Iraq orders 1 million pilgrims to leave

[rodeodance]

Source: ap




raq orders 1 million pilgrims to leave

By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer 31 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Police ordered a curfew Tuesday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala and ordered more than one million pilgrims to leave after two days of violence claimed least 10 lives during a Shiite religious festival.


North of Baghdad, hundreds of U.S. and Iraqi forces backed by helicopters and jet fighters killed 33 Sunni insurgents who were holding back the water supply to the Shiite town of Khalis, the American command said in a statement Tuesday.

Police issued the order for Karbala after heavy shooting broke out in the center of the city Tuesday. Trouble started late Monday when scuffles broke out between police and pilgrims said to have bean angry over strict security.

Gunshots rang out Tuesday in the area near the city's two major Shiite shrines which are the focal point of celebrations marking the birthday of the 12th and last Shiite imam, who disappeared in the 9th century. The festival was to have reached its high point Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
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Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070828/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AhV_QUoXDNSryk1bw9OKhkes0NUE

[shain from kane]

1. "Listen up, pilgrim." Be outta town by sunset. n/t

[Tab]

2. Who the hell is making a pilgrimage to Iraq?

???

[Tempest]

3. The devout

Not really hard to understand if you see it from their viewpoint.

[Scandalous]

5. Ahhh yes... "their" viewpoint

Is that the viewpoint that takes positions such as:

1. Any woman who is raped should be stoned to death by her family... the woman is always at fault!
2. You are Sunni and I am Shiite. We prefer to spend our lives fighting and killing each other and don't know exactly why. Working out our differences so that our children can grow up in a peaceful Iraq is simply not an option.

I could go on but I need to stop before I start seeing things from their viewpoint! :scared:

Shit, we need to get the hell out of that place!

[Tempest]

6. Ahhh yes... your viewpoint

Getting an idea on how that works?

[Tempest]

4. According to NPR, this battle is still going on

It's bigger and more violent than the media is letting on.

[IsItJustMe]

7. More evidence, for some of our delusional politicians, that the surge is working.

[catmandu57]

8. Or what?

What the fuck are they going to do to make one million people give up their religious duty and go back to wherever?