Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/514584
BySinanSalaheddin and Sameer N. Yacoub The Associated Press BAGHDAD As it moves to try to reverse the stunning loss of Ramadi, the capi- tal of Iraq's largest Sunni province, the Shiite-led government is hamstrung by the sectarian politics it has failed to overcome ever since the Islamic State group began its rampage more than a year ago. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi vowed Tuesday to arm Sunni tribesmen to help retake Ramadi, a plan the United States has encouraged to better em- power the minority com- munity in the fight to de- fend their cities and to re- duce their support for the Sunni extremists. Skepticism But the pledge met im- mediate skepticism from Sunnis, given that simi- lar promises after Islamic State militants seized the northern city of Mosul last summer were barely imple- mented. It also met quick resis- tance from Shiite rivals within al-Abadi's own gov- ernment, who oppose arm- ing Sunnis. At the same time, the government was rallying Iranian-backed Shiite mili- tiamen to join the offensive, raising the prospect of dan- gerous frictions in a coun- try that was nearly torn to pieces by bloody Shiite- Sunni violence from 2006- 2007. Though the Shiite mi- litiamen have been crucial to reversing other losses to IS militants, they have also been accused of abuses against Sunni residents of those areas. Around 3,000 Shiite mili- tiamen have deployed near Ramadi, most in the Hab- baniya military base and the town of Khaldiya, east of the city. Others deployed on routes from Anbar prov- ince toward southern Iraq to prevent any IS attempt to advance on Shiite holy sites there. The capture of Ramadi was a major blow to the U.S.- backed strategy against the Islamic State group. Over the past months, the com- bination of regular troops, Shiite militias and Kurdish fighters backed by U.S.-led airstrikes have managed to seize back territory from IS across northern and west- ern Iraq. But on Sunday, the secu- rity forces and Sunni mili- tiamen who had been bat- tling the extremists in Ra- madi for months collapsed as IS fighters overran the city. The militants gained not only new territory 70 miles west of Baghdad, but also large stocks of weap- ons abandoned by the gov- ernment forces as they fled. Major test The city's fall is a major test for the Shiite al-Abadi, who came to power eight months ago promising to better embrace Iraq's Sunni minority to reduce support in the community for the Is- lamic State group. Al-Abadi's predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, was accused of fiercely anti- Sunni policies during his eight years in power that even some Shiites say helped push Sunnis toward the ex- tremist group. Al-Maliki was pushed out of office after IS overran Mosul and much of the north last summer. Enlisting the help of An- bar's Sunni tribes was crit- ical to the success of U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq and defeat Sunni militants in the latter stages of the Iraq war in 2007-2008. Af- ter the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2011, al-Maliki cut off funding for pro-govern- ment Sunni militias and Sunni feelings of discrimi- nation and disenfranchise- ment grew. When al-Abadi came to office, he promised to cre- ate new Sunni tribal forces. While the government has put some together, progress has been slow. "Time is running out and the government should be serious this time," warned Sunni lawmaker Moham- med al-Misari, lamenting what he called al-Abadi's "procrastination" in arming Sunni tribesmen to fight the Islamic State group in An- bar, where the extremists control 60 percent of the vast desert province. "We all know that the Baghdad government has no trust in the Sunni tribes in Anbar, but I think this mistrust will only lead to more gains for Daesh," he said, using an Arabic acro- nym for the Islamic State group. STUNNING LOSS Iraqtangledinsectarianpoliticsa erRamadifall By Robert Burns The Associated Press WASHINGTON Iraqi troops abandoned dozens of U.S military vehicles, includ- ing tanks, armored person- nel carriers and artillery pieces when they fled Is- lamic State fighters in Ra- madi on Sunday, the Penta- gon said Tuesday. A Pentagon spokesman, Col. Steve Warren, esti- mated that a half dozen tanks were abandoned, a similar number of artillery pieces, a larger number of armored personnel carriers and about 100 wheeled vehi- cles like Humvees. He said some of the vehicles were in working condition; others were not because they had not been moved for months. This repeats a pattern in which defeated Iraq se- curity forces have, over the past year, left behind U.S.- supplied military equip- ment, prompting the U.S. to destroy them in airstrikes against Islamic State forces. 'Preferable' Asked whether the Iraqis should have destroyed the vehicles before abandon- ing the city in order to keep them from enhancing IS's army, Warren said, "Cer- tainly preferable if they had been destroyed; in this case they were not." Warren also said that while the U.S. is confident that Ramadi will be retaken by Iraq, "It will be difficult." The fall of Ramadi has prompted some to question the viability of the Obama administration's approach in Iraq, which is a blend of retraining and rebuild- ing the Iraqi army, prod- ding Baghdad to reconcile with the nation's Sunnis, and bombing Islamic State targets from the air with- out committing American ground combat troops. "The president's plan isn't working. It's time for him to come up with overarching strategy to defeat the ongo- ing terrorist threat," House Speaker John Boehner said. