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Protests in Basra

By TChris, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Sep 21, 2005 at 01:21:24 PM EST
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by TChris

Tony Blair's decision to use force to free two British soldiers who were arrested in Iraq hasn't endeared him to the Iraqi police.

Hundreds of Iraqi civilians and policemen, some waving pistols and AK-47s, rallied Wednesday in the southern city of Basra to denounce "British aggression" in the rescue of two British soldiers.

The Basra governor threatened to end all cooperation with British forces unless Prime Minister Tony Blair's government apologizes for the deadly clash with Iraqi police. Britain defended the raid.

British and U.S. forces hope at some point to turn security concerns over to Iraq, but this incident reveals that the plan (if there is one) won't be easy to implement.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie, a Shiite politician who has criticized the British raid as "a violation of Iraqi sovereignty," acknowledged that one problem coalition forces face is that insurgents have joined the ranks of security forces.

"Iraqi security forces in general, police in particular, in many parts of Iraq, I have to admit, have been penetrated by some of the insurgents, some of the terrorists as well," he said in an interview with the BBC on Tuesday night.

Nor will it be easy for British forces to continue operating in Basra.

Several hours after the protest, Basra's provincial council held an emergency meeting and voted unanimously "to stop dealing with the British forces working in Basra and not to cooperate with them because of their irresponsible aggression on a government facility."

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    Protests in Basra | 7 comments (7 topical)
    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:09 PM EST
    Al-Sadr has gained more power from the incident. The event was precipitated by the arrest of "a prominent close associate.. Shaykh Ahmad al-Fartusi was arrested in his house along with his brother and a third man. " What may seem odd to some here (ppj et al) and is indicitative of al-Sadr's integrity as a resistance leader following in his father's footsteps.
    An internet posting that represented itself as coming from the organization supposedly led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, variously called Monotheism and Holy War and "al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia", said Tuesday that its war on the Shiites made an exception for those Shiite groups that opposed US and British occupation of Iraq. These included the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr, Shaikh Jawad al-Khalisi, and Shaikh Mahmud al-Hassani.
    He will have nothing to do with al-Zarqawi:
    Riyadh al-Nuri, a spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr, said that Zarqawi's exemption of the Sadrists from attack was an attempt to sow dissension in the ranks of the Shiites. Al-Nuri said that the Sadrists consider al-Qaeda and Zarqawi "their most diehard enemies" and that "were he to fall into the hands of the Sadrists they would tear him limb from limb."
    Juan Cole

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:09 PM EST
    Some more information on what happened in Basra. from CNN
    National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie told CNN it was "a most unfortunate" incident. "It is a serious violation of sovereignty if MNF has raided a police station," National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie told CNN in a phone interview, referring to the multinational forces. Two people in Arabic-style clothing, in a car and heavily armed, had been arrested by police because they could not verify their identity as British soldiers. "They were taken to the police station and kept in custody to verify their identity," said al-Rubaie. The Interior Ministry contacted the Basra governor to release the two detainees because they had received confirmation that they were British soldiers and there were negotiations to secure their release. There the Iraqi and multinational versions of the story diverge, al-Rubaie said. "The multinational forces said when they arrived at the police station the soldiers were moved to the private residence of a militia leader. "Our story is that this is an annex to the police station and used for detaining people, hence the British troops went into that location and freed them." "We work together. Who is in charge here? We are saying that it is a violation of sovereignty if multinational forces have raided a police station," he said.
    Al Jazeera reports five deaths, at least one a police officer. The British government is yet to comment on the accusation that their forces were responsible, which the Iraqis say is the case, or even to offer condolences and an apology. It's been apparent since the day 'major combat operations' were proclaimed to be over. The occupation of Iraq is the problem not the solution.

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#3)
    by squeaky on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:09 PM EST
    and this from al-Sadr:
    The two Britons that were arrested had in their possession explosives and remote-control devices, as well as light and medium weapons and other accessories.
    And what were they doing disguised as arabs with all the accouterments of "terrorists"?

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#4)
    by desertswine on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:10 PM EST
    And what were they doing disguised as arabs with all the accouterments of "terrorists"?
    That's the question... exactly what were these SAS men up to? I suggest that they may have been on an assassination assignment.

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#5)
    by Che's Lounge on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:10 PM EST
    Or just a mayhem assignment. Must be one of those hearts-and-minds type of ops.

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#6)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:10 PM EST
    Seems logical these guys were running a mayhem mission...and the evidence was damning enough to go all out on their rescue. We have met the terrorists...and they is us.

    Re: Protests in Basra (none / 0) (#7)
    by Dadler on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:04:13 PM EST
    If you want a good take on the current state of Iraq, from a reporter on the ground there for two year, then check out the latest entry at Back-to-Iraq.

    Protests in Basra | 7 comments (7 topical)