11 Iraqis Killed, 2 Bodies Discovered
Good afternoon,
Violence continues:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A spate of roadside bombings in Baghdad and north of the capital killed a U.S. soldier and at least 11 Iraqis Saturday, officials said. Two Macedonians were kidnapped in southern Iraq, while a search is on for a private German plane missing in the north.
In addition, two bodies with bullets in them were discovered at a sewage plant in Baghdad.
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12 bodies Found, 25 Killed
Good afternoon,
The Shiite-dominated Interior Ministry announced an investigation Thursday into claims of death squads in its ranks as police found a dozen more bodies, bringing the number of apparent victims of sectarian reprisal killings here to at least 30 this week.
The probe was announced after U.S. military officials indicated there was evidence to support the allegation of death squads. The 12 men found on Thursday had been bound and shot in the head execution-style.
At least 25 other people were killed in violence across Iraq, including three tribal sheiks slain in a drive-by shooting north of the capital. Three supporters of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr died in a Baghdad mortar barrage.
In the death squad case, Iraqi security officials said the Interior Ministry probe would focus on a single incident involving 22 Iraqi policemen who U.S. authorities said were detained last month before they were able to kill a Sunni Arab man north of Baghdad.
"They were dressed as Iraqi highway patrolmen but only four of those individuals were planning to conduct a kidnapping and subsequent murder of a Sunni individual," Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch told reporters Thursday.
Maj. Gen. Joseph Peterson, who commands the civilian police training teams in Iraq, gave a slightly different version to the Chicago Tribune for a story Thursday about the death squad.
Peterson said the 22 men were wearing police commando uniforms but turned out to be employed by the Interior Ministry as highway patrol officers. He said four were believed to be ringleaders while the 18 others were likely following orders. All were picked up at a checkpoint.
"We continue to believe that there's more of these out there," he said.
But Lynch said this could have been an isolated incident.
"We have no indication they have done this in the past," he said. "All we know this is an isolated incident. We are not saying it couldn't have happened (previously), but we are not aware of it."
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Cheney Pellet Strikes The Heart
Good morning,
It is not every day a person can learn a critical life lesson, or finally get to truly see himself, because of his own ineptitude. Last Saturday, Dick Cheney, accidently filled a hunting friend of his with bird pellet while going after quail. Yesterday, Cheney finally broke his silence in an interview with Britt Hume at Fox News.
Mr. Cheney said:
"The image of him falling is something I'll never ever be able to get out of my mind," Cheney said. "I fired, and there's Harry falling. It was, I'd have to say, one of the worst days of my life at that moment."
Did Mr. Cheney learn a lesson? How did it feel to see the fallout of the power you yield as you strive recklessly for a greater goal?
I hope that Mr. Cheney keeps that image alive and well in his mind for the rest of his life. That is as close he has or will probably ever come to the image of someone being blasted right before him by his own hand. I want him to feel GUILT.
I want Mr. Cheney to keep the image of his friend down, bloodied, unconcious, and then suffering in a hospital, and permanent wounds. I want those little irretrieveable bird pellets to remain as a reminder of the destruction Cheney himself has caused upon so many people....
intentionally, particulairly those people in Iraq.
You see, Mr. Cheney puts the pellets in the hearts of SO many people, but does he understand that? Because of Cheney (The brainiac behind the Iraq invasion), 30,000+ Iraqis have died, and those who have survived are living with the severe fallout and trauma of those killed before them. Just like you, Mr. Cheney, hundreds of thousands have witnessed mortality, blood and death. Just like you Cheney, thousands and thousand have had friends seriously hurt, and just like your friend Cheney, it is unclear for so many injured, what the future may hold.
Can you take yourself outside your self to apologize to all those innocent people who are not your personal quail hunting friends for *intentionally* putting bullets in their hearts? You go along unapologetically putting bullets into the hearts of the Iraqi citizens. To you, Iraqi citizens are no more important than the innocent quail falling from the sky. Iraqi citizens, in fact, to you are nothing more than the collateral damage as a result of your greater scheme which will in all likelihood amount to no more than a one course dinner of shot up bird meat. I suggest than when you sit down to relish your grand dinner that you be careful what you chew, because that bird shot can get lodged in your own throat.
Have a nice day.
