Airedale

Two stories about the health of al-Zarqawi that seem to say

he may have stomach wounds?

IRAQ: REPORTED SIGHTING OF AL-ZARQAWI IN RAMADI HOSPITAL

Baghdad, 28 April (AKI) - The Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi is reported to have been seen on Wednesday at the hospital in Ramadi, which was later searched by US forces. The director of the hospital, Munam Aftan, told the Iraq-based newspaper Al-Zaman that US troops surrounded and raided the entire hospital, searching for al-Zarqawi, who is believed to be al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq.

"They told me they had to search the entire hospital - Aftan explained - because they had received information saying that al-Zarqawi was here, accompanied by four Opel cars, inside of which were his bodyguards and followers."

On Wednesday the Kuwaiti news agency Kuna cited local sources as saying that American soldiers had closed off the two main bridges in Ramadi, to the west of the capital Baghdad, and were carrying out major raids on both the hospital and residential neighbourhoods in the centre of the city. Two days ago al-Zarqawi's group announced that there were ongoing violent clashes in Ramadi, between US troops and militants trying to stop the raids.

It also emerged this week that US forces almost caught al-Zarqawi as he tried to enter Ramadi in February. He escaped, but they did seize his computer, which contained information which is reported to have led to a number of subsequent arrests.

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=...158604584&par=0

Just an excerpt, one small point of interst, from a well known article about al Zarqawi;

US at least seizes Zarqawi's laptop

....

.....

Terror experts note that Zarqawi's apparent escape is a blow. His capture would not end the participation of Islamist terrorists in the Iraqi insurgency, but it would certainly demoralize them, and it would remove an energetic and creative terror figure.

But the computer might contain contacts, financial information, and hard data about his relationship with Al Qaeda.

"That would be solid gold [information]," says Bruce Hoffman, a terrorism expert at the RAND Corp.

A European intelligence official says that he is not sure Zarqawi was ever in the truck. But the information on the computer was very valuable, he confirms. Among other things, it may indicate that Zarqawi is in worse physical condition than previously believed, and taking painkillers as he recovers from a wound to his stomach.

He also points out that the captured cash was in euros, not dollars, and indicates that the terror network likely maintains a functioning logistical connection with Al Qaeda's European branches.

The importance of the captured Zarqawi aides is not clear. Back in February - without mentioning the near-miss of Zarqawi himself - the Iraqi government announced that a raid had captured Talib Mikhlif Arsan Walman al-Dulaymi, also known as Abu Qutaybah, allegedly a key Zarqawi lieutenant.

Mr. Qutaybah arranged for transportation and safehouses, and moved money and equipment around the country for the Zarqawi network, according to the Iraqi government.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0427/p03s01-woiq.html?s=t5

About the large amount of Euros

...the captured cash was in euros, not dollars, and indicates that the terror network likely maintains a functioning logistical connection with Al Qaeda's European branches

Those bank notes have serial numbers on them.

The notes can be traced back to their bank of origin.

The money trail can be followed to bank clearing houses that may not necessarily be in Europe but rather, located in the middle east.

Found this article on the relationship between Qatar,Al Jazeera and Al-Qaeda;

Qatar buys off Al-Qaeda attacks with oil millions

Uzi Mahnaimi, Doha

THE government of Qatar is paying millions of pounds a year to Al-Qaeda in return for an undertaking to spare it from further terrorist attacks, official sources in the wealthy Gulf state claimed last week.

The money, paid to spiritual leaders sympathetic to Al-Qaeda, is believed to be helping to fund its activities in Iraq. In a recent message broadcast via the internet, Osama Bin Laden told followers that operations in Iraq were costing Al-Qaeda more than £500,000 a month.

The sources said a deal between Qatar and Al-Qaeda was first made before the 2003 invasion of Iraq amid fears that the oil state, a close ally of Washington, could become a terrorist target. The US Central Command for the invasion was based in Qatar.

A senior government source said that the agreement was renewed in March after an Egyptian suicide bomber — thought to be associated with Al-Qaeda — struck a theatre in Doha, Qatar’s capital, killing a British teacher during a performance of Twelfth Night.

“We’re not sure that the attack was carried out by Al-Qaeda, but we ratified our agreement just to be on the safe side,” said a Qatari official. “We are a soft target and prefer to pay to secure our national and economical interests. We are not the only ones doing so.”

Qatar is one of the richest Gulf states and many of its 840,000 inhabitants have a high standard of living. It is also an important base for business.

Al-Qaeda would not be the first terrorist organisation to take protection money in the Arab world. During the 1970s and 1980s Arab rulers paid extremist groups such as the Abu Nidal organisation.

The financial pressures on Al-Qaeda would be a great incentive for it to offer protection to anybody willing to pay. But the deal with Qatar is not purely financial. Qatar has offered a haven for a number of extremists. Federal prosecutors in Miami recently indicted Kifah Jayyousi, a former Detroit school administrator, on charges of conspiring to murder, kidnap, and maim people in other countries, and of providing financial support to Islamic jihadists overseas. He was arrested at a Detroit airport after returning from Qatar.

Security in Qatar is noticeably relaxed compared with that in many Gulf states. While patrol cars and armed men are seen throughout much of the Arab world, they are not obvious in Doha. Even around hotels there are few guards. Locals in brand-new German and Japanese cars drive freely along the city’s wide boulevards.

But it may not be advisable to be too complacent. Al-Qaeda was widely believed at one time to have an unwritten pact with Saudi Arabia. If so, the deal lasted only until it suited the organisation to renege.

protection money paid by Qatar

"The money, paid to spiritual leaders sympathetic to Al-Qaeda, is believed to be helping to fund its activities in Iraq. In a recent message broadcast via the internet, Osama Bin Laden told followers that operations in Iraq were costing Al-Qaeda more than £500,000 a month.

I understand that Saudi Arabia also pays the Sunni clergy to be loyal to the kingdom.

What would happen to the Sunni religeous police in Saudi Arabia if government funding was stopped ?

IR Forever said;

No nation had ever suceeded in obtaining true freedom through pieces of paper, legislations, appoinitments, fake elections etc.., it has always has been and always will be through struggle (quote from Adolf Hitler - Mein Kamph).

