[A-List] FW: Iraq: US Forces Move From Carnage To Massacre

[Sabri Oncu]

From: Rick Rozoff 

1) At Least Thirty Iraqis Killed, 219 Wounded In Past
Twenty Four Hours
2) Thirty Five Iraqis Killed, Hundreds Injured In
Fighting In Five Cities; Twenty Killed, 78 Wounded In
British Assault On Amara
3) Cost Of Iraqi 'Sovereignty': 69 US Troops, Hundreds
Of Iraqis Dead
4) US Army, Marines Prepare 'Final Assault' Against
Najaf
5) US Marine Commander: World Shiism's Holiest
Cemetery No Sanctuary
6) Iran: Iraqi People Will Respond To Atrocities In
Najaf
7) Iraqi Vice-President: Western Occupation Forces
Must Leave Najaf
8) Sadr Militia Revolt Hits Iraqi Oil Exports Hard 
9) Iraqi Militia Threatens Oil Lines If Najaf Attacked
10) US Warplanes Pound Fallujah, Kill Four Iraqis,
Wound Four Others
11) "Allawi You Coward, You American Agent": Thousands
Of Iraqis Storm Office Of US-Appointed Prime Minister
In Nassiriya
12) Former Head Of Iraq's Nuclear Program: Iraq
Abandoned Weapons Programs In 1991







1)
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_941547,00050004.htm

Indo-Asian News Service
August 11, 2004

30 killed and 219 wounded in Iraq clashes in 24 hours 


BAGHDAD - At least 30 people were killed and 219
wounded in clashes between US forces and Shia
militiamen in Iraqi cities in 24 hours, the Health
Ministry said on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the ministry said most casualties were civilians and the
figure did not include those wounded among foreign forces or in Najaf where
fierce clashes have entered the seventh day, reports Xinhua.

Amara, a province 360 km south of Baghdad, witnessed
deadly fighting, during which 15 were killed and 78
wounded, the spokesman said.

On Tuesday major clashes also flared up in Baghdad,
Kut, Diwaniya and Basra, where some people were killed
or wounded, he added.

Bloody clashes pitting Iraqi national guardsmen backed
by US forces and radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's
Mehdi Army in Baghdad as well as in Najaf showed no
sign of abating.

Interim Iraqi Deputy President Ibrahim Jaafari called
on the US forces to quit Najaf and let Iraqi forces
administer Najaf to end the violence.

Prime Minister Iyad Allawi urged fighters loyal to
Sadr to leave the Shia Muslims' holy city, some 160 km
south of Baghdad. But Sadr defied the call, vowing to
carry on resistance till the last drop of his blood
was spilled.
-----------------------------------------------------
2) http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_12-8-2004_pg1_2

Daily Times (Pakistan)
August 11, 2004

35 dead in clashes across 5 Iraq cities

* Heaviest fighting in Amara 
* US planes pound Najaf 
* Top Shia party leader shot dead 

BAGHDAD - At least 35 people were killed and 219 were
wounded in fighting involving US forces and Shia
militiamen across five Iraqi cities overnight,
hospital sources and the Iraqi Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

Twenty people were killed and 78 wounded when British
forces pounded Shia militia strongholds in Amara,
medics said. It was the first operation of its kind
since Thursday, when heavy fighting broke out in Najaf
between the Mehdi Army of Moqtada Sadr and US-backed
Iraqi forces, a British spokesman confirmed.

The director of the Al-Zahrawi hospital reported six
dead and 15 wounded. An official at the Sadr General
Hospital said 14 bodies were brought in - militiamen
and civilians - along with 35 wounded, three of them
children.  

A Health Ministry spokesman in Baghdad said he did not
have the identities of the victims, but said it was
likely that most of them were civilians. The figure
did not include casualties among foreign forces or the
city of Najaf. He said some of the heaviest fighting
occurred in Amara. Fighting also killed and wounded
people in Baghdad, Kut, Diwaniya and Basra, he added 

Six Iraqis were killed and 10 wounded when a bomb
exploded in a village market north of Baghdad on
Wednesday, hospital sources said. They said the
explosion occurred in Khan Bani Saad village. In
Baquba, gunmen killed a local official of one of
Iraq's main Shia parties in a drive-by shooting on
Wednesday. Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution
in Iraq (SCIRI) provincial head Ali Mahmoud al-Saadi
was gunned down near Mahmodiya village in Baquba. 

US planes pounded Najaf in a bid to dislodge militia
loyal to Sadr from the centre of the city, after US
soldiers took to the streets to urge civilians to
leave town. Heavy artillery fire and explosions were
heard near the inner sanctum of Najaf, not far from
the revered Imam Ali shrine. Earlier, US troops drove
through the centre of Najaf, using loudspeakers to
order civilians to flee the combat zone immediately
and militiamen to leave.

