Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Iraqi security source - 142 assassinations in Karbala in 2007
Security
(RFE/RL) - A security source in the holy city of Karbala told the independent Voices of Iraq that there have been 142 assassinations in the city since the beginning of 2007. "These included operations against senior officials in the governorate, police and army officers, and unknown citizens," the source said. He noted that assassinations decreased sharply after clashes erupted on August 28 during a Shi'ite religious festival between Iraqi security forces and members of Shi'ite cleric al-Sadr's militia, the Imam Al-Mahdi Army, leaving 52 people dead and more than 200 injured. The source said heightened security in the city has led to the decrease in killings.
Labels: assassinations, Karbala
Monday, September 10, 2007
Karbala shrines open, curfew reduced
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - Visitors to the Shiite sacred city of Karbala were able on Monday to visit Karbala city that hosts shrines holiest to the Shiite Muslims after three weeks of tough security measures which banned visitors from entry to the city following fierce clashes that took place during an observance of a Shiite occasion, a senior security official said on Monday. "All Karbala outlets have been open before all visitors seeking entry to the city since today at 6:00 am," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
Karbala local authorities decided to seal off all outlets to the Shiite sacred city before visitors for the last three weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent any security violation after clashes erupted between security forces and gunmen in the area between the Shrines of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed, and his brother Abbas while Karbala was receiving hundreds thousands of Shiite pilgrims who walked from different parts of Iraq to observe the birth anniversary of the 12th Shiite Imam al-Mahdi.
On Sunday, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi, Karbala Operation Commander, told a news conference "all Karbala city outlets will be open before visitors as of Monday dawn and people will be able to enter to the area linking the two shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas." The Iraqi commander also said "the hours of night curfew on the city will be reduced one hour so that as of Monday the night curfew will start from 10:00 pm till 6:00 am."
Over the next weeks, General al-Ghanmi said "the night curfew will be totally lifted and Karbala will be back as it was before the latest incidents without a night curfew." Three weeks ago, 35 people were killed and 130 were wounded after clashes broke out between gunmen and security forces in the city sacred to the Shiite Muslims.
Karbala local authorities decided to seal off all outlets to the Shiite sacred city before visitors for the last three weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent any security violation after clashes erupted between security forces and gunmen in the area between the Shrines of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammed, and his brother Abbas while Karbala was receiving hundreds thousands of Shiite pilgrims who walked from different parts of Iraq to observe the birth anniversary of the 12th Shiite Imam al-Mahdi.
On Sunday, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi, Karbala Operation Commander, told a news conference "all Karbala city outlets will be open before visitors as of Monday dawn and people will be able to enter to the area linking the two shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas." The Iraqi commander also said "the hours of night curfew on the city will be reduced one hour so that as of Monday the night curfew will start from 10:00 pm till 6:00 am."
Over the next weeks, General al-Ghanmi said "the night curfew will be totally lifted and Karbala will be back as it was before the latest incidents without a night curfew." Three weeks ago, 35 people were killed and 130 were wounded after clashes broke out between gunmen and security forces in the city sacred to the Shiite Muslims.
Labels: curfew, Karbala, Major-General Othman al-Ghanmi
Friday, September 07, 2007
Ayatollah Al Sistani Demands To Remove Weapons From The Holy Cities
(Al Bayyna Newspaper) - 6 SEP - Yesterday, Prime Minister, Nuri Al Maliki, visited Grand Ayatollah Ali Al Sistani and informed him of the recent progress in the political process. Also, Ayatollah Al Sistani demanded to remove weapons from the holy cities such as Karbala, Najaf and other cities. These cities need to be safe zones. Al Maliki said that he will meet with the Karbala and Najaf Provincial Councils. He confirmed that the vacant ministries will not remain empty. The government will choose ministers for these vacancies.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki, safe zones
Al Rubaie: “Dangerous Decisions” Could Be Made During Meeting With Sadr Movement In Najaf
Security, Politics
(Azzaman Newspaper) - 6 SEP - The Chief of the Sadr Bloc in Iraq’s Parliament – Nassar Al Rubaie has confirmed that “dangerous decisions” could be made during the upcoming meeting, in Najaf, between: Sadr Movement Parliament Members and Sadr Movement political office (headquarters) meetings. This meeting’s purpose is regarding the events in Karbala.
Meanwhile, the (Iraqi) Council of Ministers has released 46 detainees (people initially rounded up as suspects of involvement in Karbala’s clashes) who have been determined to have been detained under “insufficient grounds”. Yesterday, the Council of Ministers issued the following statement, “The investigative committee, which was established in accordance with PM Nuri Al Maliki’s instructions, has released 46 detainees. This committee will continue to execute its’ duties in checking the files (circumstances) of other detainees.”
The Sadr Movement has given the (Iraqi) government a deadline which expired yesterday about releasing the (Sadr Movement/Mahdi Army) detainees. If their prisoners were not released, the Sadr Movement has threatened the government with “disobedience” and “surprising reactions”.
On the other hand, Sadr Movement leaders have presented the “Karbala investigation committee” with evidence which proves that the Sadr Movement is innocent about starting the clashes which occurred in Karbala. A Sadr Movement leader confirmed, “CDs [video downloads?] that have been presented to the Committee show that ‘another group’ started these clashes…not the Sadr group.” According to this leader, the Committee has been convinced by this evidence; therefore, they have begun releasing the Sadr Movement members who had been arrested.
Meanwhile, the (Iraqi) Council of Ministers has released 46 detainees (people initially rounded up as suspects of involvement in Karbala’s clashes) who have been determined to have been detained under “insufficient grounds”. Yesterday, the Council of Ministers issued the following statement, “The investigative committee, which was established in accordance with PM Nuri Al Maliki’s instructions, has released 46 detainees. This committee will continue to execute its’ duties in checking the files (circumstances) of other detainees.”
The Sadr Movement has given the (Iraqi) government a deadline which expired yesterday about releasing the (Sadr Movement/Mahdi Army) detainees. If their prisoners were not released, the Sadr Movement has threatened the government with “disobedience” and “surprising reactions”.
