Thursday, September 13, 2007
Abu Risha: National Reconciliation Will Begin In Anbar…Central Iraqi Tribal Sheikhs Meet With Anbar Tribal Sheikhs
Tribal, Security
(Al Mowaten Newspaper) - 13 SEP - Yesterday, a delegation of central Iraqi tribal sheikhs visited Anbar’s tribal sheikhs and met with members of the Anbar Salvation Council. Sheikh Hamid Al Hayis, the Anbar Salvation Council Chief said, “The central Iraq tribal sheikhs and Anbar tribal sheikhs have agreed on being united, fighting terrorists, staying away from sectarianism and security cooperation between the tribes of Anbar, Samawa, Karbala, Hilla and other southern provinces.”
He added, “At the end of the meeting everyone prayed together and swore to be unified and to fight terrorists.” In related news, Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Risha has confirmed that the tribes of southern, central Iraq, and Sadr City visited Ramadi and that this step is the right step to save the country from its problems. Sheikh Basim Al Hajawi delivered a speech on behalf of the Sadr City tribes and expressed his appreciation of the heroic role of the Anbar Awakening Council. Sheikh Basim has demanded that Iraq’s tribes imitate the Anbar Awakening Council and oust everyone that is trying to damage Iraq. Sheikh Thamir Al Dulaimi, the “Anbar Scientist Commission” chief said, “We should pursue and oust terrorists from Iraq.”
He added, “At the end of the meeting everyone prayed together and swore to be unified and to fight terrorists.” In related news, Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Risha has confirmed that the tribes of southern, central Iraq, and Sadr City visited Ramadi and that this step is the right step to save the country from its problems. Sheikh Basim Al Hajawi delivered a speech on behalf of the Sadr City tribes and expressed his appreciation of the heroic role of the Anbar Awakening Council. Sheikh Basim has demanded that Iraq’s tribes imitate the Anbar Awakening Council and oust everyone that is trying to damage Iraq. Sheikh Thamir Al Dulaimi, the “Anbar Scientist Commission” chief said, “We should pursue and oust terrorists from Iraq.”
Labels: Anbar Salvation Council, Anbar Scientist Commission, Sadr City, Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Risha, Sheikh Basim Al Hajawi, Sheikh Thamir Al Dulaimi, tribal sheiks
Monday, September 10, 2007
Al-Sadr picks 12-man council to reorganise Mahdi Army
Politics, Security
(AP) -- Iraq's most powerful Shiite militia leader is turning to his commanders who distinguished themselves fighting U.S. troops in 2004 to screen fighters, weed out criminals and assume key positions in an effort to build a more disciplined force, two of his key lieutenants say. That suggests the goal of Muqtada al-Sadr's temporary freeze of Mahdi Army activities, announced Aug. 29 following deadly Shiite-Shiite clashes in Karbala, is to bolster the militia to intimidate his Shiite rivals as the anti-American cleric pursues his political ambitions.
A stronger and more efficient Mahdi Army could embolden al-Sadr to take on the rival Badr militia, a move that could fragment and weaken the country's majority Shiites as gunmen battle for control of Shiite towns and cities. Thousands of young, impoverished Shiites flocked to al-Sadr's standard after he founded the Mahdi Army a few months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. But bands of young gunmen used the Mahdi Army's name as a cover for extortion, black marketeering and other crimes.
The task of weeding out militiamen with suspect loyalty and screening new recruits already has begun and will take months to complete, according to the two al-Sadr lieutenants, who also are militia leaders who fought the Americans in Najaf in the summer of 2004 and in Sadr City in the fall. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to share the information with the media and for fear of reprisals. "The (Mahdi) army will be stronger and better organized," said one of them. Both said the screening and reorganization process will be supervised nationwide by a 12-man council hand-picked by al-Sadr.
Under the new procedures, militiamen serving now in the ranks as well as new applicants must prove they have no criminal record, never worked for security agencies under Saddam and must submit written statements from three known community members vouching for their good character."Those who are found to be not telling the truth about their past will be expelled and maybe punished too," the other militia leader said. "Senior commanders who deliberately or unwittingly allow such individuals to slip through and join or retain their place in the militia will be punished too."
If the reorganization goes according to plan, the new Mahdi Army should emerge as a more disciplined and organized force - similar to its main Shiite rival, the Badr Organization, which is linked to the biggest Shiite party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. Tension between Mahdi and Badr has been steadily rising and a showdown between them is widely expected for domination of the Shiite south, which includes most of the oil wealth and major religious shrines. Control of the shrines brings millions of dollars in donations from Shiites worldwide.
Al-Sadr is not likely to risk a head-on confrontation with the U.S. military as in 2004. But a stronger Mahdi Army would enable him to resist Washington's repeated calls to disband the militias, blamed for the wave of sectarian bloodshed that escalated last year. A Mahdi Army firmly under al-Sadr's control could reduce what the U.S. military says are attacks by rogue Shiite militiamen controlled by Iran.
Last June, those rogue militiamen accounted for nearly 75 percent of the attacks against U.S. troops in the Baghdad area that caused casualties. Both the government of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a one-time close ally of al-Sadr, and the U.S. military welcomed the decision to take the Mahdi Army out of action. However, there are worrying signs that the freeze is only a cover to buy al-Sadr time to overhaul the militia, improving its mobility and combat readiness.
Al-Sadr's supporters in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, did not sign a "charter of honor" reached by representatives of 30 groups and militias there to keep the peace after British troops completed their withdrawal from the city last week. Residents say the Mahdi Army says it is now entitled to Basra, arguing that it was its almost nightly shelling of British bases in the city and other attacks that forced them to leave. Al-Sadr's representatives in Basra have also warned they would fight U.S. troops if they move into Basra in the case of a security vacuum. "They say they fought the British, so Basra is theirs," said Dagher al-Moussawi, a Shiite lawmaker.
In Sadr City, armed Mahdi Army militiamen stayed off the streets soon after al-Sadr made his Aug. 29 announcement but several were seen in the district over the weekend with some carrying what appeared to be U.S.-made M-4 assault rifles, the type used by American troops. There have been reports in the United States that some of the weapons destined for Iraq's security forces have disappeared and remain unaccounted for.
Another Shiite lawmaker, who demanded anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the freeze was designed in part to spare the militia the ongoing campaign by U.S. forces and their Iraqi allies against militiamen suspected of involvement in attacks or sectarian violence. "He wants to save the Mahdi Army by taking it out and use the time to improve it," he said.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters last week that mainstream Mahdi Army fighters were observing al-Sadr's order for a freeze, while U.S. military statements continue to speak of sustained attacks by "extremist" or "criminal" militiamen. "Our assumption is that these groups are not honoring al-Sadr's orders and thus will not be subject to the restraint we have observed for those who are responding to al-Sadr's orders," said a military statement issued Sept. 4.
