(Your Voice in a World where Zionism, Steel, and Fire haveturned Justice Mute)
Click here to return to Newsbytes
Iraqi Resistance
Reports Table of Contents
|
Iraqi Resistanc7 Report 1204
Iraqi Resistance Report for
events of Saturday, 29 March 2008. Translated and/or compiled by
Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice.
http://www.freearabvoice.org
Saturday, 29 March 2008.
·
US-recruited “Awakening” police kill
another man shortly after release from US prison camp.
·
US admits death of two more American troops
in eastern Baghdad Saturday.
·
Regime admits policemen, army troops
surrendering themselves to Sadr Offices rather than fight for US-backed
government.
·
Multiple barrages of mortar shells rain
down on “Green Zone” in Baghdad Saturday.
·
Migration organization warns of worsening
humanitarian situation in al-Basrah, Baghdad due to US-promoted Iraqi
regime offensive against anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia.
·
US admits death of American soldier in
southern Baghdad from late Friday bomb attack.
·
US aircraft blasts house in al-Basrah
killing a child, two women.
·
Faced with failure of Iraqi regime forces
to make any headway against the Jaysh al-Mahdi, Kurdish separatist
Peshmergah militia are flown into al-Basrah to join the battle.
·
International Red Cross confirms that
residents of Baghdad and al-Basrah are without power, water, face dire
medical emergencies due to US-backed offensive against Jaysh al-Mahdi.
·
Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters shoot down Iraqi
regime helicopter gunship during fighting in al-Basrah before dawn
Saturday.
Al-Anbar Province.
Al-Hadithah.
US-recruited “Awakening”
police kill another man shortly after release from US prison camp.
In a dispatch posted at 3:10pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that members of the US-recruited “Awakening” tribal police had killed a
man who had been released from a prison camp the moment he arrived home
in al-Haqlaniyah, a suburb of al-Hadithah, 270km northwest of Baghdad.
Yaqen reported a local
witness who asked not to be identified as saying that the “Awakening”
tribal police killed Diya’ ‘Abd Rayyud at-Tarbuli just after he had
arrived home after being released from the US prison Camp Bucca in
southern Iraq.
At-Tarbuli spent two years in Camp
Bucca.
Witnesses said that this was not
the first time that the “Awakening” tribal police had murdered a
prisoner shortly after their release by the Americans. At least eight
released prisoners were murdered by the “Awakening” in al-Hadithah, some
of their bodies were also mutilated. As a result of such practices by
the American-backed tribal police, prisoners from al-Anbar Province now
fear to return home after release from prison.
Baghdad.
US admits death of two
more American troops in eastern Baghdad Saturday.
In a dispatch posted at 8:30pm
Baghdad time Saturday night, the Yaqen News Agency reported that
the US had admitted that two more of its troops had been killed when a
bomb exploded by their patrol in eastern Baghdad Saturday.
Regime admits policemen,
army troops surrendering themselves to Sadr Offices rather than fight
for US-backed government.
In a dispatch posted at 6:50pm
Baghdad time Saturday evening, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that Qasim al-Musawi, the official spokesman for the Iraqi regime’s
“Security Plan” in Baghdad admitted Saturday that members of the Iraqi
regime army had been surrendering themselves to offices of the
anti-occupation Muqtada as-Sadr movement.
Yaqen reported that there
had been reports of government troops and policemen turning themselves
in to the Jaysh al-Mahdi – the armed militia loyal to Shi‘i religious
leader Muqtada as-Sadr – because they refused to take up arms against
the anti-occupation Sadr Movement on behalf of the American backed
regime.
As of noon Saturday: 125
dead in Baghdad as result of five-day offensive against Jaysh al-Mahdi.
In a dispatch posted at 5:50pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that 125 people had been killed and 892 wounded in Baghdad over the five
days of the US-led offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi in Baghdad.
Bomb kills Iraqi
government army soldier in southwestern Baghdad Saturday afternoon.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 8:23pm Saturday night Beijing time (3:23pm in Baghdad), the
Xinhua News Agency reported that a bomb exploded by an Iraqi
regime army patrol in the al-‘Amil neighborhood of southwestern Baghdad
after noon on Saturday.
Xinhua reported that the
blast destroyed a government vehicle and killed one Iraqi regime soldier
and wounded three more of them.
Multiple barrages of
mortar shells rain down on “Green Zone” in Baghdad Saturday.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 6:23pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (1:23pm in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that a barrage of six mortar
shells had been fired at the top-security American compound in central
Baghdad known as the “Green Zone” on Saturday.
