Sunni Muslims celebrate Eid in Baghdad
1. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
2. People entering mosque
3. Various worshippers performing Eid prayers
4. Sheikh Mohammed al-Sumeidi delivering sermon
5. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Mohammed al-Sumeidi, Sunni cleric:
''While Muslims all over the world are celebrating, our hearts are in pain. Our hearts are in pain because of the hardship facing our country.
6. Man listening to sermon
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Mohammed al-Sumeidi, Sunni cleric:
''Baghdad is a city of science, city of kings, city of believers. It has now become the city of explosions and the hideout of criminals.''
8. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
9. Various of sheep
10. Various of people slaughtering sheep
11. Wide of sheep
STORYLINE:
Muslims in Iraq flocked to mosques throughout the country on Thursday to mark the first day of Eid al-Adha, a four-day Islamic holiday.
At the Um al-Qura mosque in Baghdad, worshippers gathered for special prayers and to listen to the sermon of Sheikh Mohammed al-Sumeidi.
The Sheikh said the holiday was overshadowed by the ongoing violence in Iraq.
''While Muslims all over the world are celebrating (eid), our hearts are in pain. Our hearts are in pain because of the hardship facing our country, he said.
It is traditional for worshippers to dress in their best clothes and for men to wear perfume before the prayers.
Outside, sheep were slaughtered to mark the first day of eid, or the Feast of the Sacrifice.
Eid al-Adha, which is also known as the Greater Bairam, is celebrated at the end of the Hajj (pilgrimage) season.
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Shiite mosque to close for three days in mourning for two children killed in bomb attack
Baghdad, Iraq - 20 May 2005
1. Exterior of Sunni mosque Um Al-Qura
2. Close of sign reading (in Arabic) 'Um Al-Qura mosque'
3. Interior, men in mosque listening to speech
4. Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed Al-Samirai preaching
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Ahmed Al-Samirai, Imam of mosque:
Despite what happened we are still calling for self restraint. We are calling on the Iraqi government to carry out a comprehensive investigation to unveil the circumstances of those crimes (the killing of Sunni clerics) otherwise things will deteriorate and there will never be security (in the country).
6. Various of men praying
7. Exterior Al-Hasanein mosque
8. Sign reading (in Arabic) 'Al-Hasanein mosque'
9. Sign on wall reading (in Arabic) All mosques will be closed for three days in protest of killing clerics and worshippers.
10. Man with gun
11. Wide of Al-Fardous mosque
12. Close of sign (in Arabic) 'Al-Fardous mosque'
13. Man shutting gate
14. Wide of Shi'ite two minarets mosque of Baratha
15. Shiites chanting slogans in support of the Badr Brigades (Shi'ite militia)
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jalal Eddin Al-Sagheir, Shi'ite cleric:
I am calling my brother at the Badr Brigades (Shi'ite militia) to take this man (Sunni cleric Harith al-Dhari) to court for his dangerous accusations. The government should decide if this man's (al-Dhari) speech is incitement of terror and internal conflict.
17. Men praying
Najaf, Iraq - 20 May 2005
18. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sadr greeting supporters
19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Moqtada al Sadr , Shiite cleric:
You shall not let yourselves be the starting point of a sectarian strife, you don't want to be labelled as a black point in the history of Iraq, but you shall tolerate everybody.
20. Men gathered outside Sadr's house
STORYLINE:
Baghdad's main Sunni Muslim mosques were closed for three days on Friday to complain about their alleged mistreatment at the hands of Iraq's majority Shiites - who they blame for kidnapping and killing several of their clerics.
The move, called by the influential Muslim Clerics Association, came as Sunni Muslim clerics also delivered fiery sermons in Baghdad and in cities like Ramadi, capital of the volatile Sunni Triangle in western Iraq.
Speaking to worshippers on Friday, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Samirai, called on Sunnis to exercise self-restraint, and called for a government investigation into the killings of Sunni clerics otherwise things will deteriorate and there will never be security (in the country).
Recently, Harith al-Dhari, head of Iraq's influential Sunni Muslim Association of Muslim Scholars, blamed the deaths of Sunni clerics on the Badr Brigades, the militia of Iraq's leading Shiite group, the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Brigade general secretary Hadi al-Amri denied the charge and said the Sunni association wanted to push Iraq into a sectarian conflict.
At Friday prayers Shi'ite cleric Jalal Eddin Al-Sagheir said the government should consider taking al-Dhari to court for his comments.
In the sacred Shi'ite city of Najaf, Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who led uprisings against US troops in Iraq, asked his supporters on Friday to avoid sectarian conflict.
Ahead of Friday prayers he said You shall not let yourselves be the starting point of a sectarian strife, you don't want to be labelled as a black point in the history of Iraq, but you shall tolerate everybody.
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Prayers, security, preparations at the start of Eid
Baghdad's Kadhimiyah neighbourhood
1. Various exteriors of the holy shrine of Imam Khadim
2. Various Shiite Muslims performing Eid prayer
Baghdad's Gazalia neighbourhood
3. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
4. Sign reads: ''Association of Muslim scholars''
5. Wide shot of rally with banners condemning the US-Iraqi troops raid on the mosque
6. Banner reading: ''Drawing cross on walls of Um al-Qura mosque discloses the project, (US) in Iraq''
7. Wide shot of demonstrators carrying banners
8. Banner reads: ''The Islamic party condemns the aggression (US raid) on the Association of Muslim scholars' compound in Um al-Qura mosque.''
Baghdad's Sadr City
9. Amusement park with boys and girls on swings in amusement park
10. Various of children on small ferris wheel
11. Various of young children on ride
Baghdad's Zayouna neighbourhood
12. Various children on small ferris wheel
Baghdad
13. Wide shot of Iraqi police deployed on road and setting up checkpoint
14. Policeman searching civilian
15. Iraqi police directing traffic, barbed wire and traffic on road
16. Iraqi policeman directing traffic
17. Iraqi policeman pointing his rifle
18. Iraqi policeman searching a car
STORYLINE:
Muslims across Iraq celebrated on Tuesday the first day of the feast of Eid Al-Adh'ha - a festival that coincides with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the hajj.
