husssein al-Zamli outside his house in Efak district, 30 km southeast of Diwaniya, killing him instantly," Hussein al-Budairi, head of the provincial council's security committee, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Al-Budairi added that al-Zamli is a key leader of SIIC in Diwaniya and a member of Efak district local council. "Police forces were sent to Efak district following the incident and laid a cordon on a nearby orchard in search for the perpetuators," the local official said. Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, have been a scene of assassinations that targeted political and religious leaders in the province.
Al-Budairi added that al-Zamli is a key leader of SIIC in Diwaniya and a member of Efak district local council. "Police forces were sent to Efak district following the incident and laid a cordon on a nearby orchard in search for the perpetuators," the local official said. Diwaniya, 180 km south of Baghdad, have been a scene of assassinations that targeted political and religious leaders in the province.
Labels: Ali Husssein al-Zamli, Diwaniyah, Efak district, SIIC
Monday, August 20, 2007
Al Khudhiri Is Diwaniya’s New Governor
Politics
(Al Adala Newspaper) - 18 AUG - Yesterday morning, Sheikh Hamid Al Khudhiri won the position of Diwaniya Governor (was selected to replace the recently assassinated governor). There were three others nominated for this Governorship; those three were: Haider Naji Abu Isbah, Shakr Nihma Abid Awn, and Ali Fakhri. However, these three nominees did not receive any votes. Sheikh Hamid Al Khudhiri had previously held the position of Deputy Chief of Diwaniya’s Governorate Council.
On Thursday evening, Dhiyaa Abd Al Karim Shubbr - Diwaniya’s Deputy Governor, told Iraq Voices News Agency, “It has been decided that curfew will be in effect from 7 PM Thursday until further notice; this curfew is due to the election that will be held on Friday… in order to select a new Governor.” Diwaniya’s Governorate Council had opened the nomination process after last week’s assassination of: Governor Khalil Jalil Hamza and (Diwaniya’s) Police Chief (Major General) Khalid Hussein. The two men were killed by an IED explosion while their convoy was returning from a funeral.
Labels: Diwaniyah, Khalil Jalil Hamza, Sheikh Hamid Al Khudhiri
U.S. Army clashes with Mahdi Army in Kut
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Kut local council goes on open-ended strike in protest against a raid by an Iraqi security force working with U.S. forces, the council chief said. Hamid Khuzaim an Iraqi security force "acting upon orders from the U.S. forces unjustifiably raided the municipal council building and the Kut mayorship on Thursday." "There was no search warrant issued by a government body, which makes us protest such an act and demand a probe into this raid that provoked members of the council and caused panic," said Khuzaim.
Clashes broke out between fighters of Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militias and U.S. forces in Kut during the early hours of Saturday, eyewitnesses from the city said. "A U.S. force backed by warplanes tried to enter the neighborhood of al-Jihad but was resisted by Mahdi Army militiamen's light arms fire and forced the attacking troops back," an eyewitness told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The witness could not specify whether there were casualties on either side and security sources could not be reached for information. Jihad neighborhood, located in the suburb of southwestern Kut near the U.S. Delta base, is constantly raided by U.S. forces that conduct random detention of residents who mostly belong to the Sadrist current, or Iraqis loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.
In July 2007 the neighborhood was pounded by fighter planes and helicopters, resulting in the destruction of a number of houses and killing and wounding of scores of residents. Kut, capital of Wassit, is 180 km southeast of Baghdad.
On Friday the U.S. army said in a statement that a joint Iraqi-U.S. force arrested a leading member of Mahdi Army on Tuesday. "Soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, conducted a raid in eastern Najaf Aug. 14 and detained a former battalion commander of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) militia who is currently suspected of leading an independent Shi’a extremist group," read the U.S. army statement received by VOI. The statement added that the cell is "also believed to have taken part in the August 2006 battle in Diwaniyah, fighting against Coalition Forces."
No Iraqi or Coalition members were harmed during the operation, according to the statement which did not name the arrested Mahdi Army member. The U.S. army has been launching a campaign targeting Mahdi members and leaders allegedly involved in acts of violence in several areas in Iraq.
The witness could not specify whether there were casualties on either side and security sources could not be reached for information. Jihad neighborhood, located in the suburb of southwestern Kut near the U.S. Delta base, is constantly raided by U.S. forces that conduct random detention of residents who mostly belong to the Sadrist current, or Iraqis loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr.
