I am devastated...I learned that my relative K. has been taken away again...
Every cell in my body is in revolt, enraged, and terribly sad...Mom said this time K.will not make out alive.
He was sitting with his family, breaking the fast, when the "Iraqi" forces, the shiite fascists barged in and arrested him...
It took 5 years for him to be released from his dirty cell, American
cell, then Iraqi shiite sectarian cell, I did write about him and his
torture, the man is over 65 years old, I am not sure we will see him
again this time...
I don't even know in which cell, in which dungeon he is lingering
away...I don't even know how much money they are going to extort
again...
During his previous prison stay, no charges were pressed against him, he
was tortured and rotted away for 5 years, his only crime he is an Arab
Sunni, who said that Iraqis must rise against the American
occupation...he said it...
How dare he say such a thing ?! One should never rise against the dumb
fuck of an occupier, against the psychopaths from America, against the
rapists and torturers of the new world order from North America, against
the killers and the thieves from that shit hole of a country and that
shit of a culture called America.
K.is gone again...my cells are red, bright red, burning with fire...that nothing will extinguish...
A whole wave of arrests is being carried by the Shiite sectarian shits,
mainly in Adamiya - the Sunni area, arrests and arbitrary killings.
The whole of Baghdad knows, on the other hand that the latest spate of
explosions is the work of none other but Maliki and his Shiite shits of
parties...He, that murderous clown said it not long ago - he said : I will never hand it over (it meaning power).
Well, I don't really care about Maliki, or his Shiite shits, nor about
that dumb British agent called Allawi, nor about the garbage in power
who call themselves Iraqis, they are rot, they are vermin...each single
one of them...all I care about is K. And I just have a feeling that last
time I saw K. is indeed the last time...
I pray to be wrong...please Dear God make me wrong.
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Letters: Blair and Iraq Independent But his visceral piece on Blair ("Blair should take responsibility for Iraq", 3 September) misses the real point. Blair can hardly bear responsibility for ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Iraq: UN Asks Europe to Halt Deportations New York Times By REUTERS A United Nations agency called on European governments on Friday to halt deportations of Iraqis, after what it said was at least the third round ... See all stories on this topic » |
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| War is hell on approval ratings Los Angeles Times No wonder President Obama used only his second Oval Office address to get the Iraq war so publicly off the domestic debate table just nine weeks before his ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Families calling for justice for soldiers, Marines The Associated Press LEAVENWORTH, Kan — As major US combat operations in Iraq end, some families of soldiers and Marines convicted of crimes during battle hope the nation ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Shiite bloc names new candidate for Iraqi PM The Associated Press BAGHDAD — A powerful Iranian-backed Shiite bloc put forward its own candidate for prime minister Friday, further complicating Iraq's fractured political ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Interview: Iraq tightens oilfield security in south Reuters By Aref Mohammed BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq has tightened security around oil infrastructure and oilfields in the south in response to intelligence ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Congress should tackle waste in the rebuilding effort in Iraq Youngstown Vindicator Now that American troops are no longer responsible for the security of Iraq, Congress should turn to what the Associated Press in a recent investigative ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Obama gets thumbs up on Iraq, down on economy: Poll Sify US President Barack Obama's approval rating appears to have edged up after his speech on the Iraq war but he still gets bad marks on the economy, ... See all stories on this topic » |
03 Sep 2010
Obama: Time to turn the page in Iraq
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U.S. President Barack Obama is seen in the Oval Office through a window as he addresses the nation about the end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq at the White House in Washington, August 31, 2010.
Credit: Reuters/Jim Young
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD |
WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - President Barack Obama declared an end to the seven-year U.S. combat mission in Iraq on Tuesday and promised recession-weary Americans "my central responsibility" now is to repair the U.S. economy.
Obama, who inherited the war from President George W. Bush and is fighting another in Afghanistan, said he had fulfilled a 2008 campaign promise to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq and declared the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for their security.
"Now, it is time to turn the page," Obama said in an Oval Office address, speaking from the same desk Bush had used to declare the 2003 start of the war.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told Iraqis their country "today is sovereign and independent." But many Iraqis, who have seen at least 100,000 of their countrymen killed since the 2003 invasion, are apprehensive as U.S. military might is scaled down, with violence continuing and efforts to form a new government stalemated six months after an inconclusive vote.
The United States has spent almost a trillion dollars and more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the war began. A recent CBS News poll found 72 percent of Americans now believe the war was not worth the loss of American lives.
The impasse in Iraq has raised tensions as politicians squabble over power and insurgents carry out attacks aimed at undermining faith in domestic security forces.
Obama called on Iraqi leaders to move ahead with a "sense of urgency" to form an inclusive government.
"Our combat mission is ending, but our commitment to Iraq's future is not," he said.
The president, who opposed the war and the troop surge launched by Bush in 2007, said he spoke to Bush earlier in the day by phone. He stopped short of praising Bush, as Republicans have demanded, for the surge that helped turn the tide in the war.
"It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset. Yet no one could doubt President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security," Obama said.
Republican Senator John McCain told Reuters afterward that Obama should have thanked Bush.
"I appreciate him mentioning George Bush's name, but he gave him no credit for the surge. If it hadn't been for the surge, we never would've succeeded. It's too bad he couldn't admit that he was wrong, because if he had his way, we would've lost in Iraq," said McCain, who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential election.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari warned Iraq's neighbors against interfering as the remaining 50,000 U.S. troops in Iraq are withdrawn by an end-2011 deadline set out in a bilateral security pact.
"We have warned all of them there wouldn't be any vacuum, and if there would be a vacuum, the only people who will fill that vacuum are the Iraqis themselves," he said.
THE ECONOMY AND ELECTIONS
Obama sought to tie the end of the combat mission in Iraq with his efforts to bring down a stubbornly high 9.5 percent jobless rate that is endangering Democratic Party rule in Washington in the November 2 congressional elections.
Americans are looking to Obama for leadership on boosting the U.S. economy and some analysts were questioning his foreign policy focus this week -- Iraq and the Middle East peace talks -- at a time of fears of a double-dip recession.
In the same sober tone he used to discuss the war, Obama sought to allay those fears.
"Today, our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work," Obama said. "This will be difficult. But in the days to come, it must be our central mission as a people, and my central responsibility as president."
In an apparent jab at Bush, Obama said that over the past 10 years the United States had not done what is necessary to shore up its economy.
"We have spent over a trillion dollars at war, often financed by borrowing from overseas. This, in turn, has short-changed investments in our own people, and contributed to record deficits," he said.
Obama visited the U.S. Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas, earlier on Tuesday to celebrate the Iraq milestone but stressed his Oval Office speech should not be seen as a "victory lap."
The White House wanted to avoid any comparisons between Obama's speech and the May 2003 speech by Bush when he declared major combat operations over in Iraq in front of a "Mission Accomplished" banner, only to see violence skyrocket in the months and years afterward.
Bush launched the war over suspicions that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. No such weapons were found.
Obama, who shifted the U.S. focus to Afghanistan when he took office in early 2009, pledged to stick to a plan to begin a U.S. troop withdrawal next summer.
He said the thousands of extra troops he has deployed to Afghanistan "will be in place for a limited time" to help Afghans prepare to provide for their own security.
"The pace of our troop reductions will be determined by conditions on the ground, and our support for Afghanistan will endure. But make no mistake: this transition will begin -- because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people's," he said.
McCain said he worried that Obama's specific withdrawal timetable "will doom us to failure" in Afghanistan.
LACK OF RECONCILIATION
With tensions festering over Iraq's inconclusive election, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden was in Baghdad not just to mark the end of combat operations but also to press for talks.
"Notwithstanding what the national press says about increased violence, the truth is things are very much different. Things are much safer," Biden told Maliki.
But there were plenty of fears about Iraq from the U.S. side. A senior U.S. intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters he was more worried about the lack of political reconciliation than the threat from Iran or al Qaeda in Iraq.
The roughly 50,000 U.S. soldiers still in Iraq are moving into an advisory role in which they will train and support Iraq's army and police. Obama has promised to pull all U.S. troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011.
The effective change on the ground will not be huge because the U.S. military has already been switching the focus toward training and support over the past year.
Iraqi forces have been taking the lead since a bilateral security pact came into force in 2009. U.S. soldiers pulled out of Iraqi towns and cities in June last year.
(Additional reporting by Ross Colvin, Patricia Zengerle, Alister Bull and Caren Bohan; Editing by David Alexander and Eric Beech)
Iraq snapshot - September 2, 2010
The Common Ills
Thursday, September 2,
2010. Chaos and violence continue, the US encourages people to take
business into Iraq, Joe Biden discusses the possibility of the US
staying in Iraq after 2011, and more. Tuesday
night US President Barack Obama gave a ridiculous speech declaring
(again declaring) the end to 'combat operations' in Iraq. Bill Van Auken (WSWS) weighs
in to note, "President Barack Obama's nationally televised speech from
the White House Oval Office Tuesday night was an exercise in cowardice
and deceit. It was deceitful to the people of the United States and the
entire world in its characterization of the criminal war against Iraq.
And it was cowardly in its groveling before the American military. The
address could inspire only disgust and contempt among those who viewed
it. Obama, who owed his presidency in large measure to the mass antiwar
sentiment of the American people, used the speech to glorify the war
that he had mistakenly been seen to oppose." Sharif Abdel Kouddous (Democracy Now! -- link has text, audio and video) asked journalist Nir Rosen for his reaction to Barack's speech: Well,
I was offended by it. He spoke mostly about American soldiers and their
suffering and their sacrifice, and the only time he came even close to
mentioning that Iraqis had a hard time these last seven years is when he
mentioned their resilience. He said that the US has paid a high price, a
huge price. Not as huge as the Iraqis have paid. Hundreds of thousands
of Iraqis killed. Tens of thousands of Iraqis who were rendered in
American detention, their lives ruined for years, children who didn't
know where their fathers were. A couple of million displaced internally
and abroad. Iraq is a shattered country. He said we persevered because
we share a vision with the Iraqi people. Most of the Iraqi people, their
vision has been, for the last seven years, that the Americans would
withdraw. Now, really, nothing has changed, obviously, from one day to
the next. You have 50,000 troops who remain here. When Iraq occupied
Kuwait, the Americans said that as long as there's one Iraqi soldier
left in Kuwait, Kuwait remains occupied. So the presence of 50,000
troops in Iraq forecloses many options, precludes many options for the
Iraqis, with the implied threat. At the same time, the Iraqi security
forces, I think, would like to have a continued relationship. And while
Iraq is sort of occupied, it's also sort of sovereign. You don't see --
you haven't seen really for the last year in most parts of the country
American soldiers on the ground. So, nothing changed today. The big
change, you could say, was a year ago, when the Americans withdrew from
cities and mainly stayed on bases. And we've had a test since then of
the Iraqi security forces in their ability to handle the situation. And
I'd say they, more or less, can handle it. Arab News observes,
"But in reality US forces, about 50,000 personnel, are still in Iraq
and will continue to be there for an unspecified period of time. They
are distributed in over 90 military bases throughout the country. They
are there to support and assist Iraq forces, when needed, but they will
stay out of the cities. Meanwhile, private American security firms are
being handed multi-million dollar contracts to carry out odd jobs and
assignments in Iraq. Iraqis still remember the killings that Blackwater
agents were responsible for. There are no figures on how many US
mercenaries will be dispatched to Iraq to carry specific security
assignments. But the issue is contentious and the majority of Iraqis are
suspicious of their role. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has
expressed doubts about the wisdom of the latest American pullback. Last
week he said that the stalled government, combined with the American
troop withdrawal, created ideal conditions for insurgents to attack.
Incumbent Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki echoed the same sentiments few
days later and warned of a surge in militancy and attacks by Al-Qaeda
members and Baathist operatives." On the ending, yesterday Democracy Now! aired a report by Jacquie Soohen: US SOLDIER: Good job, guys! Way to go! JACQUIE SOOHEN: But with 50,000 combat-ready American troops still in country, the occupation seems far from over. ANDREW
BACEVICH: The Obama administration will insist that those are not
combat soldiers engaged in a combat mission. But if you've got twenty or
thirty or forty thousand foreign troops stationed on your soil, I mean,
if it looks like an occupation, and it smells like an occupation, and
it sounds like an occupation, it's an occupation. JACQUIE
SOOHEN: The current Status of Forces Agreement with Iraq requires a
full US withdrawal and an end to the occupation. And the US military and
State Department are busy planning for what they call an "enduring
presence" after the treaty's deadline on December 31st, 2011. But on
bases like this one in Balad, Iraq, the military continues to invest
hundred of millions in infrastructure improvements, and it is difficult
to imagine them fully abandoning everything they are building
here. COL.
SAL NODJOMIAN: Joint Base Balad is approximately ten square miles,
which equates to about 6,500 acres. To put that in relative terms,
Andrews Air Force Base, which is right outside DC, is about 20 percent
smaller than that. And we don't even have golf courses here, so that
kind of puts it in perspective of how big that is. We have about 28,000
people who call Joint Base Balad home. Wednesday on the first hour of The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane explored the Iraq War with her guests Phyllis Bennis (IPS), Rajiv Chandrasekaran (Washington Post, author of Imperial Life In The Emerald City), and retired Gen James Dubik. At the end of the hour, the issue of the SOFA and withdrawal came up. Diane Rehm: Now next year, when those 50,000 troops come home, are we going to have the same discussion again, Rajiv? Rajiv Chandrasekaran: Well I'm not sure that it's assured that all of the 50,000 troops are coming home. Diane Rehm: The president said he's going to stick to his own timetable. Rajiv
Chandrasekaran: Yes, but there's a caveat in all of that and that is if
the government of Iraq requests US forces to stay on to continue to
train or to do other advisory-and-assisting tasks that will be something
that the US govenrnment will seriously consider. Diane
Rehm; You know it's been fascinating to me that, on the one hand, you
hear Iraqis say: 'Get out! We don't want you here! It's you who are
creating the problems.' And then as we get ready to leave, they're
saying, 'Oh no, we need you -- Phyllis Bennis: The question -- Rajiv
Chandrasekaran: There's a deep conflict among the Iraqi people. It's
not -- it's not an overwhelming view, 'Hey, just get out!' There was
that view early on and then when they slipped into depths the sectarian
fighting over there, both sides, both principal parties of the conflict
came to see for differening reasons the United States as some degree of
at least --if not and honest broker, sort of a buffering force. So they
still to some degree look at the America and say, 'Hey, we sort of need
you here a little bit to help us fight." And they also look at the
Americans and say, 'Hey you made us a lot of promises you need to stick
around and fulfill some of them..' Diane Rehm: Do you think those 50,000 will come home when the president said? Gen
James Dubik: I think we must plan for this withdrawal because that's
the negotiated agreement we're under right now. But the agreement can
be renegotiated and I don't think all 50,000 will leave. Diane Rehm: Phyllis, very quickly. Phyllis
Bennis: I think they will be renegotiated and I think many of them
will stay and it depends on who you ask. The military leaders in Iraq
have every interest in keeping them there. On The NewsHour (PBS -- link has text, audio and video) last night, Margaret Warner asked
US Vice President Joe Biden, "Now, if this new government says, we
would like to talk about a more longer-term arrangement and keeping some
U.S. troops here as a sort of guarantor, are you saying that is a
nonstarter?" Biden replied, "No, we're not saying that. We're saying
we're going to keep the committment that we made, that George Bush made,
President Bush made, to the Iraqi people and to the then-government of
Iraq." And he then went off topic. Leading Margaret Warner to restate
the question, "But you're not saying that -- that the Obama
administration would absolutely refuse, if six months from now, a new
Iraqi government said, it would be helpful for us to keep some . . ."
Biden cut in, "It would be highly unlikely that we would even consider
the idea of maintaining 50,000 troops indefinitely here in Iraq. But we
have committed -- and we will keep the commitment to the Iraqi people
and the government -- that all troops will be out by the end of next
year. If they come forward and say, we don't want you to do that, we
want you to leave some troops to help us on a specific item, we would,
obviously, consider that." Biden
also stated, "The truth of the matter is, they're taking too long to
form this government. But the second piece of this is, the Iraqi went
and voted. But guess what? No clear -- not only no clear majority,
barely a plurality. So, in a parliamentary system, this is not
unexpected. But I am confident that they are now -- all have run the
course of what other options they have, and it's getting down to the
point where, in the -- in the next couple months, there's going to be a
government." At some point. The political stalemate. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 26 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. While Iraq's Parliament has only met once (and for less than 20 minutes then), DPA reports that the Kurdistan Regional Government's Parliament begins its fall session next week. Ned Parker (Los Angeles Times) reports that, along with the Pariament meeting only once, the Baghdad "caretaker government has stalled on projects aimed at improving people's lives" and quotes the director-general of Baghdad's electricity plant Ghazi Abdul Aziz Essa stating, "There are no decisions. We are just hanging now and we have stopped everything. We are waiting for the government to make decision. The delay affects the system very badly. It's not good for us." Today David Ignatius (Washington Post) reports on the stalemate in Baghdad: Talking with Iraqis in recent days, I've heard foreboding about what lies ahead as U.S. military power declines. "Frankly speaking, we are not moving ahead," said former prime minister Ayad Allawi, whose party won the largest number of seats in the March parliamentary election but so far has been unable to form a government. "There is going to be a vacuum in the country," Allawi said in a telephone interview. "I don't think the U.S. should dictate things, but they should continue to be engaged." American officials keep insisting that "engagement" is indeed the new watchword, but their involvement in recent months, led by Biden, has been episodic and mostly unsuccessful. One of the mysteries of U.S. policy is why Washington keeps pushing a formula that will allow Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to keep his job (or another top post) at a time when he is rejected by nearly all Iraqi political parties. America's silent ally in this peculiar gambit is Iran. After so much pain, Iraq deserves better. US Senator Richard Lugar (Republican) is against the drawdown. Scott Sarvay (Indiana's News Center) quotes
Lugar stating, "For the moment they don't have a parliament that's
meeting. They don't have an oil law with the Curds in the north that
gives them the revenue for their treasury, and there were 13 different
attacks in provinces last week, which Iraqis were killed by terrorists."
Maybe the prime minister issue will get resolved sooner than later? Nayla Razzouk and Caroline Alexander (Bloomberg News) reports
that investors are avoiding Iraq due to "its weak business laws" and
quotes Hayat Su's Ahmed Jamal stating, "We don't have factories or
warehouses or anything like that. The investment laws are not
suitable." Max Blenkin (AAP) adds
that the US State Dept is attempting to get Austrlian companies to
start working in Iraq. The violence is among the reasons many
corporations are reluctant to go to Iraq. The violence? Reuters notes
the Higher Education Ministry's Jameel Shihab Ahmed was shot dead today
in Baghdad, assailants attacked a Sahwa check point in Tuz Khurmato
killing 1 Sahwa, "municial officer Farouq al-Gertani" was injured in an
attack on his car which claimed the lives of 2 bodyguards, a Mosul
roadside bombing injured one Iraqi service member, 1 Mosul kidnapped
taxi driver was kidnapped, killed and his corpse dumped and, dropping
back to Wednesday, assailants attacked a Sahwa checkpoint in Baiji
injuring five and claiming the lives of 2. In addition, Reuters notes a bus carrying pilgrims overturned killing at least 10 Iranians on a pilgrimage to Najaf and injuring 33 more. To
Margaret Warner last night, Joe Biden denied that 2006 and 2007 were
being used as the benchmark (Warner noted how Iraqis told her the use of
such a benchmark is offensive) but the reality is that is what they
point to in order to declare a 'calmer' Iraq. On All Things Considered (NPR -- link has text and audio) yesterday, Melissa Block spoke with Iraq's one time legal adviser to the United Nations Zaid Al-Ali. Melissa
Block: You spent time traveling all over Iraq, and I'd like to start
with you in the south of the country, the largely Shiite south, an area
with huge oil reserves. What are conditions and security like there, for
example, in the port city of Basra? Zaid
Al-Ali: Well, I mean, today, the conditions are very poor throughout
Iraq, the south included. But comparably, if you're comparing it to, for
example, 2007 or 2006, they've improved somewhat, especially from a
security point of view. You can, you know, go from one place to the
other without being certain that you'll be killed on the way or
kidnapped. However, regularly, there's demonstrations and riots over
poor quality of public services, particularly electricity and the state
of hygiene. Basra used to be called the Venice of the south because it's
a city that's made up of a large network of canals, and those are now
filled with garbage, completely chock-o-block. It's really amazing. You
have this sense of a very poor country despite all the wealth of natural
resources. Melissa Block: Right, so the people in the south aren't reaping the rewards of those oil riches that we mentioned? Zaid
Al-Ali: No, they aren't. And that's really the amazing thing is we
often hear that Iraq's ruling elite is sectarian in the sense that the
Shia only care about the Shia and the Sunnis only care about the Sunnis.
Well, it turns out that that's not even true. If that were true, then
there would be improvement on the current situation because in fact they
don't render any services to anyone. It's a sovereign Iraq -- or that's what we're told by Barack. South African Press Association reports: But
for Fadel, the supposed sovereignty of Iraq is also contradicted by the
"preponderant" US role in the country, particularly on security issues,
and UN sanctions which give the New York-based institution considerable
power here. "Baghdad is still under Chapter 7 of the UN charter," he said, which means that 20 years after the invasion of Kuwait, Iraq is still the target of drastic sanctions of the Security Council. Chief among them is the requirement to pay 5% of oil revenues into a UN special fund which handles war reparations, and to which Iraq has paid $30bn so far. "Iraq still needs the American umbrella. It is unable to protect itself from external attacks," Fadel added. Barack's Tuesday night speech included his 'sharing the limelight' with his pal Bully Boy Bush. Marcia refers to it as "Barack goes down on Bush," Cedric and Wally saw it as proof that Barack's got a crush on Bush, Mike argued it was proof positive that Barack was both a fraud and a putz, Elaine fact-checked
the little liar on his claim that Bush loved veterans and backed them
and dreamed of them and Elaine fact checked him by noting what John
Kerry argued in 2004 debates against Bush, and Rebecca went after
War Hawk Tony Blair and his claim that "military action was justified"
by noting that if it were justified why would it require lying. On Free Speech Radio News yesterday,
Norman Solomon shared the following evaluation of Barack's Tuesday
night speech, "The speech really wasn't so much about Iraq except as a
segueway to glorify a war based on lies, and then by contrast, at least
inferentially, declaring the Afghanistan war as even more glorious,
ostensibly." Meanwhile Andrew Malcolm (Los Angeles Times) reports Barack Tweeted his own speech. Meanwhile the Center for Constitutional Rights' Bill Quigley and Laura Raymond observe: Another
false ending to the Iraq war is being declared. Nearly seven years
after George Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" speech on the USS
Abraham Lincoln, President Obama has just given a major address to mark
the withdrawal of all but 50,000 combat troops from Iraq. But, while
thousands of US troops are marching out, thousands of additional
private military contractors (PMCs) are marching in. The number of
armed security contractors in Iraq will more than double in the coming
months. While
the mainstream media is debating whether Iraq can be declared a victory
or not there is virtually no discussion regarding this surge in
contractors. Meanwhile, serious questions about the accountability of
private military contractors remain. In
the past decade the United States has dramatically shifted the way in
which it wages war -- fewer soldiers and more
contractors. Last
month, the Congressional Research Service reported that the Department
of Defense (DoD) workforce has 19% more contractors (207,600) than
uniformed personnel (175,000) in Iraq and Afghanistan, making the wars
in these two countries the most outsourced and privatized in U.S.
history. According
to a recent State Department briefing to Congress's Commission on
Wartime Contracting, from now on, instead of soldiers, private military
contractors will be disposing of improvised explosive devices,
recovering killed and wounded personnel, downed aircraft and damaged
vehicles, policing Baghdad's International Zone, providing convoy
security, and clearing travel routes, among other security-related
duties. The death of trust is what Tim Dunlop (Australia's ABC's The Drum Unleashed) explores,
noting the undermining of both trust in the government and in the media
as a result of their selling of the illegal war. He also notes how the
empire responded to being called out: Inevitably,
the empire(s) fought back. A million articles appeared that sought to
brand "bloggers" as know-nothing kids in pyjamas living in their
parents' basements. They were ridiculed and lampooned, even as their
complaints about false information on WMDs, the role of al Qaida in
Iraq, the death toll, were vindicated. Politicians attacked too. Dissenters were labelled as unpatriotic or useful idiots or whatever other insults could be found to cover their own culpability. Who could forget John Howard piously declaring, "If there's a demonstration, it does give some encouragement to the leadership in Iraq," and that "People who demonstrate and who give comfort to Saddam Hussein must understand that and must realise that..." Governments even attacked public servants they deemed enemies. In the US, CIA undercover agent Valerie Plame was outed after her husband criticised the Bush administration, while here, the Howard Government dishonestly smeared former intelligence analyst, Andrew Wilkie. In his Tuesday night speech, Barack lied that the US was 'safer' as a result of the Iraq War. Interviewing War Hawk Tony Blair today on NPR's Morning Edition (link has text and audio), Steve Inskeep pointed out,
"A little bit earlier this year, a former head of MI-5, British
intelligence service, gave testimony about the war in Iraq in which she
said that that war, or perhaps we should say the narrative of that war,
radicalized many Muslims inside Britain and outside Britain to turn
against the West. Did the decision go to war in Iraq, the inevitable
decision to have Westerners killing Muslims, with the inevitable
propaganda that would be made of that, turn out to be
counterproductive?" Blair's promoting his new book What I Did For Bush: It Takes A Sex Slave. Steve Inskeep is referring to Eliza Manningham-Buller who testified to the Iraq Inquiry July 20. From that day's snapshot: Committee
Member Roderic Lyne: So you're saying you had evidence that the Iraq
conflict, our involvment in the Iraq conflict was a motivation, a
trigger, for people who were involved in the attacks in London in July
2005, who were going to Afghanistan to fight. Were there other attacks
or planned attacks in which you had evidence that Iraq was a motivating
factor? Eliza
Manningham-Buller: Yes. I mean, if you take the video wills that were
retrieved on various occasions after various plots, where terrorists who
had expected to be dead explained why they had done what they did, it
features. It is part of what we call the single narrative, which is the
view of some that everything the west was doing was part of a
fundamental hostility to the Muslim world and to Islam, of which
manifestations were Iraq and Afghanistan, but which pre-dated those
because it pre-dated 9/11, but it was enhance by those events. Immediately prior to her testiomny that day, a [PDF format warning] letter she sent to John Gieve (Home Office) was declassified
[though some parts remain redacted]. Gieve was the Permanent Secretary
of the Home Office at that time and the position provided oversight to
MI5 (which is Military Intelligence, Section 5). IRAQ: POSSIBLE TERRORIST RESPONSE TO A US ATTACK We
have been giving some thought to the possible terrorist consequences
should the US, possibly with UK support, seek to topple Saddam Hussein's
regime in Iraq. I thought that you might find it helpful to see our
current assessment, together with an outline of our own preparations. 2.
Since the end of the Gulf War Iraq has been implicated in a small
number of murders of Iraqi oppositionists in the Middle East but only
one terrorist plan directed against a Western target -- a planned car
bomb attack on ex-President Bush in Kuwait in 1993. There is no
credible intelligence that demonstrates that Iraq was implicated in
planning the 11 September attacks. 3.
We judge that the current period of heightened tension between Iraq and
the US is unlikely to prompt Saddam to order terrorist strikes against
Coalition interests. Even limited military action (for example, cruise
missile attacks such as the those in response to the attempted murder of
ex-President Bush) would be unlikely to prompt such a response. We
assess that Saddam is only likely to order terrorist attacks if he
perceives that the survival of his regime is threatened. In the UK 4.
If Saddam were to initiate a terrorist campaign, we assess that Iraqi
capability to mount attacks in the UK is currently limited. We are aware
of no Iraqi intelligence (DGI) officers based in the UK. There are up
to DGI agents here who report on anti-regime activities. But most of
these agents lack the inclination or capability to mount terrorist
attacks. So if the DGI wished to mount attacks in the UK it would need
to import teams from overseas. It is possible that some Palestinian
groups based outside the UK might be willing to mount attacks in support
of Iraq, 5.
Nonetheless, in case Iraq should try to co-ordinate action by existing
UK-based agents, or to import its own or a surrogate terrorist
capability, we will be taking a number of steps over the coming months,
including: reviewing our knowledge of past and present DGI visiting case officers to identify and disrupt any increase in DGI activity; putting
in place arrangements to deal with (and capitalise on) any increase in
defectors, volunteers or callers to the Service's public telephone
number who might have relevant information. Experience during the Gulf
War leads us to expect an increase in such contact with the public in
the event of conflict; with
the police, maintaining coverage of the Palestinian community, some of
whom, as during the Gulf War, may react adversely to any threat to Iraq.
6.
You may recall that, at the time of the Gulf War, a number of suspected
Iraqi sympathisers were detained pending deportation on grounds of
national security. These included members of Iraqi support
organisations, as well as individuals believed to be associated with
Palestinian terrorist groups, such as the Abu Nidhal Organisation. We
currently assess that the number of individuals in the UK who
potentially pose sufficent threat to be subject to deportation or
detnetion is small. We are currently reviewing the cases of those who
could pose a threat to establish whether there might be grounds for
action. 7.
We believe that Middle Eastern countries would be the most likely
location should Saddam order terrorist attacks on Western interests.
Other locations, for instance SE Asia featured in attempted DGI
co-ordinated attacks during the Gulf War and are thus also a
possibility. We will, of course, continue to liaise closely with FCO
colleagues to ensure they are in a position to brief missions if the
situation develops. Chemical or biological (CB) threat 8.
There were media stories during the Gulf War suggesting that Iraq
planned to mount CB terrorist attacks in Western countries, and a 1998
scare (arising from a tale put about by Iraqi emigres) that Saddam
planned to send anthrax abroad in scent bottles. Given Iraq's documented
CB capabilities, we can anticipate similar stories again. 9. Most Iraqi CB terrorist attacks have been assassination attempts against individuals, often emigres. Iraq
used chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq war and also against
civilian Kurds in 1988, but there is no intelligence that Iraq has
hitherto planned or sought mass-casualty CB terrorist attacks. As with
conventional terrorism, we assess that Saddam would only use CB against
Western targets if he felt the survival of his regime was in doubt. In
these circumstances, his preferred option would be to use conventional
military delivery systems against targets in the region, rather than
terrorism. 10.