Shiite Muslims in Kadhimiyah neighbourhood of northern Baghdad performed the special Eid prayer in the holy shrine of Imam Kadim mosque.
Meanwhile, Sunni Muslims held a rally outside Um al-Qura mosque, protesting the raid last Sunday by US and Iraqi troops.
US troops launched early Sunday a man-hunt campaign in western Baghdad including Um al-Qura mosque, searching for a kidnapped female American journalist.
The troops raided Um al-Qura mosque which houses the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars.
In Baghdad's Sadr city and Zayouna in eastern Baghdad, children celebrated Eid at the local amusement park.
While some were too young to understand the violence that has engulfed Iraq, their parents spoke of concern for their safety.
Iraqi police have intensified security measures.
Additional police forces have been deployed on the streets and additional checkpoints have been also set up.
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Machine gun attack at mosque, Sunni cleric
SHOTLIST
Baghdad's Dora neighbourhood
1. Various of exteriors of Shiite mosque where shooting took place
2. Sign: ''al-Rasoul Mosque''
3. Shattered glass
4. Bullet hole in window
5. Bullet holes in wooden structure
6. Shattered glass and damaged to mosque wall
7. Damage to mosque door
8. Preacher asking worshippers to be patient
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Ahmad Ibrahim, Eyewitness:
During Friday sermon, gunmen broke into the mosque and started firing at worshippers, killing two people and injuring another one.
10. Ward with medical staff and civilians
11. An injured young boy sitting in chair
12. Boy's injured arm
13. Exterior of al-Yarmouk teaching Hospital
Baghdad's Um al-Qura Mosque
14. Exterior of Um al-Qura Mosque
15. Worshippers listening to a sermon
16. Set up of cleric delivering sermon
17. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Mahmoud al-Sumayd'i:
Our brothers in this war-ravaged country, in the north, middle and the south, we are in front of a big issue, (the writing of the constitution). Beware that you (the Iraqi people) don't put aside your Islamic doctrine while you are preoccupied with writing the constitution. If the upcoming constitution is left to be written by dishonest people, this means we abandon our principles.
18. Worshippers seated on the floor listening
STORYLINE
Eyewitnesses said gunmen raided a Shiite mosque in Baghdad's Dora neighbourhood on Friday, killing two people and injuring a boy.
The gunmen entered the al-Rasoul Mosque during Friday prayer and started shooting at worshippers, an eyewitness said.
Windows were shattered and walls and doors damaged.
The injured boy was taken to the al-Yarmouk Teaching hospital for treatment.
The motive for the shooting remained clear.
Also on Friday, Sunni cleric Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumayd'i warned worshippers to be cautious when choosing people to write the constitution, adding the new constitution should include teachings of Islam.
Beware that you (the Iraqi people) don't put aside your Islamic doctrine while you are preoccupied with writing the constitution. If the upcoming constitution is left to be written by dishonest people, this means we abandon our principles, he said.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani averted a crisis on Thursday by promising Sunni Arabs a big say in drafting the constitution, which they had threatened to boycott if they did not receive more representation.
Iraq's 275-seat parliament has until mid-August to adopt a new constitution that hasn't yet been written.
The constitution must be acceptable to Iraq's voters and is expected to deal with the tough issues of the role of Islam in public life and the type of electoral system Iraq should have.
The document will face a nationwide vote two months later and if adopted, will provide the basis for a new election to be held by December.
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WRAP Mosque raid in Baghdad, mosque strike in Ramadi, attacks
SHOTLIST
Fallujah, west of Baghdad
1. Wide shot of area where attack took place
2. Street
3. Various of US troops patrolling in the distance
Gazalia neighbourhood, Baghdad
4. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
5. Main gate of mosque
6. Pan mud tracks apparently left by US humvees at the mosque gate
7. Broken gate
8. Close-up spent bullet and broken glass
9. Tilt up on damaged gate
10. Man holding plastic handcuffs
11. People outside house apparently raided by US troops
12. Exterior of house
13. Damaged gate of house
14. Broken window of house
15. Various of woman wailing in house
Ramadi, west of Baghdad
16. Various of coffins being loaded in back of vehicles
17. Crowd of people gathering next to the vehicle carrying coffins
18. Covered coffins in back of truck
19. Various of vehicles carrying coffins driving away
20. Crater full with water caused by blast with tanker nearby
21. Shrapnel impact on façade of a house
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Voxpop, Eyewitness:
While six children were cleaning up a sewage pipeline outside their house during rain, a jet fighter F-16 bombed them thinking they were planting IEDs or gunmen.
23. Various exteriors of the house perforated by shrapnel
Al-Yarmouk neighbourhood, Baghdad
24. Various wreck of car with Iraqi police at the blast site
Bataween neighbourhood, Baghdad
25. Exterior of hotel near to where the blast occurred
26. Various of damage to hotel
STORYLINE:
Three US Marines were killed by small arms attacks in the Iraqi town of Fallujah on Sunday, the US military said.
It follows the deaths of two other Marines on Saturday in roadside bombs in separate incidents, the military said.
With the latest Marine deaths, at least 2,199 members of the US military have died since the beginning of the war in 2003, according to an Associated Press count. That toll didn't include 12 people killed aboard a Blackhawk helicopter just before midnight on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Association of Muslim Scholars, a major Sunni clerical group, said US troops raided their headquarters at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque at about 0300 local time (0600 GMT) on Sunday.
The association, which is thought by some to be close to some militant groups, said the solders raided offices and radio broadcast and computer rooms.
A US military official said the raid was conducted because of a tip from an Iraqi citizen that there was significant terrorist related activity in the building.
Lieutenant Colonel Barry Johnson said six people were detained in the raid.
Eyewitnesses said US troops also raided nearby houses.
The tracks of US vehicles could be seen at the gate of the mosque, while there was minor damage to a nearby house.
In Ramadi on Sunday, the funerals were held for three young boys killed in what eyewitnesses said was a US air strike on Saturday evening.
