One million told to leave Iraqi city as gunfights rage

[Robbien]

Source: International Herald Tribune

More than one million pilgrims were ordered to leave the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Tuesday as the police imposed a curfew after two days of violence that included raging gun battles between what appeared to be rival Shiite militias.

. . .

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Major General Abdul-Karim Khalaf, said "entrances and exits to Karbala have been secured and more forces are on the way from other provinces," including Baghdad. The other officials said buses had been dispatched to Karbala to take pilgrims out of the city.

A member of the City Council said the center of town was in chaos, with pilgrims running in all directions to escape the gunfire. No one, he said, was sure who was doing the shooting. He said a rocket-propelled grenade had exploded near the Hussein Mosque.

"We don't know what's going on," said the councilman, who would not allow use of his name for security reasons. "All we know is the huge numbers of pilgrims was too much for the checkpoints to handle and now there is shooting."



Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/28/africa/iraq.php

[daleo]

1. Let freedom reign! n/t

[kirby]

2. Freedom is literally on the march! n/t

[skip fox]

3. The councilman says he doesn't know what's going on.

I'm afraid I might know. The trigger to all-out conflict.

I hope I'm wrong.

[bdamomma]

4. we are causing such a humanitarian crisis, pushing people off their land

and killing them, pushing them to other countries??? shameful, and disgusting.

[skip fox]

5. 4 million!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2969790

[ananda]

6. When insanity has ruled for so long..

.. such are the results.

More insanity.