In July 2007 the neighborhood was pounded by fighter planes and helicopters, resulting in the destruction of a number of houses and killing and wounding of scores of residents. Kut, capital of Wassit, is 180 km southeast of Baghdad.
On Friday the U.S. army said in a statement that a joint Iraqi-U.S. force arrested a leading member of Mahdi Army on Tuesday. "Soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, conducted a raid in eastern Najaf Aug. 14 and detained a former battalion commander of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi (Mahdi Army) militia who is currently suspected of leading an independent Shi’a extremist group," read the U.S. army statement received by VOI. The statement added that the cell is "also believed to have taken part in the August 2006 battle in Diwaniyah, fighting against Coalition Forces."
No Iraqi or Coalition members were harmed during the operation, according to the statement which did not name the arrested Mahdi Army member. The U.S. army has been launching a campaign targeting Mahdi members and leaders allegedly involved in acts of violence in several areas in Iraq.
Labels: al-Jihad, clashes, Diwaniyah, Kut, Mahdi Army, U.S. forces
Monday, August 13, 2007
Governor and police chief of Qadisiya killed
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Hundreds of mourners turned out to bury an assassinated provincial governor and chief of police on Sunday as the Iraqi prime minister ordered an investigation into their killings, which he called "a seditious act", and appealed for talks to end an ongoing cabinet crisis. Khalil Jalil Hamza, the governor, and Khalid Hassan, the police chief, of the southern province of Qadisiya were killed by a roadside bomb on Saturday as they headed back to Diwaniya, the provincial capital, from the funeral of a tribal sheikh. Both men were Shi’a.
Iraqi police and soldiers tightly surrounded the centre of the Shia city of Najaf, where the bodies were brought on Sunday for burial. Carrying Iraqi flags and posters of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's Shia cleric, the mourners set out from the Shia Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) offices joined by a number of officials. Police said on Sunday they had arrested two men, a commander of a force that protects infrastructure in Diwaniya, and his deputy, who were believed to have been near the site of the attack.
In Baghdad, the office of Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, mourned the passing of Hamza and Hassan and announced that an investigation into their deaths was under way. Jalal Talabani, Iraq's president, had described the attack as a "cowardly terrorist act" by Sunnis fighters who had been displaced by the current security crackdown by Iraqi and US forces. Talabani's office said: "They have committed a crime in a secure part of our country after they were besieged and kicked out of Anbar, Diyala and Samarra."
General David Petraeus, the US military commander, and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador, issued a joint statement condemning the killings. But Diwaniya residents said on Sunday they feared all-out war among rival Shia factions after Saturday's assassinations. The SIIC and supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shia leader, are said by local residents to be targeting each other in an armed conflict mainly through assassinations. SIIC's armed wing, the Badr Organisation, controls the police who fight al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army militia. The Shia-dominated south has become increasingly restless as factions vie for control of the oil-rich region, often pitting police loyal to one bloc against militiamen of others.
Iraqi police and soldiers tightly surrounded the centre of the Shia city of Najaf, where the bodies were brought on Sunday for burial. Carrying Iraqi flags and posters of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the country's Shia cleric, the mourners set out from the Shia Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) offices joined by a number of officials. Police said on Sunday they had arrested two men, a commander of a force that protects infrastructure in Diwaniya, and his deputy, who were believed to have been near the site of the attack.
In Baghdad, the office of Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, mourned the passing of Hamza and Hassan and announced that an investigation into their deaths was under way. Jalal Talabani, Iraq's president, had described the attack as a "cowardly terrorist act" by Sunnis fighters who had been displaced by the current security crackdown by Iraqi and US forces. Talabani's office said: "They have committed a crime in a secure part of our country after they were besieged and kicked out of Anbar, Diyala and Samarra."
General David Petraeus, the US military commander, and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador, issued a joint statement condemning the killings. But Diwaniya residents said on Sunday they feared all-out war among rival Shia factions after Saturday's assassinations. The SIIC and supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the anti-American Shia leader, are said by local residents to be targeting each other in an armed conflict mainly through assassinations. SIIC's armed wing, the Badr Organisation, controls the police who fight al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army militia. The Shia-dominated south has become increasingly restless as factions vie for control of the oil-rich region, often pitting police loyal to one bloc against militiamen of others.
