Iraq deploys tanks in Baghdad after sectarian unrest

troung · 02-27-2006, 22:06 PM

Data in Image
Agence France Presse -- English

February 27, 2006 Monday 4:38 PM GMT

LENGTH: 758 words

HEADLINE: Iraq deploys tanks in Baghdad after sectarian unrest

DATELINE: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb 27 2006

BODY:

Iraq on Monday ordered the deployment of tanks on the streets of Baghdad as the capital crawled back to normalcy following a week of sectarian killings.

Iraqi authorities lifted the tough security measures such as a daytime curfew slapped on the city following a civil war threat but ordered the deployment of tanks in certain regions of Baghdad, a top official said.

General Abdel Aziz Mohammed, chief of operations at the defence ministry, said the government had also ordered soldiers to arrest anyone carrying weapons illegally, adding the decision to dispatch tanks was taken on Sunday.

It was not immediately known in which parts of Baghdad the tanks were being deployed.

After the outbreak of sectarian riots last week, Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi had said tanks could be deployed if need be, while Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari banned carrying weapons without a permit.

Monday's relative calm in the capital was broken, however, by the killing of four people when rebels fired mortars into a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood. Fourteen others were wounded.

Two civilians were also killed, including a child, and five hurt when gunmen opened fire on a garage near Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, police said.

In Baghdad, both cars and pedestrians again clogged the streets Monday after a two-day curfew and a 24-hour vehicle ban imposed in the wake of intercommunal violence triggered by the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine in the northern town of Samarra last Wednesday.

Security officials say at least 120 people had died by Friday in the ensuing bloodshed.

Even as the day-time curfew was lifted, a three-hour extension to the usual seven-hour night curfew remained in place in the capital and the three central provinces of Salaheddin, Babil and Diyala, officials said.

But the lurking fear of last week's sectarian killings continued to be felt as people hesitated to send their children to schools.

"Fear is still the master of the situation," said Ali Adnan, a 27-year-old Sunni engineer whose father was briefly kidnapped amid Shiite reprisals against Sunnis.

Adnan Ali, a 40-year-old Kurdish teacher, who lives in a northeast Baghdad Shiite majority neighbourhood, said he saw armed men roaming the streets, raiding homes and shooting in the air at the start of the trouble.

"There was no police. Everyone was terrified," he said.

"Fewer than a quarter of students returned to school today because of fears of a possible new outbreak in violence," he said.

Iraq's national security adviser Muwaffak al-Rubaie announced that 10 people, including four security guards, had been arrested in connection with the investigation into the bombing of Samarra's golden domed shrine.

The destruction of the shrine's dome -- one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines -- sparked the worst sectarian violence in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion.

Rebuilding the shrine will take at least five years, Iraq's Housing and Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar said Monday. The United Nations said it would help in rebuilding the shrine and other damaged mosques.

Iraqi radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia was accused of attacking Sunnis, told reporters in his home town of Najaf he had returned early from a trip to Iran to assert control over the militia, while denying it was responsible for the violence.

The main Sunni group, which had declared a boycott on talks on forming a government of national unity with Shiite majority parties, Monday indicated it was still keen to join the government, but demanded that Shiites return Sunni mosques seized during the riots and compensate victims.

Meanwhile, ousted president Saddam Hussein, whose trial for crimes against humanity was set to resume Tuesday, had ended a hunger strike after fasting for 11 days, his lead lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi told AFP.

"I met with my client for seven hours on Sunday. At our request he had earlier ended the hunger strike he had been on for 11 days and he has lost four to five kilos (about 10 pounds)," Dulaimi said.

"He is doing okay," the lawyer said, adding that the defence team may return to the court proceedings Tuesday after boycotting it for a month.

Saddam and seven co-accused face the death penalty if found guilty.

US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said Iraq's interior ministry had information on the whereabouts of American journalist Jill Carroll, abducted on January 7 by armed men.

Khalilzad said that he was told that Carroll was still alive.

The US military, meanwhile, announced the release of about 390 male detainees.

LOAD-DATE: February 27, 2006

Anon · 02-27-2006, 23:32 PM

I wonder what models of tanks the Iraqis are using now.

troung · 02-27-2006, 23:48 PM

Yes a chance to post pictures...

gunnut · 02-28-2006, 01:32 AM

Looks like T-62, and T-72/80 type.

Anon · 02-28-2006, 01:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gunnut

Looks like T-62, and T-72/80 type.

One of them looks like a T-55.

lemontree · 03-04-2006, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M21Sniper

One of them looks like a T-55.

