Iraqis demonstrate against terrorism - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

stevo · 03-01-2005, 11:58 AM

Quote:

BAGHDAD, Iraq Mar 1, 2005 — More than 2,000 people demonstrated Tuesday at the site of a car bombing south of Baghdad that killed 125 people, chanting "No to terrorism!"

An Internet statement purportedly by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq group claimed responsibility the bombing.

Iraqis demonstrate in condemnation of Monday's suicide bombing, in Hillah in Iraq on Tuesday, March 1, 2005. Hundreds of people visited the wounded and inspected corpses at the hospital in Hillah on Tuesday, trying to identify friends and family who died in a suicide bombing that killed at least 120 people, the single deadliest attack of its kind since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=541819

I would just like to point out that Iraqis are demonstrating against the terrorists in Iraq, since some people seem to believe that most of the Iraqis are with the terrorists (either silently, or overtly).

It also makes me feel good when Iraqis chant "No to terrorism!" instead of "Death to America!"

edit: I just found the rest of the article, forgive me, but the AP has this story intertwined with that of the missing french journalist for some reason

Quote:

Ten more people died from injuries in Monday's car bombing in Hillah, south of Baghdad, raising the death toll to 125. The attacker detonated the bomb as a group of police and national guard recruits were lining up to take physicals at a medical clinic.

At least 141 others were injured in the blast the boldest challenge yet to Iraq's efforts to build a security force that can take over from the Americans.

The Internet statement by al-Qaida in Iraq said that the attack targeted a registration center for Iraqi police and National Guardsmen. It made no mention of the medical clinic or a nearby market where a number of people were also killed.

It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the statement, which was posted on the Web site that has previously carried al-Qaida material. The statement was also posted under the name of Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, the designated media coordinator of al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq.

More than 2,000 people held the impromptu demonstration on front of the clinic, chanting "No to terrorism!" and "No to Baathism and Wahhabism!"

Wahhabism is a reference to adherents of the strict form of Sunni Islam preached by Osama bin Laden, while the Baath party was the political organization that ran Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

The demonstrators also demanded that interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi step down.

Police prevented people from parking cars in front of the clinic or the hospital, where authorities blocked hospital gates with barbed wire to stave off hundreds of victims' relatives desperate for information on loved ones.

Provincial Gov. Walid al-Janabi said no funeral procession would be held in Hillah due to "security reasons." He did not elaborate, but police said they feared new attacks.

Authorities blocked hospital gates with barbed wire to stave off hundreds of victims' relatives desperate for information on loved ones.

Anxious for news of loved ones, they gathered around lists carrying the names of the dead and injured that were posted on hospital walls, screaming and wailing. They also went through victims' belongings, including identification cards, left in boxes nearby.

Distraught relatives at the hospital morgue placed the dead into coffins and loaded them onto pickup trucks, taking them to city mosques and homes where the bodies will be washed before burial, a Muslim tradition in Iraq.

Many of the corpses, charred or dismembered, were unrecognizable, stuffed into white plastic bags. Other bodies lay on the ground in the open because the overwhelmed morgue had no place to store them.

"We blame Hillah police for this tragedy because they didn't take the necessary measures to protect innocent people," said Hussein Hassoun, who lost two nephews who were standing in line for medical checkups, trying to join the local police force.

Many of the dead will be taken to the holy Shiite city of Najaf for burial later Tuesday.

Wow, they even chanted "No to Wahhabism."

Charlatan · 03-01-2005, 12:05 PM

This is a good sign for the health of the Iraqi nation.

Of course it is really too early to know what it means, but the optics are good for us in the west.

roachboy · 03-01-2005, 01:09 PM

given the scale of yesterday's bombing, it hardly seems surprising that people would be upset and would demonstrate on that basis. i am not sure that it means anything in the grander scheme of things, however.

i have no particular assmumptions about alignments in iraq--i do not have any reason to believe that folk across the board aare as one either with or against whoever is reponsible for yesterday's attack.

i do find it a bit interesting that after the shi'a-lead coalition overwhelmingly trounced allawi---and his american backers at the same time in the elections---that the political situation in iraq has largely dropped away from being a focus of the american press--obviously the administration feels that it stood to gain pr wise more from the process than the outcome--i was not aware that the administrations views and those of the press were necessarily one--at any rate compare that with how this article is framed--taking up american discourse about cause, etc. i suspect there was a gap seperating how things happened on the ground from how ap reported it--but this is little more than a suspicion.

