Updates on Ministry of Education Kidnapping

This is I listened to Morning Edition, with Renee Montaigne. Her guest was Solomon Moore of the Los Angeles Times. I strongly suggest you visit this link and read his article "Uniformed men kidnap scores in Iraqi sapitol. You can listen to the interview on the Morning Edition website

It really is a mystery! Officials are not really sure how many people were kidnapped, and the latest figures say around 50 may have been kidnapped and 37 have been released. Sunni, Kurds and Christians were taken, but we don't know who kidnapped them or why.

To avoid cordons, the kidnappers 17 released overnight, and 2 hostages are believed to remain.

Most interestly, 5 Iraqi police were arrested and questioned. There have been rumors that the police have been infiltrated by insurgents, and this really makes you wonder.

The sectarian divisions are really the cause of many problems. If we are ever to get peace, or at least an end to the sectarian violence, we need to find a new way of dealing with the Iraqis because the Bush Doctrine has proven to be a disaster.

100 to 150 Educators Kidnapped in Iraqi Higher Education Ministry

Sunni and Shiia educators were separated by sex and men were kidnapped by men in Iraqi Police uniforms, driving Iraqi Police vehicles. All universities in Iraq have been shut down out of fear for the safety for the educators.

According to Forbes.com

Alaa Makki, head of parliament's education committee, interrupted the body's session Tuesday morning to say that between 100 and 150 people, both Shiites and
Sunnis, had been abducted in the 9:30 a.m. raid at the ministry offices, calling
the kidnapping a "national catastrophe."

The kidnapping is the largest known of any group, although about 50 Shiites were abducted from vehicles near Latifiyah, about 20 miles south of Baghdad, on Saturday and a similar number taken from the offices of a private security company in March. Their fate remains unknown.

"It was a quick operation. It took about 10 to 15 minutes," Theyab said. "It was a four-story building and the gunmen went to the four stories." He said the gunmen had at least 20 vehicles.

Educators aren't the only targets. Sports teams, women not dressed properly, people of the wrong religious faction have all been targeted. And Bush wonders why people want the US to get out of Iraq.

It is a civil war. A civil war where Sunni and Shiia have replaced Blue and Gray.

American soldiers have tortured and taken photographs to show their pride in there work. That is a fact.

Anyone can be label a terrorist and disappeared without seeing the evidence against them and with being allowed an attorney. They can be held as long as the government wants. That is a fact.

Bush and his cabal lied to get us into Iraq, insisting it was needed because Saddam had weapons of mass destruction, not because of oil.

On November 4, 2006 Bush said:

"You can imagine a world in which these extremists and radicals got control of energy resources and then you can imagine them saying, 'We're going to pull a bunch of oil off the market to run your price of oil up unless you do the following. And the following would be along the lines of, well, 'Retreat and let us continue to expand our dark vision.' "

Except that Iraq's oil production is a fraction of Saudi Arabia's. Remember when Saddam invaded Kuwait? Take a wild guess about what Saddam was interested in?

Bush hasn't a clue. He simply has a lust for power, a desire to be the war president his father (wisely) didn't become, to be looked upon as a savior, a freedom-bringer to oppressed peoples.

Instead, he has brought darkness, death and chaos. This will be Bush's legacy.