Iraq: Sharia is Spreading

Besides the Christians of Iraq having it worse than ever, now Sharia Law is slowly advancing in Iraq. As I have been saying, the infidel does not get to dictate to Muslims what Islam is. No more nation building please.


Hat tip to The Religion of Peace.

10/20/2009
IRAQ
Sharia slowly advancing in Najaf and Basra, for non-Muslims too
by Layla Yousif Rahema

Alcohol sales and other activities contrary to Islam are banned in these cities. Mgr Sako, bishop of Kirkuk, says Iraq’s constitution is ambiguous because it respects religious freedom whilst banning laws contrary to the principles of Islam.


Baghdad (AsiaNews) –For the past ten days, no one has been able to drink or buy alcoholic beverages in Najaf because of a bylaw adopted by local authorities. The decision comes as the latest in a series, suggesting that Sharia is being slowly implemented in Iraq, and that it also applies to non-Muslims.

Najaf is considered a holy city for Shia Muslims because the first Shia imam and fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, is buried there. Because of the city’s special nature as a Shia holy city, the provincial council ruled unanimously that “drinking, selling or transporting alcohol of any kind in whatever quantity” was inappropriate since such activities are incompatible with Islam. Violators, even if they belong to another religion, face the possibility of being sued before a court. The ruling applies to the city of Najaf and its province and includes a ban on advertising.

It is a decision “against democracy, civil liberties and human rights,” said Mgr Louis Sako, Chaldean archbishop of Kirkuk. “It will just encourage trade in bootleg alcohol because people will continue to drink, but in secret.”

More importantly, the new rule is a sign that Islamic law is creeping into some Iraqi cities, Mgr Sako warns.

Last August for example, the Basra Provincial Council, which rules over Iraq’s second largest city, banned the sale of alcoholic beverages following a request by Shia parties, which dominate this southern region.

Ahmad al Sulaiti, deputy governor of the province and a religious leader elected with the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (previously known as the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI), motivated the ban on alcoholic beverages on the ground that Iraq’s constitution “bans everything that violates the principles of Islam.”

The problem lies with constitution itself. When the new charter was adopted, religious minorities, especially Christians, had pointed out its ambiguities.

“It guarantees respect for religious freedoms, but at the same time in Article 6 establishes that no law can be adopted that is contrary to the Muslim religion,” Mgr Sako said. “It was clear from the start that this would create serious problems for minorities.”

For historical reasons, the sale of alcoholic beverages is in the hands of the Christian community and represents an important source of income for Christians. However, terrorism and attacks by Muslim fundamentalists against stores selling alcoholic products have forced many businesses to close. Now, many of those who still sell such products expect the new bylaw to hit their already half-empty pockets even harder.

According to Mgr Sako, Iraq needs leaders who are “more realistic, open and truly willing to help people mature.” The constitution, for example, “does not envisage in any concrete way how to guarantee equality between men and women, regulate polygamy or the right to convert, something which is banned by Islam but which pertains to the realm of freedom of conscience.”

For the prelate, there is a risk that “Iraq will fall back a few centuries, when Sharia was imposed on the entire population.”

Link to Article

White House Response to the Death of Iraqi pro-Iranian Leader

Earlier to today I posted an article entitled "Michigan Muslims Mourn Pro-Iranian Iraqi Religious Leader".

I wonder if any members of our pro-Islamic government will be attending the memorial?

Hat tip to Cyd.

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary
____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009

Statement by the Press Secretary
on the death of His Eminence Abdul Aziz al-Hakim

We were saddened to learn of the passing of His Eminence Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, who has played an important role in Iraq’s national history. We offer our condolences to his family and colleagues.

Link to Article

Michigan Muslims Mourn Pro-Iranian Iraqi Religious Leader

Hundreds of Muslims in Michigan are expected to attend a memorial for Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. Al-Hakim was an Iraqi religious leader who also lead the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq. The council is backed by Iran and they are said to follow the teachings of the now deceased Supreme Ruler Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

It is very telling that American Muslims find the time to come out in support of this man, or pro-Hezbollah and anti-Israel protests. But they do not say a word about the Islamic preachers of hate within America.

