CNN: People marching towards mosque fired on by snipers

[allemand]

Just as yesterday. CNN producer Kianne Sadeq was with them.

"After the attack, the demonstrators continued their rally and began marching toward Najaf. They came under sniper fire, the source of which could not be determined."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/08/26/iraq.main/index.html

Reuters reports:

Iraqi Sadr Supporters Attacked Near Najaf-Witnesses

Thu Aug 26, 2004 04:08 AM ET

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Supporters of rebel Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr were attacked as they marched from the town of Kufa to the city of Najaf on Thursday and several were wounded, witnesses at the scene said.

It was not clear who launched the attack. Earlier, mortars hit a mosque in Kufa where hundreds of Sadr supporters had gathered, killing at least 25 and wounding 60.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=6075114

(Edited to add CNN link.)

[Aidoneus]

1. Reuters is confused

That happens..

The gatherings are actually a mixed Sadr-Sistani bag.

Shooting at these people is about the damn dumbest thing the occupyers and collaborating agents could possibly do at this point in time:--so, expect a lot more of it in the next couple days.

[allemand]

2. Indeed. CNN's Kianne Sadeq didn't speak of a march of "Sadr supporters"

and she was directly at the scene.

The bias is obvious.

[asjr]

3. I wonder how much longer CNN will take orders from the

administration. The whole of Iraq is going to be on fire. Thanks to the idiot in the WH.

[JSJ]

6. right you are, aidoneous n/t

[allemand]

4. Reuters: Supporters of Sistani Fired Upon, 20 Dead: Witness

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Supporters of Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani were fired upon in the town of Kufa on Thursday and 20 people were killed, a Reuters photographer said from the scene.

The photographer said he had seen 20 bodies under blankets. It was unclear who fired on the supporters, who had been marching to Najaf, carrying pictures of Sistani.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6075469

Oh my God! Is this the same demonstration?

[allemand]

5. More details

Exactly like yesterday:

Iraqis fire at demonstration
From correspondents in Kufa, Iraq
August 26, 2004

DOZENS of people were wounded today when Iraqi national guardsmen opened fire on a demonstration in support of radical Shi'ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Kufa, an AFP photographer witnessed.

Thousands of people chanting their solidarity with Sadr and denouncing Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, were heading for nearby Najaf, where Sadr's Mehdi Army is fighting US and Iraqi government forces. They were passing a military base on the road between Kufa and its twin city of Najaf, when the national guardsmen opened fire at them, the photographer said.

The shooting broke out not long after at least 25 people were killed and more than 100 wounded when two mortar bombs fell on Kufa's main mosque compound, controlled by Sadr's militiamen.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10576079%255E1702,00.html

The BBC now says that at least three people were killed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3600384.stm

[teryang]

7. Is it unclear who did it?

<After the attack, thousands of demonstrators loyal to al-Sadr marched on nearby Najaf but came under fire from a base between the two cities housing Iraqi national guardsmen and U.S. troops, witnesses said.

The marchers scattered when the gunfire broke out. The day before, gunfire from the same base killed eight people and wounded 56 others who were taking part in what appeared to be a peaceful demonstration supporting al-Sadr.>

From the AP story on Yahoo:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040826/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq&cid=540&ncid=716

[allemand]

8. Reappearance of the famous "unidentified gunmen"

"Hours later, unidentified gunmen opened fire from an Iraqi National Guard base on thousands of Shiite Muslim marchers heading to Najaf, killing at least three and wounding 46, witnesses said."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiraq0827,0,5678904.story?coll=ny-homepage-big-pix

They "opened fire from an Iraqi National Guard base", but they still are "unidentified gunmen"... :eyes:

But the demonstrators holding up pictures of al-Sistani were clearly identified as al-Sadr supporters.

It's all too obvious.

[allemand]

9. Somebody must have realized how stupid that sounded

and changed the story. Now it reads:

"After the attack, thousands of demonstrators loyal to al-Sadr marched on nearby Najaf but came under fire from a base between the two cities housing Iraqi national guardsmen and U.S. troops, witnesses said.

