Radical Cleric Blames U.S. for Iraq Woes | Mar 30, 9:28 AM (ET) | By BUSHRA JUHI
BAGHDAD (AP) - The radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a scathing attack on the United States on Friday, following one of the country's bloodiest days, blaming Washington for Iraq's troubles and calling for a mass demonstration April 9 - the fourth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.
As al-Sadr's remarks were read in a mosque, Shiites in Baghdad loaded wooden coffins into vans and shoveled broken glass and other debris into wheelbarrows in the aftermath of a double suicide bombing at a marketplace. At least 181 people were killed or found dead Thursday as Sunni insurgents apparently stepped up their campaign of bombings to derail the seven-week-old security sweep in Baghdad.
...
"I renew my call for the occupier (the United States) to leave our land," he said in the statement, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press. "The departure of the occupier will mean stability for Iraq, victory for Islam and peace and defeat for terrorism and infidels."
Al-Sadr, whose Mahdi Army militiamen fought U.S. troops in 2004 but have generally cooperated with an ongoing U.S.-Iraqi security push in Baghdad, blamed the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq for the rising violence, lack of services and sectarian bloodshed.
"You, oppressed people of Iraq, let the entire world hear your voice that you reject occupation, destruction and terrorism," he said in calling for the April 9 demonstration.
"Fly Iraqi flags atop homes, apartment buildings and government departments to show the sovereignty and independence of Iraq, and that you reject the presence of American flags and those of other nations occupying our beloved Iraq. Keep them there until they leave our land," he said. ...
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thursday: 186 Iraqis Killed; 293 Wounded
March 29, 2007 | Thursday: 186 Iraqis Killed; 293 Wounded | Updated at 6:53 p.m. EST, Mar. 29, 2007
At least 186 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 293 were wounded in various attacks. The biggest incidents were a series of simultaneous bombs in Khalis that killed at least 53 people, and a bombing at a Baghdad marketplace that killed 76 others. No foreign deaths were reported. ...
At least 186 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 293 were wounded in various attacks. The biggest incidents were a series of simultaneous bombs in Khalis that killed at least 53 people, and a bombing at a Baghdad marketplace that killed 76 others. No foreign deaths were reported. ...
ednesday: 166 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 146 Iraqis Wounded ... 3 British soldiers wounded
March 28, 2007 | Wednesday: 166 Iraqis, 2 GIs Killed; 146 Iraqis Wounded | Updated at 1:13 a.m. EST, Mar. 29, 2007
Heavy violence continued overnight in Tal Afar where retaliatory attacks for yesterday’s massive twin bombing left scores dead. Overall, at least 166 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead and another 146 were wounded throughout the country. Also, a Marine was killed in Anbar province yesterday, another GI died of non-combat related illness, and three British soldiers were wounded in separate incidents in Basra. ..
Heavy violence continued overnight in Tal Afar where retaliatory attacks for yesterday’s massive twin bombing left scores dead. Overall, at least 166 Iraqis were reported killed or found dead and another 146 were wounded throughout the country. Also, a Marine was killed in Anbar province yesterday, another GI died of non-combat related illness, and three British soldiers were wounded in separate incidents in Basra. ..
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
advised against publicly criticising a report estimating that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the war
Iraqi deaths survey 'was robust' | By Owen Bennett-Jones | BBC World Service
The British government was advised against publicly criticising a report estimating that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the war, the BBC has learnt.
Iraqi Health Ministry figures put the toll at less than 10% of the total in the survey, published in the Lancet.
But the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser said the survey's methods were "close to best practice" and the study design was "robust".
Another expert agreed the method was "tried and tested". ...
The British government was advised against publicly criticising a report estimating that 655,000 Iraqis had died due to the war, the BBC has learnt.
Iraqi Health Ministry figures put the toll at less than 10% of the total in the survey, published in the Lancet.
But the Ministry of Defence's chief scientific adviser said the survey's methods were "close to best practice" and the study design was "robust".
Another expert agreed the method was "tried and tested". ...
Monday, March 19, 2007
US 'victory' against cult leader was 'massacre'
US 'victory' against cult leader was 'massacre' | Contributed by Tom | By Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad
There are growing suspicions in Iraq that the official story of the battle outside Najaf between a messianic Iraqi cult and the Iraqi security forces supported by the US, in which 263 people were killed and 210 wounded, is a fabrication. The heavy casualties may be evidence of an unpremeditated massacre.