If the words you quote by Adolph Hitler are so true...

..

...why are there no statues of Adolph around the world ( or even in Berlin Germany ? )

What happened to the Soviet Unions leader, Joseph Stalins statues ?

or

Saddams Statues?

Are they not all cast from the same mold ? Are they not part of the same scrap heap of history?

Your resistance is doomed to the history books so,

get off your mothers computer,

take real classes at school or simply;

get a real job .

Nothing would please you mother more than to show her some measure of respect.

I am waiting to see the first demonstration against the new Iraqi government.  When that happens, the people will truly realize that the government is meant to be their slave.

This is an article on what must be a breaking point of frustration for the Iraqi police and army;

Under attack, Iraq police still itching to take over security role

Published: 4/24/2005

BAGHDAD - At least four policemen died and 22 were wounded when insurgents bombed a police academy on Sunday, the latest victims in a campaign to cripple US-backed efforts to set up new Iraqi security forces.

But as the death toll from almost daily attacks on Iraq's fledgling forces continues to mount, those who have the daunting task of facing down insurgents remain resolute.

"Give us the weapons the American troops have, and we'll do better than them," said Baghdad police officer Ayad Abed Mehdi, 45. "We are stronger than the terrorists. We have to fight them face to face."

....

......

But despite the risk, new recruit Mohammed Jazel, 22, likes the generous 175-dollar monthly salary which allows him to buy pricey items such as fruit and soft drinks.

"I have my eyes open 24 hours in case there's an attack," said Jazel, who joined Baghdad's police force in March 2004.

"I want to help make the country peaceful, and I like the salary," he added.

"We feel we are strong now, but the government needs to trust us," said Haidar Sendan, 32, another new police recruit who served in the army under former president Saddam Hussein.

"Saddam remained in power for 35 years because he had a strong security force," he said.

"It's dangerous when we leave our jobs at night to go home," said Saad Hamid, 34, another Baghdad officer.

"We are suffering. Our friends have been kidnapped or killed. But now we have an opportunity to work as police."

......

....

US Government Accounting Office has warned that Iraqi security forces remain crippled by poor discipline, questionable loyalties and absenteeism possibly in the tens of thousands.

Iraq's interior ministry spokesman Sabah Kadim was more specific, saying that as many as 35,000 police who have been trained and put on the police payroll "aren't working for a variety of reasons".

"Of the 135,000, about 100,000 are working," Kadim said, adding that he felt the estimate of 155,000 security forces was not accurate. "There are problems with the numbers. They have never been realistic."

A senior US defense official acknowledged the capabilities of Iraqi police and other security forces "vary from unit to unit."

But the official pointed out that between 1,500 and 3,000 soldiers and police were joining the country's forces every week and "the trend is clearly positive."

........

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=40861

The US military and US government doesn't know the Iraqi people,customs and loyalities like actual Iraqi's do.

Tomorrow the interim government attempts to take a "baby step" forward. But the frustration seems to need results, not more delays.

An excerpt from an article;

......Ibrahim Jaafari will present a list of ministers to parliament Monday, taking Iraq a step closer to a government three months after elections, lawmakers said.

The list will not include anyone from caretaker prime minister Iyad Allawi's party after the Shi'ite alliance that won the January election rejected his demands for at least four ministries in the new government.

"It is more than 75 percent likely that a list of cabinet names will be presented to the National Assembly tomorrow," Hussain al-Shahristani, a senior member of the Shi'ite alliance, told Reuters Sunday.

"We will meet to sign off on the names tomorrow morning, and then the National Assembly will meet later to vote on the list. However, I cannot say how long it will take the assembly to approve the cabinet."

Under Iraq's interim constitution, the 275-seat assembly must approve the prime minister and his cabinet by a simple majority. Judging by the recent performance of the parliament, that could take some time.

.........

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...storyID=8274239

The national assembly needs to "take charge" and accept thier democratic role of speaking for the people and prepare to provide for the common defense of the people.

Om Ward wrote;

 

Most of iraqis agree with you (there is no clean Saddamist) the iraqis are suffering and they want Democracy right now.

 

Om Ward

I agree.

A mistake was made by America to allow the Iraqi interim government to drag their feet for almost three months and make no decisions. The US needs to stress the need to act on behalf of the will of the majority is now.

It's up to the Iraqi people to demand action from those in the assembly not taking responsibility for inaction.

Good luck comming to a decision in this last week of April.

Due to the catastrophic role of this country and its TV channal on our region, we decided to keep all the posts related to them in this forum. Please post all relevant info into this forum

 

نظرا للدور التدميري لقطر كدولة معها قناة الجزيرة الفضائية ارتاينا تخصيص باب خاص لهما

الرجاء نشر الأراء ذات العلاقة هنا

This is a very short article from the KUNA website ( Kuwait )

Al-Arabia correspondent detained with Falluja films

SEC-IRAQ-TV-DETENTION

Al-Arabia correspondent detained with Falluja films

BAGHDAD, March 28 (KUNA) -- Iraqi police have arrested a correspondent of Al-Arabia television network with film tapes shot in the town of Falluja in his possession at Baghdad International Airport. Wael Issam was detained at the airport, Network workers said, but failed to clarify if he was leaving the country or coming in.

"Al-Arabia bureau in Baghdad has no information of Issam's movements in Iraq. He might be working on his own,"

a station worker, who preferred anonymity. said without elaboration.

Iraqi officials did not comment on the incident. (end) mg.

bz

KUNA 281850 Mar 05NNNN

Al Arabia story

Anybody guess what may have been on the film by Wael Issam ?

Any articles that can be posted here that were written by Wael Issam ?

WHat kind of stories on Iraq has he done in the past?

Maybe he was being paid by AL Jazeera to bring out news stories since Al Jazeera is not allowed in Iraq. ( as far as I know they still are not allowed in Iraq )

YDSTIE: And the big question, I guess, is whether Saddam will get 100 percent of the vote this time. Last time, he only got 99.96 percent. Twelve hundred people, I guess, didn't vote for him.

