Gorilla’s Guides

January 5th 2007 Evening News Translated and Summarised From Arabic

These are the main security incidents reported in the independent Iraqi news agency Aswat Al Iraq in Arabic early evening January 5th 2007 translated and summarised from Arabic.

Anbar

Fallujah:

Incidents reported from Fallujah.

American Tank Destroyed:

 The American Army of Occupation admitted today, Friday, that a tank had been destroyed by an explosion in Fallujah, Anbar. The tank was part of a patrol that tanks and Hummer’s that was into Arbaieen street. The patrol was ambushed and the tank was set ablaze by the resistance figthers using an RPG. Streets in the neighbourhood were sealed off by the occupation forces following the attack. No reports of casulaties as yet.

Link to Aswat al Iraq [Arabic]

Iraqi Tank Destroyed:

 An armoured patrol of Iraqi troops loyal to the green zone government was attacked by resistance fighters using a roadside bomb which they detonated as the patrol passed. The tank was destroyed. It is known that there some of the Iraqi soldiers were killed and others wounded but figures are not yet known. The patrol called for help from the American occupation forces in the city who sealed off the neighbourhood.

Earlier in the day an armoured American Army of occupation patrol was attacked by resistance fighters. An American tank was destroyed during that attack.

Link to Aswat al Iraq [Arabic]

Diyala

Incidents reported from Diyala

Khalis :

Two civilians have been killed and two others when their vilage was attacked by an armed group attacked a village in the south of Khalis. The district has been the scene of several security incidents recently most notably:

• The abduction and killing of 9 construction labourers.
• The abduction and slaughter of 7 pilgrims return from Meccah including Haji Sheikh Ghazi Al Dulaimi, one of the signatories of the Mecca concord to outlaw the shedding of Iraqi blood.

Link to Aswat al Iraq [Arabic]

Baqubah:

Two green zone government Army Iraqi soldiers died in a bombing attack on their patrol on the main road north of Baqubah.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

 

Babil (Babylon Governorate)

Incidents reported from Babil.

Hilla (Al Hillah) American Base Attacked

The American Army of Occupation base underwent a bombardment of 7 mortar shells according to Iraqi green zone government police.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

Hilla (Al Hillah) Arrests

Green zone government Interior Ministry forces (Scorpion Brigade) claim to have arrested 4 armed men one of whom is suspected of being a member of Tawhid.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

English Language Reports From Aswat Al Iraq

Kurdish politician: timing of Saddam’s execution was wrong
Baghdad, Jan 5, (VOI) – A leading Kurdish politician said on Friday the timing of former president Saddam Hussein’s execution was wrong and created problems for Iraq.

“I think the timing of executing Saddam was wrong because it took place on the first day of Eid al-Adha. It has created many needless problems for us in the Arab and Islamic worlds,” Kurdish legislator Mahmoud Othman told al-Arabiya satellite television.

Othman, speaking from London, did not elaborate on the problems.

Saddam’s execution at dawn on Saturday, the first day of the Moslem Eid, drew widespread condemnation in Arab and Islamic countries. Saddam had been convicted of involvement in the killing of 148 Iraqis in the village of Dujail after a failed attempt on his life.

“Expediting the execution was also wrong because the government did not allow time to conclude the Anfal trial. He (Saddam) was the main defendant in this trial and he could have revealed things that happened then internally and externally,” he added.

He was referring to Saddam’s second trial in which he was accused of crimes against humanity for ordering the use of chemical weapons in Kurdish areas in a campaign which claimed some 182,000 Kurds in 1988.

“What is important for the Kurdish people is that the whole world should be aware of the crimes of the previous regime in order to be able to say that Saddam deserved the death sentence,” Othman said, adding that Iraqi president Jalal al-Talabani had no prior knowledge of the timing of the execution.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

Falluja-U.S.-Update 1
U.S. army admits tank destroyed in Falluja

(Adds U.S. statement, changing dateline)
Baghdad, Jan 5, (VOI) – The U.S. army in Iraq on Friday admitted that one of its tanks was destroyed in a blast in Falluja, Anbar province, but said there were no casualties.

“A Marine tank struck an improvised explosive device today in Falluja. The tank was severely damaged and caught fire, but no casualties to Coalition force members have been reported,” the army said in a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
“Marines cordoned the area and established security around the damaged vehicle in order to protect local citizens and begin recovery of the vehicle,” the statement added.

