Gorilla’s Guides

This is part 1 of a 3 part report and analysis it gives the background to the bombing, the bombing itself, and the reactions to it. The sources used are primarily Arabic language reports, some English language reports from KUNA and Aswat Al Iraq and one or two western reports. We also used other sources such Nahrainet and Karbala news - again in Arabic, WNA News reports were also heavily used but not cited directly.

Khaled

The Al-Askariya Shrine

The Al-Askariya Shrine in Samarra one of the most sacred sites for Shiite Muslims in the world was bombed again today. The shrine had recently had responsibility for its protection transferred to special troops of the Ministry of The Interior. (Source: اصوات العراق - تفجير منارتي الاماميين على الهادي وحسن العسكري في سامراء ) The shrine contains the tombs of the 10th Shi’ite Imam Ali l-Hadi (”the guided”) and his son Hassan al-Askari the 11th Shiite imam. The shrine is connected to the shrine of the 12th Shi’te Imam Mohammed al-Mahdi, known as the “hidden imam,” Many Shi’tes believe al-Mahdi will return as a saviour and for this reason you will often hear him referred to as Muhammad “al Muntazar” (”the awaited”). The shrine is considered by Shia Muslims to be one of the holiest places in the world and many make pilgrimages there. Like many places revered by the Shia it was severely damaged in the 1991 uprising and Saddam’s soldiers were frequently photogaphed posed in front of Mosques and Husseiniyahs exulting in the destruction and the humiliation felt by the populace. This coupled with the massive repression unleashed by Saddam in the south remains a source of lasting bitterness.

The bombing of the Askariya Shrine on February 22nd 2006 is widely held to have been the proximate cause for the wave of violence now engulfing Irak. Reactions were strong and as markfromireland documented by translating postings on forums and discussion groups many blamed the Americans for the attack.

The Feruary 22 2006, explosion caused massive damage to the dome further damaging the revered Golden Mosque. Samarra itself has always had reputation as being a tough town. It’s population is largely Sunni therefore at the time of the first bombing the mosque was guarded by guards from the Sunni endowment.

However readers should not assume that the town’s population supported the bombing. Far from it - they were horrified as the photograph to the left showing a local Sunni clergyman and some of his congregation shows.

After the bombing responsibility for security was removed from the endownent and transferred to the police and army. Some months Muqtada Al Sadr greatly enchanced his standing amongst the faithful by organising a massive (and non-sectarian) donation drive and march to the Shrine to expedite rebuilding.

markfromireland

The Attack of June 13th 2007:

Reports on the attack are contradictory and
confused. However It is difficult to see how
the blast pattern seen here is consistent
with a mortar strike.

A larger version of this two photo graphic
has been uploaded to here. (Filesize
55.5k)

Saba Ali, Dubhaltach, markfromireland

Reports on the attack are contradictory and
confused. At the time of writing some reports say the attack was a bombing.That appears to be the most likely explanation.

However several hours after the attack Maliki government spokesmen followed by Maliki himself claimed it was a mortar attack.

Earlier reports such as this one say that the shrine was attacked by bombers and place the attack in the context of threats from extremist groupings to finish the job of demolishing the Mosque which they see as heretical and unIslamic.

This English language report from KUNA would seem to confirm that version of events and quotes a local police source as saying that terrorists had booby-trapped the shrine and detonated the charges demolishing the minarets.

That report would seem to be borne out by the photographic evidence. It is difficult to see how:

1. Mortar strikes from an area denial weapon such as a mortar could have achieved such precision on two relatively small targets.
2. Mortar blasts could have caused the blast pattern shown in the photographs to the left.

Update:

The eyewitness statement in this report says there were exactly 7 minutes between the first and second explosions. Not a barrage so. - mfi.

Source: الصباح الجديد - تداعيات تفجير مأذنتي مرقدي الامامين علي الهادي وحسن العسكري في سامراء

Reaction in Sammara

The reaction was immediate. In Samarra itself there were angry demonstations. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the forces of the Interior commandos assigned to protect the shrine. While eyewitnesses among the city’s residents said that the greenzone government security forces first opened fire on citizens and then imposed a curfew in Samarra until further notice. It is worth mentioning that protection of the shrine is the responsibility of a brigade of paramilitary police, that assumed their   duties in the city two months ago (Source: اصوات العراق - تظاهرة فى سامراء وفرض حظر للتجوال عقب تفجير منارتى الامامين العسكريين ) and that there were reports - now confirmed by this from AFP of tensions between the incoming force and the local forces they replaced.