 

SHAPIRO: It's not at all clear whether some of those votes were intentional nos, perhaps, or abstentions or people just getting a little confused....

....

and so they can find out who decides to vote no. 

sweet

I wonder if this excerpt from the earlier report -

....

...His body was found two days later in a youth center

on the shores of Tharthar Lake, 20 miles north of Khaldiyah.

Both his legs were broken in multiple places, his fingernails were removed, razor slashes were etched across his back and he had two bullet wounds in his chest, according to his autopsy report.

 

A statement by Zarqawi's group asserted responsibility for the killing, accusing Dulaimi of being an "agent . ... . who works for the Americans." The statement said he had "confessed" to giving U.S. forces information about weak spots in the guerrillas' defenses in southern Fallujah.

.....

85 terrorists killed near Tharter Lake

85 Militants Killed in U.S. Raid in Iraq

By EDWARD HARRIS, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces killed 85 militants at a suspected training camp along the marshy shores of a remote lake, one of the highest guerrilla death tolls of the two-year insurgency, officials said Wednesday. They said citizens emboldened by the January elections are increasingly turning in intelligence tips

The raid at Lake Tharthar in central Iraq (news - web sites) turned up booby-trapped cars, suicide-bomber vests, weapons and training documents, Iraqi Maj. Gen. Rashid Feleih told state television. He said the insurgents included Iraqis, Filipinos, Algerians, Moroccans, Afghans and Arabs from neighboring countries.

"What's really remarkable is that the citizens this time really took the initiative to provide us with very good information," Feleih said.

In three days, according to Iraqi and U.S. officials' accounts, troops have killed at least 128 insurgents nationwide, culminating in the announcement of Tuesday's attack by Iraqi commandos, backed by U.S. air and ground fire. On Sunday, U.S. soldiers killed 26 insurgents south of Baghdad, while a fight during an ambush on an Iraqi security envoy killed 17 militants on Monday.

"This string of successes does have positive repercussions in that it may convince Iraqis not supporting the insurgents — but not supporting the United States either — to perceive that the tide is turning and not go with the insurgents," said Nora Bensahel, a Washington-based Iraq analyst for Rand Corp.

...

.....

US. Army Maj. Richard Goldenberg, a 42nd Infantry Division spokesman, said an estimated 80 to 100 insurgents were at the camp, 60 miles north of Ramadi, and that some insurgents fled with casualties before the area could be surrounded.

Iraqi commandos were in the area to conduct a different raid, but tips from residents redirected them to the lakeside camp, Goldenberg said. An Iraqi officer said residents had been providing intelligence for 18 days before the attack.

......

There is more at the link.

It seems since the story broke internationally about the

"Seven Bodies Discovered in Ramadi Belonged to Followers of Zarqawi"

the anti US military in Iraq stories may not get the coverage they enjoyed up to recently.

I will look for the English version of the way Al Jazeera posted the story this morning. That is where I first read about this story.

Ever since Al Jazeera has been pushed out of the Iraqi streets, the bandits of Zarqawi don't command the media respect they once did.

I wonder if the Iraqi commando's had a camera crew with them.

In the United States, there is a television show called COPS

I'm sure our show pales in comparison to what is shown on Iraqi TV.

?

Why doesn't the american media cover some of the Iraqi TV broadcasts ?

Maybe soon we will get something broadcast by at least one of the major networks.

Currently, American media is rivited covering the story of a woman in Florida who is going to die in a week or two.

Her husband wants her to die,her parents want her to live.

http://www.baghdad2020.com

diana777

Newbie

Group: Members

Posts: 1

Member No.: 578

Joined: 22-March 05

Baghdad 2020?

... if thats the case, your living in a seething DUmpster of an ancient past.

hey

Deal with it the fact your party lost in 2000,

lost in 2004.

2008.... going for the three-pete ??

look

I found -->diana777 's "good side" pic.

http://www.sorryeverybody.com/upload_files/se9.jpg

http://jimtreacher.com/Sorry/35.jpg

http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/05.03...ushPinata-X.gif

"The Sorry Everybody" Link

last but not least..

Could this one will define "oxymoron" <-- ?

tajer

Is diana777 the boards first troll ?

bye troll

Guest_tajer,

I tried the link.

I guess the Seattle Times took down the story . I don't know why.

I am very suprised it even appeared in a Seattle newspaper. I found the original Washington Post link for you.

The Washington Post article

It is a little longer and gives more detail then the excerpts chosen by the Seattle paper.

Like I said earlier, the story isn't getting much coverage and I think it is a pivotal point. People do not want to publish good news.

Bad news and controversy sells papers.

I better post it here "in case you can't get to this original link"

A Gruesome Find, With a Difference

Seven Bodies Discovered in Ramadi Belonged to Followers of Zarqawi

By John Ward Anderson

Washington Post Foreign Service

Saturday, March 19, 2005; Page A16

BAGHDAD -- When more than 80 bodies, many of them slain Iraqi police officers and soldiers, were found last week at four sites in Iraq, a fifth gruesome discovery attracted little notice.

In the violent city of Ramadi, a center of insurgent activity 60 miles west of Baghdad, the bodies of seven men were found neatly lined up in an unfinished house on the western outskirts of town, according to witnesses. Each had been shot in the head or torso. Some witnesses said the bodies were then secretly buried in a local cemetery

Witnesses said they never went to the local police or foreign military forces to report finding the bodies, fearing that they would be accused of complicity in the slayings or that the killers would return to punish them for talking.

"I feared telling the Iraqi army because they would detain me and accuse me of being involved in the killings," said Ali Omar, 32, a motorcycle mechanic who found the bodies on the morning of March 12. Instead, he went to Ramadi Hospital and told an emergency room doctor about his discovery, but the doctor refused to get involved. "He told me, 'Why bring problems on yourself? Leave them until they find them,' " Omar said.

Witnesses also said the event went unreported because the dead men were foreigners, all Sunni Muslims and members of al Qaeda in Iraq, the radical group headed by Abu Musab Zarqawi that is at the forefront of the insurgency. Now that details of the slayings have surfaced, Zarqawi is vowing revenge.