Xinhua reported that the
sound of explosions could be heard coming from inside the fortress-like
American occupation headquarters. As of the time of reporting the
Americans had made no announcement regarding their losses in the attack
– a policy of secrecy that is standard operating procedure for the US
forces in Iraq.
Then in a dispatch posted at
8:23pm Beijing time (3:23pm in Baghdad), Xinhua reported that the
bombardment of the “Green Zone” had been renewed after lunchtime. An
additional four mortar shells slammed into the “Green Zone” Saturday
afternoon. In keeping with the US practice of concealing information
regarding its losses in Iraq, the US had made no announcement regarding
casualties in the continuing attacks which have been carried out every
day since the US-backed offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi was
launched on Tuesday.
Despite intense security measures
and a total, round-the-clock curfew in Baghdad, Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters
have battered the American occupation headquarters in the “Green Zone”
several times every day.
Migration organization
warns of worsening humanitarian situation in al-Basrah, Baghdad due to
US-promoted Iraqi regime offensive against anti-occupation Jaysh
al-Mahdi militia.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 4:56pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (11:56am in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that the International
Organization for Migration (IOM) has warned of a worsening humanitarian
situation in southern Iraq as violence deepens with the on-going US-led
offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi militia.
Xinhua reported a spokesman
for the organization as saying that the IOM’s humanitarian activities in
Iraq’s southern city of al-Basra and as well as in other southern
provinces have been put on hold as violence and curfew prevent staff and
partners from providing humanitarian assistance to internally displaced
people (IDPs) and vulnerable populations.
IOM staff report that the
situation expected to deteriorate in the coming days because the potable
water network is down and electricity has been shut down in most parts
of al-Basrah.
The IOM noted that the suddenness
of the US-led Iraqi regime offensive meant that people had little time
to stock up on essentials.
Some displacement has been
reported in two areas – al-Hayyaniya and al-Jam‘iyat – the IOM stated,
adding that it is not possible as yet to verify or to gauge the scale of
the problem. IOM staff report, however, that most people are in fact
trapped in their homes.
With either curfews or violence
also affecting people in Baghdad’s Madinat as-Sadr area and the
provinces of al-Qadisiyah, Dhi Qar, Maysan, Wasit and Babil where scores
of people have so far died and hundreds injured, access to food, water,
fuel and medicines is increasingly becoming an issue partly also due to
increasing prices.
The IOM is taking stock of its
emergency food and non-food relief supplies to assist affected
populations and refugees in case the violence and tensions in al-Basrah,
Baghdad and elsewhere lead to a fresh surge in displacement.
International Red Cross
confirms that residents of Baghdad and al-Basrah are without power,
water; face dire medical emergencies due to US-backed offensive against
Jaysh al-Mahdi.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 4:46pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (11:56am in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva had reported, based on its employees
in al-Basrah and Baghdad, that the civilian population is in need of
food and water, in the wake of the US-led drive against the
anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in Iraq.
Xinhua reported the ICRC as
saying on Friday that most shops are closed and electricity in al-Basrah
and parts of Baghdad are intermittent or non-existent. Hospitals in al-Basrah
and parts of Baghdad told the ICRC that their stocks of medical
supplies, food, and fuel had been exhausted and that in Baghdad, (where
the regime has imposed a round-the-clock curfew totally banning people
from going out of doors) families of patients were bringing little
electricity generators to the hospitals to try to supply needed power
for treatment. In areas where combat continues medical staff have been
unable to get to hospitals to do their jobs.
The ICRC reported that in
al-Basrah there are a number of clinics that have stocks of food and
medicine but even those facilities have difficulty distributing the
supplies, since continuing heavy fighting in the streets prevents ICRC
employees from transporting goods to those in need.
US admits death of
American soldier in southern Baghdad from late Friday bomb attack.
In a dispatch posted at 9:59am
Baghdad time Saturday morning, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that the US military had admitted that one of its soldiers had died in a
bomb attack in southern Baghdad.
Babil
Province.
Al-Hillah.
Detachment of Jaysh
al-Mahdi fighters said captured after ammunition runs out in battle
against US aircraft, Iraqi regime ground troops in al-Hillah.
In a dispatch posted at 10:30pm
Baghdad time Saturday night, the Yaqen News Agency reported that
a source in the Babil Province government police had claimed that his
forces had captured 56 members of the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi
militia after their ammunition had run out.
Regime admits Jaysh
al-Mahdi forces had killed 12 government troops in al-Hillah in battle
since Tuesday.
In a dispatch posted at 2:59pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that 12 members of the US-backed Iraqi regime’s security forces were
killed and another 42 of them wounded in the city of al-Hillah, 100km
south of Baghdad, since the start of the US-led offensive against the
anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia on Tuesday.