01/31/07 "The Independent" -- -- A picture is beginning to emerge of a clash between an Iraqi Shia tribe on a pilgrimage to Najaf and an Iraqi army checkpoint that led the US to intervene with devastating effect.
The involvement of Ahmed al-Hassani (also known as Abu Kamar), who believed himself to be the coming Mahdi, or Messiah, appears to have been accidental.
The story emerging on independent Iraqi websites and in Arabic newspapers is entirely different from the government's account of the battle with the so-called "Soldiers of Heaven", planning a raid on Najaf to kill Shia religious leaders.
The cult denied it was involved in the fighting, saying it was a peaceful movement. The incident reportedly began when a procession of 200 pilgrims was on its way, on foot, to celebrate Ashura in Najaf. They came from the Hawatim tribe, which lives between Najaf and Diwaniyah to the south, and arrived in the Zarga area, one mile from Najaf at about 6am on Sunday. Heading the procession was the chief of the tribe, Hajj Sa'ad Sa'ad Nayif al-Hatemi, and his wife driving in their 1982 Super Toyota sedan because they could not walk. When they reached an Iraqi army checkpoint it opened fire, killing Mr Hatemi, his wife and his driver, Jabar Ridha al-Hatemi. The tribe, fully armed because they were travelling at night, then assaulted the checkpoint to avenge their fallen chief.
Members of another tribe called Khaza'il living in Zarga tried to stop the fighting but they themselves came under fire. Meanwhile, the soldiers and police at the checkpoint called up their commanders saying they were under attack from al-Qai'da with advanced weapons. Reinforcements poured into the area and surrounded the Hawatim tribe in the nearby orchards. The tribesmen tried - in vain - to get their attackers to cease fire.
American helicopters then arrived and dropped leaflets saying: "To the terrorists, surrender before we bomb the area." The tribesmen went on firing and a US helicopter was hit and crashed killing two crewmen. The tribesmen say they do not know if they hit it or if it was brought down by friendly fire. The US aircraft launched an intense aerial bombardment in which 120 tribesmen and local residents were killed by 4am on Monday. ...
There are growing suspicions in Iraq that the official story of the battle outside Najaf between a messianic Iraqi cult and the Iraqi security forces supported by the US, in which 263 people were killed and 210 wounded, is a fabrication. The heavy casualties may be evidence of an unpremeditated massacre.
01/31/07 "The Independent" -- -- A picture is beginning to emerge of a clash between an Iraqi Shia tribe on a pilgrimage to Najaf and an Iraqi army checkpoint that led the US to intervene with devastating effect.
The involvement of Ahmed al-Hassani (also known as Abu Kamar), who believed himself to be the coming Mahdi, or Messiah, appears to have been accidental.
The story emerging on independent Iraqi websites and in Arabic newspapers is entirely different from the government's account of the battle with the so-called "Soldiers of Heaven", planning a raid on Najaf to kill Shia religious leaders.
The cult denied it was involved in the fighting, saying it was a peaceful movement. The incident reportedly began when a procession of 200 pilgrims was on its way, on foot, to celebrate Ashura in Najaf. They came from the Hawatim tribe, which lives between Najaf and Diwaniyah to the south, and arrived in the Zarga area, one mile from Najaf at about 6am on Sunday. Heading the procession was the chief of the tribe, Hajj Sa'ad Sa'ad Nayif al-Hatemi, and his wife driving in their 1982 Super Toyota sedan because they could not walk. When they reached an Iraqi army checkpoint it opened fire, killing Mr Hatemi, his wife and his driver, Jabar Ridha al-Hatemi. The tribe, fully armed because they were travelling at night, then assaulted the checkpoint to avenge their fallen chief.
Members of another tribe called Khaza'il living in Zarga tried to stop the fighting but they themselves came under fire. Meanwhile, the soldiers and police at the checkpoint called up their commanders saying they were under attack from al-Qai'da with advanced weapons. Reinforcements poured into the area and surrounded the Hawatim tribe in the nearby orchards. The tribesmen tried - in vain - to get their attackers to cease fire.
American helicopters then arrived and dropped leaflets saying: "To the terrorists, surrender before we bomb the area." The tribesmen went on firing and a US helicopter was hit and crashed killing two crewmen. The tribesmen say they do not know if they hit it or if it was brought down by friendly fire. The US aircraft launched an intense aerial bombardment in which 120 tribesmen and local residents were killed by 4am on Monday. ...
