September 16, 2007 - American military officials say they have captured a "suspected militant linked to the assassination last week of a Sunni tribal leader [Abdul Sattar Buzaigh al-Rishawi] in western Iraq who had collaborated with the American military to fight jihadists." A U.S. military statement announced that Fallah Khalifa Fayyas al-Jumaili, the man captured and arrested during a raid near Balad, north of Baghdad, was "involved in a plot to kill several Sunni leaders working with the Americans against Sunni extremists." The military would not disclose information on Jumaili's link to Abdul Sattar's death as they said it would compromise their sources and methods. Sattar was killed on the first day of Ramadan, and Sunni extremist groups have already made threats online that "the month would be particularly deadly." The Islamic State of Iraq, another name for Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, claimed responsibility on Friday the 14th for Sattar's death. The following Sunday, violence in Iraq spread, "with gun battles and bombs in several parts of the country." The death toll has been numbered at around 50 or more people, with numbers still rising as violence seems not to cease.
Abdul Sattar's death came as a shock to both Iraq and America. The man's death is incredibly unfortunate considering his work in disarming and disabling Sunni extremist groups and increasing security for his people. This war that began because of different religious beliefs seems to have spiraled into one of political gain, religious superiority (if there is such a thing), and pure hatred. More than 50 people have lost their lives in various parts of Iraq just in response to Sattar's death and Al Qaeda's claim of responsibility for it. The fighting seems to have no end in sight; the country, no hope for peace. Tensions are high and pressure is building to find the people responsible for Sattar's death, but what can be done when these religious factions keep killing each other for the only apparent reason that their victims have different religious beliefs (and not even a different religion!)? Perhaps I am just feeling lackluster at the present moment, but it seems more and more as if there is no real hope for the people in Iraq to find peace between different religious groups.
Damien Cave
16 September 2007
The International Herald Tribune
Baghdad
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/09/16/news/iraq.php
Post 5
No comments:
Post a Comment