Panicked Iraqis flee bloody sectarian feuds

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The man strapping the air conditioner to the top of a taxi paused to explain: His family was packing up and fleeing their Baghdad neighborhood because of threats against Shiites.

“We are leaving because we are scared,” said the man, who was too afraid to give his name. “This is a dangerous area.”

Full-scale civil war may not have broken out in Iraq, but signs of sectarian hatred are evident along several streets in the religiously mixed Dora neighborhood.

The latest identifications reported by the U.S. military of personnel recently killed in Iraq:

Four Marines died Friday when their vehicle struck an explosive in Anbar province: Lance Cpl. Derrick Cothran, 21, Avondale, La.; Cpl. Pablo Mayorga, 33, Margate, Fla.; Lance Cpl. Justin Sims, 22, Covington, Ky.; and Pfc. Ryan Winslow, 19, Jefferson, Ala. Cothran, Mayorga and Winslow were assigned to the 2nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Sims was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune.

While Shiite families leave Dora, Sunni politician Adnan al-Dulaimi is accusing government forces and Shiite militias of “ethnic cleansing” against Sunni communities – including in Azamiyah, where residents clashed Tuesday with Iraqi forces they feared were clearing the way for Shiite death squads.

In Dora these days, rows of homes sit empty and abandoned. The streets show signs of desperate attempts to craft barriers out of palm tree trunks and rusty washing machines. And there are countless crude threats scrawled in spray paint.

Gone are the packs of curious children who often trail American soldiers, and the clusters of neighbors usually found socializing outside on hot weekend afternoons.

A handful of the remaining Shiite families on one block said those who had fled were heeding warnings from Sunni Arab insurgents, gesturing to the death threats painted along the streets. Most were too scared to give their names.

“This is just one block. Imagine all the activity elsewhere,” said Staff Sgt. Feliciano Cruz, estimating that up to 15 percent of the homes in areas he patrols have been vacated. “I don’t see it calming down anytime soon.”

In the western part of Dora, once a bustling community of about 500,000 Sunnis, Shiites and Christians with a Sunni majority, more than 100 Shiite residents have recently fled one small neighborhood, according to U.S. soldiers. Sectarian violence is better contained in the more affluent eastern section of Dora.

Elsewhere across the country, Iraqi officials estimate tens of thousands have been displaced – the majority of them Shiites but also Sunnis and Christians who have left mixed areas for the relative safety of communities dominated by Iraqis from their own sect.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

LifeWise local co-directors Darcie Hammer and Sarah Sweeny talk about what a typical classroom routine looks like on Monday, April 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett off-campus Bible program draws mixed reaction from parents

The weekly optional program, LifeWise Academy, takes children out of public school during the day for religious lessons.

Protesters line Broadway in Everett for Main Street USA rally

Thousands turn out to protest President Trump on Saturday in Everett, joining hundreds of other towns and cities.

An EcoRemedy employee checks a control panel of their equipment at the Edmonds Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday, April 17, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds launches technology to destroy PFAS

Edmonds is the first city in the country to implement… Continue reading

Over a dozen parents and some Snohomish School District students gather outside of the district office to protest and discuss safety concerns after an incident with a student at Machias Elementary School on Friday, April 18, 2025 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Parents protest handling of alleged weapon incident at Machias Elementary

Families say district failed to communicate clearly; some have kept kids home for weeks.

Irene Pfister, left, holds a sign reading “Justice for Jonathan” next to another protester with a sign that says “Major Crimes Needs to Investigate,” during a call to action Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Arlington. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Arlington community rallies, a family waits for news on missing man

Family and neighbors say more can be done in the search for Jonathan Hoang. The sheriff’s office says all leads are being pursued.

Mary Ann Karber, 101, spins the wheel during Wheel of Forunte at Washington Oakes on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lunch and Wheel of Fortune with some Everett swinging seniors

She’s 101 and he’s 76. At Washington Oakes, fun and friendship are on the menu.

Everett Fire Department’s color guard Jozef Mendoza, left, and Grady Persons, right, parade the colors at the end of the ceremony on Worker’s Memorial Day on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County officials honor Worker’s Memorial Day

Work-related injuries kill thousands of people nationwide every year.

x
Edmonds to host open house for 2025 draft development code updates

The event will provide residents with information about middle housing and neighborhood centers and hubs.

Washington State Department of Commerce Director Joe Nguyễn speaks during the Economic Alliance Snohomish County’s Annual Meeting and Awards events on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 in Tulalip, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Commerce boss: How Washington state can make it easier for small businesses

Joe Nguyen made the remarks Wednesday during the annual meeting of the Economic Alliance Snohomish County and the Snohomish County Awards

Freylands Elementary fifth grader Vaughn Kipnis takes a turn shoveling dirt to help plant a Niobe Golden Weeping Willow along the banks of Lake Tye during an Arbor Day celebration at Lake Tye Park on Friday, April 28, 2023, in Monroe, Washington. Students from Mrs. Sager and Mrs. Slater’s classes took a field trip to help the city plant the park’s newest tree. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Enjoy spring weather for Arbor Day celebrations

Towns across the county are getting in on tree-planting festivities on Friday and Saturday.

Man steals delivery van in Brier, deputies seek help identifying suspect

A man stole a delivery van Wednesday afternoon in Brier… Continue reading

Janet Garcia walks into the courtroom for her arraignment at the Snohomish County Courthouse on Monday, April 22, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Everett mother found competent to stand trial in stabbing death of 4-year-old son

A year after her arraignment, Janet Garcia appeared in court Wednesday for a competency hearing in the death of her son, Ariel Garcia.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.