On the other hand, Sadr Movement leaders have presented the “Karbala investigation committee” with evidence which proves that the Sadr Movement is innocent about starting the clashes which occurred in Karbala. A Sadr Movement leader confirmed, “CDs [video downloads?] that have been presented to the Committee show that ‘another group’ started these clashes…not the Sadr group.” According to this leader, the Committee has been convinced by this evidence; therefore, they have begun releasing the Sadr Movement members who had been arrested.
Meanwhile, Sadr Movement Parliament Members and the Sadr Movement Headquarters Office in Najaf will soon hold a meeting in order to reach an important decision about: what actions to take regarding the events in Karbala.
The Chief of the Sadr Bloc in Parliament – Nassar Al Rubaie said, “This is the first time that such a meeting will be held in order to (decide) how to deal with the current situation; and, determine a ‘final Sadr Movement stance’ regarding this situation.” He added: this meeting will focus on the events in Karbala and the ensuing “tremendous pressures which have been applied against” the Sadr Movement.
Iraq’s Voices News Agency reported that Al Rubaie stated, “There are dangerous ‘human rights violations’ which have been committed against the (Sadr Movement) detainees by militias in Karbala! The Sadr Movement members who have been detained since the events in Karbala last week have been tortured, and some have been killed!” Karbala Governorate Council Member – Hamid Khanoush, who is a senior leader in Karbala’s Sadr Movement, was arrested by the “3rd Brigade” and was tortured. Al Rubaie has called for the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights – (Ms.) Wijdan Mikhail (Salim) to: visit the prisons, and report on the “human rights violations” which are occurring.
Iraq’s Voices News Agency reported that Al Rubaie stated, “There are dangerous ‘human rights violations’ which have been committed against the (Sadr Movement) detainees by militias in Karbala! The Sadr Movement members who have been detained since the events in Karbala last week have been tortured, and some have been killed!” Karbala Governorate Council Member – Hamid Khanoush, who is a senior leader in Karbala’s Sadr Movement, was arrested by the “3rd Brigade” and was tortured. Al Rubaie has called for the Iraqi Minister of Human Rights – (Ms.) Wijdan Mikhail (Salim) to: visit the prisons, and report on the “human rights violations” which are occurring.
Labels: Hamid Khanoush, human rights violation, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Najaf, Nassar al-Rubaie, Sadr movement
Al-Maliki determined to flush out Mahdi Army from Najaf, Karbala shrines
Politics
(Azzaman) - Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is determined to clear the holy shrines of Najaf and Karbala of armed supporters of the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, sources in Maliki’s party al-Daawa said. They said Maliki made the pledge in a meeting with the country’s top Shiite clergyman, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani. Sadr has a political movement with a powerful military wing, the Mahdi Army, whose fighters have had until recently a dominant role among the multifarious Shiite militia groups in southern Iraq. But Sadr has ordered a six-month halt to operations targeting U.S. and Iraqi troops and his supporters are now rarely seen with arms in the streets of the two cities.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maliki is considering a plan to ‘uproot’ Sadr supporters similar to the policy of debaathification under which members and supporters of the former regime have been prevented from holding government posts. But it is not clear how Maliki would carry out such a pledge amid reports that the popularity of the young cleric and his Sadr movement is growing, particularly among the Shiites in Bagdad and major towns in southern Iraq. The movement which has 30 deputies in parliament and has the right to fill five ministerial posts has frozen its participation in the government in protest against Maliki’s policies.
The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maliki is considering a plan to ‘uproot’ Sadr supporters similar to the policy of debaathification under which members and supporters of the former regime have been prevented from holding government posts. But it is not clear how Maliki would carry out such a pledge amid reports that the popularity of the young cleric and his Sadr movement is growing, particularly among the Shiites in Bagdad and major towns in southern Iraq. The movement which has 30 deputies in parliament and has the right to fill five ministerial posts has frozen its participation in the government in protest against Maliki’s policies.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Najaf, Nouri Al-Maliki
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Detained Sadrists released in Karbala
Security
(Voices of Iraq) - A number of detained Sadrists were released in the Shiite sacred city of Karbala after being arrested following the clashes that erupted two weeks ago between Iraqi security forces and gunmen near the Shiite holy shrines in the city while Shiite pilgrims were observing the birth anniversary of their 12th Imam, the governor of Karbala said on Tuesday.
"A total of 55 detainees from the Sadr movement were freed," Aqeel al-Khazaali told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "They were arrested by security forces and proved that they were not involved in the incidents," he also said, noting that he would demand the release of all detainees that found not guilty.
"The investigation committee, assigned by prime minister to probe into the Karbala incidents, stopped arresting followers of Sadr in Karbala," Director of al-Sadr's office in the city Abdul Hadi al-Mahmadawi said. He told VOI earlier "the investigation committee called on me and told me that the arresting campaign against the Sadrists stopped." He described the move as "a good step".
Karbala local authorities said that committee started its work on Monday, while the city's police chief said that his forces arrested more than 400, suspected of having involvement in Karbala clashes. Karbala witnessed a series of clashes between gunmen and police forces, where 35 people were killed and over 130 injured according to the Iraqi defense ministry's estimates.
The clashes took place in Karbala while the Shiite city was receiving hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims heading to the shrines of imams al-Hussein and al-Abbas as a prelude to celebrating the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi. Karbala is 108 km southwest of Baghdad.
"A total of 55 detainees from the Sadr movement were freed," Aqeel al-Khazaali told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "They were arrested by security forces and proved that they were not involved in the incidents," he also said, noting that he would demand the release of all detainees that found not guilty.
"The investigation committee, assigned by prime minister to probe into the Karbala incidents, stopped arresting followers of Sadr in Karbala," Director of al-Sadr's office in the city Abdul Hadi al-Mahmadawi said. He told VOI earlier "the investigation committee called on me and told me that the arresting campaign against the Sadrists stopped." He described the move as "a good step".
Karbala local authorities said that committee started its work on Monday, while the city's police chief said that his forces arrested more than 400, suspected of having involvement in Karbala clashes. Karbala witnessed a series of clashes between gunmen and police forces, where 35 people were killed and over 130 injured according to the Iraqi defense ministry's estimates.
