Iraq inches closer to civil war

[Art Sandusky 0]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/22/...main/index.html

Gunmen strike 27 Baghdad mosques, kill imams

 

Wednesday, February 22, 2006; Posted: 4:45 p.m. EST (21:45 GMT)

 

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Gunmen targeted 27 Baghdad mosques and killed three Sunni imams Wednesday in the wake of a bomb attack at one of the holiest Shiite sites.

 

The wave of attacks followed an early morning bombing at the Al-Askariya "Golden Mosque" in Samarra. The strikes, involving small arms, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar rounds, all happened between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., police said.

 

Three of the mosques were burned down, and in addition to the imams, three guards also were killed. One imam was kidnapped.

 

Security was beefed up around all mosques in Baghdad, police said, and Iraqi security forces across the country were placed on high alert. Officers on vacation or leave have been told to report for duty, police said.

 

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the largest Sunni party in Iraq, condemned all the violence and said Shiites had taken over Sunni mosques in the southern town of Diwaniya and arrested worshippers.

 

Meanwhile, gunmen stormed the party's southern Baghdad office, evacuated its employees and torched the building.

 

The largely Sunni insurgency has periodically targeted Shiite Arabs. Over the past year, Sunnis have accused the Shiite-led government of targeting them in raids.

 

Iraqi and U.S. leaders urged people to remain calm and united amid fears the sectarian violence could escalate into civil war, but a U.S. State Department spokesman said he believes the threat of civil war is overstated.

 

"There are forces seeking to prevent democracy and obstruct the peaceful political and economic development of Iraq," Adam Ereli said Wednesday at a news conference. "They seek to achieve their goals in a number of ways. But, as I said before, promoting sectarian violence is one of them. There's nothing new here."

 

Meanwhile, the top half of the golden dome that once towered above the Al-Askariya Mosque collapsed in the blast. Minarets flanking the dome remained standing amid mounds of debris. (Watch how the blast is intensifying tension -- 1:51)

 

The Samarra attack happened at 7 a.m., when gunmen dressed as Iraqi police commandos bombed the site, which has deep historical significance in Shiite Islam.

 

Shiites believe Imam al-Mehdi, the 12th and final awaited imam, will reappear at the Al-Askariya Mosque to bring them salvation.

 

Al-Mehdi is the son of Imam Hassan al-Askari, the 11th imam, who is buried in the shrine. His grandfather, the 10th imam, is also buried there.

 

Al-Mehdi is said to have disappeared in the eighth century during the funeral of his father and is believed by Shiites to have been withdrawn by God from the eyes of the people, until his return.

 

Salaheddin province, where the shrine is located, is home to a large Sunni population.

 

Residents of Baghdad said members of a militia loyal to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr were going door-to-door asking heads of household to swear they had nothing to do with the Samarra attack. Samarra is 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Baghdad.

 

There were no immediate reports of injuries in the bombing, and 10 people -- all dressed as Iraqi police commandos -- have been arrested, according to Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffaq al-Rubaie.

 

Foreign fighters were likely responsible, and the attack bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda in Iraq, al-Rubaie said.

 

"They are really testing the patience of the Iraqi people," he said, calling on Muslims around the world to condemn "this act of terrorism."

 

The attack occurred as Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni leaders are working to form a national unity government.

 

Both Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a Shiite, and President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said the attack was an effort to incite sectarian violence.

 

In a taped address on Iraqiya TV, al-Jaafari called on all Iraqi political parties to condemn the mosque attack and asked Sunni and Shiite Iraqis to demonstrate in Samarra.

 

Al-Jaafari also declared a three-day period of mourning and ordered the ministries of Defense and of Housing and Reconstruction to assess damage and begin rebuilding the shrine.

 

Talabani condemned the "horrendous crime," saying, "The perpetrators' aim is to start a civil war between Iraqis."

 

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric, called for a week of mourning and is expected to call for businesses to close in protest for three days, a spokesman said.

 

President Bush condemned the "brutal bombing of the Golden Mosque," promising help to rebuild it and asking Iraqis to exercise restraint.

 

"The terrorists in Iraq have again proven that they are enemies of all faiths and of all humanity," he said in a statement. "This senseless crime is an affront to people of faith throughout the world."

