Translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr, member, editorial board, the Free Arab Voice. – 2005-11-12 23:14:58
http://www.uruknet.info/.?p=17705&hd=0&size=1&l=x
New prison opens in al-Jadiriyah as occupation regime hurries to fill need for vastly expanded prison space.
Although one of the frequently-cited American excuses for its 2003 invasion of Iraq was that the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was “repressive,” the US occupation forces and the regime they installed in Baghdad have found that the prison facilities left by the Saddam Hussein government were insufficient for their purposes and the huge number of prisoners their rule generates.
The Americans and their regime in Baghdad have therefore embarked on an extensive program of prison building to handle the vast numbers of prisoners rounded up by authorities who claim to represent “freedom.”
On Thursday, the puppet “Iraqi Interior Ministry” opened a new prison in the al-Jadiriyah area of southern Baghdad with a capacity for more than 5,000 inmates, Mafkarat al-Islam reported. The new facility follows the opening of other prisons in the cities of al-Kut, al-Hillah, and one in Baghdad’s al-Kazimiyah neighborhood, which is reputed to be a center for sectarian torture of Sunni captives.
The puppet “Ministry of Human Rights” in the US-installed Iraqi regime itself has said that the al-Kazimiyah prison holds 17,000 Sunni prisoners, hundreds of whom have died under torture, Mafkarat al-Islam reported.
In charge of the prisons is the US-installed “Iraqi Ministry of the Interior,” whose head, Bayan Baqir Jabr Sulagh, is a Shi’i of Iranian origin who is also a prominent commander of the Shi’i sectarian Badr Brigade militia, Mafkarat al-Islam noted.
A source in the “Interior Ministry” who asked not to be identified, told Mafkarat al-Islam that the new prison in al-Jadiriyah includes solitary confinement cells, special cells for interrogation, and others specifically designed for execution. The facility was build at great expense, the source reported.
Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the Sunnis in Iraq have taken to calling the regime’s prisons “slaughterhouses” because of their well-known practices of torture and murder.
Bombing of crowded Baghdad restaurant leaves 35 dead; al-Qa’idah claims responsibility for that as well as hotel bombings in Jordan on Wednesday.
The al-Qa’idah organization in the Land of the Two Rivers, led by Jordanian Islamist Abu Mus’ab az-Zarqawi, declared its responsibility for the bombing of a Baghdad restaurant in which 35 people were killed early Thursday.
Reuters, as monitored by Mafkarat al-Islam, reported that al-Qa’idah announced its responsibility for the attack in a declaration that appeared on an Internet website.
According to Quds Press, The Iraqi puppet “Interior Ministry” had declared earlier on Thursday that an attacker wearing an explosive belt walked into the crowded Qadduri restaurant on Abu Nuwas Street, an establishment that puppet policemen frequent for breakfast.
At about 9:30am local time Thursday morning, the attacker blew himself up, killing 35 people and wounding at least 25 more. Some of the dead were members of the puppet police.
Afterwards US and Iraqi puppet forces surrounded the restaurant as ambulances hurried to the scene to evacuate the dead and wounded.
Quds Press reported that Qadduri is one of the most famous popular restaurants on Abu Nuwas Street in central Baghdad. Puppet policemen frequent the establishment, adding to the crowds of customers that peak at mid-morning, the time when the attacker struck.
Earlier in the day, Mafkarat al-Islam quoted Reuters as reporting that the same branch of al-Qa’idah had reportedly published an Internet announcement taking responsibility for a series of bombings of hotels in ‘Amman in neighboring Jordan. Some 67 people were killed and 300 injured in the bombings that rocked the Grand Hyatt, Radisson SAS, and Days Inn in ‘Amman at about 7pm GMT Wednesday.
The Internet statement from al-Qa’idah said that “a group of our best lions” carried out a new attack on the three hotels, which the statement said had become a “backyard for enemies of religion and Jews and Crusaders.” The victims of the hotel bombings were overwhelmingly Jordanian civilians and guests from other Arab countries. The only “Israeli citizens” listed among the dead in those attacks were two of the six Palestinians killed in the stricken hotels.
BABIL PROVINCE. Al-Mahmudiyah.
Resistance bomb blasts Iraqi puppet army patrol.
In a dispatch posted at 3:25pm Mecca time Thursday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance bomb had exploded by a patrol of the Iraqi puppet army on the road to Jurf as-Sakhr west of al-Mahmudiyah and south of Baghdad.