The clashes took place in Karbala while the Shiite city was receiving hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims heading to the shrines of imams al-Hussein and al-Abbas as a prelude to celebrating the birth anniversary of Imam al-Mahdi. Karbala is 108 km southwest of Baghdad.
U.S. forces claim cature of 'Iran agent' in Iraq
Security
(CNN) -- U.S.-led coalition forces say they have captured a "highly sought" individual in Iraq with alleged ties to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. The raid took place early Wednesday south of Baghdad in the Shiite Muslim holy city of Karbala, a U.S. military statement said.
According to the military, the detainee was suspected of coordinating with high-level Quds force officers, whose goal it was to transport Iraqis into Iran for terrorist training. Although the coalition is still assessing the individual's connection with the Quds force, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver described the arrest as an "integral part of dismantling terror networks that seek to kill innocent Iraqis and security forces."
For months U.S. officials have stated Iranian agents from the Quds force have been helping train and equip militants in Iraq and have been supplying insurgents with the high-tech, armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators. Iran has denied these assertions.
Last month U.S. soldiers arrested -- and later released -- eight members of an Iranian government delegation at a hotel in Baghdad for allegedly carrying weapons without permits. The Iranian foreign ministry described the detentions as an "interventionist act."
According to the military, the detainee was suspected of coordinating with high-level Quds force officers, whose goal it was to transport Iraqis into Iran for terrorist training. Although the coalition is still assessing the individual's connection with the Quds force, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver described the arrest as an "integral part of dismantling terror networks that seek to kill innocent Iraqis and security forces."
For months U.S. officials have stated Iranian agents from the Quds force have been helping train and equip militants in Iraq and have been supplying insurgents with the high-tech, armor-piercing explosively formed penetrators. Iran has denied these assertions.
Last month U.S. soldiers arrested -- and later released -- eight members of an Iranian government delegation at a hotel in Baghdad for allegedly carrying weapons without permits. The Iranian foreign ministry described the detentions as an "interventionist act."
Labels: Karbala, Lt. Col Chris Garver, Quds Force, U.S. forces
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
The Shrines’ Doors Will Reopen Friday
Security
(Al Mutamar Newspaper) - 3 SEP - On Sunday, an IP source told a reporter from the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA), that part of part of the curfew in Karbala has been lifted so that the authorities can provide services to the citizens. The curfew had been enforced since Tuesday after clashes during the Shaabaniya visit. The source added that the vehicle curfew inside the city will continue until the raids and searches for wanted people are completed. The citizens are forbidden to be between the two shrines until all of the rubble is removed.
MG Othman Al Ghanimi, the Commander of the Eighth Division and of Karbala Operations, said to the NINA reporter that the doors of the shrines will reopen for visitors on Friday after the signs of destruction are removed which was caused by the gunmen around the shrines. Al Ghanimi also said that Karbala now has a stable security situation and the police forces are now working on cleaning themselves of bad members. The recent operation in the Sada area was proof that the police are changing and working in a new way, and this will show that they are only loyal to the country. Al Ghanami emphasized that Karbala will be safe and the violence will not occur again.
On the same topic, BG Raaid Shakr, the Karbala IP Chief, told a NINA reporter that the interrogation of the officers and IP members continue and anyone who was involved will be punished and fired. He added, “We are looking forward to building a strong and professional IP organization.”
MG Othman Al Ghanimi, the Commander of the Eighth Division and of Karbala Operations, said to the NINA reporter that the doors of the shrines will reopen for visitors on Friday after the signs of destruction are removed which was caused by the gunmen around the shrines. Al Ghanimi also said that Karbala now has a stable security situation and the police forces are now working on cleaning themselves of bad members. The recent operation in the Sada area was proof that the police are changing and working in a new way, and this will show that they are only loyal to the country. Al Ghanami emphasized that Karbala will be safe and the violence will not occur again.
On the same topic, BG Raaid Shakr, the Karbala IP Chief, told a NINA reporter that the interrogation of the officers and IP members continue and anyone who was involved will be punished and fired. He added, “We are looking forward to building a strong and professional IP organization.”
Labels: Karbala, MG Othman Al Ghanimi, shrines
Monday, September 03, 2007
Al-Sadr threatens to take matters into own hands if Karbala investigation is not launched
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Nuri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, has ordered an investigation into the deadly clashes surrounding a Shia religious celebration in Karbala last week. Sunday's announcement came after Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader, called on the government to investigate the violence, which many have blamed on his own Mahdi Army militia. Al-Sadr's followers threatened to take action if the government rejected its demand, and criticised recent raids on Mahdi Army members by US and Iraqi forces.
Clashes in Karbala near the shrine of Imam Abbas saw more than 50 people killed and hundreds injured. Al-Maliki blamed "outlawed armed criminal gangs from the remnants of the buried Saddam regime" for the violence. He did not detail the make-up of the committee, but said that it would perform its duties "neutrally and professionally without being biased to any side". No specific time-frame for the investigation was given, but the statement said it would be concluded "as soon as possible".
Al-Sadr, who has denied that the Mahdi Army provoked the confrontation, announced a surprise six-month suspension of the militia's activities on Wednesday in an apparent bid to deflect criticism. Al-Maliki's office said the al-Sadr movement was "considered one of basic political blocs in Iraq and will remain an active and a real partner in the political process". A statement from al-Sadr called that comment "just ink on a pen".
On Sunday, al-Sadr threatened to take matters into his own hands if the government didn't open an investigation. In Najaf, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, a spokesman for al-Sadr, said: "After the procrastination we had seen in the past two days, we warn the Iraqi government and the executive authorities in Karbala if they don't open a fair, neutral and quick investigation, the Sadr office will be obliged to take unspecified measures.
"We are trying our best to save the blood of Muslims to stem the strife."
A statement from al-Sadr's office said that more than 200 of his followers had been detained by Iraqi security forces in the past three days in Karbala. Iraqi government has said 72 people had been detained, and that al-Sadr's followers were not being targeted. Jawad al-Hasnawi, an al-Sadrist member of Karbala's provincial council, said al-Maliki had promised to stop detaining people in connection with the incident but "despite the promises ... detentions are still going on". He said: "They have taken us back to the era of the former dictatorship."
