Basra "Surge" update
Overview:
Parts of Basra were relatively quiet in the morning following the withdrawal of some fighters to the outskirts of the city however much of the city is seeing intensifying armed clashes. Eyewitness reports say that groups of Mahdi Army withdrew to the outskirts of the city after GZG forces backed by British tanks and US warplanes tried to eradicate them from areas that are strongholds of the Mahdi Army. Some witnesses confirmed that a group of the Mahdi Army captured two vehicles belonging to the GZG army type there are reliable reports that GZG barracks have been overrun.
One of our members in the city says that withdrawals appear to have been planned long before as part of a defense in depth strategy. Our members and contacts in city say that there is still a lot fighting going on. They also say that reports in the British media that british troops and aircraft are not involved in the fighting is a flat out lie and that British tanks are heavily involved. .
Udpate: The American war criminal Bush whose death squad in uniform called the U.S. armed forces are still trying to subjugate Irak and who have murdered innumerable Iraki Children women and men calls the carnage a “positive moment” you can read what he has to say for himself to the UK Times newspaper here. Tahseen al-Sheikhli one of the two main spokesmen for the “surge” was unavailable for comment because he has been kidnapped.
Editors’ note: these are only some of many reports. Most of the links are to Arabic postings made here today or to Arabic sources.
Basra Governorate
Basrah police command escapes assassination 3 bodyguards killed.
One British soldier killed. Situation relatively quite during the morning following what appears to be a planned withdrawal by Mahdi army fighters from parts of the city – see lead above.
The pipeline at Zubair west of Basrah has been blown up. This is a major pipeline one of only two main trunks for exports and was heavily protected. The scale of this disaster for SIIC (SCIRI) and the GZG if it cannot be very fast repaired cannot be understated.
Salih Hmoud, head of the Iraki Red Crescent Society’s office in Basrah said the situation was deteriorating by the minute. He confirmed Red Crescent workers and vehicles have been attacked.
UPDATE: Red crescent volunteers known to us in Basrah confirm this. They also say that a lot of Red Crescent volunteers are disobeying instructions to stay under cover and are trying to help the wounded.
Reports Of Mass Executions of Prisoners By GZG Forces In Kut and Basrah:
As posted below al Zaman is reporting the wholesale killing of prisoners by GZG special forces in Kut and Basrah:
“wholesale executions have occurred in several regions of southern Iraq, particularly Basra and Kut carried out by the battalions that were invited by Maliki from Karbala to Basra these are battalions of guards that are stationed there and been accused of human rights violations in Karbala.”
More of these “special troops” arrived in Basrah this morning.
Other Human Rights Reports:
1) Baha Mousa: UK Government apologises:
The Government will admit breaching the human rights of Iraqi Baha Mousa who died while in British custody in Basra, Defence Secretary Des Browne said today.
The Ministry of Defence will also admit breaching the rights of eight other Iraqi men who have brought a civil case in the British courts, he told MPs.
Today’s announcement – more than four years after Mr Mousa’s death – opens the door to unlimited compensation pay-outs to his family, and to the eight men.
In a written statement, Mr Browne said that in relation to the claim by Mr Mousa’s family, the Government would admit “substantive breaches” of parts of the European Convention on Human Rights which protect the right to life and prohibit torture.
Read in full: Baha Mousa: Government apologises – UK Politics, UK – Independent.co.uk:
2) Classified memo from US Maj. Gen. Kelly confirms Fallujah Gulag
Political manoeuvres
As we report below (الصدر يدعو المالكي الى مغادرة البصرة) Al Sadr has demanded that Maliki to leave Basrah. In response Maliki who is in Basrah to oversee operations said he would negotiates with “bandits” he also did his usual Dick Cheney glove puppet impersonation of accusing “neighbouring states” of interfering (code for Iran) and “demanded” they desist.
Update: The Sadrists have called for a series of massive demonstrations in Baghdad. Announcements are being broadcast from the mosques calling on inhabitants to leave their places of work, close their businesses, and join the protest marches.
The GZG parliament did not muster enough votes to discuss the crisis in the southern governorates.
UPdate: The demonstrations are HUGE:
Attempt to mediate by Grand Ayatollah Modaressi.
Not successful says needs more time and will try again.
Electricity Situation:
There is now no electricity in most of Irak because of attacks on power lines in particular the ones from Hilla. The GZG electricity ministry claim they are hopeful to be able to fix this in two days. The second largest refinery in Irak at Shuaiba which produces 160,000 BPD for the domestic market has been forced to close down because there is no electricity.
Baghdad:
By midday March 26th 2008 – hospitals in Baghdad reported civilians casualties from the American attacks on Sadr city as 20 dead 239 wounded. Mostly women and children. Such as the boy you see to the left. Many of the wounded are not expected to survive.
The Americans continue to prevent both doctors and ambulances from entering Sadr city.
They are also preventing ambulances from leaving the city.
Normally very reliable sources say the Americans have fired on ambulances and other vehicles trying to take wounded out of the city.
