Iraq Minister Orders Universities Closed

ABC News and Associated Press ^ | November 14, 2006

[bd476]

Iraq Minister Orders Universities Closed

Iraqi Minister Orders Universities Closed After 150 People Abducted From Educational Institute

BAGHDAD, Iraq Nov 14, 2006 (AP)— Iraq's higher education minister ordered universities closed after gunmen wearing police commando uniforms kidnapped up to 150 people from a government institute on Tuesday.

"I am not ready to see more professors get killed," said Higher Education Minister Abed Theyab.

He said he had already asked the interior and defense ministries to protect universities and the ministry's departments.

Police and witnesses said about 80 gunmen closed off roads around the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Scholarships and Cultural Relations Directorate in the downtown Karradah district during the 20-minute raid.

[Americanexpat]

80 gunmen on a 20 minute raid and 150 people hauled off. That kind of operation takes a lot of coordination, intel and logistics. Where they going to hide 1|50 people unless they break down into smaller groupos and disperse them. Unless they massacre all those people cooalition intel ought to get a few leads and possibly rescue some of these people.

[indcons]

This is getting worse by the day.

[PilloryHillary]

Thanks to the victory for the anti-American democrats in the US elections, the terrorists are emboldened. Expect more to come until the US pulls out of Iraq.

[angkor]

It's kind of pathetic and sad that the Iraqis don't have anyone to call for protection during these kinds of events.

If 80 cops surrounded a building in the US and started arresting people, there would be calls to the police, family, friends, newspapers, lawyers, and to elected officials.

Hard to imagine a security enviornment where they can just cart off 100 people and no help whatsoever is provided to stop it, esp. after what;s been happening with the buses in recent weeks.

[angkor]

More detail:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2452910,00.html

150 Sunnis abducted from Baghdad ministry
By Sam Knight and agencies

Up to 150 Sunni Muslim men were abducted from the offices of the Higher Education Ministry in central Baghdad this morning in what appeared to be the largest sectarian kidnapping of the Iraq war.

A convoy of around 40 new camouflaged pick-up vehicles was seen surrounding one of the ministry's research buildings in Karradah, a religiously-mixed neighbourhood, at around 9:30am local time.

Around 80 gunmen dressed as police commandos were then seeing lining up a crowd of men in the car park of the Sunni-led ministry, handcuffing them and leading them away. A civil servant who happened to be in the bank at the time of the raid watched as the gunmen searched the victims' identity cards, sorting Sunnis from Shias.

"They were checking identity cards in the car park. They picked only the Sunni employees. They even took the man who was just delivering tea," the witnesss, a Sunni himself, told Reuters. "They gathered them all in the pick-ups. At the same time, I saw two police patrols watching, doing nothing."

[Muzzle_em]

"I am not ready to see more professors get killed,"...


Er...unless one is Ward CHurchill.

[angkor]

"They gathered them all in the pick-ups. At the same time, I saw two police patrols watching, doing nothing."

Either we kill al-Sadr and then the Sunni troublemakers, or we pull-out.

I can't think of any other way forward.

[houeto]

A convoy of around 40 new camouflaged pick-up vehicles was seen surrounding one of the ministry's research buildings in Karradah, a religiously-mixed neighbourhood, at around 9:30am local time.

Just last month I saw those same new vehicles on a train headed for the port.

[justa-hairyape]

They picked only the Sunni employees.

Wonder if these Shiites have ties to Iran ? Definitely organized. How do you strike a deal with these people ? Always thought the best choice was too pick a Muslim faction and make sure that faction wins. If we pull out Israel will make sure which Muslim faction will lose. The one about to get nukes.

[Enterprise]

1. The Democrats will force President Bush to withdraw from Iraq.

2. The Shias will start wiping out the Sunnis.

3. The Democrats will demand that the U.N. "do something."

[EQAndyBuzz]

""I am not ready to see more professors get killed," said Higher Education Minister Abed Theyab."

Hmm.. Wonder if they can come here and do that. I know Ithica and Berkeley called these Terrorists malignant a*$holes and that the professors will stand up and throw the terrorists a beating they will never forget.

Remember, Ithica and Berkeley.

[taxed2death]

"Unless they massacre all those people cooalition intel ought to get a few leads and possibly rescue some of these people."

Based on past kidnappings there... those people will be dead within a few hours. Trying to impose democracy on these people is like pissin into the wind.

[M. Espinola]

"This is getting worse by the day."

It's true, the situation is getting much worse, but why? There is an agenda at work here and that is an obvious agenda of total terror being inflicted on Iraq and murdered American boys and other members of the Coalition.

This terrorist agenda is being exported from Tehran and Damascus, since both rouge nations are planning an even greater war against Israel, they are hoping to create enough chaos, death & fear, that come January the Dems cut and run leaving Iraq and her oil to Jihad Inc, which in their eyes will expand the Jihadist Empire.

We need to attack Iran (plus Syria with Israel's assistance) prior to Iran going nuclear (thanks to Moscow) and attempting the unthinkable directed at Israel and or our forces stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan or the vast oil fields of the Persian Gulf region.

[M. Espinola]

The three potential points could unfortunately all transpire, unless swift action is taken against the enemy behind the visible enemy in Iraq.

This thing is about to get very ugly.