US soldiers ransack Sunni mosque

[Aidoneus]

US soldiers ransack Sunni mosque
Iraq's minority faith targeted in hunt for weapons
Luke Harding in Baghdad
Saturday January 3, 2004
The Guardian

Surrounded by upturned chairs and an abandoned turban, Sabah Al-Kaisey surveyed his ransacked office yesterday.

The American troops who burst into his mosque on Thursday morning had smashed down the front gate, broken the air conditioners and ripped up the carpets. They had also thrown several Korans on the floor and allegedly punched the man giving the call to prayer in the face.

"They even took our nuts," said Mr Kaisey yesterday, opening the door of the mosque's empty fridge.

The troops who raided the Ibn Taymiyah mosque, used by Baghdad's Sunnis, appear to have been looking for weapons used by Iraq's resistance. They recovered a couple of AK-47s, hand grenades and an anti-aircraft missile, US military officials said.

Abdul Sattar, the mosque's imam, said the weapons were used by its guards. "They were there to protect ourselves," he told the Arabic TV station Al-Jazeera, which showed images of the damaged Korans.

The raid has served to increase the anger and frustration of Iraq's Sunnis, who feel marginalised and discriminated against in post- Saddam Iraq.

Yesterday, hundreds of worshippers demonstrated against the raid and US occupation.

"This is not the behaviour of liberators but occupiers," Mr Kaisey said, pointing to the metal collection box which had been smashed open by US troops.

They had taken the money which was supposed to go to the poor and also the mosque's computers, used to produce a bi- weekly newsletter, he said.

--snip--

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1115226,00.html

[coloradodem2005]

1. This is going to help win the peace...not.

[izzie]

2. I have got to read FR on this. I am shocked, guns in a religious building

I frankly think some of this is true. I am hearing both sides but I think we did it.

[varun]

3. nothing new here...

Terrorists and fundamentalists have used religious structures for storing their ammunition and guns for a long time. Many militants in Kashmir have fought the Indian police forces from the safety of the mosques.

Also, remember when some Palestinians took hostages in the Church in Bethlehem?

[lib13]

4. right

They recovered a couple of AK-47s, hand grenades and an anti-aircraft missile, US military officials said

I side with our guys on this one...

[reggaehead]

6. Easy to do as an American

Probably much more difficult to do as an Iraqi though. Must be very difficult to accept an occupying force as being friendly. Particularly one whose ignorance of your culture has many times resulted in violence.
Certainly, I can understand the troops thinking safety first. But I expect having a couple ak-47's stashed in a mosque is not uncommon. Even amongst the more moderate clergy.
Cultural ignorance perceived as a lack of respect could very well be the fuel behind the insurgency.

[CRK7376]

5. When the bad guys use

religious institutions, schools, hosiptals etc...as bunkers and storage facilities then they deserve to be taken down. Bad guys don't play by the rules, we on the other hand do. When you and your unit have taken fire from a normally "protected target" all bets are off and the military commander has the authority to engage said targets. Raids are an example of direct action against a legitimate target. The guys found weapons, why would a mosque need grenades and rockets. I'll give them the AKs, fact of life in Iraq and Afghanistan, weapons are everywhere, but grenades and rockets....harder to come by and not needed for the defense of the Mosque. Take it down boys!