Killconey · 03-01-2005, 02:01 PM

No one likes being blown up. The more America pulls out of Iraq, the more the terrorists will have nothing left to target but their own people. Hopefully this will continue to backfire on the terrorists and they will lose any local support that they have left.

NCB · 03-01-2005, 07:43 PM

It's nice to see the Iraqi people fighting back against these thugs. I'm sure there were people who wanted to fight back all along, but they were not confident that they had the support of their neighbors. This seems to indicate that their confidence is growing, and that's a good thing

Fourtyrulz · 03-01-2005, 09:08 PM

Definitely a turn for the better, but hopefully it doesn't just escalate into terrorism "fighting" terrorism as it has with Palestinians and Israel.

pattycakes · 03-21-2005, 08:09 PM

news companys probably paid iraqie people to dress up and do that

Minorci · 03-21-2005, 09:06 PM

Finally some good news at last coming out of Iraq, hopefully this continues.

martinguerre · 03-21-2005, 10:24 PM

Now, if effective police and security forces were being put in place to actually prevent these attacks in the first place.

yes, it's good that there are anti-terror demonstrations. very good. but it's not the grand prize.

03-01-2005, 12:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	This is a good sign for the health of the Iraqi nation. Of course it is really too early to know what it means, but the optics are good for us in the west. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke

03-01-2005, 01:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
roachboy Super Moderator Location: essex ma	given the scale of yesterday's bombing, it hardly seems surprising that people would be upset and would demonstrate on that basis. i am not sure that it means anything in the grander scheme of things, however. i have no particular assmumptions about alignments in iraq--i do not have any reason to believe that folk across the board aare as one either with or against whoever is reponsible for yesterday's attack. i do find it a bit interesting that after the shi'a-lead coalition overwhelmingly trounced allawi---and his american backers at the same time in the elections---that the political situation in iraq has largely dropped away from being a focus of the american press--obviously the administration feels that it stood to gain pr wise more from the process than the outcome--i was not aware that the administrations views and those of the press were necessarily one--at any rate compare that with how this article is framed--taking up american discourse about cause, etc. i suspect there was a gap seperating how things happened on the ground from how ap reported it--but this is little more than a suspicion. __________________ a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear it make you sick. -kamau brathwaite

03-01-2005, 02:01 PM	#4 (permalink)
Killconey Crazy Location: Various places in the Midwest, all depending on when I'm posting.	No one likes being blown up. The more America pulls out of Iraq, the more the terrorists will have nothing left to target but their own people. Hopefully this will continue to backfire on the terrorists and they will lose any local support that they have left. __________________ Look out for numbers two and up and they'll look out for you.

03-01-2005, 09:08 PM	#6 (permalink)
Fourtyrulz Psycho Location: io-where?	Definitely a turn for the better, but hopefully it doesn't just escalate into terrorism "fighting" terrorism as it has with Palestinians and Israel. __________________ the·o·ry - a working hypothesis that is considered probable based on experimental evidence or factual or conceptual analysis and is accepted as a basis for experimentation. faith - Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. - Merriam-Webster's dictionary

03-21-2005, 10:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
martinguerre whosoever Location: New England	Now, if effective police and security forces were being put in place to actually prevent these attacks in the first place. yes, it's good that there are anti-terror demonstrations. very good. but it's not the grand prize. __________________ For God so loved creation, that God sent God's only Son that whosoever believed should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

03-01-2005, 07:43 PM	#5 (permalink)
NCB Junkie Location: Tobacco Road	It's nice to see the Iraqi people fighting back against these thugs. I'm sure there were people who wanted to fight back all along, but they were not confident that they had the support of their neighbors. This seems to indicate that their confidence is growing, and that's a good thing

03-21-2005, 09:06 PM	#8 (permalink)
Minorci Tilted Location: Canberra	Finally some good news at last coming out of Iraq, hopefully this continues.