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said President Barack Obama has always been open to suggestions for improving the U.S. ap- proach in Iraq. "It's something that he's talking about with his na- tional security team just about every day, including today," Earnest said. Derek Harvey, a retired Army colonel and former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who served multiple tours in Iraq, says that while the extremist group has many problems and weak- nesses, it is "not losing" in the face of ineffective Sunni Arab opposition. "They are adaptive and they remain well armed and well resourced," Harvey said of the militants. "The different lines of operation by the U.S. coalition remain disjointed, poorly resourced and lack an effective oper- ational framework, in my view." Containment One alternative for the Obama administration would be a containment strategy — trying to fence in the conflict rather than push the Islamic State group out of Iraq. That might in- clude a combination of air- strikes and U.S. special op- erations raids to limit the group's reach. In fact, a Delta Force raid in Syria on Friday killed an IS leader known as Abu Sayyaf who U.S. officials said oversaw the group's oil and gas operations, a major source of funding. Officials have said con- tainment might become an option but is not under ac- tive discussion now. Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a written Monday that suggested Ra- madi will trigger no change in the U.S. approach. "Setbacks are regrettable but not uncommon in war- fare," Dempsey said. "Much effort will now be required to reclaim the city." REPEATED PATTERN Iraqis abandoned US-supplied equipment in Ramadi THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Civilians fleeing their hometown of Ramadi, Iraq, pull over their truck at a police checkpoint as they drive through Habaniyah, 50miles west of Baghdad. By Emily Schmall The Associated Press WACO, TEXAS A deadly weekend shootout involv- ing rival motorcycle gangs apparently began with a parking dispute and some- one running over a gang member's foot, police said Tuesday. Waco police Sgt. W. Pat- rick Swanton said an unin- vited group appeared for the meeting of a loose con- federation of biker gangs Sunday at a restaurant. One man was injured when a vehicle rolled over his foot. That caused a dis- pute that continued in- side the restaurant, where fighting and then shooting began, before the melee spilled back outside, Swan- ton said. Authorities offered few details. It was not clear which gang was responsible for running over the biker's foot, or which gang the ag- grieved biker belonged to. When the shootout was over, nine people were dead and 18 wounded. About 50 weapons were confiscated, mostly knives and firearms, and Swanton said more than 100 weap- ons may be found once au- thorities are done analyzing the crime scene at the Twin Peaks restaurant, which is part of a national chain that features waitresses in revealing uniforms. Preliminary autopsy re- sults showed all nine of the dead were killed by gun- shots. Many were hit in the head, neck, chest or torso. Most of the men were in their 40s, but they ranged in age from 27 to 65, accord- ing to reports released by a McLennan County justice of the peace. Police have acknowl- edged firing on armed bik- ers, but it was unclear how many of the dead were shot by gang members and how many were shot by officers. Of the injured, seven re- main hospitalized. Swan- ton, who has been virtually the sole source of law en- forcement information on the fight, described their conditions as stable. He said the investigation is being hampered by wit- nesses who "are not being honest with us." Police are concerned that the brawl will invite retal- iation and more violence, Swanton said. "We would encourage them to try to be a little peaceful and let the blood- shed stop," he said. Authorities warned weeks ago of growing an- imosity between rival mo- torcycle gangs, a feud that erupted into violence at the restaurant, which had drawn a large lunchtime crowd to a busy Waco shop- ping complex along Inter- state 35. In a memo dated May 1, the Texas Department of Public Safety cautioned au- thorities about increasing violence between the Bandi- dos and the Cossacks, Dal- las TV station WFAA re- ported Monday. McLennan County Sher- iff Parnell McNamara has said all nine of those killed were part of those two groups. About 170 bikers have been charged with en- gaging in organized crime. Swanton said more arrests are likely. McLennan County Jus- tice of the Peace W.H. Pe- terson set bond at $1 mil- lion for each suspect. He defended the high amount, citing the violence that quickly unfolded in a shop- ping market busy with a lunchtime crowd. The DPS Joint Informa- tion Center bulletin said