"My cousins are the ones who killed them," said Jabbar Khalaf Marawi, 42, a former army officer and Communist Party member in Ramadi. Marawi said the slayings were carried out by members of his Dulaimi clan in retaliation for the killing of a clan leader -- Lt. Col. Sulaiman Ahmed Dulaimi, the Iraqi National Guard commander for Ramadi and Fallujah -- by Zarqawi's group last Oct. 2.

Dulaimi and three bodyguards were traveling through Khaldiyah, a small town east of Ramadi. When their vehicle slowed to navigate a series of concrete blocks placed in the road by U.S. forces, it was suddenly surrounded by a large group of armed men, according to witnesses interviewed at the time. The bodyguards were shot and killed on the spot, and Dulaimi was abducted, they said.

His body was found two days later in a youth center on the shores of Tharthar Lake, 20 miles north of Khaldiyah. Both his legs were broken in multiple places, his fingernails were removed, razor slashes were etched across his back and he had two bullet wounds in his chest, according to his autopsy report.

A statement by Zarqawi's group asserted responsibility for the killing, accusing Dulaimi of being an "agent . ... . who works for the Americans." The statement said he had "confessed" to giving U.S. forces information about weak spots in the guerrillas' defenses in southern Fallujah.

Five months later, Omar, the motorcycle mechanic, was walking his three daughters to school. Because of heavy rain, they took a detour through a largely abandoned part of Ramadi's Tamim neighborhood, which had become a hideout for insurgents who fled the November offensive in Fallujah. As they passed an unfinished house, Omar said, they were hit by the unmistakable odor of death. After dropping off his girls, he said, he went back to investigate.

Omar said he found the dead men inside the house. Each appeared to be in his early thirties; all had long beards and were dressed in the traditional dishdasha gown favored by mujaheddin, or holy warriors.

After being rebuffed at the hospital, Omar said, he went to the local mosque, where the imam asked to be led to the scene.

Upon arriving, "the preacher immediately said he knew the people. He said they were from Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria mujaheddin," Omar recounted. "He prayed and asked God for mercy. Then he turned his face to me and said, 'Your mission is over. Thank you, you can go home.' "

Omar Karim, 32, said he was with a group of about 10 men at the Right Mosque when the imam, whom he identified as Yassim Abdul Latif, came in "and told us there are some dead bodies belonging to mujaheddin brothers who were killed by agents of the occupiers, and we have to put them in coffins and bury them." They collected the bodies and returned with them to the mosque, Karim said.

Abdul Latif refused to be interviewed for this article.

Ahmed Mushrif, 29, a fruit juice and ice cream vendor, said the imam was late for noon prayers. He entered as an overpowering stench suddenly filled the mosque, and he "asked all those praying to take the bodies to the cemetery."

"I didn't want to go, but I felt I had to," Mushrif said. So he joined about 40 men in 15 cars and headed to the martyrs' cemetery, where a sign at the entrance proclaims: "It is prohibited to bury anyone who is not a martyr." He said Abdul Latif warned the procession to keep the cars far apart from each other so that Iraqi police or coalition forces would not realize they were traveling together.

During a simple ceremony, "the preacher gave a speech, asking us to be united, because the seven who were killed weren't hurting the people as much as they were hurting the Americans," Mushrif said.

A notice from Zarqawi's group was posted on the mosque's gate this week announcing the deaths of the men and calling their killers "blasphemers, far from the religion of God, who betrayed the mujaheddin after they trusted them." It vowed to find and behead the killers, described as "followers of the occupiers."

At the Dulaimi family compound this week in the Abu Marie area of Ramadi, the slain colonel's father, Hamad Dulaimi, 73, sat on a bench as a group of children played in the yard. The surrounding streets and rooftops were crowded with armed men.

"These are the children of Sulaiman, who was killed by those bastards," he said.

The colonel's wife joined him: "Now we can talk, because we got revenge."

"If I didn't know that my son was innocent, I wouldn't have sent his cousins for revenge," the father said. "But for we Arabs, the matter of revenge is like honor. Both are the same for us."

As for Zarqawi's promise to retaliate, he said: "We got our revenge, and we have our precautions. Let them do as they like."

http://www.aljeeran.net/viewarticle.php?id...pg=index&art=mp

In Arabic.. Alshark alawsat posted a translation of the article

I checked out the English version of Al Jazeera.

al Jazeera English home page

Nothing there.

Since I can't read Arabic, is the Arab translation word for word? I know something tends to get lost in translation.

Does that website offer an English version link to their news ?

Is there a section for readers to comment on articles posted at that news website ?

Did you see this story :

Jordanian soldiers on a United Nations mission overseas

AUSTRALIAN soldiers drew arms to protect themselves from Jordanian peacekeepers after a Digger blew the whistle on other Jordanian soldiers' sexual abuse of East Timorese boys.

....

Is such behavior acceptable in Jordan or by the followers of Islam ?

Is it a story best left untold in Jordan ?

Guest_tajer

Thanks for the information on Iraqi tribal family strengths. I thought someone like you would have a better understanding on Iraqi customs.

This story was just released by Seattle Washington news source only hours ago.That may be the reason the story may not have been covered by the Iraqi or Arab media as of yet.

Maybe you can better reach Iraqi's who could say "yes or no" this story is "true or false".

If this story is true, then we are wittnessing the end of the Zarqawee's strong holds in Ramadi!

The story must be verified by tribal sources locally.

The story must be told and verified about the torture of Lt. Col. Sulaiman Ahmed Dulaimi, the Iraqi National Guard commander

If it is in fact true, the family has spoken out about justice being served.

His body was found two days later in a youth center on the shores of Lake Tharthar, 20 miles north of Khaldiya. Both his legs were broken in multiple places,his fingernails were removed and he had two bullet wounds in his chest, according to his autopsy report.

This story may not get much media attention in the United States either.

Hopefully, Iraqi bloggers can get the word back and verify if it's true.

Maybe you could follow up and inform us here with what you find out ?

This board has grown in the past year. I have posted very little lately.

I spen a lot of internet time visiting many many forums and blogger boards.

