Human shields pour into holy city

[janx]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3584908&thesection=news&thesubsection=world

Around 2000 self-styled "human shields" poured into Najaf yesterday to join Shiite insurgents holed up in the gold-domed mosque, as fresh battles in the holy city prevented a quick victory by US and Iraqi forces.

US forces backed by tanks exchanged fire with the followers of Moqtada al Sadr, the rebel Shiite cleric whose supporters barricaded inside the Imam Ali shrine were joined by the unarmed but defiant "human shields."

But as the crackle of machine gun fire echoed through the old city, armed Iraqi police turned their ire against journalists in the city.

Last night they fired warning shots at and over the Sea of Najaf hotel after arresting a correspondent from Al Arabiya in what appeared to be a continued campaign of harassment against journalists in Najaf.


(much more at link)

[Bo]

1. We are not hearing the half of it....

Are we?

[janx]

2. From what I can piece together from non-US media,

no, we're not.

The last two days, especially, have been hell in Iraq.

[stickdog]

3. My God.

The situation appears way out of control.

[janx]

4. Yes, it does. I'm surprised there hasn't been more attention

paid to it in LBN.

I did not watch any television today, but it seems as if the US media are ignoring this--with the exception of NPR, which reported some of it today.

[MetaTrope]

5. Articles earlier this weekend said there were 10,000 at the mosque

I wonder what happened to them?

[JDPriestly]

6. From same New Zealand article

But as the crackle of machine gun fire echoed through the old city, armed Iraqi police turned their ire against journalists in the city.

Last night they fired warning shots at and over the Sea of Najaf hotel after arresting a correspondent from Al Arabiya in what appeared to be a continued campaign of harassment against journalists in Najaf.

As journalists protested during the arrest, a police lieutenant said above the hubbub: "We are going to open fire on this hotel. We are going to smash it up. I will kill you all. You did this all to yourselves."

In a threat which did not immediately appear to have been carried out, he said that four snipers would be positioned on the roof of the police station to fire at any journalists who left the hotel.

EDITED BY ADMIN: COPYRIGHT

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3584908&thesection=news&thesubsection=world

[Moderator]

8. JDPriestly

DU rules require that you post no more than four paragraphs from a copyrighted article.

[allemand]

7. "I will kill you all."

An Iraqi policeman shows that he has learned his lesson about democracy and freedom of the press.
;-)