Gunmen Kill 21 After Storming Iraqi Government Headquarters

[kevnutz]

Gunmen Kill 21 After Storming Iraqi Government Headquarters

BAGHDAD -- An Iraqi government spokesman says the death toll in a hostage standoff at a local government building in the city of Tikrit has risen to 21.

Salahuddin province media adviser Mohammed al-Asi says the siege is still ongoing as of late Tuesday afternoon, more than three hours after gunmen wearing military uniforms and suicide bomb belts stormed the building. He says 65 people have been wounded.

The provincial governor says three lawmakers who were inside the Tikrit headquarters when the assault began are missing, indicating they may be among the hostages.

Officials described a fierce shootout between at least eight gunmen and Iraqi security forces who have surrounded the building.

"The goal of the attackers was apparently to take hostages," Salahuddin government spokesman Ali al-Saleh said. At least some officials and government employees escaped before they the gunmen could capture them, he said.

Tikrit is 80 miles north of Baghdad.

Authorities said the attackers blew up a car outside the council headquarters to create a diversion before launching their raid. Wearing military uniforms -- including one with a high rank -- the gunmen identified themselves as Iraqi soldiers at a security checkpoint outside the government compound but opened fire on guards when they were told they needed to be searched.

The provincial council meets at the headquarters every Tuesday, but a spokesman for the governor, Ali Abdul Rihman, said local lawmakers called off their discussion early because there was little on their agenda. As a result, he said, most of the lawmakers had already left the headquarters when the assault began.

"The gunmen were armed with grenades, and began their raid by firing at random at a reception room," Rihman said. "Then they opened fire inside."

Police immediately imposed a curfew to prevent all road and pedestrian traffic in Tikrit as security forces moved into the building. The senior intelligence official said forces began an operation to free any hostages about two hours after the start of the siege.

He likened the attack to a horrifying hostage raid last fall on a Catholic church in Baghdad that left 68 dead and stunned the nation.

Tikrit, which is Saddam Hussein's hometown, is mostly populated by Sunni Muslims and is was a hotbed for insurgents and anti-American extremists at the height of the Iraq war.

City policemen said U.S. troops were at the scene to assist Iraqi forces but a spokesman for the American military in Baghdad could not immediately verify that information.

[Flash101]

I just don't get it Kev

How many Iraq's are there. I thought Iraq was rebuilding and RV'ing to make things better for their peep's. How can they do this when there's fighting going on still.

Don't Bash me just School me.

[Flash101]

I read that Iraq wanted to open up their doors to the tourism how can they do this when they can't protect their own. I sure won't bring my family to visit anytime soon.

[kevnutz]

I think a Security Minister could help. They need someone who will focus their attention on securing the country rather than leaving it up to Maliki.

[JuryPicker]

Yea, they'll get the crime rate to 0. Just like all the other countries without violence. You know, the ones that don't exist

[Darin]

I think a Security Minister could help. They need someone who will focus their attention on securing the country rather than leaving it up to Maliki.

If they were storming Government Headquarters, you would think that security would be a high-priority!!!

Looks like they'll need to boost security forces up a bit.. In a regional sense...

[djuggler]

To bad M isn't one of the hostages. Might make for a little motivation to fill the security position.

[Flash101]

I would'nt RV anything untill this CRAP stopped, All this RV would do is to fuel more ammo and guns to create more harm to the people. Just my thought

[kevnutz]

To bad M isn't one of the hostages. Might make for a little motivation to fill the security position.

Good point. The more prominent the target, the more weight the attack carries.

[Old Constipate]

Probably will be used to put pressure on those planning to vote "no"

[Off-the-grid]

I was impressed that the insurgents were not able to just walk though the security checkpoint despite the uniforms. The guards did their job and insisted on searching them. Probably cost them their lives.

It pains me when a losing side decides that any means of keeping the war alive is fair game.

This is why we see genocide in so many places. The fighting won't end until one of the sides is completely eliminated. Perhaps this is a sign of how bad living conditions are, that dying for a lost cause has this much appeal.

This is the response to the governments attempts at inclusion recently?

Peace and Prosperity

[Flash101]

I was impressed that the insurgents were not able to just walk though the security checkpoint despite the uniforms. The guards did their job and insisted on searching them. Probably cost them their lives.

It pains me when a losing side decides that any means of keeping the war alive is fair game.

This is why we see genocide in so many places. The fighting won't end until one of the sides is completely eliminated. Perhaps this is a sign of how bad living conditions are, that dying for a lost cause has this much appeal.

This is the response to the governments attempts at inclusion recently?

Peace and Prosperity

Ditto

[the next contestant]

I was impressed that the insurgents were not able to just walk though the security checkpoint despite the uniforms. The guards did their job and insisted on searching them. Probably cost them their lives.

It pains me when a losing side decides that any means of keeping the war alive is fair game.

