2007 press releases Joint Statement by Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker and General David Petraeus on the Attack on the Askari Mosque in Samarra June 13, 2007

We strongly condemn this morning’s vicious attack on the Al-Askari Mosque in Samarra. This brutal action on one of Iraq’s holiest shrines is a deliberate attempt by al-Qaeda to sow dissent and inflame sectarian strife among the people of Iraq. It is an act of desperation by an increasingly beleaguered enemy seeking to obstruct the peaceful political and economic development of a democratic Iraq. We share in the outrage of the Iraqi people against this crime, and we call on all Iraqis to reject this call to violence. We can not allow these terrorists to work against the interests of the Iraqi people who are seeking peace and prosperity for all.

back to top ^