Earlier in the day, a security source said that a U.S. tank was set on fire in an ambush by gunmen against a U.S. patrol in central Falluja.
“The patrol included tanks and Hummer vehicles, which were pushing deep into Arbaieen Street at 11:00 a.m. today,” the source told VOI.
The gunmen “attacked the patrol with an RPG missile, completely destroying a tank,” said the source, adding the U.S. forces quickly sealed off the area.

Falluja, one of the most restive cities of the Anbar province, is witnessing daily armed operations against U.S. troops stationed in more than one base there.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

 

Bush phones Maliki over situation in Iraq after Saddam hanging

Washington, Jan 5, (VOI) – U.S. President George Bush discussed over phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki the situation in Iraq after the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein, the White House said on Friday.

“The President today had about an hour-and-forty-five minute secure video teleconference call with Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq. It was scheduled for an hour, went for an hour-and-forty-five,” the White House spokesman Tony Snow told a news conference.

“They discussed the current situation in Iraq, including the execution of Saddam Hussein. The President… expressed that it was the right thing to do to investigate the taping and behavior at the execution of Saddam Hussein.

“And the Prime Minister agreed and said that the political parties were pained at the filming and the release, and they were taking a look at punishing those responsible,” Tony said.

Details of the news conference were posted on the White House website.

Several Arab, Moslem and western countries have expressed resentment at the timing of Saddam’s execution at the dawn of the first day of the Moslem Eid al-Adha (Bairam) and the taunting of Saddam on the gallows which was filmed by a mobile phone camera.

The deposed president was executed on Saturday for crimes against humanity in the village of al-Dujail, where nearly 148 people were slain in 1982. Saddam’s body was buried in his hometown of al-Awja, near Tikrit in northern Iraq.

Snow said that Bush and Maliki “spent a lot of time talking about the way forward in Iraq. The President did not unveil a new way forward.”

“And they talked at great length about the most important thing, which is winning. And they define winning the same way, which is to have an Iraq, where the Iraqis themselves can sustain, govern, and defend themselves, where they can handle the security operations,” he added.

Maliki stressed his determination to go after anybody responsible for violence.

“That would include not only insurgent groups and Saddam loyalists, but also militias within Iraq. And he expressed confidence that his government is gaining greater capability — not only on the military side, but the governance side. And so that was kind of the general gist of the conversation,” Snow told reporters.

The video conference between Bush and Maliki came amid news reports that the U.S. President was putting the final touches on a new Iraq strategy that includes replacing the U.S. ambassador to Iraq and increasing the U.S. troops in Iraq and especially in Baghdad.

Source: Aswat al Iraq

 

U.S. civilian, 2 Iraqi interpreters kidnapped in Basra

By Malik Saadoun
(Adds details, background)

Basra, Jan 5, (VOI) – A U.S. civilian and two Iraqi interpreters were kidnapped in northern Basra while the fate of four Americans and an Austrian kidnapped weeks earlier is still unknown, the Basra police chief said.

“The American and two Iraqis kidnapped today morning in the area of Bawabat al-Basra were coming to Basra from the province of Misan in a civilian vehicle,” maj. general Mohammed Hamadi al-Musawi told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).

Musawi said the whereabouts of the kidnapped could not be known.

A self-styled Saraya al-Furqan group had said it is detaining four Americans and an Austrian abducted in Safwan, southwest of Basra, when they were entering Iraqi territories from Kuwait on November 17, 2006.

The organization requested the release of all Iraqis inside American jails in Iraq in return for freeing the five foreign hostages.

Brig. Ali Ibrahim, Chairman of the trilateral security committee in Basra, told VOI on Thursday that Iraqis’ efforts in search of the five kidnapped persons ceased after British forces blew up the criminal department building in Basra a fortnight ago.

The Britons said their attack on the building came after tips that scores of people remanded in custody were to be executed.
The Dubai-based al-Arabia news channel had televised on Wednesday a videotape showing the kidnapped four Americans and the Austrian speaking. Looking in a healthy shape, they said they were treated well by their kidnappers

Source: Aswat al Iraq

 

Reports From Non-Iraqi Agencies

McClatchy Newspapers Roundup of violence in Iraq - 5 January 2007

By Mohammed al Awsy

McClatchy Newspapers

The daily Iraq violence report is compiled by McClatchy Newspapers Special Correspondent Mohammed al Awsy in Baghdad from police, military and medical reports. This is not a comprehensive list of all violence in Iraq, much of which goes unreported. It’s posted without editing as transmitted to McClatchy’s Washington Bureau.