Your post on the Iranian blogging crackdown is very interesting

I did a fast check on this board as of 3/19/05

Board Statistics

Our members have made a total of 3334 posts

We have 536 registered members

The newest member is Uruk

Most users ever online was 41 on Feb 24 2005, 06:34 PM

And to think I am only the 50th board member.

There must have been an explosion of interest in this message board in the past few months with the membership exceeding 200.

I see a lot of arabic language which is good. Non English being posted is a sign of healthy growth.

But.

Certain outside,western in origin websites get banned in China. Banned in that country are bloggers freedom of expression also .

The mullah's of Iran must be getting IT help or else they wouldn't be clamping down on their own citizens freedom of expression.

I wonder how many of the newest members are actually certain types of Iranians trolling

would the goverement and its undisciplined security system be able to prevent this from happening?

Should the people who know of such attack plans choose to remain silent then...

the government and undisciplined security system will fail to protect the people.

7 al-Zarqawi insurgents found slain in retaliation for killing

By John Ward Anderson

The Washington Post

BAGHDAD, Iraq — When more than 80 bodies were found last week at four different places in Iraq, a fifth gruesome discovery attracted little notice.

In the violent city of Ramadi, a center of Sunni insurgent activity 60 miles west of Baghdad, the bodies of seven men were found lined up in an unfinished house on the western outskirts of town, according to eyewitnesses.

Unlike the corpses elsewhere, which were mostly Iraqi police and soldiers, the bodies in Ramadi apparently were foreigners, fighters working for Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who has claimed responsibility for suicide bombings, kidnappings and assassinations.

Each of the seven had been shot in the head or torso. The bodies were secretly buried in a local cemetery, the witnesses said.

"My cousins are the ones who killed them," said Jabbar Khalaf Marawi, 42, a former army officer and Communist Party member in Ramadi. Marawi said the slayings were carried out by members of his Dulaimi clan in retaliation for the Oct. 2 killing of a clan leaderLt. Col. Sulaiman Ahmed Dulaimi, the Iraqi National Guard commander for Ramadi and Fallujah, by al-Zarqawi's group.

Dulaimi and three bodyguards were traveling through Khaldiya, a small town about six miles east of Ramadi, where they were ambushed. The bodyguards were shot and killed on the spot, and Dulaimi was abducted.

His body was found two days later in a youth center on the shores of Lake Tharthar, 20 miles north of Khaldiya. Both his legs were broken in multiple places,his fingernails were removed

and he had two bullet wounds in his chest, according to his autopsy report.

A statement by al-Zarqawi's group asserted responsibility for the killing, accusing Dulaimi of being an "agent ... who works for the Americans." It said he had "confessed" to giving U.S. forces valuable information about weak spots in the guerrillas' defenses in the southern part of Fallujah.

Witnesses to the finding of the bodies in the house said they never went to the local police or foreign military forces to report finding the bodies, fearing that they would be accused of complicity in the slayings or that the killers would return to punish them for talking.

"I feared telling the Iraqi army because they would detain me and accuse me of being involved in the killings," said Ali Omar, 32, a motorcycle mechanic who discovered the bodies last Saturday

Instead, he said he went to Ramadi Hospital and told an emergency-room doctor about his discovery, but the doctor refused to get involved. "He told me, 'Why bring problems on yourself? Leave them until they find them,' " Omar said.

A notice from al-Zarqawi's group was posted on the gate outside a Ramadi mosque this week announcing the death of the seven men and calling their killers "blasphemers, far from the religion of God, who betrayed the mujaheddin after they trusted them." It vowed to find the killers, described as "followers of the occupiers," and behead them.

At the Dulaimi family compound this week in the Abu Marie neighborhood of Ramadi, Sulaiman's father, Hamad Dulaimi, 73, sat on a bench as a group of children played in the yard. The surrounding streets and rooftops were crowded with armed men.

"These are the children of Sulaiman, who was killed by those bastards," he said.

Sulaiman's wife joined him: "Now we can talk, because we got revenge," she said.

"If I didn't know that my son was innocent, I wouldn't have sent his cousins for revenge," the father said. "But for we Arabs, the matter of revenge is like honor. Both are the same for us."

As for al-Zarqawi's promise to retaliate, he said: "We got our revenge, and we have our precautions. Let them do as they like."

Will this story get a lot of coverage in Baghdad?

How will the other Sunni families take this story?

Is the tribal loyality about to fall into the direction of the Shia/Kurd direction? Just how much of a factor is the Dulaimi clan in Iraqi/Sunni politics?

Did Iraqi TV mention this story?

Long read in English but tranlates to Arabic.

The Islamist and Terrorist Threats

By Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli*

Al-Sistani has called on his followers to vote en masse and decreed that those who boycott the elections are "infidels." His picture appears on election placards in most Iraqi provinces indicating his support for the elections.

In a video aired on Al-Jazeera TV,in what appears to be a response to al-Sistani, Osama bin Laden warned against the participation in elections: "Anyone who participates in these elections … has committed apostasy against Allah."

So there it is.

This vote is

elections in Iraq have pitched against each other the most senior Shi'ite cleric in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and Osama bin Laden

excerpts from the article;

In a joint statement with two other terrorist groups, Jaysh al-Majuhideen (the Army of the Holy Worriers) and al-Jaysh al-Islami al-Iraqi (the Iraqi Islamic Army) Ansar al-Islam issued a declaration on its website under the title "The Comedy of the Democracy and the Elections."

Starting with a "clarification," the declaration gives the Greek origin of "democracy"meaning the "rule by the people" and "legislation by the people." "Democracy" means, the declaration continues, that the people legislate for themselves the laws they find suitable for their desires and purposes. Such a concept, it warns, is atheism and apostasy and contrary to the concept of monotheism, which is the religion of the Muslims. The declaration continues: "This is a comedy staged by the enemies to confer what they allege as the legitimacy on the new government which is the servant of the crusaders and the executioner of their schemes. The effort to render these elections successful and the participation in them is the biggest gift to America, the enemy of Islam and the tyrant of this generation."

