IRAQ
44 killed in Shia city near Baghdad
Thursday 27 March 2008
Dozens were killed in clashes in the city of Kut as Iraqi forces try to regain areas from Shia militias. Clashes continue in Basra and have spread to Baghdad, where Moqtada al-Sadr supporters organised protests.(Report: E.Kalondo/K.Spencer)
Thursday 27 March 2008
By AFPDozens of people have been killed in fighting between the Mahdi Army, Iraqi and US troops during a crackdown on the militia of Moqtada al-Sadr. The clashes triggered protests from the cleric's supporters in Baghdad. Is Iraq falling into a civil war? Send us your questions by clicking on ‘React’ at the bottom of the page and watch the FRANCE 24 debate at 19h10 (GMT+1).
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki vowed on Thursday to pursue a crackdown on Shiite gunmen despite protests and mounting casualties, as Iraqi troops battled militias in the cities of Basra and Kut.
At least 105 people have died countrywide in clashes since Maliki ordered his troops to crack down on "lawless gangs" in Basra on Tuesday, according to official reports. Some sources have put the toll at double that.
The military operations have been mostly in areas controlled by the Mahdi Army fighters of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, severely straining a "freeze" he ordered of the militia's activities last August.
In Baghdad, Sadr's followers staged noisy protests against the crackdown in Basra and demand the resignation of Maliki, who is personally overseeing the military operations.
Sadr has threatened to launch a civil revolt if the attacks against his militiamen continue.
Maliki vowed not to back away from the military onslaught.
"We have come to Basra at the invitation of the civilians to do our national duty and protect them from the gangs who have terrified them and stolen the national wealth," he said in a statement, vowing not to back off.
Basra has become the theatre of a turf war between the Mahdi Army and two rival Shiite factions -- the powerful Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim and the smaller Fadhila party.
In an interview with state television Al-Iraqiya, Maliki said the operation was not aimed at any particular political faction.
"Frankly we don't care who these gangs are linked to," he said.
"They violated laws, attacked property and killed innocents. We were surprised, however, that a specific political faction just exploded and gathered its forces to block the work of the government and started to attack the police," he added, without identifying the group.
In Washington, US President George W. Bush called the fighting in Basra a "positive moment" for the development of Iraqi security forces and proof the Baghdad government could defend itself.
The police chief of Kut, Abdul Hanin al-Amara, told AFP that among those killed during Thursday's military assault were four policemen and 40 Shiite militiamen.
"The security forces launched an operation at around midnight (2100 GMT Wednesday) to take back areas under the control of Shiite gunmen," Amara said in Kut, 175 kilometres (110 miles) southeast of Baghdad.
"At least 40 gunmen and four policemen were killed. Around 75 people were wounded. Police have now imposed full control on these neighbourhoods."
An AFP correspondent in Basra, meanwhile, said heavy fighting erupted early Thursday in the central Jumhuriyah neighbourhood, a Mahdi Army bastion, where militiamen attacked troops with mortars, machineguns, rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire.
Police said Basra police chief Major General Abdul Jalil Khalaf survived a suicide car bomb attack in central Basra but three policemen were killed.
The port city was covered by thick black smoke on Thursday from a blast which damaged an oil pipeline transporting crude from Zubair oil field to the Al-Faw storage facility.
Samir al-Maksusi, spokesman for the Southern Oil Company, said the bomb attack would directly affect exports.
Maksusi said the fire was later extinguished but added: "The technical crew needs 48 to 72 hours to repair the pipeline."
News of the attack as well as general nervousness over the fighting in Basra sent oil prices jumping above 107 dollars a barrel in London.
Eight people, meanwhile, were killed in clashes in the province of Babel, south of the capital, Iraqi and US officials said.
In Baghdad, insurgents fired five rockets into the heavily fortified Green Zone on Thursday, killing one civilian and wounding 14, the US military said.
In Sadr City, an impoverished Shiite district of around two million people in east Baghdad, crowds gathered outside the Sadr office to yell slogans against Maliki.
"Maliki you are a coward! Maliki is an American agent! Leave the government, Maliki! How can you strike Basra?" the crowd chanted.
In Kadhimiyah neighbourhood in north Baghdad, Sadr followers carried a coffin covered in red fabric with a photograph of Maliki set against the background of an American flag, referring to him as "dictator."
28/03/2008 00:34:04 Alert a moderator
weapons factory
By riddelup
The U.S. acted as a weapons factory by suppling all sides with arms. Yet they act surprised when the Iraqi use the weapons to settle old scores.
27/03/2008 14:55:59 Alert a moderator
When Iran is stopped,this violence will end.
By Standingbear
I feel Iran is the one who is keeping peace from happening in Iraq. They still have a grudge form the war. I feel they will soon be hit by either a American strike force or a Israel strike force against their nuke facilities and this will take away from Iraq and allow things to start to get better. If not then there will be blood shed for years to come. From a area who say they love GOD so much, why do they kill eachother all the time?