Revenge killings thin ex-Baathists' ranks - Former members gunned down in streets of Basra

SF Chronicle ^ | 11-1-03 | Joel Brinkley, New York Times

[Oldeconomybuyer]

Basra, Iraq -- Over the past month, more than a dozen former senior members of Saddam Hussein's government have been shot dead in the streets of this normally peaceful city -- two of them this week alone, both shot in the head at close range.

[old patriot]

These people have a score to settle for all of the bloodshed that they have suffered and had to witness. Though understandable to an extent, this is Middle Eastern justice, unlike what happened in CA with the lawyer.

Old Patriot

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

NY Times seems confused.

The police said the first of the recent victims, in late September, was Dr. Abdullah al-Fadhil. Gunmen shot him dead in his car as he was leaving the College of Medicine.

Al-Fadhil, they added, may have been selected as the first target because he filled a special need for Baath Party enforcers. When they caught army deserters, they would haul them over to the doctor's office, where he would cut off their ears. Since his death, at least 12 others have been killed, all of them party leaders.

~~~
Quick poll. How many think the Basra police are "paralyzed" over these deaths?
~~~

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[gulfcoast6]

After seeing those tapes on the killings of the civilians by the SayDamns bunch, I can see why these former party leaders are being killed.

[CPOSharky]

...shot al-Gishi in the head with an AK-47 rifle, the police said...

The SF Comical got it half right. First reference to the AK-47 did not call it an assault rifle but the second reference did. In this case, the AK-47s are most likely real assault rifles. (For you sf comical writers, that is a rifle capable of full auto fire.)

They missed a chance to say "assualt rifle."

[vanmorrison]

I was a little surprised to see the left-wing SF Chronicle even print an article like this. It doesn't fit their agenda profile. What we are seeing here is retaliation for years of horrific torture and bloodshed caused by the Baathists in Iraq. I expect that we'll see more of this as the Iraqis who have been abused by the Baathists get their balls back. They'll eventually get the courage to move on the bastards in the areas where all of the killing of Americans is occurring. I can't wait to see it.

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Baath Party = collaborators.

Always tough times for those who ruled by the iron hand when they lose. How manytime have we witnessed this? Anyone remember what happened in Romania?

[monocle]

These killings are a streamlined version of war crime trials.

[witnesstothefall]

Isn't this news about 6 months overdue? I expected heads to roll much much sooner.

Perhaps they did; much of what is occuring among the Iraqis themselves remains inscrutable to the outside world.

[Paleo Conservative]

Revenge killings thin ex-Baathists' ranks - Former members gunned down in streets of Basra

Well that just breaks my heart - not!

[sakic]

They'll eventually get the courage to move on the bastards in the areas where all of the killing of Americans is occurring. I can't wait to see it.

You'll get to see it and enjoy it but don't forget that those doing the revenge hate Americans just as much so they'll be going after our troops as well.

[longtermmemmory]

When the war came he lost his job, and Wednesday afternoon he took a taxi to the Education Ministry to see if officials would rehire him.
**** **** ***

San Francisco chroicle would emphasise this line in order to imply those seeking jobs/cooperation are really the issue.

Could it be that the "transplant" extremeists are killing off their weak alies for loosing. Loose lips sink ships.

Just a working theory

[gatorbait]

Quick poll. How many think the Basra police are "paralyzed" over these deaths?


Not I.

[Valin]

Basra, Iraq -- Over the past month, more than a dozen former senior members of Saddam Hussein's government have been shot dead in the streets of this normally peaceful city -- two of them this week alone, both shot in the head at close range.

If I may be allowed to quote Mose Allison
"That's too bad baby, baby that's just too bad."

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[Valin]

Are you ok? I share your pain.

Group hug! :-)

[Fzob]

But after many deadly revenge attacks in the first few weeks after the fall of Baghdad, few had been reported since -- there or anywhere else -- until the killing resumed in Basra a month ago. The city is home to a large Shiite population; the Shiites were often a target of Hussein's repression.

Perhaps this falls under the notion that 'revenge is a dish best served cold'

[demkicker]

Within the police force, theories abound as to who is responsible for the assassinations. Most blame "Islamic extremists," as Hayder Mayid, a second lieutenant, put it.

The evidence behind that theory is ample. In recent weeks, four different fundamentalist Islamic organizations that have no presence anywhere else in Iraq have opened offices in the Basra area.

These guys are heros, IMO. Like true blue conservatives, they're even getting to wear the proud name, "extremists"!

[katykelly]

snif

[Pikamax]

Same thing is happening in Tikrit

http://www.iraqpress.org/arabic.asp?fname=ipenglish\2003-10-25\1.htm


Silencing Saddam`s agents



Tikrit, Iraq Press, October 25, 2003 – At least five people were shot dead in a coordinated attack last Wednesday amid signs of mounting assassination bids in a city believed to have more than 1 million unregistered firearms.



Tikrit, 170 kilometers north of Baghdad, is the hometown of the ousted leader Saddam Hussein.



Saddam spent lavishly on this agricultural city and its environs and armed its nearly half a million people to their teeth.



He drew most of his senior security and intelligence personnel from Tikrit.



Now they are paying a heavy price for their blind allegiance to the former dictator.