Attack In Holy City Of Karbala Kills 55
A parked car exploded Saturday near one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines in the city of Karbala as people were headed to the area for evening prayers, killing 55 people and wounding dozens, officials said.
The explosion took place in a crowded commercial area near the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, officials said. At least 55 people were killed and 70 wounded, said Salim Kazim, the head of the Karbala health department.
A car bomb exploded in the same area on April 14, killing 47 and wounding 224.
Saturday's explosion occurred a few hundred meters yards from the Imam Abbas shrine, setting several cars on fire and causing chaos. The explosion took place as the streets were filled with people heading for evening prayers at the Abbas shrine and the adjacent Imam Hussein shrine, two of Iraq's holiest Shiite sites.
An angry crowd gathered after the explosion, many of them searching frantically for missing relatives. Some threw stones at the police and at the office of the provincial governor, accusing them of failing to protect the people.
Police fired weapons in the air to disperse the crowds.
Iraqi television showed a plume of black smoke rising from the street as ambulances rushed to retrieve the wounded. One man carried the charred body of a small girl as he ran.
Qassim Hassan, 34, who was about 40 yards away from the explosion, said his brother and cousin were missing.
"I saw dozens of people falling down on the ground and the same happened to me," he said from his hospital bed. "I demand a trial for the people in charge of the security in Karbala. They failed to prevent the breaches. I regret that I voted for those traitors who only care about their posts, not the people who voted for them."
Ali Mohammed, 31, who sells prayer beads, said he heard the blast and felt himself hurled into the air.
"The next thing I knew I opened my eyes in the hospital with my legs and chest burned," he said. "This is a disaster. What is the guilt of the children and women killed today by this terrorist attack?"
In Other Developments:
The U.S. military on Saturday reported nine American troops killed, including five in fighting in Anbar province and three others in separate attacks south of the capital.
U.S. forces detained 17 suspected insurgents in raids targeting al Qaeda in Iraq on Saturday, the military said, a day after the Pentagon announced the capture of one of the terror network's most senior and experienced operatives. The U.S. military in Baghdad said Saturday's raids netted four people in Mosul; six near Karmah, 50 miles west of Baghdad; two near the Syrian border; two in the Iraqi capital; and three near Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad.
U.S. forces used fighter jets to destroy a truck bomb discovered in Anbar province. Loaded with eight large barrels of an unidentified liquid, the truck contained hidden detonation wire and explosives, the statement said. After cordoning off the area and evacuating nearby citizens, the Marines called in U.S. fighter jets that destroyed the truck, causing an explosion large enough to damage some nearby buildings, the military said.
Shiite militants in Iraq claim to have set up a special squad to target Prince Harry if he is deployed there with his army regiment, The Guardian newspaper reported Saturday. The newspaper quoted a commander in the Mahdi Army, the militia loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, as saying the group had informants inside British army bases who would tip them off about the prince's presence. Harry, 22, is a second lieutenant in the British army; his regiment, the Blues and Royals, is due to be deployed in Iraq in the next few weeks. This week military chiefs were reported to be reconsidering the deployment for fear Harry's presence could endanger other soldiers.
Denmark is sending special forces to reinforce its 460-strong contingent near Basra in southern Iraq to help "resolve a special problem," a military spokesman said Saturday. Hans Vedholm, a spokesman for Denmark's armed forces, said he could not say how many soldiers were deployed in the operation, nor what it was about. "They're not supposed to stay until August, they are just there for this specific task," he said, declining to give details. The Danes serve under British command in the southern city of Basra.
Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr launched a strong attack Saturday on President George W. Bush, calling him the "greatest evil" for refusing to withdraw American troops from Iraq.
Al-Sadr's statement was read during a parliament session by his cousin, Liqaa al-Yassin, after the U.S. Congress ordered U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1. President Bush pledged to veto the measure and neither the House nor the Senate passed the measure with enough votes to override him.
"Here are the Democrats calling you to withdraw or even set a timetable and you are not responding," al-Sadr's statement said. "It is not only them who are calling for this but also Republicans, to whom you belong."
"If you are ignoring your friends and partners, then it is no wonder that you ignore the international and Iraqi points of view. You will not benefit from this stubbornness," he added.
Al-Sadr led two armed uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and his Mahdi militia is believed responsible for much of the sectarian killing that pushed this country into civil conflict.
The U.S. military says he has fled to Iran, although his followers insist he is hiding in Iraq.
U.S. and Iraqi troops have been targeting his followers in a major security plan in Baghdad that began on Feb. 14. Hundreds of his followers have been detained and troops carry almost daily raids in his stronghold of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad.
In the statement, al-Sadr criticized comments by top U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus and others who have warned of chaos here if U.S. forces leave.
"What chaos are you claiming will happen if you and the armies of darkness withdraw from our land? What chaos can be worse than the one we are passing through in Iraq where blood is being continuously shed," al-Sadr said.
"What freedom do you claim that you have spread in Iraq? Aren't you aware that the most simple freedoms were stolen from Iraqis, even their right to life, to become independent and unite? If you claimed that your pictures will be hanged in the homes of Iraqis, they are under their feet today."