Michigan Shi'ite Muslims mourn Iraqi leader’s death
BY NIRAJ WARIKOO

Memorials are planned for tonight and Friday in Dearborn as local Shi’ite Muslims mourn the death of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, an Iraqi religious and political leader who is well-known in metro Detroit’s Shi’ite communities.


Hakim, who once headed Iraq’s biggest political party, visited Michigan in December 2006, speaking at local Lebanese Shi’ite, Iraqi and Chaldean centers after meeting with then President George W. Bush. Hakim, 59, died Wednesday.

“It’s a great loss,” said Imam Husham Al-Husainy, head of the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn. “It’s very sad. People are crying and coming into the center.”

Hundreds are expected to attend the services at the Karbalaa center in Dearborn. And many are watching the funeral services in Iran on satellite TV stations, Al-Husainy said.

Hakim was head of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, formerly known as SCIRI, Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. He hailed from a prominent Shi’ite family of scholars and teachers.

Hakim was a prominent supporter of the Iraq war and met often with U.S. leaders.

Al-Husainy compared the death of Hakim to the death this week of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, in that both came from noted political families.

“As the Kennedy family is to America … the Hakim family is to Iraq,” Al-Husainy said.

Many of Hakim’s family members were killed by the former regime of Saddam Hussein, and he spent his life trying to win freedom for Iraqis, Al-Husainy said.

In metro Detroit, Shi’ites of Iraqi descent admired him, as did Lebanese-American Shi’ites.

In December 2006, Hakim spoke to Shi’ite Muslims at Bint Jebail Cultural Center in Dearborn, a hall named after a town in southern Lebanon largely populated by Shi'ite Muslims.

He told the crowd that Al Qaeda and remnants of the former regime of Saddam Hussein are behind the terrorist violence in Iraq.

“It's not the Shi'ites doing this,” Hakim said through a translator. “It's not the Sunnis doing this. It's the terrorists, the outsiders.”

Hakim also spoke to Chaldeans, Iraqi Catholics, in Southfield and West Bloomfield, and at the Karbalaa Islamic Education Center in Dearborn.

Hakim stressed religious and ethnic unity in his talk, noting that Shi'ites, Sunnis, Arabs, Kurds, Turkomen and Christians have long lived together in Iraq.

The recent violence between the groups is an aberration -- not the historical norm -- he said.

“We have nothing against each other,” Hakim said. “We go back hundreds of years, living together.”

Hakim’s son, Amar al-Hakim, viewed as a popular successor, also visited metro Detroit, speaking at local centers in August 2005. And decades ago, Hakim’s older brother, Mahdi Al-Hakim, also visited metro Detroit, meeting with local imams, Al-Husainy recalled.

Link to Article

Shiite Groups Announce new Alliance Minus Iraqi PM

Besides the recent major attack in Iraq in which Iraqi security forces took a bribe to help destroy their own country, we now have a major split in the government which includes anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc. This move could easily strengthen Iran's influence in Iraq. Like I have been saying, no more nation building with Muslims please.

Shiite groups announce new alliance minus Iraqi PM

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
BAGHDAD – Major Iranian-backed Shiite groups announced a new alliance Monday but excluded the Iraqi prime minister in a rare display of disunity among the country's majority Islamic sect. The move puts pressure on Nouri al-Maliki to strike a deal with Sunni parties if he hopes to keep his job after January's parliamentary elections.

The announcement came as bombs on two buses exploded, killing at least 11 in southern Iraq. The blasts were just the latest bombings in recent weeks that have raised fears insurgents are trying to stoke sectarian violence that nearly tore the country apart two years ago.

The party realignment is a major shift in the Iraqi political scene, breaking up a Shiite coalition that has dominated Iraq's government since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003.

The new bloc, called the Iraqi National Alliance, will include the largest Shiite party, the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, or SIIC, and anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc, which both have close ties to Tehran, as well as some small Sunni and secular parties.

If the alliance does well in the Jan. 16 vote, Tehran could gain deeper influence in Iraq just as U.S. forces begin to withdraw. The last American soldier is scheduled to leave Iraq by the end of 2011.

It's also likely to worry Sunnis who largely consider the Supreme Council as little more than an instrument of Iranian policy — exacerbating sectarian divisions at a time when violence that had waned is again on the rise.

