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Shifting Sands: Sunni Sniper Kills Pilgrims
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by phrolen | August 27, 2007 at 09:14 am
669 views | 4 Recommendations | 4 comments
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NowPublic contributor phrolen is a veteran of Operation Iraqi
Freedom and Joint Taskforce Katrina. His commentary is based on actual
experience.
Though civilian casualties overall in Iraq have fallen drastically since January, Sunni extremists groups continue to target other sectarian groups hoping to fuel strife and create a further escalation in the chaos that has plagued Iraq. Such sectarian tactics have been used often by Sunni radicals and in fact were outlined in military communicae intercepted from former Al Qaeda in Iraq Commander Abu Mussab Al Zarqawi. The captured documents called for attacks against other sectarian and tribal elements, sparking civil strife which would perpetuate perceptions of U.S. military failure the latest of such incidents occurred yesterday when Sunni militant snipers opened fire on Shiite religious pilgrims in Karbala killing one and injuring several others. Massive security measures are in place to defend the pilgrims, who have in the past, endured cataclysmic attacks killing hundreds. In 2006 insurgents detonated a bomb destroying the Al-Askariya mosque in Samarra, one of Shia Islam's holiest sites, setting off a fury of nation wide revenge killings. Last week, Sunni insurgent elements took responsibility for a string of car bombings in a Kurdish Yazidi neighbor in Baghdad that resulted in some of the highest civilian death tolls of the war. Even with Zarqawi dead his tactic live on, bringing little hope for peace, revealing the ugly, elusive face of our determined and resilient enemy.
Sunni jihadists target Shi'ite pilgrims in KarbalaSunni-Shi'ite Jihad Update. "Extremists target Iraqi Shiite pilgrims," by David Rising for the Associated Press:
BAGHDAD - A sniper killed a Shiite pilgrim on a Baghdad bridge Monday while another was killed and six injured in other attacks as tens of thousands of faithful made their way to the southern city of Karbala for a major religious commemoration.
Iraqi security forces have mounted a major operation to protect Shiite pilgrims. Sunni religious extremists, including al-Qaida in Iraq, have launched massive and deadly attacks against pilgrims during Shiite celebrations in the past.
Despite the security measures, one pilgrim was shot on Baghdad's Jadiriyah bridge and gunmen hiding in an orchard south of the capital opened fire on another group, killing one and injuring three others.
Three more pilgrims were injured when gunmen blasted them in a drive-by shooting in southwestern Baghdad and police prevented another attack, defusing two roadside bombs planted along the route to Karbala in Musayyib, about 40 miles south of Baghdad, officials said.
More than a million Shiites from throughout the world were expected to converge on the Shiite holy city for the celebrations, which reach their high point late Tuesday and early Wednesday. The Shabaniyah festival marks the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam who disappeared in the 9th century.
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 09:42 on August 27th, 2007
phrolen, you mentioned that the tactics employed by the insurgents is to destabilize the US military operations...however isn't there a historical and religious element to the sectarian clashes that precede US military actions both historically and in significance?
at 09:51 on August 27th, 2007
oh yes definately Ryan! I supposed that would be one reason that Zarqawi and his Leutenants chose to exploit that particular tactis. The path of least resistance and all.
at 10:13 on August 27th, 2007
as always, very good!
at 14:18 on August 27th, 2007
phrolen, I like this story. It's good stuff.
This is insane. How many forces are vying for control? I count at least 2x Kurdish, 3x Sunni, Shia? well Iraninian and Arab Shia malitia, Al-Qaeda and Wahbi fighters, they blew a chemical plant in Dubaya yesterday, and then there is the Iraqi insurgents, who I can never figure out just who they are backing. Some days the US and other days they are fighting the US. ???
What a mess.