At least 75 killed in Iraqi bombing

MSNBC.COM ^ | 8/29/03 | MSNBC NEWS SERVICES

[Smogger]

NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 29 — A massive car bomb Friday at Iraq’s holiest Shiite shrine killed 75 people, including one of the country’s most important Muslim clerics, Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the chief doctor at the city’s central hospital reported. He said a survey of all the city’s medical facilities indicated that 140 people were wounded, many seriously.

DR. SAFAA AL-AMEEDI, who determined the death toll in telephone calls to local hospitals, said medical facilities were mobbed by people looking for relatives and loved-ones.

He said the car bomb outside the Imam Ali mosque was detonated as thousands were pouring out after noon prayers Friday, the Muslim day of rest.

The blast created crater about 3½ feet deep in the street in front of the mosque and destroyed nearby shops, witnesses said. Rescuers pulled the dead and injured from the rubble.

Shiites in Iraq are embroiled in a generational power struggle, but there was no evidence the bombing was the work of the younger Shiite faction, which has its strongest support in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum.

[Smogger]

The article goes onto say that, "The leader of Iraqi National Congress and Governing Council Member Ahmad Chalabi, speaking on the al-Jazeera satellite television station, blamed the United States for failing to provide security and said the bombing was the work of Saddam loyalists who were trying to create sectarian discord in the country." This is the usual MSNBC spin. The are consistanly negative and pessimistic about our efforts in Iraq, and rarely if ever interview an Iraqi that thinks were doing a good job.

They do break stories from Iraq quickly, however.

[Moose4]

I supported the Iraq invasion and still do. But I have to admit, sometimes I wonder why we even bothered to liberate these savage, ungrateful bastards. Maybe it's just the negative slanted news reporting getting to me.

}:-)4

[LS]

The radio coverage of this was quite different, saying they blamed "Saddam loyalists" which is the right perspective. This will not help those guerillas who are still out there. Before long, the whole country will turn on those people.

[LS]

It is the coverage. My local radio had a totally different slant on this, saying the locals blamed "Saddam loyalists." That's a GOOD sign.

[sheik yerbouty]

They should have benn Dresdenized or Hiroshimized, so as to be instructive, and thus curb their vile behavior.

[Onelifetogive]

But I have to admit, sometimes I wonder why we even bothered to liberate these savage, ungrateful bastards.

We have to be careful not to think of the Iraqis like the American media wants us to think of the Iraqis. Your admission MAY be warranted...but I will wait to believe it when I know it's not an impression created by OUR $^%^%$# media...

[witnesstothefall]

Chalabli needs to quit running his mouth against his allies and start organizing Iraqis to defend Iraqis. The next bomb could have his name on it.

[Smogger]

Maiybe it's just the negative slanted news reporting getting to me.

It's the relentlessly negative news media. Geraldo was on Hannity and Colmes last night saying that things were 100% better over there then is being reported.

The steady drumbeat of negative news from over there is designed to bring down Bush's approval ratings before the next election. IMHO.

Where are the stories of the local elections being held around the country? Where are the stories of the millions of Iraqis that are grateful we are there and want us to stay? What about the 1000's of missions a day that are completed successfully?

Where do you hear/read it objectively reported that, frankly, we have lost more troops to accidents over there then the combat?

[Pikamax]

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap20030829_718.html

"...Ahmad Chalabi, the head of the Iraqi National Congress and a Governing Council member, blamed Saddam, his remnants and his allies from across the border.

"We know they are active in trying to undermine the Governing Council and allies of the U.S.," he said in a telephone interview.

Chalabi denied an earlier report on Al-Jazeera alleging that he had said U.S. forces were to blame for the bombing because they had failed in their responsibility to keep the area secure.

No coalition troops were in the area of the mosque out of respect for the holy site, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jim Cassella said in Washington"

[Smogger]

Chalabi denied an earlier report on Al-Jazeera alleging that he had said U.S. forces were to blame for the bombing because they had failed in their responsibility to keep the area secure.

Good find. Look how quick MSNBC was to report the Al Jazeera's negative spin.

[RightWhale]

This will not help those guerillas

This is the direction public discussion should go. It should be obvious who did this and why, and the general population should be sufficiently annoyed to start taking an active part in finishing off the remnants of the Saddam regime. No doubt everyone in Iraq has a relative who was killed or injured in this atrocity.

[Moose4]

Yeah, I guess you're right. It's just really hard to realize that we've expended one hell of a lot of time and money, and the lives of several hundred of our best and brightest (and note that by "our", I mean us, the UK, and all members of the "coalition of the willing"), to knock Saddam out of power. Granted, we ostensibly did it mainly for our own security, but we also brought 20+ million people out from under the heel of one of the world's worst tyrants.

If you watch the media, our thanks are to be accused of everything that goes wrong whether it's our fault or not. If you believe ABCCBSNBCNPRCNNBBC, we're too incompetent to fix electricity and water, most Iraqis hate us and want us gone, the UN is alternately saying "we told you so" and "no, we won't bail your cowboy President out," and Iraq is now going to replace Afghanistan as a home for Islamist nutters.

It's frustrating. Just once, I'd love to see the world actually freaking THANK us for doing all the dirty work. But that'll never happen, so I guess we have to stay confident in the fact that we're doing the right things.

}:-)4

[Tolik]

I don't understand how anybody can responsibly quote Al-Jazeera: it is like quoting Pravda, what can you expect besides the spin?

(OK, I understand, but it annoys me anyway.)

[capydick]

Let's see how quick they are to post the correct statement.

[Smogger]

It's frustrating. Just once, I'd love to see the world actually freaking THANK us for doing all the dirty work. But that'll never happen, so I guess we have to stay confident in the fact that we're doing the right things.

The media can't seem to find even one person in Iraq grateful that were there, but according to letters from soldiers and Geraldo last night that's the majority of the country.

Things that make you go hmmmm...

[PianoMan]

Nice catch.

AFAIK Chalabi has always been totally supportive of the US and that quote just struck me as wildly out of character.

I remain a big Chalabi fan.

[Smogger]

Let's see how quick they are to post the correct statement.

I just e-mailed an editor to the letter about thier relentlessly negative coverage of the War in Iraq, and thier seeming lack of objectivity. Your welcome to do the same.

You can e-mail MSNBC editors about their coverage of the incident (or anything else you want) at: World@MSNBC.com (World news editors) or letters@MSNBC.com (letters to the editor)

[Joe Hadenuf]

Where are the stories of the local elections being held around the country? Where are the stories of the millions of Iraqis that are grateful we are there and want us to stay? What about the 1000's of missions a day that are completed successfully?

If everything is going so peachy, why is there a steady drumbeat for more troops into Iraq. Even some in the administration have voiced concerns, including some top ranking military commanders.

[Gritty]

Just imagine the rage if the Israelis had set off this bomb, instead of Saddam's people!

The Muslim Media will just continue to blame us for their lack of security.

[altayann]

Well, because those top ranking officials are obviously Clinton holdovers, even if they're Republicans, and so anything that they say need not be taken seriously.

In fact, should anyone in this administration say anything that could possibly be construed as having negative implications for our efforts in Iraqi, you are advised to put your hands over your ears.

Thank you, thank you very much.