11 Police Killed in North;
Police Chief Killed Near Nasiriya;
IIP Demands Written Apology over Qur'an
Sunni Arab guerrillas attacked a bus in northern Iraq on Monday, killing 11 persons, the policemen aboard and their driver. The attack may have been in response to the Iraqi government campaign against the Sunni radicals in Mosul, Iraq's second largest city (pop. 1.7 million). Mosul is largely Sunni Arab and the governor of Ninevah Province, in which it is located, has alleged that Sunni radicals have been in control of it since January. It has been charged that al-Maliki's campaign has been relatively ineffective, since the radical Sunni leaders melted away when it was inaugurated. The Iraqi military has seen almost no street battles, and has just arrested about 1000 persons; it has been alleged that these detainees are for the most part not connected to the religious extremists, and that they have been subjected to human rights abuses.
Shiite militiamen used a bomb to assassinate the police chief of a town near Nasiriya in the south. The town was the site of fierce fighting earlier between the Mahdi Army and government security forces, which left 22 dead.
The Iraqi military went into Shaab district in east Baghdad on Monday, confiscating bombs and arresting members of the Mahdi Army. The raid did not provoke a breakdown in the ceasefire between the army and the Mahdi Army.
The Moroccan government broke up a terror cell in Fez that was allegedly planning an attack in Belgium. If this story is as advertised, it underlines that radical Muslim extremism is best fought by establishing warm relations with Muslim allies such as Morocco, the security forces of which are far more able to break up such cells than is the US Pentagon. That is, diplomacy is more important to counter-terrorism than sheer military might.
Sunni Arab political parties are not accepting the apology of the US military for the actions of an army sergeant who used the Qur'an for target practice. [Since the Pentagon keeps the television turned to the Islamophobic Fox Cable News for the soldiers on bases in Iraq, it is amazing more such incidents don't occur.] The Iraqi Islamic Party of Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi is demanding a written apology and insisting that the sergeant be given the maximum possible sentence.
' "What truly concerns us is the repetition of these crimes that have happened in the past when mosques were destroyed and pages of the Holy Quran were torn and used for disgraceful acts by U.S. soldiers," al-Hashimi said. "I have asked that first this apology be officially documented; second a guarantee from the U.S. military to inflict the maximum possible punishment on this soldier so it would be a deterrent for the rest of the soldiers in the future." '
The Association of Muslim Scholars, which is Sunni fundamentalist, also condemned the incident and expressed outrage that the al-Maliki government has been silent in the face of it. The AMS is alleged to have links to the 1920 Revolution Brigades, a Sunni guerrilla group that is split on whether to continue to fight US soldiers or whether to join pro-US Awakening Councils. The USG Open Source Center translates their web posting:
' May 19, 2008 Monday . . .
"In a new step that reflects disdain for the feelings of Muslims in general and the Muslims in Iraq in particular, the occupation forces removed a soldier from Iraq they said opened fire at a copy of the holy Koran. This apologetic step is an attempt on their part to reduce embarrassment caused by this incident."
The statement notes that this step will not succeed in absorbing the anger of the Iraqi people or covering up the details of what really happened, adding that "this action was not carried out by one soldier only, but rather by a combat force, which includes many members of the occupation forces."
The statement wonders why the US forces decided to punish only one soldier, asking "if this soldier was really punished or rewarded for his action through taking him out of the hell in Iraq and sending him back to his country safely."
Concluding, the statement says that this disciplinary action will open the door wide for "further violations of and aggressions against the holy Koran and Muslim sanctities," by other US soldiers, "who are haunted by the failure of their military targets."
Source: Association of Muslim Scholars website, in Arabic 19 May 08'
McClatchy reports political violence in Iraq on Monday:
' Baghdad
Three civilians were wounded in a bomb explosion in Doura neighborhood south Baghdad around 7:30 p.m.
Around 10:00 the security forces in Zafaraniyah district southeast Baghdad found a Katusha rocket system with a Katusha rocket which was set. The explosive expert defused the rocket. No casualties were reported.
Five civilians were wounded when a Katusha rocket hit Adan intersection in Kadhemiyah neighborhood in north Baghdad around 12:00 p.m.
The Sahwa members in Abo Ghraib area in west Baghdad arrested four suicide bombers including a Syrian man. The four suicide bombers were arrested while they were in their car in al Hamdaniyah neighborhood, part of Abo Ghraib, police said.
