Najaf, Iraq - Coalition forces fire to disperse mob of thousands approaching Spanish base

AFP via Babelfish translation ^ | April 4, 2004

[HAL9000]

Shootings of the forces of the coalition on the demonstrators Shiites

The forces of the coalition opened fire Sunday on thousands of partisans of the head radical Shiite Moqtada Sadr who moved towards the Spanish base of the multinational force, located at 5 km of the Holy City of Najaf, noted a journalist of the AFP.

"It has there shootings, shootings one the demonstrators and people run in all the directions to hide", affirmed the journalist, who saw five people lying per ground.

[TShaunK]

It will be the story all this week, to overshadow Condi's testimony,and the boom in the job market, what else.Watch and see.

[csvset]

Profile: Moqtada Sadr

Radical Shia leader Moqtada Sadr

To his supporters, Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr is a young leader wise beyond his years.

His detractors see him as an inexperienced and impatient radical who aims to dominate Iraq's most revered Shia institutions.

The youngest son of Muhammad Sadiq Sadr - a senior Shia cleric assassinated in 1999, reportedly by agents of the Iraqi Government - Moqtada Sadr was virtually unknown outside Iraq before the US-led invasion in March 2003.

The collapse of Baathist rule revealed his power base: a network of Shia charitable institutions founded by his father. In the poor Shia suburbs of Baghdad, Moqtada Sadr's followers patrolled the streets and distributed food during the first weeks following the invasion.

He is thought to be in his late 20s or early 30s - a young leader in a society which considers age and experience essential to religious authority.

His sermons urge the application of Islamic law while appealing to Iraqi national pride.

In contrast to "quietist" clerics such as Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, Moqtada Sadr calls on Shia spiritual leaders to play an active role in shaping Iraq's political future.

And unlike the former exiles who head the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (Sciri), he opposes co-operation with the US.

He greeted the formation of Iraq's new Governing Council with a call for an alternative government, chosen by the authorities of the Hawzah, or Shia seminary.

He also announced the formation of an "al-Mahdi Army", a volunteer force pledged to defend the Shia religious authorities in the holy city of Najaf.

Followers

Thousands of demonstrators claiming to represent the new army took to the streets in July 2003, after hearing reports that he had been arrested by US forces.

Just two days after the fall of Baghdad, his supporters were accused of killing Abdul Majid al-Khoei, a moderate Shia leader who had worked with the British and US Governments from exile.

And Shia clerics in Kuwait claimed Moqtada Sadr's followers had "besieged" the house of Ayatollah Sistani.

Moqtada Sadr strongly denied any role in attacks on Al-Khoei and Ayatollah Sistani.

In remarks broadcast by Al-Jazeera TV, he denounced the attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad in August 2003.

And he condemned the assassination soon afterwards in Najaf of Ayatollah Muhammad Baqr al-Hakim.

Source

[justrepublican]

Outsourced

[justrepublican]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1111019/posts

On this thread Zapatero refused to sign a document allowing replacement troops to go to Iraq. He does have some say in this regard.

One has to wonder if the demonstrators are playing to Zapatero.

[Reader of news]

In Spain, there are people who think German and France were involved in the terror attack in Madrid.

[Publius6961]

Why wait until this snake is blind and in a wheelchair? Deal with him now.
I also fail to understand why snipers can't take out each and every member of any protest who arrives with a weapon.
To me, he is clearly an intended combatant.

[csvset]

I'm all for it.

With sectarian violence within Islam being what it is, if Mr. Sadr were to be killed by a car bomb, it could be blamed on Sunni extremists.

[Polybius]

But I thought the Spaniards had waved the white flag?

Maybe their elected civilian leadership waved the white flag (as ours does every 8 to 12 years or so when the Democrats are in the White House and will again if John F. Kerry is inaugrated next January).

However, it is extremely hazzardous for the health of these Muslim radicals to assume that the Spanish military is cut from the same cloth as Prime Miniter-elect Zapatero.