One man said that a US jet fighter bombed them, thinking that they were gunmen or planting bombs.
Residents claim the boys were cleaning up sewage when they were killed.
In other violence on Sunday, five people were killed in separate attacks in Baghdad, including two policemen killed by a suicide car bomber targetting an Interior Ministry patrol. Seven other people were wounded.
In the Bataween neighbourhood in central Baghdad, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off on Saturday night near a hotel, killing one civilian.
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Sunni cleric arrested, Hilla violence, Friday prayers
Baghdad - 11 November 2004
1. Wide shot Ibn Taymiyah mosque
2. Sheik Mahdi al-Sumaidaei, head of the Supreme Association for Guidance and Daawa, sitting, handcuffed, surrounded by American soldiers
3. Sign reading Ibn Taymiyah mosque (Arabic) with US humvee in background
4. Various of weapons and ammunition on ground
5. Iraqi soldiers lining up weapons
6. Various arms
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Masked soldier:
We got information that there were weapons, ammunition and terrorists in Um al-Tuboul mosque, so we broke into the mosque and detained 40 people possessing weapons and ammunition.
Hillah, 11 November 2004
8. Wide shot scene of scene of assassination attempt targeting Hillah official, where car bomb exploded, injuring four police
9. Burned out cars with police at scene
Sadr city - 12 November 2004
10. Various of worshippers listening to sermon with portrait of Muqtada al-Sadr in background
11. Sheik Abdul-Hadi al-Daraji, senior aide to Cleric Muqtada al-Sadr praying
12. Various people performing prayer
13. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheik Abdul-Hadi al-Daraji, al-Sadr's office:
Al-Sadr's office condemns the American aggression on Fallujah under the pretext of terrorism and that there are Arab forces coming to Iraq to carry out terrorism. We are against terrorism.
Baghdad, Um al-Qura mosque - 12 November 2004
14. Placard reading Allawi (Iraqi interim Prime Minister), (Israeli Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon and (US President George) Bush are terrorists (Arabic)
15. Youths holding Iraqi flags
16. Various of demonstrators chanting Allawi coward, agent of Americans
17. Demonstrators burning American flag
STORYLINE:
Iraqi security forces, backed by US troops, arrested a hardline Sunni cleric and about two dozen others after a raid of his Baghdad mosque uncovered weapons caches along with photographs of recent attacks on American troops, the US military and the Iraqi National Guard said.
Sheik Mahdi al-Sumaidaei, the head of the Supreme Association for Guidance and Daawa, a conservative Sunni organisation, was detained at the Ibn Taymiyah mosque on Thursday, along with around 25 others, the US military said.
The earlier raid took place at the Um al-Tuboul mosque, a major landmark in western Baghdad, said Iraqi National Guard Colonel Mohammed Abdullah said.
He said they found TNT explosives, lists with names of Iraqi officers employed in the US-trained Iraqi National Guard, as well as photographs of recent attacks on US soldiers and foreign convoys on the airport road.
The raid followed a tip that weapons were being stored in the prominent mosque, Abdullah said.
Also discovered in the raid were Kalashnikov rifles, one machine gun, four rocket-propelled grenade launchers and ammunition.
Al-Sumaidaei is now in the custody of US troops, he added.
Footage taken by Associated Press Television News showed al-Sumaidei taken out of the Ibn Taymiyah mosque, sitting in handcuffs, surrounded by American troops.
Al-Sumaidaei has called on the country's Sunni minority to launch a civil disobedience campaign if the Iraqi government does not halt the attack on Fallujah, an insurgent stronghold west of Baghdad.
In Hillah, two car bombs injured eight people, including four policemen on Thursday, while the police chief escaped an assassination attempt as his guards and gunmen exchanged fire in Iraq's Babil province, police said.
The first car bomb seriously injured four people when it detonated near a gas station at the northern entrance of Hillah, about 95 kilometres (60 miles) south of Baghdad, said police Captain Hadi Hatif.
In the second blast, a suicide bomber detonated his car near a traffic police patrol in the city centre, wounding four policemen, Hatif said.
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WRAP Prayers, security, preps at start of Eid
Kadhimiyah neighbourhood, Baghdad
1. Various exteriors of the holy shrine of Imam Khadim
2. Various Shiite Muslims performing Eid prayer
Sadr City, Baghdad
3. Amusement park with boys and girls on swings in amusement park
4. Various of children on small ferris wheel
5. Various of young children on ride
Zayouna neighbourhood, Baghdad
6. Various children on small ferris wheel
Baghdad
7. Policeman searching civilian
8. Iraqi police directing traffic, barbed wire and traffic on road
9. Iraqi policeman pointing his rifle
10. Iraqi policeman searching car
11. People walking in Shorja foodstuff market and shopping
12. Man packing food
13. People making purchases at the market
14. Various kinds of cakes, biscuits and confectionery on display
15. Man taking his foodstuff and leaving
16. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Ubu Usama, shopper:
''We are coming to market for shopping on this happy Eid, wishing you and the whole world peace and prosperity.''
Gazalia neighbourhood, Baghdad
17. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
18. Sign reads: ''Association of Muslim scholars''
19 Banner reading: ''Drawing cross on walls of Um al-Qura mosque discloses the project, (by the US) in Iraq''
20. Wide shot of demonstrators carrying banners condemning the US-Iraqi troops raid on the mosque
21. Banner reads: ''The Islamic party condemns the aggression (US raid) on the Association of Muslim scholars' compound in Um al-Qura mosque.''
Gazalia neighbourhood, Baghdad
22. SOUNDBITE (Arabic): Sheikh Abdul-Salam al-Janabi, member of the Sunni Muslim Association:
''I call upon President Bush to prevent his troops in Iraq from violations and encroachments of Muslim sanctities and Muslim leaders. And I'd like to tell Prime Minister al-Jaafari to stop violating sanctities of Muslims if he is truly Prime Minister.''