Clashes in Karbala near the shrine of Imam Abbas saw more than 50 people killed and hundreds injured. Al-Maliki blamed "outlawed armed criminal gangs from the remnants of the buried Saddam regime" for the violence. He did not detail the make-up of the committee, but said that it would perform its duties "neutrally and professionally without being biased to any side". No specific time-frame for the investigation was given, but the statement said it would be concluded "as soon as possible".
Al-Sadr, who has denied that the Mahdi Army provoked the confrontation, announced a surprise six-month suspension of the militia's activities on Wednesday in an apparent bid to deflect criticism. Al-Maliki's office said the al-Sadr movement was "considered one of basic political blocs in Iraq and will remain an active and a real partner in the political process". A statement from al-Sadr called that comment "just ink on a pen".
On Sunday, al-Sadr threatened to take matters into his own hands if the government didn't open an investigation. In Najaf, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi, a spokesman for al-Sadr, said: "After the procrastination we had seen in the past two days, we warn the Iraqi government and the executive authorities in Karbala if they don't open a fair, neutral and quick investigation, the Sadr office will be obliged to take unspecified measures.
"We are trying our best to save the blood of Muslims to stem the strife."
A statement from al-Sadr's office said that more than 200 of his followers had been detained by Iraqi security forces in the past three days in Karbala. Iraqi government has said 72 people had been detained, and that al-Sadr's followers were not being targeted. Jawad al-Hasnawi, an al-Sadrist member of Karbala's provincial council, said al-Maliki had promised to stop detaining people in connection with the incident but "despite the promises ... detentions are still going on". He said: "They have taken us back to the era of the former dictatorship."
Labels: Karbala, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sheikh Salah al-Obeidi
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Leading Iraqi Accordance Front member welcomes al-Sadr's move to suspend Mahdi Army
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - A leading figure from the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) welcomed on Wednesday the order by the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to suspend the activities of the Mahdi army, describing the recent incidents in Karbala as "disastrous". "We welcome this decision which should have been taken by the government in a move to disband all kinds of militias," Omar Abdul Sattar told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The IAF leading figure also described the clashes that took place in Karbala, 108 km southwest of Baghdad, as "disastrous", noting that "we have warned from the very beginning against the disasters that might take place because of presence of these militias. The government has started more seriously considering the issue of militias following the recent meeting of the political blocs' leaders and Karbala incidents," the Accordance member said.
The IAF leading figure also described the clashes that took place in Karbala, 108 km southwest of Baghdad, as "disastrous", noting that "we have warned from the very beginning against the disasters that might take place because of presence of these militias. The government has started more seriously considering the issue of militias following the recent meeting of the political blocs' leaders and Karbala incidents," the Accordance member said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr decided to freeze al-Mahdi army militia and to restructure its fighters, calling for "an impartial and just investigation" into Karbala incidents where 42 Iraqis were killed and 282 more wounded in clashes near two shrines sacred to Shiite Muslims.
Labels: Iraqi Accordance Front, Karbala, Mahdi Army, militias, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Omar Abdul Sattar
Sistani aides kidnapped in Mahdi Army controlled area of Karbala
Security
(KUNA) -- Angered by Tuesday's clashes between policemen of Karbala City and the Shiite militia of Al-Mahdi's Army, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki decided Wednesday to sack commander of police operations' center Major General Saleh Khazal Al-Maliki and run the center by himself. He also fired 1,500 other police officers. Al-Maliki's decree sacking the police chief and other police officers was meant to blame them of professional incompetence, Spokesman of Iraqi Ministry of Defense Staff Major General Mohammad Al-Askari told KUNA here.
The Prime Minister visited the embattled city earlier in the day to defuse the two-day riots and chaos among Iraqis during religious Shiite rites. Soon after his arrival in Karbala, Al-Maliki convened with Minister of Defense Mohammad Abdul-Qader Al-Ubaidi and National Security Advisor Mowaffaq Al-Rubaiei as well as local military and civilian leaders. He imposed a curfew as of Wednesday morning pending further notice and ordered the arrest of anyone who breaks his instructions. Al-Maliki held "criminal gangs" and "remnants of Al-Baath Party" responsible for the riots and attacks against visitors of the holy city. He vowed to track down the perpetrators and culprits of the riots that left 55 dead and some 300 others injured.
The malicious design targeting the stability in the holy city and the safety of its citizens was aborted, the prime minister asserted, adding that the situation was brought under full control of the security forces after the arrival of military backup. The militants targeted to occupy the two holy shrines and topple Al-Maliki's government, Al-Rubaiei said. Commandoes took part in normalizing the situation in the southern Iraqi city, he added.
However, local sources told KUNA two secretaries of the Shiite cleric Al-Sistani; Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaei and Ahmad Al-Safi were still seized in areas adjacent to the two holy shrines of the city which are under full control of Al-Mahdi Army.
Labels: Ahmad Al-Safi, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Major General Saleh Khazal Al-Maliki, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalaei
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
52 dead in Karbala as rival Shiite militias battle for power
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq's prime minister, has ordered an indefinite curfew in Karbala, Iraqi state TV says, a day after fighting left at least 52 people dead during an annual Shia pilgrimage. A spokesman for al-Maliki said on Wednesday that he had arrived in Karbala to inspect the situation. Al-Maliki said on Wednesday that his troops had restored calm to the city and blamed "outlawed armed criminal gangs from the remnants of the buried Saddam regime" for the violence.
However, the violence among rival Shia factions appeared to have spread overnight. Fighters attacked the offices of a powerful Shia party in at least five cities, setting many of them ablaze. In a separate incident on Wednesday in Mosul to the north, armed men raided an Iraqi police checkpoint on Wednesday and killed five policemen and a civilian, police said.
Al-Maliki, in a statement on Wednesday, said: "The situation in Karbala is under control after military reinforcements arrived and police and military special forces have spread throughout the city to purge those killers and criminals." Sporadic and occasionally sustained gunfire could still be heard after dawn in the city, coming from the area around the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas.
