Tal Afar Update. "Shiite cops reportedly rampage vs. Sunnis," by Sinan Salaheddin for Associated Press:
BAGHDAD - Shiite militants and police enraged by massive truck bombings in the northwestern town of Tal Afar went on a revenge spree against Sunni residents there Wednesday, killing as many as 60 people, officials said.
The gunmen began roaming Sunni neighborhoods in the city, shooting at residents and homes, according to police and a local Sunni politician.
Ali al-Talafari, a Sunni member of the local Turkomen Front Party, said the Iraqi army had arrested 18 policemen accused of being involved after they were identified by the Sunni families targeted. But he said the attackers included Shiite militiamen.
He said more than 60 Sunnis had been killed, but a senior hospital official in Tal Afar put the death toll at 45, with four wounded.
The hospital official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, said the victims were men between the ages of 15 and 60, and they were killed with a shot to the back of the head.
Police said earlier dozens of Sunnis were killed or wounded, but they had no precise figures, and communications problems made it difficult to reach them for an update. The shooting continued for more than two hours, the officials said.
Army troops later moved into the Sunni areas to stop the violence and a curfew was slapped on the entire town, according to Wathiq al-Hamdani, the provincial police chief and his head of operations, Brig. Abdul-Karim al-Jibouri.
"The situation is under control now," said al-Hamdani. "The local Tal Afar police have been confined to their bases and policemen from Mosul are moving there to replace them."
Seems this kind of thing rankles the self-described 'intelligent muslim' troll who has shown up here, frequently spouting the child's garden of misinformation about Jesus that his child-rapist 'prophet' promulgated to the bedouin.
Shi'tes extracting a little bit of revenge on their islamic betters. It's a good thing. May there be much more of it.
Of course this is all the Americans fault.
No problem, the unruly cops are back on the job today enforcing the curfew.
In 1885 Nietzsche made a remarkable prophecy that in 30 years there would be a major and devastating war in Europe that "would settle trade arguments with guns". This part of the world will have a devastating war within 30 years that will settle theological arguments with guns.
45 dead, 4 wounded - not bad
So , who polices the police ?
Does anyone doubt that f~ country would resort to this with astounding frequency if the coalition forces were to be withdrawn . And what thanks do our beleagured forces receive ? Nowt but abuse .
The police, the so-called "Iraqi police," are mostly Shi'a. But the army, the so-called "Iraqi army," is still, in its officer corps, full of Sunnis. One wonders if, in Tal Afar, Sunni-led "Iraqi army" units might attack Shi'a-dominated "Iraqi police" units.
There are more things than have been even dreamt of in the "counter-insurgency handbooks" of those who draw all kinds of false parallels (Arthur Herman with Algeria), or make up crazed rules that supposedly apply to "all insurgencies" (in general, we are brightly assured, "insurgencies last about ten years on average" -- a completely silly, and useless bit of information, even were it true. It's that "on average" that fatally vitiates the whole thing). General Petraeus had best see how and why, sooner rather than later, that this is not an "insurgency" but various "
insurgencies," all with American Infidels as a common enemy, but an enemy whose power can be exploited, here and there, to deal blows to one or another of the insurgencies, for reasons having nothing to do with an ultimate desire to accept, much less be grateful to, those Americans who, as Infidels, can be used, exploited, taken advantage of, but also -- and on this a very large majority of the Arabs (not the Kurds, who have an identity that works not with but against the identity that Islam provides), no matter how murderous they may feel toward each other (Al-Qaeda, Anbar tribes now fighting Al-Qaeda, Mahdi Army, militias no longer or never associated with the Mahdi Army, other Shi'a militias associated with the SCIRI and Da'wa parties, and so on) so completely agree.
"General Petraeus had best see how and why, sooner rather than later, that this is not an "insurgency" but various "
insurgencies," all with American Infidels as a common enemy"
...unless the General is given the authority to kill and receives guarrantees he will not be prosecuted by the dhimmicrats and leftists and is assured he will receive whatever support he requires,,,,,he is between ther proverbial rock and a hard spot...without support, he should do what is best for his troops....if this means withdrawal...so be it.....
....as I see it, the powers to be in Washington, will not back him up, will not assure him of proper support, and will not authorize him to kill nor guarrantee his immunity from prosecution for the death of the enemy....
.....let the military be allowed to seek and destroy the enemy or withdraw....
"Shi'ite police reportedly rampage against Sunnis in Tal Afar"
In this mindboggling thread, Paul Edwards said:
Quick, somebody get me the number of the Iraqi police! I want to report a crime! Quickly, before groups of US police come and shoot me in the back of the head, since all policemen worldwide are equally corrupt and violent!
special_guest:
Yes, the postings of "Paul Edwards," to which you give a link immediately above, are "mind-boggling." Or mind-wobbling, for after expending all kinds of effort taking seriously this "Paul Edwards," I went to his blog, and discovered that he apparently thinks he is God, and announces that fact to the world. See my last posting, at that same thread, put up at 11:30 p.m.
Now imagine that you had spent many minutes, intermittently posting answers to a certain persistent poster, not because he was so important but because the issues he raised had to be dealt with for the sake of others. There is, after all, always the fiendish problem of what others will make of your not answering, and assuming that you haven't answered because you are unable to, and not that you haven't the time, or think it is so passing silly as not to merit comment or, most often, that you didn't even see the comment or read that e-mail in the first place.
Imagine my chagrin to realize that I had spent so much time answering someone who thinks he is God, but of which belief I was unaware until after I had posted a half-dozen or more times, in answer to him.
So I replied, seriously, to someone who thinks he is God. Or if not God, he modestly allows, perhaps merely Jesus Christ.
I am still blushing.
Oh. My. Goodness. That was .... my goodness. So the throng of supporters of the Administration's policy on Iraq has been reduced to ... my goodness.
Just as 7th century robber / rapist / murderer / paedophile thought he was a prophet of God.
Evil destroys itself. Good rejuvenates by itself.
I am optimistic that in my lifetime I will see the end of Islam.