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| Iraq-Jordan |
| 36 Bad Boyz Sent to Seek Virgins |
| 2004-05-24 |
| Task Force 1st Armored Division conducted offensive operations, dubbed "Operation Iron Sabre," in Karbala, Husaniyah and Kufa May 21 to destroy the militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, create safe environments for local businesses, citizens and pilgrims traveling to the holy sites, and facilitate transition to Iraqi Security Forces. The militia had continued to fight despite calls for their withdrawal made by several Iraqi religious leaders. In Karbala, Task Force 1-37 Armor captured 10 militiamen. Afterward, local citizens told the task force that the remaining militia fled the city. Soldiers on earlier missions this month found stores of ammunition and weapons stored in the Mukhayam Mosque and other buildings in the mosque compound. During that operation, Iraqi Security Forces found two severely beaten Iraqi policemen bound and gagged in a building filled with ammunition and explosives rigged to detonate. Militiamen also severely beat three other Iraqi policemen. "Ridding Karbala of militia fighters will allow the city to resume its normal activities," said Major General Martin Dempsey, commanding general of the 1st Armored Division. "Schools can open and children can study in safety. Businesses can open and prosper, and the community can flourish," he said. In the vicinity of An Najaf and Kufa, Soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Task Force 2-37 Armor and members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism fought enemy forces holding fighting positions near the Al Sahlah Mosque. The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force entered and cleared the mosque, capturing a .30 caliber machine gun, two 60mm mortar tubes, 12 rocket-propelled grenades, more than 200 82mm mortar rounds, and a number of RPG launchers. "We have no intention of entering the shrines," Dempsey said, adding Iraqi Security Forces would enter the holy places if it became necessary. The militia was putting the holy places at risk by using them as fighting positions, he said. Nearby, the Task Force engaged a mortar firing point, destroying one mortar system, a truck loaded with mortars and killing four militia members. The task force was also attacked by militia from two different buildings: the technical college in Kufa and a building known as Saddam’s Palace. The task force and ISF returned fire, killing 32 attackers. In Husayniyah, Task Force 1-36 Infantry searched the city but were unable to find any militia. |
| Posted by:Chuck Simmins |
| #4 Via Healing Iraq A statement of the Najaf clerics (Sistani et al) (highlights by myself) 1. It is the movement of Sayyid Muqtada Al-Sadr that is losing legitimacy in the strictest sense, and not the one led by Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Al-Sistani, the overall, most learned and assidious Marji' of Iraq and not the rest of the Marji's, not even Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Kadhum Al-Ha'eri, nor other people of fortitude and experience in the field of politics who are seared by the fire of the Iraqi crisis and its complications wrought by Muslim brethren from well-known Islamic political movements and organizations, nor others besides them, people of judgement, experience and education, engaged in political affairs. 2. It is the movement of Sayyid Muqtada that has encouraged the occupiers to cross the red lines. And as aside from that, the American occupiers while storming into Iraq and marching towards Baghdad through Najaf and Karbala did not commit the stupidities and insolence with regard to the sanctities in the two holy cities they have committed now. 3. And it is clear that the organization of Sayyid Muqtada - and whoever follows the Sadrist movement - were the first to violate the sanctity of the yard of Haydari Shareef (Imam Ali's shrine in Najaf) when they fired shots inside it at Sayyid Abdul Majeed Al-Kho'ei and killed Sayyid Yasiri within it and wounded Sayyid Majeed and killed Sayyid Hayder Al-Kelidar afterwards. And they are the very same who ignited the fuse of the bloody fight, whose victims among gathered believers were sacrificed over control of the shrine of Imam Hussein (peace be upon him), and it is possible for our lord [Nasrallah] to verify the former by asking his Excellence the Marji' Ayatollah Sheikh Ishaq Al-Fayyadh and from the sons of his Excellence the Marji' Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad Sa'eed Al-Hakim and the latter with the help of his Excellence Sheikh 'Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbala'i, the representative of the Marji'iyah in Karbala and from his Excellence Sayyid Muhammad Ridha Al-Sistani [the son of Grand Ayatollah Sistani] in person. 4. The organization of Sayyid Muqtada is now carrying out intimidation of the general public and arrests of citizens, not only those whom they call collaborators with the occupation, the police, owners of stores selling foodstuffs to occupiers and others, but also students of religious sciences opposed to them and some of the members of the Badr organization [SCIRI], in addition to raiding offices of the Da'wa party in Kufa, and you can verify the former by asking his Excellence Sheikh Muhammad Mahdi Al-Asifi, his Excellence Sheikh Muhammad Hadi Al Radhi, and his Excellence Sheikh Muhammad Al-Yaqubi, and the latter by asking his Excellence Sayyid Omar Al-Hakim and Dr. Ibrahim Al-Ja'fari [GC member]. 5. The firing of shots at the great dome of the shrine of Imam Ali (peace be upon him) [in Najaf], according to some specialists was most likely from the weapons of Sayyid Muqtada's followers and not from the weapons of others, inasmuch as the time of shooting was the day fighting flared up in the Valley of Peace cemetery, and there wasn't any fighting from the side of Alnabi street, whereas you claimed in your important sermon that the direction of the shooting was from the side of the Qibla gate [to the shrine], which is the side of Alnabi street. 6. The strike on the home and office of his Excellence Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani happened within the security perimeter whose every span was controlled by the organization of Sayyid Muqtada, and the office of Marji' Ali [Sistani] was in the immediate proximity to the center of the security perimeter of Sayyid Muqtada's organization [office], well guarded, and especially so in the vicinity of both of their offices, and so how can it be conceived - and you being an expert in these matters - that this stringent security perimeter was breached by an unknown organization, which carried out a protracted strike on the home of the Sayyid Marji' [Sistani] and then retreated without the cognizance of the organization of Sayyid Muqtada. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-05-24 3:15:47 PM |
| #3 MAN, BigEd, with 72 of those prickly virgins nibbling and scratching on they're eternal souls, they'd be hamburger meat in short order!! |
| Posted by: smn 2004-05-24 1:31:27 AM |
| #2 72 "Virgins" in "Paradise"!
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| Posted by: BigEd 2004-05-24 12:28:53 AM |
| #1 Those 36 bad guys are in for a huge shock :) |
| Posted by: Mark Espinola 2004-05-24 12:04:05 AM |