15 Killed 30 Injured In Bomb Blast
Good morning,
According to Bloomberg reports, as many as 15 Iraqis were killed and another 30 were injured when a bomb containing ball bearings detonated today in southeastern Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
The bomb blew up near a busy bank in the Iraqi capital's New Baghdad district at about 9:30 a.m. local time, the military said.
More details as they come in.
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6 Killed 20 Wounded, 5 Bodies Found
Good afternoon,
Violence continued today, with at least six people killed and 20 wounded in explosions and shootings in Baghdad and to the north. Insurgents fired a mortar into Baghdad's heavily guarded Green Zone, but there were no casualties.
Iraqi police reported an attack shortly before midnight against a U.S. convoy 30 miles north of Baghdad. There was no confirmation from U.S. forces.
Drive-by gunmen killed an Education Ministry official and three other people in separate shootings in Baghdad and north of the capital. A suicide bomber killed a woman and a policeman in Baghdad.
Police also found the bodies of at least five men who had been bound, repeatedly shot and dumped in different parts of Baghdad.
Iraqi Army Spokesman Captain Killed & 2 Police Killed
Good Morning,
Iraqi army spokesman Capt. Makram al-Abbasi was killed in a hail of gunfire from a civilian car accompanied by a police vehicle Saturday in Basra, army Capt. Firas al-Tamimi said.
The British-controlled southern city also had been noted for its relative stability but has seen renewed violence, in part fueled by rival Shiite militias and local opposition to the coalition troop presence.
Al-Abbasi, a Sunni Arab, had been coordinating media coverage of raids conducted in the city, which largely target suspected Shiite militiamen that Sunnis say have infiltrated the Iraqi police force.
The most recent such operation for which al-Abbasi arranged coverage was last week when troops detained 22 people before all were mysteriously freed, al-Tamimi said.
In Baghdad's southern neighborhood of Dora, gunmen killed traffic policeman Ahmed Majeed Obaid as he left his home at midday, Lt. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq said.
Armed men also killed police Sgt. Bassem al-Rikabi while he patrolled in the southeastern Jisr Diyala area of the capital at about 11:30 p.m. Friday, police said.
Iraqi police forces are routinely targeted by Sunni Arab insurgents bent on derailing this country's post-Saddam Hussein reconstruction.
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At Least 8 Killed by Car Bomb, Sunni Cleric Abducted
Good Morning,
A car bomb exploded outside a Sunni Muslim mosque Friday in Baghdad, killing at least eight people, officials said. Masked gunmen appeared at the scene later, firing randomly at people near the blast-damaged building.
An Associated Press photographer saw at least two bystanders gunned down by the masked men, one of whom held a pistol to the head of a woman.
A Sunni cleric also was abducted from his home in the capital by armed men wearing Interior Ministry police uniforms, his relatives said.
It was the latest kidnapping of a Sunni Arab by men wearing uniforms of the security forces, amid rising claims by the once-dominant minority that Shiite-led Interior Ministry forces and militiamen are targeting them in a widening campaign of sectarian violence.
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Tight Security In Iraq Nets 0 Deaths, But 27 Killed in Pakistan During Shiite Procession, Dozens Injured
Good morning,
Tens of thousands of Iraqis marched and beat themselves in blood-soaked processions through the holy city of Karbala and other Shiite centers around the country to mourn the 7th century death of Imam Hussein _ the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
But no holiday-related violence was reported in Iraq amid tight security to prevent Sunni Arab suicide bombers from striking the event, as they have done during the previous two years, killing more than 230 people.
The people in Pakistan, however, during the same event, were not as protected.
A martyr bombing ripped through a Shiite Muslim procession Thursday in northwestern Pakistan, sparking riots during the Muslim sect's most important holiday. At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured in the violence, officials said.
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7 Killed and 20 Wounded
Good afternoon,
At least 7 people were killed and 20 wounded when 2 bombs went off in a central Bagdad market place. One of the bombs was hidden in a plastic bag. The second bomb was aimed at first responders. I will update as more information and details come in.
Have a nice day.
On War and Cartoons
Good morning,
In a rare break from reporting Iraqi deaths, I am compelled to interject my thoughts on the near "Global Crisis" that has occured in recent days based on some cartoons that were printed by The Jyllands-Posten, a Danish paper. One of the cartoons shows the revered Prophet Muhammad, wearing a bomb shaped turbin. These drawings touched a raw nerve in part because Islam is interpreted to forbid any illustrations of the Prophet Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry. These cartoons, and their contravercy has by now been reprinted world-wide. This has ignited international furor, and unfortunately the furor has turned into distruction and loss of innocent life.
