BAQUBAH, Iraq - Six influential members of Diyala Provincial government held a press conference at the Governor's Center in Baqubah on Feb. 24 to denounce the recent bombing of the Askarya Shrine by terrorist cells in the Samarra Province and demanded peace and calm in the eastern Iraqi province of Diyala.
Deputy Governor Auwf Rahoumi Hamed called the press conference with vice Diyala council chief, Sheik Thari Thaaban Ssalm; Gen. Saman al-Talibani, commander of the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division; Diyala deputy police chief, Najeb Juwad Amed; Sheik Shihab al-Badri, a prominent Sunni Imam; and Sheik Talib al-Outbi, a prominent Shi"ite Imam.
"The terror attack aimed at the Askarya Shrine and the golden dome in Samarra is not an easy subject, because it is an important symbol to the Islamic religion. This building is a guide for Iraqi culture with its pristine architecture and its art. The people are proud of this edifice, and the terrorists want to rent Iraqi unity from its constituents," Ssalm said.
Local police and the Iraqi Army received orders from Baghdad to enforce a curfew to help avoid violence resulting from the Feb. 22 attack.
Governor Ra"ad Rashid al-Timimi is away on trade negotiations, leaving the deputy governor to address the people during this troubled time.
"We call upon the honorable to stand together to keep and save our country, and we call upon the sheiks and leaders of the people to cooperate with security forces and direct the citizens to follow the rule of law, to abide by the curfew, and to spread the brotherhood between our people," Hamed said.
Coalition Forces in Diyala fall under the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, though the coalition command attended the Iraqi-led conference only to observe and lend support.
"The Diyala government is committed to a free and stable democratic Iraq. This gathering of leaders from the government and Iraqi Security Forces led by Deputy Governor Auwf Rahoumi Hamed, calling for peace and calm in the wake of the mosque attack, is yet another example of the Iraqi government's commitment to peace," said Lt. Col. Chris Johnson, executive officer of 3rd Brigade.
Each of the provincial officials took turns speaking about the attacks, first calling for prayer to the prophet and his family, then expressing an emotional call to peace in the wake of the attacks.
Iraqi Army commander Gen. Talibani took a firmer approach. He demanded that the citizens abide by the rule of law and not give quarter to terrorists, and he issued a stern warning to the terrorists masquerading as holy fighters referring to them as al-Qaeda and al-Takfiri, the non-believers.
"Diyala will not be a safe place for terrorists, and if they call themselves Mujahadeen, then they must wave a flag of principles, but they have no principles, only to kill civilians. But we are al-Mujahadeen against the terrorists and we will fight them until the final blood point," Talibani said.
The dome of the golden mosque was completely blown off the base of the mosque by terrorists. The mosque is believed to contain the remains of Imam Ali al-Hadi, who died in 868 A.D., and his son Imam Hassan al-Askari, who died in 874 A.D. Both are considered descendants of the Prophet Muhammad.
There was a slight rise in violence in the region of Diyala after the bombing, but Iraqi Security Forces have largely controlled the violence through enforcement of the curfew.
"Iraqi Army and Iraqi police have demonstrated their increasing ability to provide security and stability in the region," Johnson said.
| Date Taken: |
03.03.2006 |
| Date Posted: |
03.03.2006 15:23 |
| Story ID: |
5589 |
| Location: |
BAQUBAH, IQ |
| Web Views: |
307 |
| Downloads: |
225 |
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