Free Republic

AMARAH, Iraq - The coalition-backed police chief of this major southern Iraqi city was shot to death as he left a mosque after prayers, officials said Saturday. Brig. Hamid Hadi Hassan al-Abe was leaving the al-Hussein mosque after Friday prayers when he was gunned down by assailants firing from several locations, police Maj. Kathim Mohsen Hamadi said. The attackers escaped, Hamadi said. Several hundred men, many of them armed with rifles and pistols, turned out Saturday for the funeral service of al-Abe, who will be buried in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. Hamadi said al-Abe had a good relationship...

Iraqi police chief assassinated The police chief of the British-controlled southern Iraqi city of Amarah has been shot dead as he left a mosque after prayers. Brigadier Hamid Hadi Hassan al-Abe was leaving the al-Hussein mosque after Friday prayers when he was gunned down by assailants firing from several locations. The assailants escaped.Several hundred men, many of them armed with rifles and pistols, have turned out for Brigadier al-Abe's funeral. He will be buried in the Shiite holy city of Najaf. Brigadier al-Abe had a good relationship with British occupation authorities, who are responsible for the city, about 75 miles...