The fighting killed 52 people and wounded 206 on Tuesday, a senior security official in Baghdad said. The general director of the al-Hussein hospital in Karbala, 110km south of the capital, said it had received 34 bodies and treated 239 wounded. Ali Kadhum, an official at the shrines' media office, said the two shrines had been slightly damaged, with bullets hitting their domes and minarets and an electric power station ruined.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered in the city to mark the birthday of the 12th and last Shia imam. The interior ministry accused al-Mahdi army, a militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader, of attacking government forces in Karbala, the site of two shrines under the control of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC). Al-Sadr's forces are vying with the SIIC for power in the regions south of Baghdad.
Al-Sadr called for calm on Tuesday night but police said SIIC buildings were torched overnight in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood, in the city of Kufa, in Iskandariya and in al-Hamza district of Babil province. Another SIIC headquarters was struck by rocket-propelled grenades in the centre of Najaf.
This week's Shia pilgrimage was to have reached its high point on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Thousands thronged the city to mark the12th imam's birthday. Pilgrims had earlier complained about the level of security - which they said was so high it made movement frustratingly slow near the Imam al-Hussein mosque. Security was high as pilgrims have been killed in previous years by suicide bombers.
Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Maliki had dispatched more troops to the area from Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Khalaf described the armed men as "criminals" and said that the curfew was imposed because of fears for the large mass of pilgrims. He said: "The situation now is under control, but what is worrying is that the pilgrims are in huge numbers."
However, the violence among rival Shia factions appeared to have spread overnight. Fighters attacked the offices of a powerful Shia party in at least five cities, setting many of them ablaze. In a separate incident on Wednesday in Mosul to the north, armed men raided an Iraqi police checkpoint on Wednesday and killed five policemen and a civilian, police said.
Al-Maliki, in a statement on Wednesday, said: "The situation in Karbala is under control after military reinforcements arrived and police and military special forces have spread throughout the city to purge those killers and criminals." Sporadic and occasionally sustained gunfire could still be heard after dawn in the city, coming from the area around the shrines of Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas.
The fighting killed 52 people and wounded 206 on Tuesday, a senior security official in Baghdad said. The general director of the al-Hussein hospital in Karbala, 110km south of the capital, said it had received 34 bodies and treated 239 wounded. Ali Kadhum, an official at the shrines' media office, said the two shrines had been slightly damaged, with bullets hitting their domes and minarets and an electric power station ruined.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims had gathered in the city to mark the birthday of the 12th and last Shia imam. The interior ministry accused al-Mahdi army, a militia loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia leader, of attacking government forces in Karbala, the site of two shrines under the control of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC). Al-Sadr's forces are vying with the SIIC for power in the regions south of Baghdad.
Al-Sadr called for calm on Tuesday night but police said SIIC buildings were torched overnight in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood, in the city of Kufa, in Iskandariya and in al-Hamza district of Babil province. Another SIIC headquarters was struck by rocket-propelled grenades in the centre of Najaf.
This week's Shia pilgrimage was to have reached its high point on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Thousands thronged the city to mark the12th imam's birthday. Pilgrims had earlier complained about the level of security - which they said was so high it made movement frustratingly slow near the Imam al-Hussein mosque. Security was high as pilgrims have been killed in previous years by suicide bombers.
Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, a spokesman for the interior ministry, said al-Maliki had dispatched more troops to the area from Baghdad and the surrounding areas. Khalaf described the armed men as "criminals" and said that the curfew was imposed because of fears for the large mass of pilgrims. He said: "The situation now is under control, but what is worrying is that the pilgrims are in huge numbers."
COMMENT: Tensions are high in southern Iraq as the Mahdi Army and the Badr Organisation (the militia arm of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council - SIIC) fight for power. These tensions could easily escalate. Several issues have added to the hostilities between the rival groups; the recent assassinations of two SIIC governors, and the power vacuum left in Basrah as the British have decreased their presence. The security forces in karbala are also heavily infiltrated by the Badr Organisation. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Badr Organisation, curfew, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Major-General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sha'abaniya, Shiite pilgrims, SIIC
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Authorities evacuate pilgrims from Kerbala
Security
(Reuters) - Local authorities began evacuating Shi'ite pilgrims from the holy Iraqi city of Kerbala on Tuesday after fierce clashes between security forces and gunmen during a major religious event, police said. Police said buses had been readied to take pilgrims out of the southern city while police and army reinforcements were heading toward the Imam Abbas and Imam Hussein shrines, the focal point of the celebrations.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are in Kerbala, many having come from other Shi'ite cities and also Baghdad. A senior hospital official in Kerbala said six people had been killed and 28 wounded in the clashes. Police earlier said gunmen armed with automatic weapons and pistols tried to take control of the area around the two shrines. They confronted the police and army who opened fire.
The violence follows clashes between police and pilgrims on Monday night in which at least six people were killed on the eve of one of the holiest events on the Shi'ite calendar. Pilgrims are celebrating the 9th century birth of Mohammad al-Mahdi, the last of 12 imams Shi'ites revere as saints and who they believe never died and will return to save mankind.
Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are in Kerbala, many having come from other Shi'ite cities and also Baghdad. A senior hospital official in Kerbala said six people had been killed and 28 wounded in the clashes. Police earlier said gunmen armed with automatic weapons and pistols tried to take control of the area around the two shrines. They confronted the police and army who opened fire.
The violence follows clashes between police and pilgrims on Monday night in which at least six people were killed on the eve of one of the holiest events on the Shi'ite calendar. Pilgrims are celebrating the 9th century birth of Mohammad al-Mahdi, the last of 12 imams Shi'ites revere as saints and who they believe never died and will return to save mankind.
Labels: evacuation, Imam Abbas shrine, Imam Hussein, Karbala, Mohammad al-Mahdi shrine, Shiite pilgrims
Pilgrims shot on the way to religious festival
Security
(AFP) - Four Shiite pilgrims were shot dead on Tuesday on their way to join the hundreds of thousands flooding the Iraqi shrine city of Karbala for a major religious festival, security officials said. Two devotees were killed when gunmen raked their vehicle with bullets as they passed through the town of Iskandiriyah, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Baghdad, local police official Lieutenant Numa al-Amari said.
