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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Al-Sadr's Militia Kidnaps Iraqi Officers |
| 2004-08-04 |
| Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's militia has kidnapped 18 Iraqi police officers in hopes of using them as leverage to force authorities to free detained militants, police said Tuesday. The recent kidnappings took place as al-Sadr aides accused authorities of trying to arrest top officials from the cleric's Mahdi Army. The new tensions appear to threaten a fragile cease-fire between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi authorities. Mahdi Army militiamen have seized 18 police officers and two police cars in recent days, hoping to get some of their comrades out of prison, according to a Najaf police official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Najaf's governor, Adnan al-Zurufi, confirmed a number of policemen were abducted. Najaf police were awaiting orders from local officials, who did not want to escalate the situation, the official said. Ahmed al-Shaibany, an al-Sadr spokesman, denied any policemen were locked in al-Sadr's office or any of his quarters. He accused Iraqi police of provocations, saying they had conducted several raids against the Mahdi Army that he said "threaten peace and stability in this holy city." Police tried to arrest a senior al-Sadr follower at a university in the southern city of Kufa on Friday but were shooed away by the university's dean. Several other raids and arrests took place in Najaf, al-Shaibany added. He did not say how many people were arrested. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #10 ..from Major David G. Bellon, USMC to his dad, concerning conditions in Fallujah. There's only one issue I have with the letter; him speaking of "reaching out" to the third group (of the three elements found in Fallujah). From a historical perspective, Fallujah isn't worth that kind of effort. Evacuate the people that don't want to be there or be involved with what's going on there, then go in and kill all the combatants and reduce everything to rubble. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-04 12:44:00 PM |
| #9 OT, there is a new (actually from the 30th but I haven't checked in a while) e-mail at Greenside from Major David G. Bellon, USMC to his dad, concerning conditions in Fallujah. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-08-04 3:44:08 AM |
| #8 Why is Sadr still walking around? Spray this rodent with a giant can of RAID! |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-08-04 2:12:42 AM |
| #7 I guess he has decided to participate in the political process afterall. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-08-04 1:35:43 AM |
| #6 so he's degenerated from a "Shiite Uprising Leader™" to a common extortionist kidnapper. Kill. Him |
| Posted by: Frank G 2004-08-04 12:38:32 AM |
| #5 Mahdi Army militiamen have seized 18 police officers and two police cars in recent days Call me cynical, but 18 men and 2 cars in a few days???? I suspect some of these Iraqi policemen were "willing victims." |
| Posted by: rex 2004-08-04 12:24:32 AM |
| #4 ...or maybe the "dean" had 40 or 50 "assistant deans" armed with AK's to assist in the shooing. |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2004-08-04 12:24:01 AM |
| #3 No more fooling around; time to take Sadr and his followers out. Not doing so only ensures more future Sadr-originated turmoil. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-08-04 12:19:43 AM |
| #2 Shooed away by the dean? If true, I think these "cops" need a refresher course... |
| Posted by: PBMcL 2004-08-04 12:15:35 AM |
| #1 Drat. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2004-08-04 12:11:53 AM |