9 Dead in Three attacks in Iraq, also governing council talks about compromise - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

MSD · 01-22-2004, 08:36 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/...ain/index.html

Quote:

Iraq's 'Sunni Triangle' scene of new deadly attacks
Deaths of 2 U.S. soldiers among casualties in restive region
Thursday, January 22, 2004 Posted: 11:18 AM EST (1618 GMT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgents in Iraq's volatile "Sunni Triangle" launched three deadly attacks over a 24-hour period, killing two U.S. soldiers, three Iraqi police officers and four civilians.

The Sunni Triangle is Iraq's most volatile region, an area north and west of Baghdad that is a hotbed of opposition to the U.S.-led coalition and scene of political instability.

In the most recent attack, three Iraqi police officers and a civilian were killed Thursday at a highway checkpoint between the central cities of Fallujah and Ramadi, an Iraq police official said.

Suspected insurgents in two pickups with medium to heavy machine guns opened fire on the police checkpoint, said Maj. Walid Jalal, an official with the Iraqi highway patrol force based in Fallujah.

A grenade was thrown at a police vehicle parked at the checkpoint, Jalal said. Another police officer was wounded in the attack, he said.

In other violence, a mortar and rocket attack on a U.S. military base north of Baghdad killed two American soldiers and wounded four others Wednesday night, U.S. military sources said Thursday.

Three of the wounded received treatment and returned to duty. The fourth, who was critically wounded, is hospitalized.

A mortar round directly hit the forward operating base near Baqubah, said Maj. Josslyn Aberle of the 4th Infantry Division. Aberle said U.S. forces launched a counterattack but the fate of the attackers is unknown.

Also near Fallujah, anti-coalition insurgents on Wednesday fired on and killed three Iraqi women in a minivan, U.S. military sources said Thursday.

The attack took place as the van carried nine people to work at a forward operating base.

Witnesses said they saw passengers in a red car shoot at the van. Preliminary reports said at least two others may have been wounded in the attack, including the van's driver.

WMD details likely 'years away'

The chairman of the U.S. House Intelligence Committee said it could take years before investigators are able to uncover the details of Iraq's unconventional weapons programs under Saddam Hussein.

"Every day is a new day for the intelligence people," said U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, R-Florida. "I would say that we are probably a couple of years away from getting through all the material and talking to all the people we need to talk to about exactly what was going on."

Porter said his assessment applied to "not only with the Saddam Hussein regime, but with some of the Taliban and some of the things that have been going on in North Korea, Libya, Iran and other places."

The CIA's Iraq Survey Group under David Kay continues to search for weapons of mass destruction and evidence that Saddam concealed such programs from the international community. The search is expected to continue for another three to six months.

Kay presented a preliminary report to the House Intelligence Committee in October that said the group found no unconventional weapons but did uncover evidence that Saddam's regime planned to manufacture them.

Last year, the Bush administration said the threat of weapons of mass destruction was a key reason in its decision to launch an invasion of Iraq in March.

Critics of the administration have argued that Iraq did not pose an immediate threat and question why no weapons of mass destruction have been found.

Meanwhile, Charles Duelfer, a former U.N. arms inspector in Iraq, is likely to replace Kay, according to a U.S. official.

"It is not a done deal yet," said the official, who predicted CIA Director George Tenet could make an announcement in a couple of days.

Council member: Compromise possible on elections
A Shiite Muslim member of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council said Thursday a top cleric and coalition officials are discussing how to select an Iraqi transitional legislature, including a compromise that could delay the political handover process and hold direct elections later this year.

Council member Mowaffak al-Rubaie said Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani wants to develop the most feasible electoral process possible. Sistani has been pushing for direct elections instead of the U.S.-backed caucuses for a transitional national assembly before July 1. The United States is to hand over political control to Iraqis by that date.

"Confrontation is not a choice," Rubaie said. "Failure of democracy is not a choice. We have to get this successful. We have to get democracy and elections and ballot boxes in Iraq."

The Coalition Provisional Authority and Governing Council have proposed caucus-style elections for a transitional national assembly. They have said they support a direct vote in principle but contend that staging them would not be feasible in such a short time.

Shiites represent about 60 percent of the Iraqi population, which would likely give them an advantage over groups in direct elections. There have been demonstrations this month in Iraqi cities in support of Sistani's position.

People are still dying, but at the same time, Iraq is progressing toward democratic elections. Also, we're still years away from a decision on weapons of mass destruction, whether they were there, and what to do about it.

tinfoil · 01-22-2004, 06:33 PM

I don't understand. For the most part, these attacks that the Iraqi's are launching are killing their own. How is this helping their cause? Does this sort of thing not risk turning the public away from them? Yes, the Iraqi's may want the US out, but do they want it this badly?

Sparhawk · 01-22-2004, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tinfoil
I don't understand. For the most part, these attacks that the Iraqi's are launching are killing their own. How is this helping their cause? Does this sort of thing not risk turning the public away from them? Yes, the Iraqi's may want the US out, but do they want it this badly?

Polls show that 70+ percent of Iraqis now fear working with the Coalition forces, so the attacks on their fellow Iraqis are working precisely as the guerrilla forces intend (but yeah, it sounds pretty stupid...)

powerclown · 01-22-2004, 08:30 PM

Also, the ongoing violence keeps out needed international aid organizations; every time theres another bomb, foreign countries who are 'on the fence' about helping out the US give the excuse that its unsafe for their workers to get in there and help out. Of course, if it was them in trouble somewhere in the world, the US would almost be expected to come to their rescue.

The_Dude · 01-22-2004, 08:55 PM

yeah, they are attackin their own to discourage iraqi's from cooperating with the US troops there.

this is real sad though.

01-22-2004, 06:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
tinfoil Fucking Hostile Location: Springford, ON, Canada	I don't understand. For the most part, these attacks that the Iraqi's are launching are killing their own. How is this helping their cause? Does this sort of thing not risk turning the public away from them? Yes, the Iraqi's may want the US out, but do they want it this badly? __________________ Get off your fuckin cross. We need the fuckin space to nail the next fool martyr.

01-22-2004, 08:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
The_Dude The GrandDaddy of them all! Location: Austin, TX	yeah, they are attackin their own to discourage iraqi's from cooperating with the US troops there. this is real sad though. __________________ "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." - Darrel K Royal

01-22-2004, 08:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
powerclown Junkie Location: Detroit, MI	Also, the ongoing violence keeps out needed international aid organizations; every time theres another bomb, foreign countries who are 'on the fence' about helping out the US give the excuse that its unsafe for their workers to get in there and help out. Of course, if it was them in trouble somewhere in the world, the US would almost be expected to come to their rescue.