Jaysh al-Mahdi assaults
Nuri al-Maliki’s party headquarters in al-Hillah.
In a dispatch posted at 10:50am
Baghdad time Saturday morning, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that on Friday the Jaysh al-Mahdi anti-occupation militia attacked the
offices north of al-Hillah of the political party of which Iraqi Prime
Minister Nuri al-Maliki is the leader.
Ninwa
Province.
Al-Mawsil.
Two regime policemen shot
dead in al-Mawsil Saturday afternoon.
In a dispatch posted at 4:30pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that armed men shot and killed two Iraqi regime policemen in a popular
market in the city of al-Mawsil, 420km northwest of Baghdad on Saturday
afternoon.
Karbala’ Province.
Karbala’.
Six people reported killed
in fighting in Karbala’ Saturday.
In a dispatch posted at 10pm
Baghdad time Saturday night, the Yaqen News Agency reported that
the Karbala’ Health Department had announced that six people had been
killed and 19 more wounded in fighting between the Iraqi regime and the
Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in the city during the 24-hour period ending
Saturday evening.
Iraqi regime admits two
more policemen killed in fierce fighting with Jaysh al-Mahdi in
Karbala’.
In a dispatch posted at 6:15pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that two regime policemen had been killed and four more wounded in
fierce battles with the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia in the
city of Karbala’, 110km south of Baghdad.
Maysan
Province.
Al-‘Amarah.
Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters attack headquarters of US-backed regime
political parties in Maysan Province.
In a dispatch posted at 9:10pm
Baghdad time Saturday night, the Yaqen News Agency reported that
one of the headquarters of Iraqi Prime Miniser Nuri al-Maliki’s party
came under mortar bombardment.
Al-Basah
Province.
Al-Basrah.
Rockets target British
base at al-Basrah Airport Saturday morning.
In a dispatch posted at 5:55pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that two Katyusha rockets had been fired at the British base set up in
al-Basrah International Airport in the al-Husayn neighborhood, 8km west
of the city on Saturday morning.
US aircraft blasts house
in al-Basrah killing a child, two women.
In a dispatch posted at 4:16pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that US military aircraft blasted a private home in al-Basrah on
Saturday, killing eight people, including two women and a child.
Forensic Morgue reports:
39 local people killed in al-Basrah between Tuesday and Saturday morning
not included in hospital casualty statistics.
In a dispatch posted at 2:11pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that the Forensic Medicine Morgue in al-Basrah had received a total of
39 bodies of victims killed in the US-led offensive against the
anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia.
Faced with failure of
Iraqi regime forces to make any headway against the Jaysh al-Mahdi,
Kurdish separatist Peshmergah militia are flown into al-Basrah to join
the battle.
In a dispatch posted at 1:48pm
Baghdad time Saturday afternoon, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that regiments US-backed Kurdish separatist Peshmergah gunmen took off
from the city of as-Sulaymaniyah in the northern, Kurdish part of Iraq,
to take part in the American-led offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi
militia in the southern city of al-Basrah.
Yaqen reported a source in
the Peshmergah as saying that armed forces from both major pro-American
Kurdish separatist parties – the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led
by Jalal Talibani, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) led by
Mustafa Barzani were taking part in the offensive against the Jaysh
al-Mahdi. Their involvement was pursuant to an agreement those two
parties had signed with the two major pro-American Shi‘i sectarian
parties, the Da‘wah Party of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and
the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council (SIIC) lead by ‘Abd al-‘Aziz al-Hakim.
For his part, the Kurdish
separatist politician who plays the role of Minister of Foreign Affairs
in the US-backed Iraqi regime – Hushyar Zibari – declared that the
offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi is a “war to the death” of the Sadr
Movement.
Zibari said that the US-backed
regime was determined to win its battle against the anti-occupation
Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, which is loyal to Shi‘i religious leader Muqtada
as-Sadr.
The US Administration of George W.
Bush is believed to need a decisive victory over the Jaysh al-Mahdi to
prepare the way for an eventual American assault on Iran.
Yaqen noted that the
Peshmergah gunmen were being brought into the battle inn view of the
obvious failure of the regime’s forces to achieve any success in the
battle against the Jaysh al-Mahdi.
US-backed regime admits
125 killed in drive to “cleanse” al-Basrah of the Jaysh al-Mahdi.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 5:25pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (12:25 in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that a source in the
American-backed Iraqi regime security forces in al-Basrah said according
to his latest figures the four days of American-promoted offensive
against the Jaysh al-Mahdi had left 125 people dead and 500 wounded.
Xinhua reported the source
as saying that fighting was still continuing, so the casualty count was,
of course, tentative.
