Besides the passing of Pope John Paul II, there are several other stories I would like to blog. Unfortunately, I have a prior social engagement to head out to so this will be without any analysis. I reserve the right to look at any or all of these in greater depth later.
At Least 20 U.S. Troops Wounded in Terrorist Abu Graib Attack
Using suicide car bombs and an array of weapons, scores of insurgents made the biggest assault yet on the American-controlled Abu Ghraib prison on Saturday evening, American military officials said. At least 20 American soldiers and marines were wounded.
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The assault appeared to be an attempt to break prisoners out of a part of the center that is controlled by Iraqi security forces, said Lt. Col. Guy Rudisill, a spokesman for the American detainee system in Iraq.
The assault was so intense that the American troops at the prison called in three Apache attack helicopters and a Marine infantry company, the colonel said. The marines quickly secured the area around the prison. Of the 20 Americans hurt, 18 had only minor wounds, Colonel Rudisill said.
Analysis: The Honeymoon is Truly Over for Abbas
Both Abbas and the ousted security chief are aware that the use of drastic measures against the gunmen, most of whom are wanted by Israel, would play into the hands of their rivals, who would depict them as “collaborators.”
Jaber was not prepared to be seen as doing Israel’s dirty work – a fact that led to his dismissal over the weekend.
Neither does Abbas want to be in a similar position. That’s why, as of Saturday night, none of the Fatah gunmen who went on the rampage in the city last Wednesday had been arrested, although their identities and addresses were known to the PA security services.
Related story here.
Iraqi Sunni Clerics Deny Decree on Police
Iraq’s Association of Muslim Scholars denied Saturday issuing a religious decree allowing Iraqis to join of the Iraqi police forces and army.
The country’s only Sunni religious authority said in a statement that reports of 64 clerics issuing a fatwa, or edict, allowing or urging Iraqis to join national security and military forces to protect Iraqis and their property were not linked to the association.
The statement did not specify the association’s position on the issue, insisting it will do so later.
Related story here.
Bombing Jitters Grip Lebanese Capital
Even for the war-hardened Lebanese, four explosions in two weeks are too much to cope with. Once-vibrant cafes lie empty, shopping malls are virtually deserted and late-night dining has been put on hold. In a movie theater, a woman watching the Will Smith comedy “Hitch” gets a cell phone call about a blast and exclaims “Infijar?!” (“Explosion?!”), whereupon a dozen people quietly head for the door.
Outside the United Nations offices, workers fill sandbags and erect barriers. At a Beirut mall, newly hired private security guards check vehicles’ trunks and engines and slide a mirror beneath the chassis looking for explosives. Restaurants put up roadblocks to keep cars from parking too close.
Fear is gripping Lebanon following a recent spate of bombs placed under or near cars that have killed three people and injured 24. The sense of security built up over years of postwar calm has been shattered, with rumors of bombs and suspicion of unclaimed bags feeding the hysteria.
See Robert Mayer’s examination of the Lebanese bombings at Publius Pundit.
Now, besides all of the attacks being in Christian neighborhoods, there is one big similarity between all of these attacks, including the Hariri assassination. The economy.
Now, I’m off to a evening probably filled with inane banter among people I barely know. I anticipate contributing with an occasional distracted sarcasm while sipping beer and watching some Final Four hoops. Should be fun.