Sunni mosque bombed as Iraqi tanks deploy in Baghdad

[ECH1969]

Iraqi tanks deployed in Baghdad to pacify the city after an eruption of sectarian violence, but the bombing of a Sunni mosque shattered the relative calm.

Four people were killed and 15 wounded in the attack outside a Sunni mosque in eastern Baghdad as the faithful were leaving evening prayers, security officials said.

The attack was the latest strike against Iraq's ousted Sunni elite since Shiite mobs unleashed a wave of vengeance against the embittered minority after a revered Shiite shrine was blown up north of Baghdad last Wednesday.

"Fear is still the master of the situation," said Ali Adnan, a 27-year-old Sunni engineer whose father was briefly kidnapped amid Shiite reprisals against Sunnis.

http://www.bakutoday.net/view.php?d=17094

[farmbo]

1. Fox Headline: "Tanks on Street Corners a Sure Sign of Bush Success!"

eom

[formercia]

2. Kind of reminds me of Budapest, 1956 n/t

[expatriot]

7. Sarajevo, 1992 nt.

[corporatemedia]

18. America, 20?? nt.

[slackmaster]

24. Charlotte, NC September 1964

When they integrated the first public school there.

[sabra]

3. ready for candy and flowers dispersion

[rodeodance]

10. are you kidding?

[UpInArms]

4. The "progress" in Iraq keeps growing and growing!

:sarcasm:

[adriennui]

5. OOPS!

i was under the impression that baghdad was pacified.

[ThreeCatNight]

6. Why do you hate America??????

Don't you know that only good things should be talked about in Iraq?
Sheesh, sounds like you need to go to back to room 101 for some more training.

[wordpix]

8. here we go again but "this isn't civil war yet"

[rodeodance]

9. "Iraqi tanks"--umm and it Iraqi forces no doubt.

[ECH1969]

12. The Iraqis bought hundreds of Soviet Tanks

from Eastern Europe last year with lots of help from US tax payers. So, yes there is two Iraqi mechanized divisions.

[PsychoDad]

25. Once again... Our money is outsourced.

Any Idea where I can find some info on these tanks? Just interested in what they are.

Strange we didn't sell them anything made in America and allow an american worker recoup some of her tax money..

Peace

[BrotherBuzz]

31. Hungary donated the refurbished T-72 tanks

Donated T-72 Tanks Arrive in Iraq

Fri, 18 Nov 2005,

Seventy-seven tanks and four tank-recovery vehicles donated to the Iraqi armed forces by NATO member country Hungary arrived in Iraq on 11 November.  
 

 
Equipping Iraq’s forces  
 
As part of its assistance to Iraq, the Alliance - through the NATO Training and Equipment Coordination Group - is coordinating training and equipment provided by NATO countries to Iraq on a bilateral basis.  
 
The Group was established at NATO Headquarters on 8 October 2004.  
 
To date, NATO has delivered some 26,000 light weapons, 200 rocket propelled guns, 10,000 helmets and more than 9.3 million rounds of ammunition to Iraq.  
 
The donation of the newly refurbished tanks will enable the 9th Division to play an important role in providing security to Iraqi citizens. At present, the Division is equipped with older T-55 tanks.  
 
The tanks were transferred from Hungary by a combination of land and sea transport.  
 
They are expected to be operational by mid-December. 

http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/article_004175.php

The old Iraqi army used Russian equipment and I understand the new one will continue to do the same because the equipment provides big bang for the buck compared to American equipment's hefty price tag, plus they are familiar with it.

[The_Casual_Observer]

11. Sure, tanks will work, use tanks.

[Strelnikov_]

15. Urban Area, RPG's

Oh yeah, this is going to turn out well.

[Massachusetts]

13. Oh this will work...................

How much is scrap metal per ton?????

[Strelnikov_]

14. Yep. The 'Successes' Just Keep On Coming

At some point, I expect Hannity, O'Reilly, etc. to take on the demeanor of Kevin Bacon's character during the riot at the end of Animal House.

"Everybody, remain calm, we're winning . . oh please God . . "

[lyonn]

16. Weekend post that asked so many good questions

No. 1, what is really happening over there? Who is doing the mosque bombings? Is it really the Sunni vs. Shiite? Who wants this stuff stirred up? Nothing fits. Sure wish we had an intelligent leader or at least one that had advisers that were intelligent.

Until We have real elections in November when possibly we can control either the House or Senate or both, this idiocy will continue. We need to be lead out of this darkness, and I'm not religious.

[ECH1969]

17. This will answer your question from an Iraqi blogger

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

[wordpix]

19. interesting and who are "the men in black?"

[ECH1969]

20. Shia militias

They could be the Badr militia, the Madhi Army, or one of a half dozen other armed Shia groups.

[lyonn]

21. Sheesh, did you really understand the blogger Mohammad?

I've had a couple of beers and that could explain my inability to really understand who he was blaming. There are too many players in Iraq, be it the many different Iraqi factions, U.S. or the whole middle east.

[ECH1969]

23. Yes, he was basically blaming certain religious leaders in Iraq

for using their militias to commit violence for political gain.

[lyonn]

26. Certain religious leaders appears to be a broad brush

Who will benefit? It looks like there is no law in iraq and that any group with a cause can don an identifying garb and claim they are for a group of people. How easy it appears to cause chaos in Iraq. Bushco is not able to do a damn thing about that budding govt. Will we ever get over the shame of all this?

Edit: Are you saying that it is the Shiites who are stirring the pot? That Sadr is basically behind this and wants to insure control.

[ECH1969]

28. Think of it as a turf war between gangs

And, instead of gangs you have religious leaders with their own militias. The insurgency itself is simply a bunch of militas for different Sunni factions.

[lyonn]

29. Makes sense, then how does our military deal with that mess?

Not really asking the question, just pondering.

Murtha was on tv awhile ago and pretty much restated his theory that we should stand back and let the Iraqis settle their issues, that we were only aggitating the situation.

[yellowcanine]

22. Not to worry, The civil war is in its "last throes". I just had to say it

before someone else did.

[lyonn]

27. Just gotta say I like your name

My husband accuses me of being a yellow dog dem. Ha. I tell him he is right and this is from someone who has voted Rep. more than dem. Oh, the shame I feel.

[yellowcanine]

32. Better late than never. I was saved from voting for Richard Nixon

because I was too young to vote. By the time I was old enough to vote in 1972 I had come to my senses. Haven't voted for a Rep ever. Hence the yellowcanine name.

[Divernan]

30. More of Rumsfeld's pinpoint accuracy/ won't hurt any civilians weapons?

Of course they'll deny any civilian casualties, and if forcefully confronted with them can fall back on "collateral damage".

Tanks in the capitol city streets - WOW! Great job, Rummy!