Shocker: U.S. Fingers Al Qaeda In Yesterday’s Wedding Massacre
Wedding massacre? Al Qaeda? And they used a chick as the bomber? No way!
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military on Friday blamed al-Qaida in Iraq for a double suicide bombing that killed at least 36 people during a wedding procession through a crowd of people cheering the bride and groom in a town northeast of Baghdad.
“Al-Qaida in Iraq continues their malicious tactics against the people of Iraq and their way of life,” the military said in a statement. “They seek violence and chaos in Iraq.”
Thursday’s blasts occurred in Balad Ruz, a predominantly Shiite Muslim town 45 miles northeast of Baghdad. An Iraqi female suicide bomber imitating pregnancy detonated the first bomb, the military said. A male bomber also blew himself up.
The woman bomber blew herself up as people were dancing and clapping while members of the passing wedding party played music. The male bomber attacked minutes later as police and ambulances arrived at the scene, said Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Rubaie, head of the Diyala provincial operations center that oversees Balad Ruz.
The two explosions tore through the stalls and stores that lined the area. Al-Rubaie said at least 35 people were killed and 65 were wounded, including the bride and groom. One of the injured died at a hospital overnight, increasing the death toll to 36, police said Friday.
The U.S. military gave a lower casualty toll, however, of 31 dead and 52 wounded, including children.
AP Television News footage showed mourners Friday, including a man crying and kissing the face of a dead relative on a stretcher. Blood still pooled on a dirt road littered with victims’ sandals and slippers.
Diyala has been a flashpoint in the battle against al-Qaida in Iraq, which the U.S. military says has been increasingly using women as suicide bombers. Explosive belts are easier to conceal under female clothing and women are often not treated with the same suspicion as men.
Two suicide bombings staged by women last week in Diyala killed a dozen people.
Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, the No. 2 U.S. commander, said last week that al-Qaida in Iraq was trying to regroup after suffering a devastating blow last year when thousands of Sunni tribesmen turned against the terrorist group blamed for most of Iraq’s car bombings and suicide attacks.
Thursday’s suicide attacks came hours after a bomb-rigged parked car exploded in the capital when a U.S. patrol went by in a crowded area, killing a U.S. soldier and at least nine Iraqis. The attack also wounded 26 Iraqis and two American soldiers.
The soldier’s death in the attack raised to at least 4,064 the number of U.S. military personnel who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
U.S. soldiers also find themselves facing intensified fighting with Shiite extremists, particularly in Baghdad’s militia stronghold of Sadr City.
Twelve people were wounded in overnight clashes in Sadr City, police and health officials said.
The U.S. military charges that Iranian-backed special forces are leading the attacks against U.S.-led forces in Sadr City. Iraq’s government has sent a delegation of five Shiite politicians to Iran carrying documents and other material they claim indicates Tehran is supplying weapons and training for Shiite militiamen who are fighting U.S. and Iraqi troops.
Iran denies it is fueling violence in Iraq, saying it trying to promote stability in the neighboring country.
Fighting in Sadr City—a base for the Mahdi Army militia—intensified after anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr threatened last week to wage “open war” on U.S.-led troops.
Meanwhile, an Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned drone crashed early Friday northwest of Balad, about 50 miles north of Baghdad, the military said. It said mechanical failure was suspected in the crash.
The U.S. military has several unmanned MQ-1 Predators doing surveillance over Iraq. They have become mainstays of the U.S. war effort, offering round-the-clock surveillance of road convoys, nighttime insurgent movements via infrared sensors, and occasionally unleashing one of their two Hellfire missiles on a target.
(AP)
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Hey, looks like the AP has been using the mnf-iraq.com press releases to make their story.
They got this…
{{TIKRIT, Iraq – The confirmed casualties from two earlier explosions near the Balad Ruz hospital May 1, indicate 29 Iraqis were killed, including those who died of wounds as earlier reported, 52 wounded.
Multi-National Division – North Soldiers who have investigated the incident report the first bombing, next to a children’s shoe store and a café, was detonated by an Iraqi female suicide bomber imitating pregnancy. As Emergency Response Units arrived on the scene after the detonation, a second bomber who was a male detonated himself at the site.}}
…and this…
{{An Air Force MQ-1 Predator crashed in southern Iraq at approximately 4 a.m. local time today.
The aircraft was launched from Ali Base.
The aircraft is a medium-altitude long-endurance, remotely piloted aircraft. The MQ-1’s primary mission is conducting armed reconnaissance.
A board will be convened to investigate the accident. Mechanical failure is suspected.}}
…but “forgot” this…
{{TIKRIT, Iraq – Approximately 300 Iraqi citizens gathered in a pro-Iraqi Security and Coalition force demonstration in Tal Afar, May 1.
The citizens assembled around noon and were also protesting a rumor that the Provincial Governor was planning to possibly replace Mayor Najim.
At the conclusion of the demonstration, the citizens dispersed without incident.}}
..and this…
{{While conducting a combat patrol, Soldiers from Company A, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., were approached by a local citizen who informed them about a cache consisting of three rocket propelled grenades and a launcher.
Elsewhere in the Karb De Gla community, a local citizen approached the area’s Joint Security Station to turn in a 60 mm mortar round he found.}}
Im sure it was an accident and a one off oversight. It not like they are anti-war or nuttin.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 am“U.S. soldiers also find themselves facing intensified fighting with Shiite extremists, particularly in Baghdad’s militia stronghold of Sadr City.”
Yeah, that’s what happens when WE ATTACK THEM.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:46 amtactically using female suicide bombers (in the mind of Alqaeda ) will force the security forces to search women more rigorously, thus prompting the males(fathers, husbands, kids, neighbors) to “act” against the “infidels” as they have desecrated and offended their women…another way to counter that would be to outlaw the burkas so no one will hide anything underneath the clothing, shit, get a bathing suit or something, its fucking hot in Iraq
and by the way they need to get off of that “religious” bullshit, common, 14 centuries of Islamic law has done NOTHING to change their poor miserable lives, its time for change, and maybe if the men will start getting some punanie once in a while, they might think twice about strapping bombs on themselves and start “getting some”…i mean not everyone has a wife there (then again who needs a suicidal husband anyways)so imagine: no brothel, no one night stand from a bar, no wild college parties, etc…so they are like pissed of 25-35 y.o. virgins, that will take their frustration and anger out on some innocent people…its time for serious tough actions, all the prostitutes getting busted in the public areas and near school zones (Ma’am, the country and the world needs u) send them to Iraq, and place place them in abu gharib(not as inmates) and turn it into a mandatory “rehabilitation center” for the poor suicidal bastards…talk about winning hearts and minds of Iraqi people!!!
I’ll have to say that this will never work out….
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 amI think it is time for AAFES and the entire US military to ban all print media that carries pictures and/or stories from the AP. All base exchanges, post exschanges, whatever they are called by each branch. the little 24 hour convenience stores, any place on any installation that sells printed matter.
And on the other story of the kook that wants to ban Playboy and other mens magazines from AAFES, they may also want to look at all of those Harlequin and other “Romance” novels sold for the ladies. My wife showed me some of the stuff in those, geez, it is more detailed than anything I ever read in a penthouse. Maybe Swank gets that raunchy at times, but the ladies books are far worse.
Equal censorship, right???
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:57 amDamn wedding crashers.
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:35 pm