Mortar attack kills six Iraqi prisoners

BAGHDAD, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Six Iraqis were killed and 59 were injured in a mortar attack on Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad on Saturday, the U.S. military said on Sunday.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17569938.htm

It's a very short (2 paragraph) news item.

This one is odd. Could it have been an attempted break out?

I do not think we have heard the whole story yet on this one?

Don

seems like classic black ops.

The theory is that the people increasingly support the guerillas. According to many reports on the ground, this proposition seems true.

CENTCOM tried the softer approach, and it ain't working. So, Plan B:

Black Ops folks bomb the water system, and it looks like the guerillas are hurting the suffering citizens (of Sadr City, in particular).

Shell the prison, and you cause dissension within the ranks of the resistance movement itself (as well as eliminating a bunch of folks you don't want to clothe, feed, or let go).

They are desperate to prevent the Shia from turning hostile, so such measures seem well-fitted. Wouldn't be at all surprised if both these acts were undertaken by Chalabi's goons, with the wink and nod...

Its provides the Turks life blood. This may convince them to send troops into Iraq to protect it?

Don

saboteurs, since they have been occuring since the begining.

I get the reasoning, though.

...it could also backfire on the coalition. As far as the Iraqi people
are concerned the coalition made promises that it has not lived up too.

Now it can't protect the water system, it cannot protect prisoners
that most of the Iraqi people believe were unjustly arrested. Which
only goes to show that the coalition can be beaten.

As it is the Iraqi people already suspect and have accused the coalition of crimes against humanity, the leaders of any resistance
movement can easily turn this around and make it look as if the US/UK
forces are conducting these attacks themselves.

And think of what the reaction would be if the resistance caught one
of Chalabi's or even a SF advisor, all they have to do is to get just
one.

someone who we have in custody. There are more sects and divisions in Iraq then we will ever understand.

n/t

Reuters Cameraman Shot Dead While Filming in Iraq


BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Reuters cameraman Mazen Dana was shot dead on Sunday while filming near a U.S.-run prison on the outskirts of Baghdad, the U.S. military said. Eyewitnesses said Dana, 43, was shot by soldiers on an American tank as he filmed outside Abu Ghraib prison in western Baghdad.

His last pictures show a U.S. tank driving toward Dana outside the prison walls. Several shots ring out from the tank, and Dana's camera falls to the ground.

<snip>

"The individual was later identified as a reporter. The individual was evacuated to the 28th combat support hospital and pronounced dead on arrival," he said. "The incident is under investigation."

Journalists had gone to the prison after the U.S. military said a mortar bomb attack there a day before had killed six Iraqis and wounded 59 others.

Opportunity to take out a lot of Saddamites at one time. US is not only target. Lots of Iraq vs Iraq scores to settle.