Friday, March 3, 2006

Eyewitness Iraq: Sectarian Conflict Fri. 3 Mar.

IRAQ

Two U.S. Air Force C-130 transport planes are seen parked at the Balad air base in southern Iraq, Wednesday, March 1, 2006. In a secretive operation, the heavily armed, highly lethal gunship versions of these C-130 have begun arriving in Iraq as U.S. forces look for new tools in the fight against the Iraqi insurgency. (AP Photo/Charles Hanley) COMMENTLINE
Here are the latest developments out of Iraq:

Attacks fuel sectarian tension.

U.S. General: Reports of sectarian violence exaggerated, crisis has passed.

Reports of violence, reports of calm in Baghdad.

Troops and police enforce daytime curfew in Baghdad.

Deadly AC-130 gunships return to skies over Iraq.

NEWSLINE
"Dozens of armed men, who operate in Diyala province, entered the town at 7 p.m.," said Maj. Abdul Aziz Sadoun, a police officer at the Baghdad police command. "They first attacked and destroyed the main power plant in the town, killing four people. Then they went to the brick factory and killed the people working there," slaying at least 21, Sadoun said. Other reports put the number of dead at 19.

NEWSBYTES
Sectarian tension flares in Iraq after Shiite killings
BAGHDAD (AFP) -- Gunmen killed 19 Shiite civilians east of Baghdad as sectarian tension flared anew and Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari appealed for calm.

Attack in Iraq Kills 25 at Factory, Power Plant
Ban on Vehicle Traffic in Effect for Friday Prayers
BAGHDAD, March 3 (washintonpost.com) -- A large group of insurgents attacked a factory and a power plant south of Baghdad late Thursday, killing at least 25 workers, as a blanket ban on vehicle traffic was drawn over the capital hours later to guard against attacks on Friday prayer-goers.

U.S. General: Levels of Iraqi Sectarian Violence Exaggerated
(washintonpost.com) -- The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said today that the crisis following last month's mosque bombing north of Baghdad appears to have passed, and he asserted that the level of the ensuing sectarian violence has been exaggerated.

Top commander says crisis has passed in Iraq
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- The top U.S. commander in Iraq said on Friday the crisis of sectarian violence triggered by last week's bombing of a Shi'ite shrine has passed but added the latest bloodshed would factor into his recommendation this spring on possible troop cuts.

At least 19 killed in attack on Iraq town
BAGHDAD (Reuters) =- Gunmen stormed through a small town near Baghdad, killing at least 19 people, in what police said on Friday was a sectarian attack by Sunni on Shi'ite Muslims of the kind that has pushed Iraq toward civil war.

Baghad Enjoys Rare Day of Peaceful Streets
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- A driving ban Friday brought the Iraqi capital a day of relative calm, a rare period of peaceful streets enforced, in part, by a Shiite Muslim militia - one of several armed groups the U.S. military wants abolished. Thousands of Shiites - frisked by Mahdi Army militiamen in...

Many killed in Baghdad attacks
(Aljazeera.Net) -- Armed men stormed an electricity substation and killed Shia factory workers in overnight attacks that killed at least 19 people in Baghdad's southeastern suburbs, police said on Friday.

Baghdad under daytime curfew
(Aljazeera.Net) -- Iraqi troops and police are patrolling the deserted streets of Baghdad after the government imposed a daytime traffic curfew to avert possible violence between Sunnis and Shia on the day of the Muslim congregational prayer.

Lethal AC-130 aircraft return to Iraq
(Aljazeera.Net) -- The US Air Force has begun moving heavily armed AC-130 aircraft - the lethal "flying gunships" of the Vietnam War - to a base in Iraq as commanders search for new tools to counter the Iraqi resistance, The Associated Press has learned.

NOTE: Mouseover pictures for captions.
NOTE: All rights are reserved by image owners; site content is linked only.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Global Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Click here to explore the rest of THE TENSION.
AddThis Social Bookmark Button

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home