Becuase Everything Else Sucks

Another Major Iraqi City Falls Under Militia Control

By Manila Ryce
Published Saturday, October 21st, 2006, 6:38 pm
Filed under: Society/Culture: Civil Unrest, World: Asia, War, Society/Culture: Law/Order, Society/Culture, World Issues, US Politics

The Mahdi Army, a Shiite militia headed by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, seized total control of the southern Iraqi city of Amarah on Friday. Fighters stormed three main police stations in the morning, planting explosives that flattened the buildings. This is perhaps the boldest move made by the Mahdi Army yet, which is one of the country’s most powerful and unofficial armies. Around 800 militiamen dressed in black patrolled the streets in commandeered police vehicles. They were well armed with Kalashnikov rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

The seizing of the city came to be when the head of police intelligence, who was also a member of the rival Shiite Badr Brigade militia, was killed by a roadside bomb. His death prompted his family to kidnap the teenage brother of the local head of the rival Madhi Army. In further retaliation, the Mahdi Army seized several police stations and enacted a curfew on the city. At least 15 people, including five militiamen, one policeman and two bystanders, have been killed thus far.

This incident in Amarah highlights the wider problem of violence between rival Shiite factions, who have entrenched themselves among the majority Shiite population and are also blamed for killing rival Sunnis. The Sunnis have also established their own Islamic Republic throughout much of Iraq by gaining control over major cities like Ramadi.

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6 Responses to “Another Major Iraqi City Falls Under Militia Control”

  1. *continously bangs head on wall*

    They can’t call themselve muslim and kill people like that!

    DarkAngelJG
    10/22/06 at 3:51 am

  2. @DarkAngelJG
    sure they can. pat robertson encourages assassinations and calls himself a christian. george w. bush ignores the constitution and calls himself an american. hell, even fox news calls itself a news network.

    haven’t you learned that it’s your affiliations that define you, not your actions? fall in line, or i may have to define you as a terrorist.

    Administrator
    10/22/06 at 4:04 am

  3. yea , but they can’t be christian either, they are breaking one of the very basic commandments!
    ah, guess you are right… it’s sad how other people trust and follow them!

    DarkAngelJG
    10/22/06 at 3:45 pm

  4. […] “Hurry Up, He’s Dead”, which was produced to run only during the holy month of Ramadan, became the talk of the town. Due to its success, officials at the station are now considering turning the show into a weekly program. The program itself is a testament to the dark humor of life proliferating Iraq. A vast majority of Iraqis still lack basic services, and have been bombarded by growing violence since the American occupation began three years ago. Even the show itself has to be filmed in Dubai because of the danger involved in filming in Iraq. “We need fun in our lives because of our tragic circumstances,” said a 21 year-old woman from Baghdad. “Most of the channels focus on the violence, the bodies. But this program depicts our tragedies in a funny light.” In a recent episode, Mr. Khalifa poked fun at the federalism plan being pushed by many of the country’s Shiite leaders that would divide Iraq into autonomous regions. Reporting from an imaginary meeting of the “League of Iraqi Republics,” he solemnly informed viewers that the main issue under discussion was the dispute between the governments of Waziriya and Kasra — actually adjacent Baghdad neighborhoods. […]

    The Largest Minority » Blog Archive » Iraq’s Version of the Daily Show
    10/31/06 at 5:02 am

  5. […] On Thursday, a wave of car bombs and mortar fire have left at least 160 people dead and 257 injured, making it the single most deadly attack in Baghdad since the 2003 US-led invasion. The bombings took place in Baghdad’s Sadr City district, a largely Shia neighborhood. The area is largely controlled by the Shia Mahdi Army, which has been accused in the past of carrying out sectarian attacks with the support of the health ministry. In retaliation for the Sadr City attacks, 10 mortar firings fell on the Abu Hanifa Sunni mosque, which is the holiest Sunni shrine in Baghdad. […]

    The Largest Minority » Baghdad’s Bloodiest Attack Yet: Bombings Kill 160
    11/24/06 at 12:37 am

  6. Who really now is engaged in the control of health? To mine it neglected the large pharmaceutical companies and the medical centers. There should be a centralized management WBR LeoP

    Jan pharmacy
    01/28/07 at 4:01 pm

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