Thursday, November 16, 2006
stunning new death count emerged Thursday, as Iraq's health minister estimated 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war
Iraqi health minister: ‘150,000 civilians killed in war’ | By Steven Hurst | Associated Press
11/10/06 "AP" -- -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A stunning new death count emerged Thursday, as Iraq's health minister estimated 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war -- about three times previously accepted estimates.
...
Previous estimates of Iraq deaths held that 45,000 to 50,000 have been killed in the nearly 44-month-old conflict, according to partial figures from Iraqi institutions and media reports. No official count has ever been available.
Health Minister Ali Al-Shemari gave his new estimate of 150,000 to reporters during a visit to Vienna, Austria. He later told The Associated Press that he based the figure on an estimate of 100 bodies per day brought to morgues and hospitals -- though such a calculation would come out closer to 130,000 in total.
"It is an estimate," Al-Shemari said. He blamed Sunni insurgents, Wahhabis -- Sunni religious extremists -- and criminal gangs for the deaths.
Hassan Salem, of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, said the 150,000 figure included civilians, police and the bodies of people who were abducted, later found dead and collected at morgues run by the Health Ministry. SCIRI is Iraq's largest Shiite political organization and holds the largest number of seats in parliament.
In October, the British medical journal The Lancet published a controversial study contending nearly 655,000 Iraqis have died because of the war -- a far higher death toll than other estimates. The study, which was dismissed by President Bush and other US officials as not credible, was based on interviews of households and not a body count.
Al-Shemari disputed that figure Thursday.
"Since three and a half years, since the change of the Saddam regime, some people say we have 600,000 are killed. This is an exaggerated number. I think 150 [thousand] is okay," he said. ...
11/10/06 "AP" -- -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A stunning new death count emerged Thursday, as Iraq's health minister estimated 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war -- about three times previously accepted estimates.
...
Previous estimates of Iraq deaths held that 45,000 to 50,000 have been killed in the nearly 44-month-old conflict, according to partial figures from Iraqi institutions and media reports. No official count has ever been available.
Health Minister Ali Al-Shemari gave his new estimate of 150,000 to reporters during a visit to Vienna, Austria. He later told The Associated Press that he based the figure on an estimate of 100 bodies per day brought to morgues and hospitals -- though such a calculation would come out closer to 130,000 in total.
"It is an estimate," Al-Shemari said. He blamed Sunni insurgents, Wahhabis -- Sunni religious extremists -- and criminal gangs for the deaths.
Hassan Salem, of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, said the 150,000 figure included civilians, police and the bodies of people who were abducted, later found dead and collected at morgues run by the Health Ministry. SCIRI is Iraq's largest Shiite political organization and holds the largest number of seats in parliament.
In October, the British medical journal The Lancet published a controversial study contending nearly 655,000 Iraqis have died because of the war -- a far higher death toll than other estimates. The study, which was dismissed by President Bush and other US officials as not credible, was based on interviews of households and not a body count.
Al-Shemari disputed that figure Thursday.
"Since three and a half years, since the change of the Saddam regime, some people say we have 600,000 are killed. This is an exaggerated number. I think 150 [thousand] is okay," he said. ...
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Coroner seeks trial for US troops who killed TV man
Coroner seeks trial for US troops who killed TV manAudrey Gillan and Julian Borger in Washington | Saturday October 14, 2006 | The Guardian
The American soldiers who shot dead the ITN journalist Terry Lloyd could face trial in a British court for murder after a coroner ruled that they had unlawfully killed an innocent civilian.
Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, said yesterday he would be writing to the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions "to see whether any steps can be taken to bring the perpetrators responsible for this to justice".
The verdict was welcomed by Lloyd's family, employers and the National Union of Journalists. His widow Lynn accused US forces of allowing soldiers to "behave like trigger-happy cowboys in an area in which there were civilians travelling on a highway". In a statement she said: "The marines who fired on civilians and those who gave those orders should now stand trial. Under the Geneva Conventions Act, that trial should be for the murder of Terry Lloyd and nothing less."
Lloyd's daughter Chelsey, 24, said: "My father was unlawfully killed by a bullet to the head from a heavy-calibre machine gun fired by US marines. The killing of my father would seem to amount to murder."
A spokesman for the attorney general said he would await the letter from the coroner. The Pentagon issued a statement saying it had "never deliberately targeted non-combatants, including journalists".
Lloyd, 50, was killed on the morning of March 22 at a bridge on the road to Basra. He and his team were working independently of the military, and was injured in the crossfire between US and Iraqi forces. It was while he was being taken to hospital in a civilian vehicle that he received a fatal bullet in the head from American guns. The coroner said he had "no doubt" this was "an unlawful act". ...