The declaration concludes by calling on Muslims who are zealous for their religion to avoid the participation in this "atheistic exercise" designed to legitimize the apostasy and adopting atheistic laws imposed by the crusaders. It threatens that the polling stations and anyone to be found there will be the target of "Allah's courageous soldiers

On one group of terrorists;

Pay Incentive

Apart from the hard-core jihadists who seek martyrdom as an extension of life in the idealized hereafter that brings them closer to Allah and a permanent residence in heaven, most of the members of the Iraqi terrorist groups, particularly the so-called resistance fighters, are paid salaries far greater than what they would otherwise earn as government employees or small traders in the bazaars of the Iraqi cities. In the word of one person, while his government salary was not enough to meet his basic needs, his salary as a member of an armed group is "more than enough."

Will the money flow into Iraq dry up after the elections?

How much support will flow from the Baathists of Syria or the Sunni wahibi's in Saudi Arabia when the majority in Iraq take control and have more a a voice?

This vote is about two opposite sides of Islam.

Which way will the sword of Islam swing next month?

Will the majority bow and prefer the supression they have known for centuries ?

Will the majority speak louder with their hard earned voting rights ?

December 15, 2004 No.199

Iraqi Elections (I): The Imperatives of Elections on Schedule

By Dr. Nimrod Rapaheli*

Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli is Senior Analyst of MEMRI ' s Middle East Economic Studies Program

Introduction

An election is an exercise in choice – in weighing the merits of competing political forces and alternative programs. The Iraqi people have been denied the right to choose for a half century. In fact, the last time "elections" were held in Iraq in 2002 Saddam Hussein received a more-than-perfect score: not only one hundred percent of the electorate, but also the former Algerian president and guest voter Ahmad bin Bella voted for Saddam's "reelection."

The proposed elections in Iraq, scheduled for January 30, 2005, are intended to put an end to Saddam's political farce and give the Iraqi people a free and transparent opportunity to select their leaders. The last time a constitutional council was elected by Iraqis was under the monarchy in 1924. Three political parties participated in that election. By contrast, 226 parties and groups have been cleared by the High Commission for Elections to participate in the election of a 275-member interim National Assembly in 2005. [1] The National Assembly will select a new government and draft a new constitution, and then will be dissolved in favor of a new parliament which will be elected following the promulgation of the new constitution.

The Legal Aspects of the Elections

The Iraqi elections are governed by Law No. 92 issued by the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA)on May 31, 2004 which set December 31, 2004 but no later than January 30, 2005 as the deadline for holding the national elections. The elections law includes a number of significant provisions:

Iraq will be considered as a single election zone.

The method of elections is that of proportional representation (the number of seats by any competing political party or group will be proportional to the total number of votes it has received countrywide).

No list shall have fewer than 12 candidates or more than 245 candidates.

Twenty-five percent of the seats shall go to women.

Writing in the Iraqi daily al-Mada, Professor D. Haydar Adham al-Ta'i highlights some of the advantages and disadvantages of proportional representation. Among the advantages are (a) that Iraqis in exile can vote in their place of exile without having to be present in a particular voting district ; and ( b ) that small parties and minorities are able to compete against large parties. The greatest disadvantage is that the splintering of votes among so many competing lists could lead to political instability. [2]

The opponents of proportional representation argue that the system could deny a major city like Mosul fair representation should security or other issues prevent a large number of its citizens from voting. The opponents would like to see the seats in the national assembly allocated to major voting districts according to the size of the population as measured by the food ration coupons. Otherwise, heavy voting in the "secure" provinces will tip the scale against the "volatile" provinces, such as those in the Sunni triangle, where voting is likely to be limited. [3] However, one commentator has suggested that voters in the Sunni triangle should not be rewarded for failing to vote. He has added pointedly that the Sunnis have failed to adjust to the post-Saddam realities, that they have been defeated badly in Fallujah and that, therefore, they have lost their power "to pressure and blackmail." [4]

Opponents of the Elections on Schedule

Many of those who oppose the proportional representation system are also opposed to holding the elections on schedule. It is understandable that those who were marginalized under Saddam (Shi'a and Kurds) are the most enthusiastic about holding the elections on time, while those who stand to loose the disproportionate status they enjoyed in the Saddam era (Sunnis) are loudest in calling for postponement. None of the opponents of holding the election on time is more threatening than the Islamist group known as Jaysh Ansar al-Sunna (the Army of the Supporters of Sunna). Their opposition to the elections is deeply rooted in an Islamist interpretation of the Koran. In a circular on their internet site, the Ansar al-Sunna argue that any government in a Muslim country that does not govern in accordance with the Shari'a (Islamic Law) is an infidel. It calls on believers to stay away from the poling stations and warns that the mujahideen will strike the polling stations by force. [5] Lakhdhar al-Ibrahimi, the UN official who brokered the transition from the CPA into the transitional government added his "private" voice for postponing the elections because they cannot be held "under the present circumstance." [6] However, al-Ibrahimi, a Sunni Muslim, has been accused by the Iraqi Shi'a of bias. The recent marriage of al-Ibrahimi's daughter to the brother of King Abdullah, who trumpeted the warning in Washington recently about an alleged Iranian Crescent that would include Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Syria, may have increased questions about his neutrality.

Confusing Signals from Iraqi Officials

Different, and often contradictory, signals from senior Iraqi officials about the timing of the elections may have lent support to those seeking postponement. During his visit with President Bush the Iraqi acting President Ghazi al-Yawer declared that the elections will be held on time. The interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi indicated his commitment to holding the elections on time, but added the caveat that if the Iraqi people have a different opinion "they should put pressure on the government" to postpone the elections. [7] A couple of weeks earlier, Allawi's party, the National Accord [al-Wifaq al-Watani], joined a group of eighteen other political parties which advocated the postponement of the elections for six months. [8]

At the same time, Minister of Justice Malik Dohan al-Hassan called for the postponement until the prevailing conditions have improved, and warned that holding the elections on schedule could trigger civil war. [9] The blunt-speaking Minister of Defense Hazim al-Sha'lan told the London daily al-Sharq al-Awsat that he had no plan to provide the necessary security either for the candidates or the voters because the Iraqis "do not know who is the candidate and who the voter." At the same time, the Minister for National Security Qassim Daoud declared that no one has the authority to postpone the elections. [10] And this perhaps represents the ultimate truth because Security Council Resolution No. 1546 (2004), which established the interim government, has established the election date. A change, therefore, would require a new resolution by the Security Council, which is not likely to be approved given the U.S. commitment to the date of January 30. [11]