A stronger and more efficient Mahdi Army could embolden al-Sadr to take on the rival Badr militia, a move that could fragment and weaken the country's majority Shiites as gunmen battle for control of Shiite towns and cities. Thousands of young, impoverished Shiites flocked to al-Sadr's standard after he founded the Mahdi Army a few months after the collapse of Saddam Hussein's regime in 2003. But bands of young gunmen used the Mahdi Army's name as a cover for extortion, black marketeering and other crimes.
The task of weeding out militiamen with suspect loyalty and screening new recruits already has begun and will take months to complete, according to the two al-Sadr lieutenants, who also are militia leaders who fought the Americans in Najaf in the summer of 2004 and in Sadr City in the fall. They spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to share the information with the media and for fear of reprisals. "The (Mahdi) army will be stronger and better organized," said one of them. Both said the screening and reorganization process will be supervised nationwide by a 12-man council hand-picked by al-Sadr.
Under the new procedures, militiamen serving now in the ranks as well as new applicants must prove they have no criminal record, never worked for security agencies under Saddam and must submit written statements from three known community members vouching for their good character."Those who are found to be not telling the truth about their past will be expelled and maybe punished too," the other militia leader said. "Senior commanders who deliberately or unwittingly allow such individuals to slip through and join or retain their place in the militia will be punished too."
If the reorganization goes according to plan, the new Mahdi Army should emerge as a more disciplined and organized force - similar to its main Shiite rival, the Badr Organization, which is linked to the biggest Shiite party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. Tension between Mahdi and Badr has been steadily rising and a showdown between them is widely expected for domination of the Shiite south, which includes most of the oil wealth and major religious shrines. Control of the shrines brings millions of dollars in donations from Shiites worldwide.
Al-Sadr is not likely to risk a head-on confrontation with the U.S. military as in 2004. But a stronger Mahdi Army would enable him to resist Washington's repeated calls to disband the militias, blamed for the wave of sectarian bloodshed that escalated last year. A Mahdi Army firmly under al-Sadr's control could reduce what the U.S. military says are attacks by rogue Shiite militiamen controlled by Iran.
Last June, those rogue militiamen accounted for nearly 75 percent of the attacks against U.S. troops in the Baghdad area that caused casualties. Both the government of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a one-time close ally of al-Sadr, and the U.S. military welcomed the decision to take the Mahdi Army out of action. However, there are worrying signs that the freeze is only a cover to buy al-Sadr time to overhaul the militia, improving its mobility and combat readiness.
Al-Sadr's supporters in Basra, Iraq's second largest city, did not sign a "charter of honor" reached by representatives of 30 groups and militias there to keep the peace after British troops completed their withdrawal from the city last week. Residents say the Mahdi Army says it is now entitled to Basra, arguing that it was its almost nightly shelling of British bases in the city and other attacks that forced them to leave. Al-Sadr's representatives in Basra have also warned they would fight U.S. troops if they move into Basra in the case of a security vacuum. "They say they fought the British, so Basra is theirs," said Dagher al-Moussawi, a Shiite lawmaker.
In Sadr City, armed Mahdi Army militiamen stayed off the streets soon after al-Sadr made his Aug. 29 announcement but several were seen in the district over the weekend with some carrying what appeared to be U.S.-made M-4 assault rifles, the type used by American troops. There have been reports in the United States that some of the weapons destined for Iraq's security forces have disappeared and remain unaccounted for.
Another Shiite lawmaker, who demanded anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the freeze was designed in part to spare the militia the ongoing campaign by U.S. forces and their Iraqi allies against militiamen suspected of involvement in attacks or sectarian violence. "He wants to save the Mahdi Army by taking it out and use the time to improve it," he said.
Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 U.S. commander in Iraq, told reporters last week that mainstream Mahdi Army fighters were observing al-Sadr's order for a freeze, while U.S. military statements continue to speak of sustained attacks by "extremist" or "criminal" militiamen. "Our assumption is that these groups are not honoring al-Sadr's orders and thus will not be subject to the restraint we have observed for those who are responding to al-Sadr's orders," said a military statement issued Sept. 4.
Labels: Badr Corps, Basra, Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sadr City
National Dialogue Front rejons parliament
Politics
(CNN) -- A small Sunni Arab bloc ended its boycott of Iraq's parliament Saturday, boosting the appearance of national unity just days before key reports are due in Washington on Iraq's progress. Saleh al-Mutlaq, who leads the National Dialogue Front, told CNN that the Sunni Arab group's 11 members of parliament returned to the 275-seat legislature after their demands were met.
"The government has agreed to allocate funds to displaced families ... and it has agreed to delay negotiations on the oil law until after Ramadan," he said in a telephone interview from Amman, Jordan. Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting, which begins next week. "We are therefore today heeding the call of the speaker to end our boycott."
Al-Mutlaq said the decision also was based in part on some U.S. policy changes in Iraq. "Americans were only talking with the Kurdish bloc and the Shiite bloc. Now, they are starting to be somehow fair," he said. "They are working with tribes to get rid of al Qaeda and putting pressure on the militias."
"The government has agreed to allocate funds to displaced families ... and it has agreed to delay negotiations on the oil law until after Ramadan," he said in a telephone interview from Amman, Jordan. Ramadan is the Muslim month of fasting, which begins next week. "We are therefore today heeding the call of the speaker to end our boycott."
Al-Mutlaq said the decision also was based in part on some U.S. policy changes in Iraq. "Americans were only talking with the Kurdish bloc and the Shiite bloc. Now, they are starting to be somehow fair," he said. "They are working with tribes to get rid of al Qaeda and putting pressure on the militias."
Iraq's parliament is preparing to tackle key legislation in response to U.S. benchmarks aimed at measuring Iraq's progress toward national unity. Gen. David Petraeus and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker are to appear before Congress this week to present their assessments. "We are hoping that the Americans are realizing that the sectarian parties or Islamic parties cannot govern Iraq, and they should support the national liberal trend in Iraq," al-Mutlaq said.
In spite of the political progress, at least 15 civilians were killed in separate explosions around Iraq, officials said Saturday. At least 10 people were killed and 30 wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded Saturday evening outside a police station in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, an Interior Ministry official said. The bomb went off at 6:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. ET) in the densely populated and predominantly Shiite district.
A hand grenade exploded in a market south of the capital in Kufa, killing at least three Iraqi civilians and wounding six others Saturday afternoon, Najaf police said. Following the blast, police said Kufa and Najaf -- both major Shiite cities -- were shut down for two hours.
In spite of the political progress, at least 15 civilians were killed in separate explosions around Iraq, officials said Saturday. At least 10 people were killed and 30 wounded when a suicide car bomb exploded Saturday evening outside a police station in the Baghdad neighborhood of Sadr City, an Interior Ministry official said. The bomb went off at 6:30 p.m. (10:30 a.m. ET) in the densely populated and predominantly Shiite district.