Howver, Sadr urged his militia on Wednesday to keep
fighting US forces in Iraq even if he is killed. 

Iraq deputy president wants coalition to leave Najaf:
Iraq's interim deputy president Ibrahim Jaafari has
called on US-led multinational troops to leave Najaf
to end almost a week of fighting there. "I call for multinational forces to
leave Najaf and for only Iraqi forces to remain there," Ibrahim Jaafari said
on Al Jazeera television on Wednesday. 
....
------------------------------------------------------
3) http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&trh=20040812&hn=11359

Zaman (Turkey)
August 12, 2004

Cost of Iraqi 'Sovereignty': 69 US Troops, Many Iraqis



America's expectation that hostility towards its
forces would decrease after the June 28 transfer of
sovereignty to Iraq failed to live up to promises, as
more troops were lost in the month of July than in
June. 

69 American troops have been killed in the past month
and a half, meaning the US is losing close to two
soldiers a day on average. The total number of US
troops that have paid the ultimate price since Iraq
was invaded on March 19, 2003, has reached 922. Since
Bush declared, "Mission accomplished" on May 1, 2003,
784 troops have been killed in Iraq. While most died
in skirmishes with resisters, some died accidentally. 

The precarious security situation in Iraq prompted
countries like Spain, Honduras, Dominican Republic, El Salvador,
Philippines, and Thailand to withdraw their troops. 

National Congress ordered to Leave Bagdat 

After arrest warrants were issued for Iraqi National
Congress (INC) leader Ahmet Chalabi and his nephew
Salim Chalabi on the grounds of counterfeiting and
murder respectively, Iraqi officials demanded that INC
leave its headquarters in Bagdat (Baghdad). 

Officials of INC, which unites anti-Saddam
organizations under one roof, said yesterday that an
American soldier ordered INC to vacate the premises
with 24 hours. 

Meanwhile, the Kurdish language is reportedly banned
at departments affiliated with the Iraqi Defense
Ministry, even though the Iraqi interim Constitution
recognizes Kurdish and Arabic as official languages of
Iraq. 
------------------------------------------------------
4) http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2004/n08112004_2004081101.html


American Forces Press Service 
August 11, 2004
 
 

U.S., Iraqi Forces Prepare for Major Assaults in Najaf


WASHINGTON - U.S. Marines and soldiers and Iraqi
National Guardsmen engage in joint training exercises
in preparation for major assaults against enemy forces
in the Iraqi city of Najaf, a Multinational Force Iraq
news release said today. 

This training continues as sporadic fighting persists
between 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit forces and
outlaw militia in the Wadi Al Salam cemetery.
Squad-sized enemy elements, seeking sanctuary in
buildings and mosques surrounding the holy Imam Ali
Shrine, are still entering the cemetery and engaging
MEU forces with small arms, rocket-propelled grenades
and sniper fire, the release said. 
....
The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force on Aug. 9 assumed
control of Najaf and Qadisiyah provinces, which
include the towns of Najaf, Diwaniyah and Kufa at the
direction of Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander
of Multinational Force Iraq. 

Officials said that because they have common command
and control systems, the 11th Marine Expeditionary
Unit would be better suited to fall under the command
of 1st Marine Expeditionary Force. "This change is
largely symbiotic in nature, and driven by the desire
to increase and enhance the effectiveness of the MNF
units in the provinces," a written statement from the multinational command
in Iraq explained. The Polish Army previously controlled these provinces
under the command of Multinational Division Central South. The 1st MEF
retains control of the Anbar Province, which it has commanded since March
24. 

Marines, augmented by Iraqi National Guardsmen from
Najaf and other locations, two Army reinforced
infantry battalions and one Army aviation battalion -
all now under the operational control of the 11th MEU
- are working together to constitute the force that
will conduct the major assaults on Najaf, the news
release said. 
....
"Iraqi and U.S. forces are making final preparations
as we get ready to finish this fight" that was started
by militia loyal to radical Shiia cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr, said Col. Anthony M. Haslam, 11th MEU
commander, quoted in a Multinational Force Iraq news
release.
....
------------------------------------------------------
5) http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug2004/n08102004_2004081005.html


American Forces Press Service 
August 10, 2004


Najaf Cemetery No Enemy Sanctuary, Marine Commander
Says


WASHINGTON - Enemy forces using a Najaf cemetery as a
base of operations violated an agreement that had made
those grounds off limits for military operations. 
....
While international laws of armed conflict normally
identify cemeteries as protected places, that status
is forfeited if the site is used for military
purposes. Attacks launched by militia loyal to radical
cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, as well as the storage of
weapons caches in the holy site, make the cemetery a
legitimate military objective. 