There have for some years been reports of contact between the Iraqi
regime and Al Qa'ida about CB. But we have yet to see convincing
intelligence that useful co-operation developed, or that Iraq provided
genuine CB materials. 11. I am copying this letter to Stephen Wright, John Scarlett, Julian Miller and Tom McKane. E L Manningham-Buller Deputy Director General The Iraq War did not make England safer, it did not make the US safer. Barack lied. One-time reporter Thomas E. Ricks (Foreign Policy) provides his take on Tuesday night's speech: I
thought it amounted to a defense of his presidency. He continues to
strike me as a guy who thought he was elected for domestic reasons and
so seems to resent how foreign affairs intrude on his time. His rhetoric
on the two subjects has the feel of two different men -- on foreign
policy, kind of tired and clichéd, written by a committee, but on
domestic affairs, kind of zingy. As
he said in the speech, he was fulfilling a campaign pledge to get all
combat troops out of Iraq by today. Unfortunately, it was a phony pledge
-- the mission of the U.S. troops still in Iraq is, if anything, more
dangerous today than it was yesterday. And so the core of the speech was
hollow. Meanwhile Xinhua reports
on US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates speaking in Iraq yesterday and
notes Gates claiming it is for history to determine the call on the Iraq
War. Talk about kick the can. No, it is for us to determine. It is
amazing that Barack bastardized "Que Sera Sera" in his speech Tuesday
night and yet, while claiming the future belongs to "us," they won't to
kick any evaluation far down the road. There's a reason for that and any
good defense attorney can explain it to you. Let's say your client gets
picked up for a DWI. If you have the trial quickly, you can get a
judgment. It probably won't be one in favor of your client. If, however,
you can postpone and postpone and postpone, your client can 'reform.'
(As in, "Yes, two years ago my client was arrested for driving while
intoxicated; however, since that time s/he has gone into rehab, joined a
church s/he regularly attends and had no more run ins with the law.")
The War Hawks -- that includes Robert Gates -- are really hoping that,
between now and history's judgment, they can do something -- anything --
to mitigate their actions. Nothing will mitigate it. Laws were broken.
The Constitution was shredded. Whatever happens to Iraq in the future,
the US government broke laws and there is no happy spin for that. The US
government launched an illegal war of aggression and that's not
something you can wipe away. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) weighs in on Gates
here. Dropping back to August 26th for this: " Ann Rubin (KSDK) reports
some soldiers in Iraq are afraid their pay is going to be cut as a
result of the creative terminology the spin is pushing. US House Rep
Russ Carnahan tells Rubin, 'The bottom line is they're in a dangerous
part of the world, but we've got to continue to do everything we can to
be sure they get that support'." And again noting this from Elisabeth Bumiller (New York Times): (One soldier did ask if the end of combat operations meant the end of extra combat pay. Mr. Gates said that as far as he was concerned, combat pay still applied in Iraq, where troops are still being killed by homemade bombs, sniper fire and mortar attacks.) This
is a concern both for those serving in Iraq (and their families) and
for some of those who have served who have been expressing dismay that
service members might be left in Iraq -- an area they know themselves to
be dangerous -- and not receive the higher pay (combat pay). In other
news, we'll note this from labor journalist David Bacon's "With Papers Or Without - The Same Life In A Labor Camp" (New American Media): On a ranch north of the Bay Area, several dozen men live in a labor camp. When there's work they pick apples and grapes or prune trees and vines. This year, however, the ranch has had much less work, as the economic recession hits California fields. State unemployment is over 12%, but unemployment in rural counties is always twice what it is in urban ones. Unemployment among farm workers, however, is largely hidden. In the case of these workers, it's hidden within the walls of the camp, far from the view of those who count the state's jobless. Because they work from day to day, or week to week, there are simply periods when there's no work at all, and they stay in the barracks. In past, the ranch's workers were mostly undocumented immigrants. In the last several years, however, the owner has begun bringing workers from Mexico under the H2-A guest worker program. While there are differences in the experiences of people without papers and guest workers, some basic aspects of life are the same. For the last several weeks, all the workers in the camp have been jobless, and neither undocumented workers nor guest workers can legally collect unemployment benefits. Everyone's living on what they've saved. And since the official total of the state's unemployed is based on counting those receiving benefits, none of the men here figure into California's official unemployment rate. The camp residents share other similarities. Poverty in Mexico forced them all to leave to support their families. Living in the camp, they do the same jobs out in the fields.. All of them miss their families and homes. And that home, as they see it, is in Mexico. Here in the U.S. they don't feel part of the community that surrounds them. David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. Bacon can be heard on KPFA's The Morning Show (over the airwaves in the Bay Area, streaming online) each Wednesday morning (begins airing at 7:00 am PST). |
:: Article nr. 69433 sent on 03-sep-2010 16:20 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69433
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/09/iraq-snapshot_02.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| US experts reflect on strategic lessons from Iraq war Xinhua 2 (Xinhua) -- As the US combat mission in Iraq officially ended Tuesday, US experts are wondering what strategic lessons the United States has learnt from a ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq war: mission semi-accomplished San Francisco Chronicle Secretary of Defense Robert Gates greets US troops during his visit to Camp Ramadi in Iraq on Wednesday. The war that began on a false pretense ended in ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Minnesota Guard unit headed to Iraq Minneapolis Star Tribune Even as the American combat role in Iraq has ended, 80 soldiers from Minnesota are headed there for a 10-month deployment. Even as the main US combat role ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Is it your war? Seguin Gazette-Enterprise Some of the town folk gathered on the public square to welcome back soldiers who had served in Iraq. There was patriotic music, the colors were presented, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Opinion: After early blunders, US is on the right path for Iraq San Jose Mercury News By Otto Lee This week our country reached a second important milestone set by President Barack Obama for our involvement in Iraq. The first was to withdraw ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Graduating dad gets a surprise from Iraq MiamiHerald.com Although he's in Iraq, a son manages to send his father a live, personal greeting with the help of some US Army brass on a very special occasion. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Dementia Risk Higher in Veterans with PTSD eMaxHealth It appears that the veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who suffer with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) may have another challenge to deal ... See all stories on this topic » |
Vomiting Perfidy.
Layla Anwar
September 2, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 69412 sent on 02-sep-2010 16:42 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69412
Link: arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2010/09/vomiting-perfidy.html
Iraq snapshot - September 1, 2010
The Common Ills
Wednesday, September 1,
2010. Chaos and violence continues, no word yet from Tricky Dick Nixon
on whether hell froze over or not but Barack did lie through his teeth
last night, a look at reactions to Barack's speech and more. Last night, US President Barack Obama hogged US air waves to spew a bunch of pretty lies, just pretty lies. He hailed Iraq as a success -- somehow forgetting that we have a measure for Iraq success. The White House proposed it at the end of 2006 and Congress signed off on it (and Barack was in the Senate at that time). They're called benchmarks. And Iraq's government or 'government' was supposed to meet those benchmarks to qualify for further funding. Not meet by the end of time, mind you, they were supposed to meet them ALL within 12 months. They never, ever did. Iraq is not a success and all the gas baggery in the world attempting to spin for Barack somehow forgot that the White House proposed a series of benchmarks, the Congress endorsed them and Nouri al-Maliki agreed ot them but they never got met. That would mean: Failure. Today on the first hour of The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane explored the Iraq War with her guests Phyllis Bennis (IPS), Rajiv Chandrasekaran (Washington Post, author of Imperial Life In The Emerald City), and retired Gen James Dubik. And, FYI, Diane has a new book that was just released today Life With Maxie -- Maxie is her chichuahua and the book's being called a must for dog and pet lovers. Phyllis
Bennis: I think the reality is that getting our troops out is only step
one. It's not step last of the obligations that we have to the people
of Iraq. Most of us that have been against this war since before it was
waged believe that getting the troops out now -- whether it was, we've
said now seven years ago, we say now today -- is the first step. Before
that we can't make good on the obligations of real reparations,
real reconstruction. What we're doing instead, I'm afraid, Diane, is
we're moving -- the transition is not from US control to Iraqi control
but rather from Pentagon control to State Dept control. We're
militarizing diplomacy by sending in -- now it would be armored cars or
armored personnel carriers, planes, surveillance drones, a 7,000 armed
contractor team of what I would consider mercenaries that will not be
under the Pentagon's control so they will legally be able to stay even
after the official pullout time because they won't be under the control
of the Dept of Defense -- the only part that's identified in that
agreement. So this is not good enough in terms of the moves that we
need towards a real end to our military engagement. The entire hour was worth listening to and we'll note other parts throughout the snapshot. But last
night, Mr. Pretty Lies decided to share more of the same with the
American people in a prime time address. With the world? No, Mr. Pretty
Lies was happy to talk about 'sacrifice' but somehow the 'sacrifice'
never really included the Iraqi people or, for that matter, the battered
and bruised US Constitution which was violated by both the Bush
administration and the Barack administration to start and continue the
ongoing and illegal war on Iraq. There
is no legal recognition of pre-emptive wars of aggression. There never
has been and, hopefully, there never will be. One of the most infamous
wars is WWII and Adolf Hitler wages a war of aggression. Germany was not
attacked. Germany made the decision to go to war. It was an illegal
move on the part of Germany. By the same context, the US-led invasion
was illegal. The Iraq Inquiry
has yet to issue any findings but testimonies have demonstrated that
Tony Blair (then-Prime Minister of England when the war began) had
already been advised that the war would be illegal without authorization
from the United Nations. The UN resolution that passed was to allow
inspectors into Iraq (to search for those mythical Weapons of Mass
Destruction) . As one legal adviser serving under Blair after another
has testified, that resolution did not 'okay' a war and, to be legal, a
second resolution was needed. Blair was repeatedly informed of that.
Even while being informed of that, he told Bully Boy Bush that whatever
he (Bush) decided, England would go along. The
US did not want a second resolution and, based on British testimony, it
appears that they did not want to go back for a second resolution
because they feared that they might be hemmed in or constrained by a
second resolution -- that conditions and qualifiers might be added.
(Appears? The Inquiry's public testimony has largely come from the
British -- plus Hans Blix) The
three 'biggies' for starting the illegal war were: US White House
occupant Bully Boy Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and
Australian Prime Minister John Howard -- Howard, of course, is forever
treated as the third wheel and forgotten. The
United Nations authorized inspectors to enter Iraq and search for
Weapons of Mass Destruction. They found none. As noted during Hans Blix's ridiculous testimony
to the Inquiry, Blair, Bush or Howard could claim Blix as the reason
for their war of aggression. Blix repeatedly hedged in his reports,
repeatedly painted things as more dire than they actually were and
should be remembered as one of the War Hawks. But the three can't hide
behind Blix because they all lied in their own countries. And, here,
we'll do like history and just forget John Howard. Tony
Blair and his Cabinet lied to the citizens of the United Kingdom to
sell the illegal war. They falsely asserted that the UK could be
attacked by Iraq with WMD within 45 minutes. It was a lie. As has been
demonstrated in public testimony to the Inquiry, it was a lie Blair knew
to be a lie before it was ever repeated. Bush lied so much that it
would be impossible to chart every one of them -- even with a series of
Venn diagrams. He
lied by inference -- repeatedly linking 9-11 to Iraq when there was no
connection between the two -- and he lied outright. On the latter, there
was the "mushroom cloud" nonsense where he would attempt to scare the
American public. At one point, he would warn of Iraq attempting to
purchase "yellow cake uranium" which was a lie -- a known lie. Former US
Ambassador Joe Wilson would be tasked with visiting Niger to determine
whether the rumors were true or false. Wilson would report to the
government that the rumors were false. As the lie was repeated and
repeated by Bush and his administration, Wilson would begin to push back
and, after the illegal war had started, pen the New York Times column "What I Didn't Find In Africa."
As retaliation for documenting that the illegal war was built on lies,
the administration would go after Wilson and target his wife Valerie
Plame -- Plame was then an undercover agent for the CIA. Plame's cover
would be blown by the administration. Scooter Libby would eventually get
to know a federal prison very well as a result of his role in the
outing of Plame. Bush
lied and people died. That was one of many slogans throughout the
ongoing and illegal war. Bush did lie. He also lied to Congress. Colin
Powell lied to the United Nations (Powell would infamously tell Barbara
Walters in 2006 that his testimony to the United Nations was a ''blot''
on his record while lying that he didn't realize he was lying --
Powell's handmaiden Lawrence Wilkerson is a professional liar but he's
become a MSNBC hero because he lies that Powell is innocent -- the
record demonstrates otherwise -- and puts all blame on Bush). Bush lied,
Dick Cheney lied, Collie lied (Cheney taunted that Collie needed to get
down in the mud with the rest of them and that his approval rating was
high enough that he could afford to), they all lied. In
the midst of their lies, in the fall of 2002, the administration forced
a vote in Congress. What was being voted for is in dispute for some.
What's not in dispute is that the vote was pushed by the administration
ahead of the 2002 mid-term elections because -- having falsely linked
Iraq and 9-11 and having created the 'terrorism' scare with never ending
'chatter' in the media -- the administration could use a no-vote in an
attempt to paint opponents as 'weak on terror.' Elizabeth Edwards has
always maintained that then-Senator John Edwards voted for the
authorization believing that a second one would be needed. She
maintained that, for example, to Ruth Conniff on the pages of The Progressive.
(Matthew Rothschild's called out that assertion in his note to the
readers in that issue.) Then-Senator Hillary Clinton has also stated
that she believed the vote would still require the Bush administration
to come back before Congress should the US go to war. Not-in-the-Senate
Barack Obama gave a whiny and petulant speech about 'dumb wars' and
wars and he wasn't opposed to all wars but he was opposed to this one --
at that time. By the 2004 DNC convention in Boston, he would be telling
the New York Times that, had he been in the US Senate in 2002, he would
have voted FOR the authorization. Elected to the US Senate in the fall
of 2004, he would go on to repeatedly vote FOR the illegal war by
repeatedly voting TO fund the war. Somehow that didn't matter to his
press whores on the left and 'left' who would help create the fairytale
(Bill Clinton called it correctly) that Barack was anti-war and had
always opposed the Iraq War. Lies were needed to sell the war, lies were needed to continue it. Judith Miller was a star reporter for the New York Times before the war began. She'd worked her way up to that post having previously worked for NPR, The Progressive
and other outlets. Her pre-war reporting was little more than
stenography which helped sell the wars. Miller, however, did not lie.
She was a bad reporter. But if she'd lied, she wouldn't have disgraced
herself in Iraq as she commandeered a US military unit and basically led
them on search missions for WMD. Miller betrayed her profession but
there's nothing to indicate that she also lied. (She appears to have
foolishly believed every false claim used to sell the Iraq War.) Miller
became the poster child of the illegal war (and would lose her job at
the New York Times for that and other reasons -- so kicked to
the curb was she that Maureen Dowd was allowed to mock Miller on the
pages of the paper). But Miller was far from the only propagandist in
the press corps who helped sell the illegal war. The others largely kept
their heads down -- including the one who co-wrote the October 1, 2001
front-page New York Times article which first falsely linked
9-11 and Iraq and claimed that Saddam Hussein, then leader of Iraq, had
terrorist training facilities where hijackers were trained (9-11 is
September 11, 2011, when US planes were hijacked and two flown into the
World Trade Centers, one crashed into the Pentagon and one crashed in a
Pennsylvania field). It helped to have a penis. If you were a man, you
didn't get called out. This was best demonstrated when Miller was no longer a front-pager but the New York Times Go-Go Boyz in The Green Zone
were. Their lies continued the Iraq War. But other than Danny
Schechter, Molly Bingham, Thomas E. Ricks and the writers for WSWS, few
bothered to call out the Dexy Gordons and John Burns. Dexy let the
military proof his copy -- which is why it was how many days old when it
hit the paper? But type up what the military wants and you too can win
awards the way Dexy did. It was their lies that prolonged the illegal
war most of all. Things were awful in Iraq but they didn't tell you
that. In 2006, on campus speaking engagements, Dexy would suddenly want
to share the things they didn't put in during real time and seemed to
think that a campus qualified for a confessional and he was somehow
absolved. Had they not been creating waves of Operation Happy Talk,
the American public might have caught on a lot sooner to just how bad
things were. There are the lies that start wars, there are the lies
that continue them. One of the biggest lies Barack conveyed last night was that the Iraq War was over. It is not over. Making that very clear is this from Elisabeth Bumiller (New York Times): (One soldier did ask if the end of combat operations meant the end of extra combat pay. Mr. Gates said that as far as he was concerned, combat pay still applied in Iraq, where troops are still being killed by homemade bombs, sniper fire and mortar attacks.) Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
a Baghdad sticky bombing which claimed the life of 1 police officer and
left two more injured, a second Baghdad sticky bombing which claimed
the life of 1 provincial council employee and injured three more poeple,
a Baghdad makret bombing which injured three people and Sadiyah bombing
which injured PUK Party head Shakir Soltan and his driver. Reuters notes that "twin roadside bombings" in Baghdad resulted in six people injured. Back to the first hour of The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane
Rehm: On the other hand, Phyllis, the Iraqi government has been in
place for six months since the elections, there has been no real
government formed. Phyllis
Bennis: There is no government. There's a caretaker government, the
holdovers from the last election are still in control with far too much
power. They are completely dependant at the end of the day on US support
-- political, financial and ultimately military. So the question is --
and I would really disagree with the general on this -- the future is
not "ours" to make, the future belongs to Iraq. The future belongs to
Iraqis. We are not Iraqis. And the notion that we are going to
determine the question of when is their success isn't our judgment
call. Unfortunately, the Iraqi leaders who are now in control don't
represent their country. The Parliament does but the government does
not and in that context it makes it very difficult to say well the
government will have the right to say we'd like you to stay longer or
whatever -- That's simply not representative of what we did to that
country. At
7:30 a.m. EST in the US, a handover ceremony began in Iraq. US
Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey introduced Joe Biden to the crowd
(USF/MNF streamed the proceedings live this morning) as someone who
"knows what it's like to have a close family member deployed" in Iraq.
Speaking at Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace, Biden declared, with no sense
of irony, of the location for the speech, "I can't but help think of the
irony that we are here today occupying a palace for a noble reason that
was once occupied by Saddam Hussein." A friend at the White House
disputes my take. So I will note that maybe Joe did grasp the irony.
Let's start with his assertions. One, the palace was once occupied by
Hussein. Two, it is now occupied "for a noble reason by the US". Do we
know the definition of irony? It's when the actual meaning is the
opposite of the literal meaning. So did Hussein occupy the palace?
Yes. Not ironic there. Is the US doing so "for a noble reason" --
Okay, that could be irony. Because it's not "for noble reasons." "Our
remaining troops, I might add, as combat ready as any in" the US
military, Biden said. He later hailed Odierno as, "Not only a warrior
but a diplomat." And command has just been handed over to Austin. Though
why command of an 'ended' war would need to be handed over, It makes no
sense unless you grasp that the Iraq War did not end last night with
Barack's pretty lies speech. At the Defense Dept, there's a photo essay
of the ceremony which existed primarily for Gen Ray Odierno to step
down as the top US commander in Iraq and for Gen Lloyd Austin to take
over. Sam Dagher and Julian E. Barnes (Wall St. Journal) note,
"Gen. Odierno, who served for 55 months in Iraq in different capacities
and had an enlisted son lose an arm in the conflict, paid tribute to
the sacrifices of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and the Iraqi people." Back to the first hour of The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane
Rehm: And what about the moral obligation to the people of the United
States in terms of, number one, truth telling, number two, the human
life sacrificed, number three, the money sacrificed? I mean, there are
morals on both side when you enter a war. Phyllis? Phyllis
Bennis: This was never a moral war and I'm convinced that the lives of
those soldiers that were lost, the US soldiers and the Iraqi civilians
that were killed in such greater numbers were not worth it. I think
that is a reality. I don't think you can declare something makes it
worth it. It was a wasted, illegal war based on lies. And I think that
if -- Look at Diane's question of how do we come to grips with this as a
country. The issue is accountability and I think it's a great failure
of our governing officials at every level, not just President Obama, but
Congress in particular, that there has not been a clear effort to do
what the Canadians have begun to do, what the British did, what all the
coalition members have done to investigate who lied, what was the basis
on which this war was waged and hold acountable those individauls who
make that decision. Let's go to reactions to Barack's speech last night. Matthew Rothschild (The Progressive) has a very strong critique and we'll note this from it: And
I know every President, every politician, and now it seems every
citizen must bow down to all the soldiers who serve in our military, but
was it accurate of Obama to say that "at every turn, America's men and
women in uniform have served with courage and resolve"? I'm sure the vast majority did, and I wouldn't have traded places with any of them. But what about those who followed Rumsfeld's brutal interrogation orders? What about Abu Ghraib? What about the dozens of Iraqis our personnel murdered in detention? http://www.humanrightsfirst.info/pdf/06221-etn-hrf-dic-rep-web.pdf Did that show "courage and resolve?" Most
distressingly, Obama treated the war in Iraq as if it were a minor,
tactical disagreement, rather than a fundamental, black and white
difference between two irreconcilable views. "I am mindful that the Iraq
war has been a contentious issue at home," he said. "It is time to turn
the page." To underline the point, he mentioned that he'd telephoned
former President George W. Bush before delivering the speech, though he
mercifully spared us details of that conversation. Needless to say, the
unprovoked invasion of Iraq by the United States in 2003 was a
clear-cut, criminal war of aggression, making it far more than a merely
"contentious" issue. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died for no good
reason, and many thousands more are likely to perish as Iraq's bitterly
divided body politic settles its differences with guns and bombs over
the next five or ten years. Millions of Iraqi children have been
traumatized beyond repair. By going into Iraq, the United States
alienated its friends, weakened its alliances, emboldened its
adversaries, blackened its reputation, squandered a trillion dollars,
suffered tens of thousands of dead and wounded, utterly failed to spread
democracy and freedom in the region, vastly strengthened Iran's
strategic position in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf and
devastated a nation by shattering its economy, its state institutions
and its very social fabric in a manner that will take at least two
generations to repair. None of this seems to have occurred to President
Obama, who wants to turn the bloody page. [ . . .] Unfortunately,
despite Obama's words in pledging to withdraw US forces from Iraq by
the end of 2011, he will find himself under enormous pressure to renege
on that promise. And there's precious little reason to believe that he
won't cave in to that pressure, particularly if Iraq devolves into civil
war sometime in 2011. Chris Floyd (World Can't Wait) disputes one of Barack's many false claims: "We have met our responsibility!" No, Mister President, we have not. Not
until many Americans of high degree stand in the dock for war crimes.
Not until the United States pays hundreds of billions of dollars in
unrestricted reparations to the people of Iraq for the rape of their
country and the mass murder of their people. Not until the United States
opens its borders to accept all those who have been and will be driven
from Iraq by the savage ruin we have inflicted upon them, or in flight
from the vicious thugs and sectarians we have loosed -- and empowered --
in the land. Not until you, Mister President, go down on your knees, in
sackcloth and ashes, and proclaim a National of Day of Shame to be
marked each year by lamentations, reparations and confessions of blood
guilt for our crime against humanity in Iraq. Also offering a strong critique is David Swanson's "More War Lies" (War Is A Crime): Lies
aren't used just to start wars, but also to escalate them, continue
them, and even reduce or end them. And we got a pile of war lies from
the president Tuesday evening. Obama claimed the war on Iraq was initially a war to disarm a state. Really? And then "terrorist" Iraqis attacked our troops in their country. Yet if they had done that in our country, I suspect they would still be the terrorists. And then it became a civil war which we were innocently caught up in. Uh huh. U.S. participants in this crime are heroes, always and everywhere. That's sacred. The troops' mission has involved protecting the Iraqi people, and by golly they've done a superb job, as long as we don't mention the complete devastation of Iraq, the million dead, the millions of refugees, and the intense resentment of those remaining toward our country for what we've done to theirs. The Iraqi people now (dead, in exile, in a ruined nation) have a chance that they supposedly didn't have before we destroyed their country, a country that was actually a better place to live in in every way in 2003 than it is now, and in 1989 than in 2003. To hear President Obama, this war has been for the benefit of the Iraqi people, and these wars have been about al Qaeda and 9-11. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) breaks it down in one sentence, "President Barack Obama tonight made his carefully choreographed 'end of the Iraq War' speech,
assuring Americans that this fake end, as opposed to the other fake
ends, stands as an 'historic moment' in American history and a
'milestone' that 'should serve as a reminder to all the world' of
America's military leadership." The New Republic offers Andrew J. Bacevich's "Obama Wants Us To Forget The Lessons Of Iraq:" The Iraq war? Fuggedaboudit. "Now, it is time to turn the page." So advises the commander-in-chief at least. "[T]he bottom line is this," President Obama remarked last Saturday, "the war is ending." Alas, it's not. Instead, the conflict is simply entering a new phase. And before we hasten to turn the page -- something that the great majority of Americans are keen to do -- common decency demands that we reflect on all that has occurred in bringing us to this moment. Absent reflection, learning becomes an impossibility. For those Americans still persuaded that everything changed the moment Obama entered the Oval Office, let's provide a little context. The event that historians will enshrine as the Iraq war actually began back in 1990 when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, Iraq's unloved and unlovable neighbor. Through much of the previous decade, the United States had viewed Saddam as an ally of sorts, a secular bulwark against the looming threat of Islamic radicalism then seemingly centered in Tehran. Saddam's war of aggression against Iran, launched in 1980, did not much discomfit Washington, which offered the Iraqi dictator a helping hand when his legions faced apparent defeat. Today Democracy Now! also devoted significant attention to Iraq. We'll attempt to note some of that in tomorrow's snapshot. Turning to England, at Iraq Inquiry Digest, Chris Ames notes this from the Telegraph of London:
"Mr Blair says he was angry at being asked when giving evidence to the
Iraq Inquiry led by Lord Chilcot earlier this year if he regretted
anything. He writes that he took a conscious decision to give an answer
that was incomplete so he would avoid a headline, 'Blair apologises for
war'." Chris points out, "Blair justifies giving a public inquiry an
incomplete answer because he was concerned about the headlines. Very
Blair. But if you justify acting in that way for that reason, why would
anyone believe anything else that you said?" |
:: Article nr. 69402 sent on 02-sep-2010 15:22 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69402
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/09/iraq-snapshot.html
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| Gates: Histroy will judge legacy of Iraq Xinhua 2 (Xinhuanet) -- US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, has visited troops at Camp Ramadi in western Iraq to mark the formal close of the US combat mission ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Byron Williams: How did we get to Iraq? The short answer is we don't know San Jose Mercury News The president is well within his right to tout the fulfillment of a campaign promise -- the drawdown of combat forces in Iraq. But the contrarian could ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Nancy Pelosi promises veterans 'a future worthy of their sacrifice Boston Herald Pelosi spoke the day after President Barack Obama told the nation that the US combat role in Iraq was ending after seven years of war. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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Obama declares end of US combat mission in Iraq
US President Barack Obama reads his speech to photographers after
delivering an address to the nation on the end of combat operations in
Iraq from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. -AFP Photo
WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama on Tuesday ended the US combat mission in Iraq, declaring no victory after seven years of bloodshed, and telling those divided over the war in his country and around the world: ''It is time to turn the page.''
From the White House's Oval Office, where George W. Bush first announced the invasion that would come to define his presidency, Obama said bluntly: ''Our most urgent task is to restore our economy.''
It was a telling of the domestic troubles weighing on Obama's nation and his own presidency that, in a war address, he would put such emphasis on the dire state of US joblessness.
Even as he tries to cap one of the most divisive chapters in recent American history, Obama is escalating the conflict in Afghanistan. He pledged anew that the United States would keep up the fight in that war, the longest once since Vietnam.
And in Iraq, for all the finality, the war is not over. More Americans probably will die. The country is plagued by violence and political instability, and Iraqis struggle with constant shortages of electricity and water.
Obama is keeping up to 50,000 troops in Iraq for support and counterterrorism training, and the last forces are not due to leave until the end of 2011 at the latest.
As the commander in chief over a war he opposed, Obama took pains to thank troops for their sacrifice but made clear he saw the moment more as a mistake ended than a mission accomplished. He spoke of strained relations with allies, anger at home and a ''huge price'' of the highest order.
The toll includes more than 4,400 US troops dead and many more Iraqis, tens of thousands more Americans wounded, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent.
To underscore his point of ending the divisiveness over Iraq, Obama said he had called Bush, whom he had taunted so often in the 2008 presidential campaign. He prominently praised the former Republican president in the heart of his speech.
''It's well known that he and I disagreed about the war from its outset,'' Obama said. ''Yet no one could doubt President Bush's support for our troops, or his love of country and commitment to our security.''
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Iraq war began with bipartisan congressional backing, based on what turned out to be flawed intelligence that Iraq was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
Today, Iraq is in political turmoil, its leaders unable to form a new government long after March elections that left no clear winner.
The uncertainty has created an opening for insurgents to pound Iraqi security forces, hardly the conditions the United States envisioned for this transition deadline, which Obama announced 18 months ago.
Obama pressed Iraq's leaders, saying it was time to show some urgency and be accountable.
At once, Obama sought to assure Americans that the war was finally winding down, and yet also promise Iraq and those watching across the Middle East that the US was not simply walking away.
''Our combat mission is ending,'' he said, ''but our commitment to Iraq's future is not.'' -AP
If you want to follow news on your mobile, click on http://dawn.com/mobile/ and download Pakistan's first mobile news application. Currently this application is for Nokia phones only
Tags: barack obama iraq war troop withdrawal combat mission
Iraq snapshot - August 31, 2010
The Common Ills
Tuesday, August 31, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Barack prepares to give a big speech (which
won't end the war), Iraqis are less than impressed, the CIA had the
biggest office where?, the War Hawks and War Whores crawl out of the
woodworks, and more. As
Barack prepares to speak tonight about the Iraq War, the world learns
that blood for oil worked out very good for Halliburton. Dick Cheney's
cesspool has landed a contract. AP reports it is "from Italian firm Eni" for an Iraqi oil field. Reuters adds
Eni wants Halliburton "to help squeeze more oil from 20 wells in the
Zubair field in southern Iraq." Dick Cheney spent 8 years running and
ruining the US government while Bully Boy Bush struggled with his
addicition to games of dress up. John Dickerson (Slate via CBS News) weighs in
on how Bully Boy Barack's helping out Bully Boy Bush, "As for Obama,
he is not consciously trying to improve the public's view of the Bush
years. Indeed, he is actively reminding people of the mess he inherited
from his predecessor. It is a key theme
of the entire Democratic campaign. At the same time, as Obama
demonstrates the natural limits of presidential action, he unwittingly
adds perspective to assessments of what President Bush could do. As he
benefits from policies he once opposed--such as the surge in Iraq, which
helped make tomorrow's speech possible -- Obama proves that even a
smart politician with the best of intentions can be wrong. And as he
champions making tough calls even in the face of popular opposition, he
often sounds eerily like his predecessor." Maybe they discussed that in
their phone call to one another today? Simon Jenkins (Guardian) provides some truths that may go missing in tonight's speech by Barack. As
his troops return home, Iraqis are marginally freer than in 2003, and
considerably less secure. Two million remain abroad as refugees from
seven years of anarchy, with another 2 million internally displaced.
