Armed militants terrorizing Basra (un-freaking-believable)

[Barrett808]

Armed militants terrorizing Basra
02/28/2004
By GEOFFREY YORK
Scripps Howard News Service

BASRA, Iraq -- Gangs of armed militants, operating with almost complete impunity, are terrorizing the streets of Iraq’s second-largest city, assaulting and killing alcohol and video merchants in a campaign to impose their rules on what was once the most liberal city in the country.

British occupying troops have been powerless to prevent the wave of targeted attacks in Basra, and Iraq’s new civilian police are unable or unwilling to arrest the gunmen, believed to be members of Islamic extremist organizations.

In the latest attack, a 43-year-old woman was killed Monday night by four men who shot her six times with pistols at the entrance to her video shop in one of Basra’s busiest shopping districts.

On the same night, gunmen fired shots at Basra’s last remaining alcohol vendors, who have already been forced to close their shops and sell their wares from hideouts on the street.

Last week, at least five people were shot dead by masked men who attacked a group of liquor vendors with pistols and Kalashnikov rifles. Some of the gunmen were riding in Iraqi police vehicles, witnesses said.

...

"It is happening step-by-step: first alcohol, then videos and music." Perhaps most disturbing is the absence of any serious investigation by the Iraqi police, who are supposed to be replacing the U.S.-led military coalition as the main security force in Iraq.

(more)

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=11040606&BRD=1697&PAG=461&dept_id=44551&rfi=6

[kalian]

1. "Democracy" in action....

:eyes:

[rfkrocks]

2. meet

the old boss same as the new boss-they hate us for our freedoms!

[markses]

9. They hate us for our fiefdoms....

;-)

[rockymountaindem]

3. I wonder why Bush didn't see this kind of thing coming?

Oh, wait, now I remember... because he's a naieve little jerk that thinks his way will solve everybody else's problems.

[snippy]

12. Why would Bush be unhappy about this kind of thing?

I see nothing in the article that I think Bush would object to. To many Bush supporters this behavior is additional justification for the invasion. And what is more important, the murder of innocent Iraqis or Bush's approval ratings?

[leftchick]

17. are you kidding me ?!?

of course he* saw this coming. He LOVES blood, guts and death. It is the only thing that stimulates him. Torture, rape rooms, death ... he lives for that shit...

[Bozita]

4. Democracy in its most primitive form implies rule by the majority

Minority rights are an extra cost add-on feature.

This shit was all predictable.

[Aidoneus]

5. that's an informal deal the British occupation forces made with them

leaving these gangs alone is the reason why British invaders aren't having their own Fallujah in their occupied zone.

A short time after Ashura, that should be changing--it isn't paradise for the British and the other mercenary invaders at this time, as they're being attacked regularly, but it is not at a level that it will be.

[not systems]

6. Making the world safe for theocracy.

Why do we support fundamentalists Islamic forces like
the Saudis and the Mujahedin?

We are surprised by the blow-back from supporting these forces
against the the Socialist and Communists for 50 years?

At least they are not "godless", I guess that is how the logic went.

[dArKeR]

7. Again, I have European friends who traveled through Iraq in the 80s early

90s and they said Iraq, the country, was one of the most liberal Arab countries. Why didn't we hear AWOL and the Repuke leadership and the America Whore Media talk about this?

[pacifictiger]

8. so we're succeeding

in creating another afghanistan climate with taliban type intolerance and gunlords.
If they can get a foothold, justification for permanent military presence in the country, and continual war profits, which besides oil access was our goal all along. Saddam has to go because he won't play ball. Lets trot out the human rights abuses from 12 years back - great excuse. In the meantime, lets ease up on afghanistan pressure so they can regroup there too and then we'll have another chance to make more money off continued war on another front.
Hmmmm ..............

[UpInArms]

10. this is yet another

dreadful side-affect of the * lies.

The streets of Iraq are not safe for the citizens - there is not a "security" force capable of making a difference (either afraid or corrupt) and we have no answers from the mal-administration on how they plan to fix what they broke.

Throwing lives away for the lies - the reality is that none of this makes the evening news so joe and jane sixpack couldn't give a rat's ass what is happening because they are so mis- and un- informed.

It all makes me sick at heart and all I can ever say is that I am so sorry for all the lives that our government has destroyed.

[GoBlue]

11. Oh tut tut

Rummy warned us that freedom/democracy can be messy. Move along, nothing important here.
---------------------------------------------------------------

Stamp out
INCOMPETENCE;
Fire BUSH

[snippy]

13. I hope Ashcroft doesn't get any ideas from this.

[mike1963]

15. Asscroft has has those ideas for years.

:grr:

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

14. Bullshit. The Brits have that area firmly under control.

[number6]

16. Boo-$h sez since we had a war in Iraq, the worlds a

mush more pieceful place :crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy::crazy:
322 S-n-B :evilgrin: :eyes:

[Darranar]

18. "Liberation."

[democrank]

19. I find this hard to believe

because Richard Perle promised this would be a cakewalk. Perle was, after all, a member of our country`s elite Freedom Lovers Commission so I`m sure what he said was true.