Tags:
Journalism of Courage
A mortar round hit an arms collection site in Baghdad’s Sadr City slum on Sunday, killing two Iraqi National Guards and a civilian, shortly before a visit by interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi. Hospital staff said nine civilians were also wounded by either the mortar round that hit the Sina’a Club football stadium, where Iraqis were waiting to hand in arms in return for cash, or in shooting that erupted in the confusion afterwards.
Allawi hastily rearranged his schedule after receiving word of the attack on the stadium used to store arms collected from Shi’ite Muslim militiamen and other Iraqis. After a two-hour delay he met supporters of anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and tribal leaders in the stadium. ‘‘I’ve met with Sadr’s people. I’m thrilled and pleased. Things are moving in the right direction and arms are being surrendered to the Iraqi government,’’ he said. ‘‘I call on Iraqi people throughout Iraq… to surrender their weapons and to respect the rule of law,’’ Allawi said. —Reuters