The American soldiers who shot dead the ITN journalist Terry Lloyd could face trial in a British court for murder after a coroner ruled that they had unlawfully killed an innocent civilian.
Andrew Walker, the assistant deputy coroner for Oxfordshire, said yesterday he would be writing to the attorney general and the director of public prosecutions "to see whether any steps can be taken to bring the perpetrators responsible for this to justice".
The verdict was welcomed by Lloyd's family, employers and the National Union of Journalists. His widow Lynn accused US forces of allowing soldiers to "behave like trigger-happy cowboys in an area in which there were civilians travelling on a highway". In a statement she said: "The marines who fired on civilians and those who gave those orders should now stand trial. Under the Geneva Conventions Act, that trial should be for the murder of Terry Lloyd and nothing less."
Lloyd's daughter Chelsey, 24, said: "My father was unlawfully killed by a bullet to the head from a heavy-calibre machine gun fired by US marines. The killing of my father would seem to amount to murder."
A spokesman for the attorney general said he would await the letter from the coroner. The Pentagon issued a statement saying it had "never deliberately targeted non-combatants, including journalists".
Lloyd, 50, was killed on the morning of March 22 at a bridge on the road to Basra. He and his team were working independently of the military, and was injured in the crossfire between US and Iraqi forces. It was while he was being taken to hospital in a civilian vehicle that he received a fatal bullet in the head from American guns. The coroner said he had "no doubt" this was "an unlawful act". ...
US troops unlawfully killed UK journalist:: "... appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys."
U.S. troops unlawfully killed UK journalist: coronerOct 13, 7:46 AM (ET) | By Eleanor Wason
OXFORD (Reuters) - One of Britain's most experienced journalists was unlawfully killed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, a British inquest into his death ruled on Friday, prompting calls for the perpetrators to be tried for war crimes.
Veteran war correspondent Terry Lloyd, 50, who worked for British television company ITN, was killed in March 2003 in southern Iraq as he reported from the front line during the first few days of the U.S.-led invasion.
"He was fired on by American soldiers as a minibus carried wounded people away," Coroner Andrew Walker said at the conclusion of the inquest, which U.S. soldiers declined to attend.
"I have no doubt it was an unlawful act of fire on the minibus," Walker added.
He said he intended to write to the Attorney General -- the government's top lawyer -- and the Director of Public Prosecutions in an effort to bring those responsible for Lloyd's death before a British court.
Louis Charalambous, the Lloyd family's lawyer, said those responsible for his death should be brought to trial for what he termed "a very serious war crime."
"It was a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act," he added.
He said the unlawful killing verdict had been "inescapable" and had come about because "U.S. forces appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys." ...
OXFORD (Reuters) - One of Britain's most experienced journalists was unlawfully killed by U.S. soldiers in Iraq, a British inquest into his death ruled on Friday, prompting calls for the perpetrators to be tried for war crimes.
Veteran war correspondent Terry Lloyd, 50, who worked for British television company ITN, was killed in March 2003 in southern Iraq as he reported from the front line during the first few days of the U.S.-led invasion.
"He was fired on by American soldiers as a minibus carried wounded people away," Coroner Andrew Walker said at the conclusion of the inquest, which U.S. soldiers declined to attend.
"I have no doubt it was an unlawful act of fire on the minibus," Walker added.
He said he intended to write to the Attorney General -- the government's top lawyer -- and the Director of Public Prosecutions in an effort to bring those responsible for Lloyd's death before a British court.
Louis Charalambous, the Lloyd family's lawyer, said those responsible for his death should be brought to trial for what he termed "a very serious war crime."
"It was a despicable, deliberate, vengeful act," he added.
He said the unlawful killing verdict had been "inescapable" and had come about because "U.S. forces appear to have allowed their soldiers to behave like trigger-happy cowboys." ...
Thursday, October 12, 2006
October 12, 2006 | Thursday: 155 Iraqis, 2 Americans Killed; 66 Injured Across Iraq | Updated 7:40 p.m. EDT, Oct. 12, 2006
Today in Iraq, one American army contractor was reported to have died and two others were injured in a roadside bomb attack. U.S. military authorities are also reporting that one soldier was killed and two injured in Kirkuk, another died from wounds sustained ten days ago. British authorities are reporting that a British soldier is recovering from injuries. In other attacks, at least 155 Iraqis died and 61 were injured. Of note was a raid on a television station associated with one of the political parties. ...