A hand grenade exploded in a market south of the capital in Kufa, killing at least three Iraqi civilians and wounding six others Saturday afternoon, Najaf police said. Following the blast, police said Kufa and Najaf -- both major Shiite cities -- were shut down for two hours.
Labels: Kufa, lockdown, National Dialogue Front, Sadr City, Saleh al-Mutlaq, suicide car bomber
Thursday, September 06, 2007
U.S. air strike kills 14 in Baghdad
Security
(Gulf News) - A US air strike on a Baghdad neighbourhood overnight killed 14 people and demolished several houses, the police said on Thursday. US military spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment. Two police sources said the air strike took place at about 3 a.m. in the Washash neighbourhood, a stronghold of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr's Mehdi Army militia, in western Baghdad's Mansour district.
Police said nine people were wounded in the attack, which one official said destroyed five houses. The US military has launched a series of operations, including air strikes against what it calls rogue elements of the Mehdi Army. It says many of these "special groups" have links to Iran, which it says is supply weapons and training, a charge Tehran denies.
Sadr last week ordered the Mehdi Army to suspend its operations for six months in what was seen as a move to restore his authority over the militia, which US officials say has fractured into splinter groups that do not obey him.
Police said nine people were wounded in the attack, which one official said destroyed five houses. The US military has launched a series of operations, including air strikes against what it calls rogue elements of the Mehdi Army. It says many of these "special groups" have links to Iran, which it says is supply weapons and training, a charge Tehran denies.
Sadr last week ordered the Mehdi Army to suspend its operations for six months in what was seen as a move to restore his authority over the militia, which US officials say has fractured into splinter groups that do not obey him.
Labels: air strike, Mahdi Army, Sadr City, Washash
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Bomb explodes at Sadr City bus station
Security
(AFP) - A roadside bomb ripped through a crowded bus station in Baghdad's Shiite slum of Sadr City, killing one person and wounding at least 11, a medic said Wednesday. The bomb went off near Al-Hamza square as buses were picking up commuters to ferry them to work, an interior ministry official said. A medic at the Sadr Hospital in Sadr City said one body had been brought to the facility while 11 wounded people were admitted.
Teeming Sadr City, with a population of more than one million, is a bastion of the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. It has been a frequent target of Sunni extremists setting off bombs amid the country's Shiite-Sunni sectarian conflict. A week ago Sadr ordered his militia to halt their armed actions for six months after they were accused of sparking bloody firefights with police in the shrine city of Karbala which turned a major Shiite pilgrimage into a bloodbath and killed 52 people.
Teeming Sadr City, with a population of more than one million, is a bastion of the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. It has been a frequent target of Sunni extremists setting off bombs amid the country's Shiite-Sunni sectarian conflict. A week ago Sadr ordered his militia to halt their armed actions for six months after they were accused of sparking bloody firefights with police in the shrine city of Karbala which turned a major Shiite pilgrimage into a bloodbath and killed 52 people.
Labels: Al-Hamza square, bomb, Sadr City
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Government urged to stop U.S. violations in Sadr City
Security
(Azzaman) - The Sadr City in Baghdad has been the scene of ongoing raids by U.S. occupation troops in the past weeks and its inhabitants have stage a huge sit-in in protest. The city is the largest suburban area of Baghdad and home to more than 2 million people, predominantly Shiite Muslims. The low-income neighborhood is one of the major strongholds of Shiite Cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his military wing, the Mahdi Army. The U.S. says the raids are to force Sadr to disband his militias.
Mahdi Army militias have all but vanished from the city currently under the control of pro-Sadr civil servants who administer the city’s public services, schools and hospitals. Angry inhabitants have staged sit-ins and demonstrations, building a human shield that makes it difficult for the invaders to enter the city and practically cuts it off from the rest of Baghdad.
Nassar Rubaie, a Sadr deputy in parliament, has acknowledged that the protests were organized by his group and urged the government not to remain silent in the face of ‘U.S. violations.’ The impoverished city is divided into tribal blocks where tribal chiefs hold tremendous sway. The tribes have traditionally been strong supporters of Sadr and his clerical family.
Rubaie said the government was under obligation to “stop raids and bombings by U.S. troops of the sons of Sadr City and other areas in Iraq and release Iraqi detainees.” He said his group was aware of thousands of detainees held for more than two years without trial. Their families, he said, still have no idea whether they are still alive or dead. “Iraq constitution stresses that judges must be alerted within 24 hours of any arrests but what we are seeing is that U.S. troops incarcerate people for years without trial. “This is unconstitutional,” he said.
Mahdi Army militias have all but vanished from the city currently under the control of pro-Sadr civil servants who administer the city’s public services, schools and hospitals. Angry inhabitants have staged sit-ins and demonstrations, building a human shield that makes it difficult for the invaders to enter the city and practically cuts it off from the rest of Baghdad.
Nassar Rubaie, a Sadr deputy in parliament, has acknowledged that the protests were organized by his group and urged the government not to remain silent in the face of ‘U.S. violations.’ The impoverished city is divided into tribal blocks where tribal chiefs hold tremendous sway. The tribes have traditionally been strong supporters of Sadr and his clerical family.
Rubaie said the government was under obligation to “stop raids and bombings by U.S. troops of the sons of Sadr City and other areas in Iraq and release Iraqi detainees.” He said his group was aware of thousands of detainees held for more than two years without trial. Their families, he said, still have no idea whether they are still alive or dead. “Iraq constitution stresses that judges must be alerted within 24 hours of any arrests but what we are seeing is that U.S. troops incarcerate people for years without trial. “This is unconstitutional,” he said.
Labels: demonstration, Nassar Rubaie, Sadr City
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
40 killed in raid on Sadr City
Security
(CNN) -- Forty people have been killed in a military raid and street fighting across Baghdad's Sadr City, the capital's volatile Shiite slum, Iraqi and U.S. officials said Wednesday.Iraqi and coalition troops overnight killed 32 militants in Sadr City -- most of them in an airstrike -- in an operation targeting a cell with alleged links to Iran, the U.S. military said. Twelve others were detained in the raid.
Separately, fighting broke out early Wednesday between U.S.-led coalition forces and Mehdi Army militiamen in Sadr City, leaving at least eight people dead and 10 wounded, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. The U.S. military denied that civilians were among the casualties in the raid. "There were women and children in the area when we conducted the operation but none were killed in the airstrike," Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said, according to Reuters.
Some critics of al-Maliki, from the Shiite Dawa party, say he has been reluctant to take on other Shiite militants. Al-Maliki says the Iraqi military is targeting all insurgents, no matter what sect they hail from. There is a lot of support for Iran in Sadr City. And the targeted terrorist cell is suspected of bringing weapons and the bombs called an "explosively formed penetrators" from Iran to Iraq and of "bringing militants from Iraq into Iran for terrorist training," the U.S. military said.
