Up to 150 Iraqis kidnapped at Education Ministry - UNIVERSITIES CLOSED!

[Coexist]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Gunmen in Iraqi police uniforms rounded up as many as 100 men at a government building in central Baghdad on Tuesday, in what may be the biggest mass kidnap seen in a city becoming used to such violence.

It bore the hallmarks of sectarian militias operating under cover of the security forces, although senior officials and witnesses differed over how far minority Sunnis were the target.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier Abdul Kareem Khalaf said security forces were hunting various districts of Baghdad for the kidnappers, who he described as "criminal groups". He said at least three of those taken had later been released.

<snip>
"They were checking identity cards in the car park. They picked only the Sunni employees. They even took the man who was just delivering tea," said the witness, who is a Sunni Arab. "At the same time I saw two police patrols watching, doing nothing."

more...

Oh, man.

[Coexist]

1. Video report on this:

Video link

more video

[Coexist]

2. AP: Gunmen Kidnap Up to 150 in Baghdad

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ?SITE=VTBAR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Gunmen dressed as police commandos kidnapped up to 150 staff and visitors in a lightning raid on a Baghdad higher education office Tuesday, in the largest mass abduction since the start of the U.S. occupation. At least 82 people were killed or found dead around the country.

Hours later, the Interior Ministry said three of the kidnap victims were apparently set free and found unharmed along eastern Baghdad's Palestine Street.

They were taken from a Higher Education Ministry office that handles research grants and academic exchanges. The fate of the other kidnap victims remained unknown.

Iraq's higher education minister immediately ordered all universities closed until security improvements are made, saying he was "not ready to see more professors get killed.

[Vanje]

3. Yeah. hey! Freedom is untidy

[DaveJ]

4. Hard to believe

How do you make 100 people disappear? That's like 3 or 4 school buses of people. Are there no police to follow the escape... Or am I misunderstanding??

[Coexist]

5. no, you are not misunderstanding

can you imagine living like that?

[Norquist Nemesis]

9. They were wearing police uniforms

It's hard to tell who's police and who's not. I heard a little later on one of the cables that the Iraqi Police Chief has been arrested.

[Coexist]

6. Hello? Is this thing on???

Is no one besides me appalled that this happened? In BAGHDAD?

[rockymountaindem]

8. Appalled, yes. Surprised, no.

It's hard to get worked up about this because similar incidents happen all the time. If we all got upset over every one of them, it would be impossible to go on with daily life.

[Coexist]

10. this is the largest kidnapping since the start of the war

and the police watched while it happened.

This is much bigger than usual sad reality of life in Iraq.

They SHUT DOWN THE UNIVERSITIES in Iraq.

[SouthernBelle82]

7. How disgusting

:( The Democrats have to work asap on Iraq when the new Congress starts next year. This type of nonsense has to stop!

[suffragette]

11. This is absolutely appalling.

K&R so more people can see this.

[sam sarrha]

12. i heard they arrested a police captian for the kidnapping.. in the news sorry no link

[Coexist]

13. thanks for the update - found the story on CNN

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraq's interior minister ordered the arrest and interrogation of several high-ranking police officers over their handling of security in the Baghdad area where scores of people were kidnapped from a government research institute Tuesday.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/11/14/iraq.main/index.html

Story Highlights• NEW: Police brigade commander, police chief among those facing discipline
• NEW: 10 of the kidnapped have been freed, Interior Ministry official says
• As many as 150 men were kidnapped in highly organized raid
• Bombings in Baghdad also kill a dozen people