Baghdad.

– at 3:30 this afternoon mortars fell in AL ZAFARANIYAH area of southern Baghdad at a local market, killing 5 civilians and injuring another 15 .

– at 6 o’clock this evening mortars fell in AL AMIL AREA of western Baghdad, 2 civilians were injured .

– today 12 bodies were found in Baghdad: 2 sadr city, 2 dora, 2 amil, 2 jihad, 2 hurriyah, 1 kadhemiyah, 1 abu atsheer.

Tikrit.

– according to brigadier IEDAN AL JUBORI head of the operation room in naynawa, unknown gunmen opened fire at colonel MIZAHIM YOUNIS, head of criminal investigations in naynawa, killing him and his guard while they were in an unmarked car in al eqtisadieen area north west of mosul city.

– according to a security source from al dour police, Iraqi interior commandos in Samarra city made a raid on ABU KHADO village south of dour town. the source said after that the mosques in the area started saying allahu akbar [god is great] by the mosques loud speakers as a sign to residents to retaliate for the attack.

DIYALA province .

– according to a source from the operation room in diyala province, this afternoon 3 Iraqi army soldiers were killed when they were attacked by unknown gunmen near baqouba’s main market.

Source: McClatchy Washington Bureau | 01/05/2007 | Roundup of violence in Iraq - 5 January 2007

Reuters (Alertnet)

Democrats urge Bush not to increase troops in Iraq
05 Jan 2007 18:19:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The top two leaders of the new Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress urged President George W. Bush on Friday to not increase U.S. troops in Iraq. “Adding more …  Full article

US general does not see American troops in Somalia
05 Jan 2007 17:36:59 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Kristin Roberts WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - A U.S. general seen by some as a contender to lead the Pentagon’s Africa operations said on Friday he does not expect American troops to go into …  Full article

Iran exile says Tehran steps up efforts in Iraq
05 Jan 2007 17:07:01 GMT
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Iran has sharply increased its efforts to fan sectarian violence in Iraq in recent months, easily transferring money and arms across the Iraqi border, an opponent of the …  Full article

FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, Jan 5
05 Jan 2007 16:56:34 GMT
Source: Reuters
Jan 5 (Reuters) - Following are security developments in Iraq as of 1645 GMT on Friday: * indicates a new or updated entry BASRA - An American civilian contractor of Iraqi origin and two Iraqi …  Full article

Bush begins reshuffle before policy shift on Iraq
05 Jan 2007 16:35:01 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Recasts with Bush nominates Negroponte, McConnell) By Ibon Villelabeitia BAGHDAD, Jan 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday nominated former Baghdad envoy John Negroponte to be …  Full article

FACTBOX-Bush shuffles advisers ahead of Iraq plan
05 Jan 2007 16:27:03 GMT
Source: Reuters
Jan 5 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush has replaced many of the top U.S. officials responsible for prosecuting the Iraq war, and he is expected to further revamp the team that will carry out his …  Full article

Bush launches high-level overhaul of Iraq team
05 Jan 2007 16:16:50 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Jan 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush launched a high-level overhaul on Friday of his Iraq team before outlining a shift in course in the unpopular war next …  Full article

FACTBOX-Foreign hostages in Iraq
05 Jan 2007 14:04:26 GMT
Source: Reuters
Jan 5 (Reuters) - An American civilian contractor and two Iraqi translators have been taken hostage near the southern Iraqi city of Basra, Iraqi officials in Basra said on Friday. More than 200 …  Full article

EU condemns death penalty as Iraq executions loom
05 Jan 2007 14:00:26 GMT
Source: Reuters
BERLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - The European Union presidency condemned the death penalty on Friday, as speculation mounted that the Iraqi government would soon execute Saddam Hussein’s two co-defendants …  Full article

Source: Reuters AlertNet - Newsdesk

AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush named a new spy chief and filled a critical diplomatic vacancy as he put the last touches on a retooled Iraq strategy that critics charge may escalate the war.

Bush, expected to unveil his new plan as early as Wednesday, nominated director of national intelligence John Negroponte to be US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s deputy — a key post vacant since July 2006.

Source AFP: Read in Full

Indexed under: Al Anbar (Governorate), Aswat Al Iraq - News, Baghdad, Basrah, Diyala, Fallujah