Reuters: Baghdad gunmen abduct 20 education ministry staff

[Eugene]

Baghdad gunmen abduct 20 education ministry staff
14 Nov 2006 08:12:46 GMT
Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Gunmen wearing Iraqi police commando uniforms
kidnapped 20 employees from the Higher Education Ministry in central Baghdad
on Tuesday, an Interior Ministry source said.

The gunmen arrived in new pick-up vehicles and raided the ministry's Research
Directorate building in Karrada, a religiously mixed neighbourhood, the source
said. No more details were inmediately available.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IBO429333.htm

[lakercub]

1. But if we elect democrats

the terrorists win...

[Scurrilous]

2. Gunmen Kidnap 100 Workers In Baghdad

<snip>

"Gunmen posing as Iraqi Interior Ministry troops have kidnapped 100 scientists and staff from a research institute. The institute is based directly under the Ministry of Higher Education building in Baghdad. Police said the gunmen arrived at the institute in the Karradah area of the city in a fleet of 20 vehicles.

They forced their captives into the vehicles at gunpoint and drove off to an unknown destination.

Shi'ite militiamen and other illegal groups frequently use stolen or forged uniforms and IDs while committing murders and kidnappings."

<snip>

"The abductions follow a series of murders and assaults on Iraqi professors and researchers that are prompting thousands of others to flee to neighbouring countries."

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/14112006/140/gunmen-kidnap-100-workers-baghdad.html

[saigon68]

12. Gunmen posing as Chimpanzees

[Judi Lynn]

3. Number seems to be growing: Up to 150 People Kidnapped in Baghdad (AP)

Nov 14, 4:32 AM EST

By SAMEER N. YACOUB
Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Gunmen wearing Iraqi police commando uniforms kidnapped up to 150 staff members from a government research institute in downtown Baghdad on Tuesday, the head of the parliamentary education committee said.

Alaa Makki interrupted a parliamentary session to say between 100 and 150 people, both Shiites and Sunnis, had been abducted in the 9:30 a.m. raid. He urged the prime minister and ministers of interior and defense to rapidly respond to what he called a "national catastrophe."

Makki said the gunmen had a list of names of those to be taken and claimed to be on a mission from the government's anti-corruption body.

Those kidnapped included the institute's deputy general directors, employees, and visitors, he said.
(snip/...)

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/IRAQ_SCIENTISTS_ABDUCTED?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-11-14-04-15-42

[Eugene]

4. Reuters: Witness says Iraqi police watched sectarian kidnap

Witness says Iraqi police watched sectarian kidnap
14 Nov 2006 09:48:16 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Adds details)

BAGHDAD, Nov 14 (Reuters) - An Iraqi who said he saw dozens of people seized
on Tuesday from a Baghdad government building said police stood by as gunmen
checked identity cards to sort Sunnis from Shi'ites and then drove off with
Sunni men.

The civil servant who normally works at the Higher Education Ministry building
but was out at a bank at the time of the raid said he returned to the building
to see all the male employees lined up in a car park. Around 40 camouflaged
pick-ups of the type used by police commandos were gathered at the building.

"They were checking identity cards in the car park. They picked only the Sunni
employees. They even took the man who was just delivering tea," said the man,
a Sunni himself who is well known to a Reuters employee but did not want to be
identified for fear of retribution.

"They gathered them all in the pick-ups. At the same time, I saw two police
patrols watching, doing nothing," said the witness, who works at the office of
delegations and cultural relations at the Higher Education Ministry.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PAR434104.htm

[Fluffdaddy]

5. Bush,Cheney,Rumsfeld what a mess you started. It's going to take years to fix this

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

6. Canadian Broadcasting Corp. Reports up to 150 kidnapped

Gunmen kidnap up to 150 people in Baghdad

Gunmen wearing Iraqi police commando uniforms kidnapped as many as 150 staff members from a government research institute in downtown Baghdad on Tuesday, the head of the parliamentary education committee said.

Alaa Makki interrupted a parliamentary session to say between 100 and 150 people, both Shias and Sunnis, had been abducted in the 9:30 a.m. raid. He urged the prime minister and ministers of interior and defence to rapidly respond to what he called a "national catastrophe."

Makki said the gunmen had a list of names of those to be taken and claimed to be on a mission from the government's anti-corruption body.

Those kidnapped included the institute's deputy general directors, employees and visitors, he said.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/11/14/iraq-abduction.html

It seems to worsen in Iraq by the hour. This is unprecedented I believe.

[maddezmom]

7. geez

could this get any worse? :(

[ThsMchneKilsFascists]

8. This seems like a purge of the 'elites'

before a secular lock down.
Nice work George.
Preview THIS America, a secular state in it's infancy.
Repent and cast off the chains of ideology before it's too late to save your democracy.
I feel sick.

[Arkansas Granny]

10. This happened in broad daylight with police patrols watching in

a city where the US has made such a big production of the increased security we are providing. How can Bush continue to assert that we are making progress in Iraq? Even the most dedicated liar sometimes has to face the facts, but he'll just "stay the course" and keep spouting the most obviously false statements, as though no one will ever find out the truth. He is totally delusional and living in a constant state of denial.

[Eugene]

9. AP: Iraq Minister Orders Universities Closed

Iraq Minister Orders Universities Closed


Tuesday November 14, 2006 11:01 AM

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraq's higher education minister ordered universities
closed after gunmen wearing police commando uniforms kidnapped up to 150
people from a government institute on Tuesday.

"I am not ready to see more professors get killed," said Higher Education
Minister Abed Theyab.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6213611,00.html

[jollyreaper2112]

11. wow

I know things are really screwed up over there. I know we're dealing with a level of lawlessness the equal of the worst trouble spots in the last 100 years. But kidnapping 150 people from a government building in downtown Baghdad in broad daylight? Even for a mess like Iraq, this is astounding.

[Seen the light]

13. We've lost another war

So so sad. :(

[0rganism]

14. Is it almost time for....

?

Thanks a lot for having a "humble foreign policy" that doesn't involve "nation building", George.