The area has been heavily fortified since last year’s attack, but according to the witness there had been a row between the security forces on Tuesday.

“Yesterday,a new batch of security force came from Baghdad to take over the security of the shrine from the previous force and there was a row between the two groups which saw some exchange of fire too,” he said.

“Finally, the new force did take up the security. The previous force was local from the town of Tikrit.”

(Source: Minarets of Iraqi Shiite shrine blown up - Yahoo! News )

A large number of Iraqi government and American troops fanned out on streets of the town shortly after the attack and blocked all roads leading to the scene. Authorities also enforced a curfew in the town.

(Link to KUNA : Attack on holy shrine caused by mortar shells — Iraqi TV - Military and Security - 13/06/2007)

Green Zone Government Reaction

The Maliki “inner cabinet” consisting of greenzone government prime minister Maliki, his “National Security Adviser, and the greenzone government ministers of Defense and the Interior, went into emergency session and declared a curfew in Samarra and Baghdad.

There were chaotic traffic scenes in
Baghdad asmotorists tried to
get home in a city whose
major arteries are clogged
and with several bridges
destroyed.

They ordered deployment of green zone government troops and interior ministry commandos in Samarra and ordered more forces onto the streets of Baghdad. Maliki also met the two top American officials in Irak Ryan Crocker and the Commander of American Forces in Iraq US Army General David Petraeus who told Maliki that there was a need:

“to work together” for more political and military action to control any implications of this incident,”  Link to KUNA : US officials urge Maliki for action after Samarras shrine bombing - Politics - 13/06/2007

Crocker and Petraeus then issued a joint statement condemning the attack.

US forces shut down all Sadr city exits leading to central Baghdad with KUNA’s correspondent in Baghdad reporting that he saw: 

US military tanks and bulldozers being stationed, blocking bridges over the waterway that separates Sadr city and central Baghdad.

Iraqi security members jointly with the US forces erected several checkpoints to check pedestrians and vehicles, according to military sources.

Source: KUNA : US forces shut down all Sadr city exits leading to central Baghdad - Military and Security - 13/06/2007

Greenzone government Spokesmen went of the State-owned and run TV station Al Iraqiya. Saying that cracks in the minarets from the previous attack caused the minarets to collapse under mortar bombardment. (Link to KUNA : Attack on holy shrine caused by mortar shells — Iraqi TV - Military and Security - 13/06/2007)

Large demonstrations took place in Sadr city, Najaf, and Karbala, a 3 day indefinite curfew was declared in Baghdad and Sammara. A state of emergency was declared in Najaf. Following massive demonstrations. Whle the educational ministry cancelled all examinations in the light of the curfew. (Source: اصوات العراق - التربية تؤجل الإمتحانات الشاملة إلى الأحد بسبب حظر التجوال في بغداد )

Reaction In Baghdad

Mosques in Sadr city and Kadhimiya called for restraint and declared a state of mourning and made calls for a general strike and shutdown to protest the bombing. (Source: اصوات العراق - المساجد تدعو للاضراب العام في مدينتي الحرية والكاظمية في بغداد ) Sheikh Saleh al-Haidiri, head of the Shiite endowment administrative body responsible for Shiite shrines in Iraq, said that the attack was carried out by terrorists and that:

This criminal act aims to incite sectarian conflict. 

Source: Sotaliraq.com - (Arabic language)

In his statement Muqtada al Sadr “described the occupation as “the hidden hands” attempting to subjugate the Iraki people. He held the American forces and the greenzone government responsible and called on the Iraki people to struggle and defeat Israeli and American schemes, to “sow discord and hatred among the Muslim brotherhood.” Saying that: “No Sunni or Muslim could do such an act,”  he accused foreign troops of plotting to blow up the two minarets. (Source: اصوات العراق - الصدر يدين تفجيرات سامراء ويدعو الى ضبط النفس ) He called upon everyone to demand the removal of American forces and called upon “all the political forces in and outside parliament to take responsibility and put pressure on the government to carry out its duties towards its people” saying that otherwise it has no legitimacy. (Source: اصوات العراق - الصدر يدين تفجيرات سامراء ويدعو الى ضبط النفس ) In a clear reference to the poor security at major Mosques and shrines he went on to say that ”and if no one esle is able to protect them we are,” ( See also Link to: Aswat Aliraq: Sadr denounces Samarra attack, calls for self-restraint)

