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November 19, 2004
Let's Play Raid-A-Mosque
So now they raid the Abu Hanifa mosque, probably the most important Sunni mosque in Iraq --named after founder of one of the biggest schools of Islamic thought-- during Friday prayers, killing at least four people.
Here's most of Dahr Jamail's report from Iraq. Dahr talked to someone inside the mosque via his cell phone during the raid. It's a chilling read:
U.S. soldiers raided the Abu Hanifa mosque in Baghdad during Friday prayers, killing at least four and wounding up to 20 worshippers.At 12:30 pm local time, just after Imam Shaikh Muayid al-Adhami concluded his talk, about 50 U.S. soldiers with 20 Iraqi National Guardsmen (ING) entered the mosque, a witness reported.
”Everyone was there for Friday prayers, when five Humvees and several trucks carrying INGs entered,” Abu Talat told IPS on phone from within the mosque while the raid was in progress. ”Everyone starting yelling 'Allahu Akbar' (God is the greatest) because they were frightened. Then the soldiers started shooting the people praying!”
Talat said he was among a crowd of worshippers being held back at gunpoint by U.S. soldiers. Loud chanting of 'Allahu Akbar' could be heard in the background during his call. Women and children were sobbing, he said.
”They have just shot and killed at least four of the people praying,” he said in a panicked voice. ”At least 10 other people are wounded now. We are on our bellies and in a very bad situation.”
Talat gave his account over short phone calls. He said he was witnessing a horrific scene.”We were here praying and now there are 50 here with their guns on us,” he said. ”They are holding our heads to the ground, and everyone is in chaos. This is the worst situation possible. They cannot see me talking to you. They are roughing up a blind man now.” He evidently could talk no further then.
The soldiers later released women and children along with men who were related to them. Abu Talat was released because a boy told him to pretend to be his father.
...
”One Iraqi National Guardsmen held his gun on people and yelled, 'I will kill you if you don't shut up',” said Rana Aziz, a mother who had been trapped in the mosque.. ”So they made everyone lie down, then people got quiet, and they took the women and children out.”
She said someone asked the soldiers if they would be made hostages. A soldier used foul language and asked everyone to shut up, she said. Suddenly, she laughed amid her tears. ”The Americans have learnt how to say shut up in Arabic, 'Inchev'.”
Soldiers denied Iraqi Red Crescent ambulances and medical teams access to the mosque. As doctors negotiated with U.S. soldiers outside, more gunfire was heard from inside.
About 30 men were led out with hoods over their heads and their hands tied behind them. Soldiers loaded them into a military vehicle and took them away around 3.15 pm.
A doctor with the Iraqi Red Crescent confirmed four dead and nine wounded worshippers. Pieces of brain were splattered on one of the walls inside the mosque while large blood stains covered carpets at several places.
A U.S. military spokesperson in Baghdad did not respond to requests for information on the raid.
I think all the indications are clear. The U.S. occupation and the Allawi government are bent on silencing the Sunni minority by using overwhelming force. Arrest of the vice president the of National Assembly, the Fallujah onslaught, the mosque raid. They are hoping, I suppose that the Sunnis will either boycott the elections in disgust, will be too afraid to vote, or will have nobody they want to vote for because most of their leaders will have been banned, arrested or otherwise eliminated from the process.
And this administration is slowly succeeding in establishing the idea that elections --any elections, no matter how fraudulent, restricted and ridiculously undemocratic-- are enough to proclaim democracy in Iraq. Have you been to a voting booth? Check. Do we like the outcome? Check. Mission accomplished.
Posted by zeynep at November 19, 2004 10:28 PM
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Comments
Well, everyone I know personally in Iraq is Sunni, and everyone I know personally in Iraq will not even consider participating in the elections. So, while the scope of my personal perspective is small, from my perspective if that's the plan, it appears to be working.
I don't recall where I was reading (hopefully it wasn't here and I'm just reading you back at you *s*) someone theorize that this is how it goes: effectively crush and claim victory in Fallujah, the "last great insurgent bastion," hope and pray the situation holds to something that can be played off as at least remotely manageable through the elections, hope and pray that the elections go at least well enough that there's something -- anything -- there to be counted, and withdraw, having claimed success in bringing democracy to Iraq, before this becomes an insurmountable political liability within the U.S.
Posted by: Michelle at November 20, 2004 09:54 AM
These 'elections' remind me ever stronger of the sham elections held in most Central-Eastern European countries after WWII, to 'legalise' the communist takeover. Some rival parties banned, election rules changed, rival party leaders arrested and carted off to Siberia by the Soviets, indimidation, vote fraud.
Posted by: DoDo at November 20, 2004 03:38 PM
I may be wrong on this, but I tried to do some searching and check out what the mainstream media coverage was on the raid. None mentioned eyewitness reports of an unprovoked attack. The only mention of the raid was that a 'fight' had broke out.
Posted by: Ian at November 22, 2004 04:32 PM