Left outside of the alliance, al-Maliki appears to be trying to cast himself as a Shiite leader who can draw in minority Sunnis and Kurds.

Al-Maliki's aides have said the prime minister is working to form a broad-based, national coalition in a bid to end sectarian politics.

Al-Maliki's Dawa Party did not join the new alliance because its leaders would not guarantee that he would remain prime minister if the bloc dominated the election, Shiite lawmaker Reda Jawad Taqi told The Associated Press.

One of al-Maliki's advisers, Hassan al-Sineid, said the prime minister and the leaders of the new alliance differed over "the mechanism of participation in the alliance and the need to open this alliance to include a broad range of political powers."

The realignment does not immediately threaten al-Maliki's position as prime minister, but points to stormy politics in the election campaign and beyond, as U.S. troops prepare to withdraw.

Link to Article

Iraqi Suspect: It Cost $10,000 to Pass Checkpoints

Here is an unfortunate update to the "Iraq Says Security Forces may Have Aided Bombers" story.

Iraqi suspect: It cost $10,000 to pass checkpoints
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN

BAGHDAD – Attackers paid $10,000 to get a bomb-laden truck past checkpoints and next to the Iraqi Finance Ministry in last week's attacks, one of the suspected masterminds said in a confession broadcast Sunday.

Seeking to fend off widespread criticism over security lapses, the Iraqi military released what it said was the confession of a Sunni man it identified as the planner of one of the two suicide truck bombings targeting government buildings in Baghdad.

Iraqi lawmakers and other senior officials have traded blame and called for investigations into how the bombers were able to get the explosives-packed trucks so close to government institutions in the heart of the capital.

Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief military spokesman for Baghdad, said the man was a senior member of Saddam Hussein's ousted Baath Party who had confessed to supervising the attack against the Finance Ministry before his lawyer and the chief prosecutor.

Wednesday's twin bombings, which also devastated the Foreign Ministry, have battered Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's efforts to portray himself as a champion of security before January's parliamentary elections and the government has been eager to assert control over the investigation, announcing arrests but giving few details.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, said he was extremely concerned by the attacks.

"The key is whether this is an indicator of future sectarian violence. And certainly, many of us believe that one way that this can come unwound is through sectarian violence," he said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "The message is that the Iraqi leadership really has to take control and ensure security in their country."

The 57-year-old suspect, wearing a gray and white striped shirt, identified himself as Wisam Ali Khazim Ibrahim and said he was a Baath Party member and former police officer from the Diyala province city of Muqdadiyah, north of Baghdad.

The attackers paid $10,000 to a facilitator who knew the Iraqi security forces manning the checkpoints on the roads from Muqdadiyah to the Finance Ministry, Ibrahim said. That blast caused part of an overpass to collapse and killed nearly 30 people.

Ibrahim said the operation was ordered a month ago by a Baath Party operative in Syria in a bid "to destabilize the regime."

Link to Article

Iraq Says Security Forces may Have Aided Bombers

Besides the facts that our brave troops are laying their lives on the line in Iraq on a daily basis, and Christians are being persecuted there. The Iraq foreign minister has stated that members of the Iraqi security force may have aided the bombers in the recent attacks in Iraq. Just like in Afghanistan and Pakistan the violence goes on and on.

Iraq says security forces may have aided bombers
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN

BAGHDAD – The suicide bombers who blew up explosives-laden trucks outside government buildings in Baghdad may have been aided by members of Iraq's security forces, the foreign minister said Saturday, even as the government insisted Iraqi forces could still protect the nation.

Anger is mounting over the security lapses that allowed the bombers to drive trucks past checkpoints and position them close to government targets that included the foreign and finance ministries. Wednesday's attacks killed at least 101 people and wounded more than 500.

The violence has shaken confidence in a government eager to demonstrate that it can take over responsibility for the country's security from American troops, who withdrew form Iraq's cities nearly two months ago.

"We have to face the truth. There has been an obvious deterioration in the security situation in the past two months," Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told reporters during a news conference at the damaged ministry building, which was opened Saturday for tours to journalists and some ministry employees.

Zebari said the attacks were so well planned and executed that he would not rule out the possible collaboration of members of Iraq's security forces with attackers.

"We will investigate that," he said.

