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| Iraq-Jordan |
| Iraqi official's children kidnapped |
| 2004-07-29 |
| Three children of the Iraqi governor of Al Anbar Province were kidnapped Wednesday from their Ramadi home in a bloodless assualt by an unidentified group of insurgents. About two-dozen newly minted armed Iraqi police guarding the house gave in to the attackers without firing a shot, according to U.S. officials, who suspect an inside job. It would not be the first time in Ramadi. Several months ago, when local officials had sent American forces to another location, the Ramadi police station was attacked and all the police disarmed. Details are sketchy and evolving, but according to U.S. reports, between 15 and 80 heavily armed attackers approached the house in downtown Ramadi Wednesday. They lined the 24 police guarding the building against the wall and disarmed them at gunpoint. The attackers took the governor's three male children but let his daughter go. They also stole approximately $38,000 and jewelry. It is not yet clear whether the kidnappers want ransom or want to exchange the children for Gov. Abel Alkareem Burgess Alzaldin. One thing is clear: The police upon whom security will ultimately rest in Ramadi failed in every way to do their jobs. They did not note the type of vehicles or their license plates and failed to notify U.S. forces or the Iraqi National Guard to back them up. In the 24 hours since the attack, they have failed to do any detective work at all, according to a U.S. report. Government officials and security forces are regularly targeted by insurgents across Iraq, with children and family members kidnapped or killed on a regular basis. |
| Posted by:TS(vice girl) |
| #7 but I think in this case nationalism trumps everything else I hope you are right, and I am wrong, Jen. But on the bright side, even if the Iraqi Sunnis/Shiites don't seize the wonderful opportunity to build a strong country by acting "un-Arab-ly"...then we can always pull up GI stakes and move totally to Kurdistan. Once we are out of Sunni/Shiite sights, I guarantee you that the Iraqi Arabs will revert to what Arabs do best ie. murder each other. Can't hurt to look for a silver lining in black clouds... |
| Posted by: rex 2004-07-29 7:28:48 PM |
| #6 rex, I join you in your praise of the Kurds and yes, Arabs fight each other (Sunni vs. Shiite) but I think in this case nationalism trumps everything else. (WWAS? What would Aris say? Nationalism is the root of all evil!). The Iraqis love their country almost as much as they love their brand of Islam. And Iranians are almost as loyal to being Persians as they are Shiites. Iraqis know what they can expect from an Islamic government from Baathism to the mullahs in Iran to the Waahabs in Saudi Arabia. They have their own experience of Saddam's horrors and they can look around at Iraq's neighbors and see the failures of theocratic oligarchy there, too. What the US is trying to show Iraqis is that people of all faiths can live in a secular democracy peacefully and that is what the Al Queda killers are trying to destroy and this is the challenge that the Iraqi security forces must rise to meet. |
| Posted by: GreatestJeneration 2004-07-29 6:22:18 PM |
| #5 based on what i have heard of the Iraqi police and Iraqi national guard, there behavior is mixed. A few are good, most are typically inefficient 3rd world troops but more or less loyal, and a few are traitors. Much work has been done in the last few months, but we still have a long way to go. The englishmen Glubb Pasha managed to take the very tribal Jordanians and turn them into a relatively efficient fighting force. Most arab countries havent managed that, cause their officers arent englishmen, but corrupt arabs associated with corrupt regimes. Thats why US and UK training is so important. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-07-29 6:20:17 PM |
| #4 rex, have a little faith. The Iraqis are bound to get tired of attacks on them by their fellow Mooslims pretty quickly No, Jen, it's you who has too much faith in "Iraqis." Based on what I have read as well as heard from friends and relatives who have traveled and worked in the ME, Arabs never trust each other. We Westerners think that Islam is a big tent umbrella unifier of Muslims and that if we can just "disappear" the Big Bad Dictator and other Arabs "freedom", all ME countries will magically become a Peaceable Kingdom. Wrong. Arab Muslims are united against what they have been told to see as common enemies ie. Jews and infidels BUT that where Arab unity ends. Setting aside common enemies of religious propoganda, it's the ages old tribal relationships that unify and/or divide Arabs. It's not because of people like Saddam that the ME Arab countries have not discovered penicillin or put a man on the moon or developed anything of substance since the abacus. It's because Arabs hate each other. They never get tired of conflict. They will not co-operate on any endeavour for any length of time unless it's with a trusted tribal brother, and then even that goes out the window if there's enough bribe money on the plate. Kurds are not Arabs. They have a totally different culture and outlook. |
| Posted by: rex 2004-07-29 6:12:14 PM |
| #3 They should fine, arrest, and beat these BS Ramdadi 24 police! There is no punishment, so they see nothing wrong with their impotent police work. I pray for the children. |
| Posted by: Anonymous5943 2004-07-29 6:01:16 PM |
| #2 You know the bad guys are getting desperate when they go after people's children, instead of poor hapless contract workers from Pakistan. rex, have a little faith. The Iraqis are bound to get tired of attacks on them by their fellow Mooslims pretty quickly. This, plus the horrible bombing(s) yesterday of a police recruiting station are going to drive these "nice" Iraqi policemen to get religion real fast. Now that Iraqi is sovereign and our troops are playing merely a backup role, they must come to the realization that they are in charge of their own country's security. |
| Posted by: GreatestJeneration 2004-07-29 5:45:15 PM |
| #1 About two-dozen newly minted armed Iraqi police guarding the house gave in to the attackers without firing a shot, according to U.S. officials, who suspect an inside job...One thing is clear: The police upon whom security will ultimately rest in Ramadi failed in every way to do their jobs. They did not note the type of vehicles or their license plates and failed to notify U.S. forces or the Iraqi National Guard to back them up. In the 24 hours since the attack, they have failed to do any detective work at all, according to a U.S. report... Like I said before...the only good Iraqis we can trust and who are worth our sacrifices are the Iraqi Kurds. The Sunni/Shiite Iraqis are hopeless, hapless, and helpless. Ramadi is a former Uncle Saddam stronghold city in central Iraq ie. Sunni "Baathist Party" dominated. Some things never change. |
| Posted by: rex 2004-07-29 5:39:53 PM |