Today in Iraq, one American army contractor was reported to have died and two others were injured in a roadside bomb attack. U.S. military authorities are also reporting that one soldier was killed and two injured in Kirkuk, another died from wounds sustained ten days ago. British authorities are reporting that a British soldier is recovering from injuries. In other attacks, at least 155 Iraqis died and 61 were injured. Of note was a raid on a television station associated with one of the political parties. ...
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
U.S. Military Has Killed 127-238,000 Iraqi Civilians | by DAVE LINDORFF
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
A just released study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, published in the current issue of the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, reports that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has led to the deaths of between 426,000 and 794,000 Iraqis. This is a substantial increase over the 100,000 dead that the same research group found through 2004, based upon a smaller survey, and it represents an astonishing 2.5 percent of the country's total population.
The grim news was widely--though not universally--reported in the U.S. media (my local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, blacked it out), but few news organizations reported the most disturbing finding of the study, which was that 31 percent of those killed were actually slain by U.S. and "coalition" forces (actually by U.S. forces, since most of the other foreign forces working with the U.S., with the exception of the British, have not played combat roles, and even the British have largely operated in the south where fighting has been much less severe).
That means U.S. forces have, since the March 19, 2003 invasion, killed between 132,000 and 246,000 Iraqis. It should be recalled that the Pentagon has estimated that the insurgency numbers perhaps 20-40,000 individuals, and they have only succeeded in killing a fraction of them. Assuming generously that the military has succeeded in killing maybe a quarter of the enemy fighters, that would be 10,000 people at most, leaving the U.S. civilian death toll at 122,000-236,000. The Christian Science Monitor, no radical rag, once did a survey and found that U.S. forces were killing civilians in Iraq at a rate of 30 for every enemy fighter slain. At that rate, it would appear, if the peer-reviewed Lancet study is correct, that the U.S. invasion and occupation forces have killed between 127,000 and 238,000 civilians. At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children. ...
At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children.
A just released study by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, published in the current issue of the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet, reports that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq has led to the deaths of between 426,000 and 794,000 Iraqis. This is a substantial increase over the 100,000 dead that the same research group found through 2004, based upon a smaller survey, and it represents an astonishing 2.5 percent of the country's total population.
The grim news was widely--though not universally--reported in the U.S. media (my local paper, the Philadelphia Inquirer, blacked it out), but few news organizations reported the most disturbing finding of the study, which was that 31 percent of those killed were actually slain by U.S. and "coalition" forces (actually by U.S. forces, since most of the other foreign forces working with the U.S., with the exception of the British, have not played combat roles, and even the British have largely operated in the south where fighting has been much less severe).
That means U.S. forces have, since the March 19, 2003 invasion, killed between 132,000 and 246,000 Iraqis. It should be recalled that the Pentagon has estimated that the insurgency numbers perhaps 20-40,000 individuals, and they have only succeeded in killing a fraction of them. Assuming generously that the military has succeeded in killing maybe a quarter of the enemy fighters, that would be 10,000 people at most, leaving the U.S. civilian death toll at 122,000-236,000. The Christian Science Monitor, no radical rag, once did a survey and found that U.S. forces were killing civilians in Iraq at a rate of 30 for every enemy fighter slain. At that rate, it would appear, if the peer-reviewed Lancet study is correct, that the U.S. invasion and occupation forces have killed between 127,000 and 238,000 civilians. At least a third and perhaps a half of those killed, various studies of Iraqi casualties have made clear, have been children. ...
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
194 Killed, 34 Injured in Tuesday Iraq Violence
194 Killed, 34 Injured in Tuesday Iraq Violence October 10, 2006 | Updated 5:30 p.m. EDT, Oct. 10, 2006
Violence in Iraq continued Monday into Tuesday, leaving at least 194 dead and 34 injured. Included in the totals are the death of an American GI and a British security worker. One U.S. soldier was also injured. Also, a mass kidnapping of 11 worshippers occurred in the capital.
An American soldier succumbed to wounds received from an explosive device in Tikrit. The family of a second soldier announced that their son had been wounded Saturday near Balad when a roadside bomb blasted his vehicle. ...
Violence in Iraq continued Monday into Tuesday, leaving at least 194 dead and 34 injured. Included in the totals are the death of an American GI and a British security worker. One U.S. soldier was also injured. Also, a mass kidnapping of 11 worshippers occurred in the capital.
An American soldier succumbed to wounds received from an explosive device in Tikrit. The family of a second soldier announced that their son had been wounded Saturday near Balad when a roadside bomb blasted his vehicle. ...