Zebari said the ministry was investigating how the trucks carrying the bombs were allowed to pass into areas where they are banned from traveling.

He also warned Iraqis to prepare for more violence.

"What is coming might be bigger attacks, and the government needs to shoulder its responsibility and deal with the security inefficiencies."

Link to Article

Iraq Investigates Alleged US-Insurgent Talks

While our government is intent in destroying things here at home, they have allegedly gone behind the back of the Iraqi government and have signed a "document that included U.S. recognition of the Iraqi resistance". The less decisions that our government is involved in the better.

Iraq investigates alleged US-insurgent talks
By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA

BAGHDAD – Iraq said Friday it was investigating reports that U.S. delegates and Sunni insurgents held reconciliation talks in Turkey this year, alleging the meetings violated Iraqi sovereignty and showed tolerance for terrorists.

The State Department acknowledged that unspecified meetings took place, but said Iraq knew about them at the time.

The matter raises sensitive questions about Iraqis' newfound authority as the United States hands over responsibility to Iraqi forces, which have taken charge of security in cities since June 30. The revelations came as Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ended a visit to the United States after meeting President Barack Obama on Wednesday.

Although the meetings in Turkey are said to have occurred months ago, news reports about an agreement supposedly signed by the American and insurgent sides have angered Iraqis who are struggling to assert their independence after years of conflict.

A man identified as the secretary-general of the Political Council of the Iraqi Resistance told Al-Jazeera TV last week that his group held talks with U.S. officials in March and in May. He said the two sides signed a "protocol to organize the negotiation process and a document that included U.S. recognition of the Iraqi resistance."

The man, Ali al-Jubouri, said the group's other demands included a formal U.S. apology for the 2003 invasion and the release of all Iraqi prisoners, but that the talks had since broken down.

U.S. diplomatic and military officials have negotiated with Sunni insurgents in the past, and scored a notable success by persuading Sunni tribal leaders, whose followers included anti-American fighters, to turn against al-Qaida in Iraq in what was considered a key factor in reducing violence in 2007.

Despite the drop in insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed, political reconciliation among Iraq's factions remains difficult. Iraq's Shiite-led government, whose supporters suffered under the Sunni-dominated rule of Saddam Hussein, is deeply skeptical of the possibility of an accord with Sunni insurgents, some of whom might have links to Saddam's old Baath party.

"Nobody can make decisions on behalf of Iraq, which has a legitimate government," said Abbas al-Bayati, a member of the security and defense committee in the Iraqi parliament. "We want to know if these armed groups are included in the national reconciliation project and whether their hands have been stained in Iraqi blood."

In an interview with the U.S.-funded Al-Hurra network, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said he received confirmation of a meeting involving U.S., insurgent and Turkish representatives in Istanbul in March.

Zebari said it was "shocking" and "amazing" that U.S. and Turkish officials met "the supporters of the former regime, groups that adopt violence and terrorism as a way to change the situation, and the networks that believe in killing, bombing and targeting innocents."

Link to Article

Five Baghdad Churches Bombed in 24 hours

Since the Iraqis were freed from the iron hand of Saddam Hussein, Christians there have been persecuted. Where is the Muslim outrage over this, or even the outrage by our own government? Obviously what happens to Christians does not matter.

July 12th, 2009
Five Baghdad churches bombed in 24 hours
From Jomana Karadsheh

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — Four Baghdad churches were bombed in less than 24 hours and eight civilians were wounded, officials said Sunday.

Three bombs exploded outside churches Sunday afternoon, wounding the civilians, an Interior Ministry official said. The bombs detonated within a 15-minute span, between 4:30 and 4:45 p.m. local time (9:30 and 9:45 a.m. ET).

Two of the churches are in central Baghdad’s al-Karrada district, and the third is in al-Ghadeer in eastern Baghdad.

The churches were damaged in the bombings, the official said.

Saturday night, a church in western Baghdad sustained damage in a double bombing, the official said. The two bombs placed inside St. Joseph’s church detonated at around 10 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET). There was no one in the church at the time of the attack.

St. Joseph’s was one of six churches hit by coordinated bombings of Christian houses of worship in Baghdad and Mosul in 2004. The church is in the al-Jamiaa neighborhood of Baghdad, a former stronghold of al-Qaeda in Iraq. There have been recent reports of an increase in targeted attacks in the area.

