6 Sunnis slain for talking with Shiites

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Six Sunni men who had received death threats for meeting with local Shiites were killed Saturday in execution-style slayings, police said.

Gunmen stormed a house in Youssifiyah, 12 miles south of the Iraqi capital at dawn, police said. Inside, the men — all relatives from the Mashhada tribe — were separated from women and children and then shot to death.

The motive of the attack could not be independently verified. But police, citing information from surviving relatives, said the victims had received threats from Sunni insurgents after participating in a reconciliation conference with Shiites last month.

The conference was held in the neighboring town of Mahmoudiyah in late February.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070303/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq

[aquart]

1. Gosh, who does that remind me of?

Preventing a peace process by killing off the people who want one.

Of course, they could have been collaborators. Probably were. Peace is, after all, a collaborative process.

We destroyed the delicate, tricky balance and now people are killing their own. So we can write utterly worthless oil contracts? It is hard not to be frightened of what we deserve for this.

[rodeodance]

2. horrible, no other words. just horrible for the families watching also!

[Hunky Dunky]

3. Very barbaric

I just don't understand that medeival tribal mindset

[zanne]

4. None of us do. I think that's why...

I think that's why we're in the trouble we're in. Aside from invading a country that posed no threat to us, we just don't understand the culture. It's so alien to us; we can't think that way.

[ohio2007]

5. "The motive of the attack could not be independently verified."

Couldn't be "independently verified" ?

The family has a clue as to "who done it" yet this article doesn't want to connect the dots.

Many Sunni tribes are sick of fighting the govt. but a minority of Sunni tribes that had the biggest stake in Saddam's regime are committed to fight to the bitter end.
Killing the "collaborators" in their ranks will, over time, shrink their own supporting ranks