Al-Sadr said Mr. Bush had "damaged the West's image in the minds of the people of the east and if no one told you, I am telling you now. All this is because of your reckless acts," al-Sadr said.
"If a tower was destroyed in America, what is our guilt as Iraqis? If Saddam (Hussein) destroyed it, and this is impossible, he is in burning Hell now. If the terrorists did it then you are the one who opened to the gates of Iraq to kill us as you live in peace," al-Sadr said, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Al-Sadr praised those who carry attack against U.S. troops, calling them "honorable Iraqis, not terrorists at all."
"The terrorist is the one who kills civilians, whether a Shiite, Sunni and Christian and their weapons don't target your tanks or soldiers. This means that your withdrawal is a victory to Iraqis whose hands were only tainted by resisting you," he said.
On April 9, thousands of al-Sadr's followers marched in the Shiite holy city of Najaf to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Saddam's regime.
Earlier this month, the six Cabinet ministers allied with al-Sadr walked out of the government in protest after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected calls for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces.
© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The explosion took place in a crowded commercial area near the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, officials said. At least 55 people were killed and 70 wounded, said Salim Kazim, the head of the Karbala health department.
A car bomb exploded in the same area on April 14, killing 47 and wounding 224.
Saturday's explosion occurred a few hundred meters yards from the Imam Abbas shrine, setting several cars on fire and causing chaos. The explosion took place as the streets were filled with people heading for evening prayers at the Abbas shrine and the adjacent Imam Hussein shrine, two of Iraq's holiest Shiite sites.
An angry crowd gathered after the explosion, many of them searching frantically for missing relatives. Some threw stones at the police and at the office of the provincial governor, accusing them of failing to protect the people.
Police fired weapons in the air to disperse the crowds.
Iraqi television showed a plume of black smoke rising from the street as ambulances rushed to retrieve the wounded. One man carried the charred body of a small girl as he ran.
Qassim Hassan, 34, who was about 40 yards away from the explosion, said his brother and cousin were missing.
"I saw dozens of people falling down on the ground and the same happened to me," he said from his hospital bed. "I demand a trial for the people in charge of the security in Karbala. They failed to prevent the breaches. I regret that I voted for those traitors who only care about their posts, not the people who voted for them."
Ali Mohammed, 31, who sells prayer beads, said he heard the blast and felt himself hurled into the air.
"The next thing I knew I opened my eyes in the hospital with my legs and chest burned," he said. "This is a disaster. What is the guilt of the children and women killed today by this terrorist attack?"
In Other Developments:
Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr launched a strong attack Saturday on President George W. Bush, calling him the "greatest evil" for refusing to withdraw American troops from Iraq.
Al-Sadr's statement was read during a parliament session by his cousin, Liqaa al-Yassin, after the U.S. Congress ordered U.S. troops to begin leaving Iraq by Oct. 1. President Bush pledged to veto the measure and neither the House nor the Senate passed the measure with enough votes to override him.
"Here are the Democrats calling you to withdraw or even set a timetable and you are not responding," al-Sadr's statement said. "It is not only them who are calling for this but also Republicans, to whom you belong."
"If you are ignoring your friends and partners, then it is no wonder that you ignore the international and Iraqi points of view. You will not benefit from this stubbornness," he added.
Al-Sadr led two armed uprisings against U.S. forces in 2004, and his Mahdi militia is believed responsible for much of the sectarian killing that pushed this country into civil conflict.
The U.S. military says he has fled to Iran, although his followers insist he is hiding in Iraq.
U.S. and Iraqi troops have been targeting his followers in a major security plan in Baghdad that began on Feb. 14. Hundreds of his followers have been detained and troops carry almost daily raids in his stronghold of Sadr City in eastern Baghdad.
In the statement, al-Sadr criticized comments by top U.S. commander Gen. David Petraeus and others who have warned of chaos here if U.S. forces leave.
"What chaos are you claiming will happen if you and the armies of darkness withdraw from our land? What chaos can be worse than the one we are passing through in Iraq where blood is being continuously shed," al-Sadr said.
"What freedom do you claim that you have spread in Iraq? Aren't you aware that the most simple freedoms were stolen from Iraqis, even their right to life, to become independent and unite? If you claimed that your pictures will be hanged in the homes of Iraqis, they are under their feet today."
Al-Sadr said Mr. Bush had "damaged the West's image in the minds of the people of the east and if no one told you, I am telling you now. All this is because of your reckless acts," al-Sadr said.
"If a tower was destroyed in America, what is our guilt as Iraqis? If Saddam (Hussein) destroyed it, and this is impossible, he is in burning Hell now. If the terrorists did it then you are the one who opened to the gates of Iraq to kill us as you live in peace," al-Sadr said, referring to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Al-Sadr praised those who carry attack against U.S. troops, calling them "honorable Iraqis, not terrorists at all."
"The terrorist is the one who kills civilians, whether a Shiite, Sunni and Christian and their weapons don't target your tanks or soldiers. This means that your withdrawal is a victory to Iraqis whose hands were only tainted by resisting you," he said.
