Baghdad Stampede

"MuslimSister" wrote:

What do you make of the conspiracy theories?

I don't know I wasn't there.

But. Shia festivals are always targets for attack. The panic was understandable.

But then, if you're gonna get so scared of potential suicide bombers, why even to such big gatherings?

"TheRevivalEditor" wrote:
"MuslimSister" wrote:
"irfghan" wrote:
If this was a curse from God for the Iraq War, then what is God cursing the Iraqis Shias for.

[url= Stampede[/url]

Slightly off the topic, but what do you think was the cause of that?

What do you make of the conspiracy theories?

what conspiracy theories?

The insurgents wrongly/intentionally shouted that there’s a “suicide bomber” in the gathering.

Thus causing panic and confusion which resulted in the stampede.

Apparently some respectable Shia leaders also strongly believe that this was the reason why the stampede took place. Leaders who the public respects and looks up to.

I heard this on BBC News, I can't find the link though.

"irfghan" wrote:

But then, if you're gonna get so scared of potential suicide bombers, why even to such big gatherings?

Irfan, thats a country that's suffering immensely.

A claim that there's a suicide bomber amongst them would very easily be believable.

And anyone, anywhere would get scared if this was shouted out.

"MuslimSister" wrote:
"irfghan" wrote:

But then, if you're gonna get so scared of potential suicide bombers, why even to such big gatherings?

Irfan, thats a country that's suffering immensely.

A claim that there's a suicide bomber amongst them would very easily be believable.

Yes it would be be very believable.

But if you're going to panic and cause a stampede then you're better off not attending big festivals.

Panic is something that you can't control.

I'm sure they didnt go there with the intention to panic and cause a stampede.

A stampede took place in 2004 in Hajj, where over 200 people died....

People just react to fear in different ways. Fear/panic and a large gathering is a recipe for disaster.

I think it is important that the Iraqis continue to have their festivals and religious celebrations - uninterupted by the terrorists. It's pretty clear that there is no real way to prevent a terrorist attack 100% - we can come very close, it's asymptotic.

What really needs to happen is that the US needs way more social and infrastructural workers in Iraq to build up immediate response emergency services like the 911 system, and train not just the military - but the police, on how to guard large gatherings et cetera.

I am uncomfortable with this administration's emphasis on building up the Iraqi military as some sort of all purpose military/internal police force. Militaries that function as state police are notoriously antidemocratic and dictatorial (look at south america).

I think with more civil services and better infrastructure (which is far more costly) instances like these would happen less, be less deadly, or wouldn't happen at all.

"Dave" wrote:
I think it is important that the Iraqis continue to have their festivals and religious celebrations - uninterupted by the terrorists. It's pretty clear that there is no real way to prevent a terrorist attack 100% - we can come very close, it's asymptotic.

.

so do u beleive the terrorist alert was genuine?

how come no one was found carrying a bomb?

"MuslimSisLilSis" wrote:

so do u beleive the terrorist alert was genuine?

how come no one was found carrying a bomb?

It possible that no one single person/established group can be held responsible or this.

It has to be seen in the context of a city which is always under attack.

Who knows the truth of the matter?

It could have been a lot of things. It could even have started with a lil thing like one person saying to another ''imagina if we had a suicide bom going off here'', another who overheard might take that as code lingo for ''lets set off a bomb'' then he spreads it around and next thing u knw theres a stampede when the originator was only making a passing remakr about how bad a suicide bombing here would be.

Im not saying thats what happened, but in a city where bombs go off evryday; even a remark which wasnt intended to mean anything more than it was could have caused such a disaster.

Ya ALLAH Madad.
Haq Chaar Yaar

"MuslimSisLilSis" wrote:
"Dave" wrote:
I think it is important that the Iraqis continue to have their festivals and religious celebrations - uninterupted by the terrorists. It's pretty clear that there is no real way to prevent a terrorist attack 100% - we can come very close, it's asymptotic.

.

so do u beleive the terrorist alert was genuine?

how come no one was found carrying a bomb?

no i think it was prolly some stupid kid having fun... I was actually implying that this was so much worse because security isn't being trained well