The military said the raid was built on "a series of coordinated operations" that commenced with a raid in the southern Iraqi city of Amara in June. Amara is in Maysan province in the Shiite heartland and it borders Iran.
"Coalition forces continue to attack the supply chain of illicit materials being shipped from Iran," the military said.
The military was targeting an individual who "acts as a proxy between Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and an "the Iraqi EFP network." "Reports also indicate that he assists with the facilitation of weapons and EFP shipments into Iraq as well as the transfer of militant extremists to Iran for training."
Separately, fighting broke out early Wednesday between U.S.-led coalition forces and Mehdi Army militiamen in Sadr City, leaving at least eight people dead and 10 wounded, according to Iraq's Interior Ministry. The U.S. military denied that civilians were among the casualties in the raid. "There were women and children in the area when we conducted the operation but none were killed in the airstrike," Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said, according to Reuters.
Some critics of al-Maliki, from the Shiite Dawa party, say he has been reluctant to take on other Shiite militants. Al-Maliki says the Iraqi military is targeting all insurgents, no matter what sect they hail from. There is a lot of support for Iran in Sadr City. And the targeted terrorist cell is suspected of bringing weapons and the bombs called an "explosively formed penetrators" from Iran to Iraq and of "bringing militants from Iraq into Iran for terrorist training," the U.S. military said.
The military said the raid was built on "a series of coordinated operations" that commenced with a raid in the southern Iraqi city of Amara in June. Amara is in Maysan province in the Shiite heartland and it borders Iran.
"Coalition forces continue to attack the supply chain of illicit materials being shipped from Iran," the military said.
The military was targeting an individual who "acts as a proxy between Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force and an "the Iraqi EFP network." "Reports also indicate that he assists with the facilitation of weapons and EFP shipments into Iraq as well as the transfer of militant extremists to Iran for training."
The street fighting between the Mehdi army and the troops lasted about three hours and was fought in various locations. It was not immediately known if those killed and wounded were civilians or members of the Mehdi Army -- the militia of populist anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who enjoys widespread support among Shiites in the eastern section of the capital.
The fighting came as Iraq's government moved up a vehicle ban for Baghdad from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The official said the ban, which was imposed 15 hours earlier than expected, surprised residents who were headed to work and told by Iraqi security forces to return home. The ban is part of an effort, the official said, to curtail potential bomb attacks targeting the thousands of Shiite pilgrims who are trekking to a major religious shrine in the northwestern Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhimiya for an annual religious commemoration Thursday.
The fighting came as Iraq's government moved up a vehicle ban for Baghdad from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The official said the ban, which was imposed 15 hours earlier than expected, surprised residents who were headed to work and told by Iraqi security forces to return home. The ban is part of an effort, the official said, to curtail potential bomb attacks targeting the thousands of Shiite pilgrims who are trekking to a major religious shrine in the northwestern Baghdad neighborhood of Kadhimiya for an annual religious commemoration Thursday.
Labels: Amarah, EFPs, Iran, Lt. Col Chris Garver, Mahdi Army, militants, Quds Force, raid, Sadr City
Monday, July 16, 2007
Al-Maliki says US troops "can leave any time they want"
Security, Politics
(Al Jazeera) - Iraq's prime minister has cast off US doubts over his government's military and political progress, saying Iraqi forces are capable and US troops can leave "any time they want". Nuri al-Maliki's comments came on Saturday, after one of his aids accused US forces of committing human rights violations and arming "gangs of killers".
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
At a time when pressure is mounting in the US for George Bush, the US president, to withdraw American troops from Iraq, al-Maliki has said his administration needs "time and effort" to enact the political reforms called for by Washington. "Particularly since the political process is facing security, economic and services pressures, as well as regional and international interference," said al-Maliki.
But he said if necessary, Iraqi police and soldiers could fill the void left by the departure of coalition forces. "We say in full confidence that we are able, God willing, to take the responsibility completely in running the security file if the international forces withdraw at any time they want," he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
Meanwhile, Hassan al-Suneid, a member of parliament, told The Associated Press on Saturday that al-Maliki has problems with General David Petraeus, the chief US commander in Iraq. He said US troops have embarrassed the Iraqi government and that General Petraeus was working along a "purely American vision". Al-Suneid said the US military strategy is to "arm whoever is against al-Qaeda at a time when there are gangs against al-Qaeda that kill. These are gangs of killers." He was referring to US overtures to groups in Anbar and Diyala, encouraging former anti-government fighters to join the fight against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
The US military insists it is not arming groups to fight al-Qaeda in Iraq. Instead, officials say they are re-directing them away from attacks on US troops to confront al-Qaeda in Iraq. "We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist'". Al-Suneid warned that these armed groups will retain their weapons in the future because of the US overtures.
He also said US authorities have embarrassed the al-Maliki government through acts such as constructing walls in Baghdad and repeated raids on Sadr City. Al-Suneid said: "Al-Maliki finds difficulty in understanding [Petraeus] because he moves with a purely American vision, and reality needs a co-ordinated mutual vision."
Al-Maliki's adviser denounced the heavy use of arms by US troops against suspected fighters as human rights violations. He said US forces use methods that produce results fast, including "building walls, random killings, detentions in ways that are far from human rights and this embarrasses the government in front of its people".
"We cannot imagine that a neighbourhood is bombed with an excuse that 'we are searching for a terrorist,"' he said.
COMMENT: The Iraqi security forces are ill trained, ill equipped and ill prepared to deal with the situation that is Iraq today, and they have been infiltrated with rival militias and lack unity and loyalty to one government. Elements of the government agreed to holding talks with insurgent and resistance groups and bringing them to the political table, this was not purely an American initiative. It appears that Al Sadr still has a strong grip on Maliki if this is his reaction to raids in Sadr City which doesn't bode well for the disarmament of militias such as the Mahdi Army. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Qaeda, General David Petraeus, Hassan al-Suneid, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sadr City, U.S. troop withdrawal
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
18 killed by a car bomb in Sadr City
Security
(Al Jazeera) - At least 18 people have been killed by a car bomb in Baghdad's Sadr City, medical officials and police have said. The explosives-laden car also wounded 35 other people when it blew up in a market of the al-Shaab neighbourhood in the predominantly Shia area. A doctor at the Imam Ali hospital in Sadr City said the casualties included women and children. The parked car exploded just before nightfall on Tuesday as the market was packed with shoppers.
The bombing was the second to target markets in the capital in 24 hours. An explosion at the al-Nidawi market in northeast Baghdad on Monday killed 11 people and wounded more than 33, security and defence officials said.
The bombing was the second to target markets in the capital in 24 hours. An explosion at the al-Nidawi market in northeast Baghdad on Monday killed 11 people and wounded more than 33, security and defence officials said.