COMMENT: Jalil was a former top operative in the Badr Brigade, a former paramilitary group based in Iran that has since changed its name to the Badr Organization. The Badr Organization issued a statement calling Jalil a “holy fighter” and seemed to implicate elements of the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, which is loyal to Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, in his killing. An al-Sadr spokesman denied his organization’s involvement in the deaths of the governor and his police chief. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Afak, Badr Organisation, Brig .Gen. Khalid Abed Hassan, Diwaniyah, Khalil Jalil Hamzah, Mahdi Army, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki, Qadisiya, SIIC
Monday, August 06, 2007
Shiites press for autonomy in southern Iraq
Politics
(Christian Science Monitor) - When Najaf unplugged its power station from the national grid last week, it was a sign of provincial dissent over the unequal distribution of electricity. But it also indicates a new assertiveness in the south, as Iraq's regional leaders seek to wrest control from a central government in Baghdad paralyzed by political infighting.
Multiple visions for unifying the county's southern provinces are emerging. The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), one of the most powerful Shiite parties, is leading the charge to form an autonomous "South of Baghdad Region." But 45 southern tribal notables in Najaf last week signed their own pact that envisions creating "the self-rule government of the unified Iraqi south."
Regardless of which southern group wins out, Baghdad faces a formidable challenge that could mean not just the loss of electricity, but revenue from the region's ports and oil fields, and further fracturing along sectarian lines. When Najaf pulled the plug on its electricity from Baghdad, provincial spokesman Ahmed Duaibel said it was because the provincial officials felt Najaf was not getting its fair share of electricity. He says the province is prepared to turn on the power station's remote terminal unit, which normally allows Baghdad to manage the output, if Baghdad addresses provincial grievances.
But one prominent resident who is familiar with the workings of the local authority says the move is part of a larger effort to include Najaf in the "South of Baghdad Region." The other provinces included in the project are Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah (also known as Qadisiyah), Karbala, Maysan, Muthana, and Wasit.
In recent weeks, Ammar al-Hakim, the son of SIIC leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, has been leading a passionate grassroots campaign to rally support for the project. "I call upon you to be totally prepared from now to form the South of Baghdad Region at the end of the period prescribed by parliament," he said. On July 21, he repeated the plea at another rally in Baghdad.
The national assembly had passed a controversial law in October 2006 outlining the mechanism for establishing regions in Iraq. The law allows for regions to be created starting early April 2008 provided local referendums are held on the issue. The law was opposed by Sunnis and Shiite rivals to SIIC, such as the Fadhila Party and Moqtada al-Sadr's movement, because they said it heralded the fragmentation of Iraq.
Multiple visions for unifying the county's southern provinces are emerging. The Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), one of the most powerful Shiite parties, is leading the charge to form an autonomous "South of Baghdad Region." But 45 southern tribal notables in Najaf last week signed their own pact that envisions creating "the self-rule government of the unified Iraqi south."
Regardless of which southern group wins out, Baghdad faces a formidable challenge that could mean not just the loss of electricity, but revenue from the region's ports and oil fields, and further fracturing along sectarian lines. When Najaf pulled the plug on its electricity from Baghdad, provincial spokesman Ahmed Duaibel said it was because the provincial officials felt Najaf was not getting its fair share of electricity. He says the province is prepared to turn on the power station's remote terminal unit, which normally allows Baghdad to manage the output, if Baghdad addresses provincial grievances.
But one prominent resident who is familiar with the workings of the local authority says the move is part of a larger effort to include Najaf in the "South of Baghdad Region." The other provinces included in the project are Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah (also known as Qadisiyah), Karbala, Maysan, Muthana, and Wasit.
In recent weeks, Ammar al-Hakim, the son of SIIC leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, has been leading a passionate grassroots campaign to rally support for the project. "I call upon you to be totally prepared from now to form the South of Baghdad Region at the end of the period prescribed by parliament," he said. On July 21, he repeated the plea at another rally in Baghdad.
The national assembly had passed a controversial law in October 2006 outlining the mechanism for establishing regions in Iraq. The law allows for regions to be created starting early April 2008 provided local referendums are held on the issue. The law was opposed by Sunnis and Shiite rivals to SIIC, such as the Fadhila Party and Moqtada al-Sadr's movement, because they said it heralded the fragmentation of Iraq.