Ironically, almost all Iraqi Christians have had to flee. Under western
rule, production of oil -- Iraq's staple product -- is still below its
pre-invasion level, and homes enjoy fewer hours of electricity. This is
dreadful. Some
100,000 civilians are estimated to have lost their lives from
occupation-related violence. The country has no stable government,
minimal reconstruction, and daily deaths and kidnappings. Endemic
corruption is fuelled by unaudited aid. Increasing Islamist rule leaves
most women less, not more, liberated. All this is the result of a
mind-boggling $751bn of US expenditure, surely the worst value for money
in the history of modern diplomacy. The News Chief editorial board notes
that this is the second time the US government has declared combat
operations over and points out, "Now we are proclaiming the end of
'formal combat operations,' meaning that what the troops do will be
either reactive or in support of Iraqi troops. It still will be
combat." Anne E. Kornblut (Washington Post) reports on the advance swirl around the speech: "Maybe he's entitled to the partial victory lap, but this is not the right moment for it," said analyst Michael O'Hanlon of the Brookings Institution, who has been critical of both Democratic and Republican approaches to the war. "If I were him, I'd wait until we have an Iraqi government, and do it with the Iraqis together." O'Hanlon said he was "confused about the planned Oval Office speech." It could raise unrealistic expectations among the public about the chances for calm in Iraq, he said. And the timing of the pullout of combat troops may be seen as having more to do with the president's political needs than with real signs of progress on the ground. Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) observes,
"Less than two weeks ago Americans were glued to their TVs for footage
of the 'last brigade' of US soldiers withdrawing from Iraq. With
embedded MSNBC journalists and in-studio officials trumpeting a
military victory, an America exultant in having finally "won" the war,
it was extremely successful, and that 50,000 US troops are still there
and hundreds of Iraqis have died since the announcement was really only a
minor hiccup. It was so successful, in fact, that the Obama Administration has decided to do it again, which is one of the advantages fake endings of wars have over actual endings." In
Iraq, desperate not to be John Howard at the War Dance -- the former
Australian prime minister tried very hard to hop on Bush but Tony Blair
was always in Bush's lap -- Nouri al-Maliki decided to hold his own
little press conference and ensure he was not the wallflower of the news
cycle. Reuters reports
that Nouri crowed on Iraqi TV, "Iraq today is sovereign and
independent." Was the would-be New Saddam announcing he was stepping
down as prime minister -- something the people and the politicians
want? No. He was ignoring that and ignoring the fact that his term of
office expired sometime ago. He was, however, hiding behind the
semantics that will allow US President Barack Obama to lie to the
American people tonight and declare the Iraq War over. Anna Fifield (Financial Times of London) points out,
"Mr Maliki, the leader of the Shia State of Law party has refused to
relinquish the prime ministership, six months after March elections
which saw the Iraqiya coalition, a secular alliance led by Iyad Allawi,
his rival, win the most seats." Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna observes, "Nouri al-Maliki is essentially a caretaker prime minister. There is no government in place." March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 24 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. Yesterday, Anthony Shadid (New York Times) reported
that the top US commander in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno, is stating that the
political stalemate could cause harm and "I worry about that a little
bit." AFP quotes
the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq's Ammar al-Hakim stating, "We have
started to reach the end of the tunnel. In the next few days, we are
heading toward resolving the issue and accelerating the formation of a
new government." Jasim Al Azzawi (Gulf News) feels
that Allawi has three reasons to refuse to take second place to Nouri
including his age (could be his last chance to again become prime
minister), Iraqiya (which won't want a second place role after winning
the most votes) and waiving
Nouri through comes with "no guarantees that his [Allawi's] future
decisions and actions will not be reversed and nullified by Al Maliki's
powerful generals in charge of security and intelligence services. Given
his limited options, Allawi's strategy is to stay firm, watch Al Maliki
stew in his own juice and wait for him to commit a blunder." Meanwhile Zhang Xu (Xinhua) reports,
"Arab and Islamic countries, basically Egypt and Turkey, should send
peace-keeping troops to Iraq with the coordination of Arab League,
Iraq's cross-sectarian Iraqia List bloc's media official Ahmad
al-Dileimi told Xinhua in an exclusive interview in Damascus on
Sunday." If you're late to the party on Iraq's attempts at elections,
Xiong Tong (Xinua) provides a comprehensive overview here. Meanwhile Alsumaria TV reports
that there are rumors that Al Iraiqya has internal disagreements "over
the government formation" but that the spokesperson Haidar Al Mulla
denies the rumors. Siobhan Gorman (Wall St. Journal) reports
that unnamed "US spy officials" are concerned over Iraq's inability
thus far to form a government and notes that "eyes and ears" have een
provided in Iraq by "spy agencies like the National Security Agency and
the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency" and the unnamed "official .
. . declined to say how many officers from the spy agencies will be
moved out of Iraq. Until this year, Baghdad, for example, was the
Central Intelligence Agency's largest station, and it's now been
eclipsed this year by Afghanistant." Reuters notes
that Ben Rhodes declared on Air Force One today that, "Iraq should move
forward with a sense of urgency." Who is Rhodes? The White House
Deputy National Security Adviser. Remember, pay attention to who's in
charge of Iraq -- it's the US national security group. Reporting on the increase in murders in Iraq, Usama Redha and Ned Parker (Los Angeles Times) explain,
"But like other killings and assassinations in a wave of violence that
has crept up on Iraq during an unnerving political stalemate, no one
really knows who the "bad men" are. Was Fakher killed by a Sunni Arab
insurgent group like Al Qaeda in Iraq, or a Shiite Muslim militia like
the one that once controlled the neighborhood, or did the attack stem
from a personal feud? Iraqis are left muttering one word, vague yet
ominous: Terrorists, the television announcer intoned about Fakher's
killers. Terrorism, police recorded in their books. It was terrorists,
his parents say." Marie Colvin (Sunday Times via the Australian) examines
Sahwa -- aka Sons of Iraq, Awakenings -- and explains they are both
"angry and disillusioned" and, "Many have not been paid for two months.
They believe their job prospects have diminished because they are not
favoured by the Shi'ite dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki. Mudhir al-Mawla, the official responsible for integrating the
52,000 members of the Sons of Iraq, confirms that the process has been
frozen for a year. Worse, the militia is being targeted by a resurgent
al-Qa'ida, particularly in Anbar province, including Fallujah. Here
al-Qa'ida is offering young men $US200 ($224) a time to take part in
attacks, a huge sum in a city with few jobs." And this comes, as Nafia Abdul Jabbar (AFP) noted,
at a time when "[d]ozens of fihters, who helped avert a civil war and
were crucial to curbing Iraq's sectarian violence when it peaked in 2006
and 2007, have been killed in recent months in acts of retaliation." Barbara Surk and Rebecca Santana (AP) remind,
"The Sunni militias, also known as the Sons of Iraq, were a key element
in turning the tide against Sunni-led terrorist groups such as
al-Qaida, and the American military began paying the militias to fight
on their side. That responsibility now lies with the Iraqi government,
which is also supposed to incorporate many of them into government
ministries. But many Sons of Iraq complain the government is turning its
back on the militias, failing to pay them on time or find them good
jobs." Yesterday on Uprising, Sonali Kolhatkar spoke with Hadani Ditmars about the so-called 'end' of the Iraq War. Excerpt: Hadani
Ditmars: Of course, there's still a huge US presence in Iraq. An
embassy the size of Vatican City, several desert bases that are going to
remain. I think we really shouldn't be focusing so much on the
'withdrawal.' What we should look at are the larger systemic issues.
The huge humanitarian catostrophe that Iraq is-is experiencing at the
moment where seven years after the invasion, as you can read about in the new issue of New Internationalist
which I traveled back to Baghdad in February, March to write and
photograph. Seven years later the legacy of this invasion is that 43%
of Iraqis live in abject poverty, 70% don't have access to clean
drinking water, huge unemployment rate, terrible security situation,
drastic decline in the status of women and a secular society that has
become Islamicized in a bad way -- I mean, I don't even want to call is
Islamicized, just militia rule has become the norm. So I think we have
to look at these larger underlying issues. I don't think that the
so-called withdrawal is really going to effect those issues one way or
another. It could have a shorterm, as it has in the past several weeks.
upswing in violent attacks, further deterioration of the security
situation. But the underlying issues and the underlying damage that has
been done by this disastorous invasion and occupation are still there,
still need to be addressed. Sonali Kolhatkar: What is the so-called advisery role that the US troop will play to the Iraqi army. What dot that mean? Hadani
Ditmars: Well, you know, I don't work for the Pentagon so I can't tell
you exactly, but I assume it's going to be a very hands-on approach
rather than arms' length. At the same time there is a sense of
abandonment. I mean, I'm sure you read the Tariq Aziz interview in the
Guardian a few weeks ago where he said that Iraq is not ready and that
the Americans by withdrawing are abandoning Iraq to the wolves. Well I
would say that Iraq has already been abandoned to the wolves, sadly. So
this could just make a bad situation worse. It's not really a full
withdrawal. It's not really the end of ocupation. But in terms of an
advisory role perhaps there will still be some sort of military advice
going on. It's really just kind of window dressing, as I say, for the
larger issues. There's still a political power, there's still a huge
issue around sectarian violence and the sectarian strife. You know,
it's a bit frustrating when you've been covering Iraq for as long as I
have -- since 1997 -- that the media in the West is primarily
interested in Iraq when there's some news that is really more about
America than Iraq, you know? When there's been a bombing, or even the
elections which were kind of pseudo democratic I would say, there was a
flurry of media interest in Iraq. But it's very difficult to get people
interested in the status of women and how it's declined drastically or
in the larger issue of how this once secular society has become
radicalized and fundamentalist, etc. So, yeah, you know, I think
obviously the $53 billion that's been spent on "aid," a lot of that has
gone to military hardware in the name of military advisory activity. A
lot of that has gone into the pockets of American military contractors.
And, of course, to this growing army of mercenaries. Sonali
Kolhatkar: And I want to ask you about that privatizing -- further
privatizing of the occupation. But first, what do ordinary Iraqis --
what is the view of most Iraqis? Obviously, it's not going to be
homogenius but if you can give us a sense of what most Iraqis think
about the security situation in their county it would be helpful Hadani
Ditmars: Well I don't know if you read the issue that I wrote and
photographed but there was a sixty-eight-year-old architect, Muwafaq
al-Taei, a former Saddam-era town planner and he's quite an interesting
fellow because as he was being forced to build these terrible villas for
Saddam, he was also a Communist and a Shia so he was being spied on at
the same time. So he was almost killed by US troops post-invasion when
he was doing a project with the Marsh Arabs. So he's rather
philosophical as are many Iraqis. And he says in the issue that Iraqis
always sort of make do and anarchy is the mother of invention and we'll
get through this. But, you know, there's this incredible sort of
resilience that people have which I just find staggering really because
the average Iraqi has been through so much. At the time of elections,
they were -- they were quite cynical about what was going on -- and
rightly so because there was nothing really in the way of campaign
finance laws. There were incumbents like Ahmed Chalabi who were
simultaneously running for office and at the same time nixing the bids
of rival opponents under the auspices of the infamous de-Ba'athification
Commission. Government forces were rounding up opponents and jailing
them under trumped up terrorism charges. So, you know, some Iraqis -- a
lot of Iraqis I met were not voting and they were quite cynical about
it. At the same time, when the polling stations were being bombed, this
sort of encouraged Iraqis to actually get out and vote -- almost in
spite of what was going on. Lately when I've been speaking with Muwafaq
in Baghdad, he just says, "Well we're just getting on with it, you
know, the country isn't really being run by the politicians, it's being
run by the Iraqi people and we're just trying our best to make do." It's
almost like they've been set a drift. They have no real functioning
state. And this is really a contrast from, of course, the Ba'athist when
the state was the great provider, when Iraq had the best public health
and education system in the Arab world. Having said that, the state
still remains the main employer. So it's -- it's really sad to see
what's happened to the country. Going back even for the first time in
seven years, I was shocked to see how Baghdad had been so completely
broken and colonized and walled off into sectarian neighborhoods. If you
look at the fact spread, in the May issue of the New Internationalist,
there's some quite damning statistics. But there's also a very telling
map of Baghdad -- one from 2003, before the invasion, one from 2008.
And I don't know if you had a chance to look at that but you'll see that
in 2003 most of the neighborhoods were mixed -- meaning Sunni, Shia,
Christian, Muslim, Arab, Kurd. After the invasion, in 2008, the
majority of the -- in particular after the sectarian wars of 2006 and
2007, most of Baghdad neighborhoods were sectarian enclaves and the
majority Shia. So the whole social fabric of -- not to mention the
political landscape has shifted radically. And Iraqis are really, I
think, just left reeling from it all and trying to struggle for daily
survival. Today on PRI's The World, Marco Werman spoker with Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor). Excerpt: Marco
Werman: Jane Arraf is in Baghdad for the Christian Science Monitor.
She says Iraqis have mixed feelings about this transition. Jane
Arraf: Now everybody here wants to see occupation forces gone. That's
indisputable. They don't like seeing American soldiers in the street.
They don't like seeing any foreign soldiers in the street. It's fairly
natural. But having said that, there is a real sense here that this is
still a broken country and it was the Americans, pretty much, who broke
it. That's the feeling in the streets. And until they fix it, they
shouldn't just leave. Now the US will say -- US officials who are here
will say they're not just flipping a switch, they're not just leaving,
they're going to remain engaged. That doesn't actually mean a lot to
people in the street because really what matters to them is, "Are the
car bombs going off? Are those rockets being fired?" Is there a sense
that someone will protect them? Increasingly that's looking towards the
borders. Jane Arraf (CSM via McClatchy Newspapers) reports,
"In Baghdad, all leave for Iraqi soldiers and police was canceled, and
new checkpoints were set up across the city, adding another level of
frustration to Iraqis struggling to get through 115-degree heat amid
power cuts and water shortages - many of them fasting during the holy
month of Ramadan." For The NewsHour (PBS -- link has transcript, audio and video), Margaret Warner reported from Iraq last night: MARGARET
WARNER: After nearly two years of steadily declining bloodshed,
violence has been on the uptick for the past two months. The Iraqis are
in charge of security in the cities and their main line of defense are
checkpoints like these. CAPT.
MOHAMMED RADEWI, Iraqi Army (through translator): For the present
moment, the situation is unstable, and the army is using these
checkpoints to control the situation. MARGARET
WARNER: Iraqi checkpoints themselves are becoming targets, as they were
last week in a string of attacks aimed at undermining Iraqis'
confidence in their government and security forces. Baghdad resident
Janan Jezma was gloomy when asked about the U.S. force drawdown. JANAN JEZMA, resident of Baghdad: I think we need America here. We need America here. I think so. MARGARET
WARNER: One city that has had its fill of American troops is Fallujah,
west of Baghdad, in the heart of the Sunni Triangle. If you'd like to ask Margaret Warner a question about Iraq click here. The NewsHour's Rundown News Blog is collecting question. At the program's blog today, Larisa Epatko features the voices of five Iraqis on how they see the future of their country. -- after US House Rep Ron Paul delivered the following (and you can hear the audio at Antiwar.com): Amid
much fanfare last week, the last supposed "combat" troops left Iraq as
the administration touted the beginning of the end of the Iraq War and a
change in the role of the United States in that country. Considering
the continued public frustration with the war effort and with the
growing laundry list of broken promises, this was merely another one of
the administration's operations in political maneuvering and semantics
in order to convince an increasingly war-weary public that the Iraq War
is at last ending. However, military officials confirm that we are
committed to intervention in that country for years to come, and our
operations have, in fact, changed minimally, if really at all. After
eight long, draining years, I have to wonder if our government even
understands what it is to end a war anymore. The end of a war, to most
people, means all the troops come home, out of harm's way. It means we
stop killing people and getting killed. It means we stop sending troops
and armed personnel over and draining our treasury for military
operations in that foreign land. But much like the infamous "mission
accomplished" moment of the last administration, this "end" of the war
also means none of those things. 50,000
U.S. troops remain in Iraq, and they are still receiving combat pay.
One soldier was killed in Basra just last Sunday, after the supposed end
of combat operations, and the same day 5,000 men and women of the 3rd
Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood were deployed to Iraq. Their
mission will be anything but desk duty. Among other things, they will
accompany the Iraqi military on dangerous patrols, continue to be
involved in the hunt for terrorists, and provide air support for the
Iraqi military. They should be receiving combat pay, because they will
be serving a combat role! Of
course, the number of private contractors -- who perform many of the
same roles as troops, but for a lot more money -- is expected to double.
So this is a funny way of ending combat operations in Iraq. We are
still meddling in their affairs, we are still putting our men and women
in danger, and we are still spending money we don't have. This looks
more like an escalation than a drawdown to me! The
ongoing war in Iraq takes place against a backdrop of economic crisis
at home, as fresh numbers indicate that our economic situation is as bad
as ever, and getting worse! Our foreign policy is based on an illusion:
that we are actually paying for it. What we are doing is borrowing and
printing the money to maintain our presence overseas. Americans are
seeing the cost of this irresponsible approach as our economic decline
continues. Unemployed Americans have been questioning a policy that
ships hundreds of billions of dollars overseas while their own
communities crumble and their frustration is growing. An end to this
type of foreign policy is way overdue. A
return to the traditional American foreign policy of active private
engagement and non-interventionism is the only alternative that can
restore our moral and fiscal health. All the liars and whores try desperately to spin today. For example, BBC's Mark Mardell who today wants to scribble
about the Iraq War being right. He whored yesterday, he whores today.
He wants you to know the illegal war was right because, get this, Richie
Armitage told him that. Read in vain for any reminder that Richie is
the chatty gossip who helped out Valerie Plame. You won't find out about
that. The War Hawk Richie gets to spin and, unlike when he was almost
in trouble (and should have been), there's no effort to lie and claim he
was ever against the Iraq War. (That was the cover story, if you've
forgotten: Why would he intentionally out Plame, he was against the
war!) Mark Mardell drools over Richie ("hardman," "massively built,"
"arms and shoulders muscled") and you just have to wonder what Richie
did to get such fawning press. All the whores are grabbing a street light apparently. For example it's hard to tell which is more disgraceful, Paul Woflowitz for attempting to lie yet again or the New York Times for printing his garabage? Then again, there's something symbolic about the two public menaces who helped sell the illegal war coming together today. But it's not just the New York Times. US House Rep Howard P. McKeon, a War Hawk from the Republican side of the aisle, gets to whine in the Los Angeles Times that Congress better keep funding Iraq, it just better. Are you starting to notice how nothing has changed? The Iraq War is not ending. And not a damn thing's been learned. The liars and pushers are invited back by the media and the closest to an 'expanded' point of view the media wants to provide is apparently NPR's Morning Edition bringing on White House plus-size spokesmodel Robert Gibbs to 'talk' Iraq with Steve Inskeep. (Inskeep did ask some needed questions but tubby Gibbs danced around them.) It's left to Peter Bergen (CNN) to point out: It
also bears recalling that almost none of the goals of the war as
described by proponents of overthrowing Saddam were achieved: --
An alliance between Saddam and al Qaeda wasn't interrupted because
there wasn't one, according to any number of studies, including one by
the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Pentagon's internal think tank.
Indeed, it was only after the US-led invasion of Iraq that al
Qaeda established itself in the country, rising by 2006 to become an
insurgent organization that controlled most of Sunni Iraq. --
There was no democratic domino effect around the Middle East. Quite the
opposite; the authoritarian regimes became more firmly
entrenched. --
Peace did not come to Israel, as the well-known academic Fouad Ajami
anticipated before the war in Foreign Affairs. Ajami predicted that the
road to Jerusalem went through Baghdad. --
Nor did the war pay for itself as posited by top Pentagon official Paul
Wolfowitz, who told Congress in 2003 that oil revenues "could bring
between 50 and 100 billion dollars over the course of the next two or
three years. We're dealing with a country that could really finance its
own reconstruction, and relatively soon." Quite the reverse: Iraq was a
giant money sink for the American economy.
--
The supposed threat to the United States from Saddam wasn't ended
because there wasn't one to begin with. And in his place arose a
Shia-dominated Arab state, the first in modern history. With
few exceptions, all we're hearing from are the War Hawks and no one's
supposed to notice that. No one's supposed to notice that the same
whores who sold the illegal war are invited to weigh in again. Where
are the voices of peace? Where are the voices of those who were right
about the illegal war? Watch, listen and read in vain at most outlets.
One who was right, Phyllis Bennis (Foreign Policy In Focus), issues the following statement: The U.S. occupation of Iraq continues on a somewhat smaller scale, with 50,000 troops. These are combat troops, "re-missioned" by the Pentagon with new tasks, but even Secretary of Defense Gates admits they will have continuing combat capability and will continue counter-terrorism operations. The 4500 Special Forces among them will continue their "capture or kill" raids while building up the Iraqi Special Operations Forces as an El Salvador-style death squad. The only transition underway is not from U.S. to Iraqi control, but from Pentagon to State Department deployment. Thousands of new military contractors, armored transport, planes, "rapid response" forces and other military resources will all be shifted from Pentagon to State Dept control, thus remaining within the terms of the U.S.-Iraqi Status of forces Agreement that calls for all U.S. troops and Pentagon-controlled mercenaries to leave by the end of 2011. President Obama's speech will not use any terms remotely close to "mission accomplished" -- because with violence up, sectarianism rampant, the government paralyzed, corruption sky-high and rising, oil contracts creating more violence instead of national wealth, there is no victory to claim. We'll close with this from David Swanson's "Peace Movement Pushes for End to War on Iraq" about a forum over the weekend focusing on Iraq (Phyllis Bennis was at the forum, use link for full report): The second and last panel included: Josh Stieber, Iraq Veterans Against the War David Swanson, author Bill Fletcher, labor leader, scholar Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK and Global Exchange Stieber discussed, from the point of view of a soldier who believed the war lies and came to reject them, the incoherence of the bundle of excuses for this war that we've all been offered. On the one hand this is a war to kill evil Muslims. On the other hand it's a war to spread human rights. We help people out by bombing them, something Stieber said many U.S. soldiers end up joking about, most of them quickly losing any belief in the morality of their cause. I argued for voting out of office those who fund the wars, and for holding the war makers criminally and constitutionally responsible, including through launching an effort to impeach Jay Bybee and open up a congressional review of war lies and the crime of aggression. Bill Fletcher picked up where Head-Roc had left off, arguing for the need to make peace not just a preference people have when a pollster asks them, but something that resonates with them as central to the betterment of their daily lives. He pointed to the Chicano Moratorium exactly 40 years earlier as a movement to learn from. Medea Benjamin inspired, as always, with tales of recent activism by CODE PINK to oppose the war funding, to build alliances, and to hold accountable war criminals including Karl Rove and Erik Prince. And she pushed for participation on a massive scale in the march on October 2nd: http://www.onenationforpeace.org |
:: Article nr. 69373 sent on 01-sep-2010 16:50 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69373
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_31.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Obama Speech on Iraq War Also Turns to Economic Issues, Draws GOP Fire FOXNews President Obama's Oval Office address Tuesday evening was timed to mark the end of the US combat mission in Iraq, though it also came two months before ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| US defense secretary arrives in Iraq Xinhua 1 (Xinhua) -- US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates flew into Iraq in a surprise visit on Wednesday, a day after the US military formally ended combat ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Blair says did not foresee Iraq "nightmare" Reuters (press release) I can say that never did I guess the nightmare that unfolded," said Blair, referring to the years of political and sectarian bloodshed in Iraq that followed ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Remember religion's role in Iraq Washington Post (blog) By The Rev'd Canon Dr. Andrew PB White The withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq is a significant event for the religious communities and those, ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Facts, figures related to the Iraq war The Associated Press Facts related to the Iraq war and the nation's economy as the US combat role ends: US TROOP LEVELS: _ March 31, 2003: 90000 (beginning of war) _ October ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Style Over Substance In Obama's Iraq Speech FOXNews We haven't left peace and success behind in Iraq. We've left a fiasco of a failure. For more than five months the president and his administration have ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| 'Time to turn the page' on the Iraq war Washington Post "Tonight, I am announcing that the American combat mission in Iraq has ended," Obama said in his second prime-time address from the Oval Office. ... See all stories on this topic » | |
|
Iraq snapshot - August 30, 2010
The Common Ills
Monday, August 30, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Barack gets ready to spin illegal war and
guess who he plans to telephone, Joe Biden does a layover in Iraq, the
political stalemate continues, and more. On the most recent broadcast of Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera, began airing Friday),
guest host Teymoor Nabili spoke with Phyllis Bennis, Hoshyar Zebari and
Bradley Blakeman about the Status Of Forces Agreement, the drawdown and
other issues. Excerpt: Teymoor
Nabili: Well the Washington p.r. machine has been at pains to portray
the remaining US troops as advisers to the soveign Iraqi government and
security services. But is that an accurate representation of the
situation? I'm joined on today's program by Hoshyar Zebari who is
Iraq's Foreign Minister -- he's in Baghdad -- in Washington D.C. Phyllis
Bennis is the director of the New Internationalism Project at the
Institute for Policy Studies and, also in Washington, Bradley Blakeman a
former senior advisor to the former US president George Bush and now a
professor of politics and public affairs at Georgetown University.
Welcome to the program all of you. Thank you for being with us. Phyllis
Bennis, I'll begin with you if I might. The phrasing of this drawdown
has been very cautious. The last combat brigade has left Iraq, we're
told. What exactly does that mean? Phyllis
Bennis: Well it means that we're going to call them something
different. These are conventional combat brigades. These are brigades
that are being, what the Pentagon used to call, "remissioned" -- what
the Washington Post is now calling "rebranded" as something other than
what they are which is combat brigades. A new 3,000 brigade from Fort
Hood left on Sunday night. This is the 3rd Armored Calvary Division.
That is a combat brigade. That's what's left -- 50,000 combat troops
with a mission that does not officially include combat but as Secretary
[of Defense Robert] Gates was careful to say, they are prepared for
combat, they are capable of combat, they will be embedded with Iraqi
military units that will be engaging in combat and within them are 4,500
Special Ops forces who will continue to be engaged in so-called
"counter-terrorism" attacks -- meaning, go after those who we decide are
the 'bad guys.' So this is combat -- Teymoor Nabili: Bradley Blakeman, is that how you see it? Phyllis Bennis: -- on a smaller scale. Bradley
Blakeman: Yeah, I have to agree with Phyllis, this is semantics. Call
it what you want, but it's 50,000 combat troops that remain there. Our
president is very desperate for any kind of achievement. Foreign policy
seems to be the area he's concentrating on now. He needs to focus away
from his domestic woes and this is a good way for him to do that. Teymoor Nabili: Foreign Minister Zebari, the Washington policy it seems is to whitewash the reality. How do you see it? Hoshyar
Zebari: Well I think this is President Obama's campaign pledge
fulfillment actually -- pledge. He did pledge to the American public
during the election campaign that he will withdraw all combat troops by
August 31, 2010. [C.I. note: Zebari is wrong. The 'pledge' or
'promise' was first all combat troops out within 16 months of his being
sworn in and then became all out within 10 months. With the exception
of a lengthy New York Times article, he did not usually go into "combat
troops" semantics and most voters heard his cry of "We want to end the
war now!" and took "combat troops" to mean all troops out other than
Marines guarding the US Embassy in Baghdad.] And according to the SOFA
agreement or the Agreement of Withdrawal of American troops [the latter
term is what Nouri sold the SOFA to Iraqis as being] all troops should
leave the country by the end of 2011. So I think the process has gone
smoothly. There would be forces still -- a sizeable force remaining in
the country. 50,000 is not a small number. And in fact there mission
and their mandate is to advise-and-assist Iraqi security forces -- Teymoor
Nabili: But the point that the other two guests were making, Foreign
Minister, pardon me for interrupting, is that however you want to
describe this and however you want to interpret the words of the Status
Of Forces Agreement, nothing much has changed in Iraq. These are still
US combat troops and the situation and their activites will really not
be much different, will they? Hoshyar
Zebari: No, it will be different, definitely. This number 50,000, has
come down from 170,000 -- 140,000. So it's a a huge difference.
Second, the mission has changed. All US troops have left the main
cities. They are in their barracks outside the cities and they are
embedded with the Iraqi security forces. So there is a major change in
the mission, in the operation, in the mood of carrying out the
operation and so on -- Teymoor Nabili: Alright. Hoshyar Zebari: -- in the relations and their presence and Iraqi military authority. Teymoor
Nabili: And, Phyllis Bennis, surely that is the point. That, at the
end of the day, you may be right. It may all be a slight semantic
distinction but, at the end of the day, there are less troops and they
are on the way out. Phyllis
Bennis: And having fewer troops and if they are on the way out, that's a
good thing. I think there is a big question here, however. The
agreement -- the SOFA agreement that the Foreign Minister speaks of --
was of course negotiated not by President Obama but by George Bush in
the last months of his administration in 2008. In that agreement, it
does say that all troops will be gone. But there is a huge loophole
which is that if the Iraqi government which, in my view, is still
dependent on the United States for its survival decides that it needs US
troops, wants US troops to stay or if the US decides that it wants to
keep troops in Iraq for all the same reasons they were sent there in the
first place -- which has to do with oil, which has to do with bases,
which has to do with the expansion of US power in the region -- none of
those reasons have changed. If the US decides that they want to stay,
they certainly are in the position to put pressure on the Iraqi
government. If the Iraqi government decides that they want to ask the US
to stay, they could certainly take that initiative. So either side is
really in a position to say, "We'd like to renegotiate this and talk
about keeping troops further in." Even if that doesn't happen, what's
already under way is a shift -- not, as we are being told, a transition
from US troops to Iraqi troops but from Pentagon troops to State Dept
security officials. Thousands of State Dept security people are being
sent. There is the anticipation that there will be about 7,000
contractors being sent who will be doing all the things that the
military does but they will not be controlled in the same way by the
SOFA agreement which only speaks of contractors under the pay of the
Defense Dept, of the Pentagon. Those who are under the administration of
the State Dept -- which will include planes, drones, armored personnel
carriers, all of these things which are all military but they will be
officially part of the State Dept rather than the Pentagon, they will be
continuing so there is a very severe danger, I think, that this will
continue. From reality to spin, Joe Biden, US Vice President, is doing another layover in Baghdad. Michael R. Gordon (New York Times) quotes
Biden riffing on Michael Douglas' speech in Romancing the Stone: "We
are going to be just fine. They are going to be just fine." Everything
but, "Joan Wilder, inside you always were." Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) explains
he's schedule includes a photo-op on Wednesday when the illegal war is
rechristened Operation New Dawn. Sly and Gordon both note that Biden's
traveling with his "national security adviser" (pay attention to those
national security types popping up in Iraq) who stated Biden would press
on the issue of forming a government. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 23 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. Yesterday, Anthony Shadid (New York Times) reported
that the top US commander in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno, is stating that the
political stalemate could cause harm and "I worry about that a little
bit." AFP quotes
the Supreme Islamic Council of Iraq's Ammar al-Hakim stating, "We have
started to reach the end of the tunnel. In the next few days, we are
heading toward resolving the issue and accelerating the formation of a
new government." Biden's visit is part of the p.r. rollout -- a p.r. rollout which includes photo ops for Barack Obama as well. The New York Post reports
Barack visited Watler Reed Army Medical Center today . . .and that it
was only his second visit since being sworn in as President of the
United States. 20 months two visits. If he didn't need to use the
wounded as props today, it would probably still just be one visit
because it's so hard to travel all the way from the White House in DC
to Walter Reed . . . also in DC. However, White House plus-size
spokesmodel Robert Gibbs informed the country today at the White House
press briefing that Barack would be phoning (and texting?) Bully Boy
Bush tomorrow before Barack gave his speech. War Hawks bonding. How
totally non-surprising unless you're a member of the Cult of St.
