Karbala Brigades is the name of an Iraqi group that claimed responsibility for a rocket attack on the Sheraton Hotel in Baghdad.  The attack caused only minor damage and light injuries. <P><br /><br />On July 2, 2004, unidentified assailants drove a mini-bus to within range of the Sheraton Hotel, a hotel frequently used by foreigners and often targeted by Iraqi militants.  The perpetrators rigged several rocket launchers to fire on a timer from the bus, and apparently fled the scene after the rockets had been set.  News sources report that the first rocket scored a direct hit on the Sheraton, causing some damage, while a second rocket misfired into the parking lot of another nearby Hotel, injuring three Iraqis.  A third rocket exploded before it could be launched, destroying the bus and any remaining ordinance.  Sources say several empty rocket launchers were found in the burned-out vehicle. <P><br /><br />After the incident, al-Jazeera news station received a video from the previously unknown Karbala Brigades, claiming responsibility for the attack.  In their claim, the group also took responsibility for other attacks on U.S. troops and vowed to continue armed action "until the last soldier leaves Iraq."  Interestingly enough, the Karbala Brigades pledged to abstain from attacks on Iraqi security personnel and government officials, "as long as they serve the Iraqis' interests and provide them with security."  <P><br /><br />In this statement, the group gave no further insight into the ideology behind their attack beyond opposition to U.S. forces in Iraq.  However, from their name, one can assume that Karbala Brigades is a Shia militant outfit.  Karbala is a famous holy city and pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims.  The group's statement disavowing attacks on Iraqi officials also points to the group's Shia background.  In general, Iraqi Shia militants, even those who would fire rockets at journalists and civilians, are more tolerant of the current Iraqi government and do not often exhibit the type of wanton violence seen by Sunni groups such as al-Qaeda and Abu Musab Zarqawi's Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn.  <br />