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Hundreds Killed In Iraq Stampede
Baghdad(AFP) Aug 31, 2005 More than 630 people were killed in a stampede and attacks in Baghdad as thousands of Shiite Muslim faithful gathered near a sacred shrine, officials said. Many of the dead drowned after falling of a bridge in a surge of panic triggered by rumours there were suicide bombers in the crowd, in what is by far the deadliest single incident since the US-led war on Iraq. "Some 637 deaths have been accounted for and 238 wounded according to information obtained from five hospitals," a security official told AFP, while a hospital official said 20 people had died of poisoning. The stampede occurred shortly after the Kadhimiya shrine had come under mortar fire, which left at least seven people dead and dozens wounded, as crowds gathered to commemorate the death of a revered figure, Imam Mussa Kazim. "Dozens of pilgrims fell in the river Tigris as they panicked following rumors of the presence of two suicide bombers in the crowd, while they were crossing Al-Aaimmah bridge near the mosque," the source said. The US military said helicopters had fired on suspected rebels who carried out the mortar attack on the shrine and had sent ground units to the area to assist in tracking down those responsible. A dozen individuals were detained for questioning. "Many women and children were crying as panic broke out after the attacks," said an Iraqi army officer. Six other people were wounded when gunmen opened fire on Shiite pilgrims in Baghdad's Adhamiyah neighbourhood, an interior ministry source said. "The pilgrims were heading towards the Kadhimiyah shrine and had passed a Sunni mosque on the way when some gunmen opened fire on them," the source said. In another rebel attack, three Iraqis, including a policemen were killed in the northern oil-rich city of Kirkuk when rebels attacked a police patrol. The latest round of violence came a day after US air strikes on suspected Al-Qaeda hideouts near the Syrian border killed what a security source said was at least 56 people. The US military said it had no exact number of casualties, but claimed three strikes targeting "terrorist safe houses" were thought to have killed Abu Islam, a reported Al-Qaeda operative, and several associates. Meanwhile, US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said changes to Iraq's draft constitution were still possible, raising the hopes of disgruntled Sunni Arabs. The move came as the Sunnis, whose community is believed to form the backbone of the raging insurgency, were seeking alliances to defeat the charter in an October 15 referendum. Khalilzad hinted that the draft constitution, presented to parliament on Sunday after weeks of tortuous negotiations that failed to bring the Sunnis on board, was still an incomplete document. "If Iraqis amongst themselves, in the assembly and of course from outside, decide to make some adjustments to the draft that was presented two or three days ago, it is entirely up to them," he told reporters. "I believe that a final ... draft has not yet been -- or the edits have not been -- presented yet, so that is something that Iraqis will have to talk to each other and decide for themselves." President Jalal Talabani had said on Sunday the draft was ready for the October referendum. The Sunnis leaders, who are mobilizing the community to strike alliances across the sectarian divide, said they were opening talks with radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "We would like to cooperate with Moqtada al-Sadr and very soon we will start negotiations with him," Saleh al-Motlag, a top Sunni negotiator, told AFP. Sadr, who has said he rejects any constitution drafted under the US-led occupation, enjoys widespread support among poor urban Shiites. His militia led one of Iraq's fiercest rebellions against US-led forces last year. A member of Sadr's movement in Baghdad said: "Nothing is decided yet. "There are several opinions but as of now we have decided to focus on registering our names to participate in the referendum. The final decision will be taken by Sadr later." Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari criticized the Arab League over its "disregard" for Iraq, after its chief demanded to know why the draft failed to refer to the entire country as an Arab nation. Iraq has a number of non-Arab minorities, notably a large Kurdish population. A contentious article of the draft states that "Iraq is part of the Muslim world and its Arab people are part of the Arab nation." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express Dirt, rocks and all the stuff we stand on firmly
Magnetic Reconnection Region Larger Than 2.5 Million Km Found In The Solar Wind
Paris (ESA) Jan 12, 2006Using the ESA Cluster spacecraft and the NASA Wind and ACE satellites, a team of American and European scientists have discovered the largest jets of particles created between the Earth and the Sun by magnetic reconnection. This result makes the cover of this week's issue of Nature. |
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