Many of Iraq’s estimated 1 million Christians have fled the country after targeted attacks by extremists. In October, more than a thousand Iraqi families fled the northern city of Mosul after they were reportedly frightened by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists, who apparently ordered them to convert to Islam or face possible death. At least 14 Christians were killed in Mosul in the first two weeks of October.

Separately, gunmen shot and killed an official in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Sunday morning, a local police official told CNN.

Using guns with silencers, the assailants opened fire on Rizko Aziz Nissan outside his home in central Kirkuk at 8:15 a.m. (1:15 a.m. ET). Kirkuk is 150 miles (240 km) north of Baghdad.

Nissan was an Iraqi Christian, but the motives behind his killing were not immediately clear.

Link to Article

US Soldier Gets 25 Years for Killing Al Qaeda Member in Iraq

Hat tip to BigheadFred.

Sign Lt. Behenna’s petition for a new trial at: Petition on line.

GOVERNMENT WITHHOLDS EVIDENCE; ARMY RANGER GOES TO PRISON FOR 25 YEARS FOR SHOOTING AL QAEDA OPERATIVE
The Story

On March 20th, 2009, Army Ranger 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a known Al Qaeda operative while serving in Iraq. The “victim”, Ali Mansur, was known to be a member of an Al Qaeda cell operating in the lieutenant’s area of operation, and was suspected to have organized an attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon in April 2008 which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more. Army intelligence ordered the release of Mansur and Lt. Behenna was ordered to return the terrorist to his home.

During the return of Mansur, Lt. Behenna again questioned the Al Qaeda member for information about other members of the terrorist cell, and financial supporters. During this interrogation, Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense. The government subsequently prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder.

Not only is this a miscarriage of justice on the behalf of Lt. Behenna, who was acting to prevent further loss of life in his platoon, it is demoralizing to the U.S. troops who continue to fight on behalf of the freedom and security of our nation. Whether it is U.S. border patrol agents, members of the armed forces, or FBI agents, no individual who is serving on the frontlines in the War on Terror should be so blatantly mistreated.

We urgently need your help to correct this terrible wrong against a loyal and faithful soldier. Please contact your congressman and ask them to intervene on behalf of 1LT Behenna. Below is a brief recap of the relevant aspects of Lt. Behenna’s case.

September 2007: 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna deployed to Iraq for his first combat experience.

April 21, 2008: Lt. Behenna’s platoon was attacked by Al Qaeda operatives. The attack resulted in death of two of Lt. Behenna’s platoon members, two Iraqi citizens, and wounded two additional soldiers under Lt. Behenna’s command.

May 5, 2008: Known terrorist Ali Mansur was detained at his home for suspected involvement in the attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon.

May 16, 2008: Army Intelligence orders the release of Mansur.
Lt. Behenna, who lost two members of his platoon just weeks earlier, was ordered to transport Mansur back to his home.

Lt. Behenna attempts a final interrogation of Mansur prior to his release.
During the interrogation, Behenna is attacked by Mansur and is forced to defend himself. During the altercation, the terrorist is killed.

Lt. Behenna failed to properly report the incident.
July 2008: The U.S. Army charges Lt. Behenna with premeditated murder for the death of Al Qaeda operative and terrorist Ali Mansur.

February 23, 2009: Lt. Behenna’s trial begins.
Government and defense experts agree on the trajectory of the bullets killing Mansur
Prosecution expert Dr. Herbert MacDonnell initiated contact with defense attorneys explaining his agreement with the testimony of Lt. Behenna and his presentation to prosecutors supporting Lt. Behenna’s version of events.

Dr. MacDonnell is not called to testify in the case and is sent home. Just before leaving the courthouse he picks up his coat from the prosecution room and says to the three prosecutors, ‘The explanation that Lt Behenna just testified to was the exact same scenario I told you yesterday. Lt Behenna is telling the truth.’

Jack Zimmermann, defense counsel, asks prosecutors if they have any exculpatory evidence that should be provided to the defense (referring to Dr. MacDonnell’s demonstration). Prosecutors deny having any such evidence despite having been told by their own expert witness that Lt Behenna’s explanation was the only logical explanation.