This is why we see genocide in so many places. The fighting won't end until one of the sides is completely eliminated. Perhaps this is a sign of how bad living conditions are, that dying for a lost cause has this much appeal.

This is the response to the governments attempts at inclusion recently?

Peace and Prosperity

You have to understand, these people are being asked to educate themselves overnight! And on top of all that, learn a whole new way of modern thinking. Democracy is a foreign concept that they all want to have but don't know how it really works, and most importantly how to make it work for all the people. I believe that the politicians over there are not ignorant but rather the opposite. And they have no trust in their fellow countryman! They are only trying to grab what power they can for their own tribes. This is all really easy to see, if you step back and really look at it all. Yeah, I want the RV just as bad as you do, but until there is a change in the way they think over there then there will never be an RV. And to be fair, we here in America don't have it all together either! Due to the political grandstanding of our own polititians our own government is about to shut down. Again it's a flaw in the way we think.

If someone in Iraq has a issue with his neighbor then where do they go to settle it? The local religous leader! Not the government courts, because this is new to them. For them to Vote in order to change the direction that their country is headed is huge! They would normally do it with a rebellion and guns that would lead to a lot of bloodshed. That is the norm. Why do you think there is a green zone over there? The green zone to the average Iraqi is a picture that we have provided of what Democracy looks like! And the people they elected have promised this to them. But since they have not seen anything being done, they do what has worked for them for hundreds of years, they fight and die and kill to bring about change. They understand that the value of life and death are the same in any culture! Democracy is trying to tell them that there is a better way, but they will never see it in their own life time. Their own polititians have proven this to them by their in-actions and in-ability to reach a simple agreement.

In closing, I say to start to look else where for your instant riches, and spend more time with your own families (our true riches). Maybe one day this will all happen, but not today.

Peace.

Edited March 29, 2011 by the next contestant

[tileman1814]

You are going to see a steady diet of this stuff if they don't RV Pretty damn soon.

Semper Fi !!!

[kevnutz]

They updated the article and the numbers went up...

"...killed at least 53 people, an Iraqi health official told Reuters. Nearly 100 others have been wounded."

[In Iraq]

I read that Iraq wanted to open up their doors to the tourism how can they do this when they can't protect their own. I sure won't bring my family to visit anytime soon.

I'm going to fill you in on the real truth, Iraq is still unstable period. Not as bad as 2004 when I first arrived but I would not dare walk down their streets without lots of protection. I had a rocket shot out of the sky over my head on my way out on R&R and the other one that made it into the base killed 1 civilian and injured a couple others. Now would you want to be a tourist in Iraq and worry about being shot, suicide bombed, car bombed, etc? It would be the very last place I would go on vacation besides Afghanistan.

[PrinceAbubu]

I read that Iraq wanted to open up their doors to the tourism how can they do this when they can't protect their own. I sure won't bring my family to visit anytime soon.

Agreed. Keep in mind though that probably 99.9% of Iraq wants the peace and to open doors to tourism. Out of the whole country, there are only 8 people holding those hostages. It doesn't take too many 'Bad Apples' to ruin it for the rest of the population.

Also, I am sure that most of this violence comes from groups outside Iraq that are paying people inside Iraq to keep up the violence. I don't believe for a minute that this is the sort of action that a typical Iraqi citizen supports.

Edited March 29, 2011 by PrinceAbubu

[tommyboy]

It just could be that these men were not even Iraqis. Nothing proven yet. Wait till we get the news of who is involved and what their goals are. Granted, it's a terrible thing but we shouldn't jump to conclusions. Terrorists from Syria, Yemen and other surrounding countries have been threating violence in Iraq for some time now. JMO.

[Mudster]

I would'nt RV anything untill this CRAP stopped, All this RV would do is to fuel more ammo and guns to create more harm to the people. Just my thought

This "crap" happens in our own country. If it didn't, the local news would have to report about kittens being born and that would just bore the hell out of me. As far as giving them more guns and ammo, the only ones you'd be taking the guns and ammo away from are the ones who need it to protect themselves from the criminal types. The bad guys will acquire guns one way or the other regardless.

[Seabee]

Iraq was reborn as the war wound downd and they are trying to pick themselves up and take their first steps torwards demacrocy. They are like a baby deer, that after birth can not stand up yet on its own. The deer will fall down many times before it becomes more self confident to take own the world. Iraq now, is just like that new born deer and it will take a while to find its way. They will have problems along the way, but as they build more confidence their problems will become fewer and fewer. The shooting that happened today was just a small set back on their way learning to walk and standup for themselves.

You can compare Iraq to the early history of the United States as the countrymen were held back by the vail of the British forces more than 230 years ago. The United States eventually found its footing and the rest is History. I feel that Iraq will find its footing rather quickly and that the RVwill happen before they are completely able to walk and run.

You can not panic everytime bad news come out of Iraq or you will drive yourself goof. JMO

The RV will happen as I am a optimist.