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Iraq-Jordan
tater's gang loose again in Basra
2005-03-21
[from an Iraqi Blogger's website]
Mahdi Army Beats 2 Students to Death in Basrah
No one seems to have reported the latest events in Basrah. Not any of the news services or the blogs.

Students of the Basrah and Shatt Al-Arab universities in Basrah city have been on strike for the last three days as a reaction to the attack last week by Sadrists and Mahdi Army militiamen on tens of students organising a field trip or a picnic at Al-Andalus park, downtown Basrah.

Hooded men assaulted the students with rubber cables and truncheons which resulted in the death of a Christian girl, Zahra Ashour, and another student who came to her rescue after militiamen had tore off her clothes and were beating her to death. He was shot in the head.

Students say that their belongings, such as mobile phones, cameras, stereo players and loudspeakers, were stolen or smashed to pieces by the militiamen. Girl students not wearing headscarves, most of them Christian, were severely beaten and at least 20 students were kidnapped and taken to Sadr's office in Al-Tuwaisa
[that's a neighborhood in Basra I think]
for 'interrogation' and were only released late at night.

Students also say the police and British soldiers were nearby but did not intervene....

Thousands of students have been demonstrating in front of the Basrah Governorate building in Asharr for the last three days, shouting 'No to political Islam', 'No to the new tyranny' and 'No to Sadr'. The police (which is loyal to Da'wa in Basrah) reportedly attacked the students in order to disperse the demonstrations.

[he goes on to blame this on Sistani]
Posted by:mhw

#8  Memo to the new Iraqi Govt:

Tater + wall + five guys w. rifles = end of problem
Posted by: DMFD   2005-03-21 11:21:23 PM  

#7  I believe the murdered girl was a Muslim not a Christian. Check out the discussion of this incident in Zeyad's 'Healing Iraq' blog.

http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/

The performance of the pro-Muqtada list in the election demonstrates that the fat tyre-head and his thugs have minimal public support. I would like to see the Iraqi Army arrest him and give his backside a good kicking on Iraqi TV news. That should destroy some of the fear and mystique surrounding this pustule.

Posted by: Homer from London   2005-03-21 3:54:14 PM  

#6  continues. not continues/ Sorry.
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-03-21 3:23:01 PM  

#5  A nice foreshadowing of the political evolution of Iraqi society, though. Thousands of students have been demonstrating in front of the Basrah Governorate building in Asharr for the last three days, shouting ’No to political Islam’, ’No to the new tyranny’ and ’No to Sadr’.

The university students will be the future leaders and, like the Iranian youngsters, they see the danger of rule by mullah. So long as the Coalition forces remain, Sistani/Sadr cannot take active control, and it won't take long for the opportunity to be lost forever if this kind of thing continues/
Posted by: trailing wife   2005-03-21 3:20:34 PM  

#4  I think there should be "open-season" on ANYONE wearing a hood who is not working directly with the Iraqi police or coalition forces.

Obviously, anyone wearing a hood to disquise themselves is up to no good.

Hood = shot dead.
Posted by: Leigh   2005-03-21 2:54:22 PM  

#3  the religion of pieces.
Posted by: Angash Elminelet3775   2005-03-21 2:47:51 PM  

#2  3 observations:

1) I hate to say it, but it smells like the logical outcome from the application of the "soft power" approach. I could say much much more about how stupid this was / is, but... One or two Sheikhs probably control the entire region - "for Sistani". If the police stood by, as good little soldiers of one faction / party / Sheikh, then the region is screwed.

2) If Sistani does, indeed, continue to sit on his hands, then he's complicit - you know he could quickly and positively end this situation with mere words. Lopping off the heads of the perps who killed these students would be a start.

3) We should've killed Sadr and every last one of the murderous thugs with him in Najaf back when Sistani made his little "emergency medical trip" to London. He'll never be a martyr - the argument presented back then for sparing him and luring him into politics. He and his "followers" (mercs) are a hernia in the system in need of excising. Everyone here knew he'd be a "problem", sooner or later, and we were only delaying the inevitable when he was spared from his just deserts.

I hope the students keep it up until they get air time & press coverage -- and a rise out of Sistani.
Posted by: .com   2005-03-21 2:33:58 PM  

#1  Nice - Islamic Honor requires beating Christian girls.
Posted by: Frank G   2005-03-21 2:13:59 PM  

00:00