Barack. The only one more delusional today than Barack or Bush may be William McKenzie who self-decieves so much it's jaw dropping.
But remember that the Dallas Morning News issued orders, prior to the
invasion, that all opposed to the incoming war must be demonized. Which
is how Sheryl Crow -- who can sing, play instruments and write songs --
got demonized as the 'music critics' pushed a pop tart and claimed
Sherly stole the pop tart's Grammy nomination (reality, the pop-tart
couldn't qualify for that year's nomination due to the release date of
her output). From the sports pages to the art pages, from the editorial
pages to the so-called 'news' pages, no paper disgraced itself more
than the Dallas Morning News and it wasn't an accident which
is why so few in the publishing industry bother to take the paper
seriously today (and no one mourns their now faded DC desk). Whether
attacking Steve Nash on the sports pages or allowing the loser ___
____ columnist to rip apart peace activists as "treasonous" (and this
was before the illegal war broke out), the Dallas Morning News proved
that there was a reason the day JFK visited Dallas (and was
assassinated) they printed their attack and call to violence on JFK. As
an 'advertisement' you understand. (I didn't see it but I understand
the loser is now doing 'rape jokes' at the paper's blog. That's the
level of 'quality' that Belo and the Dallas Morning News
provide. How proud they must all be. How fortunate the lucky ones --
including a personal friend of mine -- got away from those crazies long,
long ago.) It certainly got results, didn't it? Ewen MacAskill and Martin Chulov (Guardian) report
that while Barack prepares to spin in his big speech tomorrow, Hoshyer
Zebari has termed the drawdown and "embarrssment" due to the fact that
it happens as Iraq has still not formed a government and the reporters
note that violence has again reached a new high in Iraq. In an attempt to combat the p.r. spin and the latest wave of Operation Happy Talk, Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan issued a statement at Peace of the Action: First
of all-this was never a war, this always has been an illegal invasion
and occupation of a sovereign country and it was obviously for the
monetary benefit of a few and millions of people, including my family,
have suffered because of it. The
first MAJOR HOAX was that Saddam Hussein's Iraq had WMD and a
connection to al Qaeda and if the US didn't invade immediately Iraq
would send "mushroom clouds" or "drones with bio-weapons to the US East
Coast -- the second MAJOR HOAX was that we ended the war on May 1, 2003
when then US president, George Bush, declared an "end" to "combat
operations;' the third MAJOR HOAX is that the US ended a horrible
dictatorship only to be replaced with a puppet US regime that almost
makes execution a national sport. Now,
with a country in ruins and the US leaving many major construction
projects unfinished -- we are again perpetrating a MAJOR HOAX, not just
on the people of Iraq, but the people of the US. With
50,000 troops (the 3rd Armored Calvary is deploying from Ft. Hood, Tx
to Iraq as we speak), 18,000 mercenary killers and 82,000 support
contractors (staffing an Imperial Embassy the size of 80 football
fields), the illegal and immoral US occupation of Iraq is far from
over. As
Ret. Lt. General James Dubik said recently: "It is in our (US) interest
to have an Iraq that is friendly to the US." What he means is an Iraq
that is friendly to US war profiteers. I
want to say this in the most simple and direct way that I can: "If you
believe that the war in Iraq is over, and not merely carnage rebranded,
then you are deluding yourself and I hope you wake up to the fact that
for generations human beings have been used as pawns for the political
elite and, don't forget, that this is an election year." I
urge all of you to put on your critical-thinking caps and reject this
propaganda and reaffirm your commitment to peace above political party. Anne Pekneth (The Hill) adds,
"Let's face it, the Democrats are in an election cycle and the
president will repeat that he has kept his election promise to end the
combat mission in Iraq by the end of August 2010 and to pull out U.S.
soldiers by the end of next year. But as the respected Iraq analyst Anthony Cordesman has pointed out in a recent post for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, 'The Iraq War is not over and it is not 'won'."
Martin Chulov (Guardian) reports
that after US taxpayer monies of $53 billion were poured into Iraq
(supposedly for reconstruction) "it has come to this -- an ice machine
in a city on fire." In the 100 degree plus weather, there is no
reliable electricity (outside the Green Zone) and, of course, a potable
water crisis -- which, this time of year, usually means the annual
(since the US invasion) outbreak of cholera. Nir Rosen (National Newspaper) quotes
Sheikh Ahmad al Kinani stating, "Electricity is worse than ever.
Children and elderly are dying from the heat. Human rights is a concept
that doesn't exist in Iraq." Meanwhile Robert Siegel (NPR's All Things Considered) speaks
with the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction Stuart Bowen
today and Bowen states, "I think the single largest failed program has
been the health sector. The plan was to build a state of the art
children's oncology hospital in Basra, to construct 151 public health
care clinics taking a new level of aid out to the hinderlands in Iraq
and to refurbish the many of the broken down hospitals in the country.
None of those programs really succeeded." Reality is that Alsumaria TV reported
over the weekend that Nouri declared Iraq was on high alert because of
"information that Al Qaeda and Baathists were planning a series of
attacks across the country." In addition, Arwa Damon (CNN) reports,
"Although the security situation in Ramadi has improved dramatically,
appearances can be deceiving. Our escort from the governor's compound to
the market was nervous about spending more than a few minutes on the
streets, and we weren't able to talk to any of the shoppers and business
owners." The Governor of the province, Qasim Abid, states "he pleaded
with the United States to wait before drawing down troop levels to
50,000. But it was an appeal that feel on deaf ears in Washington". And Xiong Tong (Xinhua) reports: A
secure, stable and free Iraq, it's what the United States promised
after its tanks and armored vehicles rumbled into the center of Baghdad
and toppled former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein. Yet,
as the U.S. troops are leaving "as promised and on schedule," for Maher
Abbas, a Baghdad lawyer, the world is as broken and dangerous as these
promises could be. Abbas,
34, is a Sunni resident living in the capital's western neighborhood of
Khadraa with his family. He said that the U.S. invasion and the
following seven years were devastating to Iraqi society. "It
created deep cracks between the Iraqi factions who used to live
together for hundreds and thousands of years," he said with an apparent
anguish. That's
reality. Barack prepares to spin in the face of that reality and much
more and he'd do well to remember what happened earlier this month when
another tried to spin and how the spin's been rejected in today's news
cycle. Earlier this month, then-US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill wanted
to insist that he had done good, he had. Speaking to Steve Inskeep (NPR's Morning Edition) August 11th, he wanted to cite Iraqi oil deals as "progress." It was a claim he'd return to in his August 13th press briefing: There have been numerous security challenges that continue to exist, and I'm sure you all saw the horrific news this morning, this suicide bombing in front of a military installation in which scores of people were killed. So Iraq, I think, as I've often said, offers no refuge for those in need of instant gratification. It requires you to stay at it. But I do believe that there's some real progress there. As we speak, major oil companies are beginning to actually put drill bits in the ground. Iraq will, I think, emerge as one of the major oil producers of the world. It will have significance for really the rest of the world. I think that part of the picture is really coming into focus and I think the Iraqis are really making some progress. He went on to add later in the briefing: Yeah,
the oil law – I've got to tell you, I mean, I got there in April of '09
and everyone talked about the hydrocarbons law, the oil law. And I saw
kind of a virtual stalemate in the Council of Representatives, and I
supported the approach of just going ahead and doing contracts – that
is, doing – not – these are not ownership contracts; these are oil
service contracts. And the Iraqi Government, I think, has made a very
credible effort on that. They've also reached over to the Kurds and
they've addressed some of the issues there, where the Kurds had wanted
to export some of the oil directly. Hassan Hafidh (Dow Jones) reports
that the Ministry of Oil is declaring the contract between the KRG and
RWE AG for natural gas to be "nil and void." They state the contract
isn't legal and that the KRG didn't have the authority to make the deal.
Michael Christie and Jane Baird (Reuters) report
the KRG insists the deal is constitutional and quote the KRG's head of
Foreign Relations Falah Mustafa Bakir stating, "We will continue to
successfully develop our oil and gas in line with the constitution which
was accepted by a majority of the Iraqi people. We will not wait for
the instructions of an unsuccessful ministry like the Iraqi ministry of
oil. We express our commitment that all income will go to the federal
purse and will be distributed to all Iraqi areas without favour." Chris
Hill tried to ride a wave of Operation Happy Talk. The result was
wipeout. The White House would do well to remember that. Reality about the Iraq War has never been pretty. And things are getting worse, UPI notes
that Asharq al-Awsat is reporting the return to Iraq of Abu Deraa who
holds the 'title' of "Butcher of Baghdad" and who "could signal an
escalation in an already ferocious sectarian war between Shiites and
Sunnis as U.S. forces withdraw." Reuters notes the DoD lists 4419 US military deaths in the Iraq War (as of August 18th). Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
that a Baghdad sticky bombing claimed the life of 1 engineer and left
three people injured, a Baghdad, a Falluja bombing targeting a police
squad car which left five police officers wounded, and a Mosul attack
in which 2 brothers were shot dead. Turning to DPA's "Iraq demands the return of a rare Jewish scroll from Israel,"
if the basic facts are correct (they may be, they may not be -- DPA is
wrong as to the number of Jews in Iraq in 2003 -- they woefully
undercount the Jewish population which I don't believe hit a dozen utnil
some time in 2006), Israel is in possession of a Torah which the
Tourism Ministry of Iraq is stating ought to be returned. It ought to
be?
No. This has none of the complexities of the earlier call by the Iraqi government for Jewish documents. In the earlier case, the US, after the 2003 invasion, had discovered a large number of records that were kept by the Iraqi government on Jews in Iraq -- it was spying on them. They brought the records back to the US to preserve them -- they had been submerged in water when the US found them. Iraq demanded them back. The dispute was between Iraq and the US, between the occupied and the occupier. As I noted at Third, I was surprised the Israeli government did not step in on that. If they had and had made a claim on the documents, there would have been reasons to dispute claims. However, the US was the occupier and the documents were taken out of the country. Iraq felt no need to protect the Jewish citizens from targeting by various thugs since the invasion began. The Jewish population was targeted and was wiped out either by violence or by fleeing. To now assert that they have some right to Hebrew artifacts? They have no right. Nor do they or did they ever belong to Iraq. Whose culture was it? And since when can a nation-state, developed centuries later, attempt to lay claim to the people's property? These are not documents that the Iraqi government kept. Even now the Tourism Ministry can't state whether it was ever in the government's possession, whether it was privately owned by someone in Iraq or whether it belonged to a Jewish facility in Iraq (as many as 100,000 Jewish people were living in Iraq as late as the 1940s). These are religious artifacts and they belong to the people of that religion. The scroll is in Israel and in Israel is where it should remain. Iraq did not protect the Jewish population, it allowed it to be decimated. It has no claim or right to the scroll. Iraq is created in 1932. The scroll predates the creation of the country by centuries. Having no Jewish population today, the fact that they would even assert a right to the scroll is rather offensive. And that's before you even wiegh into consideration the fact that Iraq's unable to keep their treasures, artifacts and museums open to the public. Again, when the issue of the US having Iraqi government records on Jewish people arose, I did not weigh in with an opinion. That was an occupier/occupied issue and, with Israel making no claim to the records, it was a rather straight forward issue. This one's rather straight forward as well but not to Iraq's benefit. |
:: Article nr. 69339 sent on 31-aug-2010 16:56 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69339
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_30.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Obama speech on Iraq carries some pitfalls Washington Post By Anne E. Kornblut Anne E. Kornblut President Obama is promoting the decision to end the US combat mission in Iraq on Tuesday as a fulfillment of his ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| OPEC's August Oil Output Declined on Iraq Pipeline Bombing, Survey Shows Bloomberg Output by members with quotas, all except Iraq, dropped 5000 barrels to 26.805 million, 1.96 million above their target. Iraqi output dropped 70000 barrels, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Analysis: US hopes for Iraq collided with reality The Associated Press In Iraq, reality kept intruding on American hope. And the gap between the two helps explain why it took so long to reach the end of US combat operations ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Troops To Obama: Glad To Be Back From Iraq NPR Peters came back from her second trip to Iraq as a medic in March. She now plans to settle into a house with her husband. Sgt. Josie Peters of the US Army ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| US combat mission in Iraq comes to an end BBC News After seven and a half years, the American military's combat mission in Iraq formally ends on Tuesday. But just under 50000 troops will remain to train and ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Q&A: Is the U.S. scaling back in Iraq too early? Reuters By Michael Christie BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The US military formally ends combat operations in Iraq on Tuesday, closing what it hopes will have been the ... See all stories on this topic » |
Wards of Sickness...
Layla Anwar
:: Article nr. 69302 sent on 30-aug-2010 15:13 ECT August 30, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 69302 sent on 30-aug-2010 15:13 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69302
Link: arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2010/08/wards-of-sickness.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| 'It's too soon to tell' how the Iraq war went Washington Post By Anne Applebaum On Tuesday, Barack Obama will make a speech about Iraq. With 50000 troops still in the country in an "advisory capacity" he can't declare ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq needs intel, not soldiers, as U.S. scales back Reuters By Muhanad Mohammed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq does not need more soldiers and police to wage war against insurgents as US combat operations end, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| AP IMPACT: US wasted billions in rebuilding Iraq Washington Post By KIM GAMEL AP KHAN BANI SAAD, Iraq -- A $40 million prison sits in the desert north of Baghdad, empty. A $165 million children's hospital goes unused in ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq Says RWE Gas Partnership With Kurds Illegal Wall Street Journal By Hassan Hafidh An agreement signed by the administration of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan in Iraq with German utility RWE AG (RWE. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq computers recovered Edmonton Journal Iraq's top customs official on Sunday said 90 per cent of a multimillion-dollar batch of US-purchased computers destined for schoolchildren but allegedly ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Questions loom over drug given to sleepless vets The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Andrew White returned from a nine-month tour in Iraq beset with signs of post-traumatic stress disorder: insomnia, nightmares, ... See all stories on this topic » |
Brave Iraqi Women
Hussein Anwar
August 29, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 69285 sent on 29-aug-2010 18:22 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69285
Link: nebuchadnezzar-ii.blogspot.com/2010/08/brave-iraqi-women.html
The Morning Star : Disputing Iraq Body Count Figures.
Felicity Arbuthnot
 |
:: Article nr. 69280 sent on 29-aug-2010 15:38 ECT August 29, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 69280 sent on 29-aug-2010 15:38 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69280
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| One phase in Iraq war ends, but US work isn't done Seattle Times The US combat mission in Iraq officially ends Tuesday, 2722 days after US-led troops stormed across the border from Kuwait. The remaining 49000-some US ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| US plants in Iraq violence, division, not freedom, democracy Xinhua 28 (Xinhua) -- A fresh wave of coordinated bombings swept across Iraq's major cities on Wednesday, only one day after the United States downsized its troops ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Vail Daily columnis Jack Van Ens: Is Iraq worth the cost? Vail Daily News Like a cat's claws caught in a ball of snarled yarn, the war in Iraq binds our nation. The US has spent more than three-quarters of a trillion dollars on ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Graham calls war in Iraq a success, offers warning on Afghanistan Anderson Independent Mail SENECA — The US war in Iraq was a success, US Sen. Lindsey Graham told an Upstate audience Saturday, and President Obama should be cautious about next ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Chicago family welcomes soldier home from Iraq ABC7Chicago.com He just completed an 11-month tour of duty in Iraq and returned home amid the US troop drawdown in that country. " I'm just glad to be back home, ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq snapshot - August 27, 2010
The Common Ills
Friday, August 27, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the political stalemate continues, the
American people continue to see the Iraq War as a mistake and worse,
greater attention comes to prolonging the illegal war, who's trying to
overthrow Iraq's labor unions, and more. Last week,
Gallup and AP polls were released offering the findings that most
Americans are opposed to the Iraq War and feel it should never have been
started. Gallup found 53% judge it as a failure, 55% judged it a
failure. AP's poll with GfK Roper Public Affairs found that 65% opposed
the Iraq War. Now Brian Montopoli (CBS News) reports on CBS' poll (but doesn't explain why the New York Times
took a pass) which finds "nearly six in ten say it was a mistake to
start the battle in the first place, and most say their country did not
accomplish its objectives in Iraq." The number saying it was a mistake
is 59% which is in stark contrast to March 2003 when a majority, 69%,
stated the US was correct to declare war on Iraq (the US-led invasion
began in March 2003) and only 25% of respondents then (March 2003) said
it was a mistake. The most telling response is to question eleven: Do you think the result of the war with Iraq was worth the loss of American lives and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not? Only
20% of respondents say the war was worth the costs while 72% say it was
not worth the costs. Looking at the costs to the US, 72% are, in fact,
calling the illegal war a mistake. 57%
of Americans believe the Iraq War is going well (don't blame them,
blame a media that's forgotten Iraq) and who do they credit for that?
Montopoli reports that "one in three say both the Obama and Bush
administrations [deserve credit]. Twenty-six percent credit the Bush
administration, 20 percent credit the Obama administration, and 19
percent say neither deserves credit." Cynthia English reviews
Gallup's latest poll which sureveyed Iraqis and found a five-percent
drop in approval of US leadership from 2008 (35%) to 2010 (30%) and an
increase in approval of Iraqi leadership during the same time (2008:
28%; 2010: 41%). Jim Michaels and Mimi Hall (USA Today) report on USA Today's poll which found 60% expressing the belief that the Iraq War was not worth it. The reporters then survey a variety of people about the war and we'll note this section which includes Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan: "I
don't think there's been any measurable thing that we could cite that
this occupation of Iraq has made better. We achieved exactly nothing,"
says Cindy Sheehan, an anti-war activist. Sheehan says the war made
things worse for Iraqis and others. "My
work has gone from trying to stop these wars to trying to alert people
to the problems of being subjects of a military empire," she says. Empire
as a shell game? That would require the Orwellian use of language to
misdirect the citizens and misidentify what is going on. In other
words, that would be Barack Obama calling the military "non-combat"
forces and calling bases "outposts" and calling the continuation of the
Iraq War the 'end.' Today the Council on Foreign Relations' Bernard Gwertzman interviews the Christian Science Monitor's Jane Arraf. Bernard
Gwertzman: President Obama is planning to give a speech on Iraq next
week marking the pullout of U.S. combat troops from the country. Does
their departure make a big difference in Iraq? Jane
Arraf: It really doesn't. A lot of that is because it isn't a
development that has had much of an impact on the ground. Some have
called it a "rebranding" of the conflict, and there is some truth to
that. What we've got left are fifty thousand other troops, a substantial
number, and a lot of those are actually combat troops. Any brigade here
is erady, equipped, and trained for combat. It's just that the mission
is changing. So with that many troops on the ground, the latest
withdrawals really don't have that much of an impact, particularly since
we haven't been seeing the United States in unilateral combat missions
since June of last year. As part of the security agreement signed by the
Bush administration, the U.S. forces are taking ab ackseat to the Iraqi
forces. The bottom line is that nothing will change on September 1.
What we're really looking at is what happens as next year's deadline of
December 31, 2011, approaches for all the troops to leave. [. . .] Bernard Gwertzman: Will the United States be providing long-term air defense? Or is that supposed to end next year too? Jane
Arraf: Everything ends next year, so it really all has to be
negotiated. The commanding general in charge of training Iraqi forces
told me they are in the midst of negotiating an agreement to allow NATO
to continue training. Such an agreement of course to replace the
Iraq-U.S. security agreement will actually have to be negotiated by
whatever new government is formed. The assumption is that it will be a
pro-Western, pro-U.S. government, but that's not a certainty. What if,
for instance, the Sadrists have a large role to play in the new
government? What if it's a much more Iranian-friendly government than
some people are suggesting? They could turn to Iraq for a security
agreement. On public radio today, the security agreement was briefly touched upon. On the second hour of today's The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane was joined by Courtney Kube (NBC News), Moises Naim (El Pais) and David Wood (PoliticsDaily). Diane
Rehm: Let's turn to Iraq. For the first time since the US invasion in
2003, US troop strength in Iraq has dropped below 50,000. Is Iraq
prepared to defend itself, Courtney? Courtney
Kube: Well I think you have to remember -- I don't think you'll find
many average Iraqis on the street in Baghdad or anywhere in the country
that would say that just because Operation Iraqi Freedom is technically
ending in a few days, Operation New Dawn begins, US combat forces are
out, I don't think the average Iraqi believes that that means a light
switch is going to flick off and violence is going to end. The Iraqi
security forces are certainly going to be tested in the coming days,
weeks, months probably. But the US force that exists there now -- it's
still almost 50,000 troops, they're not going anywhere, they're not
going any beyond this until next summer. Diane Rehm: But you did have a wave of coordinated attacks in thirteen cities just -- David
Wood: Yeah, just a horrific thing. Mounted apparently by al Qaeda in
Iraq, the sort of home grown, foreign directed, Sunni terrorist
organization. What was particularly striking, I thought, was that after
these bombs went off in these thirteen cities in a two hour period, the
Iraqi people rushed in to help and people stoned them and shouted at
them and were very angry and yelled: "Why can't you protect us!" And it
was, I thought, "Uh-oh." It was a real uh-oh moment because clearly
the Iraqi security forces cannot keep this kind of thing from happening. Diane Rehm: Moises? Moises
Naim: August was the deadliest month for Iraqi security forces in the
past three years, at least 265 have been killed in June alone. And if
you look at these places where the attacks took place. They bring back
names that had gone out of the news. Falludi, Ramadi, Tikrit, Kirkuk,
Basra. These were places where we used to talk about them all the time
and then they disappeared. This is a way of telling the world and
telling Iraqis, we are still here -- on the part of insurgents in Iraq.
And explaining the fact that the US troops are leaving is creating --
plus -- the very important backdrop to this story is that Iraq doesn't
have a government. They had an election several months ago. That
election does not yield a clear result. And now they have been
struggling to create a functioning government. Diane
Rehm: How are these 50,000 so-called non-combat troops going to be able
to stand back and watch as this kind of desecration happens. Courtney
Kube: Well they won't be standing back at all. I mean 20,000 of those
50,000 are assigned to advise-and-assist brigades that -- Just today,
there was an advise-and-assist, some US troops that went out with Iraqi
security forces, arrested seven al Qaeda in Iraq suspected members.
They won't be sitting back. Almost half of those forces are going to be
involved in combat missions, frankly, it's just that they cannot do it
alone.There really hasn't been a big change in posture of US forces
since last summer, since the US forces were no longer allowed to operate
on their own, no longer allowed to conduct missions within Iraqi
cities. So the only real difference that we're seeing right now is the
numbers are down a little bit, the combat troops that were assigned to,
you know, so-called combat brigades are now out and they're now
reassigned to advise-and-assist. Diane Rehm: There is more than a little ambiguety here, David Wood. David
Wood: I think it's deliberate. I want to pick up on something Moises
was saying and that was that there's no Iraqi government in power, of
course. There's been a lot of political turbulence since March when
there were presidential [C.I. note: Parlimentary elections] elections
and nobody won a clear majority or enough to put together a government
in Parliament. One of the -- one of the upshots of that is that the
United States is supposed to be, by law, withdraw all of its
military forces from Iraq by December 31st of next year. I think that
agreement was made in the last months of the Bush administration with
the understanding that it would be renegotiated because, if it were
carried out, you wouldn't even be able to have Marine guards at the US
Embassy. With no government, you can't regnegotiate it. And the clock
is ticking. And al Qaeda in Iraq has noticed and the statement they
issued after this bombing was: "The countdown has begun to return Iraq
to the embrace of Islam and its Sunnis with God's permission." Pretty
chilling stuff. Diane Rehm: Moises. Moises
Naim: So the story here again is one of calendars versus conditions.
There is a political -- a Washington based or a US politics-centered
calendar that people are following and then there are realities on the
ground. And these two are clashing. The realities on the ground in Iraq
are not in synch with deadlines and with timelines and the calendar
that has been decided by purely domestic US politics kind of
consideration and calculations. Diane
Rehm: So next week President Obama is going to make an Oval Office
speech, next Tuesday. What's he expected to say, Moises? Moises
Naim: He's going to confirm two things that may be a bit
contradictory. I think. One is that the troops are going out and this
was his campaign promise and that Iraq is in better shape than before
and so on. But at the same time he's going to claim the continuing
support and commitment of the United States to the building of a
democratic Iraqi nation. Staying on the 'end of war' 'treaty' 'requirement,' Gareth Porter (IPS via Dissident Voice) reports,
"All indications are that the administration expects to renegotiate the
security agreement with the Iraqi government to allow a post-2011
combat presence of up to 10,000 troops, once a new government is formed
in Baghdad But Obama, fearing a backlash from anti-war voters in the
Democratic Party, who have already become disenchanted with him over
Afghanistan, is trying to play down that possibility. Instead, the White
House is trying to reassure its anti-war base that the U.S. military
role in Iraq is coming to an end." The editorial board for the Seattle Times notes
the drawdown is phase one, "Remember, the operative description is
Phase One. The departure of all U.S. military is supposed to come at the
end of 2011. Do not confuse that goal with an end of U.S. presence or
involvement in Iraq. Parsing out the future depends on definitions and
interpretations. The exist of designated combat forces still leaves
50,000 American troops in Iraq, with another 79,000 U.S. contractors.
Men and women in uniform are essentially replaced by taxpayer supported
mercenaries who attract a lot less public attention." Elise Labot (CNN) reports: For the people of Iraq, the withdrawal of U.S. forces will be largely symbolic. The average Iraqi has not seen U.S. forces since June 2009, when they redeployed to the outskirts of Iraqi cities under the terms of the 2008 security agreement between the United States and Iraq. Since then, Iraqi forces have been in charge of urban areas: manning most checkpoints, conducting operations against extremists and maintaining law and order. But for the United States, the transfer from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn is monumental. The handover will put the U.S. State Department in an expanded and indeed unprecedented role, one it is forced to scale back before it even starts due to budget constraints. All of the above is the reason people like Amitabh Pal (The Progressive) come to the conclusions they do about the 'end' of the illegal war: Besides,
the United States is not actually leaving the country. As Chris
Toensing, editor of the Middle East Report (a must-read for
understanding the area), points out, there will still be 50,000 troops
left behind in an "advisory" capacity. "The
essential realities of the Iraq War remain the same: Iraq is oil-rich
and strategically located at the head of the Persian Gulf. Its ruling
elites are fractious and weak," Toensing writes.
"Our continued troop presence is an insurance policy against disaster
for the U.S.-sponsored Iraqi politicians, who would otherwise fear
violent overthrow, and the White House, which would otherwise fear
Iraq's takeover by unfriendly elements." A lot of people will be paying for George Bush's folly for a long time to come. And Glen Ford (Black Agenda Report -- link has text and audio) points out,
"In addition to the fantasy reporting, American military and civilian
authorities are conducting fantasy arguments behind closed doors about
whether the U.S. is going to withdraw all of its military forces,
regardless of the nomenclature, by the end 0f 2011 - as required by
solemn agreement with the Iraqis. One faction favors deploying a force
of up to 10,000 mercenaries, complete with their own armored trucks, air
force and missile-firing drones. But powerful figures in the Obama
administration say they are confident they can talk the Iraqis into
allowing 10,000 uniformed American troops to stay in the country after
the deadline. Certainly, billions of dollars in bribes can sometimes
work wonders - but U.S. plans for an eternity in Iraq have repeatedly
been thwarted by the Iraqi people, themselves." As Diane and her guests noted, a political stalemate exists currently in Iraq. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 20 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. One of the biggest roadblocks for the process -- before, during and after -- has been Ahmad Chalabi. Babak Dehghanpisheh (Newsweek) notes: Salih Mutlak can only wonder where in Iraq
he might find justice. As one of the country's leading Sunni
politicians, he was puzzled and angry to learn shortly before this
spring's parliamentary elections that the Accountability and Justice
Commission had barred him from running, along with roughly 500 other
candidates. Prominent Sunni politicians like Mutlak were particularly
targeted. So he picked up the phone and called the commission's head,
Ahmad Chalabi, who was relaxing in Beirut. "I had nothing to do with
it," Chalabi calmly asserted. "Come on, Ahmad," Mutlak persisted. "What
does the committee have against me?" Chalabi told him there was a letter
showing that Mutlak had cooperated with Saddam Hussein's notorious
secret police, the Mukhabarat. "That's nonsense!" Mutlak snapped.
Chalabi promised to look into the matter and try to resolve it. But
it was not resolved. With the March elections looming, Mutlak's brother
Ibrahim took over the vacant slot -- and won. That didn't stop the
commission from stepping in again with dubious authority and
disqualifying the substitute candidate retroactively. Today, the fate of
Ibrahim Mutlak and a dozen or so other similarly disqualified
candidates remains an open question. "It's a disaster that Ahmad Chalabi
would have such an influence in this country," says Salih Mutlak. "He
wants to bring sectarianism back. He wants to damage the reputation of
the Americans. He wants to spoil everything here!" Michael Christie (Reuters) notes
of the stalemate, "But the longer the political impasse continues, the
longer it will take to address public anger about poor public services,
such as a lack of electricity in the stifling summer heat. The
perception may also grow that democracy in Iraq does not work, and Iraqi
leaders are incapable of governing, raising the risks of public
disturbances, coup attempts and increased meddling by often troublesome
neighbours." But the stalemate hasn't prevented targeting of labor
unions in Iraq. David Bacon (Truthout) reports: Early
in the morning of July 21 police stormed the offices of the Iraqi
Electrical Utility Workers Union in Basra, the poverty-stricken capital
of Iraq's oil-rich south. A shamefaced officer told Hashmeya Muhsin,
the first woman to head a national union in Iraq, that they'd come to
carry out the orders of Electricity Minister Hussain al-Shahristani to
shut the union down. As more police arrived, they took the membership
records, the files documenting often-atrocious working conditions, the
leaflets for demonstrations protesting Basra's agonizing power outages,
the computers and the phones. Finally, Muhsin and her coworkers were
pushed out and the doors locked. Shahristani's
order prohibits all trade union activity in the plants operated by the
ministry, closes union offices, and seizes control of union assets from
bank accounts to furniture. The order says the ministry will determine
what rights have been given to union officers, and take them all away.
