| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq |
| Residents foil bomb plot in Baghdad suburb |
| 2003-10-24 |
| Edited for length and to make sense out of the usual al-Guardian scatter-shot style. US soldiers and Iraqi police prevented a coordinated bomb attack yesterday when they seized three suspected militants, including one thought to be from Syria, on a stretch of road in Baghdad known as "detonation valley". The arrest of a Syrian would, if confirmed, lend support to claims by US and Iraqi officials that foreign fighters from Iran and Syria are entering Iraq to fight coalition troops. As noted by Rantburg months ago. The foiled multiple bomb attack involved a car packed with explosives, and two roadside devices. The attack was averted when three men in a white car were stopped after a tip-off from locals, said General Abbas Nasr Hussein, chief of police in Ad Doura, a suburb in the south of Baghdad. The car, which was loaded with explosives, had been seen driving back and forth along a road leading from the main market in Ad Doura past a palace which is occupied by the US military. Half an hour later, residents alerted police to an improvised explosive device packed into a rusting exhaust pipe. At midday, police found a third remote-controlled bomb hidden in bushes by the side of the road, about 500 metres from the market. The devices were described by Iraqi police as "designed to kill and maim". In each case US troops were called to conduct controlled explosions. Thanks to the residents. Gen Hussein said the road in Ad Doura was used by US soldiers patrolling the south of the Iraqi capital. Yesterday’s attempted attack was the sixth incident there in the past month. The three arrested men were being interrogated by US military police last night. The police chief said that one of the suspects, an Iraqi believed to be in his early 20s, said he was given $200 for his part in the attack, but had not said by whom "Ahmed, the pliers, please." "Are you sure that’s permitted, Jack?" "Dammit, this mope is trying to kill my people!" "My people, too. Here’s the large pliers." At the Ad Doura bus station yesterday, witnesses expressed their anger at the attacks which are increasingly claiming Iraqi lives. Mohammed Haji, a bus driver, said: "Those who conduct such attacks, who support the old regime, are nothing more than corrupt pharaohs turned to rats. Every attack on US soldiers makes us more likely to be hurt and them more likely to stay. "I don’t wish the Americans any harm, but they shouldn’t be here for much longer, for everyone’s sake." We agree with you, Mohammed. Just keep helping us flush out the pharaoh rats and we’ll leave. Farouk al-Sharaa, Syria’s foreign minister, said earlier this week that there was evidence of fighters crossing from Syria into Iraq. The three official crossings were strictly controlled, he said, but people were "crossing without permission" at other points along the 400-mile frontier. He likened this to the problems faced by the US in controlling its border with Mexico. Except the poor schmoes from Mexico aren’t coming to California to try and kill us, Farouk. In an interview with western journalists, Mr Sharaa said that Syria was "not gloating over [the Americans’] misfortunes in Iraq... If Iraq is not stable, this will be reflected negatively in the neighbouring countries." He’s correct, but not in the way he thinks. Although Syria supports Palestinian militant groups, it opposes Islamist extremists and observers say it would be alarmed if they became established in Iraq. Perhaps because the Syrians are beginning to understand cause-and-effect? |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #10 "The arrest of a Syrian would, if confirmed, lend support to claims by US and Iraqi officials that foreign fighters from Iran and Syria are entering Iraq to fight coalition troops." Sheesh, is there no end to Al Guardian's Ministry of Truth semantics. The capture of a Syrian, if confirmed, would not lend to support to US claims that foreign fighters are entering Iraq, it would confirm them in absolute terms. Future headline: "The discovery of Osama bin Laden's head impaled on the White House flagpole, if confirmed, would lend support to recent Pentagon claims that bin Laden had been killed." |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-10-24 11:38:06 PM |
| #9 The UK has things getting better and better in Basra. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2003-10-24 9:38:39 PM |
| #8 Zeyad still needs to be careful, too much publicity can still get a fellow killed in Iraq. |
| Posted by: Tresho 2003-10-24 6:09:15 PM |
| #7 I wonder where Zeyad falls in the Iraqi bell curve. Reading the few other genuine Iraqi blogs is less encouraging, though not exactly negative... sometimes seeming to expect magic fixes (Riverbend) and, at other times, appearing to be pandering a bit (Salman Pax) to the media - which are just to the Left of Trotsky. One thing is clear - Zeyad's first-hand accounts and descriptions ring far truer than the pontification and editorial pieces. I wish there was some way to show support for him other than just reading him. I suggest that Iraq has enough dentists (or can import them) -- but it doesn't have enough articulate + intelligent natives like Zeyad. This guy needs to be on Iraqi TV everyday doing exactly what he does in his blog - putting words to the feelings and giving voice to moderate intelligent people. Kudos to the man, he's a class act. |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-24 12:56:48 PM |
| #6 Put Syria at the top of the To Do List...late 2004/early 2005 looks good. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2003-10-24 12:44:28 PM |
| #5 I was going to cite Zeyad's blog, too, but Bulldog was on top of it. The encouraging thing is the common people are getting their first tastes of actual freedom in decades, and they are sick of being victims of Ba'athists and fundamentalists. They realize that the sooner peace and order returns to Iraq the sooner the Coalition forces will leave and they can determine their own destinies. |
| Posted by: Dar 2003-10-24 12:10:45 PM |
| #4 encouraging article. |
| Posted by: B 2003-10-24 9:45:05 AM |
| #3 Read the Baghdad blogs. To quote from one, the most recent, Healing Iraq: "Are these people sane? I mean what are they thinking? Is this our latest form of 'resistance'? Threatening our own children for getting some shiny new schoolbags. I am trying very hard to understand. This so called resistance is getting hated more and more by Iraqis everywhere. I'm sure this will only add to that scorn exponentially. They are losing any sympathy they may have had earlier. The terrorists have turned out to be MUCH dumber than I thought." They know who the enemy is, better each day. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2003-10-24 9:01:44 AM |
| #2 It does, indeed, look like some Iraqis realize this is their life in the balance... it can turn out well if they'll take responsibility (Arabs, it's a new word, but a very important one. Try it. You'll like it. Eventually, anyway.) - and it can turn into another Pakiland factional zoo of anarchy, if they won't. Syrian FM - This is classic butt coverage. Insurance. Pfeh. |
| Posted by: .com 2003-10-24 7:12:19 AM |
| #1 We're winning. Iraq is not going to be free until it frees itself, until its people steps up and takes responsibility for what goes on in their own country. The US, indeed any country can only do so much to help, but the hard and important work is theirs to do. It looks like they are doing it. |
| Posted by: Ben 2003-10-24 4:29:40 AM |