The most important political development was that Sadrist bloc decided to suspend its participation in the greenzone parliament in protest against the bombing. The spokesman for the parliamentary bloc Nassar al-Rubaie said that:

“The Sadrist bloc decided to suspend its membership in the parliament starting from Wednesday until the two destroyed shrines are rebuilt, along with all other Sunni and Shiite shrines and mosques all over Iraq.” Echoing Muqtada al Sadr (and everyone else) Al-Rubaie said the occupying forces bore responsibility for the attacks and accused them of sowing sedition amongst the Iraki people. (Source: اصوات العراق - الكتلة الصدرية تعلق عضويتها في البرلمان )

In Sadr city itself crowds of angry citizens gathered in the mosques and at Sadrist party offices. Both in the mosques and the political offices Sadrist officials were emphatic in their instructions to their followers not to retaliate. While the Association of Muslim scholars in Iraq (AMSI) which is comprised of a group of Sunni religious leaders generally considered to be very hardline and sectarian condemned the bombing attack on the shrine minarets saying that:

“the occupation forces and the current government bear direct and full responsibility for the bombings.”  
and continued
“The association calls on the Iraqi people to exercise patience and self-restraint and not to give rise to sedition, which serves the interests of the occupying forces and their aides and helps them out of the impasse into they have plunged”

(Source: اصوات العراق - هيئة علماء المسلمين تدين تفجير منارتي الامامين العسكريين في سامراء )

Maliki visited the scene of the
bombing in an attempt to
regain political control
of the situation.

In repsonse both to this chorus of criticism and to vociferous criticism from Najaf (see below) Maliki visited Samarra in an attempt to be seen to be in control of the situation, while Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf ramped up expectations of major activity by the American forces trying to subjugate Irak and their green zone underlings by saying that the green zone “crisis committee” had authorised massive security operations. 

Speaking on Iraki TV he said that investigations were proceeding and that a decision had been made “in the highest quarters” both to “deal strongly with any failure by the security forces who were guarding the place discovered.” and to “eradicate terrorism in Samarra and the surrounding areas.” He added that  “the elite forces of the ministries of interior and defense have been sent to the place” [and that] it was expected that the integration of these forces, and a signigicant security operation would start in Samarra. (Source: اصوات العراق - المالكي زار سامراء.. وتوقعات بعملية أمنية كبيرة في المدينة)

The Iraqi National Accord Movement led by former greenzone Prime Minister and self-confessed CIA asset Iyad Allawi condemned the bombing and warned of the risks of the sectarian sedition accusing outsiders of trying to destabilise Irak. (Source: اصوات العراق - حركة الوفاق الوطني تستنكر تفجيرات سامراء وتحذر من الفتنة الطائفية)

Reaction from Najaf

There were large demonstrations in Najaf (160 km south of Baghdad), the demonstrations started from the Revolution Square (1 km east of Najaf) marched towards the Shrine many carrying placards and shouting insults about the American forces, which they described chiefly responsible for the sectarian violence that has ravaged Irak. Others bore placards condemning the Maliki headed green zone government for complacency and abject failure to live up to their duty to provide security. They demonstrated outside the Ayatollah Sayyid Ali al-Sistani. (Source: اصوات العراق - المالكي يعلن عن تشكيل لجنة أمنية للتحقيق في تفجيرات سامراء )

Grand Ayatollah Ishaq Fayyad

In Najaf the religious authorities isssued strong condemntations it is particularly noteworthy that Grand Ayatollah Ishaq Fayyadwho is normally noted for his “quietist” approach to Iraqi politics and who rarely makes political statements, issued a statement in  which he said he laid the blame primarily on the occupation forces:

“While we condemn this cowardly criminal act that affects the dignity of all Muslims, especially Iraqis we first hold the occupation forces fully responsible for this heinous crime.”

In his statement the Grand Ayatollah said he held Maliki’s government, the greenzone parliament, and all the political blocs guilty of complacency and tolerance and of not taking the necessary measures and serious steps to suppress the terrorists by beating them beating with an iron fist and inflicting the harshest penalties on them for their arrogance and abuse of Irakis calling for these measures to be implemented now and publicly as “a lesson for them and for others.” The Grand Ayatollah’s statement said that:

“While we had hoped that the government would take the necessary measures to rebuild the Mosques and rid the holy city of Samarra rid of criminals and restore security and stability we are surprised by this painful news which makes the hearts of all Muslims in the world bleed, and therefore we call on the government to find a quick solution to this problem without [further]complacency.”

