Abdul Sattar, the mosque's imam, said the weapons were used by its guards.
Yeah, that's the ticket, sure ... we had to protect ourselves, see?
Posted on 01/02/2004 6:32:38 PM PST by blam
US soldiers ransack Sunni mosque
Iraq's minority faith targeted in hunt for weapons
Luke Harding in Baghdad
Saturday January 3, 2004
The Guardian (UK)
Surrounded by upturned chairs and an abandoned turban, Sabah Al-Kaisey surveyed his ransacked office yesterday. The American troops who burst into his mosque on Thursday morning had smashed down the front gate, broken the air conditioners and ripped up the carpets. They had also thrown several Korans on the floor and allegedly punched the man giving the call to prayer in the face.
"They even took our nuts," said Mr Kaisey yesterday, opening the door of the mosque's empty fridge.
The troops who raided the Ibn Taymiyah mosque, used by Baghdad's Sunnis, appear to have been looking for weapons used by Iraq's resistance. They recovered a couple of AK-47s, hand grenades and an anti-aircraft missile, US military officials said.
Abdul Sattar, the mosque's imam, said the weapons were used by its guards. "They were there to protect ourselves," he told the Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera, which showed images of the damaged Korans.
The raid has served to increase the anger and frustration of Iraq's Sunnis, who feel marginalised and discriminated against in post-Saddam Iraq.
Yesterday, hundreds of worshippers demonstrated against the raid and US occupation.
"This is not the behaviour of liberators but occupiers," Mr Kaisey said, pointing to the metal collection box which had been smashed open by US troops.
They had taken the money which was supposed to go to the poor and also the mosque's computers, used to produce a bi-weekly newsletter, he said.
"Americans might have the latest technology, but they make little effort to understand people's souls," he said.
Since the fall of Baghdad nine months ago, Shias, who make up 60% of Iraq's population, have organised themselves into well-defined political and religious parties.
They have a leading presence on the governing council, the US-picked body which is to take power from the coalition in July.
But the Sunnis, who have traditionally formed Iraq's ruling elite, have been divided. Last week Sunni elders from across the country announced they were setting up a leadership council or shura to increase their influence on Iraq's political process. The council includes representatives from all major Sunni religious groups, the Salafis, the Muslim Brotherhood, Al Jama'a al Islamia, as well as Kurds and Turkomans.
The challenge for the coalition is to ensure that the Sunnis feel part of the process, a point made by Tony Blair in a recent speech.
So far the results are not encouraging. During Thursday's raid US troops arrested 34 people, including several leading members of the shura, before a meeting of the body in Baghdad today.
US military officials said several of those arrested were suspected foreign militants, a claim which the mosque disputed.
"They blindfolded all the worshippers and took them away. You don't see Muslims attacking the holy places of other people," Abu Hassan, a worshipper at the mosque, said.
Mr Kaisey acknowledged that most of the resistance was being directed by disgruntled Sunnis but pointed out that Shias were involved as well.The coalition also failed to appreciate that Sunnis had suffered under Saddam, he said.
"All of us on the shura council have spent time in prison," he said. "We suffered under Saddam. But at the end of the day this is our country.
"If someone invaded Britain what would you do? You would probably go and fight."
· The US military said that an observation helicopter which crashed in central Iraq yesterday had been shot down by guerrillas. One pilot was killed and another injured.
Priceless. Absolutely priceless.
Naw, that's something Saddam's henchmen would do.
These guys crack me up. They need to be given a weekly timeslot that comes on just after SNL..
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My wife keeps mine in her purse.
Compare and contrast.
Really? Are you sure about that, Abdul? Are you really sure? Go check out the Church of Bethlehem and get back to us on that one, moron.
I googled Muslim Synagogue Bombings and got 13,600 hits.
It's about time.
Uh-huh. Protecting themselves with hand grenades and an anti-aircraft missile. Tears for the poor downtrodden innocent Sunnis. Why do I not believe their cries of oppression or the tone/slant of the article for that matter.
Abdul Sattar, the mosque's imam, said the weapons were used by its guards.
Yeah, that's the ticket, sure ... we had to protect ourselves, see?
Hitlery! keeps talk show hosts' family jewels in a lockbox.
I don't think so. You'd have to have 'nads first before some one could take 'em, girlie boy.
Yup, Hillary has that effect on Dim-O-Crats.
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