In another attack near Iskandiriyah, Amari said a man and his daughter were shot dead also while driving to Karbala, huge where crowds of pilgrims are gathering to celebrate an eighth-century imam. Tuesday's killings come after five people were shot dead by police gunfire in Karbala late on Monday when pilgrims became agitated at tight security cordons which created long queues. An AFP correspondent said the atmosphere in the city's winding streets was calm and the mood festive on Tuesday, with pilgrims carrying the green flags of Islam thronging the city's two main shrines.
Karbala police expect two million pilgrims to gather to mark the birth anniversary of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th imam of Shiite Islam, who the faithful believe disappeared from the northern Iraqi town of Samarra and will return one day to save the world. Leading Shiite cleric Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Mahamadawi appealed for calm after Monday's shootings. "Everyone should comply with the orders of the leader Moqtada al-Sadr," Mahamadawi, a senior cleric in Sadr's office in Karbala, said through loudspeakers at the Hussein shrine. "A Muslim should not kill another Muslim," he quoted Sadr, one of Iraq's most influential Shiite leaders, as saying.
Police said 15,000 security force members have been deployed across the city while medical officials said 53 ambulances and 24 medical teams are on standby and 750 units of blood have been stored in case of emergency. A vehicle ban has been in place since Sunday.
Unlike other Shiite rituals in Karbala, usually to mark the deaths of the two imams buried there, pilgrims will not be flagellating themselves with iron chains or cutting their foreheads with swords. Instead they will pay homage in the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas to observe Imam Mahdi's birth anniversary although there is no shrine to Mahdi himself as he is still believed to be alive.
Karbala became a pilgrimage site for Shiites after the slaying of Imam Hussein in 680 by armies of the Sunni caliph Yazid. A grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, tradition holds that Hussein was decapitated and his body mutilated by Yazid's armies.
In another attack near Iskandiriyah, Amari said a man and his daughter were shot dead also while driving to Karbala, huge where crowds of pilgrims are gathering to celebrate an eighth-century imam. Tuesday's killings come after five people were shot dead by police gunfire in Karbala late on Monday when pilgrims became agitated at tight security cordons which created long queues. An AFP correspondent said the atmosphere in the city's winding streets was calm and the mood festive on Tuesday, with pilgrims carrying the green flags of Islam thronging the city's two main shrines.
Karbala police expect two million pilgrims to gather to mark the birth anniversary of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th imam of Shiite Islam, who the faithful believe disappeared from the northern Iraqi town of Samarra and will return one day to save the world. Leading Shiite cleric Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Mahamadawi appealed for calm after Monday's shootings. "Everyone should comply with the orders of the leader Moqtada al-Sadr," Mahamadawi, a senior cleric in Sadr's office in Karbala, said through loudspeakers at the Hussein shrine. "A Muslim should not kill another Muslim," he quoted Sadr, one of Iraq's most influential Shiite leaders, as saying.
Police said 15,000 security force members have been deployed across the city while medical officials said 53 ambulances and 24 medical teams are on standby and 750 units of blood have been stored in case of emergency. A vehicle ban has been in place since Sunday.
Unlike other Shiite rituals in Karbala, usually to mark the deaths of the two imams buried there, pilgrims will not be flagellating themselves with iron chains or cutting their foreheads with swords. Instead they will pay homage in the shrines of Imam Hussein and Abbas to observe Imam Mahdi's birth anniversary although there is no shrine to Mahdi himself as he is still believed to be alive.
Karbala became a pilgrimage site for Shiites after the slaying of Imam Hussein in 680 by armies of the Sunni caliph Yazid. A grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, tradition holds that Hussein was decapitated and his body mutilated by Yazid's armies.
Labels: Imam Mahdi, Iskandariyah, Karbala, Mohammed al-Mahdi, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sheikh Abdul-Hadi al-Mahamadawi, Shiite pilgrims
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Karbala’s Tribal Sheikhs Hold Security Meeting
Security, Tribal
(Badr Newspaper) - 20 AUG - The Sayid Al Shuhadda Movement held a security meeting in Karbala. Many Karbala tribal sheikhs participated in this meeting. The goal of this meeting was to discuss the security preparations for the Shabbaniya visit.
Major General Salih Khazal, the Karbala Operations Room Chief, attended this meeting. The Major General spoke about the security plan that was created by the Army and the police. He also mentioned that a commando battalion has been deployed to the areas of Ma’amil Al Cement [the cement factory area] and the Sayid Ahmed Bin Hashim area, 80 KM west of Karbala. The tribal sheikhs expressed their full cooperation with the security organizations to protect the visitors of Imam Al Hussein during the Shabbaniya visit. A number of sheikhs have submitted notes to the Karbala operation room chief to increase the security cooperation of the tribes during the visit.
Labels: Imam Al Hussein shrine, Karbala, Sayid Al Shuhadda Movement, Shabbaniya, tribal leaders
Monday, August 13, 2007
Security officers arrested carrying explosive belts
Security
(Azzaman) - Two security officers have been arrested in the religious city of Karbala as they were trying to smuggle into the city explosive belts to target holy shrines, Karbala governor said. Aqeel al-Khazaali said preliminary investigations have shown that the two arrested officers were members of the Islamic Army, an armed group fighting U.S. occupation troops as well as the country’s U.S.-sponsored government.
Khazaali said the two, whose have not been identified, have admitted to committing “horrendous crimes” in the province. The arrest was made as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shiites began flocking to religious shrines to commemorate the death of one of their saints buried in Baghdad. Security was tight in Baghdad in the few days before the event on Thursday as multitudes of Shiites poured to the shrine of Imam Kadhem, a revered Shiite holy man buried in Baghdad. Iraqi security forces and army blocked the entrances and roads to the shrine and placed bomb and explosive detectors on all major roads leading to it.
Meantime, Brigadier Qassem Atta, a spokesman for the current campaign to secure Baghdad, said the authorities have discovered “a huge weapons depot” at a major Sunni mosque in the city. He said the arms cache include mortars, artillery projectiles, missiles and rocket launchers. Atta said 86 gunmen were killed and 143 captured in the past two weeks in Adhamiya, a predominantly Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad. He said 37 kidnapped Iraqis were freed, 914 bombs defused and 13 car bombs dismantled in the same area.
