Insurgents Seize 60 Hostages in Iraqi Town...WTF?!

[Career Prole]

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Sunni guerrillas took at least 60 people hostage in an Iraqi town near Baghdad on Friday and threatened to kill them unless Shi'ites left the area, a Shi'ite official quoted residents as saying.

The hostage-taking and three successive days of bombings which killed at least 34 people suggested insurgents had regrouped after a lull in violence since Jan. 30 elections.

"People from the town called me begging the Iraqi government to save their relatives who are hostages. They told me there are at least 60 hostages," the official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters in Baghdad.

Insurgents with heavy weapons appeared to have taken control of the mixed Sunni and Shi'ite town of Madaen, just south of Baghdad, and no police or government forces were in sight, said the official...

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8199793

...how is this NOT news to the corporate media?!

The first I heard about it was on Juan Cole's blog Informed Comment where he says:

"This incident is the most worrying explicit Sunni-Shiite conflict I can remember, and I find it alarming. Shiites could lash out at Sunni Arabs over it."

I was so surprised that cable news shows could have missed this that at first I suspected the story wasn't accurate, but I googled and if it's a mistake a lot of people are running with it...just not cable news. CNN's got a story about someone selling candles that "smell like Jesus" coming up next instead (honest...I glanced at the tube when I heard that and they had a picture of a candle in a glass labeled "His Essence")
:wow:

Unbelievable.

[Tux]

1. Only in America

News channels are pandering to the Evangelicals so much, Jesus could land a UFO in New York and no one would notice.

Also, we won the war and democracy is in Iraq. Didn't you hear? I wish they would cover it but most wouldn't go against Bush, they'd burn in Hell. Their minister said so.

[DrDebug]

2. No American was wounded or killed, right?

So there's no need to report it. The insurgency is declining <period> <eom>

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. citizen we will cut yuor ration of chocolate if you keep

questioning the judgement at the Ministry of Truth

:sarcasm:

[Igel]

4. But it is news in the national media.

NPR's reported on it; the NYT has. Other sources, too.

Most sources cite the Shi'a saying why the Sunni did it, and they may be right. I'm waiting to hear why the Sunni say they did it. Still might not believe it.

[Career Prole]

6. NPR has 'National' in its name

but you don't find many people listening to it who don't already know Iraq's screwed up, and I just checked the Times and saw nothing.
:shrug:
That said, neither one has the widespread influence of cable news, true?

[DistressedAmerican]

5. Kicking!

[slor]

7. How do you know...

that those "insurgents", as you call them, are not actually part of the new Floral Battalion, a unit that is actively recruiting members to grow and raise roses, albeit belatedly, to throw upon our troops? As it turns out, that town has been blessed with the best soil for this purpose, so it makes sense that the Floral Battalion, would choose to "recruit" members there. Now can we get back to the real news? What is up with britney spear's pregnancy?

[Career Prole]

10. ROFLMFAO!

In fact, just last night Bill Maher suggested Britney name the baby 'Shithead', which is the "redneck version of 'Apple'"

[leftchick]

8. It is very true and very scary....

It was a yahoo story last evening and I believe it is still in LBN. What it tells me is what I have suspected since last summer. I believe Juan has talked about it a few times as well as Sy Hersh. The US is only in "control" in very few places. The majority of Iraq is out of contol, aka: in Chaos! FUBAR what ever you want to call it.

Way past time to bring the troops home!

[Career Prole]

11. "Chaos" works for me.

You're right. Only way to support the troops is to get them out.
If there's going to be a civil war it'll commence regardless of an American presence, and the worst thing for the troops would be to get caught in the middle of that.

[wookie294]

9. It's proof the insurgents are desperate

There is light at the end of the tunnel. Fox News said so! ;-)

[DrDebug]

12. As the saying goes

The light at the end of the tunnel is a freight train

[Career Prole]

13. So now I'm curious how cable news knew it was a hoax.

I guess I'm just never satisfied. :eyes:

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi forces found scant evidence of a hostage crisis in a town south of Baghdad on Monday, and government officials said claims that 150 Shi'ites had been held were likely exaggerated for political purposes.

Iraq Hostage Stand-Off Dismissed as Exaggeration