Baghdad mayor says gunmen ousted him from office

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/KHA941525.htm

Baghdad mayor says gunmen ousted him from office

BAGHDAD, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The mayor of Baghdad said on Tuesday he was ousted on Monday after 120 gunmen surrounded his office and installed the city's governor in his place.

Alaa al-Tamimi told Reuters he wasn't at the office at the time but the gunmen installed Baghdad Governor Hussein al-Tahhan in his place. His account of events could not be immediately confirmed.

"I am appointed by the state. I handed in my resignation three times because I knew there would be trouble. Acts like these set a very dangerous precedent for a country that wants to be free and democratic," Tamimi said.

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[SoCalDem]

Mommeeeeeee, the mean man ousted me.. can I have a cookie

and a nap:(

[TroglodyteScholar]

1. Freedom is on the march...

...meanwhile, back in Crawford....

[Divernan]

2. Mayor was secular appointee; governor is Shiite;Baghdad in chaos.

I really think Condoleeza should get her little butt over there and personally get things turned around before she mouths off anymore about how the "insurgents" are running out of steam. On another thread in breaking news we learn that Baghdad is concurrently the site of a major car-bombing attack on US troop vehicles; and shootings of EIGHT Iraqi police officers, six of whom were asleep in their vehicle, with their weapons piled in the back.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

5. they tried that before and see what happened?

remember after Bremer was screwing it worse than a dog in heat, Bush held a conference and promoted her to be in charge of Iraq policies?

Funnny how people forget.

[The_Casual_Observer]

27. The "unsticker" as I recall. That one vanished faster than bush

in Iraq after offering up the plastic turkey.

[cthrumatrix]

3. Rice says not to worry.... "everything is calming down"...

[SoCalDem]

4. Throes?? They meant THROWS ....as in throws 'em out

:)

[NNN0LHI]

6. I'd say this old boy is pretty goddammed lucky to still be sucking wind

Anyone who lives to tell a story like this must be protected by kryptonite or something.

Don

[Moderator]

7. kick

[Cocoa]

8. Baghdad mayor ousted by Badr militia

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/international/middleeast/10iraq.html?pagewanted=print

BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 9 - Armed men entered Baghdad's municipal building during a blinding dust storm on Monday, deposed the city's mayor and installed a member of Iraq's most powerful Shiite militia.

The deposed mayor, Alaa al-Tamimi, who was not in his offices at the time, recounted the events in a telephone interview on Tuesday and called the move a municipal coup d'état. He added that he had gone into hiding for fear of his life.

"This is the new Iraq," said Mr. Tamimi, a secular engineer with no party affiliation. "They use force to achieve their goal."

The group that ousted him insisted that it had the authority to assume control of Iraq's capital city and that Mr. Tamimi was in no danger. The man the group installed, Hussein al-Tahaan, is a member of the Badr Organization, the armed militia of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, known as Sciri.

more...

[skooooo]

9. omg...

[msongs]

10. that was yesterday n we r just hearing about it...kept secret? nt

[Kagemusha]

15. The media couldn't confirm the story at first.

Now it has.

[VegasWolf]

11. " The mayor of Baghdad had gone into hiding for fear of his life!"

Way to go Bush!!!!!

[Ouabache]

12. Bush is Weak

what further proof is needed that the bush regime and their puppets really don't even control the capital of Iraq?

[fishnfla]

13. I'm sorry: a municipal coup d'etat? WTF?

This is the New Iraq:meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[madeline_con]

14. "Alaa al-Tamimi, who was not in his offices ..."

So, he was ousted in absentia?? What a coup!

"... the armed militia of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq, known as Sciri."

Now THAT is Sciri!!

[steve2470]

16. This is a hint of what is to come nt

[PurityOfEssence]

17. THIS is the onset of Civil War. When the Badr Brigades start, it's going

Tell me this isn't significant.

[PassingFair]

18. The rock has been overturned...

now lets see which way Chalabi runs.
That little roach is always scurrying somewhere.

[BootinUp]

19. So this is what Condi meant!

When she said quiet political progress was being made. :think:

[smoogatz]

21. Bingo!

BFEE-style politics have finally arrived in Baghdad.

[Barrett808]

23. Nice. n/t

[smoogatz]

20. Freedom's on the march!

...in Venezuala!

[Roland99]

22. Umm...Operation Lightning wasn't a resounding success?!?!

I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.

[steve2470]

24. kick nt

[Barrett808]

25. SCIRI move to check Sadr?

Sadr's been mobilizing in the south, but if SCIRI controls Baghdad, Sadr City could find itself surrounded and otherwise marginalized.

Just a thought. In any case, this is a bold move to consolidate power and perhaps cement the Baghdad-Tehran axis.

[DemoTex]

26. Mr. al Tamimi's lucky, lucky day.

His head is still attached to his shoulders and his body is not riddled with bullet holes. He is a lucky, lucky man. Know what I mean, Vern?

[the other one]

28. I blame the media.

Their focus on the negative causes events like this to happen.

:sarcasm: ( <- did I really need to include that?)