A'dhamiyah neighbourhood, Baghdad
23. Exterior of Abu Hanifa mosque, people entering the mosque to pray
24. Various of people performing Eid prayer
STORYLINE:
Muslims across Iraq celebrated on Tuesday the first day of the feast of Eid Al-Adh'ha - a festival that coincides with the annual pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the hajj.
Shiite Muslims in Kadhimiyah neighbourhood of northern Baghdad performed the special Eid prayer in the holy shrine of Imam Kadim mosque.
In Zayouna, in eastern Baghdad, and Sadr City children celebrated Eid at local amusement parks.
While some were too young to understand the violence that has engulfed Iraq, their parents spoke of concern for their safety.
Iraqi police have intensified security measures.
Additional police forces have been deployed on the streets and additional checkpoints have been also set up.
The markets of the capital were crowded with locals shopping for treats and presents.
We are coming to market for shopping on this happy Eid, wishing you and the whole world peace and prosperity,'' a man said.
Meanwhile, Sunni Muslims held a rally outside Um al-Qura mosque, protesting the raid last Sunday by US and Iraqi troops.
US troops launched early Sunday a man-hunt campaign in western Baghdad including Um al-Qura mosque, searching for a kidnapped female American journalist.
The troops raided Um al-Qura mosque which houses the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars.
Sheikh Abdul-Salam al-Janabi, a member of the association, called on the US president and the Iraqi prime minister to avoid violations and encroachments of Muslim sanctities and Muslim leaders.
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WRAP Mosque raid in Baghdad, mosque strike in Ramadi, attacks
Baghdad's Khadra neighbourhood, January 8, 2006
1. Various burning vehicles on roadside
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Wisam, Eyewitness:
''A group of armed men attacked and set ablaze a governmental truck carrying police cars in Khadra neighbourhood.''
Baghdad's al-Yarmouk neighbourhood, January 8, 2006
3. Various wreck of car with Iraqi police at the blast site
Ramadi west of Baghdad, January 8, 2006
4. Wide shot exterior of local mosque with residents gathering outside
5. Various of coffins being loaded in back of vehicles
6. Crowd of people gathering next to the vehicle carrying coffins
7. Covered coffins in back of truck
8. Various of vehicles carrying coffins driving away
9. Crater full with water caused by blast with tanker nearby
10. Shrapnel impact on façade of a house
11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Vox Pop, Eyewitness:
''While six children were cleaning up a sewage pipeline outside their house during rain, a jetfighter F.16 bombed them thinking they were planting IEDs or gunmen.''
12. Various exteriors of the house perforated by shrapnel
Bataween neighbourhood, January 8, 2006
13. Exterior of hotel near to where the blast occurred
14. Various of damage to hotel
Gazalia neighbourhood, 8 January 2006
15. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque
16. Main gate of mosque
17. Pan mud tracks apparently left by US humvees at the mosque gate
18. Broken gate
19. Close-up spent bullet and broken glass
20. Tilt up on damaged gate
21. Man holding plastic handcuffs
22. People outside house apparently raided by US troops
23. Exterior of house
24. Damaged gate of house
25. Broken window of house
26. Various of woman wailing in house
Fallujah west of Baghdad, January 8, 2006
27. Wide shot of area where attack took place
28. Various shots of busy street
29. Various of US troops patrolling in the distance
STORYLINE:
A Black Hawk helicopter believed to be carrying 12 people crashed in northern Iraq and killed everyone aboard, while five U.S.
Marines were slain in separate weekend attacks, the military said Sunday.
The deaths came as Iraqi police said a kidnapped French engineer was released by his captors.
Unknown gunmen also attacked and set ablaze a flat-bed truck in the Khadra neighbourhood of western Baghdad.
A car bomb also exploded next to an Iraqi police patrol on Sunday, killing two policemen and injuring two others in the al-Yarmouk neighbourhood western Baghdad, said police.
In Ramadi 100km west of Baghdad, three young boys were killed in what eyewitnesses said was a US air strike on Saturday evening.
A jetfighter F.16 bombed them thinking they were planting IEDs or gunmen.'' said one eyewitness.
Residents claim the killed boys were cleaning up sewage when the jetfighter bombed them.
Three coffins were seen being loaded onto the back of a vehicle and given a brief funeral procession.
Meanwhile, in Bataween neighbourhood, central Baghdad, an improvised explosive device (IED) went off on Saturday night near a hotel, killing one civilian.
Extensive damage to the al-Tamim hotel could be seen at the scene of the blast.
In the Gazalia neighbourhood of Baghdad on Sunday, eyewitnesses said US troops raided the Um al-Qura mosque, where the Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars is based, as well as nearby houses.
The tracks of US vehicles could be seen at the gate of the mosque, while there was minor damage to a nearby house.
There was no US confirmation about the raid.
Meanwhile, three Marines were killed on Sunday by small arms attacks while conducting operations in Fallujah, 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad, the military said. The three were assigned to Regimental Combat Team 8, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
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US troops release about 100 Iraqi detainees
(19 Mar 2009)
1. Wide exterior of the Sunni Um al-Qura mosque in Baghdad's Gazalia neighbourhood, where prisoners were released
2. Mid of mosque
3. Top-shot of prisoners after being released, greeted by friends and relatives
4. Various of prisoners hugging relatives and friends after being released
5. Mid of prisoners sitting
6. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Muhand Juma, released prisoner:
They (US and Iraqi forces) accused me of being a leader of a terrorist group, then it was clarified that the accusation is wrong. Therefore, the American troops have released me.''
7. Woman kissing a released detainee
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Major Kone Faulkner, US army officer:
''These individuals that we were releasing today were initially seen as an imminent threat, but through... since the security agreement's been signed and the government of Iraq's judicial system has been in place, they are now reviewing the packets on each one of these individuals, identifying those who do not have a warrant and as well those who have been identified (as being people) who will not pose a threat to the local (residents) of Baghdad.
9. Wide top-shot of released detainees and their relatives
STORYLINE
The US military released about 100 more Iraqi detainees in Baghdad on Thursday, in accordance with the security agreement which came into effect on January 1.
The prisoners, who were detained in Camp Bucca in Basra, were released near the Um al-Qura Sunni mosque in Badghad's Gazalia neighbourhood.
