Baghdad cancels midnight mass

[DuctapeFatwa]

Baghdad's churches have cancelled Christmas eve midnight mass, opting to hold the traditional service at 14:30 on Wednesday due to fears about violence in the strife-torn capital.

"There will be no midnight mass at all churches in Baghdad without exception," Reverend Joseph Attisha of St Joseph's Cathedral said.

"People have no confidence to leave their homes because of the security situation."

Instead, services will be held between 16:30 and 17:00, said Attisha, a Dominican friar...

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/Iraq/0,,2-10-1460_1463230,00.html

[xchrom]

1. things must really be tough

to cancel christmas midnight mass -- anywhere.
more proof that the u.s. is far from having anything under control over there.

[spinbaby]

2. Urban warfare

Although we're getting very little coverage of it, there seems to be quite a bit of outright urban warfare going on in Baghdad right now--I saw some footage on BBC this morning that looked pretty major with explosions going off and the sound of gunfire. Remember the urban warfare we were all afraid of when we went into Iraq? Well, it's happening now. Merry Christmas.

[NJCher]

3. yeah, that's not a republican talking point

I saw a broadcast on the nightly news--don't recall which one--but the news story seemed carefully constructed to support the idea that:

a) Saddam was captured
b) U.S. got tons of intelligence from his briefcase
c) U.S. rounded up insurgents, ergo
d) fewer than 12 attacks since (here I can't remember, might have been since Saddam's capture)

They're going to at least try to make it sound like the situation is under control, capitalizing to the max on the Saddam capture.


Cher

[The Stranger]

4. I wonder if the complete eradication of all civil authority was actually

the plan of Wolfowitz and his minions -- similar to the destruction of Iraqi civilization and self-identity that took place with the museums and ancient artifacts there. They don't have a problem with the area being in complete anarchy -- even if it means U.S. troops there are in danger.

[DuctapeFatwa]

6. Yes, that is correct

[kskiska]

5. Won't be long now before the 1st anniversary of the war

Hopefully the media will play it up.