September 10, 2004

Iraqi Policemen Held Hostage, Threatened with Murder

This is a good sign. Why? Because it confirms what Rumsfield and co. have been saying: the Iraqis are slowly becoming the frontline in the war on the insurgency. The terrorists feel the threat is now coming from the interim government as much as they do from the Coalition. Let's just hope these guys make it out alive. Reuters:

An Iraqi rebel group has seized four Iraqi policemen in Najaf and threatened to kill them unless police agree to stop hunting insurgents and pressuring rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Al Jazeera television said Friday.

"They accused them (police) of pursuing the Mujahideen (fighters) and harassing Moqtada al-Sadr. They demanded a stop to these practices and a statement to this effect within 72 hours, or they will kill the hostages," it said, showing video images of the policemen sent to the channel.

Al Jazeera said the kidnappers called themselves the "Joint Forces to Stop Agents and Spies," a previously unknown group.

In somewhat related news, three Lebanese were shot dead today in Baghdad. Terrorism releated? Probably not say officials. It is more likely that it was a robbery gone bad.

By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at 01:30 PM | |