Allawi introduced a new proposal: elections could be held over a period of 15 to 20 days to insure the security of the polling stations and protect the people queuing to vote from terrorist attacks. This particular proposal found a positive echo among Iraqi political parties and by the High Commission for Elections. In addition to the security dimension, an extended polling period would draw a larger number of voters and could give the results greater legitimacy. [12] The Ministry of Interior, which will play a leading role in the preparation of the voter registration and the administration of the voting process, has supported the idea of an extended polling period. [13]

This state of confusion and uncertainty may truly reflect the volatile security situation, but it may also reflect the jockeying of the various politicians for votes in a country where the vast majority of voters have never cast a vote in a free election. Additionally, there is indeed a significant risk that tribal chiefs and mosques' Imams will lead their followers en masse to vote in a predictable manner.

The Role of Ayatollah al-Sistani

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most senior and influential Shi'ite cleric in Iraq, has been adamant throughout the process of political transition from the Coalition Provisional Authority to the Interim Government that free elections throughout the country are the only way to restore legitimacy to the Iraqi government and end the occupation.

The introduction of proportional representation as an electoral method in Iraq has provided Ayatollah al-Sistanian opportunity to forge a national list of candidates that is broad-based but not completely sectarian. With the help of a committee of six distinguished individuals, including its chairman, Dr. Hussein al-Shahrestani, a nuclear scientist who was imprisoned by Saddam for refusing to lend his services for Saddam's arm programs, a list called "the United Iraqi Alliance" was submitted to the High Commission for Elections. Over a period of two months the commission, consulting regularly with al-Sistani, has put together a national list of 228 candidates that includes the major Shi'ite political parties like the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), al-Da'wa Party, as well as representatives from the Kurdish, Sunni, Turkemen, and Christian groups. Included in the list is a movement calling itself the Shi'ite Political Council, which comprises thirty-eight groups and parties put together by Dr. Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress. The list also includes elements of the Shammar Tribe, the largest in northern Iraq and the tribe of interim President al-Yawer, although he himself has put together a different list. [14] Al-Shahristani has declared more than once that the list is not Shi'ite but national. [15]

Unlike the Iranian Shi'a clerics, al-Sistani has been sensitive to the ethnic, religious, and cultural structure of the Iraqi society. He has said nothing or taken any action to suggest that he is trying to lead Iraq toward an Iranian-style autocracy. On the contrary, he has been quoted as saying that he would have no objections if a Christian were to be elected president of Iraq if he met the appropriate qualifications. [16]

Al-Sistani's list does not include Muqtada al-Sadr or any of his followers. It was said initially that al-Sadr supported the unified list and that his followers were excluded only because they had failed to register as a political party. [17] However, on December 10, the day after the list was submitted, al-Sadr denounced the elections in his Friday sermon as contributing to ethnic division. Further, he was rumored to be supporting "an independent" list. [18] Given al-Sadr's volatile character, nothing he should say or do, before or after the elections, would be surprising.

The Religious Appeal

The Shi'a Hawza in Najaf has been mobilizing itself to bring voters to the polling stations. The second most significant Shi'a figure, Grand Ayatollah Muhammad al-Ya'qoubi, issued a fatwa (religious edict) which equates voting to two of the most significant tenets of Islam – prayer and fasting. While the two tenets are individual obligations, voting, Al-Ya'qoubi stressed, has to do with "the destiny of the nation." He called on all Iraqis, inside and outside Iraq, to take part in the elections and to ensure the election's integrity. [19] Al-Sistani added that abstaining from voting "is treason against the nation." [20] A third cleric, Ayatollah al-Sayyid Hadi al-Madrasi, President of the Iraqi Clerics Association, an umbrella for various Shi'a clerics and scholars, has also warned that postponing the elections will be tantamount to surrendering the interest of the majority (meaning the Shi'a) to those of the minority. He warned that the patience of the majority is not unlimited. [21]

There are also big placards on the streets of Baghdad encouraging citizens to vote. One of them quotes al-Sistani: "Your vote is worth gold and even more." [22] Al-Sistani has announced that he will be the first Iraqi to cast his vote on January 30 to encourage other Iraqis to do likewise. [23]

The Role of the Sunnis

Those who favor the postponement of the elections have argued that without Sunni participation the elections will lose at least some of its legitimacy. While it is true that some Sunni clerics have called for the boycott of the elections, the Sunni community is not a monolithic group and it is by no means certain that Sunnis will not vote. Indeed, there are indications to the contrary. First, the interim president Ghazi al-Yawer is Sunni. He is putting together a list of supporters, including members of his tribe the Shammar, to take part in the elections. There is the group around the old Sunni politician 'Adnan al-Pachachi who, after threatening to boycott the elections, have decided to take part in them. Likewise, the Iraqi Islamic Party announced it will participate in the elections. Also, there is the candidate list submitted by Sherif Ali bin Hussein, the claimant to the Iraqi throne, who is Sunni. In an interview, Sherif Ali stressed the importance of participating in the elections to prevent "certain sides from monopolizing the political scene." [24] In addition, there are Sunni candidates included in the list sponsored by Ayatollah al-Sistani. Thus, while the Sunnis may end up being under-represented in the new National Assembly, it is by no means certain that they will not have a strong presence. Still, the Sunnis must resign themselves to the new reality that they will no longer be the sole rulers of Iraq.