Anyone who protests, it says, will be arrested under Iraq's
Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005. So ended seven years in which workers in the region's power plants have fought for the right to organize a legal union, to bargain with the electrical ministry, and to stop the contracting-out and privatization schemes that have threatened their jobs. The Iraqi government, while it seems paralyzed on many fronts, has unleashed a wave of actions against the country's unions that are intended to take Iraq back to the era when Saddam Hussein prohibited them for most workers, and arrested activists who protested. In just the last few months, the Maliki government has issued arrest warrants for oil union leaders and transferred that union's officers to worksites hundreds of miles from home, prohibited union activity in the oil fields, ports and refineries, forbade unions from collecting dues or opening bank accounts, and even kept leaders from leaving the country to seek support while the government cracks down. At the U.S. Embassy, the largest in the world, an official says mildly, "We're looking into it. We hope that everybody resolves their differences in an amicable way." Meanwhile, however, while the U.S. command withdraws combat troops from many areas, it is beefing up the military and private-security apparatus it maintains to protect the wave of foreign oil companies coming into Basra to exploit the wealth of Iraq's oil fields. David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. Overnight, violence continued in Iraq. Reuters notes
a Baaj attack in which 2 Iraqi soldiers and 1 Iraqi military officer
were shot dead, a Falluja roadside bombing apparently targeting police
which wounded seven people and was followed by a second bombing when
police arrived (wounding three) and a Shirqat attack on Sahwa which led
to two Sahwa being killed and four more injured. AFP reminds,
"When full control of the Sahwa passed from the US military to the
Iraqi government in April last year, Baghdad promised to integrate 20
percent of its men into the police or army, and find civil service jobs
for many others. But 52,000 are still waiting for new employment." Reuters notes
today's violence included a Kirkuk home invasion in which 1 child was
slaughtered and three members of the child's family were left injured, a
Baghdad roadside bombing claimed 1 life and injured four more people, a
Mosul roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left another person injured, a
Mosul mortar attack injured one adult male and the corpse of a
Christian male was discovered in Mosul (the man had been kidnapped
earlier in the week). Turning to England, Mark Stone (Sky News) observes
of the British inquiry into the Iraq War, "At the top of that list,
surely, is the civilian death toll. I wrote about it on this blog last month.
There was an expectation then that the subject would be raised with
ex-Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram. It was. For about a minute. Other
than that, it's hardly been mentioned." Ian Dunt (Politics) reports that Iraq Body Count (IBC) -- infamous for undercounting the dead in Iraq -- has hurled insults at the Iraq Inquiry,
labeling it both "flawed" and "derisory" and has released their
correspondent with Committee Chair John Chilcot in which they advocate
for the inquiry to (quoting from correspondence) "fully and properly
investigate Iraq casualties" and Dunt closes by noting that the Inquiry
will go to Iraq. Only they "won't." They may. That was always the point.
Chilcott has made two public statements about that. They would like to,
they hope to. Whether they go or not, nothing is concrete at this
point. Jonathan Steele (Guardian) grasps
that reality, "The five-person Chilcot inquiry team plans to visit Iraq
briefly in the next few weeks but the IBS says this appears to be 'an
afterthought'." Channel 4 News adds, "Iraq Body Count (IBC) co-founder John Sloboda told Channel 4 News:
'Some of the deaths and injuries caused must have been breaches of
British and international law, so some sort of judicial inquiry would
seem to be in order'." Meanwhile, Professor Robert Jensen (at Dissident Voice) explores the ethical issues and implications: The
legal case is straightforward: Neither invasion had the necessary
approval of the United Nations Security Council, and neither was a
response to an imminent attack. In both cases, U.S. officials pretended
to engage in diplomacy but demanded war. Under international law and the
U.S. Constitution (Article 6 is clear that "all Treaties made," such as
the UN Charter, are "the supreme Law of the Land"), both invasions were
illegal. The
moral case is also clear: U.S. officials' claims that the invasions
were necessary to protect us from terrorism or locate weapons of mass
destruction were never plausible and have been exposed as lies. The
world is a more dangerous place today than it was in 2001, when sensible
changes in U.S. foreign policy and vigorous law enforcement in
collaboration with other nations could have made us
safer. The
people who bear the greatest legal and moral responsibility for these
crimes are the politicians who send the military to war and the generals
who plan the actions, and it may seem unfair to deny the front-line
service personnel the label of "hero" when they did their duty as they
understood it. But this talk of heroism is part of the way we avoid
politics and deny the unpleasant fact that these are imperial wars. U.S.
military forces are in the Middle East and Central Asia not to bring
freedom but to extend and deepen U.S. power in a region home to the
world's most important energy resources. The nation exercising control
there increases its influence over the global economy, and despite all
the U.S. propaganda, the world realizes we have tens of thousands of
troops on the ground because of those oil and gas reserves. While
Jensen attempts to explore the complexities, Mr. Pretty Lies Barack
Obama is already reducing it all to a simplistic bumper sticker -- one
full of lies -- such as today's claim that Americans are "safer" as a
result of the Iraq War. Notice that only a War Hawk or a War Whore can
sell and spin an illegal war. The Cult of St. Barack damn well better
decide which Barry is: a War Hawk or a War Whore. He certainly isn't a
truth teller. We need to highlight two today who told the truth about
the illegal war. First up, Justin Raimondo's "All Lies, All The Time" (Antiwar.com): This farcical "withdrawal," which amounts to merely increasing the number of mercenaries in the region, is a complete fabrication, motivated by pure politics and an infinite faith in the cluelessness of the Average Joe, who is too busy looking for a job to care. As to what they'll do when the insurgency starts to rise again, not to worry: no one will notice but the soldiers in the field. Surely the American media won't be so rude as to point it out, unless the Green Zone goes up in flames and they have to evacuate stragglers by helicopter as they did in Vietnam. In that case, the visuals would be too good to pass up. Everything that comes out of this administration, from its pronouncements on the overseas front to its own unemployment numbers, is a lie: it's all lies, all the time. Even in small matters, the default is a fib, such as in the case of the Pentagon's denial that it was ever in touch with WikiLeaks about minimizing the alleged damage done by the next Afghanistan document dump. After all, why would WikiLeaks make up such a story? The feds just want the documents "expunged," thank you. I doubt they really believe it's possible to "expunge" the Afghan war logs from the internet. If so, they are dumber than anyone has so far imagined. And so much for the myth that the Pentagon really cares about any danger to Afghan informants, who might be compromised by the release of more documents: Julian Assange and WikiLeaks have given them their chance to safeguard the identities of US collaborators, and the Pentagon flat out rejected it. So be it. It's true that Iraqis suffered under the brutal rule of Saddam Hussein but his overthrow did not lead to a better life for Iraqis. "I am not a political person, but I know that under Saddam Hussein, we had electricity, clean drinking water, a healthcare system that was the envy of the Arab world and free education through college," Iraqi pharmacist Dr. Entisar Al-Arabi told me. "I have five children and every time I had a baby, I was entitled to a year of paid maternity leave. I owned a pharmacy and I could close up shop as late as I chose because the streets were safe. Today there is no security and Iraqis have terrible shortages of everything--electricity, food, water, medicines, even gasoline. Most of the educated people have fled the country, and those who remain look back longingly to the days of Saddam Hussein." Dr. Al-Arabi has joined the ranks of the nearly four million Iraqi refugees, many of whom are now living in increasingly desperate circumstances in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and around the world. Undocumented, most are not allowed to work and are forced to take extremely low paying, illegal jobs or rely on the UN and charities to survive. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported a disturbing spike in the sex trafficking of Iraqi women. There
were many truth tellers and that was a great thing. This week, we've
attempted to highlight some each day but there wasn't room on Thursday. TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week,
Charles Babbington (AP), Eamon Javers (CNBC), Karen Tumulty (Washington
Post) and Pete Williams (NBC News) join Gwen around the table. Gwen now
has a weekly column at Washington Week and the current one is "Why We Love It When the President Goes Away." This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with Karen Czarnecki, Kim Gandy, Christina Hoff Sommers and Avis Jones-DeWeever on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And this week's To The Contrary online extra is an exploration of whether or not there's any link between sex and schoolwork. Need To Know
is PBS' new program covering current events. This week's hour long
broadcast airs Fridays on most PBS stations -- but check local listings
-- and it explores hydraulic fracturing and the salmonella egg outbreak.
And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers: |
:: Article nr. 69249 sent on 28-aug-2010 14:21 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69249
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_27.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq | ||
| Leaving Iraq New York Times On Tuesday the American combat mission in Iraq — a war that should never have been fought — officially ends. President Obama deserves credit for promising ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq Security a Concern for Iraqis in US Voice of America US combat forces in Iraq are now at their lowest level since 2003. The end of Operation Iraqi Freedom August 31st marks a new phase for the remaining 50000 ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq Children Denied $1.9 Million in Computers CBS News Today's press release from the military is a rare admission of the loss of American taxpayer money in Iraq. The statement says the computers were sold by a ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| US points to oil as key to Iraq's postwar future The Associated Press WASHINGTON — When the US overthrew Saddam Hussein seven years ago, the Bush administration envisioned a liberated Iraq that was rich, stable, democratic ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq inquiry accused of ignoring civilian death toll ABC Online By Europe correspondent Emma Alberici The official inquiry into the Iraq war being held in London has been accused of ignoring the deaths of the estimated ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Iraq Drawdown, New Israel-Palestinian Talks Mark Obama's Big Mideast Week Voice of America The president will mark the end of the formal US combat role in Iraq, and the start of a new round of Middle East peace talks. The US combat mission in Iraq ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Left to 'follow through' in Iraq Washington Post By Leila Fadel FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARHORSE, IRAQ - Col. Malcolm Frost knew there would be questions. The official end to the US combat mission in Iraq ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| RWE Signs Gas Partnership With Iraq's Kurdistan Region Wall Street Journal XE) said Friday it has signed an agreement with the Kurdistan regional government to develop the northern Iraq region's natural gas infrastructure and ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq snapshot - August 26, 2010
The Common Ills
Thursday, August 26, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Sahwa is targeted today, the new US
Ambassador to Iraq pounds the (new) war drums, the political stalemate
continues, Iraqis weigh in on the drawdown, peace activists take a
stand, and more. Yesterday, Iraq was slammed with bombings and Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) counts
92 dead from violence with 379 more people left injured. The press
consensus yesterday appeared to be that security personnel were the
primary targets of yesterday's violence. Violence continues today. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports
a Baquba attack today has claimed 6 lives. The target? Sahwa members.
Sahwa, also known as "Awakenings" and "Sons Of Iraq," are fighters
(mainly Sunni -- but according to Gen David Petraeus's April 2008
Congressional testimonies, not exclusively Sunni) who were paid by the
US military to stop attacking US military equipment and US military
personnel. In 2008, as Congressional members began to get vocal about
the financial cost of Sahwa (approximately $300 per member per month
with over 96,000 Sahwa), the transition to Iraq's government or
'government' out of Baghdad picking up the bill was supposed to take
place. Despite claims in November and again in early 2009, as late as
the summer of 2009, the US was still footing the bill regularly for many
Sahwa. Despite claims by Nouri that he would absorb a number of Sahwa
(about 20%) into Iraq's security forces, that really didn't come to be
and Sahwa members began waiting weeks and weeks for late monthly
payments and then came the targeting of them, followed by attempts to
disarm them, followed by more targeting. Al Jazeera puts
the number dead at 8 (cites police sources for the number) and notes
that 52,000 Sahwa continue to remain unemployed/unabsorbed into Nouri's
'new Iraq." Caroline Alexander (Bloomberg News) notes
that al-Iraqiyah TV is reporting 8 deaths as well and reminds, "The
U.S. hailed the decision of its Sunni Muslim members to turn against
al-Qaeda as a key to a country-wide decline in attacks about a year
later." The Morning Star also reports
8 dead and states that the bombing "killed four of the guards
immeidately before gunmen reportedly finished off the survivors." Reuters adds,
"A second simultaneous assault on another Sunni militia group in the
same province was thwarted, with one attacker killed and two arrested,
Interior Ministry and provincial officials said." AFP quotes
police Cpt Firas al-Dulaimi stating, "Several members of al-Qaeda
attacked a Sahwa office when nine people were inside. Six Sahwa were
killed, two were wounded and one was unhurt." Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
8 Sahwa killed in the attack and also notes a Diyala Province bombing
in which 2 Iraqi soldiers were killed and two more were wounded. Reuters notes
an Abu Saida clash in which 1 person was killed and two more were
arrested as they attempt to assault Sahwa, a Mosul car bombing which
injured Nezhat Ali of the Turkmen Front as well as five other people, a
Hawija roadside bombing which injured one person and, dropping back to
Wednesday night for the rest, a Mosul bombing which injured one adult
and one child and Kirkuk attack in which one person was wounded in a
shooting. Meanwhile Arthur MacMillan (AFP) reports
on Sahwa Sahwa reaction to the news of the drawdown which is fear in
light of the targeting leading Sahwa's Samarra commander Majid Hassan to
ask, "If our houses are being attacked and destroyed by the terrorists
even before the withdrawal, what will happen to us when the US forces
leave?" For Morning Edition (NPR), Mike Shuster files a report about other reactions to the waves of violence. Mike
Shuster: They did the bombings because of the Americans, said Abu
Salman at his butcher shop in the Karada neighborhood of Baghdad. They
claim that when the Americans leave, there will be more bombs in Iraq.
Abu Mohammed, a construction worker, agreed. "They do think the
Americans are weaker now, so let's do it," he said. Abu Salman added,
"They are getting stronger because there's no government and there's no
protection in the street." Meanwhile the Arab Times reports on a poll by Asharq Research Centre which surveyed 1,150 Iraqis (18 and older) from August 15th through 23rd and found: * 59.8% stated that the it wasn't the right time for US forces to leave; 39.5% felt it was * 53.1% did not agree that "combat" operations should end August 31st; 46.2% did agree * 51% felt the drawdown would have a negative effect; 25.8% felt it would be positive * Does Barack Obama care about the situation in Iraq? No = 41.9%; Yes = 39.8%; don't know = 15.5% Bobby Ghosh (Time magazine) observes,
"The attacks exposed as a fiction the Obama administration's
long-standing claim that the Iraqi forces were ready and able to take
over from U.S. troops. While that claim may have played well with
war-weary Americans, Iraqis have never been fooled: only last week, the
commander of the Iraq military said his forces would not be fully ready
until 2020. The bombings don't automatically mean all (or even much) of
Iraq is once again in the grip of the insurgency. But they suggest the
country is in for a great deal more violence in the months ahead." The Hindu adds,
"The spate of murderous attacks in cities across the whole of Iraq over
the last 10 days has taken the August 2010 death toll to 535, with
nearly 400 wounded. This exceeds the July total of 500 deaths; the
authorities attribute the bombings to Sunni-militant followers of
al-Qaeda. Only one attacker was stopped in advance: in Mosul, Iraqi
soldiers spotted and killed a suicide bomber before he could blow his
car up. Above all, the intensified attacks show how little control the
United States and the Iraqi authorities have." Surveying the landscape, The Economist offers,
"American commanders were quick to remind Iraqi and American audiences
this week that their troops could still return to patrolling the streets
if needed. That is meant to be reassuring, and to a growing number of
Iraqis it is. But it does not address the underlying problem, namely the
inability of the Iraqi state to function effectively, including running
the police. Many Iraqis expect the police to respond to the latest
attacks by hiding behind even more sandbags and blast walls." March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 19 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. While
the stalemate goes on, the US Ambassador -- new US Ambassador -- to
Iraq, James Jeffrey is getting 'comfortable.' You've been advised to
pay attention to his background ("national security") and to who's
running things on the US side now. If you have, you'll find the report by Michael Christie and Jon Hemming (Reuters)
not at all surprising, if you haven't, your jaw may drop. War with/on
Iran can't just spring up, it has to be sold. Today Jeffrey informed the
reporters that "he believed groups backed by Iran were responsible for a
quarter of U.S. casualties in the Iraq war but that Tehran was not as
infuential in Iraq as thought." Give the 'diplomat' time, he'll offer
more 'thoughts' and 'beliefs' and watch the way they skew. As Kat explained last night, "First
off, Margaret Warner (The NewsHour, PBS) is in Iraq and if you have a
question about the war, you can write her and there going to pick
through the questions." The NewsHour notes: "You can e-mail your question, name and hometown to follow@newshour.org or send a tweet to @NewsHour. We'll collect questions for a few days, and Margaret will answer as many as she can here on The Rundown." In the US, Marisa Guthrie (Broadcast & Cable) reports,
"On Aug. 31, President Obama will deliver a primetime speech from the
Oval Office about the end of combat operations in Iraq. The speech,
which will be about 15 minutes long, will begin at 8 p.m ET. All of the
major networks will carry it live. Diane Sawyer will anchor ABC's
coverage of the speech. She'll be joined by George Stephanopoulos. Brian
Williams will anchor NBC's coverage, and Harry Smith will be on hand
for CBS' coverage. Fox, which has on occasion demurred in handing over
prime-time for the President's addresses, also will carry the speech
live." The drawdown didn't end the Iraq War and repeating the lie it did
effects many. Ann Rubin (KSDK) reports
some soldiers in Iraq are afraid their pay is going to be cut as a
result of the creative terminology the spin is pushing. US House Rep
Russ Carnahan tells Rubin, "The bottom line is they're in a dangerous
part of the world, but we've got to continue to do everything we can to
be sure they get that support." Meanwhile Jarrod Wise (KXAN) reports
that 800 members of the Texas Army National Guard's 36th Infantry
Division are preparing to deploy to Iraq where they will be stationed in
Basra and the 800 include people like Bank of America's Charles Clemons
and police officer Stephanie Dugan. Jennie Huerta (KVUE) adds
that the 800 head to Fort Lewis at the end of next month and will be
in Iraq following Thanksgiving for what "is only the second major
deployment of the 36th Infantry Division headquarters since World War
II, when the T-Patch soldiers were the first American troops to land in
Europe." Nikasha Dicks (Augusta Chronicle) notes
that the 63rd Expeditionary Signal Battalion's Bravo Company had a
send-off ceremony on Saturday as Bravo Company prepares for a year-long
deployment in Iraq and quotes Colen Ortiz whose husband Sgt Ortiz is
among those deploying, "The very first three [deployments], I just had
to worry about myself. Now I have someone else to worry about." Colen
Ortiz "is expecting the couple's first child in October." Heath Druzin (Stars and Stripes) explains,
"On Sept. 1, the date the U.S. mission in Iraq officially changes,
troops will still patrol the dusty fringes of this violent insurgent
stronghold. They may raid the house of a suspected terrorist. They will
continue to face the ever-present danger of roadside bombs. What they
won't do is conduct combat operations, at least on paper." At least on
paper. The Iraq War didn't end and won't end September 1st. Early
Monday morning, a major action took place as a group of activists
joined in an action to block a troop deployment at Fort Hood in Texas.
They chanted and held a huge banner "TELL THE BRASS: KISS MY ASS YOUR
FAMILY NEEDS YOU MORE." The group was originally longer but the time on
Sunday for the troops to leave in their bus was repeatedly changed. It
left early in the morning and several dedicated activists were still
present. Stephen C. Webster was present to report for Raw Story
(and was among those harassed by the police) amd reports that the
activists managed to halt the deployment "for approximately 10 seconds
while police and military personnel shoved them out of the road," that
those participating feel it was a success (it was, my opinion) and that
"not a single one of them was arrested." One of those participating in
the action was Matthis Chiroux who explains (along with others at the link) why he participated: I
am a former Army sergeant and war resister. I was press-ganged into the
Army by the Alabama Juvenile "Justice" System in 2002. While in the
military, I occupied the nations of Japan and Germany for more than four
years, with shorter tours in the Philippines and Afghanistan. I
was a Public Affairs noncommissioned officer specializing in strategic
communications. In reality, I was a propaganda artist. I was discharged
honorably to the Individual Ready Reserve in 2007. While
I have always been against the war in Iraq, I began resisting it
actively in 2008, after I received mobilization orders for a year-long
deployment to Iraq. I refused those orders in Congress in May of 2008,
calling my orders illegal and unconstitutional. I believed appealing to
Congress would end the war. When 13 Members signed a letter of support
for my decision and sent it to Bush, I thought we had won a victory for
peace. This was more than two years ago. The president has changed, and
the wars and destruction drag on. Today,
I am blocking the deployment of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment with
my fellow vets and military family members because the wars will
continue to victimize our communities until we halt this bloody machine
from within. I am putting my body on the line in solidarity with the
people of the Middle East, whose bodies have been shot, burned,
tortured, raped, and violated by our men and women in and out of
uniform. I cannot willfully allow Americans in uniform to put their
lives and the lives of Iraqis in jeopardy for a crime. We are here
because we have a responsibility to ourselves as veterans and as humans
of the world. I will not rest until my people, ALL PEOPLE, are free. The others participating who write of their actions are Bobby Whittenberg-James, Crystal Colon and Cynthia Thomas. Monday, World Can't Wait reported,
"Five peace activists successfully blockaded six buses carrying Fort
Hood Soldiers deploying to Iraq outside Fort Hood's Clarke gate this
morning at around 4 a.m." Alice Embree (The Rag Blog) reports: Under
darkness at about 4 a.m. this morning, buses carrying the 3rd Armored
Cavalry Regiment (3rd ACR) to planes were stopped by a group of five
protesters that included two Iraq veterans, one Afghanistan veteran, and
one military spouse whose husband had been deployed to Iraq three
times. The Fort Hood Disobeys group clambered down from a highway overpass where supporters held banners and signs. Holding banners that said, "Occupation is a Crime" and "Please Don't Make the Same Mistake We Did. RESIST NOW," the protesters spread across Clarke Road. Police with automatic weapons and dogs beat them out of the roadway. They were not arrested. You can find photos of the action taken by Malachi Muncey here, photos by Jeff Zavala here, Cindy Beringer (US Socialist Worker) quotes attorney James Branum stating, "The most amazing thing was troops in buses raising clinched fists as buses drove by the protest. Solidarity!" In a video Jeff Zavala made about the issue several of the activists share their thoughts. This is an excerpt: Geoff
Gernant: I think it's important people resist the occupations -- the
illegal occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. And I think it's important
to do that in a such way that it's the people themselves resisting in a
direct action and not doing something like lobbying Congress or writing
letters to Congressmen or relying on politicians to do something --
which they've shown that they're not willing to do which is end this
war. We all need to start doing, actively opposing it ourselves. And
I've been involved in activsim here, Under The Hood, for like a year or so. Crystal Colon: Because I think it's time that people do something about these wars. I don't feel like there's enough support for the wars in the American population. But there aren't enough people actually getting out there and doing something about it, trying to stop it. And I want to be one of the people that goes out there and says, you know, "This is exactly what I think, this is how I feel about this and I am going to try and stop you from doing this anyway I possibly can. I came out to Under The Hood -- I've been here since June for two months just organizing around Fort Hood, doing all the protests that we've done, like the one at the East Gate and the Col Allen banner that we made specifically for the 3rd ACR. I just really want these soldiers to know that this is not something that they have to do because I know if someone would have done this for me when I was in, I wouldn't have gone back a second time. I probably wouldn't have gone the first time if someone would have done this for me back in '06. So I really just want soldiers to know there's support for them out there, that what they're feeling -- If they're feeling like this is not what they want to do, this is against their moral values and it's against their feelings and they feel like this is not the right thing for them to do, we are there to support them and that's what I want them to see. Bobby
Whittenberg: War in our time always kills innocent civilians, it kills
children, it kills women and it destroys families both in the Middle
East and here in the United States. The United States has always been
predatory, has always been violent -- a country built on the land of
slaughtered Native people. It was built by slaves. The United States is
always killing innocent people to take things that do not belong to
them. I do not lend my consent to the actions of the United States
government. I'm here today to say no more. A lot of us have just been
talking and, you know, holding signs -- that's great. But we decided
that it's time that we moved beyond that and what we're planning is
totally non-violent but it's definitely a sign to say that we've had
enough and that we can't trust the politicians, the capitalists to end
these wars because they make them more wealthy and consolidate their
power. So if we want to see any change, we have to do it ourselves.
They always say, if you want something done right, do it yourself.
Right? That's what we're doing, do it yourself. New York State Green Party US Senate Candidate Cecile Lawrence Says that the War in Iraq Continues Despite Fanfare over departure of "last" Combat TroopsNew
York State peace and social justice activist Cecile Lawrence and Green
Party candidate for U.S. Senate remembers being amazed at former
President Bush's advice to Americans after planes hit the towers at the
bottom of Manhattan that we all should go shopping. Less than two years later, the U.S. attacked Iraq in an invasion dubbed "Shock and Awe." Major cities in Iraq were later bombed into the Middle Ages, as at least one commentator put it. Dr.
Lawrence, running for the seat to which Kisten Gillibrand was appointed
by Governor Paterson last year, is aghast at the likelihood that the
Obama administration is playing with words by announcing that he's
ending the war in Iraq with the departure from that country of the last full Army combat brigade. With 50,000 members of the U.S. military to remain in Iraq, Lawrence is convinced that the war continues but just under a new label. Lawrence
added that every since Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed Senator, she
has regularly voted for more funding for the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. From
Lawrence's perspective, this move of some military out of Iraq is a
game of smoke and mirrors. According to the State Department the numbers
of private security guards
will be massively increased and a "small army" of contractors will
remain. Lawrence noted that a member of the military commented, "Combat
operations is a sort of relative term." Lawrence also noted that the
American people have no clear picture of the roles of these private
security guards and contractors, who are highly specialized and well
trained. Their private status excludes them from the scrutiny that
troops would have. Lawrence agrees with the conclusion that this move is
simply a privatization of the occupation. Lastly, on another topics, Alexandra Tweten explores suffrage in "The Echoes of Suffrage" (Ms. magazine) which is fitting considering today. Women's Voices, Women's Vote explains: Today is Equality Day, the celebration of the adoption of the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution,
which granted women the right to vote. Join the celebration by
registering to vote, or by encouraging the women in your life to register to vote. Did You Know? Ninety years ago, one mother's plea to her son helped pass the 19th Amendment by one vote and gave American women the vote. After thirty-five of the necessary thirty-six states had ratified the amendment, the battle came to Nashville, Tennessee. One young legislator, 24 year-old Harry Burns, had previously voted with the anti-suffrage forces. But a telegram from his mother urging him to vote for the amendment and for suffrage made the difference. Burns broke a 48 to 48 tie making Tennessee the 36th and deciding state to ratify. One vote does matter. Your vote matters. Today, even though women turnout at equal or great numbers than men on election day, more than one in four American women is still not registered to vote. If you're one of them, celebrate Equality Day today by visting Women's Voices. Women's Vote website and registering to vote. If you are already registered, use your voice to talk to five women you know about the importance of voting. Read more on Equality Day from Women's Voices. Women Vote President Page Gardner on Huffington Post. |
:: Article nr. 69220 sent on 27-aug-2010 15:22 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69220
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_26.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| FACTBOX-The mechanics of the U.S. pullout from Iraq Reuters Aug 27 (Reuters) - The reduction in US troop numbers in Iraq to 50000 before President Barack Obama's Aug. 31 deadline has involved a logistical operation ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraqis Face Uncertain Future as U.S. Ends Combat Mission Wall Street Journal By SAM DAGHER AP US troops after crossing into Kuwait from Iraq, whose security now lies mainly in its own army's hands. BAGHDAD—Sheikh Fawzi Abdullah, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| 'Derisory' Iraq inquiry blasted The Press Association Campaigners have claimed that the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War had paid only "derisory" attention to Iraqi casualties in the conflict. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Pawlenty names Iraq vet Nash to top post in Guard Minneapolis Star Tribune Richard Nash, who most recently commanded military forces in the southern portion of Iraq, as the state's 30th adjutant general of the Minnesota National ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Poll: Most Americans Say Iraq War Was a Mistake CBS News With combat operations in Iraq coming to an end, most Americans believe the war is going well for the United States, a new CBS News survey finds. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Why Najaf matters in post-war Iraq Washington Post By Michael Rubin The last US brigade combat team departed Iraq on Aug. 18. While President Obama says 50000 US troops will remain there through December ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq's Economy Mounts Shaky Advance, Led by Oil Wall Street Journal By HASSAN HAFIDH Seven years after the US-led invasion, Iraq's petroleum industry shows signs of living up to the potential that American planners hoped for ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Retired generals wary of Gates plan to downsize Pentagon from top Seattle Times 11 attacks, to carry out the ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The salary cap for generals is about $180000, up from $130000 a decade ago, ... See all stories on this topic » |
Wednesday , August 25, 2010:
92 Iraqis Killed, 379 Wounded
Margaret Griffis
:: Article nr. 69180 sent on 26-aug-2010 09:09 ECT August 25, 2010 Updated at 4:52 p.m. EDT, Aug. 25, 2010 A two-hour long multiple attack against Iraq’s fragile security forces took place in major cities throughout Iraq, leaving no region untouched. At least 92 Iraqis were killed and 379 more were wounded in the apparently coordinated attacks. Although security personnel were the focus of the violence, many civilians were caught up in the mayhem as well. The bloodiest attacks took place in relatively quiet Kut and in the capital. Meanwhile, a member of the Iraqiya list, which won the most seats in parliament, called for an emergency session to discuss today’s development. A similar day of violence in Baghdad last August was dubbed "Bloody Wednesday." Today’s attacks may have left less casualties in their wake, but the reach of the attacks — from Basra to Ninewa to Diyala and Anbar, with Baghdad in the middle — was astounding by any measure. Iraqiya M.P. Falah Hassan Zaidan al-Haybi called for an emergency parliament session and warned that Iraqi forces are not ready to take over security from U.S. troops. This is a sentiment that some Arab analysts openly share. How the emergency session will take place remains to be seen. Almost six months after national elections, Iraq has yet to seat the new government. The new parliament had met briefly to be sworn in bet then went onhiatus until a new prime minister, among other officers, is selected. Meanwhile, the White House today congratulated itself on reducing the number of troops in Iraq by 94,000 since U.S. President Barack Obama took over the Oval Office. Although the remaining 49,700 soldiers and advisors are not considered "combat troops," they are still in danger. Some of the troops who were part of the drawdown, however, hoped that Iraq would soon see real stability. Still, those Iraqis who do not want foreign troops wonder if the occupation will ever actually end. President Obama will give a speech next Tuesday marking this step in the drawdown process. A suicide bomber targeting police in Kut killed 30 people and wounded 87 more. Most of the dead were police, and the hospital was quickly overwhelmed with casualties they could not treat. The bomber somehow managed to get a booby-trapped car inside the police cordon encircling the provincial government building. This is the second significant bombing in the southern city this month. In Baghdad, 15 people were killed and 58 more were wounded when a suicide car bomber struck at an al-Qahira police station parking lot. Police were not the only ones injured in the attack. Trapped civilians in neighboring residences were pulled from the rubble of their homes in the hours following the attack, while others nearly rioted over what they perceive is a lack of protection from police. An anonymous Iraqi intelligence officer suggested that the bomber had inside help. Also in the capital , three people were killed and 14 others were wounded in a blast in Kadhimiya. A bomb on Haifa Street wounded three civilians. Another blast, this one in Karrada wounded five more. In Amil, gunmen using silencers an attack at a checkpoint left killed two policemen. Two people were killed and seven more were wounded in a bombing in Allawi, while another bomb wounded three soldiers in Amiriya. In Mosul, five people were killed and 20 were wounded in a car bombing in the Daourat Abou Alisi area; an infant was among the casualties. A potential suicide bomber was killed outside an army base while another bomber was killed in Mithaq. Gunmen wounded a policeman during an attack, but when police tracked down the man they accidentally shot and killed a police colonel; there is no word on the gunman’s fate. One soldier was killed and another two were wounded in an attack at a market that left three others wounded as well. A suicide bombing at an army base south of the city left three dead and 13 wounded. In the holy city of Karbala, a car bomb killed seven people and wounded at least 33 more, including 16 policemen. Three people were killed and 18 more were wounded when two bombs were detonated outside a Muqdadiya municipal building. A suicide bomber drove into an army convoy in Fallujah, killing one soldier and wounding 10 more. Two policemen were wounded in a roadside blast. A sticky bomb killed a soldier. Police defused a separate car bomb. A bombing on al-Cinema Street in Ramadi left eight dead and as many as 13 injured. An earlier explosion killed two gunmen and wounded four bystanders when the bomb blew up prematurely. One policeman was killed and another was wounded in a roadside blast in Tikrit. A separate bomb near the university wounded seven people, including two students. Two other bombs were defused. A car bomb at a police station in Dujail wounded 20, but only five of them were police. A bus bomb near a police station in central Basra wounded 12 people. A rocket attack in Tal Afar killed a small child and wounded three people. In Kirkuk, a bomb killed one person and wounded nine others. Six car bombs wounded a total of 13 people in Balad Ruz. In Mahmoudiya, a blast killed one person and wounded four others. A bomb targeting a facilities protection convoy in Samarra wounded four people, including a commander. At least one person was wounded during a bombing in Hilla or nearby Iskandariya. A civil servant was wounded in a blast in Baiji. Gunmen blew up several homes belonging to policemen in Buhriz but only wounded four people altogether. They raised their flag on one building, Anbar province is under a curfew and vehicle ban. Police in Diyala responded to the series of attacks in that province by rounding up 32 suspects. |
:: Article nr. 69180 sent on 26-aug-2010 09:09 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69180
Link: original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/08/25/wednesday-86-iraqis-killed-371-wounded/
Google News Alert for: Iraq Obama Risks Iraq's Future Wall Street Journal We brought democracy to Iraq," one young American soldier proclaimed as the last US combat troops completed their withdrawal across the Kuwait border. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| String of Attacks Kills Dozens in Iraq Wall Street Journal By BEN LANDO BAGHDAD—At least 55 people were killed in about two dozen bombings and shootings, most of them targeting police, across Iraq on Wednesday, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Obama to speak to troops, nation next week on Iraq Washington Post President Obama will travel Tuesday to an army post in Texas to mark the end of US combat operations in Iraq, the White House announced. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Factbox: Iraq after U.S. troops end combat operations Reuters BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraq that US soldiers are leaving behind as they end a 7-1/2-year combat mission and prepare to withdraw fully by end-2011 is far ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Civil War Still a Possibility in Iraq Huffington Post (blog) I have been meaning to write a post recently concerning mutterings I've been hearing from individuals with experience in Iraq about the very real ... See all stories on this topic » |
Devastating series of attacks across Iraq kill 55
Insurgents have been stepping up their attacks on Iraq's security
forces in recent months as the US has trimmed its military presence in
the country. –Photo by Reuters
BAGHDAD: Bombers and gunmen killed 55 Iraqis in nearly two dozen attacks spanning the country Wednesday, mostly targeting security forces in seemingly coordinated strikes the day after the number of US troops fell below 50,000 for the first time since the start of the war.