Insurgents in Najaf have been found to be operating
from and storing arms at the Wadi Al Salam cemetery,
which is adjacent to the holy Imam Ali Shrine,
according to a Multinational Force Iraq news release
today. 
....
------------------------------------------------------
6) http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=8/12/2004&Cat=2&Num=008

Tehran Times
Mehr News Agency
August 11, 2004


Iraqi People Will Respond To Atrocities In Najaf:
Leader 


TEHRAN - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday that
the crimes being committed in the Iraqi holy city of
Najaf have shivered the hearts of all Muslims.

In a meeting with Iranian cultural attaches stationed
abroad and affiliated to the Islamic Culture and
Relations Organization (ICRO), the Supreme Leader
called on the international community to stop the U.S.
savagery in the holy city of Najaf.

"The situation in the world is such that dark
despotism has forged dominance. Of course, the global
despotism will come to an end soon, and the signs of
such a downfall are becoming evident," the Supreme
Leader said.

"In the name of liberal democracy, one of the worst
crimes against humanity is being committed in Iraq,
especially in the holy city of Najaf. The U.S. has
begun shedding blood in one of the holiest cities of
the Muslims. The Iraqi people will not leave such an
atrocity unanswered.

"The U.S. president is shamelessly claiming to be
upholding democracy while massacres are being carried
out in Iraq and Najaf, the scandal of Abu Ghraib
prison has come to light, and the U.S. meddling in the formation of the
Iraqi National Constituent Assembly has caused another scandal," the Supreme
Leader said.

The Supreme Leader lambasted the international
community for remaining silent about the U.S. crimes
in Iraq.
....
------------------------------------------------------
7)
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=hotnews&alt=&trh=20040812&hn=11363

Zaman (Turkey)
August 12, 2004

Iraqi Vice President: Coalition Forces must Leave
Necef [Najaf]


Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim Caferi said earlier today
that the US-led coalition forces must withdraw from
the city of Necef (Najaf), which has been the scene of
intense fighting over the past few days. 

Caferi told Al-Jazeera that the clashes would end if
the coalition forces leave the Shiite holy city. 

"I request that coalition forces withdraw from Najaf,
leaving only Iraqi forces," declared Caferi. 

The Vice President stressed that the Iraqi
administration needs to leave the door open for a
possible political solution to the issue with Shiite
cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr. However, if Sadr maintains his
present stance the Iraqi government may be forced to
take other necessary measures. 

Caferi had previously shared with British Broadcasting
Company (BBC) his criticism of the US efforts in Iraq.
Caferi expressed that US campaign in Najaf hinders
Iraq's reconstruction efforts because the US is not
operating in a 'civilized way'. 
------------------------------------------------------
8)
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=11344

Zaman (Turkey)
August 12, 2004

Sadr Militia Revolt Hits Iraqi Oil Exports Hard 


Seven days of intense clashes between US forces and
militias loyal to Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr have
wrecked havoc on Iraq's oil exports. 

The uncertainty in the global market briefly pushed
oil past the US$45 per barrel mark. 

The past seven days of fighting contributed to slowed production in the
southern Iraqi oil refineries, which in turn led to fewer exports. The
Southern Oil Company halted its production after being threatened by
resistance groups. 

An official from the Iraq Oil Ministry indicated that
attacks on oil pipelines in the Faw region caused
production to fall from 1.9 million to 1.1 million
barrels per day. 
------------------------------------------------------
9)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1174483.htm

Reuters
August 12, 2004


Militia threaten Iraq oil lines if Najaf attacked


Shiite militiamen have threatened to blow up Iraq's
vital oil pipelines in the country's south if United
States forces attack the holy city of Najaf on
Wednesday, a senior militia official said. 

"If the US forces attacked Najaf tonight, we will blow
up the oil pipelines," Sheikh Asaad al-Basri, the
local leader of the Mehdi Army militia loyal to
Moqtada al-Sadr in the southern city of Basra, told
Reuters. 

US marines said on Wednesday they were preparing a
final assault on Iraqi Shiite militia in the holy city
of Najaf, after a radical cleric ordered his men to
keep fighting even if he was killed. 

American newspaper The New York Times said that after
preparing for a major attack on militia loyal to Sadr
in Najaf on Wednesday, US forces called it off as it
was about to begin. 