Danish Prime Minister, Fogh Rasmussen's statements indicated that Denmark is not contemplating changes in its strategy for responding to the spiraling tensions. Fogh Rasmussen has insisted that Denmark's press freedom culture means the government cannot apologize for what an independent newspaper does.
The newspaper has apologized for any offense caused to Muslims but has defended its printing of the drawings as a legitimate exercise in freedom of expression.
Let's face it, freedom of expression, is alive and well. Muslims have always made negative stereotypical charactures out of Jews, Presidents, etc.... Yet, this has not sparked a global outrage in the past.
Now, apparently, an Iranian Newspaper, is planning a Holocaust cartoon contest. It is inviting cartoonists from all over the world to participate in this contest. They are doing this in retaliation, to show Westerners, that they can "play the same game". Let's see who can out-cartoon who! Yes, it presses a sensitive button, and yes, making fun of something as horrible as the Holocaust, would be demeaning to most civilized people.
While I agree that Freedom of Press is essential , let us remember that the power of words, and drawings can have a devistating effect, and sometimes can even outrage and horribly offend people. Charactures and cartoons that make fun of a Prophet, hurt some people at the core of their very spirituality. Charactures and cartoons of Jews do the same. Charactures aimed at Prophets and Jews are a personal attack on the spirit of so many around this world. Now, I remind you, what happens when men do when they feel personally attacked? They counter attack. Eg. The protesters and now the Iranian newspaper. And there it starts, back and forth back and forth, until everything is destroyed. And then what is left? The scars of ones own faith.
Here's my idea. For heaven's sake Danish Government..... APOLOGIZE. Suck in your riteous pride and just apologize. Your words and heartfelt empathy and understanding for how another culture is being affected can go a very long way. Show that you care. True, you are not "Responsible" for your newspapers decisions to print offensive material in the spirit of freedom of press. But dammit, once you realized how truly offensive this was, you should have stepped up to the plate and issued a formal apology. Try to understand, put yourself in their shoes, and try to learn something about their culture. Yes, a big error was made, but how about taking this as a learning experience, apologizing, and let the healing begin rather than sparking even MORE conflict and bad feelings around the world?
To the Danish Press, you too should write a more explicit, not that lame "if we hurt anyone" kind of apology. Here is how to apologize, Danish Newspaper. We at the newspaper are truly sorry for allowing these caractures which are so hurtful to the muslim/islamic world, to be published. We are sorry for all the pain that we caused you by our lack of understanding and discression on this matter. NO BUTS... None of this, but we have a free press... none of that, just a heartfelt and true apology. Period.
There are no "Winners" This thing has nothing to do with winning or losing, because there are only losers here.
To the people protesting all over the world by destroying things and causing chaos.. OK... the world knows how upset you are, you made your point, it is time to stop acting out with brut force. You got the world's attention, and it is time to stop. Stop destroying the property and lives of the innocent people who had nothing to do with this newspaper's lack of wisdom.
Have a nice day.
11 + Killed Across Iraq, 2 Bodies Found
Good Morning,
Drive-by gunmen and roadside bombs killed at least 11 people across Iraq on Monday, while police uncovered the bullet-riddled bodies of two men in Baghdad, police said.
One Iraqi policeman was killed and his brother, also a policemen, was wounded in an attack by armed men firing from a speeding car in the northern city of Kirkuk, said police Capt. Firhad Talabani.
In Baghdad's southern Abu Dashir neighborhood, police found the bodies of two more brothers seized from their home late Sunday by men claiming to be Interior Ministry commandos, said Lt. Maitham Abdul-Razzaq.
The two brothers, both Sunni Arabs, were shot repeatedly and found with their hands and legs bound.
Sunni Arabs accuse Shiite-backed security forces and militias of targeting their community in a campaign of sectarian killings.
Sectarian tensions are high ahead of the feast of Ashoura this week, which marks the seventh century death in battle of the revered Shiite saint Imam Hussein, grandson of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.
Sunni extremists have targeted the past two Ashoura festivals. Eight suicide bombers killed 55 Shiites last year. In 2004, at least 181 people died in bombings at Shiite shrines in Baghdad and Karbala.
