Bombers massacre Iraq Shiite pilgrims

[Space-Cowboy]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Two suicide bombers turned a procession of Shiite pilgrims into a blood-drenched stampede Tuesday, killing scores with a first blast and then claiming more lives among fleeing crowds. At least 106 were killed amid a wave of deadly strikes against Shiites heading for a solemn religious ritual.

Hours after the attack in Hillah — in the Shiite heartland south of Baghdad — boys used long-handled squeegees to push pools of blood off the road. The victims' shoes and sandals were gathered in haphazard piles.

"In an instant, bodies were set ablaze, people were running and the ground was mixed with teapots, kettles and other supplies for pilgrims," said Mahdi Kadim, one of the survivors.

But there was also a louder message in the carnage that left at least 130 pilgrims dead throughout Iraq: U.S.-backed authorities remain virtually powerless to stop suspected Sunni insurgents trying to push Iraq toward a sectarian civil war.

U.S. forces, too, continue to tally losses at the hands of extremists despite signs of more successful raids against bases and weapon stockpiles. The military said nine soldiers were killed Monday in two separate roadside bombings north of Baghdad, making it the deadliest day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month.

"A brutal massacre against people who are only practicing their faith" was how Shiite lawmaker Sami al-Askari described the Hillah attacks, which wounded at least 151 people.

Dr. Mohammed al-Temimi, at Hillah's main hospital, said some of the injuries were critical and the death toll of 106 could rise.

The Hillah strike came after gunmen and bombers hit group after group of Shiite pilgrims elsewhere — some in buses and others making the traditional trek on foot to the shrine city of Karbala, about 50 miles south of Baghdad. At least 24 were killed in those attacks, including four relatives of a prominent Shiite lawmaker, Mohammed Mahdi al-Bayati.

This weekend, huge crowds of Shiite worshippers will gather for rites marking the end of a 40-day mourning period for the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein died near Karbala in a 7th-century battle.

In Hillah, southeast of Karbala, a long line of pilgrims marched toward a bridge checkpoint on the edge of the city. Food and cool drinks were distributed at nearby tents.

The first suicide bomber killed dozens and touched off a mad dash away from the bridge, said witness Salim Mohammed Ali Abbas. As the fleeing crowd grew thicker, another suicide bomber among them blew himself apart. An Associated Press cameraman at the scene said ambulances and Iraqi police swarmed the area.

A police commander, Brig. Gen. Othman al-Ghanemi, said the attackers joined the procession outside Hillah and waited until it reached the checkpoint bottleneck to try to maximize the damage.

"The government bears some responsibility for this," complained a Shiite parliament member, Bahaa al-Araji. "It has not provided enough security to protect the pilgrims."

In the past two years, the powerful Mahdi Army militia watched over pilgrimages to Karbala. But the group agreed to put down its arms under intense pressure from the government, which wanted to avoid any confrontations with U.S.-led forces during a Baghdad security crackdown launched last month.

"This year, things are sadly different," said al-Araji.

But the Mahdi Army has been unable to protect other religious pilgrimages. In February 2005, a suicide car bomber hit mostly Shiite police recruits in Hillah, killing 125 people.

U.S. forces, meanwhile, suffered their deadliest day since Feb. 7, when 11 troops were killed — seven when their helicopter was shot down north of Fallujah and four others in combat operations.

The military said six soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division were killed Monday in a bombing in Salahuddin province. It was the single largest loss of life in the past three years of combat for the Fort Bragg, N.C.-based unit, said division spokesman Maj. Tom Earnhardt.

Three other soldiers died the same day in a roadside bomb attack in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad.

Both provinces are Sunni-dominated and have seen a rise in violence since additional U.S. forces moved into Baghdad as part of security sweeps. The Pentagon has pledged 17,500 additional combat troops for the capital.

The latest phase brought U.S. and Iraqi troops into the Mahdi Army stronghold of Sadr City. Its militias have so far stuck to their agreement with the government to keep their weapons stowed away.

U.S. forces also kept to their bargain of low-key patrols. Some 600 American soldiers searched the neighborhood, knocking on doors and searching homes, according to an Associated Press reporter traveling with them.

The U.S. forces are seeking a "reconciliatory approach" to avoid sparking a backlash on the streets, said Col. Richard Kim. One small gesture seemed to show appreciation: a child offered soldiers ice cream bars.

In a speech to the American Legion in Washington, President Bush said it was "too early to judge the success" of the Baghdad crackdown.

"But even at this early hour there are some encouraging signs," Bush said. Still, he added: "There are no shortcuts in Iraq."

Near the northern city of Mosul, gunmen stormed the Badoosh prison and freed about 140 inmates, but most were recaptured soon afterward, said Brig. Gen. Mohammed al-Wakaa. All but 47 fugitives were seized within hours. Local security officials said the attackers were insurgents, but the prison has a poor security record.

Saddam Hussein's nephew, Ayman Sabaawi, escaped from the same prison in December. He was serving a life sentence for financing insurgents and possessing bombs. He remains at large.

In Baghdad, parliament failed to reconvene as scheduled after only about two dozen of the 275 lawmakers showed up. Political leaders claim that talks between various parties kept the deputies away.

But it was seen as another sign of political stagnation when key issues are facing the parliament, including a proposed law to divide Iraq's oil revenue among its three main groups: Sunnis, Shiites and the northern Kurds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq



RIP


Seems like killing people during their religious gatherings are all the rave these days..... and by 'these days', I mean.... since forever...

[w1ld]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070307/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq



RIP


Seems like killing people during their religious gatherings are all the rave these days..... and by 'these days', I mean.... since forever...

and still they claim saddam's regime was not peaceful...what an irony

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by w1ld

and still they claim saddam's regime was not peaceful...what an irony

Err... wha? But Saddam was responsible for the deaths of countless Shia wasn't he?

[Space-Cowboy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uZ6BO1laoc

^^^Saddam Brutality Against Shia

[Net-Gladiator]

PM this to khanbaba and others who think it's done by israel

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Net-Gladiator

PM this to khanbaba and others who think it's done by israel

Nah what good is it gonna do ....









How's work so far?

[WildWolfdog]

This Shia-Sunni violence is getting out of hand and so unnecessary and useless, not to mention quite pointless. Divided they fall

[Net-Gladiator]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

Nah what good is it gonna do ....









How's work so far?

yea, it's probably like hitting a brick wall


works's fine, nothing bad...just 35 mins. left till i'm done for the night and i'm off tomorrow

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by WildWolfdog

This Shia-Sunni violence is getting out of hand and so unnecessary and useless, not to mention quite pointless. Divided they fall

Plus in that area, there exists many Sunni extremist factions who don't consider Shia as a part of Islam.... and Shia extremist factions who don't consider Sunni as a part of Islam.... And when you have two groups mutually excluding each other, but forced to live in the same area... it's only natural that violence will ensue..

[MizMirchi]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

Seems like killing people during their religious gatherings are all the rave these days..... and by 'these days', I mean.... since forever...

war/mass murder in the name of religion has been going on for centuries my dear.. after all, personal values, culture and belief systems act as a catalyst dont you agree?

i do believe the key aspect of any such act is "justification" in the mind of population... as insulting this is to say but there are many leaders out there who tend to manipulate minds of the misguided souls and use religion to justify and motivate the masses which in the end results in news like above...

its a sad world we live in...

[WildWolfdog]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

Plus in that area, there exists many Sunni extremist factions who don't consider Shia as a part of Islam.... and Shia extremist factions who don't consider Sunni as a part of Islam.... And when you have two groups mutually excluding each other, but forced to live in the same area... it's only natural that violence will ensue..

Not really. Look at India, Pakistan, Saudia, Canada, USA - tons of Shia/Sunni communities situated literally side by side, and you don't hear of these problems. (Mind you in Pakistan and India there might be more problems than the other places I mentioned but that's mainly inthe past, presently, no such problems have risen on a bigger scale).

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by WildWolfdog

Not really. Look at India, Pakistan, Saudia, Canada, USA - tons of Shia/Sunni communities situated literally side by side, and you don't hear of these problems. (Mind you in Pakistan and India there might be more problems than the other places I mentioned but that's mainly inthe past, presently, no such problems have risen on a bigger scale).

India, Pakistan, et. al. don't have 'extremism' on the same level that Iraq does.

I never said Sunnis and Shia don't get along.... I said Sunni extremists in Iraq and Shia extremists in Iraq don't get along.


In fact India and Pakistan is the exact opposite... Sunni/Shia inter-marriages are quite common in both of these countries.


And as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned... I'm pretty sure I've heard that Shia are oppressed in that country... I of course could be completely wrong; it's just what I've heard from a friend.

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by MizMirchi

war/mass murder in the name of religion has been going on for centuries my dear.. after all, personal values, culture and belief systems act as a catalyst dont you agree?

i do believe the key aspect of any such act is "justification" in the mind of population... as insulting this is to say but there are many leaders out there who tend to manipulate minds of the misguided souls and use religion to justify and motivate the masses which in the end results in news like above...

its a sad world we live in...

Religion has always been a key factor in politics

[WildWolfdog]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

India, Pakistan, et. al. don't have 'extremism' on the same level that Iraq does.

I never said Sunnis and Shia don't get along.... I said Sunni extremists in Iraq and Shia extremists in Iraq don't get along.


In fact India and Pakistan is the exact opposite... Sunni/Shia inter-marriages are quite common in both of these countries.


And as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned... I'm pretty sure I've heard that Shia are oppressed in that country... I of course could be completely wrong; it's just what I've heard from a friend.

Yeah, from what I know you are wrong about SaudiArabia - one of the major reasons is probably because of the Two Holy Mosques being situated in that country.