On April 9, thousands of al-Sadr's followers marched in the Shiite holy city of Najaf to mark the fourth anniversary of the fall of Saddam's regime.
Earlier this month, the six Cabinet ministers allied with al-Sadr walked out of the government in protest after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected calls for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces.
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Posted by Gaye5 at 09:03 AM : May 01, 2007
I don't believe him because he has been posting here for months, many times in forums of interest mostly to veterans and never before said that he was a veteran, even when directly asked. What he has to gain by suddenly becoming one (magically, overnight) is an weak attempt at credibility from the ones here who are veterans. Rick's goal is to convert people to his fringe brand of Christianity, at all costs and that means even if it requires a lie. To him the end justifies the means, even if it means lying to get another member of his cult. You can not trust or believe anyone who is as far to the right on religion as he is any more then you could trust a fellow liar like Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell or Jimmy Swaggart. They all lie to get their way.
We cant make asumptions when we simply dont know..
Cant his name be looked up or something..
If he has been in the forces, then all these rotten words against him are all for nothing...
We all say stupid things sometimes, including me and I am a woman heheheh... Joking Joking..
You guys come up with some intellegent things so often so lets just get on with the discussions, I have learnt a lot from you guys and enjoy reading of what you have to say, but not when there is abuse going on..everyone is entitled to their opinions. Mine have been refined by reading some of the comments that are put on here so perhaps others will also..learning is only a gaining of wisdom and perhaps by reading others opinions we can gain a bit of that wisdom..hmmmm
From your CNN.com
Clinton: Iraq has abused its final chance--
American president defends timing and need for strikes
WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, December 16 1998)
-- President Bill Clinton Wednesday defended his decision to order airstrikes against Iraq, saying Saddam Hussein had failed his "one last chance" to cooperate with United Nations resolutions. "So we've had to act and act now." .....etc
and
Transcript: President Clinton explains Iraq strike
CLINTON: Good evening.
Earlier today, I ordered America's armed forces to strike military and security targets in Iraq. They are joined by British forces. Their mission is to attack Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and its military capacity to threaten its neighbors.
Their purpose is to protect the national interest of the United States, and indeed the interests of people throughout the Middle East and around the world.
Saddam Hussein must not be allowed to threaten his neighbors or the world with nuclear arms, poison gas or biological weapons. etc...look up the headings yourself..
usadvisor101, And as for throwing insults back at someone, if their comments are worthless, then it would be worthless commenting on them, other wise our comment board is only full of insults with no intelligent dialogue..
So lets get on with the joy of discussion..
you said....as you can see I am sick and tired of the lies, the scandals, the world record oil profits, the huge debt, and all the other nightmares that this disastrous bush admn has left America with.
And yes your prices are high and ours are much, much higher again, ours is $1.20 to $1.50 a litre, sorry I dont know what that translates too in America.. but it is jolly expensive... Evedently oil prices are high because our left winged governments tied us up with the UN prices or world charter or something,, can you check that out for me???.. The logics of buying oil from Muslims countries which makes them rich so as they can then buy weapons to come and destroy us, just does not compute..
Posted by Gaye5 at 06:45 PM : Apr 30, 2007
I know. I know in my heart that he is lying abut having been in the military. But hey that's fine. As I said in an earlier post I've scrapped him off the bottom of my shoes for that lie (among others). As far as I'm concerned he no longer exists because to me a human can't sink lower then to lie about that.
I believe that nothing will ever change in Iraq, they have always had tribal wars and always will, but I dont think that the media is telling us the full truth, I am disgusted with the difference in what the media is telling us and what returned soldiers are saying..
I can remember reading of stories about the last wars where the media seem to want to report total distortions so as to get the people upset and to sell papers back home, or for what ever reasons..
IF and I say IF, Iraq or any Muslim country has WMD, we need to stop them, as they have shown that they have always been very volatile cant even be nice to those around them, and at the drop of a hat they will kill thousands at a time so as the Quran says that they are to slaughter all who will not submit in the world, imagine what they will do to us..once the weapons become available to them,, (the last sentence is a part quote from the Quran)...
As I have posted, they started well before we went into Iraq, their aim is to conqure the world for allah, which will be easy if they acquire nuclear, as it is an honour for them to die for allah.
I really dont care if he is whom he says he is, if you dont like what he says then say nothing, simply dont reply at all... there is still no need to get your testerone all fired up and be nasty, because you really dont know if he is telling the truth or not...... if he is telling the truth you are demeaning what he has done and if he is lying then you are wasting your time replying, so just leave it alone...
usadvisor, I did not say that I supported anyone, all I said is that there is no need to reply with nastiness. If you dont like what they say, then just ignore their comments.. and you obviously didnt read my comments in which I said that I didnt like Mr Bush...and nor did I trust him, but I trust Clinton even less...
Posted by Gaye5 at 11:00 AM : Apr 30, 2007
This is not about a difference of opinion. This is about this as*s rick "suddenly" acquiring a military record that he didn't used to have. This is about him now claiming to be a veteran, not because he is, but just to try to claim some credibility with others in this blog that ARE veterans. That is inexcusable and unforgivable. That is the lowest thing one can do in the eyes of real vets.