Foreign Islamist militants attack Iraqi stock exchange, then Syrian Catholic Church in Iraq

(SACNS Asia and Middle East; SACNS Audio-Visual article; Social Justice South Africa)

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​​​​​Massive casualties as Syrian Catholic church attacked by Islamic Special Interest ​​terror tactics utilising group|​
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​01 | November (11th Month) | 2010 AD​
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Article by Marc Aupiais
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​A Syrian Catholic church was held hostage in Iraq, resulting in dozens of deaths ​​and more injuries. It is uncertain if the majority of deaths occurred before or after ​​police stormed the church, having reportedly not attempted to negotiate with ​​hostage takers, reportedly belonging to an Islamic Special Interests group, which ​​some in the West link to Al Qaeda.​
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​47 people are dead, and dozens more that is: at least about 60 (mostly women) ​​injured, after militants, claimed as foreign by local Iraqi press, stormed the Iraqi ​​stock exchange, and after this, a Syrian Catholic church: Our Lady of Deliverance ​​parish. The militants, on taking the parish, killed the priest instantly, and took ​​about 100 people within the church hostage according to reports. When police ​​stormed the building without any reported negotiations, suicide bombers set off ​​their bombs and threw grenades at police according to reports. A local Iraqi ​​television station claims an attacker phoned them claiming to be part of the ​​Islamic State of Iraq, an Islamic special interests group, allegedly linked to Al ​​Qaeda, and allegedly capable of using terror tactics.​
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​Islamic State of Iraq, also is possibly the source of a text on an Islamic militant ​​website, claiming to be from the group and giving the alleged reasons for the ​​attack.​
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​The text referred to two women who allegedly converted from Coptic Christianity ​​to Islam, in order to divorce their husbands in Egypt, before disappearing. They ​​reportedly reappeared claiming no conversion, before allegedly being spirited ​​away to distant monasteries. People converting from Islam have previously ​​alleged being in danger of life and limb for the move. The Islamic special interests ​​group, has asked the Vatican to "release" the women, whom it says it considers ​​victims of Christian oppression, and to be Muslim. It claims the women are being ​​held by Christians.​
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​Whether the church was the intended target of the militants, or the stock ​​exchange, is uncertain. Attacks against Christians in Iraq have been ​​commonplace since an American invasion disposed of former President Saddam ​​Hussein, imposing a new regime upon Iraq with the help of a northern tribe of ​​former separatists. Iraq has asked foreign nations not to accept Christian ​​refugees due to a skills draining caused by what some players in the region ​​consider a genocide against minority Christians in the country.​
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​Before Republican US President George W. Bush invaded Iraq, the Vatican ​​warned of such a potential genocide, asking the president not to enter the ​​country. While sectarian violence has been reduced under years of occupation, ​​after an initial spike due to the ending of the Saddam Hussein regime, violence ​​against Christians has only increased. Critics of the current Democratic Party ​​Barack Obama US administration have claimed that early withdrawal of American ​​troops created a power vacuum, endangering westerners and minorities in the ​​majority Islamic and Arab nation.​
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​Police on the scene, the Iraqi government, and the US military all give different ​​statistics for casualties, arrests, and the number of militants. About 10 Iraqi police ​​died in storming the church.​
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​Attacks against churches, and kidnappings, and murders of Christians are ​​common in Iraq, with Christian groups reported as claiming that the US installed ​​and now elected Iraqi government does little or nothing to protect their basic ​​human interests.​​​​​​​​


​​​​​​Sources:​
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​American; Independent of ​​the state; Catholic special ​​interests Source:​
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​American Papist/ Catholic ​​Vote Action​
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​​​​​​​​​​​Terrorists storm Mass in ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Iraq: Murder priest, kill ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​dozens of hostages​
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Thomas Peters

01 / 11 | November / 2010
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​​​​​​​​​​​sources that are Secular ​​interests coverage.​
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​British based Sources:​
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​Daily Mail (Independent of ​​the state)​
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​​​​​​​​​​​Thirty nine killed in ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​hostage bloodbath as ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Iraqi security forces storm ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​militants in Baghdad ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​church​
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​​​​​​​​​​​01 / November | 11 / 2010​
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​​​​​​​​​KATHERINE FAULKNER​
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​​​​​​​​​​​http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-​​​​​​​​​​​​​​1325481/39-killed-Iraqi-security-forces-storm-​​​​​​​​​​​​​​militants-Baghdad-church.html?ito=feeds-​​​​​​​​​​​​​​newsxml​
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​​​​​​​​​​​American based, ​​Independent of the State, ​​Liberal; secular/general ​​interests source​
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​AP (ASSOCIATED ​​PRESS)​
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​​​​​​​​​​​Baghdad church seige ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ends with 47 dead​
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​​​​​​​​​​​01 / November | 11 / 2010​
​HAMID AHMED​
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​​​​​​​​​​​www.msnbc.msn.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​com/id/39935278/ns/world_news-​​​​​​​​​​​​​​mideastn_africa/​​​​​​​​​​