Suicide Car Bomb Kills 12 in Iraq; Lawmaker Says U.S. Troops

[Secret Squirrel]

A suicide car bomb outside an Iraqi army recruitment center and other attacks killed a dozen people Tuesday and wounded more than 50. Iraq's parliament adjourned in protest after a legislator linked to a militant Shiite faction claimed he had been roughed up at a U.S. checkpoint.

The suicide bombing occurred in the Azamiyah section of the capital about 18 yards from the front gate of the recruitment center, killing at least six Iraqis, including two soldiers, and wounding 44, said police Col. Hussein Mutlaq.

In other violence targeting the military, insurgents opened fire on Iraqi soldiers in Khalidiyah, 75 miles west of Baghdad, killing four soldiers and wounding seven, police and hospital officials said...



Iraq's National Assembly briefly delayed its session to protest the alleged mistreatment of a Shiite legislator by a soldier at a U.S. checkpoint outside the heavily fortified Green Zone, where parliament meets in central Baghdad.

In an emotional speech to the legislature, a sobbing Fattah al-Sheik, whose small party has been linked to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the American soldier had kicked his car, mocked the legislature, handcuffed him and held him by the neck.

"What happened to me represents an insult to the whole National Assembly that was elected by the Iraqi people. This shows that the democracy we are enjoying is fake," he said. "Through such incidents, the U.S. Army tries to show that it is the real controlling power in the country, not the new Iraqi government, and that it can impose its rules on every Iraqi."

Before the session resumed, lawmaker Salam al-Maliki read a statement from the assembly to reporters, demanding an apology from the U.S. Embassy and the prosecution of the U.S. soldier who allegedly had mistreated al-Sheik...



link (http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=683523)

[Rantanplan]

How many recruitment centers did they blow up in the last two years?

[Oddbod]

How much truth is there in Salam al-Maliki's statement & what ISN'T he saying?

[Slug69]

This is one story which indicated to me how the actions of US soldiers who can't control themselves can hurt their reputation. Especially last year. This was reported in early April last year in the Sydney Morning Herald. The reporter is Paul McGeough and is regarded as being one of the most matter of fact journalists from Australia in Iraq. I think he is still there and has been since before the occupation/liberation/war started.

"...But just off the square, in a shuttered shop, there was a stunning measure of how the US has squandered Iraqi support.

The 56-year-old shopkeeper was too scared to give his name. Among his bolts of cloth and bottles of detergent, he talked about how this time last year his family's hopes were so high, but now they feared that things would just get worse.

The son of a Shiite father and a Sunni mother, he spoke of his two brothers who Saddam had executed as political prisoners, and then he gave his verdict on the occupation: "The invasion was a bad idea. Saddam was bad and Bush is bad - but we'd have Saddam back any day."

Sadeer, my driver in Baghdad, is leaning the same way.

When he arrived at the Palestine Hotel yesterday he was limping; the leg of his jeans was soaked in blood. The cut was small and we were able to bandage it, but George Bush had lost another Iraqi friend.

Sadeer, a 28-year-old Shiite, had been an enthusiastic supporter of the Americans and he takes his life in his hands by working for me. Iraqis are being executed just for being in the company of Westerners.

But his encounter with a bullying US soldier, who roughed him up as he came through the security cordon around the hotel, has pushed him into the nationalist Iraqi camp.

When the GI challenged him, Sadeer tried to explain in his limited English that he entered the hotel routinely. But he was barked at, shoved away and then belted on the foot with a rifle. He used to slow in traffic to greet the US troops. Now he has turned: "Americans bad for Iraq - too many problems."

Leaving the hotel on foot, we had to go through the same streets to get to his car. I tried to explain our movements to the officer in charge of a US tank unit, but we were greeted with a stream of invective.

As I thanked the officer for his civility and moved on, one of his men fell in beside me, mumbling. Asked to repeat himself, he exploded: "Don't you f---in' eyeball me."

Nodding to his officer and raising his weapon, he shrieked: "He has rank to lose. I don't. I'll take you out quick as a flash, motherf---er!"

[Mailman]

You take this mans word for it without the slightest hint of proof Slug?

The problem is...guys like this can say what ever they like as they dont have to prove a thing.

Mailman

[Slug69]

In Australia Paul McGeogh is a highly respected journalist.

In your eyes he is just another lying hippie.

Whatever dude.

He has reported good things the US has done too. You can get off your arse and have a look.

[Uncle Sam]

In an emotional speech to the legislature, a sobbing Fattah al-Sheik, whose small party has been linked to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said the American soldier had kicked his car, mocked the legislature, handcuffed him and held him by the neck.

"What happened to me represents an insult to the whole National Assembly that was elected by the Iraqi people. This shows that the democracy we are enjoying is fake," he said. "Through such incidents, the U.S. Army tries to show that it is the real controlling power in the country, not the new Iraqi government, and that it can impose its rules on every Iraqi."

I don't believe a dam thing this guy has to say.

[Mailman]

He has reported good things the US has done too. You can get off your arse and have a look.

How do you know it happened though? All you have is one reporter reporting what some mad mullah said without backing himself up or offering any kind of evidence of the assault.

Mailman

[EsoognomEhT]

Mullah; : a Muslim trained in the doctrine and law of Islam; the head of a mosque.


Thats like calling a white man that owns a shop, "some mad vicar"
gimp.

[Slug69]

Mailman, I think we have somehow crossed wires here. The journalist I am talking about didn't report what this Mullah said. My story was just showing there have been instances of US soldiers browbeating or bullying local Iraqis.

Personally, I think the Mullah is probably making a mountain out of a molehill pushing his own agenda.

Back to the esteemed reporter. He is a professional journalist. Real Journalists live and die by the truth. The first time they are uncovered for telling a lie, they are finished, washed up, pissed on, scorned, etc.

Real journalists are not some twit blogger without any references or witnesses. If you really want to find out if the story is true or not, why don't you ask him. I bet he has a diary or notebook and recorded the officer and non coms names down. Not to mention he has his driver if he is still alive that is.

FFS, I could easily see an American Soldier saying something like that. The shoe fits, and no I don't doubt it happened at all. The story has come from a respected source.

[Sloppy Joe2]

Mailman, I think we have somehow crossed wires here. The journalist I am talking about didn't report what this Mullah said. My story was just showing there have been instances of US soldiers browbeating or bullying local Iraqis.

Personally, I think the Mullah is probably making a mountain out of a molehill pushing his own agenda.

Back to the esteemed reporter. He is a professional journalist. Real Journalists live and die by the truth. The first time they are uncovered for telling a lie, they are finished, washed up, pissed on, scorned, etc.

Real journalists are not some twit blogger without any references or witnesses. If you really want to find out if the story is true or not, why don't you ask him. I bet he has a diary or notebook and recorded the officer and non coms names down. Not to mention he has his driver if he is still alive that is.

FFS, I could easily see an American Soldier saying something like that. The shoe fits, and no I don't doubt it happened at all. The story has come from a respected source. sad to say it but i can see it happening to, not just from an american soldier but from any soldier in that situation. soldiers have 18 month enlistments away from there family in a deadly environment in a place they dont want to be, some soldiers are going to act out on their frustration. that doesnt make it right though, us and coalition forces have an image they must uphold and that is that they are honestly trying to help. hopefully they will see that in the long run this would benifit both parties, if you keep that image you keep and gain support so that you are allowed to complete your mission and go home. i would also hope that the iraqi population would not allow the actions of one or more soldiers to represent the entire us military. i ask they look beyond incidents like this and look around at what else the us and coalition forces. just my opinion :)