US army officer, Major Kone Faulkner said that the detainees had initially been identified as an imminent threat but that their status had been reviewed.
Earlier this month, the US military said the number of detainees held by the Americans in Iraq has dropped to 13,832 from a peak of 26-thousand in 2007.
A military statement said US forces have been releasing an average of 50 detainees a day.
Under the security deal, US forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30 and the entire country by January 1, 2012.
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British Muslim activist in Iraq to try to secure the release of hostages
Baghdad's Gazalia neighbourhood - 5 December, 2005
1. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque, headquarters of the Association of Muslim Scholars
2. Sunni cleric Abdul-Salam al-Kubaisi greeting Anas Altikriti
3. Two officials walking
4. Various of Altikriti and al-Kubaisi holding talks
Baghdad - 5 December, 2005
5. Member of Iraqi Islamic party greeting Altikriti
6. SOUNDBITE (English): Anas Altikriti, member of British anti-war movement:
Until now we have no direct contact. But through making these communications and these contacts, through speaking through lots of media contacts, local, Arab and international, we're hoping that the hostage-takers will tap into one of those channels or satellite TV stations or bulletins or such, they will get the message and hopefully have a change of heart.
7. Altikriti's hands
8. SOUNDBITE (English): Anas Altikriti, Member of British anti-war movement:
We can only remain hopeful. I'm trying my best here. A lot of people with me are working tirelessly and I understand that a lot of people, even abroad, are working tirelessly for this. The only thing we can do is to continue to work and continue to pray. I am very hopeful. Of course many of these incidents ended in tragedy previously, but hopefully this time it will end in the same way many success stories ended. And that is our hope, that is the kind of image I am holding in my mind.
9. Altikriti enters room and shakes hands with Iraqi Islamic Party official
10. Exterior of Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters
11. Sign for Iraqi Islamic Party
STORYLINE:
A leading member of Britain's anti-war movement on Monday visited religious and political groups in Baghdad as he attempted to win the release of four foreign hostages - two Canadians, an American and a Briton - being held by kidnappers in Iraq.
Anas Altikriti visited the headquarters of the Association of Muslim Scholars at Um al-Qura mosque in the Gazalia neighbourhood of northwestern Baghdad.
The association, an influential Sunni organisation, has already called for the hostages to be released.
Earlier in the day, he held talks with the Iraqi Islamic Party in Baghdad in ongoing efforts to win the release of four peace activists.
The party, which is the largest Sunni group in Iraq, has condemned the kidnappings and has asked that no military action be taken to free the hostages.
It has also appealed to the group that has claimed responsibility for the abduction - the Swords of Righteousness Brigade - to release them.
Altikriti told journalists that he had no direct contact with the kidnappers who abducted the peace activists but was talking with a variety of groups, as well as all media outlets.
Through speaking through lots of media contacts, local, Arab and international, we're hoping that the hostage-takers will tap into one of those channels, Altikriti said.
On Friday, the Qatar-based al-Jazeera television network broadcast a videotape and statement in which the kidnappers threatened to kill the hostages unless all prisoners in US and Iraqi detention centres were freed by December 8.
The Christian activists - 74-year-old Norman Kember of London, 54-year-old Tom Fox of Clear Brook, Virginia, and Canadians 41-year-old James Loney and 32-year-old Harmeet Singh Sooden - had been repeatedly warned by Iraqi and Western security officials that they were taking a grave risk by moving about Baghdad without bodyguards.
The kidnappings are part of wide-scale violence in the country, ahead of national elections expected to be held on December 15.
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U S releases 100 Iraqi detainees
03-20-2009
The U.S. military has released about 100 more Iraqi detainees in Baghdad. Thursday's move was in accordance with the security agreement which came into effect in January.
The prisoners were released near the Um al-Qura Sunni mosque in Baghdad's Gazalia neighborhood.
A U.S. army officer said the detainees had initially been identified as what he called an imminent threat but that their status had been reviewed.
A US military statement says U.S. forces have been releasing an average of 50 detainees a day.
Under the security deal, U.S. forces will withdraw from Iraqi cities by June the 30th of this year and the entire country by January the 1st in 2012.
WRAP 2 children killed in mosque bomb; anti-US demo; Baghdad firefight; Nasiriyah clashes
Mosul, 19 May 2005
APTN
1. Various shots of destroyed vehicles in front of the house of Fawaz al-Jarba, a National Assembly member
2. Car wreckage and charred dead body inside
3. Shattered glass and bullet casings on the ground
4. People standing and damaged door
5. Shattered glass on stairs of the house
6. Hole in the wall
7. Hole in the roof of the house
8. Rubble inside the bathroom
9. Damaged top roof of the house
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Fawaz Mohammad Dhiyab al Jarba ,National Assembly member:
Actually what happened, a group of terrorists opened fire. They came in cars and on foot and we retaliated and opened fire on them. After that the US forces interfered in the clashes. Most of the martyrs (the dead) were killed by the US forces who used missiles and they destroyed seven or eight cars.
11. Various shots of dead bodies in morgue
Baghdad - 20 May 2005
AGENCY POOL
12. People gathering at site of explosion
13. Mid shot crater
14. Children looking at hole caused by the explosion
15. Various of car wreck
16. Coffins of two children who were brothers on top car
17. Man weeping near car
18. Various of men around car with two coffins
19. Coffin of Iraqi national guard on top of car, man abusing Sunni muslim leader Sheikh Harith al-Dari
Baghdad - 20 May 2005
APTN
20. NIGHT SHOTS Various of explosion
++DAY SHOTS - QUALITY AS INCOMING++
APTN
21. Various of IED site and US military
22. Wide of IED site, white car drives past
Baghdad - 20 May 2005
APTN
23. Various US military truck on fire, with smoke and US humvees
Baghdad, Iraq - 20 May 2005
24. Exterior of Sunni mosque Um Al-Qura
25. Interior, men in mosque listening to speech
26. Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmed Al-Samirai preaching
27. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheikh Ahmed Al-Samirai, Imam of mosque:
Despite what happened we are still calling for self restraint. We are calling on the Iraqi government to carry out a comprehensive investigation to unveil the circumstances of those crimes (the killing of Sunni clerics) otherwise things will deteriorate and there will never be security (in the country).
