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Back to Story - Help Iraq orders 1 million pilgrims to leave By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer 24 minutes ago
Police ordered a curfew Tuesday in Shiite holy city of Karbala and told more than 1 million pilgrims to leave after two days of violence claimed least 26 lives during a Shiite religious festival.
An Interior Ministry official accused the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr of attacking government security forces in the center of Karbala, site of two Shiite shrines under the control of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council. Al-Sadr's forces are battling SIIC for power in regions south of Baghdad.
The Interior Ministry official said the 26 dead were killed in gunbattles between security forces and militiamen. The official, who would not allow his name to be used for security reasons, said the government in Baghdad was sending buses to Karbala to take some of the pilgrims out of the city.
Gunshots rang out in the area near the Shiite shrines that are the focal point of celebrations marking the birthday of the 12th and last Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century. The festival was to have reached its high point Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
The 26 dead were killed in two outbursts of gunfire, one Monday night and a second about midday Tuesday. Police initially blamed Shiite pilgrims trying to push past frustratingly slow security checkpoints near the Imam al-Hussein mosque.
Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had sent more troops to the area from Baghdad and surrounding areas.
He said the gunmen who fought police were "criminals," adding that the curfew was imposed because of fears for the many pilgrims.
"The situation now is under control but what is worrying is that the pilgrims are in huge numbers. ... The area where they were gathering has been evacuated in order to control those (criminals)," Khalaf said. He said the gunmen were gathering in three areas in the old town and security forces were chasing them.
A member of the city council said the center of town was in chaos, with pilgrims running in all directions to escape the gunfire. No one, he said, was sure who was doing the shooting. He said a rocket-propelled grenade exploded near the shrine.
"We don't know what's going on," said the councilman, who wouldn't allow use of his name for security reasons. "All we know is the huge numbers of pilgrims was too much for the checkpoints to handle and now there is shooting."
Four people — two men and two women — were killed in a similar melee near the mosque Monday night. One of the wounded died overnight. AP Television News video from the city, 50 miles south of Baghdad, showed pilgrims running as gunfire, apparently police shooting into the air, rang out through the streets near the mosque.
North of Baghdad, hundreds of U.S. and Iraqi forces backed by helicopters and jet fighters killed 33 Sunni insurgents who were holding back the water supply to the Shiite town of Khalis, the American command said.
The assault began before dawn on Monday when a joint force was landed by helicopter in the village of Gubbiya, 10 miles east of Khalis. The assault force killed 13 fighters and attack aircraft killed 20 others, the military said. The area is known to be controlled by al-Qaida in Iraq. Khalis, 50 miles north of Baghdad, has been the scene of repeated Sunni insurgent bombings and mortar attacks.
"The objective of the mission was to open the spillway, which regulates water flow to the town of Khalis, restoring the essential service of water," the statement said.
The assault uncovered three weapons caches, led to the capture of three men and "water is currently flowing unimpeded to Khalis," the military said. The statement did not say if any U.S. or Iraqi soldiers were killed or wounded.
A Bradley Fighting Vehicle was seen engulfed in flames at the side of the road leading to Baghdad's airport on Tuesday. The U.S. military said the armored vehicle had suffered an undetermined mechanical fault and none of the crew was hurt.
In Fallujah, the Sunni city 40 miles west of Baghdad, mourners buried 11 victims of a mosque suicide bombing Monday night. Ten people were wounded in the attack which police said targeted an anti-al-Qaida Sunni sheik who had just returned from Syria.
Meanwhile, suspected Sunni gunmen kept up attacks on pilgrims traveling to and from Karbala for the Shabaniyah festival, which marks the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam who disappeared in the 9th century. Devout Shiites believe he will return to restore peace and harmony.
A boy was killed and his father was wounded by gunmen who opened fire on their car as they drove home from Karbala. In a separate incident, gunmen opened fire randomly on vehicles returning to Baghdad, wounding two pilgrims in a small bus. And a sniper opened fire on pilgrims in southern Baghdad, wounding four. All the incidents were reported by police who refused to give their names because they were not authorized to release the information.
Sunni politicians, meanwhile, applauded goals set down in an agreement hammered out by the country's top leaders under intense American pressure but expressed doubt that al-Maliki, who is backed by the U.S., would actually see them through.
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According to a lot of the Iraq officials they think we are trouble I wish they would ask us to leave
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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posted
You know what bond? Im pretty much not impressed with the 09 front runner candidates. So I think its safe to say Im just gonna waste my vote for whichever candidate says their going to pull out the troops.
Its a shame Ron Paul dont have the ca$h to be taken seriously. Its amazing how the nomination in a rounda-bout way is BOUGHT.
-------------------- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" Posts: 4005 | From: Shaolin | Registered: Oct 2005
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as much as i want all of us troops to go...one can not help but wonder what the middle east will do once we leave.
saudi wants its sunni hands to control iraq, and a saudi enemy iran wants its shiite control all over iraq.
iraq has become a middle east battleground not only for american troops, but for hezbollah, al queda, and uncountable other sunni, shiite radical groups.
it is become insane
-------------------- It isn't so much that liberals are ignorant. It's just that they know so many things that aren't so. Posts: 6949 | Registered: Apr 2004
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Its just one big mess and I don't see an end pull most of the troops back home leave a force to guard saudi defence only with some offense ability and then work to rid ourself of oil dependence.
I know that is not good for exxon mobile but for what we have spent in Iraq money wise we could have a new source of cheap power for most of our needs.
Not counting the most important the lives of our young people that are really our best
Posts: 6008 | From: phoenix az | Registered: Mar 2005
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Not counting the most important the lives of our young people that are really our best
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Money lost is one thing, but those lives lost and all the injuries that's another subject. There is no amount of money that can pay for all the shattered lives, what a shame.
Hopefully we can come out of Iraq with something positive, doubtful but we can hope.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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quote:Originally posted by CashCowMoo: as much as i want all of us troops to go...one can not help but wonder what the middle east will do once we leave.
saudi wants its sunni hands to control iraq, and a saudi enemy iran wants its shiite control all over iraq.
iraq has become a middle east battleground not only for american troops, but for hezbollah, al queda, and uncountable other sunni, shiite radical groups.
it is become insane
When I say "bring home the troops" I know theyll never bring ALL home. Like bond was saying. I think we need a small presence on the sidelines.....JUST IN CASE.
you know kinda like we did in every other part of the world: Korea, Germany, France.....etc
-------------------- "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" Posts: 4005 | From: Shaolin | Registered: Oct 2005
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When we pull the troops out of Iraq they might not leave any there at all, it might be to dangerous for them in small numbers. We had do that back in 1975, this could well be the case of what happens in Iraq when the time comes to pull out.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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