A last minute development in their position may indicate some softening in the Sunni's attitude toward the holding of the election. While the Association of Muslim Clerics, which is the primary Sunni cleric organization in Iraq, continues to oppose the timing of the election, its spokesman, Dr. Mohammad Bashar al-Faidhi, told the Saudi Press Agency that his movement was prepared to negotiate with the Iraqi government, "and even with the Americans," to reach a final agreement that would resolve the current crisis in Iraq. [25]

The Other Competing Lists of Candidates

Apart from al-Sistani-supported list, the two major Kurdish parties, Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (KUP) and Mas'oud Barazani's Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), have also joined forces by submitting a joint list. Under the agreement between the two Kurdish parties, Talabani will seek a national post while Barazani will head the Kurdish region in the north. They will also run a joint list for the Kurdish parliament. [26] A proportional representation system would work in their favor because of the presence of strong Kurdish groups in Baghdad and the Sunni triangle as well as in Europe and the United States. Jalal Talabani has declared that after the elections the Kurds will insist on receiving one of the two key political positions of Iraq, namely that of prime minister or president. [27] By developing a joint list, the Kurds will avoid campaigning against each other and will be able to focus instead on issues of paramount importance for them, namely federalism, the future of Kirkuk, and the drafting of the new constitution after the elections. [28]

Iraq's interim president has formed a list labeled "The Iraqis" – a secular list that includes among its most important members the Minister of Defense Hazim al-Sha'lan. [29] Al-Yawer's own tribe, the Shammar, is divided between the supporters of al-Yawer and those supporting his uncle, who joined al-Sistani's list. [30] This split is another good indication that the ethnic division in Iraq is not as sharply pronounced as some opponents of the elections would like to suggest.

Significantly, for the first time in Iraq's history, the Communist Party will compete openly in the national elections; equally significant, a considerable number of the party's membership is Shi'ite. The Secretary of the Party, Hamid Majid Mousa, told the daily al-Mada that his party has submitted a list of 257 candidates, representing all religions and ethnic groups. Among those candidates is Mufid al-Jaza'iri, the interim Minister of Culture. [31]

Extension of the Submission Deadline

By the December 10 deadline, 55 lists with 1337 candidates had been officially submitted. [32] This represents an average of about five candidates for every seat, an average that is likely to double by the time the process has been completed. Given the large number of parties and groups, most recently estimated at 233, attempting to meet the December 10 deadline, the High Commission for Elections has agreed to extend the deadline for submitting the lists of candidates by an additional five days. The extension was also meant to give the candidates from the Sunni triangle one last change to come forward with their lists of candidates. [33]

Concerns about the Elections

Barring any enormous and unforeseen events, the elections will be held on schedule. Apart from the fear of being subjected to violence, many Iraqis might be kept from the polls by what they perceive as more pressing problems than voting. Iraqi dailies have written article in recent days about the preoccupation of the citizens with shortages in food supplies, electric power and, most seriously, the shortage of gasoline for their cars. It is not uncommon for people to stand in line for as long as 24 hours to buy 10 liters of gasoline (less than 3 gallons). Black markets are rampant, as is the dissatisfaction with the government of a country sitting on one of the largest oil reserves in the world. [34]

On the other hand, the participation of millions of Iraqis living overseas could be quite significant in terms of the anticipated results. First, they will be able to vote without the security constraint that could affect voters' behavior in some parts of Iraq; and second, many of these Iraqis have lived in Western countries and may appreciate the fundamental values of democracy. Because of this exposure, Iraqis in exile may opt to avoid parties or groups that advocate Islamist or other form of extremist political formula.

*Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli is Senior Analyst of MEMRI ' s Middle East Economic Studies Program. [/color=blue]

[1] Baghdad (Iraq), December 15, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref1

[2] Al-Mada (Baghdad), December 4, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref2

[3] Al-Ittijah Al-Akhar (Baghdad), December 1, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref3

[4] Saleh Bashir, "The Sunni Dubiousness in Iraq on the Eve of Elections," Al-Hayat (London), December 5, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref4

[5] http://armyofansar.8k.com/entekabat.htm, November 18, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref5

[6] Baghdad (Iraq), December 8, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref6

[7] Baghdad (Iraq), December 4, 2004. This daily is issued by the National Accord Party, which is Allawi's party.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref7

[8] Al-Zaman (Iraq), November 26, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref8

[9] Al-Sabah (Baghdad), December 5, 2005.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...A19904#_ednref9

[10] Al-Sabah (Baghdad), December 6, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...19904#_ednref10

[11] Al-Mada (Baghdad), December 11, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...19904#_ednref11

[12] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 9, 2004; Al-Zaman (Baghdad)), December 8, 2004.

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...19904#_ednref12

Scroll down to the bottom of this link for the rest of the quoted link articles;

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page...iraq&ID=IA19904

[13] Al-Zaman (Baghdad), December 8, 2004.

[14] Al-Zaman (Iraq), December 10, 2004.

[15] Al-Hayat (London), December 3, 2004.

[16] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), November 17, 2004.

[17] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 10, 2004.

[18] Al-Mada (Iraq), December 11, 2004.

[19] Al-Mu'tamar (Baghdad), November 25, 2004.

[20] Al-Shira' (Baghdad), November 23, 2004.

[21] Al-Ahali Weekly (Baghdad), December 2, 2004.

[22] Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar), December 10, 2004.

[23] Al-Shahid Weekly (Iraq), November 17, 2004.

[24] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 4, 2004.

[25] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 10, 2004.

[26] Al-Sabah (Baghdad) December 5, 2004.

[27] Al-Zaman (Iraq), October 12, 2004.

[28] Al-Hayat (London), November 30, 2004.

[29] Al-Mada (Baghdad), November 23, 2004.

[30] Al-Zaman (Iraq), December 6, 2004.

[31] Al-Mada (Baghdad), December 11, 2004.

[32] Al-Zaman (Iraq), December 10, 2004.

[33] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), December 10, 2004, and Al-Jazeera TV (Qatar), December 12, 2004.

[34] Al-Mu'tamar (Baghdad), December 5, 2004.

Well I hope this on again-off again struggle in Najaf will be explained in the comming days by this blogger/journalist as he is on his on the rad and Going to Najaf.

I have been reading Christopher's blog for a long time now.

Seems he was anti-american and suspecting american interests were actually imperialistic in goals.

Well, ever since his return to Iraq, his views are comming more into line with my own thinking.

His viewpoint,out look on Iraqi life has changed.

I hope Iraqi's that can read English will also post messages at his site.

He does read and reply to those that post messages.

He is off to Najaf to report first hand on events from the mosque, inshallah....