The al-Mahmudiyah correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses as saying that a bomb that had been planted by the side of the road to Jurf as-Sakhr blew up as the puppet army patrol was passing by, destroying one vehicle in the patrol and killing or wounding four puppet army soldiers.
DIYALA PROVINCE. Al-Mundhiriyah.
US soldier reported killed in early morning bombing near al-Mundhiriyah on Iranian border.
An Iraqi Resistance bomb blew up by a US patrol in the area of the border complex at al-Mundhiriyah on the Iraq-Iran frontier at 6am local time Thursday morning.
The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent reported a source in the Iraqi puppet police as saying that a bomb that had been planted by the side of the main border complex blew exploded as a US patrol passed by along the road, heavily damaging one vehicle and killing one US soldier and wounding three more of them.
SALAH AD-DIN PROVINCE. Bayji.
Resistance bombards US base near Bayji.
In a dispatch posted at 12:05am Mecca time Thursday, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces had bombarded the headquarters of US occupation troops in the as-Siniyah area west of Bayji (north of Baghdad) with medium-range Katyusha rockets.
The Mafakrat al-Islam correspondent in Bayji reported residents of as-Siniyah who witnessed the bombardment as saying that three Katyusha rockets blasted into the US headquarters, setting of explosions and columns of smoke rose into the sky.
NINWA PROVINCE. Rabi’ah.
Four US troops reported killed in roadside car bombing in northern Iraq.
In a dispatch posted at 4:40pm Mecca time Thursday afternoon, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that an Iraqi Resistance car bomb had exploded by a US military column in the Rabi’ah area in northern Iraq west of Mosul near the Syrian border.
The Mosul correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported residents of Rabi’ah who witnessed the attack as saying that an explosives-laden car that had been parked by the side of a farm road blew up as a column of four US Humvees and four American trucks loaded with military equipment drove by. The explosion completely destroyed one Humvee, killing the four US soldiers who were aboard it, the correspondent reported.
Mosul.
Resistance mounts two ambushes on puppet forces in Mosul.
In a dispatch posted at 12:30pm Mecca time Thursday, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that Iraqi Resistance forces had attacked two patrols of Iraqi puppet army forces in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul within the previous 24 hours.
The Mosul correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported eyewitnesses as saying that Resistance fighters armed with light and medium weapons had attacked a puppet “National Guard” patrol in the al-Ba’th neighborhood of central Mosul, setting fire to one of their vehicles and killing or wounding five puppet guards before withdrawing from the area.
In a separate incident, Iraqi Resistance fighters attacked a patrol of Iraqi puppet police and pro-American Kurdish separatist Peshmergah militiamen in the middle of Mosul. One Peshmergah gunman was killed and two Peshmergah men and two puppet policemen were wounded.
Tall ‘Afar.
Marines on patrol get into fight, sergeant shoots subordinate in leg.
In a bulletin posted at 8pm Mecca time Thursday night, the Mafakarat al-Islam correspondent in Tall ‘Afar reported that a Marine patrol commander had shot one of his soldiers in the leg following an argument and fist fight that took place between them in the city.
The Mafakrat al-Islam correspondent, who witnessed the incident, reported that in front of local people a US Marine laid into his sergeant with his fists, bloodying him and prompting the sergeant to draw his weapon and shoot his subordinate in the leg.
Afterwards the other Marines carried the wounded Marine away and fired their weapons into the air to disburse the crowd of local people who had gathered to watch the incident as it developed.
Local people reacted to the Marine fight with pleasure and a sense of satisfaction, the correspondent reported, adding that he had not been able to ascertain the reason for the fight between the Marines.
IRBIL PROVINCE. Irbil.
Resistance bomb targets Kurdish separatist Peshmergah gunmen late Wednesday night.
An Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded by a pro-American Kurdish separatist Peshmergah militia patrol at about 11pm Wednesday night in the Kashnawah area southwest of Irbil in far north Iraq.
The Irbil correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam reported residents of the city as saying that a bomb that had been planted next to a side street blew up as the Peshermgah gunmen were driving past.
The explosion set fire to a Jeep, killing one Peshmergah gunman and wounding two more of them.
WASIT PROVINCE. Al-Kut.
Iraqi Resistance bombards Ukrainian occupation headquarters Wednesday.