28. Various of men praying
Najaf, Iraq - 20 May 2005
29. Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al Sadr greeting supporters
30. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Moqtada al Sadr , Shiite cleric:
You shall not let yourselves be the starting point of a sectarian strife, you don't want to be labelled as a black point in the history of Iraq, but you shall tolerate everybody.
31. Men gathered outside Sadr's house
STORYLINE :
An Iraqi politician said ten of his private guards were killed on Thursday during a battle in Mosul with insurgents and Apache helicopter-backed U.S. forces, who he accused of killing several of his aides.
National Assembly member Fawaz al-Jarba, a Sunni, said a group of insurgents started shooting at his house in the Falahi neighbourhood eastern Mosul, 360 kilometres (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, around midday.
Al-Jarba told The Associated Press that his personal security men returned fire, sparking a clash that raised the attention of U.S. soldiers in the area.
Al-Jarba, a recent candidate for parliament speaker, said several Apache helicopters were flying over his home and one fired at it, leaving a large hole in his ceiling.
Eight of his bodyguards were killed during the initial battle and two died from their wounds later Thursday in hospital, he said.
An investigation has been launched into the incident, which involved forces from the 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, who observed insurgents on a rooftop near al-Jarba's home, the US military said in a statement.
It was unclear from the statement if U.S. forces were responsible for any of the casualties.
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Friday prayers in Sadr city, scene of recent fighting
Ghazaliya district, Baghdad
1. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque''s domes
2. Wide of mosque with crowd
3. Mid shot people arrive to mosque
4. Various of people arriving
5. Interior mosque
6. Imam addressing crowd
7. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheik Haritha al-Dhari, Iraqi cleric:
These Iraqis have gathered to express their rejection of the occupation. The occupiers should seriously consider leaving here today.
8. Various of chanting worshippers
9. Procession after prayers
10. Wide of demonstration
11. Men on top of building with Iraqi flag
12. Sunni and Shia leaders on poster
13. Various of demonstration, women waving Iraqi flags
14. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Vox Pop, local resident:
The residents of Fallujah are honest and religious men. They reject occupation and reject the Governing Council. Down with the Governing Council. Down with the agents of America.
Sadr City, Baghdad
15. Various of crowd shouting slogans
16. Imam addressing crowd
17. Chanting crowd
18. Poster of Sadr family, with Muqtada al-Sadr at centre
19. Various of prayers bowing
STORYLINE:
Sunni and Shia muslims gathered for joint prayers at a mosque in Baghdad on Friday
According to the organisers, the prayers were held as a protest against the US occupation of Iraq, calling on Washington to withdraw its soldiers from the country.
Thousands of muslims attended the prayers chanting slogans anti-US and anti-Governing Council slogans.
They expressed their support for the people of Fallujah, currently besieged by the US Marines who regain control of the city on Friday.
Elsewhere in Baghdad, the residents of Sadr City, the huge, largely Shia neighbourhood in the north of the Iraqi capital attended mosque today for Friday prayers.
The district has been the scene of fierce US military action in the past few days to combat the Al-Mehdi Army, the militia led by the young Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.
Clashes between Coalition troops and the al-Mehdi Army around the country have left hundreds dead and wounded over the past week.
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Aid for Fallujah, Friday prayers
Sadr City, Baghdad
1. Wide shot Shiite worshippers listening to sermon
2. Mural depicting the father and uncle of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr
3. Iraqi flag
4. Banner saying 'We demand immediate halt to the aggression on Fallujah'
5. Various of men sitting on ground praying
6. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Abdul-Zahra al-Suwei'di, Shiite Cleric:
The Iraqi police have arrested Mr Hashim Abu Regheef, Director of the Martyr Office (Sadr office) in Najaf and this a flagrant violation of the truce agreed by (the Grand Ayatollah) al-Sistani (Shiite leader). Dear brothers, the followers of al-Sadr in the holy city of Najaf are subject to harassments.''
7. Worshippers chanting for al-Sadr
Um al-Qura mosque, central Baghdad
8. Exterior of Um al-Qura Mosque
9. Sunni worshippers listening to sermon
10. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Ghafour al-Samarraei, Sunni Cleric:
With the knife of the US soldier, our people are killed and the blood of our children shed. Stop the killing, stop the bombardment. Why do they (the US troops) slaughter our people, God is great, God is great.
11. Worshippers
12. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Ghafour al-Samarraei, Sunni Cleric:
We want to get corpses out of the city and the US troops don't permit to stop the war for 10 hours. Hundreds of corpses are strewn on ground. Why is the world keeping silent?
13. Worshippers praying
Al-Mansour neighbourhood, Baghdad
14. Exterior of the Red Crescent Society compound
15. Sign saying 'Iraqi Red Crescent Society , General Headquarters'
16. Iraqi and Iraqi Red Crescent flags in on compound
17. Iraqi Red Crescent truck loaded with supplies to Fallujah
18. Various ambulances belonging to the Iraqi Red Crescent parked
19. Dr Saeed Haqi, Director of the Red Crescent Society seated at desk
20. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr Saeed Haqi, Director of the Red Crescent Society:
Since the beginning of the conflict in Fallujah, initially we had some difficulty in getting necessary supplies to the people there, to the people who have migrated from conflict areas, but now the situation has is improving, now we are getting supplies through, the multi-national forces are helping us to get these supplies to the needy people. In fact they are also giving us protection to the convoys in and after the area of the conflict .
19. Red Crescent ambulance parked
STORYLINE:
Prayers were held across Baghdad Friday with Shiite and Sunni clerics attacking the US-led Coalition and Iraqi police.
In the capital's Sadr City neighbourhood, Shiite cleric Sheikh al-Suwei'di accused the Iraqi police of violating a truce brokered in August by the Shiite leader the Grand Ayatollah al-Sistani to end fighting in Najaf.