- 1st & 3rd pic are T-72s (Total 10 in Iraq)
- 2nd pic is T-55 (Total 4 in Iraq)
Reportedly there are no surviving T-62 or T-59s in the Iraqi Army.
- The 4th pic is a BTR-50 converted for AA role.

leib10 · 03-04-2006, 04:07 AM

Looks like things haven't changed much, except for the numbers. Wonder where they'll get spares after a while.

gunnut · 03-04-2006, 05:17 AM

I'm sure we can easily provide them with those. The formor Soviet block would be happy to be of assistance.

Wraith601 · 03-04-2006, 14:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leibstandarte10

Looks like things haven't changed much, except for the numbers. Wonder where they'll get spares after a while.

Countires like Romania and Hungary have hundreds of these things in storage that they'll strip for peanuts to if the US helps.

troung · 03-05-2006, 00:39 AM

Quote:

- 1st & 3rd pic are T-72s (Total 10 in Iraq) - 2nd pic is T-55 (Total 4 in Iraq)
Reportedly there are no surviving T-62 or T-59s in the Iraqi Army.

I'll go dig through my files but off the top of my head there are more then 14 tanks in Iraq. And lets no forget other armored vehicles and MBTs have been supplied to the new Iraqi army.

Quote:

- The 4th pic is a BTR-50 converted for AA role.

That's an MTLB, that use of the ZU-23-2 is really for infantry support.

lemontree · 03-06-2006, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troung

That's an MTLB, that use of the ZU-23-2 is really for infantry support.

I stand corrected. The ZSU barrels look rather small.

troung · 03-06-2006, 02:25 AM

They should have in service/entering service off the top of my head...

T-72 - 77
T-55 - 20
BMP - 36
M-113 - 170
MTLB - 44
Spartan - 100
BTR-94 - 50
BTR-80 - 115

lemontree · 03-06-2006, 04:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by troung

They should have in service/entering service off the top of my head...

T-72 - 77
T-55 - 20
BMP - 36
M-113 - 170
MTLB - 44
Spartan - 100
BTR-94 - 50
BTR-80 - 115

Nice pics

Notice the magazine boxes of the ZSUs in the MTLB pic above and in post #3. They are longer length wise (in post #3) than most ZSU 23-2 pictures. That is a ZPU-2 14.5 mm AA gun mounted on the MTLB.

Anon · 03-06-2006, 12:21 PM

Agreed, that's a twin HMG mount.

Wraith601 · 03-06-2006, 16:10 PM

If I recall Jordan gav them Spartans and M113s and the Swiss gave them M113s as well. I'd also bet money that most if not all of the uparmored M113s the US is using now will be left to the Iraqis when the US begins to leave in a couple years.

