Iraq PM calls for raiders' arrest

[appleton]

Iraqi PM calls for raiders arrest..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle ... 149890.stm

Quote from the BBC:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has called for the speedy arrest of those responsible for the kidnapping of up to 40 hostages on Tuesday.

Most of the people seized in the raid in a Baghdad education facility have been freed.

Gunmen dressed in uniforms similar to those worn by Iraqi police abducted dozens of people. Police say they are trying to release more people.

Later on Wednesday, a car bomb exploded in Baghdad, killing at least 12 people.

About 20 of the abductees were released on Tuesday evening. The rest were said to have been freed shortly before midnight in Baghdad (2100 GMT), presidential security adviser Wafiq al-Sammarai told the BBC.

Mr Maliki, said that the militants behind the daylight raid were "worst than extremists" and he called for their immediate arrests.

"What happened was not terrorism, rather it was due to dispute and conflict between militias from one side or another," he said in televised remarks.

Iraqi police have told the BBC that operations to secure the men are still going on throughout Baghdad.

So far there have not been any reports on the condition of the men released, or whether police operations to free them were violent.

Daylight raid

When the 20 vehicles pulled up outside the education building in central Baghdad, the militants were wearing uniforms that had been specially designed in the United States so they would be hard to copy.

Map of Baghdad

Quick guide: Iraq violence
Kidnapping stokes fears

Many here feel this is yet another example of collusion within the Iraqi police force, says the BBC's Andy Gallacher in Baghdad.

The armed gang responsible locked the women present in a room and drove off with the men in a fleet of vehicles.

Five Iraqi police commanders are being investigated, including the police chief of Karrada district where the abductions occurred.

Initial estimates had suggested that more than 100 people had been seized, but that was later revised down throughout the day.

Baghdad has been plagued by sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia communities, with so-called "death squads" regularly said to have strong links to elements of the Shia-dominated government.

Seems as though some of the police were involved at some stage of the hostage taking. I agree they need catching. A country like Iraq struggling to stabilise itself needs those that break the law in this way punished.

I saw the webcast and one guy in Iraq said they came in pick-up trucks and blocked off the road. That to me looks like someone corrupt in the military or police has been giving advice to the kidnappers. Some people have escaped though but I will surprised if they all get away. Getting kidnapped is a death sentence there at moment.

Good luck to Iraq in these troubled times. I hope they find out who the kidnappers are and weed them out. Also those who helped conduct it are directly responsible and should be punished.

Thoughts and comments?

Matt

[Luke]

Calls for their arrest? Seems like a *duh* to me. What else would the less corrupt police be trying to do? o.O

[Lad]

Iraq is in utter tumoil and neither its president, nor the coalition leaders know which way to turn. Nobody ever expected such vast murder, such a vast amount of terrorism and attacks of all kinds after the war. It seems as if every man in Iraq will need to be part of the security forces if things don't rapidly improve. I think about Iraq every day and I still can't think of a way out of this mess. I wonder if the troops just left and surrended the security to the Iraqi army how much more/less problems there would be. I can't believe it is the presence of our forces there that causes all the trouble.

No doubt there are lots of traitors, spies etc in the police and the army, with regards to the article, which is probably the only explanation for this extremely effective and deadly act. I did want to smile when the Iraqi presedent called for their arrest. Kidnap and murder are the two most popular sports practised in Iraq at the moment, happening every minute of the day - what's new about this incident? lol

[appleton]

Kidnap and murder are the two most popular sports practised in Iraq at the moment, happening every minute of the day - what's new about this incident? lol

It is indeed but that fact that so many were taken at one time seems to be the major pointer here. I think it's best you don't smile these incidents happening are very serious. The prime minister was trying to push hard on those that committed the act. Which any right seeing prime minister would do.

No doubt there are lots of traitors, spies etc in the police and the army, with regards to the article, which is probably the only explanation for this extremely effective and deadly act.

I don't personally see a end to this violence for years and year and I think it will not be in my lifetime. Some of our troops are corrupt, some of their troops are corrupt were just stuck knee deep really and going round in circles. People who are given the job of protecting Iraq need to set examples. That means our military too we need to stop beating and killing civilians and stop any corruption going on internally the U.S and Iraqi forces would do good to follow the same advice.

I honestly cannot see this ending.

Nobody ever expected such vast murder, such a vast amount of terrorism and attacks of all kinds after the war.

Well, I expected it in some ways. The U.S seem to have a idea that they would drop a few bombs take over a couple of city's and it would be over. The problem is when you remove the government (dictatorship or not) those that want to rape and screw the system will. I hear a lot of Iraq's problems stem from gangsters and militias now.

Obviously these gangsters were hidden under Saddam's regime (mainly due to fear but who knows). When removing a government from power using the military (forging military at that!). Their will always be problems with invasions. I guess some people were just blind to it before. Seems like we don't learn from the past .

Fair bit of typing for ya to read

Matt

[Lass]

Iraq's bordering on anarchy, from all accounts. Do the people actually respect this democratic government that the West is praising so much? I personally would like to see the Iraqi government taking a much harder line themselves; this is their country, and they ought to get some kind of grip on the situation. OK, we kinda brought the thing to where it is, but do they really expect us to hold their hands all the way? They need to get some kind of order into Iraq.

I realise that's a pretty harsh post lol. Now, shoot me down.

[Lad]

Yeah I shouldn't have smiled I suppose - it was just the fact that its happening just all the time. It is very good to see him coming out and down on it. I wish he's take a tougher stance on Iraq himself though. As you point out, many of the fighters have gone home now or been killed and the trouble in Iraq is caused by foreign terrorists, militias, gangs and sectarian violence that had been building up for decades.

I think we will see a calming down in Iraq in our lifetimes (providing we live to the normal life expectancy!), but the MIddle East has always been a troublesome region and it always will. Palestine and Israel will never ever get on and you come back in 300 years time and providing those two states are side by side with the same races contained the situation will still be bitter.

[KDSM]

Yeah its a mess over there, but progress is being made slowly. I am positive that Iran is stirring the pot because a stable democratic country on its border is not in the intrest of the iraninan government

[Lass]

[quote=KDSM]
Yeah its a mess over there, but progress is being made slowly. I am positive that Iran is stirring the pot because a stable democratic country on its border is not in the intrest of the iraninan government
[/quote]

Indeed. Iraqi stability is not in the interests of a number of the nations in that region. A lot of politics and war ... and it's the people that really suffer ... I wonder what they really think of it all, aside from what they are supposed to think. No-one ever asked them if they wanted democracy and all the rest.

[Romulus111VADT]

I know this will sound totally barbaric, but the most effective way to deal with these types is to shoot them on site and in full view of others that may be considering taking up terrorist activities. This worked after WWII with the suppression of the werewolves (they were Germans still loyal to Hitler). They went around doing exactly what the insurgents are doing now. The German people got fed up and started shooting them on sight and leaving their bodies for military personnel to pick up.

[Lad]

I never ever heard of them before. You did history Lass, - did you hear of them?