Khazaali said the two, whose have not been identified, have admitted to committing “horrendous crimes” in the province. The arrest was made as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi Shiites began flocking to religious shrines to commemorate the death of one of their saints buried in Baghdad. Security was tight in Baghdad in the few days before the event on Thursday as multitudes of Shiites poured to the shrine of Imam Kadhem, a revered Shiite holy man buried in Baghdad. Iraqi security forces and army blocked the entrances and roads to the shrine and placed bomb and explosive detectors on all major roads leading to it.
Meantime, Brigadier Qassem Atta, a spokesman for the current campaign to secure Baghdad, said the authorities have discovered “a huge weapons depot” at a major Sunni mosque in the city. He said the arms cache include mortars, artillery projectiles, missiles and rocket launchers. Atta said 86 gunmen were killed and 143 captured in the past two weeks in Adhamiya, a predominantly Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad. He said 37 kidnapped Iraqis were freed, 914 bombs defused and 13 car bombs dismantled in the same area.
Labels: Adhamiyah, Aqeel al-Khazaali, Brigadier Qassem Atta, explosive belts, Islamic Army in Iraq, Karbala, Sunni mosque, weapons cache
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Anti-Saudi feeling runs high among pilgrims
Regional
(Christian Science Monitor) - Shiite Iraqis began arriving in Baghdad this week for a mass pilgrimage Thursday to a revered imam's shrine. Much of the city is now locked down, closed off to protect the nearly 1 million faithful expected to pay tribute in the northern Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhimiya. But not only is this march to honor Imam Musa al-Kadhim in a Shiite Muslim rite, it has become a show of newfound power and defiance in the face of hard-line Sunni suicide bombers who continue to wreak havoc in their communities.
This year's pilgrimage also comes amid an unprecedented wave of anger toward Saudi Arabia. Government and religious leaders here charge that the neighboring kingdom is doing little to stem the flow of its nationals to Iraq to wage "holy war" on Shiites. The Saudi backlash is being fueled by Iraqi media reports and Shiite leaders' condemnations of apparent fatwas, religious rulings by Saudi muftis calling for the destruction of Shiite shrines in Iraq.
But some Saudi Arabian analysts say this is a way for Baghdad's pro-Iranian leaders to steer attention away from Tehran's involvement in Iraq and toward its Sunni neighbors. In spite of questions about their authenticity, the fatwas are stirring up much of the Shiite community and is indeed coloring this year's pilgrimage.
"It is going to be the pilgrimage of defiance in the face of these fatwas that desecrate the imams and call for the destruction of their shrines," says Hazem al-Araji, a leader in the movement of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "Every Shiite that venerates the imams must say to the mufti [Sunni cleric] that we will defend the imams with our blood," he says.
As pilgrims began arriving Tuesday, the image of seventh Shiite Imam Musa al-Kadhim in shackles hung on banners over the neighborhood of Kadhimiya. The imam was poisoned about 1,200 years ago. His persecution resonates deeply in Iraq today as Shiites try to hold onto unprecedented political gains while being viewed with suspicion in the Sunni Muslim world, especially in Sunni-led Saudi Arabia where Shiites are seldom allowed to openly practice their religion.
"So far, the Saudi attitude in particular, and the Arab one in general, has been negative toward the political process in Iraq," says Ridha Jawad Taqi, an Iraqi Shiite parliamentarian. "If they want nothing to do with us then we will just look for friends elsewhere." Further fanning the flames of anti-Saudi public sentiment is the outrage expressed over an incident that Mr. Taqi says took place Sunday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, when a group of Iraqi Shiites, including his son, were roughed up by Saudi security forces.
"They noticed they were Shiites because one of them was wearing a black turban so they rounded 12 of them up and beat them up with batons including my son Amir," he says, adding that his son plans to sue Saudi authorities, who have not publicly commented on the incident.
Several Saudi experts who track fatwas online denied the claims of the most recent one regarding Shiite holy sites. Ayed al-Dosari, a contributor to the United Arab Emirates-based Saha bulletin board, known for its extremist Sunni views, posted an article Wednesday calling the Iraqi claims "a lie" to "stoke the flames of discord."
This year's pilgrimage also comes amid an unprecedented wave of anger toward Saudi Arabia. Government and religious leaders here charge that the neighboring kingdom is doing little to stem the flow of its nationals to Iraq to wage "holy war" on Shiites. The Saudi backlash is being fueled by Iraqi media reports and Shiite leaders' condemnations of apparent fatwas, religious rulings by Saudi muftis calling for the destruction of Shiite shrines in Iraq.
But some Saudi Arabian analysts say this is a way for Baghdad's pro-Iranian leaders to steer attention away from Tehran's involvement in Iraq and toward its Sunni neighbors. In spite of questions about their authenticity, the fatwas are stirring up much of the Shiite community and is indeed coloring this year's pilgrimage.
"It is going to be the pilgrimage of defiance in the face of these fatwas that desecrate the imams and call for the destruction of their shrines," says Hazem al-Araji, a leader in the movement of firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "Every Shiite that venerates the imams must say to the mufti [Sunni cleric] that we will defend the imams with our blood," he says.
As pilgrims began arriving Tuesday, the image of seventh Shiite Imam Musa al-Kadhim in shackles hung on banners over the neighborhood of Kadhimiya. The imam was poisoned about 1,200 years ago. His persecution resonates deeply in Iraq today as Shiites try to hold onto unprecedented political gains while being viewed with suspicion in the Sunni Muslim world, especially in Sunni-led Saudi Arabia where Shiites are seldom allowed to openly practice their religion.
"So far, the Saudi attitude in particular, and the Arab one in general, has been negative toward the political process in Iraq," says Ridha Jawad Taqi, an Iraqi Shiite parliamentarian. "If they want nothing to do with us then we will just look for friends elsewhere." Further fanning the flames of anti-Saudi public sentiment is the outrage expressed over an incident that Mr. Taqi says took place Sunday in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, when a group of Iraqi Shiites, including his son, were roughed up by Saudi security forces.