 

Peaceful protests, not violence, urged

Demonstrations against the bombing of the Al-Askariya Mosque were held across the country.

 

Following noon prayers, 4,000 demonstrators in Baghdad walked from al-Sadr's office toward a nearby mosque, a spokesman for his office said. By the time the march ended, the number of people had swelled to 10,000, the spokesperson said. It was one of several protests in Baghdad neighborhoods, according to Iraqi Emergency Police.

 

Al-Sadr cut short a visit to Lebanon and was returning to Iraq, where he was planning to make a televised statement. A senior spokesman for al-Sadr's movement urged "calm and patience" and said maintaining national unity is Iraq's top priority.

 

In Samarra, several hundred people gathered at the mosque and at the mayor's office, denouncing the Iraqi government and the U.S. military, authorities said. Thousands of protesters also took to the streets in Najaf, Kut and Karbala, police said.

 

Other developments

 

Just east of Salaheddin in Diyala province, gunmen killed two Iraqi police officers on their way to work in central Baquba and two companions of a judge on the outskirts of Muqtadiya. The judge was wounded.

 

 

A bomb killed 20 people and wounded 25 others at a marketplace in the southern Baghdad suburb of Dora on Tuesday afternoon, police said. (Full story)

 

 

Three Muslim men from the Middle East have been charged in the United States with plotting attacks against U.S. and coalition troops in Iraq and other countries. The three have pleaded not guilty. (Full story)

 

And just before I posted this, a firefight between Sunni militiamen and Shi'a politicians was reported. Looks like they aren't waiting for us to pull out to start this civil war.

[Vampiro69 0]

Well now is the time for me to buy real estate in Iraq, it will be cheap plus the demolition fees will now be next to nothing.

[MrRant 0]

I say we just stand back and let them hammer it out. If our side wins, great.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

If it does degenerate into a full blown civil war, I really hope the US government pulls all our troops out of there...they don't need to be in the middle of that.

[Guest]

They'll be jihading against each other lolz! I don't want our troops over there during that either.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Neither do I, but if there's no other presence there, it'd probably result in genocide.

[Guest InuYasha]

Am I the only one here who doesn't really care if they slaughter each other, as long as they don't drag Iran or some other country in with them?

 

Islam as a cultural base is about as backwards as you can get without wearing loincloths. I'm not at all surprised at this incident, or it's intial, and probably continual outcome.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

That mosque that got bombed was one of the holiest sites in Shi'ite theology. The remains of 2 of the 11 Shi'ite imams were there. A lot of people ain't gon' be happy.

[Guest]

That mosque that got bombed was one of the holiest sites in Shi'ite theology.

Oh, I think it's on now.

[SuperJerk 0]

Islam as a cultural base is about as backwards as you can get without wearing loincloths. I'm not at all surprised at this incident, or it's intial, and probably continual outcome.

 

Don't beleive everything that you hear. Not all Muslims are bloodthirsty, genocidal neanderthals.

[2GOLD 0]

That mosque that got bombed was one of the holiest sites in Shi'ite theology.

Oh, I think it's on now.

 

You THINK? We are well past think if they hit what I'm hearing they hit.

[Guest]

I always say think. I've gotta stop that.

[NoCalMike 0]

Question: If Civil War breaks out, will the opposing sides throw roses and candy at each other and greet each other as liberators?

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Quick question; is the US responsible for this civil war? If so, would you say that they have to stay behind and clean it up?

[2GOLD 0]

Quick question; is the US responsible for this civil war? If so, would you say that they have to stay behind and clean it up?

 

By removing Hussein, there is no way the country wasn't going to fall into civil war. They are just way ahead of schedule. I didn't expect them to do this for five years at least. This country has been developed too damn fast because everyone has been bitchin and that's not a good thing.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Yeah, we're seeing why you don't force democracy to happen, since that's our current official reason for invading the place. Afghanistan is still working a lot of kinks out themselves, although not to this extent.

[Guest InuYasha]

Yeah, I heard on the news today that the Shi'a believe that their "messiah" up and disappeared in front of this shrine, and that he/she will reappear there, too.

 

I still don't understand how religious people can get all pissy over a spot of dirt, when almost all serious religions say that it doesnt matter spit in the end.