Police found three unidentified bodies throughout Baghdad (1 body on Rasheed camp road, 1 body in Mansour and 1 body Shurta the 4th).
Around 9:00 p.m. an IED exploded targeting the vehicle of Major Ahmed, the chief police of al Quds police station in Shaab neighborhood north Baghdad. Major Ahmed got injured with three of his guards.
Two civilians were injured in a bomb explosion in Ghadeer neighborhood in east Baghdad around 9:00 p.m.
Around 8:00 p.m. gunmen opened fire targeting a vehicle carrying three policemen in Qadisyah neighborhood west Baghdad. The policemen were injured and taken to the hospital.
Gunmen attacked an officer in the ministry of interior affairs in Zafaraniyah neighborhood in southeast Baghdad. The officer was injured in the attack.
Salahuddin
Three civilians were wounded in a car bomb near al Fattah mosque in downtown Tikrit city north of Baghdad.
Thi Qar
A source in Nasiriyah police said that the commander of the marshes battalion Major Farhan Qasim Gtafi was killed in an IED explosion while he was nearby the headquarter of the battalion in Souq al Shuyoukh south of Baghdad on Monday morning.
Anbar
A man was killed with his wife while she was wearing an explosive vest. The incident took place in al Mukhtar area north Falluja city west of Baghdad. Police said that they got intelligence information that the man has an explosive vest. The man gave the vest to his wife when the house was raided by the security forces. After police left the house, the explosive vest detonated killing the woman and casing serious wounds to the man who dies later, police said. '
Labels: Iraq
posted by Juan Cole @ 5/20/2008 06:32:00 AM
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12 Comments:
Recently in Fez, a wonderful somewhat untouched place. I got a sense of where some the Star Wars characters came from.
It was my understanding, with this generation of Morocco's leadership there have been more positive changes than ever.
Blackwater founder defends defense contractors ( aka mercenaries )
http://www.mlive.com/news/grpress/index.ssf?/base/news-42/1211289334199590.xml&coll=6
"Since the Pentagon keeps the television turned to the Islamophobic Fox Cable News for the soldiers on bases in Iraq, it is amazing more such incidents don't occur."
Now this is disgusting. Why should the Pentagon give one news channel more air time, which is an economic benefit, than another news channel? CNN, MSNBC and the others deserve equal air time.
US news media has made some coverage of the Qu'ran incident, but almost all of it has omitted the "expletive" noted by Professor Cole. The link he provides specifies the exact words. American Christians should easily understand the repulsion and outrage that Iraqis and all Muslims would have in the shooting of a Qu'ran. But the expletive multiplies that outrage. Every American should comprehend exactly how much damage has been done by one soldier, and by the US military establishment by permitting such perceptions to exist in the US military. This is not the action of a single soldier so much as it is a glaring example of how the US military and leadership has lost, and will not soon regain, the trust of Iraqis and all Muslims.
Willful mutilation of a religious text is an act of bad taste and possibly an act of littering or destruction of property. The financial fine would equal the cost of replacement and cleanup. The military code may also have some provision for use of inappropriate objects for target practice. Any harsh punishment or jailing would teach or remedy nothing. Better that the sergeant be required to read some of the book and offer an apology--a real "I was wrong" statement, include recitation of passages calling for mercy and kindness, refrain from the usual "sorry that you're darned sore about my innocent prank," and remember that the audience is a billion Muslims and not just his buddies or Fox / Coulter viewers.
Of course, the sergeant may not have been capable of such a gesture, so removal from Iraq was perhaps the best thing, provided he does not also get a parade and a promotion.
I doubt US troops regularly do what the sergeant did. But even that act pales in comparison to the crime of the frequent bombings of mosques or civilian sites by groups nominally allied with the AMS or other religious groups.
The Muslim associations that incite wrath and agitate for harsh sentencing or death sentences for such events deserve more contempt than the brutish sergeant. The AMS is one of the worst, for failing to make peace, integrate with the government security forces, and suppression of bombmakers. The frequent suicide and car bombings are the true crimes against Islam.
"Since the Pentagon keeps the television turned to the Islamophobic Fox Cable News for the soldiers on bases in Iraq..."