Prosecutors withholding of this evidence allowed them to argue that Lt. Behenna executed Ali Mansur while seated when the forensic experts, including Dr. MacDonnell, agree that Ali was standing with his arms outstretched when shot.

Lt. Behenna is convicted of unpremeditated murder and assault by a military panel of seven officers, none of whom had combat experience.

Dr. MacDonnell contacts prosecution requesting that the information provided in his demonstration be given to the defense.

Prosecutors provide such information after a verdict was rendered, but prior to sentencing.

At the request of the presiding judge, Dr. MacDonnell provides his information to the court via telephone.

The judge orders both sides in the case to file briefs relating to a possible mistrial.

After reading the briefs the judge set an additional hearing and ordered additional briefs, including one from the defense requesting a new trial.

On March 20, the judge denied defense motions to declare a mistrial and to order a new trial.

Lt. Behenna’s attorneys are appealing the verdict.
Lt. Behenna is currently serving a 25-year sentence

1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was an excellent officer. He received his call to serve his country while attending the University of Central Oklahoma. He is from a family of public servants, his mother being an Assistant United States Attorney and his father a retired Special Agent with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. He has served the Army and the United States with honor and dignity. To sacrifice the life of this Oklahoma soldier over the death of a known terrorist, is a breech of faith with all who are serving our country.



We’ll send you this DefendMichael.com wristband with any donation of $20 or more.

»To donate to Michael's cause DO NOT DONATE ON THIS SITE, donate HERE.

Support Michael

We need your support now more than ever. The government has unlimited resources and has spent accordingly. 1LT Behenna and his family hired civilian counsel, Houston lawyers Jack B. Zimmermann and Kyle R. Sampson, at their own expense. This Legal Defense Fund has been established for the sole purpose of helping ensure that 1LT Behenna has meaningful access to experienced legal defense counsel in the military prosecution. The value of having experience in a case like this became very obvious when the issue of evidence withheld by the prosecution was discovered. All donations to this Fund will be used exclusively for attorney fees and expenses associated with this legal defense and will be maintained in an independently administered trust account. Disbursements from the Fund will be made directly to 1LT Behenna’s legal counsel upon receipt of qualified invoices. Funds will not be distributed directly to 1LT Behenna.

If you are able to help defray these costs, please send contributions to the:

1LT Michael Behenna Legal Defense Fund
c/o Jack Dawson, co-trustee
100 Park Avenue, Second Floor
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102-8099

or Rachel Lawrence Mor, co-trustee
3037 N.W. 63rd Street, Suite 251
Oklahoma City Oklahoma 73116

Please read our Legal Disclosure before donating. Thank you for assisting Lt. Michael Behenna.

Two American Soldiers Killed by Iraqi Soldier

In the past we have read about US military members who were Muslims that had turned on the USA. Today we see an Iraqi soldier who was also an Imam turn on us and kill two of our brave soldiers.

Two American soldiers shot dead by uniformed Iraqi: US

Two American soldiers were shot dead and three more were wounded on Saturday when an Iraqi wearing army uniform opened fire on them south of the northern town of Mosul, the US military said.

"According to initial reports, an individual dressed in an Iraqi army uniform fired on the Coalition forces and was killed in the incident" around 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Mosul, the statement said.

It called the incident "a small arms fire attack at a combat outpost."

A Mosul police officer identified the assailant as Hassan al-Dulaimi, a soldier who also served as the imam of a mosque at an Iraqi army training centre south of the city, the capital of Nineveh province.

The latest deaths bring to 4,283 the number of American losses since the US-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003, according to an AFP count based on the independent website icasualties.org.

In February an American soldier was killed and three others wounded when two Iraqi policemen shot at them at a Mosul police station in an attack that also killed an Iraqi translator and wounded another.

Link to Article

Bishops:Middle East May Soon be Empty of Christians

As the suffering of the Iraqi Christians continues, some Christian leaders fear this might lead to Christians being driven out of the Middle East completely. Even the Iraqi government itself has shutout Christians. That was something that we should of never allowed.

Hat tip to Savvy.

