Serving in Iraq info page 23

Allawi wants 'committed' troops
Iraqi Pm nods to 'Islamic' peacekeepers as fighting rages

Compiled by Daily Star staff


Iraqi interim President Ghazi al-Yawer said Wednesday that his government would be amenable to the presence of "Islamic" peacekeepers, but not as a replacement to the predominantly US force there now. Yawar made his statement as fierce clashes continued in Najaf and other southern cities.

Commenting on a proposed Saudi plan to bring in "Islamic" troops, Yawer said he would be amenable to the troop presence, provided they come in large enough numbers and remain committed despite the dangers. Saudi Arabia has proposed sending Islamic troops to Iraq, going as far as offering a multinational Muslim force as an alternative to the predominantly Muslim force stationed in Iraq.

"They should not be symbolic in number as if they are in a carnival - 40 and 50 - and whenever they have any trouble they return home," Yawer said, alluding to recent pullouts by Philippine and Spanish troops.

But Yawer insisted such troops must complement, not replace the largely US troop presence. "Why should we bring forces as alternative to other forces. It is not acceptable to replace a (soldier's) boot with another," he said.

Yawer noted that recent fighting should increase the urgency for a proposed security law that allows the government to impose martial law in some areas. "It's high time we put the national safety law into practice," he said.

Yawer spoke as fierce clashes with the Mehdi Army raged on for a second day. More than 300 people are believed to have died in two days of heavy fighting between foreign troops and Shiite militiamen as US planes pounded the central Iraqi holy city of Najaf on Friday.

Four missiles struck the Najaf home of Ayatollah Bashir al-Najafi, one of the four members the high Shiite religious authority, an aide said, but reported no casualties.

Further south in Nasiriyyah, seven civilians were killed and 13 wounded in overnight clashes between the Mehdi Army and Italian troops, police said. Four people died, including a woman who was about to give birth, when an ambulance was blasted in the crossfire, said Captain Hussein al-Shuaili.

In Baghdad, medics reported at least 26 people killed and 90 wounded during clashes in the huge Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, another stronghold of radicals. At least six US soldiers were also hurt, the military said.

In the main southern city of Basra, Sadr representative Sheikh Saad al-Basri, who has declared war on British troops, said five people were killed and three wounded in fresh clashes.

Multinational troops continued to come under mortar and rocket-propelled grenade fire in Basra, Amara and Nasiriyyah Friday, but there were no casualties, a British spokesman said.

Deputy provincial governor and Sadr loyalist Salem Audeh vowed the fight would continue in Basra until the situation in Najaf returns to normal.

The interim government declared war on all illegal militias and vowed that the offensive in Najaf would be extended elsewhere. Najaf's governor, Adnan al-Zorfi, issued an ultimatum to the militia to leave the city in 24 hours, branding them criminals. Residents stayed at home with their doors bolted as the fighting continued.

In a message read out on his behalf at Friday prayers in Najaf's twin city of Kufa, Sadr declared the US his enemy.

"The Iraqi president said 'America is our friend,' but I say 'America is our enemy,'" Sheikh Jaber al-Khafaji told worshippers on the cleric's behalf.

Meanwhile, Turkey said Friday it was trying to save three of its nationals believed to be held hostage in Iraq and to locate two others who have been missing as authorities moved to step up security measures for Turks working in the war-torn country.

Militants in Iraq released three kidnapped sons of a provincial governor after he announced his resignation in a video broadcast by the Al-Jazeera television network, but it was unclear whether he spoke under duress.

The video showed the governor of Anbar Province, Governor Abdel-Kareem al-Rawi, reading a statement alone, crouched on his knees.

Behind him was a black banner of Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Tawhid and Jihad group.

"I repent to God and in front of you for any action ... I did with the infidels, the Americans," Rawi said. "I declare my resignation from this moment."

It was not known when the video was made. - Agencies

4 Lebanese truck drivers kidnapped in Iraq Friday

BEIRUT: Four Lebanese truck drivers were kidnapped Friday in Iraq as they were transporting electricity generators on a road somewhere between Baghdad and the west Iraq town of Ramadi.

According to sources from the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the four Lebanese have been missing for over 24 hours at the time of print.

"Two of the hostages are from the Jundi Family, the third from the Othman family," said the source. The identity of the fourth hostage is still unknown. "It is a real crisis because the merchants do not believe that the kidnaps are for real, and they keep sending workers to Iraq," said another source.

Foreign Minister Jean Obeid was informed about the kidnapping and gave directions for the Lebanese Charge d'affaires in Baghdad Hassan Hijazi, to follow up on the matter and make the necessary contacts. Hijazi was not available for comment.

With this kidnapping, the number of Lebanese held hostages in Iraq rises to five, as Antoine Antoun, a Lebanese citizen from the northern village of Qobeiyat was kidnapped earlier this week in Baghdad and his fate is still unknown.

Family members of Antoun, who owns a dairy factory in Iraq, appealed to the kidnappers to release him. His mother said her son was working to support his family and himself.

Vladimir Damaa, a Lebanese citizen who was held captive in Iraq by militias, was freed earlier this week when the Iraqi police raided the kidnappers' quarters.

Lebanese-US citizen, Marine Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun, was also freed after being kidnapped and is currently in the States.

Many Lebanese citizens resort to Iraq to work in order to provide money for their families back home.

Several Lebanese were held hostages and freed later, some after ransom payments were made.

One Lebanese, Hussein Alyan, was killed in Baghdad.

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