And India and Pakistan does have a lot of extremists lol. In Iraq right now it's a power struggle, especially after how Saddam handled things, and people are trying every which way to get people on their side - resorting to "he's shia, he's sunni, they are our enemies". Like I said, it's terrible, you hear mostly of innocent civilians dying.

[Net-Gladiator]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

India, Pakistan, et. al. don't have 'extremism' on the same level that Iraq does.

I never said Sunnis and Shia don't get along.... I said Sunni extremists in Iraq and Shia extremists in Iraq don't get along.


In fact India and Pakistan is the exact opposite... Sunni/Shia inter-marriages are quite common in both of these countries.


And as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned... I'm pretty sure I've heard that Shia are oppressed in that country... I of course could be completely wrong; it's just what I've heard from a friend.

it's a wahabi country and shias are getting opressed there, but not openly.

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by WildWolfdog

And India and Pakistan does have a lot of extremists lol. In Iraq right now it's a power struggle, especially after how Saddam handled things, and people are trying every which way to get people on their side - resorting to "he's shia, he's sunni, they are our enemies". Like I said, it's terrible, you hear mostly of innocent civilians dying.

But that's exactly why whatever Sunni/Shia extremism there might be in India/Pakistan is not on the same extent as what you'd see in Iraq.



And it doesn't help when there ARE people outside Iraq egging on either of two sides....... just look at these forums and how many people here use the old 'who cares, Shia aren't real Muslims' line..... there are TONS.

But yes, outside of the Mid-East, Sunni and Shia do get along quite fine [as in Pakistan, India, etc..

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Net-Gladiator

it's a wahabi country and shias are getting opressed there, but not openly.

Yea that makes sense... Usually Persians face a lot of discrimination in Saudi Arabia when they visit, from what I've heard... You said you've had some bad experiences as a Desi living there too right?

[Net-Gladiator]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

Yea that makes sense... Usually Persians face a lot of discrimination in Saudi Arabia when they visit, from what I've heard... You said you've had some bad experiences as a Desi living there too right?

yea, persians are getting discrimination...these days irainan president is in saudi arabia, maybe the tensions will come down.

other thing being back in the 80s, iranian took over the mosque in makkah and eventually they had to send in special forces to get everyone of them.

as far as the desis go, they're treated as second class citizens.

[theoneandonlysss]

... the Iraqi sunni are not accepting that Iraq is now a majority shiite state... Its really unbelievable how much restrain shiite have shown up until now.. You do have Muqtada Al Sadr who is a rebel and tries to go after the insurgents but even he is under control of Sistani.. Its almost every single day when a sunni suicide bomber explodes himself killing 50+ shiite.. believe me it adds up and everyone has a breaking point... US is doing a horrible job of stopping this insurgency, I know shiite rebels have killed sunnis but almost all of them will listen to Sistani who tells them to stop. I am just scared once the shiites really go after the sunni and our military that will be a truly horrendous event.

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by theoneandonlysss

... the Iraqi sunni are not accepting that Iraq is now a majority shiite state... Its really unbelievable how much restrain shiite have shown up until now.. You do have Muqtada Al Sadr who is a rebel and tries to go after the insurgents but even he is under control of Sistani.. Its almost every single day when a sunni suicide bomber explodes himself killing 50+ shiite.. believe me it adds up and everyone has a breaking point... US is doing a horrible job of stopping this insurgency, I know shiite rebels have killed sunnis but almost all of them will listen to Sistani who tells them to stop. I am just scared once the shiites really go after the sunni and our military that will be a truly horrendous event.

Err... it's way past this point...

[Cunard]

the sunni muslims are just begging the shia death squads to come back onto the streets and ignite a total civil war....Islam = peace...not in fucking Iraq

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by Cunard

the sunni muslims are just begging the shia death squads to come back onto the streets and ignite a total civil war....Islam = peace...not in fucking Iraq

It's not gonna end any time soon it seems.... What can you expect? Look at these forums. Just look at how many there are of Sunnis saying 'Shia are not Muslims'... or conversely Shia saying 'Sunni are not Muslims'..... And these are Desis, where Sunni/Shia relatively get along!..... The mentality of some of these people on the forums is a reflection of the mentality of the Sunni/Shia conflict in Iraq right now, wouldn't you say? [at least to some degree.... even if many think 'minimal']

[fragiledoll]

Originally Posted by Space-Cowboy

It's not gonna end any time soon it seems.... What can you expect? Look at these forums. Just look at how many there are of Sunnis saying 'Shia are not Muslims'... or conversely Shia saying 'Sunni are not Muslims'..... And these are Desis, where Sunni/Shia relatively get along!..... The mentality of some of these people on the forums is a reflection of the mentality of the Sunni/Shia conflict in Iraq right now, wouldn't you say? [at least to some degree.... even if many think 'minimal']

[Space-Cowboy]

Originally Posted by fragiledoll