Sectarian killing in Iraq has stopped: Maliki

[maddezmom]

Sectarian killing in Iraq has stopped: Maliki 6 minutes ago



LONDON (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki insisted sectarian killing had come to an end in his country, blaming ongoing daily violence on Al-Qaeda in a television interview Monday.

"I would say that the sectarian killing is over," Maliki said, in comments to be broadcast Monday on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the United States-led and British-backed invasion of Iraq.

"It threatened the breakout of a sectarian war, but this has been ended by two factors -- the first one is the national reconciliation on which we still insist.

"The second thing is the ability of the security services in arresting those who are provoking the sectarian unrest," he told ITV television, according to extracts released in advance of the broadcast.

He added that Al-Qaeda posed the "biggest threat" to Iraq and the Middle East.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070319/wl_afp/britainiraqwar_070319105107


Coalition troops 'make Iraq more dangerous'
By Martin Beckford
Last Updated: 10:59am GMT 19/03/2007



Fewer than one in five Iraqis has confidence in the US-led coalition, a new study has shown, as the US president faces increasing anti-war protests at home.


The survey's findings will add to pressure in the US for a withdrawal from Iraq
Two years ago, Iraqi respondents were generally hopeful about their future but a follow-up survey of 2,000 people over the past month has found little optimism in any area of Iraqi life.

With daily sectarian attacks continuing in Baghdad despite a US troop "surge" to stamp out insurgent activity, four years after the ousting of Saddam Hussein more than half said they were dissatisfied with the performance of the new Iraqi government.

Some 78 percent opposed the presence of coalition forces, and 69 percent said their presence worsened the security situation, according to the poll commissioned by the BBC, ABC News, ARD German TV and USA Today.

more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/19/niraq119.xml



:argh:

[wake.up.america]

1. Hope he is correct. Sounds like ''verbal subterfuge''.

[maddezmom]

3. the Al Qaeda he is referring to is homegrown, AFAIK

so when they attack wouldn't it be considered sectarian violence?

[saigon68]

23. Maliki doesn't let his puppet strings get in the way

Of his Ass-Clown pronouncements

[salin]

2. So the mayor of a town south of Baghdad who was just killed

was... ? I guess according to al-Malaki this was the work of Al Qaeada, as will all violence in the next 24 hours... and we know this is not sectarian violence because he tells us so. Color me skeptical.

[Eugene]

4. Maliki said the same BS during Operation Together Forward.

Back then he insisted there was no sectarian civil war,
just the Sunni terrorists killing innocent Iraqis.

The Iraqi government will reach its benchmarks because
he says so. Just ignore the steadily increasing number
of tortured bodies found around Baghdad almost daily.

[TheBaldyMan]

5. from now on they will be called 'Freedom® Fatalities"

I heard he was ill, I didn't realise that meant stark raving bonkers.

[sendero]

6. These liars just never give up..

... it is stunning how stupid they think the world is.

[muriel_volestrangler]

7. Hmm. "8 killed in mosque bombing" - sounds sectarian to me

A bomb exploded during prayers at a Shiite mosque in the capital Monday, killing at least eight worshippers and wounding nearly three dozen on the eve of the war's fourth anniversary, police said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6491783,00.html

Reuters summary of Sunday March 18th: 44 dead, of all categories (American, police, civilians) - http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/DHRV-6ZF327?OpenDocument . Are those really all by al Qaeda?

Plus: 18 killed in bomb attacks in Kirkuk - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2772061&mesg_id=2772091

[maddezmom]

16. more from today

* SAMARRA - Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint, killing a policeman and wounding three others in Samarra, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

* TIKRIT - Police found the body of an Iraqi soldier in the city of Tikrit, 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, the U.S.-Iraqi Joint Coordination Centre said.

* DOUR - A roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol killed one soldier and wounded three others in the town of Dour, near Tikrit, the U.S.-Iraqi Joint Coordination Centre said.

* BAGHDAD - Iraqi army soldiers killed eight insurgents and arrested 66 others during the last 24 hours in different parts of Iraq, the Defence Ministry said.

* WASIT - Police found the bullet-riddled body of Khalaf al-Dalfi, mayor of the town of Wasit, near the city of Kut, 170 km (100 miles) southeast of Baghdad, hours after he was reported kidnapped, police said.

* BAGHDAD - A roadside bomb wounded four people in southern Baghdad, police said.

* MOSUL - A roadside bomb targeting a police patrol wounded two civilians in the northern city of Mosul, police said.

* MOSUL - The bodies of four people with gunshot wounds were found on Sunday in Mosul, police said.

more:http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L19449108.htm

[radfringe]

8. yeah right..... n/t

[SpiralHawk]

9. "Mission Accomplished" - Commander AWOL & Allied Eye-raki Puppet

[tanyev]

10. Oh, c'mon. At least hire Baghdad Bob to get out there and say those things.

[maddezmom]

11. he was entertaining at least

:)

[rocktivity]

21. Oh, I think Maliki is entertaining enough

I think his theory is hilarious!

:rofl:
rocknation

[robcon]

12. I hope it's true.

It'll take more than a few weeks to prove Maliki's thesis.

[Kagemusha]

13. I see what he's saying. I just don't agree with him.

He's saying the killings aren't sectarian since Shiites aren't doing them. Rather, they're political killings by godless Al-Qaeda heathens. (You know, Sunnis.)

[maddezmom]

14. well said, that's about the size of it

:)

[spanone]

15. Good. Get us the fuck out NOW. It's over. Bring the boys Home. We're done.

[Dhalgren]

18. I'm with you! Sectarian strife is over? Great! Now all US troops can come home - today!

If the only thing the "sovereign" Iraqi government has to deal with is a relatively few al-Quaeda "foreigners", then that is their concern. The US troops should start loading up today. Ticker-tape parade for the returning vets by next Monday! Yaaaahooooo! What? They can't come home? What is the reason now?

[leftchick]

17. really? " Bombs kill 15 in Kirkuk; 6 dead in Baghdad mosque attack"

whatever...

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/03/19/iraq.main/

[TwilightGardener]

19. Maliki is a puppet and tool of BushCo--

He will say what the administration wants him to. Remember when he said he didn't want more troops? And then all of a sudden, more troops were an EXCELLENT idea? Actually, he needs us there,and he knows it, because if we left Baghdad, there would certainly be coup attempts.

[Javaman]

20. Nothing worse than someone who tries too hard to save his own ass...

"look, I'm a leader and stuff. all is well, the killing has stopped...>Zing!< whoa what was that???? a bullet, ha ha, they missed me, see it's getting better all the time."

[MidwestTransplant]

22. Baghdad Bob sure moved up in the gov't since Saddam.

I thought only the Bush Admin. rewarded incompetence/foolishness of that level.