"They noticed they were Shiites because one of them was wearing a black turban so they rounded 12 of them up and beat them up with batons including my son Amir," he says, adding that his son plans to sue Saudi authorities, who have not publicly commented on the incident.
Several Saudi experts who track fatwas online denied the claims of the most recent one regarding Shiite holy sites. Ayed al-Dosari, a contributor to the United Arab Emirates-based Saha bulletin board, known for its extremist Sunni views, posted an article Wednesday calling the Iraqi claims "a lie" to "stoke the flames of discord."
One Saudi fatwa allegedly called for the destruction of the mausoleum of Imam Hussein in Karbala, south of Baghdad. The violent death of the third Imam and his companions in battle against the caliph's army in 680 AD marked the schism between Sunnis and Shiites. The intensity of the standoff over the centuries tended to track regional political upheaval. And Iraq authorities are taking the threats seriously, especially in light of the bombing of the twin minarets at the Askariya shrine in Samarra north of Baghdad in June that followed an attack on its dome in February 2006.
Labels: fatwas, Hazem al-Araji, Imam Hussein, Imam Musa al-Kadhim, Kadhimiya mosque, Karbala, Saudi Arabia, Saudi muftis, Shiite pilgrims
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
Monday, July 30, 2007
Gold found in Al Anbar, red mercury in Maysan
(Voices of Iraq) - An economic expert said that the lack of interest by Iraqi government in exploration of other minerals other than oil refers to weak economic policies. Ali Al-Manii, from the Center of Economic Studies, added, reliance on oil and gas as basis of the natural wealth is not a correct perspective in economic terms, because the State must seek to adopt plans for exploration of other minerals in Iraq, especially in southern and central regions, and abandon the unilateral economic strategy."
He added, "Field economic studies showed that gold is found in Anbar province and red mercury, which is the most expensive among minerals, is found in south-eastern of Maysan province."
Al-Manii explained, "The western region of Iraq, being of vast desert nature, comprises ethylene phosphate and sulpfur, while copper is found in Karbala and Najaf." He continued, "The results of these studies require the provision of means of research and exploration of non-oil minerals, which are expected to be found in larger proportions than the rough estimates, for not conducting exploration and production for many years."
Al-Manii called relevant authorities and specialists to achieve strategic plans to prospect for minerals other than oil.
He added, "Field economic studies showed that gold is found in Anbar province and red mercury, which is the most expensive among minerals, is found in south-eastern of Maysan province."
Al-Manii explained, "The western region of Iraq, being of vast desert nature, comprises ethylene phosphate and sulpfur, while copper is found in Karbala and Najaf." He continued, "The results of these studies require the provision of means of research and exploration of non-oil minerals, which are expected to be found in larger proportions than the rough estimates, for not conducting exploration and production for many years."
Al-Manii called relevant authorities and specialists to achieve strategic plans to prospect for minerals other than oil.
Labels: Al Anbar, Ali Al-Manii, copper, gold, Karbala, Maysan, Najaf, red mercury, sulphur
Friday, July 27, 2007
Mahdi Army clashes with U.S. troops in Karbala
Security
(AP) - Shiite militiamen battled with U.S. and Iraqi troops Friday in the holy city of Karbala, and the fighting left nine people dead and nearly two dozen wounded, local officials said. Separately, the U.S. military said another American soldier was killed in fighting, raising to eight the number of troop deaths reported during the past two days.
The fighting in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, broke out as the joint U.S.-Iraqi force conducted a pre-dawn raid on the house of a leader of the Mahdi Army militia, which is loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, prompting the militia fighters to open fire, according to a police officer and a local council member.
The militia leader Razzaq al-Ardhi and his brother were arrested in the clashes, which lasted nearly two hours, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The officials said four militiamen and five civilians were killed and 23 people were wounded in the fighting, which also damaged four or five houses.
Another clash erupted about three hours later as residents were removing the dead bodies from the hospital. Militiamen with the mourners briefly fought with a joint Iraqi army and police patrol, but no casualties were reported, the officials said.
In Baghdad, cleanup crews used tractors and cranes to clear out the debris after a highly sophisticated simultaneous truck bombing and rocket attack devastated a Shiite market district in one of the capital's safest central neighborhoods Thursday. Rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble, and police raised the casualty toll to at least 31 people killed and 104 wounded.
Mourners streamed into mosques and funeral tents were set up in the neighborhood's main street, where black banners were hung on the walls with names of the dead. Although suicide bombings are common in Iraq, it is rare for militants to stage such a double attack with such effectiveness. The attackers struck about 6:40 p.m. as the Karradah district's market area was packed with shoppers on the eve of the Islamic day of rest.
The fighting in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, broke out as the joint U.S.-Iraqi force conducted a pre-dawn raid on the house of a leader of the Mahdi Army militia, which is loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, prompting the militia fighters to open fire, according to a police officer and a local council member.
The militia leader Razzaq al-Ardhi and his brother were arrested in the clashes, which lasted nearly two hours, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The officials said four militiamen and five civilians were killed and 23 people were wounded in the fighting, which also damaged four or five houses.
Another clash erupted about three hours later as residents were removing the dead bodies from the hospital. Militiamen with the mourners briefly fought with a joint Iraqi army and police patrol, but no casualties were reported, the officials said.
In Baghdad, cleanup crews used tractors and cranes to clear out the debris after a highly sophisticated simultaneous truck bombing and rocket attack devastated a Shiite market district in one of the capital's safest central neighborhoods Thursday. Rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble, and police raised the casualty toll to at least 31 people killed and 104 wounded.
Mourners streamed into mosques and funeral tents were set up in the neighborhood's main street, where black banners were hung on the walls with names of the dead. Although suicide bombings are common in Iraq, it is rare for militants to stage such a double attack with such effectiveness. The attackers struck about 6:40 p.m. as the Karradah district's market area was packed with shoppers on the eve of the Islamic day of rest.
Labels: Baghdad, Karbala, Karrada, Mahdi Army, Razzaq al-Ardhi, suicide truck bomber, U.S.-Iraqi force
