Iraq's deputy oil minister, four others kidnapped from government compound

[Scurrilous]

Source: International Herald Tribune

<snip>

"More than 50 gunmen dressed in Iraqi security forces uniforms and using 17 official vehicles broke into an Oil Ministry compound in eastern Baghdad Tuesday and abducted a senior deputy of the oil minister, and four other officials, a ministry spokesman and police said.

Abdel-Jabar al-Wagaa, the senior assistant to Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani, was spirited away by the gunmen in what were believed to be military vehicles, said Assem Jihad, the Oil Ministry spokesman.

An Interior Ministry official, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to release the information, said a top official in the State Oil Marketing Organization and three directors general in the operation also were kidnapped.

The official said five bodyguards were wounded in the raid on the State Oil Marketing Organization complex on Palestine Street in eastern Baghdad."



Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/14/africa/ME-GEN...

[Teaser]

1. The high profile kidnappings are starting again

mayhap the insurgents are as aware of the recent spin in our media as we are.

[rodeodance]

2. 'dressed in Iraqi security forces uniforms" ---whow. just whow.

[rodeodance]

3. 'Five Britons were seized May 29 in a similar raid on Iraq's Finance..."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070814/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq ;_ylt=AlJRsnZH51K.NqiEaLMD2nas0NUE\


...........
Five Britons were seized May 29 in a similar raid on Iraq's Finance Ministry, not far from the oil marketing office. They were taken by gunmen wearing police uniforms and have not been found.

Both government organizations are near the lawless Sadr City Shiite enclave, a stronghold of the Mahdi Army militia.

The raid also was reminiscent of an attack by Mahdi Army fighters, dressed as Interior Ministry commandos, who stormed a Higher Education Ministry office Nov. 14 and snatched away as many as 200 people. Dozens of those kidnap victims were never been found.

[rodeodance]

4. an American transport helicopter went down during a post-maintenance test flight near Taqaddum air b

On Tuesday, an American transport helicopter went down during a post-maintenance test flight near Taqaddum air base, in Anbar province, a Sunni insurgent stronghold that has become calmer in recent months as tribal leaders have joined forces against al-Qaida in Iraq.

In an e-mailed statement, 1st Lt. Shawn Mercer, a Marine spokesman, said emergency response crews had sealed off the site and the cause was being investigated. The statement provided no information about how many people were on the helicopter or their status.

The U.S. and Iraq operation north of the capital, dubbed Operation Lightning Hammer, began late Monday with an air assault and was part of a broader U.S. push announced Monday to build on successes in Baghdad and surrounding areas by targeting al-Qaida in Iraq and Iranian-allied Shiite militia fighters nationwide.

Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, said the troops were pursuing al-Qaida cells that had been disrupted and forced into hiding by previous operations.

[Eugene]

5. But, but, but security in Baghdad is so much better.

The surge is working. The generals tell us so.
This kind of stuff shouldn't still be happening.

[NastyDiaper]

6. 50 Gunmen, In uniform, Oil Ministry.

I mean, do we have to get to the point where they overrun US bases befoew all the clues sink in?