Bishops: Middle East may soon be empty of Christians
By staff reporter
6 March 2009

Chaldean Catholic leaders have said that Iraq's diminishing Christian population should be an "alarm bell" for the rest of the world and could foreshadow the transformation of the Middle East.

Chaldean Bishop Michel Kassarji of Beirut said at a conference that the Iraqi model of depleting Christians could extend to the whole of the region.

He said the mission of the conference was to "sound the alarm bell ... to avoid the transformation of the East into a desert of Christianity".

The bishop said "international religious authorities look at the Iraqi Christian situation as hopeless" and view Christians' departure "as something imminent and unavoidable".

"Our fellow Muslim brothers must be aware of these dangers and must take responsibility in turn. The Arab and Muslim countries have to make a serious move to stop the extermination of the Christian existence in Iraq," he said.

"Many Muslim officials have acknowledged that the persecution of Iraqi Christians is actually taking place and it is a practice that is foreign to Islamic traditions," Bishop Kassarji added.

Maronite Fr Walid Mousa, president of Notre Dame University, Louaize, which hosted the conference, told participants: "Christianity is not the one who invaded Iraq and led to the fall of Saddam Hussein. So why is it now a victim?"

The conference, under the patronage of Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, was organised by the Chaldean Catholic Church in Lebanon. About 400,000 Christians have fled Iraq since 2003 and about 300,000 remain. One bishop and three priests are among the 500 Christians who have been killed.

Chaldean Archbishop Louis Sako of Kirkuk, Iraq, said the reasons Christians were fleeing Iraq were complicated.

"Tragic mistakes were committed in Iraq, which created huge chaos," he said.

"The occupation of Iraq by the Americans resulted in fatal mistakes, such as the dismantling of organisations, including the army and police forces, and the opening of borders without monitoring them."

In addition, neighbouring countries have had a direct influence on Iraq. Internally, political parties vying for power have taken advantage of minorities, the archbishop said. "Extremist Islamic rhetoric and the call for establishing a theocratic ruling system has played a huge part in the agony of Christians," he said.

"They [Christians] have been associated with the occupier without having any relation to it, or to the crusaders from whom they suffered. And they have been accused_of_blasphemy_and polytheism and are innocent of such accusations.

"The idea of emptying the East of Christians is a deadly sin."

"We need to reject all forms of oppression, suppression and terrorism in the name of religion, and the Church has a big responsibility for open and sincere dialogue with Muslim authorities," Archbishop Sako added, noting there is also a need for government institutions to help to protect minorities.

Link to Article

Islamic Republic of Iraq Part 2

Back in July I reported with no offense to our troops intended, that we have allowed an Islamic country to be created in Iraq where Christians and women are being oppressed. New reports have shown us that these types of actions are still taking place all with the backing of the Iraqi government.

Information has just come out that so called "honor killings" are on the rise in Iraq and the perpetrators are rarely punished and some have even been congratulated by the police department. In the city of Basra any man who wants to have a woman killed can now just hire an honor killing hit man. The price is as little as $100. This year 81 woman there have been killed for supposedly shaming their families. Out of the 81 there have only been 5 convictions.

Human rights activist Mariam Ayub Sattar has said that any woman who is seen talking to any male outside of their family members is considered a whore and is punished. Three woman have been burned with acid as punishment for this. Most of the organizations there to help women have closed down to due violence and threats against them.

Iraq:Christian Sisters Murdered, Christians Shut out by the Govt

Two Christian sisters were shot dead and their mother stabbed by a Muslim mob just one day after it was reported that Iraqi Christians were returning to their homes in Mosul after fleeing Muslim persecution about one month ago.

These horrible acts which are common across the Islamic world are only part of the problem for the Iraqi Christians since we gave the Iraqi Muslims their freedom from Saddam. In October right before the Christians were forced to flee their homes in Mosul, it was reported that they were told to convert, pay jizya or they would be killed.

This is the only part of the nightmare in Iraq for the Christians. The government was being pressured by the United Nations to draft a bill to get article 50 into law. Article 50 was supposed to guarantee 15 out of the 440 government seats to minorities. Thirteen seats were for Christians. The article was never drafted so now the Christians are entitled to one seat in the government. How much worse will it get for the Christians once our troops leave?

Iraqi Christians Told to Convert, pay Jizyah or die!!

