Today's Iraqi jihad update. "Iraqi oil official, 18 others killed," from Reuters:
BAGHDAD - Gunmen killed an Oil Ministry official on Thursday and escalating violence claimed at least 18 more lives, fuelling fears Iraq may be moving towards civil war.
The oil official, Ali Hameed, was shot outside his home as he left for work, a police official said.
Mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents have stepped up attacks on officials and security forces since a Shi'ite-led government was announced last month. They have killed more than 500 people in a campaign that has challenged government promises of stability....
The escalation in violence has raised concerns the country could erupt into a full-scale civil war. Discoveries of people killed execution-style and dumped at various sites -- 50 have been found since Saturday -- have stirred sectarian passions.
Most victims were Shi'ite Muslims but some were Sunnis.
Four more bodies were found on Thursday, this time just south of Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit. Police said they had been shot dead...
Zarqawi's followers issued a new warning against Iraqi forces on Thursday in leaflets in Baiji, residents said.
"Leave your jobs within four hours otherwise you will get yourself killed," said the leaflets hung on mosques.
I don't know why the Shiite people don't turn on Zarqawi and end him, they have the numbers, they have to hear where he is from time to time. Do the right thing, stop the killing of innocents.
Carolyn2:
When good men fail to stand up and be counted, counties go into the night with a whimper.
I think that the Sunni violence is because they don't want Iraq to merge with Iran to form a Shi'ite super state.
"Leave your jobs within four hours otherwise you will get yourself killed"
This should read, “Leave your jobs within four hours otherwise we will murder you”
-If you dishonor your family you will get yourself killed
-If you blaspheme the book you will get yourself killed
-If you blaspheme the prophet you will get yourself killed
No, it’s called murder, even when it’s cloaked in religion.
Zarqawi's getting desperate...soon he will go down with a loud thud or boom.
If only we could get a Zarqawi in every Muslim country to foment their rival sects to kill one another and leave civilization alone, there would be some good coming from this pestilential lunacy.
It seems that everyone in Iraq is blind, deaf and dumb.
And are oblivious to people digging roadside bombs into the highways, or people loading explosives into cars, or suspicious gunmen moving into position for a raid, or kidnapped police and soliders being sheepishly led to their doom.
Strange folks...
And, by that, lousy allies.