The marchers scattered when the gunfire broke out. The day before, gunfire from the same base killed eight people and wounded 56 others who were taking part in what appeared to be a peaceful demonstration supporting al-Sadr."

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/ny-woiraq0827,0,5678904.story?coll=ny-homepage-big-pix

[allemand]

10. Witness: Armed men fire at police, police fires into crowd

At least 15 Sistani supporters were shot dead in Najaf and 65 wounded when gunmen opened fire at police who were trying to control a crowd, prompting police to shoot back, witnesses said.

"Suddenly armed men joined our group and fired at the police. The police started firing everywhere," witness Hazim Kareem told Reuters at Najaf's hospital, where bodies dripping with blood were piled on stretchers.

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=572235§ion=news

[UpInArms]

15. now why in the world

would "peace marchers" do this:

"Suddenly armed men joined our group and fired at the police. <snip>????

too convenient - sounds like the causus belli during the Chavez riot(sic) - where "snipers" fired into the Venezuelan crowd. (April 2002)

[IndianaGreen]

11. Al-Jazeera: Dozens slain in twin Kufa attacks

Dozens slain in twin Kufa attacks
Thursday 26 August 2004, 17:17 Makka Time, 14:17 GMT

Two attacks in and around Kufa have left at least 47 people dead and scores wounded.

A mortar attack targeted a huge gathering around the main mosque on Kufa on Thursday.

The second struck at thousands marching towards Najaf, where resistance fighters loyal to Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr have been defying US-led occupation forces in a bloody standoff.

It was not clear who mounted the attack on the Iraqis in Kufa, who included supporters of al-Sadr and of senior Shia spiritual leader Ayat Allah Ali al-Sistani.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1EEC1BB8-CFD6-46E8-865B-D31981A7C0C9.htm

[Francine Frensky]

12. Debka calls those attacked "peace marchers"

check it out at debka.com

[goforit]

13. Mystery gunmen...Could it be the ethnic cleansing of Jerry Fawell?

[maxsolomon]

14. provocateurs? occupyers?

i dunno. who gains from a massacre? the iraqi george washington?

[UpInArms]

16. related article: Iraq's Sistani Arrives in Najaf; 74 Dead in Attacks

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6079042

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's most revered cleric arrived in Najaf Thursday to try to end a bloody three-week uprising as tensions were inflamed by attacks on Shi'ite marchers that killed at least 74 people and wounded 315.

<snip>

A hospital worker added: "Go look at the morgue, it's full."

<snip>

Tens of thousands of Iraqis in cars and on foot, many appearing to respond to Sistani's call to rescue the holy city, converged on Najaf from several regions, witnesses said.

<snip>

Aide Hamed al-Khafaf told reporters the Iranian-born cleric's peace plan called for all groups in Najaf to lay down their arms and for U.S. forces to leave the city.

<snip>

Sistani's followers say the cleric's intervention could break the Najaf deadlock and ensure a peaceful resolution after U.S. firepower failed to drive rebels from the mosque. The elderly cleric ended another uprising in April and May.

...more at link...



An Iraqi boy passes near U.S. armored Bradley vehicles patrolling a street in eastern Baghdad's Shi'ite suburb of al-Sadr city August 26, 2004. A mortar attack on the main mosque in the town of Kufa on Thursday killed at least 25 people as Iraq's most influential Shi'ite cleric headed to the nearby holy city of Najaf to try to end a bloody three-week uprising. Photo by Ali Jasim/Reuters

[lostnfound]

17. 72 people killed this morning & it has already disappeared from bbc.com

The story gets buried long before the bodies. This morning I saw the account of 72 killed on bbc.com; and now the headline has been replaced with:

"Iraqis flock to shrine after deal"
and, amazingly,
"Unusual quiet, then a deal"

72 human beings get blown away in the morning, but now they blithely talk about 'unusual quiet'.