Insurgents have been stepping up their attacks on Iraq's security forces in recent months as the US has trimmed its military presence in the country. At least half of those killed, 30, were Iraqi soldiers and policemen.
There were no claims of responsibility for the spate of attacks. But their scale and reach, from one end of the country to the other, underscored insurgent efforts to prove their might against security forces and political leaders who are charged with the day-to-day running and stability of Iraq.
The deadliest attack came in Kut, 100 miles southeast of Baghdad, where a suicide bomber blew up a car inside a security barrier between a police station and the provincial government's headquarters. Police and hospital officials said 19 people were killed, 15 of them policemen. An estimated 90 people were wounded.
A similar attack struck a neighborhood in north Baghdad, where a suicide bomber detonated a car bomb in a parking lot behind a police station.
Fifteen people were killed in the blast, including six policemen. Police and hospital officials said another 58 were wounded in the explosion that left a crater three yards (meters) wide and trapped people beneath the rubble of felled houses nearby.
Five others, including an Iraqi soldier and a police officer, were killed in small bursts of violence in Baghdad.
A
senior Iraqi intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorized to talk to the media, said the Baghdad
suicide bombing bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida.
Still, some security forces proved to be on guard. Police in the northern city of Mosul said Iraqi soldiers shot and killed a suicide bomber Wednesday afternoon as he sought to blow up his car outside an army base.
From the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk to the holy Shia shrine town of Karbala, scattered attacks killed and wounded scores more. They included: A local council building in Muqdadiyah, north of the capital, was hit with a car bomb.
Three people were killed and 18 wounded, said Diyala police spokesman Maj. Ghalib al-Karkhi.
In the former insurgent stronghold of Fallujah, police said a soldier was killed and 10 people wounded when a suicide bomber rammed his car into an Iraqi army convoy.
Car bombs in Kirkuk, Iskandariyah, Dujail and Mosul killed six and wounded 29. A roadside bomb in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, killed a policeman on patrol and wounded another.
Another car bomb in a Ramadi bus station west of Baghdad killed three policemen and wounded nine other people. A car bomb near police station in Karbala wounded 28 people but no fatalities were immediately reported. Two people in the southern port city of Basra were also injured by a car bomb.
Two roadside bombs in the city of Beiji killed one person and wounded five. Gunmen in Mosul attacked a police checkpoint, killing a police officer and wounding another.
While violence has subsided significantly since the height of the sectarian bloodshed in 2006 and 2007, militants continue to target members of Iraq's nascent security forces, undermining their ability to defend the country as the US ends combat operations. -AP
If you want to follow news on your mobile, click on http://dawn.com/mobile/ and download Pakistan's first mobile news application.Tags: Baghdad Baghdad bombings Baghdad unrest Iraq unrest
| Dozens dead in Iraq attacks | |||||||
 UPDATED ON: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 16:33 Mecca time, 13:33 GMT |
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A series of deadly attacks have rocked Iraq,
leaving more than 30 people dead and scores more wounded as US forces go
ahead with plans to end formal combat operations in the country. In Baghdad's deadliest attack, a suicide car bomber targeted the Qahira police station, located in the north of Iraq's capital, killing 15 people and wounding around 58 on Wednesday, Iraqi police sources told Al Jazeera. The bombing brought down segments of concrete blast wall protecting the police station, leaving a crater three metres in diameter. Al Jazeera's Mike Hanna, reporting from Baghdad,
said: "It does appear the primary targets [of Wednesday's attacks] are
police stations, checkpoints [and other] symbols of the attempt to
create a system of law and order within Iraq". Widespread carnage Also in the capital, a car bomb hit a police checkpoint in
Ameiriya, west Baghdad, wounding three people, while another bombing
killed two civilians and wounded eight in Adan Square in the north of
the city. "Two terrorists" were killed attempting to rig a car with explosives in the first attack, a police source told Al Jazeera. The second car bomb explosion wounded 12 people. In Kut, a city in Wasit province in the country's south, a suicide bomber killed at least 10 and wounded dozens others in an attack on a police station, police sources told Al Jazeera. Other sources say more than 20 people died in the attack. "Parts of the building collapsed and there are still policemen's bodies, including the police chief, under the rubble," Lieutenant-Colonel Aziz al-Amarah, a police commander in Wasit, said. A car bomber also hit a police check point in al-Muqdadiya, in Diyala province, killing three and wounding 18. "The US military and the Iraqi government are adamant that forces aligned to al-Qaeda in Iraq are behind the majority attacks," our correspondent said. "There are times, as well, when the violence is sectarian. It's very difficult to say that one organisation is behind this flurry of attacks." West of the Shia holy city of Karbala, a suicide car bomber targeted a police station in Al-Nasser district, killing one person and injuring at least 30, including policemen. In the north of the country, one person died and another eight were wounded by a bomb attack in Kirkuk. In eastern Mosul, a car bomb hit an army check point, injuring three people, including a child. There are also early reports of an attack in a car park in Basra, southern Iraq. Diyala attack On Tuesday, a suicide car bomber targeted a police checkpoint in eastern Baquba, the capital of Diyala province. The attack killed three people and wounded 13 others, mainly police. It coincided with the arrival of the convoy for Diyala's governor. A bodyguard for the governor was among the dead. "Certainly, [there has been] a flurry of violent activity in recent hours, coming to that deadline by the United States for its self-declared draw-down of its troops in Iraq," our correspondent said. "Iraq authorities have arrested a large number of people who they say are aligned to al-Qaeda." |
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Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Timeline: Invasion, surge and withdrawal in Iraq Reuters (Reuters) - The United States is on track to draw down its forces in Iraq to 50000 by August 31 when US combat operations are due to finish as part of a ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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|
Iraq snapshot - August 23, 2010
The Common Ills
Monday, August 23, 2010.
Chaos and violence continues, the US military announced another death on
Sunday, Joe Biden serves up a course in creative speaking, Margaret
Hassan's killer has escaped from an Iraqi prison, Ayad Allawi tells
Vladimir Putin that the US wants Iran's approval of any Iraqi
government, Medea Benjamin tangles with Blackwater and more. The Hindu explains,
"Over 50,000 U.S. troops are to remain in Iraq, and their numbers could
rise to 70,000. They will be called 'Advise and Assist brigades'; they
have warplanes and helicopters and will accompany Iraqi troops into
combat. The U.S. also has several big, effectively permanent military
bases in Iraq; and intends to maintain about 200,000 mercenaries as
'protectors' of western business and other interests across the
country." Before we get to anything else, we need to grasp that
reality. A lot of spin was spun today. In the United States this morning, Vice President Joe Biden gave a very strange speech. Matt Negrin (Politico) has the money quote
if not the analytical ability to realize what he has: "Don't buy into
'we have failed in Afghanistan.' We are now only beginning, with the
right general and the right number of forces, to seek our objectives."
Anyone see the problem? That's a swipe on Stanley McChrystal. So
McChrystal was the wrong general? Well darn that Bully Boy Bush for
putting McChrystal in charge of Afghanistan. Oh wait, McChrystal was
Barack's choice. Ann Scott Tyson (Washington Post), June 3, 2009:
"Army Lt. Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, President Obama's choice to lead
the war in Afghanistan, said yesterday that violence and combat deaths
will intensify as more U.S. troops surge into Taliban-held areas, but he
vowed to execute a "holistic" strategy in which killing insurgents
would be subordinate to safeguarding Afghan civilians. McChrystal, a
former Special Operations commander, pledged that if confirmed he will
take extreme measures to avoid Afghan civilian casualties -- a problem
that has long tarnished the U.S.-led military campaign -- putting
civilians at risk only when necessary to save the lives of coalition
troops." So Barack's been overseeing a war for how long? He chose the
wrong general and it took him how long to realize that? Biden
was there to talk about Iraq and, though he knows better, he gave the
usual sap and sop. Instead of talking about how the service members
should have the public's 'gratitude,' he should have offered the
government's sympathy for sending them off to fight an illegal war and a
war built on lies. Joe was in crowd pleaser mode and nothing he said
matched with the facts. "You
would not recognize the country today!" he insisted. As proof he
pointed to the ethnic cleansing/civil war of 2006 and 2007. That would
be the ethnic cleansing which created the Iraqi refugee crisis. After
you create 4.1 million refugees (higher by some estimates), you would
see less violence but, of course, the thugs need someone new to target
and it's a damn shame, A DAMN SHAME, that neither Joe Biden or Barack
Obama has said one damn word about the targeting of Iraq's LGBT
community. It is as shameful as the long silence Ronald Reagan had on
AIDS and they -- Joe and Barack -- better accept how ugly this will look
historically on their record. The LGBT community targeted and they
never said a word. On the t hetargeting, at Huffington Post, Jennifer Utz notes: Last October, New York Magazine published a horrifying article
about the persecution of gays in Iraq. The article describes men
presumed to be homosexuals being hunted down, tortured, and shot dead at
close range. The militias that commit these horrific
acts often leave the bodies on the side of the road, with the word
"PERVERT" taped to their chests. But an even more brutal method
of torture and murder has been adopted. Militias use super glue to
close the men's anuses, and then force them to drink a fluid that
induces diarrhea, causing them to explode from the
inside. As a filmmaker, I spent eight months living in Syria documenting the lives of gay Iraqi men. One
of them, a 24 year-old, left his Baghdad home after a note arrived on
his front door reading "If your gay son doesn't leave the country, we'll
kill the whole family." He told me he considered himself lucky -- "at
least they warned me." Jennifer Utz has started Iraqi Refugee Stories
to tell the stories of the world's largest refugee crisis. Joe Biden
heaped praise on the drawdown of 'combat troops' and declared this
morning, of Iraq's security forces, that they "are 650,000 strong and
already leading the way to defend and protect their country." Robert Fisk (Independent of London via ZNet) observes: So we should not be taken in by the tomfoolery on the Kuwaiti border in the last few hours, the departure of the last "combat" troops from Iraq two weeks ahead of schedule. Nor by the infantile cries of "We won" from teenage soldiers, some of whom must have been 12-years-old when George W Bush sent his army off on this catastrophic Iraqi adventure. They are leaving behind 50,000 men and women - a third of the entire US occupation force - who will be attacked and who will still have to fight against the insurgency. Yes, officially they are there to train the gunmen and militiamen and the poorest of the poor who have joined the new Iraqi army, whose own commander does not believe they will be ready to defend their country until 2020. But they will still be in occupation - for surely one of the "American interests" they must defend is their own presence - along with the thousands of armed and indisciplined mercenaries, western and eastern, who are shooting their way around Iraq to safeguard our precious western diplomats and businessmen. So say it out loud: we are not leaving.
Defend
and protect their country? They don't even have the capabilities to
secure their own borders which is, traditionally speaking, the first
measure of a nation-state's level of security. (For those in doubt,
look to Greece.) Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) reports
that attempts are being made to integrate the Kurdish and the Iraqi
forces and quotes US Lt Gen Michael Barbero stating, "The Iraqis realize
they have to get the Iraqi Army focused on defending the sovereignty of
Iraq. There is a realization that we have to move on and start doing
this and get as far down the road as we can in the next 16 months."
Arraf reminds, "Iraq, carved out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire
by the victors of World War II, borders six countries -- Saudi Arabia,
Syria, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan, and Iran." On the latest Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera, began airing on Friday), Jane Dutton explored the current state of Iraq. Jane
Dutton: Iraqis have endured invasion, economic stagnation, wars,
sanctions and internal conflict for decades. Today in the aftermath of
the seven year war in Iraq, citizens lack even the most basic of
services leaving many of them feeling helpless, desperate and in utter
disbelief that their homeland is still in a state of chaos. Now the
United Nations is promising to create a better future for the people of
Iraq. The UN will work closely with a government, civil organizations,
academia and the private sector to achieve a series of development goals
in Iraq. These goals are: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger,
achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower
women, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, combat
HIV/AIDs, malaria and other diseases, ensure environmental
sustainability and create global partnership for development. To find
out more about the Millenium Development Goals and whether the UN will
be able to achieve in developing them, I'm joined from Erbil by
Christine McNab. Ms. McNab is a director of the office of
development and humanitarian support at the United Nations Assistance
Mission for Iraq and also the United Nations' resident and humanitarian
coordinator for Iraq. And from Baghdad, by Ali Babin, the Iraqi
Minister of Planning and Development Cooperation. Welcome both of you
to the program. Ms. McNab, the very comendable goals, these Millineum
Goals, but how do you plan to go about achieving them? Christine
McNab: It's not really a matter of whether they're comendable, it's a
matter of the fact that they are very, very good shorthand for a
developmental agenda of any country. And even in a country like Iraq
which is still struggling with the impact of conflict. They do give us
very clear guidelines of what needs to be done. They're not just
development goals because they also concentrate on the most vulnerable.
So they're also humanitarian goals. Can we achieve them by 2015? It's
possible. It's going to be very, very difficult -- partly because of the
violence. But we are working closely with the ministries and the
Minister of Planning is one of our close partners. We have a network of
600 UN workers across the country -- these are national staff. We have
another 150 international staff who are working in and out of the
country as possible. And this is done in close coordination -- as you
said -- with local NGOs. And the local NGOs and our staff are going to
be the real heroes of the Millenium Development Goals because we can
help them and we can support them with government. And, especially with
the local government and local societies, they are already making a
difference. Jane
Dutton: But this is a very big week for Iraq. You touched on the
violence, it's one of the bloodiest months since the invasion. The US
troops have pulled out which will eventually leave Iraq with only 50,000
support troops. There's sewage running down the street in certain parts
of the country. The basic services aren't there. Who really cares
about these goals? Who has the desire to push them forward? Christine McNab: Are you still asking me -- Jane Dutton: I'm asking you Ms. McNab. Christine McNab: -- or are you asking the Minister? Jane Dutton: I am asking you. Christine
McNab: Okay, well who has the desire? I certainly have the desire and
my team has the desire but that's not enough. It has to come from
within, it has to come from the country. And I don't quite recognize the
picture you painted because although there is terrific violence going
on, there's also normal life going on in many parts of the country, many
governorates. People are actually able to go about their business.
Hospitals have been rebuilt or new hospitals built. We have been
rebuilding the schools. The access to clean water is increasing. And I
would be the first to admit it's not fast enough. Sanitation still is a
huge issue. And the environment has been terribly neglected. Jane Dutton: Mr. Baban -- Christine McNab: Women are getting -- Jane Dutton: Excuse me -- Christine McNab: -- better access. Jane Dutton: Okay, Mr. Baban do you support these goals, do you think that this is something that is achievable in your country? Ali
Baban: Of course, we achieve a lot. But the problem, as you diagnose
it, the lack of stablity in the country. The country face many
challenges. The chaos, the political antagonism, the lack of stability
-- this is the main problems and challenges the country faces. I think
without defeating, without overcoming those problems, we cannot achive a
lot. You cannot -- You are not talking about a normal country. You
are talking about an extraordinary situation. So we should take that in
our consideration. Jane
Dutton: How do you think these goals which are often cited as being
better suited to Africa, how do you think they fit into this
middle-income country of yours? Ali
Baban: Of course the humanitarian need is equal -- are equal around the
world. So I think the problem now that Iraqi people can overcome their
antagonism -- political antagonism -- and go for work for development.
Iraq, as you know and as all people know, is a rich country. So there is
no lack of money and we have everything in this country. We have the
fortune. But the problem mainly concentrate on development Jane
Dutton: Let's put that to Ms. McNab. How does the UN view this
political standoff at the moment. Five months on and there's still no
credible government or there's no government at all. There is no goverment. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 16 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. And
Joe Biden, with a straight face, declared to the VFW today, "It's
because politics and nationalism has broken out in Iraq." [Jon Garcia, Karen Travers and Jake Tapper (ABC News) quote
him stating, "Politics, not war, has broken out in Iraq." I'm sure
they are correct that he said that but I'm going by the speech as it was
written, working from the prepared text.] Politics have not broken out
in Iraq. They've broken in Iraq. Five months after an election and
you still can't form the government? That's a broken process. US
national security types threatening Iraqi politicians with "state of
emergency" being declared if they don't form a government? That's a
broken process. US suggesting that a new position -- that Allawi or
Nouri could take -- be created out of whole cloth and contrary to the
country's Constitution? That's a broken process. Leila Fadel (Washington Post) reported:
on the stalemate yesterday and quoted Hoshyar Zebari, Foreign Minister,
stating, "In Washington, I told them, 'It would be embarrassing if you
left and there's no government in place.' The U.S. will still have a
substantial force here, but it needs to use it to produce results. . . .
The Iraqi leaders are at an impasse, and we need help from our American
friends." Doesn't sound as sweet as the words flowing from Joe's
mouth. Andrew England (Financial Times of London) reports
that State Of Law and Iraqiya are supposed to begin talks again today
and that the break off in talks over Nouri al-Maliki's assertion (on
state TV) that Iraqiya was a "Sunni" party/slate have been mitigated by
an elaboration/explanation on Nouri's part. Talks have broken off before and may again. Meanwhile the Voice of Russia reports
that Ayad Allawi is supposed to make a trip to Russia shortly to, in
the words of an Iraqiya spokesperson, "establish trust relations between
Iraq and its friends." Joe
was crowd-pleasing so much, his nose should have grown 17 inches.
Certainly he was orbiting the earth and no longer bound by gravity or
facts when he declared that Iraqis voted for the people they wanted to
and none of these candidates "were wanted by Iran." Uh, no, Joe. No. In
fact, that's not just wrong, that's grossly wrong, that's insulting.
Did the Iraqi people get to vote for the candidates they wanted to?
Does no one remember the Justice and Accountability Commission that
purged multiple candidates from the lists? And Ahmed Chalabi and his
pal Ali al-Lami were working on whose authority? Iran. So not only
were voters denied the chance to vote for some candidates they would
have liked to have, Iran pretty much ran through the lists. And the
winners? Nouri's beloved by Iran. (The US wants Nouri because Nouri's
indicated -- according to State Dept friends -- that he will gladly go
along with extending the US occupation if he is made prime minister. So
it's no surprise that Joe is spinning so wildly for Nouri.) Politics
have broken out, declared Joe today but the Financial Times of London points out,
"The reality is that the political space the surge was meant to open up
created a vacuum that remains unfilled. Iraq's elections are the Arab
world's freest, but nearly six months on from the last polls politicians
have still not managed to form a new government. And not only the
state, but Iraqi society is broken. One in six Iraqis,
disproportionately middle-class professionals, have fled their homes,
around half for other countries." Earlier today the Voice of Russia reported
that Ayad Allawi was to make a trip to Russia in order to, in the words
of an Iraqiya spokesperson, "establish trust relations between Iraq and
its friends." Alsumaria TV reports
he has met with Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Allawi
stated the US opposed him becoming prime minister and that they will not
back anyone who does not have "good relations with Iran". Joe
insisted, "I am absolutely confident that Iraq will form a national
unity government that will be able to sustain the country." Really? It
hasn't so far. And that includes the 2005 election that led to the
formation (April 2006) of Nouri's government. That government did not
sustain the country. Saturday in Nasiriyah, there was a demonstration.
Bassem Attiya (AFP) reports that nineteen people were injured in the demonstration with people shouting, "Where is the electricity?" Press TV adds that 40 people were arrested. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) estimates
200 people participated in the protests "over power outages and bad
basic services." Nouri's been prime minister for over four years now --
in large part because he kicked back the elections (missing the
scheduled date) and in part because he refused to step aside -- so
that's all on him, Joe. Turning to legal news, David Batty (Guardian) reports
that the only person convicted (Ali Lufti Jassar) in the 2004
kidnapping and killing of CARE International's Margaret Hassan has
escaped from prison at some point and appears to have been aided in his
prison break. Mohammed Tawfeeq and CNN add: [Deputy Justice Minister Busho] Ibrahim said officials did not know of al-Rawi's escape until a month ago. The British Embassy last month said Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke of the matter to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. "Mr. Zebari assured Mr. Hague that the Iraqi government were aware of the case and were keen to ensure justice," an embassy statement said. A spokesman for Hassan's family said in a statement last month that al-Rawi had been due in court July 16 as part of an appeal against his conviction. Concern was growing over his fate, as he had missed some earlier hearings, the statement said. The court was told he had escaped in an "incident." "Jassar is known to be part of the gang that kidnapped and killed my sister," said Deirdre Manchanda, Hassan's sister, in the statement. "We have fought for justice for six years, only to find that not one member of this gang can be brought to justice." Hassan's family only wants to know where her remains are and bring them home for burial, she said. "We can only ever hope to do that if he is recaptured and brought back to face justice." AFP reports
the British Foreign Office issued the following statement: "Justice
must be done for this dreadful crime, committed against someone who
dedicated her life to helping all Iraqis." The Irish Independent adds,
"Last night, one of Mrs Hassan's sisters, Geraldine Riney, said the
family was still looking for Margaret's remains to be returned to
them." In other prison news, Trudy Rubin (Philadelphia Inquirer) reports
that Salem, her driver who was assisting the US military, was released
from jail finally but now is living an underground life to avoid
retaliation from Shi'ite militias and that his two sons remain
imprisoned. Sunday the US military announced:
"CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq – A United States Forces --
Iraq Soldier was killed today in Basra province while conducting
operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The name of the
deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and
release by the Department of Defense. The names of service members are
announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/. The announcements are made on the
Web site no earlier than 24 hours after notification of the service
member's primary next of kin. The incident is under investigation." Martin Chulov (Guardian) explains,
"Details of the incident were not released, but Basra airport base,
which is still home to about 4,000 US forces, had experienced increased
numbers of rocket attacks in recent weeks as the deadline drew near for
the withdrawal of combat troops. Two soldiers suffered minor wounds in a
rocket strike early last week, and rockets have hit the Green Zone in
Baghdad almost daily for the past month." The announcement brought the
total number of US service members killed in the Iraq War since it began
to 4417. In today's reported violence, Saad Abdul-Kadir (AP) reports
at least 3 people died in Baghdad "overnight and early Monday" and at
least twenty more were left injured -- two died from mortar shells
(three wounded), 1 Iraqi soldier killed in Ramadi (six people wounded),
three Iraqi soldiers wounded in a Mosul grenade attack. Reuters notes a Sulaimaniya mortar attack (from Iran) which injured one person and 5 people shot dead in Haditha. Mohammed Tawfeeq and CNN explain
the five were employees of the Oil Ministry and that the killers
escaped with a ton of money (approximately $400,000 in US dollars).
