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| Iraq |
| Seven Al-Qaeda killed in clashes with Iraqi police in Mosul |
| 2008-03-31 |
| (KUNA) -- Seven Al-Qaeda militants were killed in clashes with the Iraqi police in western Mosul, police said on Sunday. Police forces stormed, based on information, one of the hideouts of the so-called Iraqi Islamic State in western Mosul and clashed with the people inside and killed seven. The police forces found three booby-trapped cars, two belts packed with explosives and weapons, said the police. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #9 Yes, Thanks Frank. I mean the Mahdis. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-03-31 15:08 |
| #8 BTW, Kurdish muslims are nearly all Sunnis. But the issue here is Kurdistan vs. central/Arab government vs. Arab-domainted IIS. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-03-31 14:51 |
| #7 Mosul was originally Kurdish with a Turkeman minority. Saddam forceably seized many Kurdish properties and gave them to Sunni Arabs he moved in, often from Tikrit or tribes affiliated with his family. The Kurds have started pushing them back out. And the central govt is concerned because Mosul is a major oil center for the north. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-03-31 14:50 |
| #6 Pappy: I always got the impression that Mosul was majority Arab Sunni, although things have churned so much that I could be wrong now... There used to be a significant Kurdish minority in Mosul, though if I were a Kurd from Mosul, I'd have resettled grandma & the kids in Erbil or Sulaimaniya a couple of years ago. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2008-03-31 14:47 |
| #5 No, no, Frank. Young Mr. Sadr is studying in Qom (or somewhere equally illustrious in Iran) to become an ayatollah and learning to brush his teeth. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2008-03-31 11:57 |
| #4 Pappy, I assume you meant Sadr's Mahdis, not him personally? IIUC, he's |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-03-31 11:52 |
| #3 Mookie (Sadr) is in south Iraq. The reported IP defections took place there. Mosul is in northern Iraq. It is majority Kurd, with a significant Sunni population (imported by Saddam's government). AFAIK, Sadr has neither forces nor influence in Mosul. Of course if one bothered to do some homework... |
| Posted by: Pappy 2008-03-31 11:41 |
| #2 Addition by subtraction? We've heard that the IP were turning in their guns and switching to Mookie's team (openly) - maybe without them the remaining IP are actually somewhat competent? |
| Posted by: Menhadden Snogum6713 2008-03-31 09:39 |
| #1 If true this is great. The IP are thought to be one of the weak links in the stabilization plan. If they can independently handle ALQ cells, this would be great. |
| Posted by: mhw 2008-03-31 06:24 |