Earlier, in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, two bystanders died in a car bomb apparently aimed at killing a local police commander. Adil Zenaid Abideen, a police colonel, said: "Those killed included a woman and among the wounded are three children and five policemen. The police chief escaped the attack."
Labels: al-Nidawi, al-Shaab, car bomb, Kirkuk, Sadr City
Monday, July 02, 2007
Iraqi Cabinet Rejects Any MNF Operations Without Iraqi Force’s Permission Or Prior Coordination
Coalition
(Al Istaqama Newspaper) - 1 JUL - On June 30th, the Cabinet announced in a press statement that they reject any MNF operation in all of Iraq without prior permission or coordination with Iraqi forces. The statement also said that the Iraqi government ordered the Iraqi Special Forces to not participate in any military operation without permission from the Iraqi chain of command, and anyone who violates this order will be prosecuted. The statement added that the government is pursuing all outlaws regardless of their ethnicity or sect who are firing mortars at the government facilities and killing innocent people. The government will demand an explanation from the MNF about what happened yesterday in Sadr City.
Labels: Iraqi forces, Iraqi government, MNF operations, Sadr City
Maliki condemns U.S. raid on Sadr City
Security
(Al Jazeera) - Iraq's prime minister has condemned a US raid on Baghdad's Sadr City which left 26 people dead. Nouri al-Maliki said the military operations were "conducted without prior approval from the Iraqi military command". He has demanded an explanation from the US authorities and said anyone who breeches military orders will face an investigation.
Residents accused American troops of killing eight civilians in their homes and "firing wildly" during the raid in the mainly Shia district early on Saturday morning. The US military in Iraq said it killed 26 people, all of them "gunmen" linked to "Iranian terror networks".
Coalition forces conducted two separate raids targeting suspected secret cell terrorists during pre-dawn hours Saturday in Sadr City," the statement said. "It is believed that the suspected terrorists have close ties to Iranian terror networks and are responsible for facilitating the flow of lethal aid into Iraq. Seventeen more people were detained, it said.
Residents accused American troops of killing eight civilians in their homes and "firing wildly" during the raid in the mainly Shia district early on Saturday morning. The US military in Iraq said it killed 26 people, all of them "gunmen" linked to "Iranian terror networks".
Coalition forces conducted two separate raids targeting suspected secret cell terrorists during pre-dawn hours Saturday in Sadr City," the statement said. "It is believed that the suspected terrorists have close ties to Iranian terror networks and are responsible for facilitating the flow of lethal aid into Iraq. Seventeen more people were detained, it said.
The statement said US soldiers faced "significant" resistance during the pre-dawn raids, including roadside bomb attacks as well as fire from rocket-propelled grenades and light weapons."Everyone who got shot was shooting at US troops at the time," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, "it was an intense firefight".
Labels: Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sadr City, U.S. military
Thursday, June 07, 2007
British ambassador to Iraq appeals for release of kidnapped Brits
Security
(BBC) - The British ambassador to Iraq has appealed for the release of five kidnapped Britons who were seized by armed militia. The five men were seized on May 29 from Baghdad's Finance Ministry by gunmen believed to be the Mehdi Army militia. British Ambassador Dominic Asquith has now issued a statement in English and Arabic, appealing for information.
He said he was "greatly concerned" about the men, whose families were "deeply worried". One of the five has been named as 28-year-old Alec MacLachlan, from Llanelli in Wales. The search for Mr MacLachlan and his four companions is continuing in Sadr City, a suburb of the Iraqi capital.
The area is a stronghold for the Mehdi Army. It is being searched by both US and Iraqi troops. Mr Asquith said: "I am greatly concerned about these five men. "Their families are deeply worried not to have news of them. "I ask those holding them to release them so they may return to their families.
"We have people here in Iraq who are ready to listen to any person about this incident, or any person who may be holding these men and who may wish to communicate." The men - a computer expert and four bodyguards - were taken from the building by kidnappers wearing police uniforms who staged the capture without firing a shot, according to senior Iraqi officials.
He said he was "greatly concerned" about the men, whose families were "deeply worried". One of the five has been named as 28-year-old Alec MacLachlan, from Llanelli in Wales. The search for Mr MacLachlan and his four companions is continuing in Sadr City, a suburb of the Iraqi capital.
The area is a stronghold for the Mehdi Army. It is being searched by both US and Iraqi troops. Mr Asquith said: "I am greatly concerned about these five men. "Their families are deeply worried not to have news of them. "I ask those holding them to release them so they may return to their families.
"We have people here in Iraq who are ready to listen to any person about this incident, or any person who may be holding these men and who may wish to communicate." The men - a computer expert and four bodyguards - were taken from the building by kidnappers wearing police uniforms who staged the capture without firing a shot, according to senior Iraqi officials.
Labels: Alec MacLachlan, British hostages, Dominic Asquith, Ministry of Finance, Sadr City
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Sadr City residents concerned about al-Sadr's return
Security, Politics
(Gulf News) - After more than a week of the Shiite leader Moqtada Al Sadr's re-emergence, it seems that parts of a Shiite slum in Baghdad are concerned about his return. People's anxiety has grown after the kidnapping of five Britons from the Iraqi Finance Ministry building in Palestine Street close to the Shiite neighbourhood of Sadr City where Mahdi Army militants are fortified. The abduction led to a joint Iraqi-American and British security operation against the district. The armed clashes have expanded to the southern province of Diwaniya.
Hamza, a citizen of Sadr City, told Gulf News, "Frankly, we do not want trouble in the city because people are distressed and stop their work everyday due to the security imposed by American forces, besides American helicopter raids claiming the lives of many civilians." He added, "Al Sadr's statements are patriotic yet they escalate the confrontation with Americans and make conditions in the neighbourhood very difficult and miserable."
According to statistics released by the Iraqi Health Ministry, raids by American warplanes continued every night since the outset of the security plan and each raid destroys two houses and kills at least eight civilians per day in the Al Sadr neighbourhood, which is inhabited by more than two million people who live under the poverty level.
Rahim, who lives in the Hay Al Khaleej district, said: "I live in a neighbourhood known for its allegiance to the Mahdi Army and most of its young people, including myself, are involved in this army. After the return of Moqtada Al Sadr, I noticed my mother's concern every time I leave the house."
Hamza, a citizen of Sadr City, told Gulf News, "Frankly, we do not want trouble in the city because people are distressed and stop their work everyday due to the security imposed by American forces, besides American helicopter raids claiming the lives of many civilians." He added, "Al Sadr's statements are patriotic yet they escalate the confrontation with Americans and make conditions in the neighbourhood very difficult and miserable."
According to statistics released by the Iraqi Health Ministry, raids by American warplanes continued every night since the outset of the security plan and each raid destroys two houses and kills at least eight civilians per day in the Al Sadr neighbourhood, which is inhabited by more than two million people who live under the poverty level.
