Revenge killings of members of Saddam's former regime rise

[ECH1969]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (news - web sites) - Shiite Muslim assassins are killing former members of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s mostly Sunni Muslim regime at will and with impunity in a parallel conflict that some observers fear could snowball into civil war.

The war between Shiite vigilantes and former Baath Party members is seldom investigated and largely overshadowed by the mostly Sunni insurgency. The U.S. military is preoccupied with hunting down suicide bombers and foreign terrorists, and Iraq's new Shiite leaders have little interest in prosecuting those who kill their former oppressors or their enemies in the insurgency. The killings have intensified since January's Shiite electoral victory, and U.S. and Iraqi officials worry that they could imperil progress toward a unified, democratic Iraq.

"It's the beginning, and we could go down the slippery slope very quickly," said Sabah Kadhim, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. "We've been so concerned with removing terrorists and Islamists that this other situation has reared its ugly head. Both sides are sharpening their knives."

Since the Jan. 30 elections, Shiite militants have stepped up their campaign to exact street justice from men who were part of the regime that oppressed and massacred members of their sect for decades. While Shiite politicians turn a blind eye, assassins are working their way through a hit list of Saddam's former security and intelligence personnel, according to Iraqi authorities, Sunni politicians and interviews with the families of those who've been targeted.In a tactic borrowed from Sunni insurgents, Shiite militants have begun distributing printed death threats.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2270&ncid=2270&e=3&u=/krwashbureau/20050225/ts_krwashbureau/_bc_usiraq_killings_wa

[bemildred]

1. Divide and rule. Spin spin spin. nt

[Democrat 4 Ever]

2. Well, they learned from the masters at this game. US.

Saddam was a ba$tard, no doubt about it - but by our excellent "freedom and democracy and torture" example they have learned we aren't that much different from Saddam so things never change. I don't know that those people are guilty of anything more than really bad luck when it came to the ol' gene pool roulette game but even if they were just as bad as Saddam doesn't the rule of law mean anything to anybody anymore? Shouldn't we stop this? Does anyone care? Well Chimpy and Evil Dickhead aren't going to stop it.

Every time I hear that dumb ass chimp on that stupid tape, "Well, Daddy, I want to try marijuana because President Bush try it." as a "reason" to not tell the truth, I want to :puke: Well, the a$$wipe certainly wasn't too worried about all the little kiddies asking Daddy about torture and murder, huh? I am so completely fed up with this bunch - how will we make it another four years?:nuke:

[bemildred]

3. I would bet you dollars to donuts this is Negroponte's work. nt

[teryang]

5. This is his style

Without question.

[Yupster]

4. I read s story seems about a year ago

in USA Today that covered families that were under threat of death and were being systematically eliminated.

They were judges and doctors and secret service guys who were barricaded in their homes, but still being killed one at a time.

There was a quote from a police official something to the tune of "it will be over soon. They're almost all gone."

That was it seems a year ago or more.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[Cocoa]

8. this has all the hallmarks of the "Salvador option"

great news story here, especially given that no one else is reporting on this stuff. No complaints.

But I think there are unasked questions here about U.S. involvement.