An Iraqi soldier killed a member of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi militia, which was guarding a a group Shiites taking part in an Ashoura procession in northwestern Baghdad's Shula neighborhood, said police Capt. Qassim Hussein. It was unclear what sparked the incident.
In Basra, police killed a man who fired a machine-gun at a group of Shiites performing Ashoura ceremonies and threw a hand grenade at police forces, said Capt. Mushtaq Khadim. Two civilians and two policemen were also wounded during the clash.
Gunmen also killed an Iraqi working as an interpreter for British troops based in Basra, police said.
Drive-by gunmen killed a retired teacher, aged 60, and wounded his son in southern Baghdad; while a grocer, car dealer, former military intelligence official and an innocent bystander in three separate attacks in the capital's western suburbs.
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1 Killed 12 Injured
Good evening,
Late Saturday, a mortar shell exploded a few yards from a Shiite shrine in Samarra, 60 miles north of Baghdad. One person was killed and 12 injured, including three children, police Capt. Layth Mohammed said.
Have a nice evening.
At Least 11 Iraqis Killed, 70 Wounded In Two Car Bomb Attacks
Good afternoon:
Two bombings 20 minutes apart killed at least 11 Iraqis on Thursday, and the U.S. military announced five more American battle deaths. A U.S. rocket attack on the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City killed a woman and enraged Shiites across Iraq.
car bomb exploded at about 5 p.m. outside a gasoline station in the eastern New Baghdad neighborhood, killing two people and wounding 13, police said. U.S. troops cordoned off the scene as firefighters battled giant plumes of bright orange flames.
About 20 minutes later, a suicide attacker apparently trying to target a Shiite mosque exploded his bomb-packed car in a nearby open-air market in New Baghdad, killing at least nine people and wounding 57, police said.
Capt. Mohammed Jassim said barricades prevented the attacker, who was driving a black Opel sedan, from reaching the al-Mohsen mosque where worshippers were gathering for sunset prayers.
"As he couldn't get through, he turned his car and slammed it into nearby shops and stalls," Jassim said.
The bombings followed a morning barrage of rockets fired by a U.S. helicopter into the nearby eastern Baghdad area of Sadr City, power-base of radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Military spokeswoman Sgt. Stacy Simon said American forces were in Sadr City at about 1 a.m. pursuing a "known terrorist associated with Ansar al-Sunnah," a Sunni militant group that has claimed responsibility for many suicide attacks and beheadings. At least two people were detained, but their identities were not known.
"As troops were leaving the area in a U.S. military helicopter, men on a nearby rooftop began firing at the aircraft," Simon said. "The helicopter returned fire with guns and rockets."
A 20-year-old woman was killed when a rocket crashed into her home, said her father, who was wounded along with a woman and a 2-year-old child.
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16 Bodies Found
Good morning,
POLICE in Baghdad have discovered 14 bodies that appeared to have been tortured, according to an Iraq Interior Ministry source.
Near Sadr City, a shepherd made a grisly discovery: 16 blindfolded and bound men who had been shot repeatedly and buried in an open area. The men, all wearing civilian clothes but with no identity documents, were the latest victims in a string of presumed sectarian attacks.
The corpses were blindfolded with hands tied behind their backs, he said.
Some of the victims had been beheaded or repeatedly stabbed.
Many bodies showing signs of abuse have been found in Iraq in recent months as sectarian tensions have risen against the backdrop of a Sunni Arab insurgency that has killed thousands of people.
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8 Iraqis Killed 50 Injured & 6 More Die In Other Violence
Good morning,
Eight Iraqi Laborers were killed and at least 50 were injured when a martyr bomber blew himself up near a food cart selling lunch to construction workers in Baghdad.
I will provide more details as they come in.
More Details:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - A bomb planted near a tea stand killed eight men waiting for day labor in a largely Shiite area of Baghdad Wednesday, and six other people died in violence across the country. A Shiite politician tapped as a possible prime minister predicted that a new government would be in place by mid-March.
The morning attack on the impoverished laborers in the capital's New Baghdad area appeared aimed at further inflaming sectarian tensions in this war-ravaged country, where Shiites trade accusations with Sunni Arabs of reprisal killings and kidnappings.
Police said at least eight men were killed and more than 50 wounded in the bombing. Witnesses said a man put down a bag of explosives that detonated near a tea cart.
Have a nice day.