the tension could stem from Cossacks refusing to pay Bandidos dues for op- erating in Texas and for wearing a patch on their vest that claimed Texas as their turf without the Ban- didos' approval. INVESTIGATION Motorcycle gang shootout started with parking dispute ROD AYDELOTTE — WACO TRIBUNE-HERALD VIA AP Law enforcement officers take a break from an investigation near their command post near Twin Peaks restaurant Tuesday in Waco, Texas. LEGALNOTICE T.S. No.: 2013-03520-CA Loan No.: 7090745774 A.P.N.:024-290-36 NOTICE OF TRUSTEE'S SALE PURSUANT TO CIVIL CODE § 2923.3(a), THE SUMMARY OF IN- FORMATION REFERRED TO BE- LOW IS NOT ATTACHED TO THE RECORDED COPY OF THIS DOCU- MENT BUT ONLY TO THE COPIES PROVIDED TO THE TRUSTOR. IMPORTANT NOTICE TO PROPER- TY OWNER: YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST DATED 06/26/2006. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. Trustor: A. Scott Vaillette, A MARRIED MAN, AS HIS SOLE AND SEPARATE PROPERTY Duly Appointed Trustee: West- ern Progressive, LLC Recorded 07/07/2006 as Instru- ment No. 2006-013928 in book ---, page--- and rerecorded on 02/06/2008 as 2008001682 of Of- ficial Records in the office of the Recorder of Tehama County, California, Date of Sale: 06/03/2015 at 02:00 PM Place of Sale: AT THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE TEHAMA COUNTY COURTHOUSE 633 WASHINGTON STREET, RED BLUFF, CA Estimated amount of unpaid bal- ance and other charges: $611,277.04 WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO HIGHEST BIDDER FOR CASH, CASHIER'S CHECK DRAWN ON A STATE OR NATIONAL BANK, A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OR A CHECK DRAWN BY A STATE OR FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN AS- SOCIATION, A SAVINGS ASSOCIA- TION OR SAVINGS BANK SPECI- FIED IN SECTION 5102 OF THE FI- NANCIAL CODE AND AUTHOR- IZED TO DO BUSINESS IN THIS STATE: All right, title, and interest con- veyed to and now held by the trustee in the hereinafter descri- bed property under and pur- suant to a Deed of Trust descri- bed bed as: Street Address or other common designation of real property: 20040 Verner Ct, Red Bluff, CA 96080 A.P.N.: 024-290-36 The undersigned Trustee dis- claims any liability for any in- correctness of the street ad- dress or other common designa- tion, if any, shown above. The sale will be made, but with- out covenant or warranty, ex- pressed or implied, regarding ti- tle, possession, or encumbran- ces, to pay the remaining princi- pal sum of the note(s) secured by the Deed of Trust. The total amount of the unpaid balance of the obligation secured by the property to be sold and reason- able estimated costs, expenses and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Sale is: $611,277.04. If the Trustee is unable to con- vey title for any reason, the suc- cessful bidder's sole and exclu- sive remedy shall be the return of monies paid to the Trustee, and the successful bidder shall have no further recourse. The beneficiary of the Deed of Trust has executed and deliv- ered to the undersigned a writ- ten request to commence fore- closure, and the undersigned caused a Notice of Default and Election to Sell to be recorded in the county where the real prop- erty is located. NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If considering bidding If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not auto- matically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, be- fore you can receive clear title to the property. You are encour- aged to investigate the exis- tence, priority, and size of out- standing liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder's office or a ti- tle insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on this property. Note: Because the Beneficiary reserves the right to bid less than the total debt owed, it is possible that at the time of the sale the opening bid may be less than the total debt NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this no- tice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that in- formation about sale requires formation about trustee sale postponements be made availa- ble to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call (866)-960-8299 or visit this Internet Web site http://ww w.altisource.com/MortgageServ ices/DefaultManagement/Trust eeServices.aspx using the file number assigned to this case 2013-03520-CA. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that oc- cur close in time to the sched- uled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone in- formation or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale Date: April 23, 2015 Western Progressive, LLC, as Trustee C/o 30 Corporate Park, Suite 450 Irvine, CA 92606 Automated Sale Information Line: (866) 960-8299 http://www .altisource.com/MortgageServic es/DefaultManagement/Trustee Services.aspx For Non-Automated Sale Infor- mation, call: (866) 240-3530 _________________________ THIS FIRM IS ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT AND ANY IN- FORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE Publish: May 6, 13 & 20, 2015 i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià i}> ÌVià | NEWS | REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2015 6 B