Meanwhile Hugh Sykes (BBC News) reports,
"Iraqi police have broken up an alleged al-Qaeda gang whose members
have been killing traffic police in Baghdad, officials said." The top US commander in Iraq, Gen Ray Odierno hit the US airwaves yesterday. James Gordon Meek (New York Daily News) told CNN's State of the Union that the US "could be there [in Iraq] beyond 2011." For many other outlets the 'news' was something else. AP thinks the news is that Odierno stated the US could resume combat operations (unlikely, says Odierno, but possible). Don Lee (Los Angeles Times) thinks that the big and new news too. By contrast, Xinhua leads with the same point Meek sees as news: Top U.S. commander in Iraq Ray Odierno said on Sunday that the United States could have a military presence in Iraq well after 2011 when all U.S. troops are set to leave. Less than two weeks before the scheduled end of U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Odierno told CNN's Candy Crowley on Sunday talk show "State of the Union" that he could imagine a scenario where "we could be there beyond 2011." So which is the big news? That call can be made. The news is that the US could be in Iraq beyond 2011. That's news thanks to the news industry. Despite a cranky CBS gas bag's claim that the internet is repeating rumors (I would guess that would be AM Talk show radio hosts, actually, but Bob Schieffer's not going to go there and risk being called out on radio) while CBS doesn't repeat rumors. (CBS legal department came to a different conclusion, Bob, or have you forgotten the AWOL Bush story on 60 Minutes II?) The reality is that CBS is among the multitude of outlets that have spent the last 18 months plus insisting that the Status Of Forces Agreement means that the Iraq War ends in 2011. That's not what it means, that's never been what it means. But the media outlets have overwhelming 'reported' otherwise. That makes Odierno's statements on that aspect news. And he told Bob that Sunday on Face The Nation (CBS News -- link has text and video), "If they ask us that they might want us to stay longer, we certainly would consider that. That would obviously be a policy decision that would be made by the national security team and the president over time." The "national security team"? Ray Odierno spoonfed press types a mouthful in that statement but watch them all play dumb again and pretend Hillary's running Iraq. And if you're still not getting it, read "Blame Hillary" at Third, and key point for those who can't grasp reality: Let's
set aside reality for just a moment and pretend Hillary will be over
'an army' in Iraq. If that's true (it's not true), why would there be
anger at Hillary? If Barack was putting Hillary in charge of such an
apparatus, the anger should be aimed at him. Or have we all forgotten the Christ-child's fabled 'superior sense of judgment.' You know, the super power which allows him to, after the fact, know what should have been done? Some call it Monday morning quarterbacking, others call it Barack Obama's glorious know-how. And remember how in campaign appearance after campaign appearance and debate after debate, he declared himself right on Iraq and Hillary wrong? Have you forgotten that? If Hillary were being put in charge of Iraq, it would be the biggest slap in the face to Barack Obama's primary supporters you could imagine. They'd elected to vote for him and not Hillary due to the Iraq War and, yet, she's being placed (by him) in charge of the Iraq War? It's not happening but, if it were, the Cult of St. Barack should be storming the barricades and issuing cries of, "Barry, how could you!!!!" So Bob and CBS, where was your SOFA reporting in real time? Where did you explain to the American people that the SOFA didn't mean the end of the Iraq War? That's right, you never did. The didn't lie on the other aspect: US troops returning to combat. They just rarely reported it; however, they did report it. You can refer to the November 2, 2007 "Iraq snapshot" the Third Estate Sunday Review's "NYT: 'Barack Obama Will Keep Troops In Iraq'" and the latter is based on the transcript of the interview conducted by Michael Gordon and Jeff Zeleny with then-candidate Barack Obama (the transcript was much more illuminating than what Gordon and Zeleny wrote up for the article that the paper ran). In the case of the SOFA, the media -- with very few exceptions -- has repeatedly and wrongly 'informed' that it means the end of the Iraq War. They practiced -- as we noted in real time -- prediction, prophecy, etc. but they were not practicing reporting. Reporting is telling readers what has happened. Barack's plan to send combat troops back into Iraq after pulling them out if things went badly was reported on. It wasn't emphasized -- didn't fit the falese image the press was attempting to paint for the Cult of St. Barack -- but it was reported. The SOFA? They're still misreporting it. Take a look at the USA Today editorial board today serving up this crap: "Seven years after the invasion and 16 months before the last U.S. soldier is scheduled to depart, few would be bold enough to proclaim victory in Iraq or foolish enough to declare defeat. Instead, U.S. operations seem destined to end in a slow, unsatisfying fadeout as Iraq muddles its way into an uncertain future. This will leave the U.S. to play a high-stakes endgame with steadily decreasing sway." Scheduled to depart? There's no such schedule at current, there never has been. Contract law isn't a tricky thing. We went over this repeatedly in the last nearly two years. And yet it's still a 'surprise' and 'news' to many because the media continues to get it wrong. And that, Bob Schieffer, is far more damaging than an opinion someone holds about whether or not someone else belongs to this religion, that religion or no religion. And, in fact, what Simmi Aujla (Politico) does is so questionable, Politico should review Aujla's resume (Aujla emphasizes the combat aspect but insists that Odierno "said the country will be ready for the U.S. withdrawal to be completed in Sept. 2011" without noting that Odierno stated US forces could remain in Iraq after 2011. A
few people are telling the truth about what did and did not happen last
week (no, Virginia, the war did not end). We'll try to spotlight a few
of them each day this week and we'll start with two today. Last week Barack offered some pretty lies and the media ran with them. Bill Van Auken (WSWS) observed: The White House and the Pentagon, assisted by a servile media, have hyped Thursday's exit of a single Stryker brigade from Iraq as the end of the "combat mission" in that country, echoing the ill-fated claim made by George W. Bush seven years ago. Obama is more skillful in packaging false propaganda than Bush, and no doubt has learned something from the glaring mistakes of his predecessor. Bush landed on the deck of the US aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln on May 1, 2003 to proclaim -- under a banner reading "Mission
Accomplished" -- that "major combat operations" in Iraq were over. A
captive audience of naval enlisted personnel was assembled on deck as
cheering extras. Obama wisely did not fly to Kuwait to deliver a similar address from atop an armored vehicle. He merely issued a statement from the White House, while leaving the heavy lifting to the television networks and their "embedded" reporters, who accompanied the brigade across the border into Kuwait and repeated the propaganda line fashioned by the administration and the military brass. Anthony Cordesman offered similar thoughts in "Iraq: 'Mission Accomplished' Mark II": Well, he did not wear a flight suit, stand on a carrier deck, or have a "Mission Accomplished" banner behind him. The fact remains, however, that President Obama did issue a second "mission accomplished statement on Iraq on August 18th, and one just as wrong and irresponsible as the one given by President Bush: Today, I'm pleased to report that -- thanks to the extraordinary service of our troops and civilians in Iraq -- our combat mission will end this month, and we will complete a substantial drawdown of our troops...By the end of this month, 50,000 troops will be serving in Iraq. As Iraqi Security Forces take responsibility for securing their country, our troops will move to an advise-and-assist role. And, consistent with our agreement with the Iraqi government, all of our troops will be out of Iraq by the end of next year. Meanwhile, we will continue to build a strong partnership with the Iraqi people with an increased civilian commitment and diplomatic effort. Political posturing is the norm in Washington, and claiming victory and an end to a war is far more popular than bearing the burden of leadership and dealing with
reality. The Iraq War is not over and it is not "won." In fact, it is
at as critical a stage as at any time since 2003. Regardless of the
reasons for going to war, everything now depends on a successful
transition to an effective and unified Iraqi
government, and Iraqi security forces that can bring both security and
stability to the average Iraqi. The creation of such an "end state" will
take a minimum of another five years, and probably ten. Iraq still faces a serious insurgency, and deep ethnic and sectarian tensions. In spite of its potential oil wealth, its economy is one of the poorest in the world in terms of real per capita income, and it is the second year of a budget crisis that has force it to devote most state funds to paying salaries and maintaining employment at the cost of both development and creating effective security forces. Other
voices telling the truth that we'll highlight in the week are Cindy
Sheehan and Medea Benjamin and, on the latter, we'll close with the
opening of Medea's "Blackwater vs. Pinkwater: The Wife of Eric Prince Picks a Fight With CODEPINK" (War Is A Crime.org): It
felt surreal to be inside the home of Erik Prince, the founder, owner
and chairman of Blackwater (or Xe, as it is now called). Prince, a
former Navy Seal, provides security for the CIA, the Pentagon and the
State Department. His company trains 40,000 people a year in skills that
include personal protection. Yet his home in McLean, Virginia, has no
security. None. Not even a fence or a guard dog or a No Trespassing
sign. And his mother-in-law, who helps care for his young children,
invited a total stranger--me--into his home without hesitation. I had gone to Princes' home, together with two CODEPINK colleagues, assuming it would be empty. I'd read in the New York Times that Mr. Prince and his family had moved out of the country, fleeing from a series of civil lawsuits, criminal charges and Congressional investigations stemming from his company's contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the news, "In documents filed last week in a civil lawsuit brought by former Blackwater employees accusing Mr. Prince of defrauding the government, Mr. Prince sought to avoid giving a deposition by stating that he had moved to Abu Dhabi [which is in the United Arab Emirates] in time for his children to enter school there on August 15." Susan Burke, the lawyer seeking the deposition, announced that she was flying to the Emirates to find him. I had been feeling particularly upset about Blackwater lately. Seeing the combat troops leaving Iraq, I'd been thinking about the banner CODEPINK members held in countless anti-war vigils: "Iraq War: Who Lies? Who Dies? Who Pays? Who Profits?" Politicians lied about weapons of mass destruction, Iraqis and American soldiers died, U.S. taxpayers paid, and companies like Blackwater make a killing. In just a few years, Blackwater received over $1 billion in U.S. government contracts, contracts that accounted for 90 percent of its revenue. Erik Prince, the company's sole owner, was now taking his profits, trying to sell the company and running away to the Emirates, a country that has no extradition treaty with the United States. |
:: Article nr. 69119 sent on 24-aug-2010 17:36 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69119
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_23.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Iraq acknowledges Briton's killer escaped The Associated Press BAGHDAD — Iraq's deputy justice minister has acknowledged the convicted killer of British aid worker Margaret Hassan has escaped from prison. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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Iraq snapshot - August 20, 2010
The Common Ills
Friday, August 20, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the US military suffers another death in
Iraq, some in the media try to set the story straight about what's
taking place in Iraq while others spin like crazy, the US Army's latest
suicide statistics, and more. The Scripps Howard News Service reports,
"As the last combat troops leave Iraq, one Kentucky family learnst
their son has died there." Christopher Wright of Lewis County, Kentucky
is the fallen. Misty Maynard (Ledger Independent) reports
he was on his second tour of duty in Iraq and she speaks to the
family's pastor John Moore, of Tollesboro Christian Church, "Moore said
it had been at least a year since he had seen Christopher Wright. One of
the most vivid aspects of Wright, Moore said, was his passion for the
military and his hopes to attend jump school and become a Ranger or a
Green Beret." Elizabeth Dorsett (WKYT) quotes
James King, who works for Joe Cochran (Christopher Wright's father), on
the family learning the news, "When the military guys came in, they
didn't have to say anything." ICCC's current total for the number of US
service members killed in Iraq is 4416. Strangely USF never announced the death. The
war didn't end yesterday. The one good thing about so many pushing the
myth that it did is that so many people are weighing in. If you're
noted, you were among the best weighing in but that doesn't mean we
happen to agree with you in part or in total. Let's start with US Senator Russ Feingold: "While
I applaud President Obama for sticking to his redeployment timetable,
more than 50,000 U.S. troops are still serving in harm's way in Iraq. I
urge the president to redeploy those remaining troops as promptly and
safely as possible so we can reduce the strain on our military and our
budget. "While
our departure from Iraq is taking much longer than it should, it does
show that setting a timetable for redeployment can help contribute to
stability and enable us to focus on combating al Qaeda's global network.
Al Qaeda and its affiliates continue to expand in places around the
world like Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, North Africa and elsewhere. Rather
than send more troops to Afghanistan, where there is no military
solution, the president should lay out a timetable for ending our
military involvement there so we are better able to combat al Qaeda's
global network without needlessly risking American lives and spending
dollars we don't have." No, Barack didn't keep his pledge, but we'll note that after Matthew Rothschild (link is audio): I'm Matt Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive, with my Progressive Point of View which you can also grab off our website over at Progressive.org.
Barack Obama is to be commended for keeping his pledge to pull US
combat troops out of Iraq by the end of August and congratulations to
the soldiers and the families of the soldiers coming home. But let's
remember that 4,415 members of the US military never came home and
hundreds of thousands of Iraqis died in this immoral and illegal war
that Bush and Cheney launched for no good reason. And let's also
remember that the US still has 56,000 troops in Iraq who may well see
combat in the year ahead and by the end of next year, it's not like the
American presence will vanish. The State Dep is building new fortresses
in Iraq to go along with the massive embassy in Baghdad. It's spending
upward of one million dollars on outposts in Erbil, Mosul and Kirkuk and
Basra. And instead of soldiers guarding these facilities and the
diplomats who work there, the State Department is going to be relying on
7,000 private contractors -- mercenaries by any other name. This is
good news for the like of DynCorp and Blackwater, but not for Iraq and
not for us. I'm Matt Rothschild and that's how I see it. I'm
disgusted and that's how it is. 'Barack Obama is to be congratulated .
. . but that mean nasty State Dept!!!' What? Barack got congratulated
(despite the fact that it was not his campaign promise -- or is basic
math not a progressive value? -- April 2010 was one campaign pledge and,
in Texas in Feb. 2008, he lowered it October 2009). But not held
accountable. But not held accountable? Who is over the State Dept, who
is over the entire federal government in the United States? That would
be the president who would be Barack Obama. It's real cute the way
Matthew Rothschild parcel's out praise for Barack (unearned praise, Matt
Rothchild) but can't hold him accountable. Now the militarization of
diplomacy was Samantha Power's plan -- presented to Barack in 2007. But
he signed off on it. He's the one seeing that it's executed. He's the
one putting all the national security types -- past and present -- on
it. And that's why we're calling it the "militarization of diplomacy."
When no one was talking about or writing about it, we called it the
"militarization of the State Dept" but this really won't be State Dept
led. This will go under the national security and that's why those
people -- including the gangbusters for it woman who is so convinced she
gets Robert Gates' job if he does step down in 2011 -- are the ones at
the meetings and why so many meetings take place without State even
being present or in the loop. It's also why the new US Ambassador was
selected. (Or are we ignoring his national security background as
well?) About the militarization of diplomacy, yesterday, Michele Kelemen (All Things Considered, NPR -- link has audio and text) reported: Michele Kelemen: Overseeing contractors will be another key challenge, he says. Security contractors will be needed not just at the embassy but also at the other diplomatic outposts that are being opened if diplomats are going to be able to get out of their buildings to do their jobs. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Michael Corbin says there will be two consulates - one in the southern city of Basra and one in Erbil in the Kurdish north. There are also plans for temporary branch offices in Mosul and Kirkuk. Michael Corbin (Deputy Assistant Secretary of State): These are a three- to five-year presence. And we chose the Kurd-Arab fault line, as we like to call it, it's not what the Iraqis call it. But there are issues in Kirkuk and in Mosul that have not only to do with Arab-Kurd issues but also Iraq's minorities. Peter
Hart: Goodbye Operation Iraqi Freedom, hello Operation New Dawn. The
Iraq War is ending, we're told, with TV crews back in Iraq, capturing
footage of the final combat troops exiting the country. One might reach
for the term Orwellian to describe such events, perhaps because there is
no fitting way to convey the "up is down, black is white" sense of what
has happened in Iraq and what is happening there now. Our next guest
wrote about this for Salon.com under the headline "The Iraq Withdrawal:
An Orwellian Success." Hannah Gurman is an assistant professor at New
York University's Gallatin School. She joins us now by phone. Welcome
to CounterSpin, Hannah Gurman. Hannah Gurman: My pleasure. Peter
Hart: Well here's the official story: Violence is down, Iraqis are
stepping up, as ABC's Christiane Amanpour put it recently, "The surge,
let's face it, has worked." These are basically the indisputable facts
in our media discussions about Iraq. In what ways do you think this Iraq
narrative might qualify as Orwellian, as you put it? Hannah
Gurman: Well it's really hard to say where to begin. By almost every
measure with respect to security, the state of Iraqi politics and maybe
most importantly Iraqis to basic resources and the state of Iraq's
infrastructure. There are things that the mainstream story just isn't
illuminating. In terms of infrastructure, for example, there are still
many, many Iraqis who do not have electricity. They have about two to
three hours of electricity a day. And the latest Brookings Index shows
that there are 30 - 50,000 private generators making up for that gap
between the national grid and what people actually need. So that's just
one example of the basic situation on the ground that we don't really
hear that much about from Obama or from Ambassador Christopher Hill when
they are touting the success of the surge narrative. Peter
Hart: It's interesting, those Brookings numbers used to be widely cited
in the media when they wanted to cite progress in the Iraq War. You
don't hear them cited as often now. Perhaps because the findings are
rather dismal. Hannah
Gurman: Yeah and that gets to heart of really what Iraqi citizens
see on the ground and they point to the every day situation. So it is
interesting that that's one of the things that we're really not hearing
very much about in terms of the surge narrative. We're hearing a lot
more about the decreases in violence, we're hearing a lot more about the
optimism of Iraqi politics and even with respect to their things, there
are things to be questioned. Peter Hart: Speaking of Orwellian, I'm looking at the Washington Post headline the day we record this show, "Operation Iraqi Freedom Ends As Last Combat Soldiers Leave Baghdad."
The article [by Ernesto Londono] notes that there might never be an
acknowledged end to the Iraq War. The real point seems to be this: US
commanders are also stressing that this is no longer America's war to
lose. The end it would seem is not about winning then, it's about not
losing. Hannah
Gurman: Yeah and it does also point to the strange shift from the
concept of victory which used to be the way people thought about
America's goals in war to now success so even if we don't win, we still
don't lose. There is this prominent word "success" and you see it
everywhere in discussions of the Iraq withdrawal -- that we are
"successfully" handing over this situation to Iraq. Peter Hart: Also today, the day we record this show [Thursday], the New York Times has this piece [by Michael R. Gordon]
that's somewhat muddled. It tells us there's going to be this tiny
military presence in Iraq. Experts are quoted saying this will be
insufficient for the task, we may need to send more troops. At the same
time, this presence will exist alongside thousands of private security
forces, five massive compounds, massive amounts of State Dept planes and
helicopters, there will be private security guards. The Times explains
these are "quick reaction forces" to rescue citizens in trouble. And it
also tell us that Iraqis object to these forces because they have a
history of killing civilians. What are the mechanics of the Iraq
occupation in this post-war phase. Hannah
Gurman: Well you heard that today, or Thursday morning Iraqi time, the
last combat brigade pulled out of Iraq so now you have by the end of
this month, 50,000 troops are going to be in Iraq and they're going to
be simply transferred or relabled from "combat battallions" to
"advise-and-assist battallions." And so they'll be there training or
continuing to train the Iraqi security forces. What they actually do on
the ground, I think, is very much up in the air whether and when they
will actually be participating in combat, I think, is very much up to
debate. Then you have this other story you've been discussing which is
the transferring over, in many ways, the transferring over
military responsibilities to the civilian personnel in Iraq. And, in
essance, it's a shadow army. It's very paradoxical because on the one
hand it really raises the responsibility of the civilian presence in
Iraq but, on the other hand, it's really a civilian presence that is
operating security appartaus in Iraq. And there are many military and
even senior civilian officials who believe that that civilian presecne
is going to have to be upped or eventually supported by a more
conventional military presence. So they really don't know. Moving over to today's second hour of The Diane Rehm Show today, Diane and her guests David Ignatius (Washington Post), Laura Rozen (Politico) and Thom Shanker (New York Times). Diane Rehm: Thom Shanker, the last American brigade left Iraq yesterday. Wasn't this earlier than the actual deadline? Thom
Shanker: Well it's very interesting, Diane. We have to be careful of
the words we use and the labels we apply. I mean what the American
military force in Iraq has been doing for the past six to nine months is
very similar to what they'll be doing throughout the rest of this year
and 2011. What the military did is they waived their hand and
symbolically said 4-2 Stryker brigade from Fort Lewis is the brigade that's leaving
and will not be replaced. So that brigade has left Baghdad and crossed
the border into Kuwait on its way back to the United States. But there
are six brigades left in Iraq, still 56,000 troops whose mission
officially changes on September 1st, from combat to advise-and-assist,
but that's been going on. In fact we should note the 4-2 Stryker
brigade that's gotten so much attention did not lose a single soldier to
a combat death during its entire 12 months there. So clearly the
mission has been changing. I think it's sort of a case, if we could
rephrase the great John Lennon song, it's not exactly peace, but all we are saying is give the non-combat-advise-and-assist mission a chance. Diane Rehm: What about the contractors who were left behind? What kind of role will they play? Thom
Shanker: They will only have an increasing role. When the American
military officially ends its presence under the Status Of Forces
Agreement at the end of next year, the State Dept takes over. We've
already seen statistics. The State Dept will have to hire up to 7,000
security contractors to protect its 5 hardened sites across the country.
The State Dept's looking at a security operations bill of a billion
dollars once the American military leaves and, with it, helicopters,
armored vehicles, security patrols. I don't think the American people
understand the cost and extent of the commitment to sustain whatever
progress has been made. Diane Rehm: Laura Rozen, I don't get that the State Dept is going to be taking over the security measures. Laura
Rozen: Well that's actually the point the State Dept and Defense
officials have been trying to make this past week is that, you know, in
the effort to normalize the US-bilateral relationship with Iraq, the
State Dept will be taking the lead from the Pentagon in managing US
relations with Iraq. And they've actually been Defense Dept and State
Dept officials going together to Congress to try to ask for the kind of
appropriations Thom is talking about. And the State appropriaters in
Congress just aren't used to these 5, 6, 7 billion dollar appropriations
requests from the State Dept. You know, they spent monthly, for the
Pentagon in Iraq. So the Pentagon and the State Dept have been quite
frustrated. They had to downsize a bit the US diplomatic presence that
will be in Iraq over the next several years to five total diplomatic
offics. Diane Rehm: David Ignatius, I'm totally confused by this. David
Ignatius: Well welcome to Iraq. You shouldn't imply that the State
Dept is going to have responsibility for security. It won't. The
contractors who will be coming in, many of them will be doing
force-protection to protect these State Dept officers. They're not a
military force. They need in today's Iraq people to travel with and keep
them safe. The problem is that Iraq is kind of now really excited
about getting its sovereignty. Excited but not all is efficacious in
dealing with it. And the issue of contractors is a very, very prickly
one for the Iraqis. We've had incidents in which Blackwater people shot
people up in downtown Baghdad. So it's a real problem. The State Dept
is going to need people to protect them but the people doing the
protecting may be very unpopular in Iraq. Diane
Rehm: Thom Shanker, what about training Iraqi soldiers? Just before
the brigade pulled out, you had Iraqi recruits killed in a suicide
bombing. Thom
Shanker: That's exactly right, Diane. Even though the overall violence
levels are far, far below what they were at the worst of 2006, the
insurgents and the militants are still capable of spectacular attacks.
What's happening between September 1st when the Operation Iraqi Freedom,
the invasion war plan, becomes Operation New Dawn, anadvise-andd assist
mission for the Americans, 50,000 American military personnel that stay
through the end of next year are doing exactly what you said, Diane.
They'll be training, advising, trying to make certain if they can that
the Iraqi security forces can do it all once they leave at the end of
2011 unless, unless, the Iraqis ask for a continued American presence. Diane Rehm: David. David
Ignatius: Diane, I think when we're talking about Iraq, we ought to
just know the really sad point from the standpoint of view which is as
the designated withdrawal of the last combat brigade happens, Iraq
doesn't have a government yet. Five months after the elections, if you
want to put any kind of positive spin on this terrible, painful
experience in Iraq it's that the US brought democratic elections, Iraq
has elected a Parliament but that Parliament is frozen. In talking with
an Iraqi friend of mine, who's part of the government, yesterday, he
said they just don't see any way forward right now. The administration
here in Washington is working very hard to try to broker a deal between
Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya faction -- he's a former prime minister -- and the
current prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and his State Of Law faction
that would add a new position that presumably would be given to Allawi
where he would run a national security council and have some security
-- It's a kind of jury-rigged system for a country that can't make the
positions its got already work in a functional manner, the idea of
adding a whole new layer, strikes some people as crazy. But that's the
current administration plan for breaking the logjam. Diane Rehm: And let us not forget that the US death toll -- the US death toll has been 4415 soldiers-- men, women. And that does not even touch the Iraqi civilians who've been killed in the process. Thom
Shanker: That's exactly right to weave that point and the smart point
that David just made. I was having coffee with some smart army colonels
yesterday at the Pentagon. Officers who have had multiple tours in
Iraq. They have made peace with the sacrfice of their colleagues and
comrades because they are soldiers, they are patriots. They've made
peace with the initial mission for the invasion: Weapons of Mass
Destruction proving false. They've made peace with the under-resourcing
of the war. But as the last combat troop leaves, as the 50,000 remaining
advise-and-assist, what really troubles smart military officers is:
Will the Iraqis take advantage of the great sacrifice of American blood
and treasury that's made this possible? And as David so correctly said,
that's the question mark today. . I
called out Matthew Rothschild, so we'll note of the above exchange a
few points. First off, Diane noted the US death toll and that was
good. That's one of the things she does best. However, she then went
into civilians. Civilians? Iraqis. Iraqis. No matter what you label
them, they live in their own country. This nonsense of a US death count
but only an Iraqi civilian matters? Do we think the US military sent
civilians into Iraq with guns? No, they sent a fighting force into a
foreign country. Iraqis who fought back an invasion and continue to
fight it are defending their country. And the history of Iraq will
decide whether they are heroes or scoundrels. But what they are right
now is Iraqis and their deaths need to be counted regardless of whether
they are civilian or 'insurgent,' regardless of whether they are
civilian or military. In fact, there's something really disgusting
about the US trumpeting its own military death toll but repeatedly the
White House (under Bush and under Barack) spins and the press runs with
this idea that only Iraqi civilians deaths matter. We count the US dead
and we take that seriously -- the US military dead. Why are Iraqi
soldiers and police officers less important? They're not. Again, I do
not subscribe to these classifications which I find insulting (I do not
believe Diane was trying to be insulting and this didn't originate with
her) to the suffering of the Iraqi people. The
suffering of the Iraqi people. This 'great gift' the US gave ("under
false pretenses" as a listener e-mailed)? It's really not a great
gift. You may show up at Sue's house with a juicer. But Sue has a
juicer already that she doesn't use and doesn't want. You can go all
over town telling people you gave Sue a great gift. Actually, Sue, the
one who received it, will determine whether it's a great gift or not.
She's the one who will use it (or toss it). The Iraqi people are not
all in agreement on what the US 'gave.' There feelings -- little
explored in the press -- need to be taken into account. I could go on
and on but I'll leave it at that. As noted, a listener brought up
objections. Thom Shanker responded but it is not his place -- does he
not get this -- to hail what has happened in Iraq as "a truly historic
opportunity". Iraq may or may not want democracy. That's why it
hasn't taken root, pay attention, they haven't been allowed to decide.
The exiles have ruled over them, put in place by the US government. It
is not for Thom Shanker, an American citizen, to decide that what was
done in Iraq is "a truly historic opportunity" for the Iraqis. The
Iraqis -- who are not being asked or reported on -- are the ones who
will decide whether the alleged 'gift' is a good one or a bad one. It's
their country. Do we not get that? Democracy is self-determination.
They could determine tomorrow they want a dictator. That would be a
democratic move in making that decision if that's the choice they wanted
to make. It is not on the US to decide for the Iraqis. Thom Shanker
is a smart person and an often gifted reporter so it is very maddening
that the objectivity that is such a hallmark of his reporting is out the
window when he's talking about Iraq and its future -- its future, not
his. "I think we can all agree that democracy is better than
dictatorship." Who is "we"? Americans? Yes, I suppose most Americans,
having grown up in a democracy, are comfortable with it. But democracy
is not a one-size fits all nor, in fact, is it pret-a-porter. It is not
off-the-rack, one-size-fits-all. Democracy is a garmet that fits you
best because it has been designed to your needs and wants. Democracy
requires input of the governed and the governed in Iraq are the voices
no one is hearing from and the ones Shanker seems unaware of. And,
again, he's smart and often a gifted reporter. But democracy cannot be
grafted it has to come from the people -- continued democracy stands no
chance -- in any country, even the US -- without the consent of the
people. As Jeremy R. Hammond notes a Foreign Policy Journal: This view of "Many Iraqis" is offered a voice. The view of the majority, as indicated by public opinion surveys,
however, is excluded. Back in December 2007, for instance (and there's
little reason to think Iraqis' views have since reversed), the Post reported
that "Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S.
military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among
them, and see the departure of 'occupying forces' as the key to national
reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the
U.S.military last month." The focus group's report stated that most
Iraqis "would describe the negative elements of life in Iraq beginning with the 'U.S. occupation' in March 2003". Last night on The NewsHour (PBS -- link has text, video and audio), Judy Woodruff spoke
to Margaret Warner (Warner was reporting from Iraq). On violence,
Warner noted the uptick and the concerns including: "And we went to see
the sheik who is essentially the city council chairman. And I asked him the question you just asked me. And he said, you know, we really had a good handle on this. In 2008, he said, this was one of the safest cities in Anbar. And,
in 2009, it was in good shape. But he said, in the last two-and-a-half
months, he said that security is being breached, and they have had IED
attacks. They have had attacks on police force members. He suspects some members of the police force of being involved." Let's move over to Kenneth J. Theisen's "A Combat Brigade Leaves; U.S. War of Terror Against Iraq Continues" (World Can't Wait): The
country is divided by sectarianism. Months after the election, Iraq's
politicians can not agree on a government that will collaborate with the
U.S. occupiers. Militias still function as independent military forces
and are run by warlord politicians. Iran still controls or influences
many of the various political factions that exist in the country, and
that along with other disputes and contention with the U.S.
imperialists, could lead to war between the U.S. and Iran. (Admiral Mike
Mullen, one of the top U.S. military leaders, recently stressed that
the military options are still on the table in regard to
Iran.) The bottom line is that Thursday's withdrawal of the "combat" brigade is not a "historic moment." It is just one more piece of propaganda and one more step in the continuing U.S. war of terror. In addition to the tens of thousands of troops still in Iraq, tens of thousands of others are nearby either in other Middle East bases or in the waters near Iraq on nuclear task forces. If the U.S. needs to do so it can rapidly reintroduce combat forces within days. The
Iraq War is not over, despite claims by what Michael R. Gordon has
termed the "electronic media." It's a nice photo-op, it's just not
reality. Yesterday on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric (link has text and video), Couric (in Afghanistan) spoke with one-time top commander in Iraq (replaced by Gen Ray Odierno) Gen David Petreaus. Katie Couric: Having been in Iraq with you, I
have to ask you now that the combat troops are leaving Iraq, is this
the right time? I mean you have an uptick in violence -- 61 recruits
were killed -- lots wounded. No clearly formed government. The head of
Iraqi military says it won't be until 2020 until they can really provide
security for the country. Is this a success? Gen David Petraeus: Well, first of all we are not leaving. There are 50,000 U.S. troops that are remaining in Iraq albeit in a support role rather than in a -- a leading combat role. But that's an enormous capability. "For
me there are two unanswered questions," he added. "One, for the United
States, where are we taking this; we're supposed to be drawing down all
of our troops come 2011. I think that question is going be up in the air
depending on what happening on the ground in Iraq." "Secondly,
I've got a question as to how the president and this administration
will portray Iraq and our policy in Iraq," Zarate said. "The President
is in a tough position. He didn't like the war, he opposed it, he talked
about withdrawing but he's the American president, how does he portray
what it was that we sacrificed and did in Iraq at the end of the day." Meanwhile there is the political stalemate. Howard LaFranchi (Christian Science Monitor) goes
to Brooking Institution voices for feedback and Ken Pollack states of
the militarization of diplomacy, "What the State Department is being
asked to do is not in their DNA" and "Michael O'Hanlon, a military
affairs scholar also at Brookings in Washington, says he actually sees
three transitions going on in Iraq, making for a particularly difficult
moment in the country. In addition to the US military-to-civilian shift
and the Iraqi stalemate over forming a new government, he says the top
tier of US leadership in Iraq has changed all at once." Rebekah Mintzer (Xinhua) speaks
to NYU professor Patricia DeGennaro, "DeGennaro said she sees the
current lack of a national government as 'hurting the country as a whole
in the long run,' but does not believe that recent events will change
the U.S. established timetable for withdrawal. She stressed that the
United States is maintaining some troops in Iraq until the end of 2011
in order to continue to train Iraqis to deal with insurgent attacks and
other violent incidents." March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 12 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. Voted? Reuters reports
that the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission had a death -- an
employee was discovered dead from gunshots, his corpse hidden in a
Baghdad car and they note a Baghdad roadside bombing killed 2 people
(six more injured). Those deaths are reality. Reality isn't that the US is down to 50,000 troops. RTT News reports the Defense Dept puts the number at 52,000 currently. Frank James (NPR's The Two-Way blog) notes that combat brigades remain in Iraq.
In the spin cycle passing for a news cycle, we're not only seeing
media deceptions, we're seeing the emergence of self-deceptions and
that's really important to grasp. Vietnam was not judged a 'success' or 'good thing' or any such during the final years of war or immediately after. What happened? Jane Fonda explained explained in the amazing documentary Sir! No Sir!, "You know, people say, 'Well you keep going back, why are you going back to Vietnam?' We keep going back to Vietnam because, I'll tell you what, the other side does. They're always going back. And they have to go back -- the Hawks, you know, the patriarchs. They have to go back because, and they have to revise the going back, because they can't allow us to know what the back there really was." And that is how revisionary history works. A people are in agreement largely but a faction continues to pollute the public square with distortions and misinformation. It's how we end up with a pathetic Barack Obama repeatedly distorting that time period -- please note, a time period that he loves to whine "I was only 8 years old!" about when asked to explain his one-time friendship with Bill Ayers (Bill was drop-kicked under the bus) but he wants to lie repeatedly about Vietnam. And he gets away with it because people don't want to go back. So he's lied about veterans being physically spit on as they returned to the US, he's lied about them being shunned by the public (the government shunned them, the public never did -- whether they were pro-war, anti-war, or apolitical). It's really something to see and amazing to watch people fail to call him out. Even George W. Bush pulling this nonsense was considered newsworthy. August 22, 2007, Bully Boy Bush spoke to the VFW and, as Jim Rutenberg, Sheryl Gay Stolber, Mark Mazzetti, Damien Cave and Eric Schmitt (New York Times) observed: "With his comments Mr. Bush was doing something few major politicians of either party have done in a generation: rearguing a conflict that ended more than three decades ago but has remained an emotional touch point." As Jane said, "We keep going back to Vietnam because, I'll tell you what, the other side does. They're always going back. And they have to go back -- the Hawks, you know, the patriarchs. They have to go back because, and they have to revise the going back, because they can't allow us to know what the back there really was." It's probably not going to be different with the Iraq War. And that may surprise you if you didn't live through the Vietnam period. How could it ever change? A number of reasons but mainly because the War Hawks will invent a new hypothesis, test it out, if it has some form of acceptance, they will begin selling it repeatedly. They will sell many such claims, often all in contradiction with one another, muddying the water, confusing the facts and, in less than ten years after the illegal war ends (it hasn't ended yet), you'll have a large number of people unaware how massive opposition to the Iraq War was. At Gallup, Jeffrey M. Jones breaks down the latest poll on the Iraq War (1,013 respondents, poll taken from August 5th through 8th, margin of error +/-4%): More Americans believe history will judge the Iraq war as a failure (53%) rather than a success (42%). These views have varied little over the past few years even as Americans have become more positive in their assessments of how the war is going. To a large degree, Americans' predictions on how history will judge the war mirror their basic support for the war -- 55% say the United States made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq, while 41% disagree. War opposition has eased only slightly in recent years from a high of 63% in April 2008. The Associated Press and GfK Roper Public Affairs published a [PDF format warning] poll today.