Several months ago I reported that Iraq was turning into the Islamic Republic of Iraq , as Christianity is clearly under attack there. Today a new report comes out showing that the situation for Iraqi Christians has gotten even worse. They have been told to convert, pay jizyah or die. We have let the Islamic genie out of the bottle in Iraq.

Sat October 11, 2008
Christians flee Iraqi city after killings, threats, officials say

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- At least 900 Christian families have fled Mosul in the past week, terrified by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or face possible death, officials said Saturday.


The attacks may have been prompted by Christian demonstrations ahead of provincial elections, which are to be held by the end of January, the deputy governor of Nineveh province said.

Deputy Gov. Khasro Goran said 13 Christians have been slain in the past two weeks inMosul, about 260 miles (420 kilometers) north of Baghdad. Fleeing Christians have sought refuge in monasteries and churches and with family members in other towns, an Interior Ministry official said.

The attacks began after hundreds of Christians took to the streets in Mosul and surrounding villages and towns, seeking greater representation on provincial councils, whose members will be chosen in the local elections.

Duraid Mohammed Kashmoula, Nineveh's governor, told The Associated Press that the exodus was "a major displacement."

"Of course, al Qaeda elements are behind this campaign against Christians," Kashmoula told AP.

The Interior Ministry official said the homes of three families were destroyed with explosives Saturday after the occupants left. No injuries were reported.

A week ago, leaflets were distributed in several predominantly Christian neighborhoods, threatening families to "either convert to Islam or pay the jizyah or leave the city or face death," said the Interior Ministry official.

Historically, jizya is a tax paid by non-Muslims in exchange for protection.

Goran said that a few days after the leaflets were passed out, gunmen set up checkpoints in parts of Mosul, stopping vehicles to inspect identification papers, searching for Christian names or other signs of religious affiliation. Many of the Christians killed were targeted in this way, he said.

Bashir Azoz, 45, told AP he fled his Mosul home after gunmen warned a neighbor to leave or be killed.

"Where is the government and its security forces as these crimes take place every day?" asked Azoz, a carpenter who is staying with his wife and three children in a town about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Mosul, according to AP.

The Rev. Bolis Jacob, of Mosul's Mar Afram Church, told AP he couldn't understand the attacks.

"We respect the Islamic religion and the Muslim clerics," he said. "We don't know under what religion's pretexts these terrorists work."

Goran said police have set up security checkpoints in Christian neighborhoods.

In response to the violence, Iraqi Defense Minister Abdul Qader al-Obaidi visited Mosul on Saturday morning, conducting meetings with local authorities and military commanders.

His spokesman, Mohammed al-Askari, said that in addition to ordering more checkpoints in Christian neighborhoods, al-Obaidi ordered more troops deployed, additional security patrols and an increase in aerial surveillance of Christian areas.


Al-Obaidi also ordered more guards for Christian clerics, al-Askari said.

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The Islamic Republic of Iraq Part 1

When I report this news, I do not mean any offense to the coalition troops fighting in Iraq. They are the greatest fighting force on the planet, but there is only so much that they can do. I caught the beginning of Bill O'Reilly tonight, the talking points segment. He said that Islamofascism in Iraq has almost been defeated. This is just not true. While attacks on our troops might be down, which is great. There are other disturbing aspects of Islam or Islamofascism as O'Reilly called it, taking place.

First off, there is the plight of the Christian community. Which has gone from a prewar estimate of approximately 1.3 million to about 700,000 now.(1) Many have fled the country and hundreds have been killed. Churches have been destroyed or abandoned out of fear.(2) These events are common across the Islamic world. Where Christians live as dhimmis(3) and have to hide who they are for their own safety. But the Muslims in Iraq have taken it one step further.

They have turned the clock back to the days of Mohammad. They are forcing the Christians that remain in Iraq to pay jizya.(1) Muslims call it protection money. But protection from who? It is extortion plain and simple, mafia style. Mohammad and his merry men forced this on Christians and Jews in return for not killing them. So many Christians were paying the jizya in Iraq, that it became a funding source for the insurgency. Some families used their entire life savings to make the payoffs. The payments have been said to have slowed down, as U.S. forces stepped in. But will that last when we finally leave?


Stay tuned for part 2.


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