Iraqi Resistance forces fired four Katyusha rockets into the Ukrainian occupation forces’ base 4km northwest of the southern Iraqi city of al-Kut at 10:00 Wednesday, local time, Mafkarat al-Islam reported in a dispatch posted at 11:30am Mecca time Thursday morning.
The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent reported that three explosions followed the barrage and columns of black smoke could be seen rising from the southern part of the base.
A source in the Iraqi puppet police told Mafkarat al-Islam on Thursday morning that five Ukrainian soldiers were killed or wounded in the attack.
The Ukrainian occupation forces have taken over and occupied what was the Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah Base of the Army of the Republic of Iraq before the US invasion. After the Resistance bombardment on Wednesday, US, Ukrainian, and Iraqi puppet troops carried out intensive raids and searches, targeting the Sunni population in the area and making arrests of Sunnis in the city of al-Kut.
AN-NAJAF PROVINCE. An-Najaf
Twelve bodies found in garbage dump linked to Badr Brigade effort to seize Sunni mosque in an-Najaf.
Sunni residents of the southern Iraqi city of an-Najaf accidentally discovered the bodies of 12 local Sunnis dumped on a rubbish heap on Wednesday. All had been bound, blindfolded, and executed and their bodies had been mutilated.
The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent reported that a source in the forensic medicine department who asked to remain anonymous said that local people discovered the 12 bodies of Sunni youths at the dump.
A source in the an-Najaf puppet police told Mafkarat al-Islam that the bodies belonged to residents of an-Najaf and Baghdad who ranged in age from 22 to 40.
Although the puppet police claimed to have no knowledge of who might have killed the men, relatives of the victims blamed the pro-American Shi’i sectarian Badr Brigades. The relatives noted that the men were regular worshippers at a mosque that the Badr Brigades have been trying to seize and hand turn into a Shi’i place of worship.
Staff members of pro-American Shi’i cleric ‘Ali as-Sistani arrested for drunkenness and harassing women, then released because of their connection with the cleric.
Iraqi puppet police forces arrested four followers of pro-American Shi’i religious authority Ayatallah ‘Ali as-Sistani – three of them body guards of the cleric and the fourth an employee of the information office of the Shi‘i clergy — headed by as-Sistani – in an-Najaf. The men were arrested for being drunk and harassing a number of women on al-Muthanna street in the city.
The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent in an-Najaf reported a spokesman for the puppet police as saying that the men were released an hour after being taken into the police station after their identities and connection with as-Sistani were discovered.
The correspondent reported that the families of the women victims of harassment filed a protest with the office of the puppet governor of an-Najaf, accusing the police of not following legal procedures with the four associates of as-Sistani. The father of one of the women is a member in the US-installed so-called “Iraqi Parliament.”
AL-BASRAH PROVINCE. Al-Basrah.
Bomb injures Sunni politician, former member of US-backed puppet “Provincial Council.”
A bomb exploded in the path of the car carrying Dr. Jamal Khaz’al, a prominent leader in the Iraqi Islamic Party when he was on his way from home to the party headquarters in the southern city of al-Basrah. The Iraqi Islamic Party is a Sunni Islamist party that has cooperated with the US occupation authorities. Dr. Khaz’al was a member of the puppet provincial council up until the January elections this year.
The Mafakrat al-Islam correspondent in the city reported that Dr. Jamal Khaz’al was slightly wounded in the attack, which severely wounded one of his bodyguards.
Iraqi puppet police, however, rather than investigate the incident, arrested the body guards of Dr. Khaz’al, including the severely wounded man and took them away to an unknown destination. Puppet police forces also surrounded the al-Basrah headquarters of the Islamic Party, preventing anyone from going inside. The puppet police authorities in al-Basrah are largely made up of Shi’i sectarian Badr Brigade and other militia members and their reaction to the attack on the Sunni politician is possibly sectarian-related.
Meanwhile, a captain in the puppet police of al-Basrah, ‘Ali Hasan Hatawa of the intelligence division was shot dead by unknown armed men, Mafkarat al-Islam reported on Thursday. The city of al-Basrah is in a state of tension with puppet police and “National Guards” deployed at intersections throughout the city, Mafkarat al-Islam reported.
Sources:
http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d31/15661.aspx
http://www.qudspress.com/data/aspx/d35/15655.aspx
http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=88871
http://www.islammemo.cc/news/one_news.asp?IDNews=88869
etc.
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