Two Soldiers from the American army still trying to subjugate Irak were killed in Baghdad.
Missile attacks on the green zone wounded 3 or 5 Americans depending on who you believe.
Mortar attacks in Nle and al-Resala killed 7 and wounded 23.
The green zone also is being shelled.
In Karrada 4 were killed and 5 wounded by mortar attacks. Another person was killed by shooting, 5 were wounded in that shooting attack.
UPDATE: Karrada is under curfew and there are very heavy forces to try to stop people attacking it and the homes of the SIIC leadership there.
UPdate: At least 2 further people were killed in ongoing American attacks on Sadr city this afternoon evening reports of wounded vary the minimum number is 8.
There are massive demonstations throughout Baghdad against the Americans and the puppet government in the green zone.
There has been major incidents of violence in the following districts – al-Amil, Fudhailiya, al-Hurriyah, Iskhan, Kamiliya, Mashtal, al-Rustumiyah Sadr, City, al Shula, al-Shurta, Ur, Washash. Many incidents in rest of Baghdad and outlyingh areas also.
UPDATE The Americans and the Badr brigade are trying to stop people getting into or out of Khazimiyah.
Sources: Radio reports & Team members.
Gunmen attacked the home of the commander of logistics for GZG forces and burnt it to the ground, the report says the family were rescued by GZG special forces.
The Guardian is reporting that a British SAS soldier was killed in Baghdad.
In a show of force Mahdi army fighters in the “New Baghdad” area completely cut off the main highway and main roads. Our member who live in area says that this was done as a warning of what they would do if attacked.
UPDATE There is fighting in al-Shula Mahdi army fighters stormed the GZG checkpoint controlling access to the district forcing the GZG “elite” troops and police to flee. The American outpost there is under attack.
UPDATE: GZG spokesmen in Baghdad say that 66 GZG troops and five gzg officers have been killed so far.
UPDATE: The American base in . al-Rustumiyah (SothEast Baghdad) is coming under repeated attack.
UPDATE Local sources confirm Aswat al Irak fighting throughout ALL northest Baghdad. UPDATE 2 Locals confirmed several GZG vehicles seized and set alight. Figfting described by them as “intensifying” contradicting Aswat al Iraks report that heavy American air presence calmed the situation down..
UPDATE Sources in al-Shula say that many police stations and checkpoints have been stormed an overrun we do not have reports of police survivors.
UPDATE GZG is trying to impose curfews they appear to have little success in this.
UPDATE GZG Baghdad spokesman saying 19 dead and 307 wounded.
Al Anbar Governorate
There is a massive security clampdown throughout al Anbar as the GZG authorities there fear that the fighting in the south of the country will spread to the governorate. In Fallujah itself where residents have neither forgotten nor forgiven the brutal American rape of the city and where there is considerable goodwill to the Mahdi army who sent fighters and weapons to help defend the city there is a campaign being organised by the mosques and civil organisations for residents to donate blood for people wounded in the fighting in Basrah.
At-Ta’mim (Kirkuk) Governorate
A Peshmerga officer and 3 bodyguards killed Kirkuk.
Babil Governorate
More than 60 people allegedly all armed were killed in the American aerial bombardment of Al-Askari and Nader in central Hilla but there is a problem:
The problem is that it is a lie. It a STUPID lie. It’s the sort of STUPID LIE that only an American military spokesman would tell.
Were you stupid enough to believe anything the Americans are saying about them knowingly killing women and children?
The attack was by Apache aircraft on al-Askari, Ahmed Nader and Muhaizem neighbourhoods.
And according to the the American spokesman the people killed were 60 gunmen.
Gunmen like the children in the screen grab with caption from the Sadrist site nahrainet that you see to the left.
Al Askari, Ahmed Nader, and Muhaizem are all heavily populated areas.
It is physically impossible to heavily bombard a densely populated civilian area without killing a lot civilians.
The Americans killed a lot of civilians.
Civilians like the women and children you see to the left. The caption incidentally cites “dozens” of dead women and children.
Eyewitness accounts speak of seeing 25 bodies, including many women and children. They also talk of 35 people being evacauted as seriously wounded and that again many if not most of these were women and children. Two doctors in the local hospital who refused to be identified said to one of our local correspondents that many of these were expected to die.
According to local people the scale of destruction is enormous, they speak of families being wiped out, there are reports of 6 houses turned to rubble, many other houses rendered uninhabitable and of multiple secondary explosions from the fuel tanks in cars.
It is worth noting that an American base is nearby. It is also worth noting that the local police are members of the Badr brigade and that they have repeatedly been reported as committing serious atrocities in the three neighbourhoods which are very deprived even by present day Iraki standards and are overwhelmingly Sadrist.
عربي
قال مصدر أمني مسؤول في محافظة بابل، إن مروحيات تابعة للقوات المتعدد للجنسيات قصف مواقع يتحصن فيها مسلحون في احياء وسط مدينة الحلة، ما اسفر عن مقتل اكثر من (60) مسلحا فيما اكد المتحدث باسماء المتعددة الجنسيات عملية القصف، مبينا انها تمت بناء على “طلب من القوات العراقية.”
