Thursday, April 19, 2007
Surge in attacks on Yazidis
Security, Minorities
(Azzaman) - Iraqi Yazidis are paying a heavy price for their tenacious adherence to their religious practices which do not appeal to armed fundamentalist factions and groups in the country. Attacks on Yazidis have surged recently and almost all Yazidi families living outside the autonomous Kurdish region have fled the country.
According to a statement issued by the League of Yazidi intellectuals 192 Yazidis have been killed in the past four years since U.S. troops invaded Iraq. Most of the killings were perpetrated on religious grounds as fundamentalist and Islamist groups see them as infidels who either have to convert or be killed.
The Yazidi religion is a conglomeration of different faiths and includes traces of Christianity, Islam and Zorastrianism. They worship the fallen Angel abhorred by Muslims, Christians and Jews. They have their main sanctuaries in Iraq close to the northern city of Mosul but currently are situated within the semi-independent territory Iraqi Kurds have carved up for themselves.
There are nearly half a million Yazidis in Iraq and most of them live in two major localities – in Shaikhan north of Mosul and Sinjar to the west. Ethnically they are Kurds and speak Kurdish as their mother tongue. Officially, they are treated on equal footing like other citizens in the Kurdish north but many members complain of discriminating behavior. They have three deputies in the Kurdish parliament and two in the national parliament in Baghdad.
According to a statement issued by the League of Yazidi intellectuals 192 Yazidis have been killed in the past four years since U.S. troops invaded Iraq. Most of the killings were perpetrated on religious grounds as fundamentalist and Islamist groups see them as infidels who either have to convert or be killed.
The Yazidi religion is a conglomeration of different faiths and includes traces of Christianity, Islam and Zorastrianism. They worship the fallen Angel abhorred by Muslims, Christians and Jews. They have their main sanctuaries in Iraq close to the northern city of Mosul but currently are situated within the semi-independent territory Iraqi Kurds have carved up for themselves.
There are nearly half a million Yazidis in Iraq and most of them live in two major localities – in Shaikhan north of Mosul and Sinjar to the west. Ethnically they are Kurds and speak Kurdish as their mother tongue. Officially, they are treated on equal footing like other citizens in the Kurdish north but many members complain of discriminating behavior. They have three deputies in the Kurdish parliament and two in the national parliament in Baghdad.
Labels: attacks, Mosul, Sinjar, Yazidis
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Pilgrim death toll rises as attacks continue
Security, Insurgency
(Reuters) Insurgents ambushed Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims in southern Baghdad on Wednesday, killing five and wounding 10, a police source said, the day after scores of pilgrims died in a string of attacks. The ambush in the Doura area of the Iraqi capital occurred after nearly 150 pilgrims were killed in bombings and shootings on Tuesday. A double suicide bombing south of Baghdad killed up to 115 pilgrims in a busy street.
Crowds of pilgrims were out on the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday, undaunted by Tuesday's attacks, causing traffic jams as they headed on foot along major roads, conspicuous in their black clothing with white shrouds on their shoulders. Masses of Shi'ite pilgrims are heading to Kerbala on foot and by bus to commemorate Al Arbayeen, the end of a 40-day mourning period since Ashura, which marks the death of Prophet Mohammad's grandson in 680. Kerbala, one the holiest cities in Shi'ite Islam, lies 110 km (68 miles) south of Baghdad.
Hilla, scene of Tuesday's deadliest attacks, is nearby. Two suicide bombers strapped with explosives detonated themselves almost simultaneously there on Tuesday on a busy street lined with tents, set up to offer food, drink and resting areas for pilgrims on their journey. Local hospital officials said at 115 people were killed and 200 more wounded. Another source, Babel health department head Mohammed Abd-Radha al Hafaj, put the death toll at 105, of whom 35 were still unidentified.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed Sunni militants and supporters of former President Saddam Hussein for the "barbaric crime," according to a statement from his office. Security in and around Kerbala is tight for fear of a repetition of suicide bombings and attacks on Shi'ite religious rituals by suspected Sunni insurgents of the sort that killed 171 people in Baghdad and Kerbala in March 2004.
Crowds of pilgrims were out on the streets of Baghdad on Wednesday, undaunted by Tuesday's attacks, causing traffic jams as they headed on foot along major roads, conspicuous in their black clothing with white shrouds on their shoulders. Masses of Shi'ite pilgrims are heading to Kerbala on foot and by bus to commemorate Al Arbayeen, the end of a 40-day mourning period since Ashura, which marks the death of Prophet Mohammad's grandson in 680. Kerbala, one the holiest cities in Shi'ite Islam, lies 110 km (68 miles) south of Baghdad.
Hilla, scene of Tuesday's deadliest attacks, is nearby. Two suicide bombers strapped with explosives detonated themselves almost simultaneously there on Tuesday on a busy street lined with tents, set up to offer food, drink and resting areas for pilgrims on their journey. Local hospital officials said at 115 people were killed and 200 more wounded. Another source, Babel health department head Mohammed Abd-Radha al Hafaj, put the death toll at 105, of whom 35 were still unidentified.
Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki blamed Sunni militants and supporters of former President Saddam Hussein for the "barbaric crime," according to a statement from his office. Security in and around Kerbala is tight for fear of a repetition of suicide bombings and attacks on Shi'ite religious rituals by suspected Sunni insurgents of the sort that killed 171 people in Baghdad and Kerbala in March 2004.
COMMENT: The attacks are likely to continue until the insurgents achieve their objective of provoking the Shias to the extent that Shia militias such as the Mahdi Army return to the streets and increase the cycle of sectarian murders. If the Mahdi Army return, they are likely to have to face the American troops which in turn will weaken the fragile alliance between the Shia government and the U.S. Additionally, the people are likely to lose faith in the government forces and their ability to provide protection as previously the Mahdi Army has provided a large amount of security quite succesfully. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Al Arbayeen, attacks, Karbala, Shiite pilgrims
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Oil pipeline attacks force refineries to operate at 50% capacity
Security, Oil
(Azzaman) Iraq is losing up to 400,000 barrels of oil a day due to attacks targeting its oil infrastructure, a senior oil ministry official said. Assem Jihad, the ministry’s spokesman, said at current high prices on international markets the loss is massive as it amounts to billions of dollars a year. Jihad said there were 159 major attacks on oil installations in 2006, about one attack every other day. Most of the attacks targeted the country’s pipelines, he said.
There were 116 attacks on pipelines mainly those leading to refineries or export terminals in the north. “These attacks have forced the country’s refineries to operate at nearly 50% of capacity,” he said. There is no special force to guard the pipelines and the ministry relies on Iraqi security forces which have been engaged in ferocious city fighting against rebels. The government has earmarked $2.5 billion for the reconstruction of the oil sector this year.
There were 116 attacks on pipelines mainly those leading to refineries or export terminals in the north. “These attacks have forced the country’s refineries to operate at nearly 50% of capacity,” he said. There is no special force to guard the pipelines and the ministry relies on Iraqi security forces which have been engaged in ferocious city fighting against rebels. The government has earmarked $2.5 billion for the reconstruction of the oil sector this year.
Labels: attacks, oil pipelines
