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| Iraq | |
| U.S. blockades Shiite stronghold | |
| 2007-07-24 | |
| U.S. and Iraqi forces blocked access to a town on the northeast outskirts of Baghdad where Shiite gunmen were dug in for a third day Monday behind earthen barriers. Police issued calls for residents to leave the town, and some said they were running out of food and fuel. The blockade of Husseiniyah came as at least 16 people died when four car bombs rocked the center of the capital. Three of the blasts took place in one 30-minute span, as the relentless Baghdad summer sun pushed temperatures to 115 degrees. Police, morgue and hospital officials reported a total of at least 59 people killed or found dead nationwide, and the American military announced the deaths of three soldiers and a Marine. The continued fighting and deaths of Iraqis and American forces in the sixth month of the American bid to calm Baghdad and the center of the country illuminate the stubborn resistance to a political solution in Iraq, where the government and legislature appear determined to press for sectarian advantage rather than Iraqi unity. The Shiite-dominated parliament said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki should intervene to end the crackdown by U.S. and Iraqi forces on Husseiniyah. The town is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and straddles the highway to Baqouba, where U.S. forces are in the second month of a drive to cleanse that region of al-Qaida in Iraq. State-run Iraqiya television said the Husseiniyah blockade "would have serious consequences on people's lives there."
Lt. Col. Michael Donnelly, spokesman for U.S. forces north of Baghdad, said American and Iraqi forces were now allowing "commercial vendors to bring food to the south of Husseiniyah. Civilians are authorized to walk to these vendors to buy food. Donkey carts may be used, but no vehicle movement is authorized. We are also allowing civilians that need medical aid, to walk to the Hamid Shaub Hospital for free treatment." Trouble broke out in Husseiniyah when U.S. forces took small arms fire shortly before midnight Friday and ordered an airstrike on the building from which the gunmen were shooting. The military said helicopters fired missiles at the building and three gunmen fled to a second building. U.S. aircraft then bombed the second structure, setting off at least seven secondary blasts believed caused by explosives and munitions stored inside the building, the military said, adding that Iraqi police told American forces six militants were killed and five wounded. The military account contradicted reports from Iraqi police and hospital officials contacted by The Associated Press. Those officials said 18 civilians had been killed and 21 wounded in the attacks at 2 a.m. Saturday. AP Television News videotape showed wounded women and children lying in hospital beds, and white pickup trucks carrying at least 11 bodies wrapped in blankets to the morgue. Men unloaded the bodies, including several that were small and apparently children. Relatives said the dead were killed in the airstrike. The conflicting accounts could not be reconciled. Donnelly said militant gunmen "are using civilians as protection and have no regard for the innocent. "Currently there are berms (earthen barriers) placed to impede movement to/from the city by the militia group, who have fired on CF (Coalition Forces) over the past day(s). The intent of these berms remains unclear, but it is impeding movement in and out of the town for sure," he said in response to an e-mail asking for details. | |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #6 This appears to be more "reversing the rat guards" than a blockade. Better to keep them in than let them out. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2007-07-24 09:54 |
| #5 Sadr's carbon footprint is way too large. Al Gore should be summoned to take him out forthwith. |
| Posted by: doc 2007-07-24 08:39 |
| #4 Tater has been a problem from the git go. He is part of the problem in Iraq--along with his Iranian supporters. He is a strong argument in favor of targeted assassinations. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2007-07-24 07:38 |
| #3 "at least seven secondary blasts .... Iraqi police and hospital officials contacted by The Associated Press said 18 civilians had been killed and 21 wounded in the attacks. AP videotape showed wounded women and children." They may have been civilians, but if they were really from this event and not file footage, then at least a lot of them were killed by the secondaries, and thus not 'innocent.' |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2007-07-24 07:31 |
| #2 There can be no Congressional consensus on continuation of the intervention in Iraq, that is based on security guarantees based on protection of all Iraqis. Ethnic cleansing is a must. Residual rhetoric on the issue, all stems from Clinton's support of the Kosovo Islamodrug dealers. The money quote. |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2007-07-24 07:02 |
| #1 If anyone doubts that resolution of Iraq's problems are a matter of deciding ethnic cleansing over ethnic cleansing, should take look a this quote from the article: "The Shiite-dominated parliament said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki should intervene to end the crackdown by U.S. and Iraqi forces on Husseiniyah. The town is a stronghold of the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and straddles the highway to Baqouba, where U.S. forces are in the second month of a drive to cleanse that region of al-Qaida in Iraq." There can be no Congressional consensus on continuation of the intervention in Iraq, that is based on security guarantees based on protection of all Iraqis. Ethnic cleansing is a must. Residual rhetoric on the issue, all stems from Clinton's support of the Kosovo Islamodrug dealers. |
| Posted by: McZoid 2007-07-24 06:07 |