Zapatero is probably apoplectic right now demanding that the Spanish forces be ordered to roll over like whipped puppies and surrender but the Spanish troops are doing what warriors need to do

The Spanish press reports 20 dead and two hundred wounded after the Spaniards confronted the mob. Four soldiers from El Salvador stationed adjacent to their Spanish comrades were killed:

Las tropas lideradas por España y la policía iraquí se enfrentaron el domingo durante tres horas con milicianos chiíes iraquíes cerca de Nayaf, dejando un saldo de al menos 20 muertos y cerca de 200 heridos, dijeron testigos y autoridades sanitarias.

There was a lot of Spanish bashing on FreeRepublic after Zapatero's election. However, it must be remembered that a country as a whole must not be judged solely by the election of a Zapatero or a Bill Clinton or a Jimmy Carter from time to time. Caca happens in democracies.

When the bullets started flying early this morning, the Spanish military was a lot less P.C. in fighting back than the U.S. military has been allowed to be lately. I am sorry my Spanish cousins are leaving and I hope they send more Islamist thugs to their 72 virgins before they do. After all, that has been the family business since 711 A.D.

[hershey]

Where's that microwave weapon? It would come in handy just about now. Why save it just for Fallujah?

[Travis McGee]

I could not agree more!

[Polybius]

(My apologies to the Spaniards who were willing to stand up and do the right thing.)

See Post 28.

This morning, the Spaniards killed 16 and wounded 200 of the Islamist mob.

[Travis McGee]

Nice detailed personal gear pic of Spanish troop at 28.

[Dane]

The forces of the coalition opened fire Sunday on thousands of partisans of the head radical Shiite Moqtada Sadr who moved towards the Spanish base of the multinational force, located at 5 km of the Holy City of Najaf, noted a journalist of the AFP

The vast minority of malcontents sense the weakness of the new socialist Spanish Zapatero government.

I am not surprised they targeted the Spanish.

[Dane]

There was a lot of Spanish bashing on FreeRepublic after Zapatero's election. However, it must be remembered that a country as a whole must not be judged solely by the election of a Zapatero or a Bill Clinton or a Jimmy Carter from time to time. Caca happens in democracies.

When the bullets started flying early this morning, the Spanish military was a lot less P.C. in fighting back than the U.S. military has been allowed to be lately. I am sorry my Spanish cousins are leaving and I hope they send more Islamist thugs to their 72 virgins before they do. After all, that has been the family business since 711 A.D

Oh what flowery rhetoric. The Spanish electorate turned tail after 3/11, and now they are being targeted because of their cowardice, IMO.

[Polybius]

The vast minority of malcontents sense the weakness of the new socialist Spanish Zapatero government. I am not surprised they targeted the Spanish.

The Islamists forgot that Zapatero will not be inaugurated until April 15 and that Zapatero is not a Spanish soldier in Iraq.

Now, as a result of that forgetfulness, at least 16 in the Islamist mob are dead and 200 of them are wounded.

Even after April 15, the Islamists should fully expect the Spanish military to kick their asses if the Spanish military forces are attacked. The Spanish commander will do what needs doing, send Prime Minister Zapatero a full report after the battle and Zapatero will be deeply saddened.

[RightOnline]

"Three killed and out of tens of wounded in Najaf (hospital)"

Hear this, Spanish military. Those people want you DEAD. If you shoot, shoot to kill. Either you were being cutesy with your rules of engagement or your people can't shoot for s**t.

[Cinnamon Girl]

That is one messed up afro.

[Gator113]

When "thousands of protesters" try to enter/invade a coalition base, there should be thousands of dead protesters....no ifs, no ands, no buts, and no damn exceptions....KTA (kill them all)!!

[archy]

I am not surprised they targeted the Spanish.

I am not surprised they targeted a Spanish railroad track rather than a Spanish Army patrol. But I wonder if one of those Spanish 6-wheelers with the 25mm would fit inside a C130. Or two of them.

[demkicker]

We need to start dispersing these anti-American demonstrations with machine gun fire and bombs as soon they start. They aren't Americans and they haven't EARNED our freedoms. This piece of Shiite Moqtada Sadr is needs to be taken out, as well as some of his followers.

Never fear.... Check this out.