Iraqis have accused British special forces of planning a
terrorist attack on Basra.
What their mainstream media* - including the BBC, (Broadcasting
Blair's Crap), are not telling us:
Why Basra is in revolt against occupation
Iraqis have accused British special forces of planning a
terrorist attack on Basra.
“Why were these men dressed as Mehdi Army?” Sheikh Hassan said.
“Why were they carrying explosives and where were they planning
to detonate their bomb?
Sheikh Hassan al-Zarqani, a spokesperson for rebel Shia cleric
Moqtada al-Sadr, told Socialist Worker that the two undercover
soldiers seized by Iraqi police last Monday were armed with
explosives and a remote control detonator.
The soldiers were disguised as members of Sadr’s militia, the
Mehdi Army. The arrests sparked protests after British troops
backed by tanks attempted to free the soldiers from an Iraqi
police station.
Sheikh Hassan said trouble started when a senior Sadr official,
Sheikh Ahmad Fartusi, was arrested on Sunday.
“We called a protest outside the mayor’s office on Monday
demanding the Sheikh be released,” Sheikh Hassan said. “This
protest was peaceful.
“But events in our city took a sinister turn when the police
tried to stop two men dressed as members of the Mehdi Army
driving near the protest. The men opened fire on the police and
passers-by. After a car chase they were arrested.”
Basra, Iraq’s southern oil city, had been held up as a model of
successful occupation by British authorities.
But many of the promises made in the wake of the 2003 invasion
never materialised.
Discontent has also been building over a policy that favours
some tribes above others.
The largely Shia city feared it would be a target of a bombing
ahead of an important religious festival. The explosive find
sparked rumours that British troops were about to commit an
atrocity.
“What our police found in their car was very disturbing —
weapons, explosives and a remote control detonator,” Sheikh
Hassan said. “These are the weapons of terrorists. We believe
these soldiers were planning an attack on a market or other
civilian targets, and thanks be to god they were stopped and
countless lives were saved.”
The arrest of the two soldiers brought discontent to the boil.
“The two men were taken to the police station to answer
questions about their activities. That afternoon the British
army came in tanks and armoured cars demanding the two be
released.
“The police refused as they were considered to be planning
terrorist attacks, and as they were disguised as members of the
Mehdi Army, the police wanted to know who their target was.
“Thousands of people gathered to defend the police station.
British troops opened fire and the crowds responded with stones
and firebombs.”
Residents in Basra are now demanding the British authorites
answer questions about the activities of the two men.
“Why were these men dressed as Mehdi Army?” Sheikh Hassan said.
“Why were they carrying explosives and where were they planning
to detonate their bomb?
“Were they planing an outrage so that they could create tensions
with other communities? Were they going to kill innocent people
to put the blame on Al Qaida, who do not have any support in our
city.”
The questions were never answered. Instead British troops
returned that night.
“The soldiers drove a tank into the police station and
threatened to kill the police officers if they did not hand over
the two terrorists,” Sheikh Hassan said. “It is only then, to
save any further loss of life, that the men were released.”
Sheikh Hassan appealed to the British people to demand the
withdrawal of all troops.
“We have only the warmest regards for the British people, who
have protested in their tens of thousands against the occupation
of our country.
“We fear than the British government plans to send more troops.
We appeal to the British people to oppose this as it can only
deepen our problems”
[enditem] - Url.:
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=7426
Hear the man who provided Socialist Worker’s exclusive on
Fallujah...
Stop the War Coalition rally
Friday 23 Sept, 7.30pm
Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London (opp Euston station)
With veteran US anti-war campaigner Tom Hayden, Reg Keys, Tony
Benn, eyewitness from Iraq Dr Salam Ismael and others -
Demonstrate this Saturday 24 September - March for peace and
Liberty
Assemble 12 noon, Parliament Square - Rally in Hyde Park -
Called by Stop the War, CND and the Muslim Association of
Britain
Fwd. by:
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Editor : Henk Ruyssenaars
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* Never trust them: the BBC and Warmongering - Url.:
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* Corporate News Media: Incompetent, Criminally Negligent or
Complicit? - Url.:
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* Colin Powell: 'It is not anti-Semitic to criticize the
policies of the state of Israel' - Url.:
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* The global media problem - Url.:
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* Brainwashed? Take the free 'Gullibility Factor' test to find
out if you're really a mind slave or not - Url.:
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* Saturday, September 24 - 2005 - Massive March, Impeachment
Rally & Anti-war Fair - Gather 11:00AM at the Washington
Monument - Info - Url.:
http://tinyurl.com/bnw4c
* Former PM Wim Kok, and other Dutch Govt's War criminals in
Court - Url.:
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* Help the troops come home! Url.:
http://www.bringemhome.org - We need them badly to fight our
so called 'governments' - Url.:
http://www.bringthemhomenow.org/
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