Reuters:Iraqi Interior Minister Lists Litany of Bloodshed

[Iceburg]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's interior minister told angry politicians on Tuesday 92 suicide car bombings had killed 567 people in Iraq since the interim government was appointed in June.
...
"We cannot solve these problems in a day and night. We cannot reach a good result in a month or two or three or six. We need time."
...
Naqib said 152 people were reported kidnapped in September alone. Eleven of those were rescued by the police, 16 paid a ransom, 31 were released by their kidnappers and one was found dead. He did not give their nationalities.

Scores of Iraqis are kidnapped each month, either by criminals seeking a ransom, or by insurgents punishing them for working with U.S.-led forces.

more ..http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6617502

[JuniorPlankton]

1. I have only one thing to say

FREEDOM IS ON THE MARCH!

:mad:

[krkaufman]

2. Ummm... that leaves 93 unaccounted for... 93 MIA n/t

[maddezmom]

3. this is how cheney defines "success"

:eyes:

[Roy]

4. Gosh, Freedom is a messy thing

[maddezmom]

5. all that looting and hostage taking...another Japanese hostage taken

according to Reuters as I type. :(

Zarqawi Group Kidnaps Japanese Man in Iraq -TV
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=3&u=/nm/20041026/ts_nm/iraq_japan_hostage_dc

[barb162]

6. I had no idea that many people were being kidnapped

what a sick situation

[maddezmom]

7. kidnapping just from today, link:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x934365

[Carla in Ca]

8. That was a surprise to me, too

The situation is so bad, not many reporters going out anymore to tell these stories, as if what we do know isn't bad enough!
And what about poor Mrs. Hassan? I haven't heard anything about her for a week. Tell me they won't kill a woman.

[barb162]

13. a friend and Ii were just discussing this yesterday, that no one can

know the "real" story about Iraq because the reporters are all scared to go out. They use armored cars and bodyguards now if they leave their highly fortified hotels.

[TheBlackSteeds]

9. but this Baathist speaks nothing of their own state terrorism

And moreso, that of his masters.. That should not be surprising of course, but still.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. "We cannot solve these problems in a day and night"

How about you will never solve these problems? You will be handed your ass and run out of that place on a rail.

[Sara Beverley]

11. 16 paid a ransom. Now that is some real news.

Bet they weren't Americans or Brits. We glorify our stance on not negotiating with "terrorists."

[Disturbed]

12. Most Iraqis refuse Colonization

U.S. Puppet Govt. in Iraq

Supposedly, there will be an election in Iraq in Jan. ’05.
Right now there is an Iterim Prime Minister, a Pres. and two VPs.
There are also cabinet officers, of Defense, Treasury, Health etc.

According to the rules those in positions now are not illegible to run in the upcoming elections.
I strongly suspect that the rules will be brocken on all counts if this election ever takes
place.


Since the Shi’ites are the dominant majority of Iraq with the Kurds second and the Sunnis third how will the three groups power share? What sort of Govt. system is Iraq going to put in place that will assure that no one group will dominate the others? In the US we have states but in Iraq there are no states just cities and territories. I don’t understand how a new Govt. will be organized.

"Most significant of all, the withdrawal from these cities calls into question the practicality of nationwide elections scheduled to take place before the end of January. At the moment, the Americans appear to be prepared to hold elections without cities like Falluja and Ramadi. But excluding the largely Sunni Arab areas from the elections would raise serious doubts about their legitimacy. Already, one of the country's leading Sunni groups, the Sunni Clerics Association, boycotted the selection of the National Council, which serves as a de facto Parliament here."
"We think the elections will be fake," said Abdul Salam al-Qubesi, a leading Sunni cleric and a member of the association.

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/090604D.shtml