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| Iraq |
| Iraq attacks kill 27 as pilgrims mass for Ashura |
| 2013-11-14 |
| [Pak Daily Times] Violence across Iraq, including bombings, killed 27 people on Wednesday as worshippers massed in a shrine city on the eve of major commemoration rituals often targeted by bully boys. The bloodshed was the latest in a months-long surge in unrest that has forced Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to appeal for Washington's help in combating militancy as Iraqi action has failed to stem the unrelenting wave of attacks. Bombings on Wednesday mostly struck north and west of Storied Baghdad ...located along the Tigris River, founded in the 8th century, home of the Abbasid Caliphate... , targeting pilgrims marking Ashura and members of the security forces. On the outskirts of Baquba, north of the capital and one of Iraq's most violent areas, three coordinated bombs struck a gathering of pilgrims. Overall, eight people were killed and 25 others were maimed in the blasts, security and medical officials said. Millions from Iraq and around the world mark Ashura, which this year climaxes on Thursday, by setting up procession tents where food is distributed to passers-by and pilgrims can gather, or by walking to Karbala, which is home to a shrine to Imam Hussein (RA). In past years, pilgrims have been targeted by bombings, including a string of attacks the day before Ashura in 2011 that killed 28 people. As a result, security measures are stepped up with more than 35,000 soldiers and coppers currently deployed to Karbala and surrounding areas, with concentric security perimeters barring vehicles from entering the city while helicopters hover overhead. Provincial authorities expect two million pilgrims -- Iraqis as well as foreigners -- will have visited Karbala in the 10 days leading up to Ashura, with all of the city's hotels fully booked. "I carry these iron weights every year, since I was 16 and until now," said Shawkat Hussein, a 60-year-old pilgrim visiting Karbala from Pakistain, referring to heavy iron chains hanging around his neck. "What I am carrying does not compare to what Hussein (RA) did for his religion." Elsewhere in Iraq on Wednesday, bombings targeting security forces killed 15 people, while police bumped off three snuffies in a raid. East of the town of Tikrit, a jacket wallah detonated a vehicle rigged with explosives at a police checkpoint, killing 11 people, including three coppers. And near the former myrmidon bastion of Fallujah, ... the City of Mosques, which might have somthing to do with why it's not called Center of Prosperityor a really nice place to raise your kids... two bombs targeting the homes of coppers, followed by a third that went off as onlookers gathered at the scene, killed four. Wednesday's deaths were the latest in Iraq's worst violence since 2008, with more than 5,600 people killed this year, according to an AFP tally based on reports from security and medical officials. Maliki has called for help from the United States in the form of intelligence-sharing and the delivery of new weapons systems in an effort to deal with the unrest. Turkey's foreign minister also offered Ankara's assistance during a recent visit to Storied Baghdad. In addition to major security problems, authorities have failed to provide adequate basic services such as electricity and clean water, and corruption is widespread. Political squabbling has paralysed the government, while parliament has passed almost no major legislation in years. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 Arab unity |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-11-14 08:07 |