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.
A lot of preachers in Texas pack heat. Just in case somebody wants to collect the collection.
However, I'm unaware of any places of worship in Texas with an anti-aircraft missile in the sanctuary.
Regarding the operation at the Al-Tabul Mosque, on 1 January, coalition forces, led off by Iraqi Civil Defense Corps personnel and the Iraqi police, conducted a cordon-and-search of the Al-Tabul Mosque. The following equipment was seized from the mosque: five sticks of high-explosive PE-4; three packages of TNT; one case of blasting caps; three bags of gunpowder; eight improvised grenades; a small roll of detonation cord; one case of 155-millimeter artillery primers; improved -- improvised explosive device materials, to include nine-volt batteries and unidentified propellants; 11 AK- 47s; two SKS rifles; two RPG launchers; a 60-millimeter mortar tube; various mortar sights; a 120-millimeter mortar bipod and base plate; an SA-7 missile trainer; 20 AK-47 magazines; 3,500 7.62 rounds; and additional items of intelligence value.
I can understand that
However, I'm unaware of any places of worship in Texas with an anti-aircraft missile in the sanctuary.
Same here in Tennessee
That must be a reference to the nuts.
He forgot to add, "unless they are Jewish, Christian, Hindu, etc."
And you pathetic weaklings will get it back when we're finished with it.
Reference your article entitled US Ransack Sunni Mosque, apparently your reporter in Baghdad is merely collecting his paycheck and failing to actually do any work before submitting an article to you. He claimes that only a few AK 47's and a few granades were found but the actual take was as follows:
Regarding the operation at the Al-Tabul Mosque, on 1 January, coalition forces, led off by Iraqi Civil Defense Corps personnel and the Iraqi police, conducted a cordon-and-search of the Al-Tabul Mosque. The following equipment was seized from the mosque: five sticks of high-explosive PE-4; three packages of TNT; one case of blasting caps; three bags of gunpowder; eight improvised grenades; a small roll of detonation cord; one case of 155-millimeter artillery primers; improved -- improvised explosive device materials, to include nine-volt batteries and unidentified propellants; 11 AK- 47s; two SKS rifles; two RPG launchers; a 60-millimeter mortar tube; various mortar sights; a 120-millimeter mortar bipod and base plate; an SA-7 missile trainer; 20 AK-47 magazines; 3,500 7.62 rounds; and additional items of intelligence value.
He could have easily obtained this list had he done something other than drink at the local bar and make up his story to you. How terribly embarrassing for you as an editor to be so publically humiliated like this. Terribly sorry.
Perhaps it might make them think a little before they publish such obvious lies.
We understand you quite well nut man. Grenade for self defense? ROFL these guys deserve a reality tv series, it could be called, "Dumb and Backward". At the very least someone needs to string together a book of funniest lies of the third world Islamics, the author could call it "Dumb Lies and the Lying Liars that tell Them".
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They should burn tham all to the ground as a service to the world and an act of freeing the minds of muslims. Say it was the will of allah or it wouldn't have happened.
That would explain the soprano call to prayer.
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