Iraqi insurgency: Encyclopedia II - Iraqi insurgency - History of the Insurgency

Iraqi insurgency - History of the Insurgency

Main article: History of Iraqi insurgency
(This is the latest entry; see the main article for the prior history)

Iraqi insurgency - November 2005

On the 8th of November, three gunmen assassinate Adel al-Zubeidi, the defense lawyer in the trials of Saddam Hussein for Taha Yassin Ramadan, a former Iraqi Vice President under Saddam Hussein. On the same day, Italian state-owned channel Rai News 24 airs a controversial documentary in which Iraqi people and ex-U.S. soldiers report that white phosphorus, a reported "chemical weapon", and Mk-77 napalm bombs were used by the U.S. Army against civilians in Fallujah last year.

On November 12, the United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan made a surprise visit to Iraq. He expressed support for an Arab League conference discussing how to bring reconciliation to Iraq's many factions. Annan expresed that the world should supports the Iraqi political process, urging the mainstream Sunnis to join the process and to isolate the hardcore Sunni-based insurgency. That same day, four individuals die following a car bomb in Baghdad. On the 13th of November, Iraqi president Jalal Talabani states that it could be possible that Iraqi troops could replace UK forces by the close of 2006 through a gradual withdrawal of forces. He did not endorse an immediate withdrawal of the multinational forces. He stated that would be a "catastrophe" for Iraq and would lead to civil war.

On the 10th of November, at least 30 people died following an insurgent suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in Baghdad. The explosion could be heard from several miles away. Al-Qaeda in Iraq sent a message that it was responsible. On the same day, police find the bodies of 27 people. These individuals had been tied up and shot near the border with Iran.

On the 18th of November, the United States House of Representatives reject a Republican resolution, offered by Duncan Hunter, "expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately" by a vote of 403-3 after Jack Murtha stated that the "[multinational] troops have become the primary target of the insurgency. [...] They are united against U.S. forces and we have become a catalyst for violence". Jean Schmidt, during the debate, read a letter from a United States marine called those wishing to "cut and run" from Iraq "cowards". The marine later claimed to have never said this. The following day, U.S. President George W. Bush rejects calls for a timetable for withdrawing US troops from Iraq, stating "we will stay in the fight" and the resaons why he believes the American presence in Iraq should continue. Bush also states that defeating the insurgency cannot be done militarily, but it's got to be defeated politically.

Elswewhere on the 18th, a series of bombings kill 74 Shia worshippers and injuring 75 at two mosques (the Sheik Murad mosque and the Khaniqin Grand Mosque) in eastern Iraq while in Baghdad two car bombs destroy the blast wall protecting a hotel housing foreign journalists and kill eight Iraqis. Also, two car bombs strike outside a Baghdad interior ministry building at the centre of a detainee abuse scandal.

On 20 November, at least forty people died following a series of attacks on Sunni Arab insurgents by Iraqi and American attacks. Eight insurgents, including a woman, were killed in a conflict between joint U.S-Iraqi forces and insurgent gunmen occupying a house in Mosul. A mortar attack by insurgents was conducted near the house of the Diyalah governor in the east of Baquba. Insurgents kill 13 civilians and 20 wounded when one explodes a car bomb in a busy market in southeast Baghdad. Policemen on a highway in eastern Baghdad are attacked during their patrol by insurgents. The 98th UK soldier is also killed in Iraq after terrorist elements within the insurgency sets off a roadside bomb. British ministry of defense officials state that "These are very small groups that operate in the area. They cause serious risk to both ourselves and the local population of Basra."

On November 21, five Iraqi civilians were shot by U.S. troops as they approached a checkpoint in Baquba. Checkpoints are frequent targets by insurgents. U.S. troops have put up signs in Arabic telling people to stay back or risk being shot. The minibus failed to stop as it approached a roadblock.

On November 23, Khadim Sarhid al-Hemaiyim, one of the most important Sunni Arab Tribal leaders in Iraq, was shot dead, along with his three sons and a son-in-law in Baghdad. The gunman dressed as to appear to be members of the new Iraqi Army. Spokesman for the Iraqi military stated that its forces were not involved in the killing. He added that it was likely that the gunmen were militants in disguise. Also on the 23rd, a suicide ambush by a car bomber kills 18 people, about half were Iraqi Police, in an in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk.

On November 24, at least thirty people died following a car bomb outside a hospital in Mahmudiya when Iraqi police cars came near the bomber (and this caused light damage to a passing US military convoy). Laith Kubba, Iraqi Prime Minister's spokesman, stated the insurgent attacks are increasing in the run-up to December's parliamentary elections. Also on the 24th, atleast 25 people are injured (18 were killed) after a car bomb attack in Hilla. The police were baited into a market area by a smaller bombing, then the bomber set off a larger explosion by ramming a patrol car. Half of those killed were police officers and many of the wounded were also police.

On November 26, four Westerners were kidnapped in Baghdad. All members of Christian Peacemaker Teams, the hostages are Norman Kember (74; British), Tom Fox (54; American), James Loney, (41; Canadian) and Harmeet Singh Sooden (32; Canadian). On November 29, a German woman (Susanne Osthoff) is kidnapped in Iraq. These have added up in the past year and a half to over 200 foreigners that have been abducted in Iraq by insurgents. Some of the hostages have been executed by their kidnappers.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "History of the Insurgency", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki