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Amanda Roraback's World in a Nutshell |
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Articles Samarra (3/7/07) Possible Consequences of Failure Iraq Study Group (coming soon) Documents
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Samarra |
Iraq in a Nutshell |
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In March 2007, Sunni insurgents stepped up attacks on Iraqi Shi'as preparing for the Shi'a Muslim commemoration of Ashura. The attacks are intended to rekindle the sectarian civil war triggered by the bombing of the Samarra Mosque in February 2006 in order to destabilize the Shi'ite-dominated Iraqi government.
City of Samarra The city of Samarra northeast of Baghdad was the capital of the Abbasid Islamic Empire between 836 and 892. Samarra is located in Iraq's Salahuddin province which lies within the Sunni Triangle, a stronghold of Sunni insurgents. The city is dominated by Sunni Muslims.
Askari Mosque Shi'a Muslims believe the true leaders of the Muslim community were selected blood relatives of Prophet Muhammad who were endowed with extraordinary spiritual qualities. The first in the line of Imams was Muhammad's cousin, Ali, followed by his sons, Husayn and Hasan, and their descendants. Most Shi'as follow the generational line of twelve Imams with the last, the Mahdi, having gone into hiding ("occultation") in the 10th century. The Mahdi is expected to return at the end of times bringing peace to the world. Explosion On the morning of February 22, 2006, a number of bombs were detonated inside the Askari Mosque destroying its golden dome and northern wall. No injuries were reported in the explosion but the vandalism triggered riots and reciprocal violence around the country. Why? The attacks were most probably intended to incite sectarian violence. Civil war in Iraq has undermined the authority and success of Iraq's Shi'ite-dominated government and put the United States in a difficult position. Who was responsible? No groups claimed responsibility immediately after the attack but it was suspected that Al Qaeda in Iraq was responsible. Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad, leader of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah and others have claimed that the United States was behind the attack. Why it matters The attack on the Mosque in Samarra was followed by riots and vengeful bombings of Sunni Mosques all over Iraq igniting a sectarian deadly civil war. Why it matters to the United States The civil war in Iraq has complicated efforts by the United States administration to extricate itself from Iraq. At a time when the U.S. public is calling for a reduction of troops in the country, the violence of the civil war makes U.S. departure from the country a particularly destructive act. The attack also called into question America's ability to protect the Shi'ites against Sunni violence and elevated the status of Shi'ite militias.
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