He went on to call upon the Iraqi people of all sects and classes to maintain calm and stability and security and not to allow the bombing to become a “tragic excuse” for attacking the innocent and not tp allow the enemies of Irak to fuel the flames of war between the sections of Iraki society. (Source: اصوات العراق - الفياض يستنكر تفجيرات سامراء ويحمل القوات الأمريكية المسؤولية )

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani issued a statement calling on Irakis to behave with “calm and restraint”. The Grand Ayatollah expressed  ”outrage and condemnation of this outrage,” and expressed his “deep regret for the inaction of the authorities responsible for carrying out its duties in protecting the shrine.” The statement quoted Sistani as saying :

“We call upon beloved believers to show in these turbulent times more patience and restraint and to avoid taking any retaliatory action that targets innocent people and other holy places.”

Ali Al-Sharafi condemned the bombing on behalf of the Hawza saying that the “malicious hands” that destroyed the shrine of Sheikh Abdul Kader al-Kilani, were the same as the hands that attacked the shrine in Samarra. While Grand Ayatollah Hakim, called upon the Maliki government to work on rebuilding quickly and to take firm stand to uproot terrorists and their Ba’athist and Al Qaeda supporters. (Source: اصوات العراق - السيستاني يستنكر تفجيرات سامراء ويدعو العراقيين الى التهدئة وضبط النفس ) Ayatollah al-Modaressi said that the “multinational force” bore full responsibility for the explosions in Samarra and demanded that the government “take prompt action before the situation explodes, leading to a situation that nobody wants.” (Source: اصوات العراق - المدرسي يحمل القوات المتعددة الجنسيات مسؤولية تفجيرات سامراء )

Further Reactions

There were denunciations of the attack from all sides. The maybe outgoing/maybe not outgoing speaker of the greenzone parliament strongly condemed the “criminal assault suffered by the tombs of the two Imams Hadi and Hassan military in Samarra,” and drew an analogy to the recent attack on the Abdel-Qader Al-Qilani mosque bombing. The greenzone president Kurdish spearatist politician Talabani denounced the attack as a “heinous crime”.

The Islamic Party condemned the bombings as the actions of ”criminals and hacks” working for foreign and regional intelligence services and called upon the Iraqi people to ”become fully aware of the insidious scheme, which aims to dismember the people [the unity of the people of Irak - mfi]” the part went on to calling on all the religious authorities and political parties in government to be held accountable and said that the media should also held accountable for any failure to “bury sedition”. The statement concluded by calling for calm. (Link to اصوات العراق - الطالباني والمشهداني والألوسي والحزب الإسلامي يدينون تفجير المرقدين ) The Commission on Defense and Security in the greenzone House of Representatives in their statement pointed out that the area surrounding the shrine had been closed and controlled by the Interior ministry commandos for several months, that the Commission had “alerted the government and security ministers, earlier, on the adverse situation in Samarra … and had demanded that the government send additional reinforcements to the  city. (Link to اصوات العراق - الطالباني والمشهداني والألوسي والحزب الإسلامي يدينون تفجير المرقدين )

Current Situation In Sammara

The city remains under curfew. All access to the city is blocked. There are a large number of American and green zone government troops deployed througout the city. Snipers have been posted on rooves throughout the town and are shooting at anyone seen on the streets several people are reported to have been wounded:

“a large number of snipers from the forces of the Interior commandos and American forces are spread on the roofs of high buildings in the city … They shoot at any moving object, several civilians [have been] seriously injured.”

Source: اصوات العراق - استمرار حظر التجوال في سامراء.. وجرح خمسة مدنيين وخطف ثلاثة

Reprisals

Three Sunni mosques in Al Iskandriyah (city of Alexandria, north of Hilla, south of Baghdad) were bombed hours after the bombing of the two minarets of the Golden shrine in Samarra. The Grand Iskandriyah Mosque, the Hiteen Mosque and the Abdullah Mosque were demolished by armed gangs who forced their way into the mosques planted bombs and detonated them as they left. It is not konwn if there were casualties because of the attacks. Source: اصوات العراق - نسف ثلاثة جوامع في مدينة الاسكندرية شمال الحلة

This is the end of part 1 - Part 2 is here: Reports From Irak June 13 2007 Summarised From Arabic Part 2 - Part 3 is here :