But it said officers described the move as a
postponement and said the attack could go ahead any
time. US officers with knowledge of the plans could
not be reached for comment. 
------------------------------------------------------
10)
http://www.armytimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-300714.php


Associated Press
August 11, 2004


Fighters bomb Fallujah


BAGHDAD - U.S. jet fighters bombed the turbulent city
of Fallujah on Wednesday, killing four people and
injuring four others, hospital officials said.
Several houses were damaged in the blasts, including
one that was completely burnt, said emergency worker
Ahmed Maher.

The shelling occurred at 5p.m. Wednesday, said Thaer
Ahmed of Fallujah hospital.

The U.S. military had no immediate comment, but U.S.
forces have persistently fought with militants holed
up in the city, a well known Sunni stronghold, for
months.

Many of the insurgents believed responsible for the
spate of kidnappings, bombings and shooting attacks at coalition forces,
Iraqi forces and civilians, are based in the volatile city, 40 miles west of
Baghdad. 
------------------------------------------------------
11)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200408/s1174444.htm

Reuters
August 11, 2004

Protesters set fire to Allawi's party offices


Thousands of Iraqis in the southern city of Nassiriya
calling for the fall of Prime Minister Iyad Allawi,
have set fire to the local office of his political
party. 

The demonstrators are enraged by military action
against Shiite rebels in the sacred city of Najaf.

They have screamed: "Down, down Allawi" and "Allawi
you coward, you American agent". 

They have held up posters of Moqtada al-Sadr, the
firebrand Shiite cleric whose militiamen have been
challenging US and Iraqi forces in Najaf for seven
straight days. 

Nassiriya is one of the seven cities where the Shiite
uprising has erupted in the past week - the biggest
challenge to Mr Allawi's interim Government since it
took over from the US occupation authority in late
June. 

The bloodiest fighting is taking place in Najaf, where
US helicopter gunships and warplanes have pounded
rebel positions. 

Any harm to holy sites in the city would enrage
millions of Shiites in Iraq and other countries. 
------------------------------------------------------
12)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3556714.stm

BBC News
August 11, 2004

Iraq 'ended nuclear aims in 1991' 


The head of Iraq's nuclear programme under Saddam
Hussein has said Iraq destroyed its nuclear weapons
programme in 1991 and never restarted it. 
Jafar Dhia Jafar told the BBC sanctions and
inspections worked in stopping the reconstitution of
the programme. 

He also said Iraq's chemical and biological weapons
programmes were destroyed after the first Gulf War and
never reactivated. 

Mr Jafar ran Iraq's nuclear programme for nearly 25
years. 

One of the most powerful arguments in the case for war
on Iraq was the US and UK's claim Saddam Hussein was
trying to restart his nuclear programme. 

Equipment 'destroyed' 

But Mr Jafar, whom the former Iraqi leader originally
asked to build the country's nuclear bomb, said all
nuclear development stopped in July 1991, under the
orders of Saddam Hussein. 

He said he was probably a few years away from
producing a nuclear bomb. 

However, Iraq would not have had the resources under
the sanctions regime to continue the programme, he
said in his first broadcast interview - aired on BBC's Newsnight programme
on Wednesday night. 


He added the Iraqi leader had hoped that UN sanctions
would be lifted soon, adding that Iraq's strategic
aims became ineffective when the US and UK became its adversaries. 

"We had orders to hand over the equipment to the
Republican guards," Mr Jafar said. 

"And they had orders to destroy the equipment that we
handed over to them." 

Exaggeration 

He said that everything was destroyed, such that the
programme could not be restarted at the time - and
that it never restarted. 

Similarly, the country's chemical and biological
weapons programmes were stopped and never reactivated,
he said. 

"There was no capability," he said. "There was no
chemical or biological or any of what are called
weapons of mass destruction." Some materials were
never accounted for, giving weapons inspectors reason
to believe that there were still some weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. 

But Mr Jafar said that production figures were
exaggerated, and the inspectors' estimates merely
reflected the difference between existing materials
and the inflated figures. 

"That doesn't mean the material actually exists," he
said. 

Not coming clean 

However, inspectors claim that it was the evasive
behaviour of Mr Jafar himself and his failure to come
clean about the programme that led them to believe
that Iraq had to be hiding something. 

Mr Jafar also says the British government's assertion
that Iraq tried to purchase uranium from Niger is
false. 

He said Iraq already had a supply of uranium purchased
there in the 1980s. 

"We had 500 tons of yellow cake [uranium] in Baghdad
so why would we get more?" he said. 

He says he was approached by US intelligence to
defect, but was never tempted. 

He thought it was important for Iraq to have a nuclear deterrent and tried
to achieve this aim for patriotic reasons, he said. 

He remained in Iraq, fleeing to Syria just two days
before Baghdad fell to coalition forces last year.