Al-Suwei'di accused the police of breaking the truce after an aide to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was arrested on Thursday in Najaf after speaking out against the US-led assault on Fallujah.
Elsewhere, in central Baghdad, Sunni cleric Sheikh al-Samarraei called for a halt to attacks on Fallujah and accused the US forces of slaughtering the residents of the restive city.
Al-Samarrei also called on help from the international community to be able to move bodies of people killed during the fighting out of the city, which the cleric said US troops had not permitted.
Meanwhile, the director of the Iraqi Red Crescent said the situation was improving and that supplies were getting through to Fallujah's residents with the help of the multi-national forces who have been providing protection to the agency's staff.
Many of Fallujah's residents fled the city after the comprehensive attack by US troops and are now homeless with no food.
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Funeral for Sunni tribal leader and sons killed by gunmen
SHOTLIST
Baghdad's Gazalia neighbourhood, Iraq, Nov. 23, 2005
1. Exterior of ''Um al-Qura mosque''
2. Coffins on floor with people standing next to them
3. Man putting his head on coffin and screaming
4. Various people performing prayers for the dead
5. Coffins on ground
6. Various mourners carrying coffins
7. Coffin being secured in back of vehicles
8. Another coffin being fixed on top of vehicles
9. Man crying next to coffin in back of pick up vehicle
10. Funeral convoy driving away
STORYLINE
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Baghdad on Wednesday to pray for a Sunni leader, his three sons and his son-in-law, who were killed by unidentified gunmen earlier in the day.
Hundreds of Sunni Muslims performed prayers for the dead at the grand mosque of Um al-Qura in the Iraqi capital's Gazalia neighbourhood.
According to Iraqi officials, the five men were killed by a group of gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms who broke into the home of Sunni leader Khadim Sarhid al-Hemaiyem in the Hurriya neighbourhood of Baghdad.
Al-Hemaiyem was the leader of the Sunni Batta tribe and the brother of a candidate in the December 15 election, officials said.
One of al-Hemaiyem's brothers said he was assassinated by men with machine guns, adding that the family had been attacked before.
Al-Hemaiyem's eldest son was killed by unidentified gunmen a month ago in the Taji area of northern Baghdad, the brother said.
The Batta tribe is one of Iraq's largest Sunni tribes from the area north of Baghdad, where they are influential.
Wednesday's killings followed a big push by US officials to encourage Sunni Muslim participation in the December 15 election, which will install the first non-transitional government in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.
Some Sunni-led insurgent groups have declared a boycott of the election and have threatened politicians who choose to participate in it.
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Scene of mosque attack in which almost 30 killed
(29 Aug 2011)
1. Various exteriors of Sunni Um al-Qura mosque where the suicide bombing took place on Sunday
2. Wide of entrance to mosque with mats covered with blood in foreground
3. Close up of pink quilt covered in blood
4. Various close ups of yellow quilt soaked in blood
5. Various close ups of blood-soaked quilt with mosque gates in background
6. Wide exterior of mosque filmed from road
STORYLINE:
A suicide bomber blew himself up inside Baghdad''s largest Sunni mosque on Sunday night, killing at least 29 people and injuring 38 during prayers.
Blood-soaked quilts still lay scattered in the street outside the gates to the mosque on Monday morning.
Iraqi security officials said parliament lawmaker Khalid al-Fahdawi, a Sunni, was among the dead in the attack that happened around 9:40 pm (1840 GMT).
A spokesman for Baghdad''s military operations command, confirmed the bombing happened inside the Um al-Qura mosque during prayers in the western Baghdad neighbourhood of al-Jamiaah.
The blue-domed building is the largest Sunni mosque in Baghdad.
That the bomber detonated his explosives vest inside the mosque is particularly alarming, as it is reminiscent of a 2006 attack on a Shiite shrine in the Sunni city of Samarra that fuelled widespread sectarian violence and nearly ignited a nationwide civil war.
In that strike, Sunni militants planted bombs around the Samarra shrine, destroying its signature gold dome and badly damaging the rest of the structure.
Under deposed dictator Saddam Hussein, a Sunni, Iraq''s Shiite majority was persecuted and repressed.
Shiites took power after his ouster, stoking Sunni resentment that bore the insurgency.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Sunday''s bombing, but suicide attacks generally are a hallmark of al-Qaida, which is dominated by Sunnis.
Intelligence officials have speculated that al-Qaida will do almost anything to re-ignite sectarian violence, but the group recently had focused on attacking Iraqi security forces and the government to prove how unstable Iraq remains.
Violence has dropped dramatically across Iraq from just a few years ago, but deadly attacks still happen nearly every day.
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WRAP Blast in Baghdad, refugees from Fallujah, clashes in Ramadi
Night shots
POOL - Baghdad - 14 Nov 2004
1. Pan of skyline, including Sheraton hotel with smoke rising near building AUDIO gunfire
2. Smoke and gunfire in night sky
3. Various of crater caused by rocket attack
APTN - Baghdad - 14 Nov 2004
4. Exterior of Um al-Qura mosque and aid trucks
5. Various of trucks laden with supplies and food for Fallujah residents
APTN - Al-Mansour, Baghdad International Fair - 14 Nov 2004
6. Wide shot of tent camp for Fallujah refugees
7. Woman walking through camp
8. Woman and two young children sitting on ground outside tent
9. Close-up of child's face
10. Pan across refugee camp
APTN - Buhriz - 14 Nov 2004
11. People carrying banner and flag during demonstration
12. Demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans, including a masked man carrying a rifle
APTN - A'dhamiyah neighbourhood, Baghdad - 14 Nov 2004
13. Exterior of Abu Hanifa mosque (Sunni Muslim), audio of muezzin (the official who proclaims the call to prayer) calling in Arabic God is great. There is no god but Allah
14. Worshippers going into mosque
15. Various of people performing special Eid prayer
APTN - Al-Khadimiyah neighbourhood, Baghdad - 14 Nov 2004
16. Wide shot al-Sadr (Shiite) mosque with golden domes
17. Worshippers sitting on floor in al-Sadr mosque, chanting God is great, there is no god but Allah.
18. Various of Sayid Hussein al-Sadr performing prayers, worshippers
19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Sheikh Salah al-Ubeidi:
We hope that God will benefit us with peace and with good life and put an end to this killing style in Iraq.
