Samarra, Iraq
Though almost a completely Sunni city, Samarra is probably best known for its lone Shia holy site – the Golden Dome mosque, built in 954 AD. It is the burial place of Islam’s tenth and eleventh Imams, and was destroyed in February 2006 by al Qaeda in a massive attack that reignited mass sectarian violence in the region. The mosque’s twin minarets were destroyed in June of this year, further inflaming Shia throughout the region.
The city, north of Baghdad along the east side of the Tigris River, is still in the “clear” phase of the three-step “clear-hold-build” counterinsurgency progression advocated by MNF-I Commanding General David Petraeus. Al Qaeda is the number one, and essentially only, enemy in Samarra, and maintains a large and forceful presence in the city. Most insurgents appear to come in from the north by the main road (which has a great deal of civilian traffic), execute their attacks, and leave.
