Tuesday, December 23, 2003

Civilian Violence in Iraq Up Sharply Since Hussein's Capture: "Iraqi Police Col. Bassam Abdul Aziz who oversees another south Baghdad neighborhood, Yarmuk, just north of al Baya, said he's seen lists of assassination targets with 100 to 150 names on them. The Badr Brigade, Abdul Aziz said, is working down its fourth list."

"A spokesman for SCIRI – the Iran-backed revolutionary group – in Baghdad, Adil Mahdi, said the Badr Brigade is not responsible for the deaths. Instead, he said, the violence is mainly work of Saddam loyalists, mixed with some foreign fighters, who are trying to inflame Sunnis against Shiites in hopes of sparking widespread revolt. "They're trying to influence us psychologically, to make us feel as if we're encircled," he said."

A civil war between Sunnis and Shiites could be exploited by the US taking the side of the Sunnis.

No comments: