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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Arab Mujahideen Continue Resistance in Basra |
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| A_Stranger |
| 04/12/03 at 15:25:54 |
| Arab Mujahideen Continue Resistance in Basra [i]Posted on Saturday, April 12 @ 14:30:56 EDT By Pak Taliban[/i] Sporadic fighting was reported from Basra’s outskirts on Saturday even as Iraq’s second largest city remained firmly in the clasp of anarchy and looters. Reporting from Basra in southern Iraq, Mohammed As-Sayed Muhsin of Al Jazeera television said that a group of non-Iraqi Arab fighters are continuing to fight the British troops in the neighborhood of Atanouma. The British troops have so far not ventured into the area, dotted with bushy gardens. The Al Jazeera correspondent also said he had heard tanks firing on Friday night in the Al Basateen area. The British troops fired flares in the night sky and reportedly withdrew from several places such as Sa’ad Square and Mannawi Basha of the city. The military camp of the British troops at Al Kahimiya also came under attack, Al Jazeera reported. Elsewhere in the city, anarchy ruled and mobs ruled the streets. With no police or government in sight and its basic infrastructure crumbling, Basra’s streets were awash with looting, murders and petty crime. “Lets say I have had a problem with someone in the past. Now I come with a gun and kill him. Nobody’s there to do anything about it,” said Aya, a housewife, explaining the lawlessness. Thieves armed with AK 47 assault rifles are breaking into homes, shops and ministries, walking away with everything from furniture to kerosene, residents complained. “They are terrorizing our neighbourhoods,” they said. Many were palpably angry. “The British are responsible for this,” said Muayad Jumah Lefta, a doctor in one of Basra’s city hospitals. Even the city’s hospitals have been ransacked by the looters. British forces say they are doing all they can in a very difficult situation. They said that its soldiers were spreading out across the city in an attempt to restore order. The Royal Marines’ Seventh Armoured Brigade has arrested several looters while they were trying to drive away trucks laden with food. But residents complain not enough is being done soon. “The British have only brought freedom to the thieves,” said Shukira, a housewife. --Al Jazeera Source: Taliban Online |
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