20. Young boys beating drums, celebrating feast of Eid
APTN - Baghdad al-Jidida (New Baghdad) neighbourhood, eastern Baghdad - 14 Nov 2004
21. Boys and girls on swings in amusement park
22. Children on donkey ride
23. Children buying food
APTN - Ramadi - 13 Nov 2004
24. Various of the city with AUDIO of gunfire
25. Men trying to put out fire with smoke erupting from house
26. Various of a car on fire
STORYLINE:
At least two large explosions rocked central Baghdad on Sunday night, followed by a spate of gunfire, witnesses said.
The US military did not immediately comment on the incident, which happened near hotels including the Sheraton. Hotels in the area are often used by foreign contractors.
One explosion caused a crater on the east side of Tigris river. There were no reported casualities.
About an hour later, around four blasts occurred, possibly across the Tigris River on the western bank that also includes the Green Zone, witnesses said.
The Green Zone houses major Iraqi government offices and the United States Embassy.
The attacks in Baghdad came amid reports that fighting is winding down in Fallujah, scene of nearly a week of intense urban combat.
A US officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fallujah was occupied, but not subdued.
Aid is now reaching the embattled city as fears grew of a humanitarian crisis.
Muthana al-Dhari, a spokesman for the Sunni Clerics Association, said a convoy of trucks would transport food, water and medical supplies to Amiriyat al-Fallujah, south of Fallujah.
Displaced Fallujah residents were being housed in a makeshift tent camp in Baghdad on Sunday as fighting continued in their home city.
An Iraqi humanitarian organisation, the Humanitarian Relief Society, set up the refugee camp in the grounds of the Baghdad International Fair.
In the northern city of Buhriz, meanwhile, hundreds of people took to the streets after Eid prayers - voicing their support for Fallujah residents and condemning the interim Iraqi government led by Prime Minister Iyad Allawi.
Eid marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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Friday prayes, al Sadr supporter addresses crowd
In Time: 10:52:28
1. Wide Um al-Qura Mosque
2. Interior of mosque during prayers
3. Imam addresses worshippers
4. Various prayers
5. Exterior of Khadim mosque - courtyard
6. Close up of man
7. SOUNBDITE: (Arabic) Sheikh Raad el-Khademi:
Al-Sadr should not be accused of any involvement in the killing of al-Khoei. But since he has been accused, he is willing, for the good of his country and so as to give no justification to his enemies, to present himself before a recognised legal Iraqi court, as agreed with the senior clergy of Najaf.
8. Various of pro Sadr demo
STORYLINE
Leading Iraqi cleric Raad el-Khademi, a supporter of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, said from the pulpit on Friday that al-Sadr was willing to stand trial for the crimes he is accused of in a recognised Iraqi court.
U.S. officials want him put al Sadr on trial on charges he was involved in the assassination last year of a rival Shiite cleric Abdel-Majid al-Khoei.
Speaking in a Baghdad mosque, el-Khademi said he believed al-Sadr was innocent of those charge.
After prayers a demonstration was held in support of al-Sadr.
Among those present was the cleric Sayed Hazim al-Araji who was arrested and released by Coalition forces earlier this week.
Al-Sadr's al-Mahdi Army militia launched a bloody uprising last week across the south and in Baghdad, battling U.S. coalition troops and taking
control of a number of cities.
The United States branded him an outlaw and accused him of fomenting mob violence.
Al-Sadr on Monday withdrew his militiamen from police stations they had occupied in Najaf, Kufa and Karbala last week - meeting a key U.S. demand - and dropped all preconditions for holding negotiations, at the request of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, Iraq's most prominent Shiite cleric.
Negotiations now appeared focused on dissolving the al-Mahdi Army - a demand al-Sadr has refused - and how to deal with al-Sadr himself.
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Iraqi imam says bomber was targeting him
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The imam of the Umm al-Qura mosque speaks to Al Jazeera about the blast that claimed the lives of 29 worshipers.
Ahmed Al-Samarrai believes he was the intended target in the Sunday blast in Baghadad.
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4:3 Iraqis celebrate the Muslim festival of Eid
(6 Nov 2011)
++4:3++
1. Wide of Um Al Qura mosque
2. Wide of worshippers praying at the mosque
3. Close of worshippers
4. Wide of mosque preacher Sheik Mahmoud Al Falahi
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheik Mahmoud Al Falahi, mosque preacher:
The head of Muslim states must bring happiness to their people during their rule because they will be held responsible for their deeds on judgment day.
6. Wide of worshippers praying
7. Mid of worshippers embracing
++16:++
8. Wide top shot of people festival goers at Al Zawra park
9. Various of mural decorations on park's walls
10. Mid of police searching people arriving at the park
11. Various of families and children arriving for the Al Zawra fun fair
12. Various of park attractions
13. Wide of people at the park
14. Mid of people at gates waiting for a ride
15. Mid of people having fun on spinning wheel ride
16. Set up shot of reporter Hadadn Kadouri with children at the park
17. SOUNDBITE (English) Hadadn Kadouri, journalist:
I wish all Iraqis a happy, peaceful Eid and I hope that all trouble will go away, insha'allah (God willing).
18. Wide of park attractions
STORYLINE:
Iraqis marked the start of the feast of Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, on Sunday.
Worshippers attended prayers at the mosque and families also enjoyed the day at fun fairs.
Sunnis celebrate Eid al Adha on Sunday, and Shiites on Monday.
However, the festival was marred by three bombs that ripped through the Shorja market in central Baghdad, police said, killing eight, just hours after the prime minister warned of Iraq's continued danger.
Police said the bombs were planted in different parts of the market, striking as shoppers were preparing for Eid al-Adha.
City health officials confirmed the casualties, and said 19 people were injured.
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