وأوضح المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن أسمه، للوكالة المستقلة للأنباء (أصوات العراق) أن “مروحيات تابعة للقوات المتعددة الجنسيات قصفت مساء اليوم (الاربعاء)مواقع يتحص فيها مسلحون داخل احياء (العسكري) و(أحمد نادر) و(محيزم) وسط مدينة الحلة، ما اسفر عن مقتل (60) مسلحا، وتدمير عدد من المنازل السكنية”.
من جانبه، اكد المستشار الاعلامي في قوات التحالف عبد اللطيف ريان (Abdellatif Rayan) عملية القصف، مبينا انها تمت “بناء على طلب للمساعدة من قبل القوات العراقية التي كانت تشتبك مع مسلحين من المجاميع الخاصة.”
واضاف ريان ان التقارير الاولية لعملية القصف، تشير الى مقتل عدد من المسلحين، وان “اكتمال عملية جمع المعلومات ستتيح لنا تحديد عدد المسلحين الذين قتلوا بالتحديد.”
وتجددت الاشتباكات ، عصر الأربعاء، بين القوات الأمنية وبين مجاميع مسلحة في مركز المدينة وبعض الأحياء المحيطة بمدينة الحلة.
وقال مصدر في شرطة بابل في وقت سابق، إن اشتباكات دارت، مساء الثلاثاء، بين قوات من الجيش العراقي ومسلحين في منطقة (حي الزهراء) وسط مدينة الحلة، أسفرت عن إصابة ثلاثة من عناصر الجيش إثر احتراق العجلة (همر) التي كانوا يستقلونها.
وكانت شرطة بابل فرضت حظرا للتجوال، بعد ظهر (الثلاثاء)، في مدينة الحلة (مركز المحافظة) وتوابعها، تحسبا لأي حوادث على خلفية المواجهات المسلحة التي نشبت في محافظة البصرة جنوبي العراق بين القوات الحكومية وعناصر من (جيش المهدي).
وقال شهود عيان من مدينة الحلة لـ ( أصوات العراق) إن اشتباكات مسلحة اندلعت بين قوات الأمن ومسلحين، قبل غروب شمس (الثلاثاء). مشيرين إلى أنهم سمعوا أصوات المدافع الرشاشة ودوي عدة انفجارات في منطقتي الشاوي والإسكان (وسط الحلة)، فضلا عن تحليق طائرات في سماء المدينة.
اصوات العراق – مقتل اكثر من (60) مسلحا بقصف جوي لاحياء وسط الحلة
GZG spokesment say three members of the “elite” Scorpio Brigade were wounded in the fighting in Hilla and 11 wounded.
UPDATE: The GZG governor is trying negotiate with Sadrist leadership in Hilla. Local sources the fighting is as heavy as ever.
Dhi Qar Governorate
GZG police fought off an assault on a GZG police station north of Nasiriyah they also managed to defuse a bomb at the town centre.
Karbala Governorate
Large demonstrations against the GZG in the city.
Maysan Governorate
Two GZG soldiers killed in republic bridge area central Amarah three GZG armoured vehicles destroyed. UPdate: Two civilan killed 7 wounded in crossfire. UPDATE 2: Confirm Locals say the GZG forces were trying to seize control of the bridge and failed.
UPDATE: The SIIC offices in Amarah have been set on fire. Local radio say it was attacked with RPGs.
Muthanna Governorate
We have been unable to contact any of our sources in the governorate.
Najaf Governorate
UPDATE Najaf is under curfew since this afternoon.
Qadisiyyah Governorate
We have been unable to contact any of our sources in the governorate.
Wasit Governorate
Fighting in the centre of Kut has led to the death of a policeman and the wounding six others in addition to the deaths of civilians and destruction of some apartment buildings, shops and civilian vehicles were also destroyed in the renewed fighting between the Mahdi army and the GZG forces in the city. The governor and those GZG police who have survived are under siege in the governor’s mansion. Large parts of the city appears to be now completely under Mahdi army control. The GZG commander in the city claims that the city is under control and admits that most of the 40 dead and 75 wounded were civilians especially women and children. Our sources in the hospital says the casualties are much higher than that and that the majority of them are women and children. Another source in the city says that GZG forces are most emphatically not in control and that the fighting is very heavy. Sadrist leaders have said they are fighting in self defense and against attacks by Americans backed up by GZG forces:
what is happening in the province is self-defense by the Mahdi Army against the occupation forces but unfortunately, that Iraqi forces participated along with the occupation forces to fight their fellow (Iraki) followers of the Sadrist trend.
They deny heavy losses among JAM fighters although the figure only one killed is not credible.
Update:
ALL Baghdad under strict curfew until Sunday morning
UPDATE: Dr. Najem Abdullah reported murdered in Basrah.
UPDATE: heavu fighting in Nasiriya
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