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| Iraq |
| Basra revenge killings increase |
| 2003-12-09 |
| Revenge killings have been increasing in Iraq’s second city, Basra. The southern province has seen a sharp rise in the number of former Baath Party members being gunned down. Tap, tap, tap..That’s funny, not only the surprise meter, but the sympathy gauge seems to be broken as well. Basra coalition forces have not been targeted to the same extent as in central Iraq, but the crime rate is high with murder a daily occurrence. It seems the killings are targeting anyone from the previous regime, and not only senior figures connected with ousted leader Saddam Hussein. Payback’s a bitch, ain’t it? While day to day life in Basra continues unhindered there is an undercurrent of fear with the daily news that another person has been killed or kidnapped. Only if you were a former member of the regime. Police officials say that in the past few weeks at least 20 former Baath Party members have been murdered. In some instances the killers have left signs around the victim’s neck denouncing him as a Baathist. The attacks have been blamed on tribal feuds and the jostling for power within the city. Local people also accuse a number of Islamic organisations but no one is willing to openly point the finger. So far no one has been arrested. It needs to be stopped, but it’s way down my list of things to do. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #9 This is hardly a suprise. It was only a matter of time before the Iraqi people started gunning for those that oppressed and murdered them. Seafarious, you need to sign up with the militaries political branch. |
| Posted by: Charles 2003-12-9 9:09:59 PM |
| #8 be known that the price will drop by a million on the first of every month Seafarious I hope you're working for us. A Dutch auction on an arab... Geez I expect Sadam would turn himself in if the reward nears the Uday Line. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2003-12-9 6:57:57 PM |
| #7 Steve, if the needles on the sympathy gauge and surprise meter are being bent around the '0' pole, they're not broken, they're just trying to read in the other direction. I have a "bi-polar" meter myself, as if you couldn't have guessed :-) |
| Posted by: Steve White 2003-12-9 4:19:15 PM |
| #6 I think the US should immediately drop the price on Sammy by a million dollars, and let it be known that the price will drop by a million on the first of every month...I'd wager that the humoiliation/greed factor will kick in instantly... |
| Posted by: seafarious 2003-12-9 3:00:31 PM |
| #5 Good. That means that U.S. forces don't need to go hunting for Baathists there - the local population can do that. And when they're finished send some of the zappers up to the triangle to mete out some more justice. Hey, guys 25 million dollars for Sammy. |
| Posted by: Gasse Katze 2003-12-9 2:48:46 PM |
| #4 Why is it wrong to be unconcerned about the deaths of these guys? They weren't misunderstood. They weren't in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were the regime, dammit! |
| Posted by: BH 2003-12-9 2:18:42 PM |
| #3 "but the sympathy gauge seems to be broken as well". Oh sure, it's wrong...but who cares? |
| Posted by: B 2003-12-9 1:56:07 PM |
| #2 With more than 300,000 in mass graves and 1,000,000+ dead from Saddam's wars, I can't really blame them. Trials, etc. are probably the ideal solution, but, hell, sometimes it's just gotta be done this way. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2003-12-9 12:43:14 PM |
| #1 There maybe some counter attacking going on by the thugs as I heard some mosque got boomed in Bassra today/yesterday(?). The attacks have been blamed on tribal feuds and the jostling for power within the city. Probably all true and them some. Wonder where a Baathist goes for fun/relaxation. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2003-12-9 12:36:10 PM |