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
'Tragic day' claims eight US soldiers in Baghdad
'Tragic day' claims eight US soldiers in Baghdad | by Paul Schemm Tue Oct 3, 9:34 AM ET
BAGHDAD (AFP) - At least 17 US soldiers have been killed around Iraq since Saturday, including eight in a single day in Baghdad, the US military announced, saying the toll had brought "a tragic day". ...
BAGHDAD (AFP) - At least 17 US soldiers have been killed around Iraq since Saturday, including eight in a single day in Baghdad, the US military announced, saying the toll had brought "a tragic day". ...
Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 263 Dead
October 3, 2006 | Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 263 Dead | Updated at 11:30 a.m. EDT, Oct. 3, 2006
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 263 were killed or found dead; 30 of those were insurgents killed in Ramadi. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. At least 16 of a total of 40 kidnap victims are still missing. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday. Over the weekend a Marine died in a vehicle accident unrelated to fighting. Another US soldier died on Monday, bringing the total of US dead to 4. One British soldier was also killed. ..
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 263 were killed or found dead; 30 of those were insurgents killed in Ramadi. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. At least 16 of a total of 40 kidnap victims are still missing. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday. Over the weekend a Marine died in a vehicle accident unrelated to fighting. Another US soldier died on Monday, bringing the total of US dead to 4. One British soldier was also killed. ..
Monday, October 02, 2006
Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 150 Dead
October 2, 2006 | Bloody Day in Iraq Leaves 150 Dead
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 150 were killed or found dead, and 16 kidnapped with their fates unknown. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday.
At least 118 were killed in Baghdad alone, including one intelligence officer and Faris Khalil, a colonel in the Interior Ministry. At least thirteen more bodies were found throughout Baghdad on Monday, adding to the fifty that were found overnight Sunday. They were shot to death and bore signs of torture. ...
In the last day, the body count in Iraq exploded as at least 150 were killed or found dead, and 16 kidnapped with their fates unknown. Tensions are particularly high due to two mass kidnappings that occurred in Baghdad. Roadside bombs, mortars and simple shootings took many lives, while stray fire or mortars took the lives of several children. 45 other people were reportedly injured in those or similar attacks. Experts have noted that in previous years violence has increased during Ramadan; this year is no exception. The US government today also released the names of two Iowa National Guard soldiers killed on Saturday.
At least 118 were killed in Baghdad alone, including one intelligence officer and Faris Khalil, a colonel in the Interior Ministry. At least thirteen more bodies were found throughout Baghdad on Monday, adding to the fifty that were found overnight Sunday. They were shot to death and bore signs of torture. ...
'Record' Iraq civilian deaths ... 1,089 deaths, 42% increase
'Record' Iraq civilian deaths | 01/10/2006 21:08 - (SA)
Baghdad - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.
Partial statistics compiled by the health ministry and issued by the interior ministry put civilian deaths last month at 1 089, a 42% increase from 769 in August and more than the previous record in this series of data - 1 065 in July.
Though apparently incomplete, the data has previously given early indications of trends later borne out by other estimates - notably a sharp increase in killings after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February and a decline in the number of deaths at the start of a major military operation in Baghdad in August.
The United Nations - which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the health ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies in the Baghdad morgue - has said 6 599 Iraqis were killed in July and August, 700 more than in the previous two months. ...
Baghdad - The number of Iraqi civilians killed in violence may have jumped to a record high in September, data from the Iraqi government indicated on Sunday.
Partial statistics compiled by the health ministry and issued by the interior ministry put civilian deaths last month at 1 089, a 42% increase from 769 in August and more than the previous record in this series of data - 1 065 in July.
Though apparently incomplete, the data has previously given early indications of trends later borne out by other estimates - notably a sharp increase in killings after the bombing of a Shi'ite shrine in February and a decline in the number of deaths at the start of a major military operation in Baghdad in August.
The United Nations - which adds numbers on hospital deaths from the health ministry to the numbers of unidentified bodies in the Baghdad morgue - has said 6 599 Iraqis were killed in July and August, 700 more than in the previous two months. ...
Saturday, September 30, 2006
40 Tortured Bodies Found in Baghdad ...
40 Tortured Bodies Found in Baghdad | Sep 28, 6:27 AM (ET)
(AP) A U.S. soldier, right, and Iraqi police officers examine the wreckage of a car bomb in Kirkuk,...
Full Image
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The bodies of 40 men who were shot and had their hands and feet bound have been found in the capital over the past 24 hours, police said Thursday.