That is not true. Troops in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere receive the Armed Forces Network, which shows FOX, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, and others, and shows the highest rates shows. Troops who watch the news can see Lou Dobbs, Keith Olbermann, Wolf Blitzer, et al. Seriously, though, most are more interested in watching Family Guy, The Simpsons, or other shows because much of the banter back home about the war is nothing but Republican versus Democrat garbage and of little relation to what most experience on a daily basis.
Just wondering
Suppose some grunt on his second or third tour in Iraq decides he has had enough. Does shooting a quran automatically get him sent out of country?
There appears to be some incentive built in to encourage shooting qurans.
Reverence for religious objects is not unique to Muslims. Jews feel equal passion for Torah scrolls; one was just unearthed from a hiding place near Auschwitz recently, to great jubilation. Devout Catholics consider the consecrated Host to be the body of Christ, and will defend it with their lives. Even in a free society, vandalism or desecration of such objects is considered criminal, even felonious, as a hate crime.
Most obviously, this crusader is endangering American lives. This stupidity goes right along with "Bring it on." I fear that more is at work here than Fox News jingoism. Many in the military are being recruited into a form of pre-millenial evangelical Christianity by their superiors. (Remember the general who said that Osama bin Laden worshipped an "idol"?) There have been lawsuits over the violation of the first amendment rights of the soldiers, but their most urgent concern should be serving in a country whose hostile people have even more reason to be angry. Where are the grownups?
[Since the Pentagon keeps the television turned to the Islamophobic Fox Cable News for the soldiers on bases in Iraq, it is amazing more such incidents don't occur.]
james_speaks says it all.
It's not too difficult for the Pentagon to programme their own TVs.
If some poor miserable back-country boy, shot-at, dusty, hot, and probably IEDed, throws off his body-armour and crashes to watch TV, he'll probably get O'Reilly or Hannity, at least at first.
If he gets Keith Olbermann then he'll truly realise that his patria has sent him into the shit.
If the 'Iran attack' ever happens, then the poor sod will find Basij pouring into his haven and taking over the PX - and McDonald's.
regards
Richard
The Moroccan government broke up a terror cell in Fez that was allegedly planning an attack in Belgium. If this story is as advertised, it underlines that radical Muslim extremism is best fought by establishing warm relations with Muslim allies such as Morocco, the security forces of which are far more able to break up such cells than is the US Pentagon. That is, diplomacy is more important to counter-terrorism than sheer military might.
It also shows another thing : that the US illegal invasion of Iraq, the US indefectible support of Israelian right wing hawks and its continual humiliation of non compliant arab states is a powerfull recruiting arguments for terrorists. But that the backclash aka the terrorists activities don't fall back on America, but on the nearer and more easy reached EU countries. Belgium, as far as I remember wasn't even part of the coalition of the willing. Its prime minister was opposed to the US invasion, from the start, just like France, Germany and Greece (to name those who were more vocal against it at the time). This is a very concrete reason why the Europeans are angry against the Americans (not to speak of the climbing oil prices we also ought largely to Bush ill fate policies).
John Koch wrote:
"The AMS is one of the worst, for failing to make peace, integrate with the government security forces, and suppression of bombmakers."
My first question is, make peace with whom? The US invaders and occupiers? This comment might make sense if those 'government security forces' were deployed under the command of a legitimate government in the first place, rather than one imposed under occupation. I don't speak to whatever issues may derive from the Muslim Scholars Association's fundamentalist rhetoric, it's degree of Salafist and Wahabist leanings, etc. Koch's comment implies that the Maliki government is legitimate and by extension that the US occupation is legitimate; further, that position implies that resistance to occupation and imposed government is unlawful.
Resistance to the occupation, and to it's Vichy Green Zone government, is lawful under the Geneva conventions, irrespective of the opinion an outsider may have of those carrying out that resistance. As a citizen of the occupying power, the only principled position is to work to hasten the day the US is forced out of Iraq and the country returned to its own people.
Regarding christiane's comment about rising oil prices and their effect on Europeans. Those steep rises in oil prices are cushioned in the EU by the fact that the Euro has retained much of it's value versus the dollar. If you convert oil's dollar price to Euros, the EU has not seen nearly the degree of price increase that we have. A large part of the increase in oil prices (still largely traded in dollar) derives from the decline in the the dollar's value.
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