Iraqi soldiers free 8 kidnapped tribal leaders

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Iraqi soldiers free 8 kidnapped tribal leaders
29 Oct 2007 17:21:58 GMT

BAGHDAD, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Iraqi soldiers freed eight
kidnapped tribal leaders on Monday in a raid on a house
near Baghdad where they were being held, and are
searching for three others seized at the same time, the
government said.

Eleven tribal sheikhs, some Sunni and some Shi'ite, were
seized on Sunday while returning to Diyala province
northeast of Baghdad after talks with a representative
of Iraq's prime minister. They were members of a group
set up to fight al Qaeda in Diyala.

A Defence Ministry spokesman said troops raided the
house after tip-offs from local residents. They said
another location was also being raided as part of efforts
to find the three tribal leaders who were still missing.

-snip-

The U.S. military said it had information that Arkan
Hasnawi, a former brigade commander in the Mehdi Army
militia loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, was
behind the kidnappings.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MAR960022.htm

[maxsolomon]

1. this is good, right?

the kidnapping was about 20 steps back, but with this news, its only 19 steps back.

[Barrett808]

2. I have to wonder if the ransom was paid, and the "tip-offs" came from the kidnappers

I'm sure the story would never be spun that way, silly me.

[shance]

3. "Tribal leaders" - methinks someone is trying to make Iraqis look 'savage'

by the use of the term "Tribal leaders".

How about "community leaders"?

With that said, there is nothing in any way shape or form wrong with being in a tribe.

In fact I think by enlarge, tribes have it much more together in terms of respect for the planet and life in general.

However the term 'tribe' and the institution itself, have been so demeaned by our supposedly civilized culture, that it is implied that tribes are somehow beneath 'civilized' folks.

When in truth, seems to me those who are closer to the earth get so much more than those who think they are civilized simply because they can build bigger killing machines.

But I digress.....

[Kagemusha]

4. The Iraqi tribes are run on organized crime principles.

The designation is entirely appropriate.