All the victims showed signs of torture, police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said. They were dumped in several neighborhoods in both eastern and western Baghdad, he said.
The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, on Wednesday said murders and executions are currently the main cause of civilian deaths in Baghdad.
Much of the violence has been attributed to death squads, many of which are thought to be offshoots of mainly Shiite militias.
Also Thursday, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in suicide car bombing in part of Baghdad where American and Iraqi troops had just conducted a security sweep. ...
(AP) A U.S. soldier, right, and Iraqi police officers examine the wreckage of a car bomb in Kirkuk,...
Full Image
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The bodies of 40 men who were shot and had their hands and feet bound have been found in the capital over the past 24 hours, police said Thursday.
All the victims showed signs of torture, police Lt. Thayer Mahmoud said. They were dumped in several neighborhoods in both eastern and western Baghdad, he said.
The top U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell, on Wednesday said murders and executions are currently the main cause of civilian deaths in Baghdad.
Much of the violence has been attributed to death squads, many of which are thought to be offshoots of mainly Shiite militias.
Also Thursday, two Iraqi soldiers were killed and 10 others were injured in suicide car bombing in part of Baghdad where American and Iraqi troops had just conducted a security sweep. ...
Thursday, September 07, 2006
official toll of violent deaths in August was just revised upwards to 1535 from 550, tripling the total.
We took an interesting phone call today from an official at the Baghdad morgue. We get these calls every day – a daily tally of the violence. But this one was particularly sobering.
It turns out the official toll of violent deaths in August was just revised upwards to 1535 from 550, tripling the total. Now, we’re depressingly used to hearing about deaths here, so much so that the numbers can be numbing. But this means that a much-publicized drop-off in violence in August – heralded by both the Iraqi government and the US military as a sign that a new security effort in Baghdad was working -- apparently didn’t exist.
...
These latest numbers add substance to fears Together Forward creates a whack-a-mole effect: that is, secure one area and the violence will pop up somewhere else. Violent deaths now appear roughly in line with the earlier trend: 1855 in July and 1595 in June. Officials at the Baghdad morgue have no good explanation for the dramatically revised number. We’ll see what the U.S. military has to say. ...
Thursday, August 17, 2006
“The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels,”
Insurgent Bombs Directed at G.I.’s Increase in Iraq | This article is by Michael R. Gordon, Mark Mazzetti and Thom Shanker.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16 — The number of roadside bombs planted in Iraq rose in July to the highest monthly total of the war, offering more evidence that the anti-American insurgency has continued to strengthen despite the killing of the terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.Along with a sharp increase in sectarian attacks, the number of daily strikes against American and Iraqi security forces has doubled since January. The deadliest means of attack, roadside bombs, made up much of that increase. In July, of 2,625 explosive devices, 1,666 exploded and 959 were discovered before they went off. In January, 1,454 bombs exploded or were found.
The bomb statistics — compiled by American military authorities in Baghdad and made available at the request of The New York Times — are part of a growing body of data and intelligence analysis about the violence in Iraq that has produced somber public assessments from military commanders, administration officials and lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
“The insurgency has gotten worse by almost all measures, with insurgent attacks at historically high levels,” said a senior Defense Department official who agreed to discuss the issue only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for attribution. “The insurgency has more public support and is demonstrably more capable in numbers of people active and in its ability to direct violence than at any point in time.” ...
Saturday, August 12, 2006
July: Iraq's deadliest month
July: Iraq's deadliest month: "July: Iraq's deadliest month | 09/08/2006 22:15 - (SA)
Baghdad - At least 1 800 people were killed across Iraq in terror attacks and other violence during July, said authorities on Wednesday.
The record number of people were killed by terrorist acts, violence by sectarian death squads and criminal gangs.
A hospital source said on Wednesday that six Iraqis were killed and 17 wounded after a residential building collapsed. It was blown up in central Baquba, 60km north-east of Baghdad. ...
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June
Excite News - Iraq Civilian Toll Spikes to Nearly 6,000: "Jul 18, 7:13 PM (ET) | By NICK WADHAMS"
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country, the United Nations said Tuesday.
The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation.
Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said. Evidence suggests militants also have begun to target homosexuals, it said.
"While welcoming recent positive steps by the government to promote national reconciliation, the report raises alarm at the growing number of casualties among the civilian population killed or wounded during indiscriminate or targeted attacks by terrorists or insurgents," the U.N. said in a note accompanying the report.
In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya. ...
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country, the United Nations said Tuesday.
The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation.
Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said. Evidence suggests militants also have begun to target homosexuals, it said.
"While welcoming recent positive steps by the government to promote national reconciliation, the report raises alarm at the growing number of casualties among the civilian population killed or wounded during indiscriminate or targeted attacks by terrorists or insurgents," the U.N. said in a note accompanying the report.
In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya. ...
Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June
Excite News - Iraq Civilian Toll Spikes to Nearly 6,000: "Jul 18, 7:13 PM (ET) | By NICK WADHAMS"
In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya. ...
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country, the United Nations said Tuesday.
The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation.
Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said. Evidence suggests militants also have begun to target homosexuals, it said.
"While welcoming recent positive steps by the government to promote national reconciliation, the report raises alarm at the growing number of casualties among the civilian population killed or wounded during indiscriminate or targeted attacks by terrorists or insurgents," the U.N. said in a note accompanying the report.
 |
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Soldier Who Killed Handcuffed Iraqi Is Freed
Dayton Paper: Soldier Who Killed Handcuffed Iraqi Is Freed: " Handcuffed Iraqi Is Freed | By E&P Staff | Published: June 25, 2006 12:30 AM ET
NEW YORK An American soldier convicted in the fatal shooting of a handcuffed Iraqi cow herder in 2004 was freed from a military prison in Oklahoma on Friday, more than a year before his sentence was up, the Dayton Daily News reported today.
Army Spec. Edward Richmond Jr., 22, of Gonzales, La., was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced in August 2004 to three years in prison for the April 28, 2004, shooting death of Muhamad Husain Kadir in the village of Taal Al Jal, which is about 40 miles southwest of Kirkuk." ...
NEW YORK An American soldier convicted in the fatal shooting of a handcuffed Iraqi cow herder in 2004 was freed from a military prison in Oklahoma on Friday, more than a year before his sentence was up, the Dayton Daily News reported today.
Army Spec. Edward Richmond Jr., 22, of Gonzales, La., was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and sentenced in August 2004 to three years in prison for the April 28, 2004, shooting death of Muhamad Husain Kadir in the village of Taal Al Jal, which is about 40 miles southwest of Kirkuk." ...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online: "June 03, 2006 | From Tim Reid in Washington and Ned Parker in Baghdad
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
With US commanders still struggling to contain the fallout from the alleged al-Haditha massacre, the US military was faced with claims that American soldiers rounded up and shot 11 unarmed civilians, including five children — one only six months old — and four women, in the town of Ishaqi in March.
It also emerged that murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges are likely to be brought imminently against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman for killing an Iraqi civilian near Baghdad on April 26. They are being held in solitary confinement at Camp Pendelton Marine Corps base in California.
The Iraqi civilian that they killed was allegedly dragged from his home and shot. The troops are alleged to have planted a shovel and an AK-47 rifle next to his body to make it appear as if he was an insurgent burying a roadside bomb. ...
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online: "June 03, 2006 | From Tim Reid in Washington and Ned Parker in Baghdad
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
With US commanders still struggling to contain the fallout from the alleged al-Haditha massacre, the US military was faced with claims that American soldiers rounded up and shot 11 unarmed civilians, including five children — one only six months old — and four women, in the town of Ishaqi in March.
It also emerged that murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges are likely to be brought imminently against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman for killing an Iraqi civilian near Baghdad on April 26. They are being held in solitary confinement at Camp Pendelton Marine Corps base in California.
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online
Third claim of atrocity rocks US servicemen - Newspaper Edition - Times Online: "June 03, 2006 | From Tim Reid in Washington and Ned Parker in Baghdad
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
The Iraqi civilian that they killed was allegedly dragged from his home and shot. The troops are alleged to have planted a shovel and an AK-47 rifle next to his body to make it appear as if he was an insurgent burying a roadside bomb. ...
PRESIDENT BUSH faced a growing crisis over the conduct of American troops in Iraq yesterday after it emerged that at least three alleged atrocities were being investigated.
With US commanders still struggling to contain the fallout from the alleged al-Haditha massacre, the US military was faced with claims that American soldiers rounded up and shot 11 unarmed civilians, including five children — one only six months old — and four women, in the town of Ishaqi in March.
It also emerged that murder, kidnapping and conspiracy charges are likely to be brought imminently against seven Marines and a Navy corpsman for killing an Iraqi civilian near Baghdad on April 26. They are being held in solitary confinement at Camp Pendelton Marine Corps base in California.
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