Iraq's Palestinians threatened once more

Thamer Melham, a Palestinian living in eastern Baghdad, called me Friday night. His  22- apartment complex has been under siege by the Shia Mahdi Army. The Palestinians in Baghdad, who are Sunni, have been targeted regularly by Shia militants since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein. The Times wrote about his community's plight in Friday's paper.

Tonight, Thamer called me because the situation has only gotten worse. A Mahdi Army member came to the apartment complex this morning and told the Palestinians there they wanted 100 apartments in the complex. "It is better to be detained by the Americans than to be in Baladiyat without any protection," Thamer said.

In panic, Palestinians canceled their Friday prayer service at the local mosque, fearing an attack.

One international relief official warned me a few days earlier that  the Mahdi Army aimed to expel the Palestinians from Baladiyat to secure control of the eastern Baghdad neighborhood, which is populated mainly by Shia. Faced with a campaign of kidnappings and killings, the Palestinian community in Baghdad has shrunk from 34,000 to 19,000 since 2003.

Comments

[Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD]

Iraq's Palestinians threatened once more

Fromn 1950 this is the first time???? How you do you keep count of these. Man you should be in England in place of the treasurer or the home office or the refugges. It is very safe. Hush hush SEC is still not aware of these places.

[Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD]

Iraq's Palestinians threatened once more

Fromn 1950 this is the first time???? How you do you keep count of these. Man you should be in England in place of the treasurer or the home office or the refugges. It is very safe. Hush hush SEC is still not aware of these places.