Rahim, who lives in the Hay Al Khaleej district, said: "I live in a neighbourhood known for its allegiance to the Mahdi Army and most of its young people, including myself, are involved in this army. After the return of Moqtada Al Sadr, I noticed my mother's concern every time I leave the house."
Labels: Mahdi Army, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sadr City
Friday, June 01, 2007
U.S. military seeking talks with al-Sadr
Security, Politics
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The U.S. military is seeking talks with Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr directly and through the government of Iraq, according to a top American general. A Sadr aide confirmed that U.S. officials had approached the anti-American cleric's supporters but said that Sadr would never begin a dialogue with what they describe as "occupation forces."
"He has a grass-roots movement that he's always going to have; we have to recognize that," Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the second-ranking American commander in Iraq, told McClatchy Newspapers in an interview this week. "We're trying to talk to him. We want to talk to him." At the same time, however, U.S. and British forces have stepped up operations against the Mahdi Army in the sprawling Shiite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra.
Odierno told McClatchy that he wasn't sure whether Sadr's resurfacing in the Shiite holy city of Kufa last week was a good or bad thing for American forces in Iraq. While the cleric was away, his organization became more fractionalized, and part of the reason for his return, Odierno said, was "the consolidation of his powers." This could mean cleaning up rogue elements of the Mahdi Army, he said. "I'm mixed; I'm not sure yet," Odierno said referring to the effect of Sadr's return on security. "I'll take a wait-and-see attitude."
Sadr largely inherited his constituency from the millions of impoverished Shiites in Iraq who are loyal to his father, the popular Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, whom Saddam Hussein's regime assassinated. While Muqtada al-Sadr's religious standing is shaky, his family name draws deep loyalty. Shiites credit his militia with protecting them from Sunni insurgents who target Shiite neighborhoods. But the Mahdi Army also is blamed for kidnapping and killing Sunni men.
Salah al-Obaidi, a senior Sadr aide, acknowledged that the U.S. has approached the cleric's supporters multiple times about talks with Sadr. He said the requests had been rebuffed. "This will be a betrayal for the country," Obaidi said. "Any cooperation with the occupier is forbidden."
If the Iranian-backed Sadr, who's cast himself as a national resistance figure, began talking with the U.S. he'd risk losing support in the Iraqi street. During his absence he issued statements with fiery anti-American rhetoric while calling on followers not to attack. He called for a demonstration in Najaf in April against the American presence in Iraq, and legislators from his movement are circulating a bill in parliament to set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.
Sadr's supporters have "no problem" if members of the U.S. Congress were to meet with Sadrists in parliament, Obaidi said. "We respect the American people. We have no problem with them. We know not all of them accept the occupation."
The U.S. military has begun to draw distinctions between Sadr and what it calls "rogue" Mahdi Army members. It most often links the men whom it detains and kills to Iran through their weapon of choice: explosively formed projectiles, which are armor-piercing bombs that the American military claims come from Iran. Separating Sadr from the Mahdi Army commanders whom the American military is targeting could set the stage for U.S.-Sadr talks.
"He has a grass-roots movement that he's always going to have; we have to recognize that," Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the second-ranking American commander in Iraq, told McClatchy Newspapers in an interview this week. "We're trying to talk to him. We want to talk to him." At the same time, however, U.S. and British forces have stepped up operations against the Mahdi Army in the sprawling Shiite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra.
Odierno told McClatchy that he wasn't sure whether Sadr's resurfacing in the Shiite holy city of Kufa last week was a good or bad thing for American forces in Iraq. While the cleric was away, his organization became more fractionalized, and part of the reason for his return, Odierno said, was "the consolidation of his powers." This could mean cleaning up rogue elements of the Mahdi Army, he said. "I'm mixed; I'm not sure yet," Odierno said referring to the effect of Sadr's return on security. "I'll take a wait-and-see attitude."
Sadr largely inherited his constituency from the millions of impoverished Shiites in Iraq who are loyal to his father, the popular Mohammed Sadiq al-Sadr, whom Saddam Hussein's regime assassinated. While Muqtada al-Sadr's religious standing is shaky, his family name draws deep loyalty. Shiites credit his militia with protecting them from Sunni insurgents who target Shiite neighborhoods. But the Mahdi Army also is blamed for kidnapping and killing Sunni men.
Salah al-Obaidi, a senior Sadr aide, acknowledged that the U.S. has approached the cleric's supporters multiple times about talks with Sadr. He said the requests had been rebuffed. "This will be a betrayal for the country," Obaidi said. "Any cooperation with the occupier is forbidden."
If the Iranian-backed Sadr, who's cast himself as a national resistance figure, began talking with the U.S. he'd risk losing support in the Iraqi street. During his absence he issued statements with fiery anti-American rhetoric while calling on followers not to attack. He called for a demonstration in Najaf in April against the American presence in Iraq, and legislators from his movement are circulating a bill in parliament to set a timetable for a U.S. withdrawal.
Sadr's supporters have "no problem" if members of the U.S. Congress were to meet with Sadrists in parliament, Obaidi said. "We respect the American people. We have no problem with them. We know not all of them accept the occupation."
The U.S. military has begun to draw distinctions between Sadr and what it calls "rogue" Mahdi Army members. It most often links the men whom it detains and kills to Iran through their weapon of choice: explosively formed projectiles, which are armor-piercing bombs that the American military claims come from Iran. Separating Sadr from the Mahdi Army commanders whom the American military is targeting could set the stage for U.S.-Sadr talks.
Labels: Basra, EFPs, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Sadr City, U.S. military
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1100 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* HAMZA - A roadside bomb targeting a police intelligence officer's convoy killed two of his bodyguards and wounded three others, including the officer, police and medical sources said.
* MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol wounded two civilians in Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad, police said.
* BAGHDAD - U.S. soldiers detained 23 suspected insurgents during raids against suspected al Qaeda members in Baghdad, Mosul, Anbar and Saladdin provinces, the U.S. military said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed seven insurgents and arrested 53 others in the past 24 hours in different parts of Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.
FALLUJA - At least five people were killed and 15 wounded by mortar attacks in two different districts in the Sunni stronghold of Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
MOSUL - A woman was killed and two policemen were wounded in clashes between gunmen and police in Mosul, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained five suspected insurgents and one suspected cell leader during a raid in Sadr city in north-eastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The raid targeted members of a network suspected of importing roadside bombs and weapons from Iran.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 30 people who had been shot were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MADAEN - A roadside bomb targeting police commandos wounded four policemen on Tuesday in Madaen, 45 km south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Three people were wounded by a mortar attack in Jamiaa district of western Baghdad, police said.
ISKANDARIYA - Gunmen wounded three policemen when they attacked a checkpoint on Tuesday in the town of Iskandariya, 40 km south of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* HAMZA - A roadside bomb targeting a police intelligence officer's convoy killed two of his bodyguards and wounded three others, including the officer, police and medical sources said.
* MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a U.S. patrol wounded two civilians in Mosul, 390 km north of Baghdad, police said.
* BAGHDAD - U.S. soldiers detained 23 suspected insurgents during raids against suspected al Qaeda members in Baghdad, Mosul, Anbar and Saladdin provinces, the U.S. military said.
* BAGHDAD - The Iraqi army killed seven insurgents and arrested 53 others in the past 24 hours in different parts of Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.
FALLUJA - At least five people were killed and 15 wounded by mortar attacks in two different districts in the Sunni stronghold of Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, police said.
MOSUL - A woman was killed and two policemen were wounded in clashes between gunmen and police in Mosul, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained five suspected insurgents and one suspected cell leader during a raid in Sadr city in north-eastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said. The raid targeted members of a network suspected of importing roadside bombs and weapons from Iran.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 30 people who had been shot were found in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
MADAEN - A roadside bomb targeting police commandos wounded four policemen on Tuesday in Madaen, 45 km south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - Three people were wounded by a mortar attack in Jamiaa district of western Baghdad, police said.
ISKANDARIYA - Gunmen wounded three policemen when they attacked a checkpoint on Tuesday in the town of Iskandariya, 40 km south of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Baghdad, Fallujah, Hamza, insurgents, Iskandariyah, Jamiaa, Madaen, mortar rounds, Mosul, roadside bombs, Sadr City
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1000 GMT on Thursday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* FALLUJA - A suicide car bomb targeting mourners at a funeral killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 30 others in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, hospital and police officials said.
* BAGHDAD - At least two people were killed and 15 wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a group of day labourers in Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr city district, police said.
* SULAIMAN BEK - Six policemen were killed and six wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their patrol in the town of Sulaiman Bek, 250 km north of Baghdad, police said.
ANBAR - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in combat on Wednesday in Anbar Province, the U.S. military said.
NEAR KIRKUK - Saboteurs set an oil well on fire in a town near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* FALLUJA - A suicide car bomb targeting mourners at a funeral killed at least 27 people and wounded more than 30 others in Falluja, 50 km (35 miles) west of Baghdad, hospital and police officials said.
* BAGHDAD - At least two people were killed and 15 wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a group of day labourers in Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr city district, police said.
* SULAIMAN BEK - Six policemen were killed and six wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near their patrol in the town of Sulaiman Bek, 250 km north of Baghdad, police said.
ANBAR - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in combat on Wednesday in Anbar Province, the U.S. military said.
NEAR KIRKUK - Saboteurs set an oil well on fire in a town near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, police said.
Labels: Al Anbar, Fallujah, Kirkuk, oil well, policemen, roadside bombs, Sadr City, suicide car bomber, Sulaimen Bek
Delicate negotiations for U.S. forces to clear way into Sadr City
Security
(The Washington Post) - The US military is engaged in delicate negotiations inside Sadr City to clear the way for a gradual push in coming weeks by more American and Iraqi forces into the volatile Shiite enclave of more than 2 million people, one of the most daunting challenges of the campaign to stabilise Baghdad.
So sensitive is the problem of the sprawling slum--heavily controlled by militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr - that Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, personally approves all targets for raids inside the Baghdad district, military officers said.
Lacking sufficient troops so far to move deeper into Sadr City, the military has cautiously edged into the southern part, conducting searches and patrols, handing out supplies and using offers of economic aid to try to overcome resistance. Meanwhile, US Special Operations forces and other US and Iraqi troops have detained militia leaders in an effort to weaken their organisation.
As additional US forces flow into Baghdad this month and next, the plan is to step up the presence of US and Iraqi troops in Sadr City, US commanders said in interviews over the past three weeks. "More US forces are needed in Sadr City to establish greater control, with Iraqi forces. We have to be matched," Col. Billy Don Farris, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade and senior US officer for the area.
Commanders say they intend to use political negotiations to gain peaceful entry into the district, bringing with them Iraqi forces and reconstruction projects. US officials hope "to take Sadr City without a shot fired," said Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the senior US general overseeing Baghdad.
But negotiations have had setbacks, with key players shot or intimidated. Farris, the lead American officer in the talks, was evacuated from Iraq and is recovering after being shot in the leg May 3 in a different part of Baghdad, his spokesman said last week.
If political avenues are exhausted, the US military has formulated other options, including plans for a wholesale clearing operation in Sadr City that would require a much larger force, but commanders stress that this is a last resort.
"A second Fallujah plan exists, but we don't want to execute it," a military officer in Baghdad said, referring to the US military offensive in November 2004 to retake the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah in Iraq's western Anbar province. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters.
So sensitive is the problem of the sprawling slum--heavily controlled by militiamen loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada Al Sadr - that Gen. David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, personally approves all targets for raids inside the Baghdad district, military officers said.
Lacking sufficient troops so far to move deeper into Sadr City, the military has cautiously edged into the southern part, conducting searches and patrols, handing out supplies and using offers of economic aid to try to overcome resistance. Meanwhile, US Special Operations forces and other US and Iraqi troops have detained militia leaders in an effort to weaken their organisation.
As additional US forces flow into Baghdad this month and next, the plan is to step up the presence of US and Iraqi troops in Sadr City, US commanders said in interviews over the past three weeks. "More US forces are needed in Sadr City to establish greater control, with Iraqi forces. We have to be matched," Col. Billy Don Farris, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade and senior US officer for the area.
Commanders say they intend to use political negotiations to gain peaceful entry into the district, bringing with them Iraqi forces and reconstruction projects. US officials hope "to take Sadr City without a shot fired," said Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, the senior US general overseeing Baghdad.
But negotiations have had setbacks, with key players shot or intimidated. Farris, the lead American officer in the talks, was evacuated from Iraq and is recovering after being shot in the leg May 3 in a different part of Baghdad, his spokesman said last week.
If political avenues are exhausted, the US military has formulated other options, including plans for a wholesale clearing operation in Sadr City that would require a much larger force, but commanders stress that this is a last resort.
"A second Fallujah plan exists, but we don't want to execute it," a military officer in Baghdad said, referring to the US military offensive in November 2004 to retake the insurgent stronghold of Fallujah in Iraq's western Anbar province. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters.
Labels: Col. Billy Don Farris, Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, Sadr City, U.S. military
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
08:52 AM EDT By Laith Hammoudi, McClatchy Newspapers
The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 0830 GMT on Wednesday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* MANDALI - A bomber wearing a suicide vest killed 20 people and wounded 30 in a cafe in Mandali, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Baghdad on Wednesday, police said.
JBELA - At least three people were killed and nine wounded by a suicide car bomber in a popular market in the town of Jbela, near Iskandariya, 40 km south of Baghdad, police spokesman Captain Muthana al-Maamouri said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces killed two insurgents, detained 19 others and uncovered a cache of Iranian money and bomb-making materials during a raid in the Sadr City district of northeastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 33 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said. Twenty- seven of them were found in the predominantly Sunni Arab western Karkh side of Baghdad.
