Renowned Husseini Speaker feared assassinated

By: Ismail Zabeeh

AL-LATIFIYAH, Iraq: Renowned Husseini Speaker Sheikh Ali As-Saedi has been assassinated in Al-Latifiyah city of Iraq at the hands of terrorists, unconfirmed reports said Sunday.

His voice was similar to late Sheikh Ahmed Al-Waeli, Arab World’s very famous speaker. As-Saedi’s assassination report came in connection with the aggression being committed against followers of Ahlul Bayt (p) in death triangle.

The “triangle of death” has become a death zone for followers of Ahlul Bayt (p), Westerners and members of the Iraqi security services, many of whom have become the victims of terrorists — some who receive bounties of several thousand dollars.

According to the government reports hundreds of pilgrims have been martyred on their way to holy cities while crossing death triangle. Reports said more than 134 religious scholars have also been martyred.

Media reports said $3,000 cash bounty is set for Killing Americans, $10,000 for a religious scholars, who is follower of Ahlul Bayt (p), $1,000 for a common follower of Ahlul Bayt (p), $3,000 for Iraqi army man and $2,000 for Iraqi policeman.

The triangle, formed by the cities of Youssafiyah to the northwest, Latifiyah to the south and Mahmoudiyah to the east, holds the fastest routes from Baghdad southward to the Holy Najaf and Karbala.

French journalists Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot disappeared Aug. 20 on their way from Baghdad to Najaf. They remain missing, though their Syrian driver, Mohammed al-Joundi, was found by U.S. troops last week in Fallujah.

Two members of a Polish television crew were killed and a third was wounded in an attack near Mahmoudiyah in May. Four months earlier, two Iraqis working for CNN were shot and killed while traveling through the same area.

Bayan Jaber of a political party said that a week ago, five Shiias traveling to Najaf from Diyala province near the Iranian border were waylaid in the triangle of death and shot dead. The attackers demanded — and received — $15,000 from their families to return the bodies.

The UN-funded ReliefWeb said last month that about 500 followers of Ahlul Bayt (p) families had fled the Latifiyah area for Karbala because of threats.

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