Massive Shia attack in Baghdad
Shia militias staged a major operation in the Jihad section of Baghdad, killing at least 40 Sunnis. Initial reports are that this is in response to a mosque bombing yesterday. At militia checkpoints, ID's were examined and individuals with Sunni names were taken away and killed.
Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie, a Sunni, blamed "Iraqi security forces that are widely believed to have been infiltrated by Shiite militia." (AP) The Sunnis are blaming "rogue police commandos and the Mehdi Army militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr," although Sadr is denying any involvement. (Reuters)
But, while Sadr is denying that his Medhi militia is behind this, "A senior Shiite politician said Mehdi Army fighters from eastern Baghdad had moved into Jihad on Sunday but insisted they were only taking on Sunni militants responsible for killing Shiites: "There are many terrorist groups in Jihad who are killing Shiite families so they went to fight them," he said. (Reuters)
(Also a report from AFP "They also went into certain Sunni houses and killed everyone inside," said one witness who declined to be named.")
Most troublingly to me, "An Interior Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said Shiite militiamen wearing masks and black uniforms were roaming the neighborhood, checking people's identity cards, presumably for Sunni names. "They are killing civilians according to their identity cards." (AP) (An Interior Ministry official can't even comment on what happened for fear of his life? He's not naming names; he can't even say the above without fear of retribution.)
This is all taking place in the middle of the "security crackdown" in Baghdad when the top Iraqi troops and an increased number of US troops are present. The neighborhood of Jihad is just miles from the Green Zone.
Later: The AP has a much more concrete version of the story.
Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie, a Sunni, blamed "Iraqi security forces that are widely believed to have been infiltrated by Shiite militia." (AP) The Sunnis are blaming "rogue police commandos and the Mehdi Army militia of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr," although Sadr is denying any involvement. (Reuters)
But, while Sadr is denying that his Medhi militia is behind this, "A senior Shiite politician said Mehdi Army fighters from eastern Baghdad had moved into Jihad on Sunday but insisted they were only taking on Sunni militants responsible for killing Shiites: "There are many terrorist groups in Jihad who are killing Shiite families so they went to fight them," he said. (Reuters)
(Also a report from AFP "They also went into certain Sunni houses and killed everyone inside," said one witness who declined to be named.")
Most troublingly to me, "An Interior Ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said Shiite militiamen wearing masks and black uniforms were roaming the neighborhood, checking people's identity cards, presumably for Sunni names. "They are killing civilians according to their identity cards." (AP) (An Interior Ministry official can't even comment on what happened for fear of his life? He's not naming names; he can't even say the above without fear of retribution.)
This is all taking place in the middle of the "security crackdown" in Baghdad when the top Iraqi troops and an increased number of US troops are present. The neighborhood of Jihad is just miles from the Green Zone.
Later: The AP has a much more concrete version of the story.
posted by mikevotes at
7:49 AM
5 Comments:
Sounds like genocide or civil war will the the outcome of this Iraq debacle.
In Rwanda, the issue of identity cards facilitated the genocide, as persons were identified as either Hutu or Tutsi on their cards.
Maybe it's civil war already. What a mess.
By
Anon, at 12:03 PM
It is fair now to observe that parliament is a sham, the government is a sham.
There was always the risk that the country would tear itself apart before it would achieve stability; even back when Britain cobbled it together.
Saddam knew that, and the current ‘leaders’ know it. It is just a matter of who is going to be the next butcher.
By
Cartledge, at 12:17 PM
Abhcóide, that's a really good point about Rwanda, I'd forgotten about that.
I think we're probably nearer to the situation in the former Yugoslavia, which was more of a territorial conflict than a genocidal one. The goal in the Balkans was ethnic cleansing to claim territory.
But, I think there is one big difference in the presence of US troops which has kept truly military actions on a small unit scale, none of the large artillery emplacements outside Sariejevo for instance.
And, Cartledge, The Iraqi gov't couldn't deal with the geographically limited Sunnis in Anbar. If the Shia go active against the gov't, it'll fall. (It must be said that thus far the Shia violence has not been largely directed against Iraqi or US forces.)
From what I can gather, these Shia militiamen were attempting to kill/chase off the Sunnis who lived around the Shia mosque that was bombed.
It's not good.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 12:42 PM
I wonder if all those GOP members of Congress and the Senate who wrapped themselves in the Iraq war last month and criticized Dems calling for a time table as "cut-and-runners" and "defeatists" won't come to regret that cynical political move.
I guess they were counting on fooling the American people long enough to make them think the Zarqawi killing and the naming of the interior and defense ministers was changing things for the better in Iraq.
But the situation has gotten worse, not better: civilian slaughter is up, sectarian battles between Shia and Sunni continue, retaliatory killings and ethnic cleansing is on the rise, the defense and interior ministries are still extensions of the ethnic and religious militias.
As we get closer to November, it will be interesting to see how well the RNC's "Dems are traitors and pussies" works as the situation continues to deteriorate and these fucking atrocity incidents come to light.
I suspect the poll numbers on Iraq will continue to head south and many of those Repubs will come to regret the bullshit Iraq debate they held in the D.C. and the stupid non-binding resolution they passed backing the preznit's Iraq policy.
By
Reality-Based Educator, at 12:43 PM
I think "fooling the American people" is a key statement. Even if the Republicans in Congress wanted to flip on Iraq policy, the don't have enough time to do so before the election, so they're left with the only option of pushing ahead no matter what the facts are.
They're stuck. I think you're right that opinion will continue it's trend, and they're only response will be to attack. That's all they have. They can't control the detriorating facts.
Policy set by politics, and people are dying.
Mike
By
mikevotes, at 12:51 PM
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