02-27-2006, 22:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
troung A Self Important *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 08-03-03 Posts: 4,268 Country:	Iraq deploys tanks in Baghdad after sectarian unrest Data in Image Agence France Presse -- English February 27, 2006 Monday 4:38 PM GMT LENGTH: 758 words HEADLINE: Iraq deploys tanks in Baghdad after sectarian unrest DATELINE: BAGHDAD, Iraq, Feb 27 2006 BODY: Iraq on Monday ordered the deployment of tanks on the streets of Baghdad as the capital crawled back to normalcy following a week of sectarian killings. Iraqi authorities lifted the tough security measures such as a daytime curfew slapped on the city following a civil war threat but ordered the deployment of tanks in certain regions of Baghdad, a top official said. General Abdel Aziz Mohammed, chief of operations at the defence ministry, said the government had also ordered soldiers to arrest anyone carrying weapons illegally, adding the decision to dispatch tanks was taken on Sunday. It was not immediately known in which parts of Baghdad the tanks were being deployed. After the outbreak of sectarian riots last week, Defence Minister Saadun al-Dulaimi had said tanks could be deployed if need be, while Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari banned carrying weapons without a permit. Monday's relative calm in the capital was broken, however, by the killing of four people when rebels fired mortars into a predominantly Shiite neighbourhood. Fourteen others were wounded. Two civilians were also killed, including a child, and five hurt when gunmen opened fire on a garage near Baquba, northeast of Baghdad, police said. In Baghdad, both cars and pedestrians again clogged the streets Monday after a two-day curfew and a 24-hour vehicle ban imposed in the wake of intercommunal violence triggered by the bombing of a revered Shiite shrine in the northern town of Samarra last Wednesday. Security officials say at least 120 people had died by Friday in the ensuing bloodshed. Even as the day-time curfew was lifted, a three-hour extension to the usual seven-hour night curfew remained in place in the capital and the three central provinces of Salaheddin, Babil and Diyala, officials said. But the lurking fear of last week's sectarian killings continued to be felt as people hesitated to send their children to schools. "Fear is still the master of the situation," said Ali Adnan, a 27-year-old Sunni engineer whose father was briefly kidnapped amid Shiite reprisals against Sunnis. Adnan Ali, a 40-year-old Kurdish teacher, who lives in a northeast Baghdad Shiite majority neighbourhood, said he saw armed men roaming the streets, raiding homes and shooting in the air at the start of the trouble. "There was no police. Everyone was terrified," he said. "Fewer than a quarter of students returned to school today because of fears of a possible new outbreak in violence," he said. Iraq's national security adviser Muwaffak al-Rubaie announced that 10 people, including four security guards, had been arrested in connection with the investigation into the bombing of Samarra's golden domed shrine. The destruction of the shrine's dome -- one of Shiite Islam's holiest shrines -- sparked the worst sectarian violence in the country since the 2003 US-led invasion. Rebuilding the shrine will take at least five years, Iraq's Housing and Construction Minister Jassem Mohammed Jaafar said Monday. The United Nations said it would help in rebuilding the shrine and other damaged mosques. Iraqi radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr, whose Mehdi Army militia was accused of attacking Sunnis, told reporters in his home town of Najaf he had returned early from a trip to Iran to assert control over the militia, while denying it was responsible for the violence. The main Sunni group, which had declared a boycott on talks on forming a government of national unity with Shiite majority parties, Monday indicated it was still keen to join the government, but demanded that Shiites return Sunni mosques seized during the riots and compensate victims. Meanwhile, ousted president Saddam Hussein, whose trial for crimes against humanity was set to resume Tuesday, had ended a hunger strike after fasting for 11 days, his lead lawyer Khalil al-Dulaimi told AFP. "I met with my client for seven hours on Sunday. At our request he had earlier ended the hunger strike he had been on for 11 days and he has lost four to five kilos (about 10 pounds)," Dulaimi said. "He is doing okay," the lawyer said, adding that the defence team may return to the court proceedings Tuesday after boycotting it for a month. Saddam and seven co-accused face the death penalty if found guilty. US Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said Iraq's interior ministry had information on the whereabouts of American journalist Jill Carroll, abducted on January 7 by armed men. Khalilzad said that he was told that Carroll was still alive. The US military, meanwhile, announced the release of about 390 male detainees. LOAD-DATE: February 27, 2006

03-04-2006, 04:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
leib10 HKHolic *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 02-17-05 Location: Lubbock, TX Posts: 3,247 Country:	Looks like things haven't changed much, except for the numbers. Wonder where they'll get spares after a while. __________________ "The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the world. So wake up, Mr. Freeman. Wake up and smell the ashes." G-Man

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
ties to GOP trumped skill on iraq team	astralis	The War in Iraq	21	10-11-2006 21:44 PM
If you could change the battle plan in Iraq, what would you do?	Jedi_Iatros	The War in Iraq	15	02-27-2006 12:21 PM
Destroying Baghdad	sparten	Warfare in the Modern Age	9	02-20-2006 16:22 PM
25,000 civilians KilledIn Iraq	jimmy22	The War in Iraq	88	08-13-2005 11:41 AM
Nervous in Baghdad	Shek	The War in Iraq	0	07-18-2005 10:37 AM

02-27-2006, 23:32 PM	#2 (permalink)
Anon New Member Join Date: 08-03-03 Posts: 0	I wonder what models of tanks the Iraqis are using now.

02-28-2006, 01:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
gunnut *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-27-06 Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 9,797 Country:	Looks like T-62, and T-72/80 type.

03-04-2006, 05:17 AM	#8 (permalink)
gunnut *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 01-27-06 Location: DPRK, Democratik People's Republik of Kalifornia Posts: 9,797 Country:	I'm sure we can easily provide them with those. The formor Soviet block would be happy to be of assistance.

03-06-2006, 12:21 PM	#14 (permalink)
Anon New Member Join Date: 08-03-03 Posts: 0	Agreed, that's a twin HMG mount.

03-06-2006, 16:10 PM	#15 (permalink)
Wraith601 Title Classified *Senior Contributor* Join Date: 11-23-04 Location: Mississippi Posts: 1,144 Country:	If I recall Jordan gav them Spartans and M113s and the Swiss gave them M113s as well. I'd also bet money that most if not all of the uparmored M113s the US is using now will be left to the Iraqis when the US begins to leave in a couple years.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)