Officer, three men in
al-Basrah government police killed in rocket attack on police command
building.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 5:22pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (12:22pm in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that a rocket barrage had
targeted an Iraqi government police headquarters in southern al-Basrah
on Saturday.
Xinhua reported a source in
the police as saying that the police command buildingi n the center of
the city had been blasted with rockets during the night, killing one
officer and three policemen.
The attack followed a security
meeting that brought together high-ranking officers in the al-Basrah
government police force to discuss security measures in the province in
light of the US-promoted offensive against the Jaysh al-Mahdi.
Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters
shoot down Iraqi regime helicopter gunship during fighting in al-Basrah
before dawn Saturday.
In a dispatch posted at 10:17am
Baghdad time Saturday morning, the Yaqen News Agency reported
that anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters shot down an Iraqi regime
helicopter gun ship over the southern city of al-Basrah at midnight
Friday-Saturday.
Yaqen reported an
eyewitness as saying that the Iraqi regime helicopter fell behind the
military hospital in the northern part of the city after being struck by
Jaysh al-Mahdi ground fire during fierce fighting in the area.
The witness said he saw the
aircraft on fire as it crashed, but he had no information on the fate of
the crew.
Extremely fierce fighting
in al-Basrah.
In a dispatch posted on its Arabic
website at 3:49pm Saturday afternoon Beijing time (10:49am in Baghdad),
the Xinhua News Agency reported that extremely fierce fighting
had raged in the al-Jumhuriyah area of al-Basrah between the US-backed
Iraqi army and the anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi militia on Friday.
Xinhua reported that there
had been reports of civilian casualties as a result of Iraqi regime tank
bombardments of positions in the residential area of al-Jumhuriyah, but
that there were no specific casualty lists or numbers available.
An official spokesman of the
American-backed Iraqi Interior Ministry in al-Basrah, Major General ‘Abd
al-Karim Khalaf said that positions of the Jaysh al-Mahdi that he
claimed were outside the residential section of the city had been bombed
by “coalition air forces” – in other words, by US or British air craft.
He said that the occupation air forces had struck areas used by the
Jaysh al-Mahdi to fire rockets and mortars at positions of the regime
troops in the city, and he claimed that the air strikes had been
accurate. The US-backed official claimed that the government had
recovered Iranian made weapons from the Jaysh al-Mahdi positions
attacked in the air strikes.
The American-backed official also
claimed that Shi‘i tribal elements had been persuaded to join the
regime troops in the fight against the Jaysh al-Mahdi, an
anti-occupation militia loyal to Shi‘i religious leader Muqtada
as-Sadr. In the predominantly Sunni tribal areas of northern and
western Iraq, the US and its Iraqi regime allies have succeeded in
recruiting tribal police forces that have joined the Americans in the
fight against anti-occupation forces, chiefly by paying off the tribes.
Medical sources said that as of
midnight Thursday-Friday, 350 people had been killed or wounded in the
US-led offensive proclaimed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki
on Tuesday 25 March with the stated aim of “cleansing” Iraq of the
anti-occupation Jaysh al-Mahdi. Upon launching the offensive, al-Maliki
announced that he was giving the Jaysh al-Mahdi fighters 72 hours to
“surrender.” On Friday, after none of the fighters had surrendered
while regime forces had been forced to retreat and give up vast areas of
southern Iraq to the militia, the Prime Minister extended his ultimatum
to the Jaysh al-Mahdi until 8 April.
Sources:
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23709&339e5ecf3b65d5d10d0ad6a8d899ded1
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23704&8f52c80fa3c7b4a2981636bd5e7a2181
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23703&fefacbcf74e66770c61939426b9a0d2b
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23701&7c47eeb5f108e6f9c5b3914aa5e59a30
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23689&46325540c9e0cf2868213c8caaa81784
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23688&0893f45a6a7cbbd9172e7f4f7a58cc48
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23684&5ed732ea49057067022ee44c70ad6fe4
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23683&25fd746d0afeb0f30e52c2d904a39655
http://www.iraq-amsi.org/news.php?action=view&id=23682&4469314da2b2002a62260f56c207b62c
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605729.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605647.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605619.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605614.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605582.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605581.htm
http://www.arabic.xinhuanet.com/arabic/2008-03/29/content_605488.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080329/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq
http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pbnAF/cache/offonce?entryId=16820
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61705
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61702
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61698
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61692
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61684
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61679
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61674
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61667
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61672
http://www.islammemo.cc/article1.aspx?id=61663
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6573
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6572
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6571
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6570
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6567
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6566
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6565
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6563
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6561
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6560
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6559
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6557
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6556
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6555
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6553
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6552
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6551
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6550
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6549
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6548
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6547
http://www.yaqen.net/?p=6546
|