Under the Iraqi Constitution, regions have been given significant power, including adopting their own constitution; exercising executive, legislative, and judicial authority, organizing and managing internal security forces; and opening offices as part of Iraqi missions abroad. Also, regional laws take precedence over national ones in case of conflict.
The power of regions is currently one of the points of contention in the constitutional amendment process, according to an aide to Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, who heads the constitutional amendment committee in parliament.
An alternative to the plan that SIIC is promoting is the pact from tribal leaders. Leaders from Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, Maysan, and Muthana provinces signed a pact in Najaf that envisions creating "the self-rule government of the unified Iraqi south." They even elected a president and announced plans to form a legislative-type body made up of 130 sheikhs and experts.
Sheikh Abdul-Karim al-Mahamadawi, who supports the initiative, says it's an alternative to the federalist or "super-region" project of the SIIC that would give more powers to "real southerners" while maintaining a commitment to a unified Iraq.
Although Najaf and neighboring Karbala Province hold spiritual significance to Shiites, the viability of any regional federation hinges on Basra, which is the economic linchpin with its oil resources and sea access.
The power of regions is currently one of the points of contention in the constitutional amendment process, according to an aide to Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, who heads the constitutional amendment committee in parliament.
An alternative to the plan that SIIC is promoting is the pact from tribal leaders. Leaders from Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, Maysan, and Muthana provinces signed a pact in Najaf that envisions creating "the self-rule government of the unified Iraqi south." They even elected a president and announced plans to form a legislative-type body made up of 130 sheikhs and experts.
Sheikh Abdul-Karim al-Mahamadawi, who supports the initiative, says it's an alternative to the federalist or "super-region" project of the SIIC that would give more powers to "real southerners" while maintaining a commitment to a unified Iraq.
Although Najaf and neighboring Karbala Province hold spiritual significance to Shiites, the viability of any regional federation hinges on Basra, which is the economic linchpin with its oil resources and sea access.
Partition is increasingly being advocated by Washington lawmakers and think tanks as the only way to bring peace to Iraq. "There is a massive operation underway to pave the way for the [south of Baghdad] region, but it's being done quietly," says Sheikh Jalaleddin al-Saghir, a senior parliamentarian and Hakim partisan who favors the SIIC plan.
Besides enjoying a close relationship with Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and educating the public about the merits of the "South of Baghdad" project, Sheikh Saghir says his party has already drawn up a detailed blueprint for creating the regional administration and that regular meetings take place now between top political, economic, and security officials from all nine provinces to further the goal.
He says the issue is of "tremendous regional and strategic significance that leaves no room for misadventures."
But the project faces important obstacles from other influential elements within the Shiite community. There is Mr. Sadr who, despite his low profile in recent months and a US-led crackdown against his Mahdi Army militia, continues to enjoy wide support, especially among disaffected segments of Shiite society.
The Fadhila Party says that one of the main reasons why SIIC and its allies "orchestrated a campaign" to squeeze out Basra's governor, Muhammad al-Waeli, is because of his strong opposition to joining the federation. "They simply want to eliminate all those opposing the region project," says Jaber Khalifa, a Fadhila leader.
Besides enjoying a close relationship with Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and educating the public about the merits of the "South of Baghdad" project, Sheikh Saghir says his party has already drawn up a detailed blueprint for creating the regional administration and that regular meetings take place now between top political, economic, and security officials from all nine provinces to further the goal.
He says the issue is of "tremendous regional and strategic significance that leaves no room for misadventures."
But the project faces important obstacles from other influential elements within the Shiite community. There is Mr. Sadr who, despite his low profile in recent months and a US-led crackdown against his Mahdi Army militia, continues to enjoy wide support, especially among disaffected segments of Shiite society.
The Fadhila Party says that one of the main reasons why SIIC and its allies "orchestrated a campaign" to squeeze out Basra's governor, Muhammad al-Waeli, is because of his strong opposition to joining the federation. "They simply want to eliminate all those opposing the region project," says Jaber Khalifa, a Fadhila leader.
Labels: autonomy, Babil, Basra, Dhi Qar, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Maysan, Muthana, Najaf, Sheikh Humam Hamoudi, SIIC, southern Iraq, tribal leaders, Wasit
