Large explosions in Baghdad, 70 Iraqis arrested, sectarianism talk
Explosions and machine gun fire were heard in the south of Baghdad during evening time, after the American occupation forces clashed with Iraqi resistance fighters, in the context of what is called the "iron justice operation."
News reports in Baghdad quoted American military sources as saying that the explosions are a result of the American bombardment of targets suspected to be used as positions for bombarding of what is called the green area in Baghdad. Witnesses said that American jets took part in bombarding the targeted positions in the surrounding of al-Dawra area. This came at a time when the occupation forces continued its campaign of arrest in various parts of Iraq. It said it detained during the two past days more than 70 persons, in operations in al-Musil, Baqouba, al-Falouja, and the outskirts of Baghdad, as well as in Karkouk.
The American forces detained Sheikh Ghazi Hanash, chieftain of al-Tai tribe in al-Musil, an associate to Izzat al-Douri, the second ranking man in the former Iraqi regime. Security sources said the occupation forces killed one of the Sheikhs' guards, and wounded his daughter, during the breaking in operation. The occupation forces also detained a high ranking officer in the Iraqi intelligence called Abdullah Jasem Ahmad.
In Falouja, the occupation forces detained 26 persons including former officers in the Iraqi army, while in Karkouk, the American occupation forces, with the support of the Iraqi police, detained 16 persons accused to be involved in attacks against the Americans in the city. These forces also detained a small Islamic Kurdish group, the Islamic group accused of having links to Ansar al-Islam group.
In Musil, an American military spokesman announced that one American soldier was injured in an attack at an American patrol in the downtown of the city. Witnesses said that one man opened fire at the patrol before he had fled in a car.
In Karkouk, one Iraqi soldier was wounded while trying to settle clashes between Kurds, Arab and Turkman students. Sources in the Iraqi police said that three Kurdish students were arrested with a fourth Turkman student following these confrontations, which took place between Kurdish students on the one hand, and Turkman and Arab students on the other at the technological institute in Karkouk.
According to the police, the clashes took place when Kurds students who refused to raise the Iraqi flag during celebrations of the new year, because the phrase of "Allah Akbar (God is great)" added by Saddam Hussein is on the flag.
These confrontations came following massive demonstration took place in the oil- rich Karkouk on Tuesday, demanding annexing the city to the district of Kurdistan. In the same context, the Iraqi Interim Council decided to form a commission for fighting sectarianism in the country. Member of the council ,Muwaffaq al-Rubei, said that a large scale awareness campaign will be launched in the Iraqi schools, universities, establishments and streets in order to work for achieving this objective.
