Explosions in Bagdad and possibly Karbala as well (At Least 85 Killed)

CNN ^ | 2 march 2004 | CNN

[Eurotwit]

Bad news: apparently the crowd outside the Bagsad mosque is starting to throw rocks at the Iraqi police and at US forces.

[dennisw]

Sistani?

[Eurotwit]

I just think they (CNN) was quoting the wacky Imam...

[TexKat]

Fox News: Atleast 25 dead in explosion in Karbala.

[Eurotwit]

No, don't think so.... He's hardly ever out in public.. This was probably the local imam at the Bagdad mosque.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Background, maybe the same group of bombers:

Foreign suicide bombers in video boast of Jihad missions against US occupation

[Fledermaus]

Religious Shiite day...interim Constitution just approved...to be expected by the desperate.

It's an attempt to force civil war because the Baath Party is dead and the outside agitators have a decreasing number of targets and can't get people into their cause.

This is about symbolism. And any protests against Iraqi forces and U.S. soldiers would be part of their plan.

I don't think this will work. Look for stories the next few days, if you can find them, about arrests, raids, killing of terrorists, etc.

[Prodigal Son]

I popped over to DU just now to see if they had anything different. One of them was saying the CNN reporter- Jane Arraf?- was crying while she was reporting. Is this true?

[TexKat]

Jane Arraf with CNN sounds as if she needs a break. I think she has been Iraq too long and has witnessed too much destruction.

[Eurotwit]

She sounded pretty upset... Don't think she outright cried though...

She did describe pretty horrific stuff though, so I guess it would be only human to have some sort of reaction.. Apparently she was right at the blast size with blood and body parts everywhere..

[Texasforever]

How can people do this to each other?

[TexKat]

Yes Jane Arraf sounds very stressed. She is not on camera, just audio. But when asked earlier to describe the scene at the mosque courtyard where she is located, she stated she could not begin to describe it and would not even want to.

[Anti-Bubba182]

As, I heard her report, she seemed to be shaken.

Blasts rock Baghdad, Karbala

Tuesday, March 2, 2004 Posted: 0753 GMT ( 3:53 PM HKT)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A series of explosions early Tuesday rocked a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad and the Shiite holy city of Karbala, during the Muslim sect's Ashoura holiday. Dozens were reported killed or injured.

CNN's Jane Arraf in Baghdad said tens of thousands of pilgrims had filled the streets of the capital city neighborhood for the religious ceremony.

A CNN staff member reported piles of bodies stacked onto pickup trucks as the sounds of ambulances could be heard racing through the streets.

In Karbala, CNN's Brent Sadler said he heard a series of six explosions over five minutes and could see swirls of smoke rising above the city.

Video from scene showed blood-soaked streets littered with body parts, fires burning and pilgrims running in panic from the blast sites.

Shiites are marking the month of Muharram. The explosions came on the most important day of the month -- Ashoura, on March 2.

During Muharram, Shiite Muslims recall the seventh-century death of Hussein, grandson of Islam's prophet, Muhammad.

The violence comes just a day after Iraq's Governing Council agreed on an interim constitution. The council is expected to sign the document after the end of the Shiite feast Ashoura on Wednesday.

Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for council member Ahmad Chalabi, said the meeting ended at 4:20 a.m. (8:20 p.m. ET) with "full agreement ... on each article."

He said the draft charter will recognize Islam as "a source of legislation" -- rather than "the" source as some officials had sought -- and that no law will be passed that violates the tenets of the Muslim religion.

The constitution is intended to govern the nation until an elected assembly can draft and make into law a permanent charter.

The agreement missed its Saturday deadline, but the handover of power to an Iraqi transitional government will still take place on June 30, according to various officials.

Earlier, council member Mowaffak al-Rubaie said the meticulous crafting of an appropriate document was more important than meeting the February 28 target date, set down by the political handover agreement in November.

"We are building a new Iraq and this needs to be done properly," Rubaie said, adding, "failure is not an option."

Paul Bremer, the U.S. civilian administrator, has to sign off on the draft. Among the tough issues in the session were the role of Islam and issues concerning the Kurds.

Bahram Saleh, the prime minister of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's region, said it is "an important night" and the negotiations reflect "an exciting moment in history."

The PUK is represented on the council by Jalal Talabani and Saleh sat in for him at the press conference.

"This is the very first time in the contemporary history of the Middle East that such a wide range of opinions are engaged in a serious discussion about the future of their country," Saleh said.

The draft law is seen as an unprecedented democratic blueprint for a permanent constitution with Western cornerstones, such as a bill of rights and civilian control of the military.

The transitional law is designed to expire after a permanent constitution is approved and elections are held sometime after the June 30 handover of power to Iraqis.

The United States and the Iraqi Governing Council are intent on adhering to the June 30 deadline and are now determining the appropriate Iraqi body to be handed power this summer....

[TexKat]

How can people do this to each other?

Frankly Texasforever I do not know. But I would have to say all responsible should be put to death, not put in prison. They should be sent on to meet their 72 virgins sooner rather than later.

[windchime]

I've switched to CNN now, but earlier in the first breaking news from Fox they showed pics that they probably didn't intend to broadcast. The pics contained the kind of carnage you would expect from such a blast.

[TexKat]

CNN reporting that some Iraqis are blaming the Iraqi police and the Americans.

[OldFriend]

Perhaps Miss Jane can think about what it's like for Israeli's and then maybe CNN will have a better understanding of daily life full of murdering bombers.

[claudiustg]

That Imam should be closely watched. Perhaps he's in on this. Anyway it doesn't look like the crowd rising to the bate, yet.

[TexKat]

Did you see that blast. How could anyone survive that.

[Texasforever]

CNN reporting that some Iraqis are blaming the Iraqi police and the Americans.

So is "Democratic Underground". They are literally dancing in the blood.