Bad to worse in Baghdad: "Neighbors are killing neighbors,” WP

Looking into things related to the crisis in the middle east in Lebanon and scanning the blogs something has been missed of late in the regions major war-zone of Iraq.

Worse by far than the situation in Lebanon and mostly escalating into daily killings and violence of a sectarian nature. Baghdad some say may end up resembling the Enclaves of local armed militias of Beirut of 15 years ago when a green line divided that city which is currently in the worlds focus of attention.

Officials of the Iraqi military say as many as 628 hve been kiiled in 6 days!

The Washington Post reports in part:

[]… “Neighbors are killing neighbors,” ….

After more than a week of some of the most vicious sectarian violence of the war, Baghdad is a skeleton of a city: Many of its shops are shuttered, its streets drained of people. The violence erupted July 9 when Shiite Muslim militiamen rampaged through the al-Jihad neighborhood and killed dozens of Sunni Arabs. By Friday, the sixth day, the death toll in Baghdad stood at 628 people, according to Brig. Gen. Mahmoud Nima of the Interior Ministry, citing a figure that far exceeded the numbers previously suggested by news reports. …. ” [] please read full article here

The major problem there is violence has shifted from Insurgent related actions to direct reprisals over issues as mundane as parking and store shop rivalry. fueled by religious and ethnic tension and sent spiraling with every car bomb and grenade attack the people of Iraq according to this Washington Post report are saying: “We cannot trust anyone.”

The situation in Iraq is indeed a sad one growing worse everyday; Yet in this part of the globe a lot the situations that one threatened to be as bad as some of the fighting in Baghdad have indeed improved in places like Basilan and around parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula, yet violence still manages to break through often for sectarian, tribal;, religious, our poetical reasons still - as the American Chronicle reports.

There was a time when some parts of the Southern Philippine were somewhat albeit on much more local and smaller scale similar to the problems faced by Baghdad’s people.

But violence still continues in many parts of the Southern Philippines, a broadcaster was gunned down in Digos City in Davao Del Sur.

[] Another journalist slain in Philippines
Seattle Post Intelligencer - MANILA, Philippines — A radio broadcaster was gunned down Tuesday in the southern Philippines as he was riding home on a motorcycle, the latest …
Journalist Gunned Down in Philippines Voice of America
Broadcaster killed in Digos City ABS CBN News
Broadcaster shot dead Journal Online … []

One can look at a very good source for information on the issues of the Southern Philippines on the blogsite of Zambo based writer now also featured on a LA based blogsite, Jade Verde’s site he has a lot of stories he can share on the situation there in Zamboanga and other places from his years as a journalist based there.

Even from a distance he reports on things i have not really seen that much aired or seen in print here in Manila. His sources are very good. Like on his report on ambush killing of Isabela, Basilan Mayor in March - most reports put the blame on the ASG and other groups or political rivals but he put a peg on the sotry in his report for American Chronicle.

Jade’s report:

[]… “Ustadz Omar Suhod added: “Demolishing the mosque is an attack to Islam. It is our place of worship, and it is the house of God, and destroying the mosque will only bring troubles because the Muslims are angry. We appeal to our leaders to please spare the mosque”.

Mayor Biel was assassinated, and three of his bodyguards were wounded at the front of the City Hall, at around 12.15 PM on Friday of March 3, 2006. The bodyguards fired back and killed the gunman.…’[]

Jade’s other blogsite