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Gates visited Baghdad to quell US soldiers mutiny in Anbar

Roads to Iraq | 26.12.2006 09:12 | Anti-militarism | Repression | World

Iraqi military sources told the newspaper that the reason that the American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited Baghdad urgently after two days he received his new post as a Defense Minister; is to extinguish a military mutiny carried out by American VI battalion based in Anbar, after refusing to obey orders and prefer not to leave their base in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

According almoharrer newspaper quoting an Iraqi Military sources

Iraqi military sources told the newspaper that the reason that the American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited Baghdad urgently after two days he received his new post as a Defense Minister; is to extinguish a military mutiny carried out by American VI battalion based in Anbar, after refusing to obey orders and prefer not to leave their base in Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.

The sources pointed out that the US military base is exposed to daily heavy tactical attacks and attempts to storm the walls of the base by Iraqi resistance.

The sources added that Washington and specifically Military, and intelligence in the American Congress, designedly sending Gates to rectify the mistakes that were made by his predecessor Ramsifeld and the most serious is; the American soldiers surrendering to the Iraqi resistance in Ramadi, which is what happened a month and a half before, while Iraqi resistance clashed with American patrol and managed to burn their military vehicle, US soldiers had no choice but surrender and hope for safety.

With a help of an interpreter, the American POW explained they do not wish to fight the Iraqis and asked their captors to help them to smuggle them to Turkey across Mosul, Syria-Iraq borders in order to request political asylum.

Also reported by Qudspress that a mass exodus take place right now in the city of Ramadi after reports of an imminent American attack on the city following the visit of the American Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to Iraq.

The city filled with people searching for taxis and trucks to flee the city, bringing with them some simple belongings, especially after the American forces announced to the residents of Al Althelh and Al-Mulameen, the need to leave and evacuate their homes.

US forces took control of many houses in the area by force. It also closed schools in the city after electricity was lost completely. American forces also cut off water from the city center, with the continued armed confrontations between the American forces and Iraqi resistance in the city.

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