ANBAR - Two U.S. marines were killed on Tuesday while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province in western Iraq, the U.S. military said.
KUT - The bodies of five people were retrieved from two rivers near the city of Kut, 170 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
KHAN BANI SAAD - Three children were killed and three wounded in a mortar attack in the town of Khan Bani Saad, near Baquba, 65 km north of Baghdad, police said.
RIYADH - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded four policemen on Tuesday in the town of Riyadh, 60 km southwest of Baghdad, police said.
KHAN BANI SAAD - An Iraqi officer was killed and three other soldiers wounded in clashes with gunmen in the town of Khan Bani Saad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A suicide car bomber targeting a police patrol killed a policeman and wounded three others in Doura district of southern Baghdad, police said.
SAMAWA - The bodies of five Shi'ite men were brought to Samawa on Tuesday. Dozens of Shi'ites then began throwing stones at a Sunni mosque in protest at the killing of the five men, the assistant to the mosque's imam said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* MANDALI - A bomber wearing a suicide vest killed 20 people and wounded 30 in a cafe in Mandali, about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Baghdad on Wednesday, police said.
JBELA - At least three people were killed and nine wounded by a suicide car bomber in a popular market in the town of Jbela, near Iskandariya, 40 km south of Baghdad, police spokesman Captain Muthana al-Maamouri said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces killed two insurgents, detained 19 others and uncovered a cache of Iranian money and bomb-making materials during a raid in the Sadr City district of northeastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD - The bodies of 33 people were found shot in different districts of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said. Twenty- seven of them were found in the predominantly Sunni Arab western Karkh side of Baghdad.
ANBAR - Two U.S. marines were killed on Tuesday while conducting combat operations in Anbar Province in western Iraq, the U.S. military said.
KUT - The bodies of five people were retrieved from two rivers near the city of Kut, 170 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, police said.
KHAN BANI SAAD - Three children were killed and three wounded in a mortar attack in the town of Khan Bani Saad, near Baquba, 65 km north of Baghdad, police said.
RIYADH - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded four policemen on Tuesday in the town of Riyadh, 60 km southwest of Baghdad, police said.
KHAN BANI SAAD - An Iraqi officer was killed and three other soldiers wounded in clashes with gunmen in the town of Khan Bani Saad on Tuesday, police said.
BAGHDAD - A suicide car bomber targeting a police patrol killed a policeman and wounded three others in Doura district of southern Baghdad, police said.
SAMAWA - The bodies of five Shi'ite men were brought to Samawa on Tuesday. Dozens of Shi'ites then began throwing stones at a Sunni mosque in protest at the killing of the five men, the assistant to the mosque's imam said.
Labels: car bomb, Jbela, Khan Bani Saad, Kut, Mandali, mortar rounds, policemen, Riyadh, Sadr City, Samawa, suicide bomber, weapons cache
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Iraq court to try Al Qaeda leader accused of 800 bombings
Crime
(AFP) - An Al Qaeda leader accused of orchestrating 800 to 900 bombings in and around Baghdad will be tried by an Iraqi court, the US military said Wednesday. Omar Wahdallah Dad, also known as Abu Nur and "The Spider," will "face Iraqi justice in the Iraqi legal system," said US military spokesman Major General William Caldwell at a press conference.
Abu Nur, believed by the US military to have been one of Al Qaeda's senior commanders in Baghdad, "has admitted to having a role in between 800 to 900 car and roadside bomb attacks," Caldwell said. Abu Nur will be tried for violating Iraq's anti-terrorism law and could therefore face the death penalty.
The US military accuses Abu Nur of heading a car bomb network responsible for some of the most spectacular bombings that have rocked the capital in recent months, including an attack on the Shiite slum of Sadr City in November 2006. In that attack, considered the worst on Baghdad since the war to oust Saddam Hussein in 2003, a series of blasts killed at least 202 people. "He has admitted to playing a part in the horrific bombings in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad November 23 of last year and he has also admitted to his responsibility in the kidnapping and murder of four Russian diplomats in June 2006," Caldwell said.
According to the charges brought against him Abu Nur personally beheaded two of the diplomats after which his insurgent group circulated a video of the act on the Internet. "Abu Nur has claimed that Al Qaeda targets everybody. He claims there are not any innocent people," Caldwell said. US forces arrested Abu Nur north of Baghdad in December. He is still in US custody.
Labels: Abu Nur, car bomb networks, court, death penalty, Omar Wahdallah Dad, Russian diplomats, Sadr City
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Round-up of violence across Iraq
Security
(McClatchy Newspapers) - The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
Baghdad
- Around 8 am , a suicide truck (Hino) driver led his car near a petrol station at Al-Meda'en, but the police commandos of the checkpoint in the neighborhood exploded the truck with the suicide driver inside who was killed at the explosion . No casualties recorded.
- Around 9 am, a roadside bomb exploded at Amiriya neighborhood without casualties.
- Around 11 am, a roadside bomb exploded when an American patrol passed by at the commercial street in Saidiya neighborhood without any casualties.
- Around 12 pm, a roadside bomb exploded at Baladiyat neighborhood when an American patrol passed in the area without casualties recorded. Salahuddin
- Early morning, gunmen bombed Asad's brother's house , the chairman of Samara municipality , after forcing the whole family to evacuate the house which is in Hay Al-Sikak south Samara (North of Baghdad). Basrah
- At dawn, a roadside bomb exploded when a British vehicle passed through Timimiya neighborhood(near Ashar) in the downtown of Basra ( south of Iraq) having some damage to the vehicle with no casualties recorded.
- Around this day, a British patrol had found a trench filled with ammunitions north of Zubair (35 km west of Basra) including 20 mortar bombs ,30 cannon bombs and two grenades .
(Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq at 1245 GMT on Saturday:
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
* denotes new or updated item.
* NEAR MAHMUDIYA - Insurgents attacked a team of seven U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi army interpreter south of Baghdad, killing five soldiers while three others were missing, the U.S. military said in a statement.
* NEAR LATIFIYA - Three bodies were found shot dead near the small town of Latifiya, 40 km (25 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD - U.S. forces detained three suspects and destroyed a car bomb during a raid in the Shi'ite stronghold of Sadr City aimed at breaking a network suspected of procuring sophisticated explosives from Iran, the U.S. military said. It said the three were believed to have ties to a secret network that smuggles so-called EFPs and sends Iraqi militants for training to Iran.
* DIWANIYA - Gunmen killed a policeman in front of his home in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniya, police said.
* FALLUJA - Gunmen killed a man who was an army colonel under Saddam Hussein in Falluja, west of Baghdad, police said.
Labels: Diwaniya, EFPs, Fallujah, gunmen, insurgents, Latifiyah, Mahmudiya, Sadr City