 

I believe my opinions on Islam and it's followers are already well-established so I'll just leave it at that.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Funnily, Fox News had analysts saying that the Sunni imam big cheese encouraging demonstrations was a positive thing, despite the Iraqi security forces being completely unable to control gatherings this large.

[Vampiro69 0]

This is what happens when you give a country freedom before it can handle it.

[Guest InuYasha]

This is what happens when you give a country freedom before it can handle it.

Their religion practically screams at them to kill anyone who disagrees with them. They'll never be at peace this way.

[Renegade 0]

I'll support the Shi'ite, cause they got those 12 imams and almost all of them went out like bad mofos. What the hell do sunnies have?

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Yeah...Bush forgot that not all countries are at the same level of civilization as the West. Trying to "liberate" the barbarians doesn't work.

[Art Sandusky 0]

Well, if this continues to get worse, expect the final day of the administration here in 2009 to include a speech in front of a painted-over "Strategy For Victory" banner that now reads "Whoops, try again next time, Beav!" We'll see the entire executive branch gather on stage and share a collective laugh as the crowd applauds the end of this weird episode.

[Guest Eric the Eagle]

Full-blown civil war over religious lines will drag the entire region into it. If it's large-scale Sunni versus Shia, it will not stop in Iraq. Heavy foreig presence and pressure (though not necessarily in Iraq might be the only thing to stop it (and I wouldn't bank on that).

 

Now, I'm not at all certain this will end up that way - I truly hope not - but this... could be very bad.

 

As for whether or not the U.S. have an ethical responsibility to stay... It's a tough question. This is happening as a direct result of the invasion. I would say yes, though I am not certain that would mean it is the smart thing to do.

 

The problem with leavig, however, is that it would be a clear signal that the U.S. can not foresee the consequences of their actions, and/or does not care at all about such consequences. That may not necessarily be the truth, but it's the signal that will be sent.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

 

Oh, Fox.

[Guest InuYasha]

 

Oh, Fox.

Trust Faux News to take a bad situation, and then proceed to fuck it up the ass.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

Pentagon: Iraqi troops downgraded

No Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The only Iraqi battalion capable of fighting without U.S. support has been downgraded to a level requiring them to fight with American troops backing them up, the Pentagon said Friday.

 

The battalion, made up of 700 to 800 Iraqi Army soldiers, has repeatedly been offered by the U.S. as an example of the growing independence of the Iraqi military.

 

The competence of the Iraqi military has been cited as a key factor in when U.S. troops will be able to return home.

 

"As we see more of these Iraqi forces in the lead, we will be able to continue with our stated strategy that says as Iraqi forces stand up, we will stand down," President Bush said last month. (Full story)

 

The battalion, according to the Pentagon, was downgraded from "level one" to "level two" after a recent quarterly assessment of its capabilities.

 

"Level one" means the battalion is able to fight on its own; "level two" means it requires support from U.S. troops; and "level three" means it must fight alongside U.S. troops.

 

Though officials would not cite a specific reason for downgrading the unit, its readiness level has dropped in the wake of a new commander and numerous changes in the combat and support units, officials said.

 

The battalion is still deployed, and its status as an independent fighting force could be restored any day, Pentagon officials said. It was not clear where the battalion is operating within Iraq.

 

According to the congressionally mandated Iraq security report released Friday, there are 53 Iraqi battalions at level two status, up from 36 in October. There are 45 battalions at level three, according to the report.

 

Overall, Pentagon officials said close to 100 Iraqi army battalions are operational, and more than 100 Iraq Security Force battalions are operational at levels two or three. The security force operations are under the direction of the Iraqi government.

 

The numbers are roughly the same as those given by the president last month when he said 125 Iraqi combat battalions were fighting the insurgency, 50 of them taking the lead.

 

"In January 2006, the mission is to continue to hand over more and more territory and more and more responsibility to Iraqi forces," Bush said. "That's progress."

 

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/02/24/...=cnn_topstories

[Art Sandusky 0]

But we had so many Iraqis trained and ready to go! "Well gosh Wally, I didn't know I'd have to train 'em too!"

[buffybeast 0]

Geez, I figured an all-out civil war wouldn't occur until after we pulled out in great numbers. I'm slated to deploy to Iraq in August. Yikes.

[NoCalMike 0]

Remember when the thought of Iraq falling into Civil War was "Liberal-minded nonsense"