1,007 respondents, surveyed from August 11th through 16th, with a +/-
4.5% percent margine of error. 31% "favor" the Iraq War, 65% "oppose"
the Iraq War. 3% need to be called in a few years because they're not
sure how they feel. The respondents identified themselves most often as
"conservative" (41%), second highest self-designation was "moderate"
(33%) and "liberal" followed that (25%). (2% aren't sure what they
are.) Those numbers will not change significantly . . . for those who lived through it. That's true of the Vietnam era as well. The War Hawks can't trick the ones who lived through it. But that's not what they're about. They're about tricking future generations, they're about lying and rewriting history. Because the lessons and Vietnam and Iraq are very similar: Want to go war, then you better lie to the people. That's not the message the War Hawks want passed around and imparted to future generations. So they try to hide behind service members and act as if they're speaking on their behalf when all they're doing is attempting to free the government to start more wars based on lies, to trick and deceive the American people and to send more people (on all sides) into early graves. If you're reading this in 2010, our numbers will stay the same. We're not the target for the revisionary history. It's the future generations that are the targets. If Vietnam and Iraq can't be revised into 'good wars,' if the facts can't be left out, then generations can grow up knowing that their government has lied in the past and, patterns hold, will lie again in the future. Future generations will know to strongly question assertions made by elected officials allegedly acting on behalf of the American people's best interests. And that's what War Hawks, and their strong streak of authoritarianism, can't tolerate. For more on current feelings about the Iraq War, see The Takeaway's listener feedback page. Today the Defense Dept issued the following release on Army suicides: The
Army released suicide data today for the month of July. Among
active-duty soldiers, there were 12 potential suicides: three were
confirmed as suicides, and nine remain under investigation. For June,
the Army reported 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers.
Since the release of that report, 10 have been confirmed as suicides,
and 11 remain under investigation.
During July 2010, among reserve component soldiers who were not on
active duty, there were 15 potential suicides. For June, among that
same group, there were 11 suicides. Of those, five were confirmed as
suicides and six are pending determination of the manner of death.
"Suicide prevention is much more than thwarting that last final act of
desperation. It is increasing awareness and education in order to
preclude members of the Army family from ever getting to the point where
suicide might be considered an alternative to asking for help," said
Col. Chris Philbrick, director, Army Suicide Prevention Task Force.
"The Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention
Report released last month is the result of a 15-month effort to better
understand high-risk behavior and suicides in the Army. The report is
intended to inform and educate on the importance of recognizing and
reducing high-risk behavior related to suicide and accidental death, and
reducing the stigma associated with seeking behavioral health
treatment," Philbrick said.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact Military
OneSource or the Defense Center of Excellence (DCoE) for Psychological
Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Outreach Center. Trained consultants
are available from both organizations 24 hours a day, seven days a week,
and 365 days a year. The Military OneSource toll-free number for those residing in the continental United States is 1-800-342-9647 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-342-9647 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-342-9647 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; their Web site address is http://www.militaryonesource.com. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource Web site for dialing instructions for their specific location. The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/default.asp.
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly
revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf. Suicide prevention training resources for Army Families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20. (Requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials.) The DCoE Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-866-966-1020 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-866-966-1020 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil. Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: http://www.afsp.org. Suicide Prevention Resource Council: http://www.sprc.org/index.asp. Remember that the military's suicide hotline is 1-800-273-TALK begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-273-TALK begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-273-TALK end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting.
And the National US Suicide Hotline (for anyone in the US not just
those serving or veterans but veterans and those serving who are not
comfortable for whatever reason with calling the military's suicide
hotline can use this as well) is 1-800-448-3000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-448-3000 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-448-3000 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting. TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week,
Helene Cooper (New York Times), Jeanne Cummings (Politico), Michael
Duffy (Time magazine) and Martha Raddatz (ABC News) join Gwen around the
table. Gwen now has a weekly column at Washington Week and the current
one is "An Unplanned Aberration: A peek behind the curtain at the PBS NewsHour." This week, Bonnie Erbe
will sit down with Karen Czarnecki, Melinda Henneberger, US House Rep
Eleanor Holmes Norton and Princella Smith on the latest broadcast of
PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And this week's To The Contrary online extra is a discussion of marriage equality re: California verdict. Need To Know
is PBS' new program covering current events. This week's hour long
broadcasts Fridays on most PBS stations -- but check local listings --
and they examine religious history (lower Manhattan) and Iraq as well as
speak with author Gary Shteyngart. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday
CBS' 60 Minutes offers: The Blowout The Russian Is Coming 60 Minutes, Sunday, August 22, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. |
:: Article nr. 69029 sent on 21-aug-2010 16:12 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69029
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_20.html#links
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Iraq War Vet Camilo Mejía:
US Withdrawal Plan Marks
"Privatization of Military Occupation"
Democracy Now!
Posted here on 21 Aug 2010 09:25 August 20, 2010 Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía, the first US combat veteran to publicly resist the war, joins us to give his reaction to the so-called US withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq. Mejía served six months in Iraq in 2003 with the Florida National Guard. While on a two-week leave in the United States, he decided never to return. In May 2004, a military jury convicted him of desertion, and he was sentenced to one year in prison. He served nine months behind bars, prompting Amnesty International to declare him a prisoner of conscience. [includes rush transcript] Guest: Camilo Mejia, the first GI who served in Iraq to have publicly resisted the war. He was imprisoned for refusing to go back for almost a year. He is the former chair of Iraq Veterans Against the War, and author of the book Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía. Rush Transcript JUAN GONZALEZ: The news networks had hours of coverage of the so-called withdrawal throughout the day yesterday. Much of it was interviewing the troops coming home and their families. Well, we’re also joined by an Iraq war veteran, one you probably won’t see on CNN or MSNBC: Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía, the first US combat veteran to publicly resist the war. Camilo Mejía served
six months in Iraq in 2003 with the Florida National Guard. While on a
two-week leave in the United States, he decided never to return. Mejía
went into hiding to avoid redeployment and was classified as AWOL, or
absent without leave. After five months on the run, he surrendered to
the military at Fort Stewart, Georgia, and submitted a formal
application for discharge as a conscientious objector. His application
was denied. In May 2004, a military jury convicted him of desertion, and
he was sentenced to one year in prison. He served nine months behind
bars, prompting Amnesty International to declare him a prisoner of
conscience. He wrote a book about his experience called The Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejía. He is the former chair of Iraq Veterans Against the War, and he joins us now from Miami.
Welcome to Democracy Now!
CAMILO MEJÍA: Good morning, Juan and Amy.
JUAN GONZALEZ: Camilo, your reaction now to this so-called news of the withdrawal of the last combat brigade from Iraq?
CAMILO MEJÍA: My
reaction is that this is just another media stunt, because what is not
being reported as strongly as the final troop leaving Iraq is that we’re
still leaving 50,000 troops in country, not to mention that the 4,000
who are leaving are being replaced by 7,000 security contractors, called
"dirty gangs" by Iraqis. I think that basically what we have is just a
recycling of forces in what effectively could be called a transferring
of military duties from the US military into the hands of corporate
paramilitary forces in Iraq.
AMY GOODMAN: Camilo,
as you see the coverage over the last twenty-four hours, first, you
know, as one of the leaders of Iraq Veterans Against the War, do you
think this is the right move, what President Obama is doing? And then,
what are your thoughts, hearing, watching soldiers talking about their
experiences?
CAMILO MEJÍA: I
have not been really tracking the testimonies of soldiers about the
alleged withdrawal of the troops. But I do think that it’s very
troubling to see how the corporate media are covering this withdrawal,
because very little to nothing has been said about the fact that we are
privatizing just absolutely everything. Now we have the situation in
Iraq where huge contracts are going to be given to these corporations to
do what the US Army used to do, not that one is better than the other. I
think there probably will be less accountability for private security
contractors to be doing the job that soldiers, who are at least subject
to be court-martialed, but are now going to be in the hands of people
like Erik Prince and people like that.
We already have over
100,000 contractors in Iraq operating, many of them operating in the
capacity of mercenaries. If you read the coverage by the New York Times,
you realize that these are not just going to be security guards, these
are going to be highly specialized former military personnel who are
going to have the skills and the ability to operate radars, to go out
there and find improvised explosive devices, so we’re talking about EOD
personnel. You’re talking about people who are pilots. You’re talking
about people who are going to be operating drones in Iraq. So this is
not just people who are going to be bodyguards. You’re talking about
highly specialized individuals who are going to be replacing soldiers
from the US military and other special operations units within the Army.
So, basically, it’s the privatization of a military occupation. It is
what we’re witnessing right now, the transferring of military
authorities and duties from the US military into corporate paramilitary
forces.
AMY GOODMAN: Camilo, we have to break, and then we’re going to come back to you and have a debate on the issue of the DREAM Act. Camilo Mejía, first GI who served in Iraq to have publicly resisted the war. He’s with Iraq Veterans Against the War. He was imprisoned for almost a year for, well, what the military said was desertion. |
:: Article nr. 69006 sent on 20-aug-2010 21:32 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=69006
Link: www.democracynow.org/2010/8/20/iraq_war_vet_camilo_mejia_us
Iraq snapshot - August 19, 2010
The Common Ills
Thursday, August 19, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Michael Gordon offers a critique of
electronic media, Tony Blair tries to wash the blood away, and more. Today on PRI's The Takeaway, John Hockenberry spoke with Michael R. Gordon of the New Yourk Times. John
Hockenberry: When we say noncombat troops -- it almost sounds like an
oxymoron -- but noncombat troops, is that a semantic distinction or is
there something real in that term. Michael
R. Gordon: Well it's not even accurate. I think that what happened
yesterday was largely symbolic and to some extent hyped by the
electronic media. The uh -- What's happening is there are combat troops
remaining in Iraq. The 50,000 troops include six brigades which are
essentially combat brigades. But these combat brigades have been
renamed assist-and-advise brigades and they've been given a task of
helping to train the Iraqi army but that doesn't mean they're not made
up of combat troops. They are. And in addition, the US is still helping
the Iraqi special forces carry out counter-terrorism missions against
al-Qaeda operatives and all of that and that fits my definition of
"combat." Before
we get to that, we're again dropping back to Monday's State Dept press
briefing by the "Near Eastern and North African Affairs Bureau Deputy
Assistant Secretary for Iraq Michael Corbin and Defense Department
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Middle East Affairs Colin Kahl." So
that's US State Dept and DoD both represented. We've covered it
repeatedly and probably will again in the future. So the two were
explaining the militarization of diplomacy in Iraq. Here's Corbin: We're going to have two consulates in Iraq, and the Council of Ministers recently signed off on having two consulates -- one in Basra and one in the north, in Erbil. And these consulates provide a recognized important diplomatic platform for all the types of programs that we want to do now and that we'll want to do in the future. And consulates around the world used to be a very key element of our diplomatic presence. We'll have two of those consulates. And obviously, one is in the Kurdish region in the north and the other is in Basra, which has enormous economic importance as the -- being close to Umm Qasr, the only -- Iraq's only port, being close to the new oil fields, the ones that have been exposed in the latest oil bid rounds. So we're going to have different interests in these consulates, but they serve as platforms for us to apply all the tools of a diplomatic presence. And, in case you're wondering, in Baghdad -- the Green Zone section -- the US Embassy will remain. So three buildings -- Nope. Citing "this transition from the military to civilians" as the reason more is needed, he explained their would be "embassy branch offices" "in Kirkuk and in Mosul . . . An embassy branch office is a diplomatic termthat is recognized as a way diplomats can have presence, but these are going to be temporary presences, as Deputy Secretary Lew has explained. These are a three to five-year presence . . ." If you're trying to calculate, he's referring to 2011 (or 2012) so add three and five years to that. Asked
about the air space and Iraq needing the US to continue to provide
protection for the air space, Kahl responded, "You're right about the
air sovereignty, what the U.S. military calls the air sovereignty gap.
For all the right reasons, we've focused on building Iraq's ground
forces to provide for internal security and be able to conduct
counterinsurgency operations. We've also made a lot of progress in
building up their air force, but largely kind of the foundation for a
capable force, as opposed to one that can fully exercise and enforce
Iraq's air sovereignty. We can expect that the Iraqis will have
requirements for air sovereignty that extend beyond 2011, which is one
of the reasons they've expressed interest in purchasing a multi-role
fighter to provide for their own security. All their neighbors have it,
et cetera." Asked to elaborate on "provide assistance," Kahl responded, "
You're right about the air sovereignty, what the U.S. military calls
the air sovereignty gap. For all the right reasons, we've focused on
building Iraq's ground forces to provide for internal security and be
able to conduct counterinsurgency operations. We've also made a lot of
progress in building up their air force, but largely kind of the
foundation for a capable force, as opposed to one that can fully
exercise and enforce Iraq's air sovereignty. We can expect that the
Iraqis will have requirements for air sovereignty that extend beyond
2011, which is one of the reasons they've expressed interest in
purchasing a multi-role fighter to provide for their own security. All
their neighbors have it, et cetera." With that background, today Michael R. Gordon reports on the current realities.Speaking to Ryan Crocker -- the former US Ambassador to Iraq -- Gordon is informed that the US needs to be flexible and that a request to extend the SOFA would be in the US' "strategic interest." From Gordon's article: With the Obama administration in campaign mode for the coming midterm elections and Iraqi politicians yet to form a government, the question of what future military presence might be needed has been all but banished from public discussion. "The administration does not want to touch this question right now," said one administration official involved in Iraq issues, adding that military officers had suggested that 5,000 to 10,000 troops might be needed. "It runs counter to their political argument that we are getting out of these messy places," the official, speaking only on condition of anonymity, added. "And it would be quite counterproductive to talk this way in front of the Iraqis. If the Iraqis want us, they should be the demandeur." This morning, Ross Colvin (Reuters) provided an analysis on the possibility that US would withdraw in 2011 and notes various public statements but here's the key passage: The U.S.-Iraq military pact that came into force in 2009 provides the legal basis for U.S. troops to be in Iraq. Under the agreement, all U.S. troops must be out by 2012. But U.S. negotiators say that even as the pact was being negotiated, it was considered likely it would be quietly revised later to allow a longer-term, although much smaller, force to remain. And now we go back to PRI's The Takeaway: John
Hockenberry: First of all, do you see no US military presence in
Iraq for America after 2011, is that possible? Michael
R. Gordon: I think it's unlikely. And in the view of a lot of Iraqis
and people like Ambassador Ryan Crocker -- who served as abassador in
Iraq from 2007 to 2009 -- undesirable. The Bush administration signed an
agreement to get all troops out by the end of 2011. The Obama
administration is -- which is in a campaign mode now as it approaches
the midterm elections, has promised to honor that but, really, there are
going to be a lot of tasks that remain. For example, Iraq will have no
air force. Well who's going to patrol the Iraqi skies? It almost
certainly will be the United States. Iraq is buying M1 tanks and
artillery. Well who's going to help them field it and learn how to
operate it? It's almost certainly going to be the United States. al
Qaeda militants and Iranian-backed militias are going to remain in Iraq
in some measure. They've been attacking US forces over the last several
months. Certainly, it seems very likely that there will be some sort of
US role in advising or helping Iraqi special operation forces to go
after them. And there's going to be a very large civilian role. There's
going to be 2,400 odd civilians -- State Dept and other officials
carrying out functions not only in Baghdad but in Kirkuk and Mosul,
trying to tamp down Kurdish-Arab tensions. And they're going to rely,
under current plans, on private security contractors. It's kind of
ironic that the Obama administraion is going to be preside over a more
than doubling of private security contractors in Iraq, but that's the
current plan. If we negotiatea new agreement with Iraq to keep some US
forces there, maybe that burden will be reduced somewhat. As
Gordon notes, electronic media is making a big deal about the departure
of combat brigades. Setting aside the theatrics of renaming, did the
last US 'combat' brigade pull out of Iraq as everyone's insisting?
Apparently not. Xinhua reports,
"An U.S. official from the Defense Ministry has denied that the U.S.
combat troops have completed withdrawal from Iraq, the official Iraqia
television reported Thursday. 'What happened was a reorganization for
these troops as some 4,000 soldiers had been pulled out and the rest of
the combat troops (will leave) at the end of this month,' Pentagon
spokesman Geoff Morrell was quoted as saying. His comments came after
some U.S. media said earlier that the last brigade from the combat
troops has left Iraq Thursday morning two weeks before the deadline of
Aug. 31." Calling it the "second fake end to Iraq War," Jason Ditz (Antiwar.com) observes: Officials have been pretty straightforward about what really happened, not that it has been picked up by the media, which has preferred the more pleasant narrative of a decisive military victory. Instead, the US simply "redefined" the vast majority of its combat troops as "transitional troops," then removed a brigade that they didn't relabel, so they could claim that was the "last one." Even this comes with the assumption that the State Department, and a new army of contractors, will take over for years after the military operations end, assuming they ever do. And it worked, at least for now. All is right with the world and the war is over, at least so far as anyone could tell from the TV news shows. And James Denselow (at Huffington Post) notes, "As US combat units pulled back into Kuwait today a single soldiers was spotted shouting 'we won, we won'. What has been won is perhaps the narrative which states that despite regular bloodletting, Iraq is a success that the US can depart from with honor." northsum32 (All Voices) explains, "To move around Iraq without United States troops, the State Department plans to acquire 60 mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, called MRAPs, from the Pentagon; expand its inventory of armored cars to 1,320; and create a mini-air fleet by buying three plans to add to its lone aircraft. Its helicopter fleet, which will be piloted by contractors, will grow to 29 choppers from 17. There are to be 6 to 7 thousand private security contractors. This is bound to cause conflict with the Iraqi government which has been very critical of private security firms." For more on that topic, refer to Michele Kelemen's report for All Things Considered (NPR). March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 12 days. Phil Sands (National Newspaper) notes that if the stalemate continues through September 8th, it will then be a half a year since Iraqis voted. Today the New York Times' Anthony Shadid spoke with Steve Inskeep about the stalemate for NPR's Morning Edition: Mr.
SHADID: Well I think, Steve there's a real question here about power
and the question of power. How powerful is the prime minister? How
powerful is the cabinet? Basically what system is going to arise here
that's going to govern this country? Those questions are unanswered.
They're at the core of the negotiations. There's a lot of disputes on
where to go and how to get there. But I think there's even a deeper
question here, and I think this is whats alarming to a lot people who
have spent a lot of time here, and that's the almost utter
disenchantment among the public for the political elite. There's a real
divorce here, between governed and governors, between ruler and ruled.
And that, I think, is one of the more unpredictable factors we see going
on right now. INSKEEP:
In a few seconds - are people thinking again, as they were a few years
ago, about the country falling apart? Mr. SHADID: You know, there's a lot of worry that the longer this stalemate goes on, the worse it's going to get. Today David Ignatius (Washington Post) observes,
"It's now five months after the March elections that gave a narrow
victory to former prime minister Ayad Allawi over incumbent Nouri
al-Maliki. The Shiite parties that were once allied with Maliki have
mostly abandoned him, yet he hangs on as though he were prime minister
for life, Arab-style. Meanwhile, the bombs keep going off in Baghdad." And the violence continued today with at least 8 reported deaths and seven reported wounded. Bombings? Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) reports
a Ramadi roadside bombing claimed the lives of 2 police officers and a
Falluja sticky bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer. Reuters notes a Baghdad roadside bombing injured two people and three Mosul roadside bombings which injured four police officers. Shootings? Reuters notes
a Kirkuk attack on "the headquarters of the Kurdish intelligence
services" in which 1 assailant was shot dead (and injured another), 1
Iraqi soldier shot dead in Kirkuk, 1 civilian shot dead in Mosul and 1
police officer shot dead in Mosul. Corpses? Reuters notes 1 corpse discovered in Mosul. Turning
to England where Tony Blair's latest 'antics' have caused further
uproar. The War Hawk and former prime minister is publishing his
autobiography -- not titled, despite rumors, What I Did For Love and George W. Bush
-- and apparently hoping for some good press, he decided he would
donate the profits from the book for a military rehabilitation
facility. The editorial board of the Independent of London notes
the current political stalemate in Iraq, the rise in violence and
concludes, "As the impassioned response to Mr Blair's donation has
shown, however, this war remains as fresh in the memory -- and almost as
divisive as it was when it began. That there will now be a positive
aspect to Mr Blair's legacy, and one that implicitly recognises the
human cost of his fateful decision, deserves to be recognised. But it
cannot erase, nor will it compensate for, the irreversible damage that
has been done." At The Economist blog Britain Blightly, J.G. blogs
this thought, "The alternative criticism, that the donation is just a
cynical PR stunt, seems less wilfully deluded. But it still strikes me
as mistaken. Mr Blair is portrayed as both a shallow, image-conscious
salesman and as a messianic ideologue driven by stupidly fixed
convictions. He cannot be both." Yes, he can. The term would be
"dichotomy." I thought the British were supposed to be good with the
English language. Not to mention good at drama since dichotomy's lend
themselves so well to portraits of tragic figures. At England's Stop
The War, we'll note this from Robin Beste's "All Neptune's oceans could not wash the blood from Blair's hands:" Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hands? asks the mass murderer Macbeth in Shakespeare's play. Tony Blair clearly thinks that by donating the millions he is being paid for his memoirs to the British Legion he will wash his hands clean of the hundreds of thousands of civilians and the 179 British soldiers killed as a result of war in Iraq. It won't stop Peter Brierley, whose son was killed in Iraq, who says his aim is still; "that one day we will see Tony Blair in court for the crimes he committed. Peter famously refused to shake Blair's hand at a memorial service for soldiers who died in Iraq, saying, "Don't you dare. "You have my son's blood on your hands." Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son, Fusilier Gordon Gentle, was killed in Basra in 2004, said she was pleased injured troops would benefit but said it would not change the way she felt about Blair. "It is OK doing this now but it was decisions Blair made when he was prime minister that got us into this situation. I still hold him responsible for the death of my son." The money Blair is donating from his memoirs will be welcome for those soldiers it helps who have been seriously injured in Britain's wars. But no amount of money can buy Blair innocence or forgiveness for the series of lies he told against the best legal advice which told him the war was illegal under international law, or for his defiance of the vast majority of people in Britain, who protested in unprecedented numbers to tell Blair that his warmongering was "not in our name". And before anyone gets duped by the "generosity" of Blair's donation, we need to recall how shamelessly he has exploited the contacts he made from his war crimes. And
as we're all supposed to pretend the illegal war ended today, we'll
instead close with reality from Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan's "Racketeers for Capitalism by Cindy Sheehan" (Cindy Sheehan's Soap Box): I happen to believe that the wars and everything else became Obama's problems on January 20, 2009, but in reading comments about today's carnage on that bastion of centrism, the Huffington Post -- many people either believe that the Afghanistan occupation just became Obama's War today, or that (in the case of at least one commenter) -- Obama was forced to send more troops, and when one sends more troops, more of them will die. The matter-of-fact callousness of this remark stung like a hornet to me, and I bet the mothers of numbers 1227, 1228, and 1229 did not feel so cavalier when the Grim Reapers in dress khakis knocked on their doors today. As little as we hear about U.S. troops, as is our custom here in the Empire, the tragic slaughter of civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan doesn't even deserve a blip on our radar screens. I watched three hours of MSDNC(MSNBC) tonight and the manipulative gyrations to find out how many ways that they could talk about the "distraction" of the "mosque" at ground zero without talking about the one-million plus Arabs (Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc) that the psychopathic U.S. response to September 11, 2001 has killed, was pathetic and frustrating to watch. There has been a bumper sticker saying for years that goes: "What if they gave a war and no one showed up?" Well, "they," the ones that give the wars are not going to stop. "They""have too much at stake to give up the cash cow of wars for Imperial Profit, Power, and Expansion. "They" use the toady media to whip up nationalistic and patriotic fervor to get our kids to be thrown together with the victims in a meat grinder of destruction and we just sit here and allow them to do it. |
:: Article nr. 68998 sent on 20-aug-2010 17:33 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68998
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_19.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Coverage of Iraq exit shows networks' differences The Associated Press Engel had been embedded with the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, the last combat brigade in Iraq. Since President Barack Obama had said combat ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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Iraq snapshot - August 18, 2010
The Common Ills
Wednesday, August 18,
2010. Chaos and violence continue, judges remain targeted, the
political stalemate continues, the refugee crisis continues, tomorrow is
World Humanitarian Day, and more. CNN reports
that James Jeffrey "presented his diplomatic credentials" today in
Baghdad. He is the new US Ambassador to Iraq. (Most recently, he was
the US Ambassador to Turkey.) Arthur MacMillan (AFP) quotes
him stating, "It is a great honour for me to return to Iraq. I look
forward to renewing old frienships, strengthening our ties with Iraqi
leaders and deepening our civilian egnagement for the long term
throughout this historic land." Return? MacMillan notes that June 2004
through June 2005 saw Jeffrey serve "as deputy chief of mission and then
charge d'affaires" in Iraq. It's also notes he was "deputay national
security adviser" under Bully Boy Bush. NSA. Pay attention to that
term if you want to know where US involvement in Iraq is headed. Jeffrey
is the new Ambassador to Iraq. The old US Ambassador to Iraq sat back
and did nothing as Iraq entered into a poltical stalemate. Atul Aneja (Hindu) observes,
"Analysts point out that the significant spurt in Iraq violence in
recent months can in large measure be attributed to the political
vacuum after the March parliamentary elections." March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes, "These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 11 days. Last night, Flavia Krause-Jackson and Caroline Alexander (Bloomberg News) reported on
the old ambassador to Iraq, Chris Hill, and his ludicrous farewell
conference. As they note, he pinned his hopes on Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani stepping in to end the political stalemate. Here's Hill
talking about al-Sistani: It's
really hard to say. I mean, we know that he's following this issue on a
daily basis. He obviously has a lot of wisdom about the political
process. He knows it very well. He knows the players very well. All the
players have gone and seen him. They're in constant communication with
him. So I suspect that any role he can play, he's playing. And I suspect
that he is playing it in the best way he can to ensure that there's a
positive outcome here. He believes -- and everybody agrees there, just
about everybody agrees -- that when the government is finally formed,
you will see Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds in that government together. You
will see a government that's very much balanced. When you look at the
offers made to Iraqiya, they have been offered -- Iraqiya, as a party
that -- where most of the Sunnis voted, you will see substantial offers
of important positions there. So I think everyone understands the need
to bring all, as they say in Iraq, components -- that is Kurds, Sunnis,
and Shia -- together. And I think Sistani has made very clear his view
on that and how he is conveying that view is probably best less to him
-- left to him. Not
addressed in the press briefing was the rumors that the US government
(via Jeffrey Feltman) has threatened the Iraqi officials with the
declaration of a State of Emergency is the stalemate is not ended --
maybe that's an example of the "advise-and-assist role" Hill was
blabbering away about. "And
that's why we monitor very closely this issue of Sons of Iraq and
making sure that payments are being received and issues like that," Hill
maintained in the press conference and no one challenged him on that
-- even though the checks aren't coming and that's one of the reasons al
Qaeda in Mesopotamia is allegedly trying to recruit from Sahwa. Today Leila Fadel (Washington Post) reports on
the Freedom City in Najaf, which the Mahdi Army vows they will fill up
as they attack US forces should US forces not leave on December 31,
2011. That's the date in the Status Of Forces Agreement. Hill was asked
about the treaty yesterday and replied: Now,
that overall Status of Forces Agreement extends till December 31st,
2011. That is the basis on which we have any forces in Iraq, and I think
any future forces, any speculation about that, would have to depend on a
new agreement, and there is no agreement right now. So the agreement
that people are focusing on is the agreement that ends in 2011. So I'm
not going to stand here and speculate what will happen in a year and a
half from now, except that there needs to be a new Iraqi Government,
they need to look at the implementation of the current agreement, and
they need to look at what they see as necessary in the future after the
expiration of the agreement. The Status of Forces Agreement was dealt with on ABC World News with Diane Sawyer yesterday as they addressed that day's violence. George Stephanopoulos filled in for Diane as anchor. For their Baghdad section, he was joined by Martha Raddatz. George
Stephanopoulos: Baghdad was rocked by two deadly bomb attacks today,
exactly two weeks before the last US combat troops leave Iraq. It's the
kind of carnage we saw constantly when the war was raging. A suicide
bomber killed dozens of people at an Iraqi army recruiting station and
later a fuel truck bomb killed at least 8. So let's bring in our Martha
Raddatz for more on that and clearly, Martha, some are trying to take
advantage of this turnover that's coming in just a couple of weeks. Martha
Raddatz: It sure seems that way, George. This was really a horrific
bombing. There were Iraqi recruits trying to join the Iraqi army.
Thousands of them lined up, they had been there all night, desperate for
jobs. Someone walked in, apparently wearing a suicide vest, mingled
among all these recruits and blew himself up. The vest was packed with
nails. They say as many as 60 were killed, about a hundred injured. And
there was also that fuel truck bombing that you mentioned where eight
were killed so very, very reminiscent of the early days of the war,
George. George Stephanopoulos: Despite these bombings, no second thoughts by the Americans or the Iraqis. Martha
Raddatz: Well absolutely no second thoughts yet. Of course, American
troops are supposed to be out of Iraq completely in 2011, the end of
2011. Only the Iraqis can change that and, I have to tell you, George,
most of the people I talk to believe the Iraqis eventually will decide
to change that and have many American troops remaining in country. Similar statements about the SOFA were made yesterday by Hill and Monday in the joint-news conference the State
Dept's Michael Corbin and DoD's Kahl Colin held and Kahl replied to a
question asking about US forces remaining in Iraq after 2011, "The
second question you asked about the post-2011 situation, I mean, it's a
hypothetical so I can't comment on it because we don't have an Iraqi
Government yet. The terms of the security agreement are clear, though,
right? The terms of the security agreement, where were negotiated by the
last administration and the Iraqi Government are that remaining U.S.
forces will depart by the end of 2011. Any revision to that would have
to be initiated by an Iraqi Government. We don't have a new Iraqi
Government yet, and so it's -- and so if we have a new Iraqi Government
and they come to us with a specific set of requests -- I don't think we
can answer that question." And pair it with Corbin's assertion that
"we're not leaving" in the following exchange: QUESTION: Could
I follow up on that, please? In your discussions with Turkey about the
drawdown, are you talking about the possible Turkish military presence
in the north of Iraq to ease the concerns of (inaudible) about the
PKK? MR. CORBIN: Colin,
I don't know if you have anything to say. We -- our drawdown is based
on our -- President Obama's plan for our presence in Iraq and we are, of
course, consulting with all our regional neighbors and explaining that,
but we don't -- and we do, as -- we consider the PKK a terrorist
organization and we do work closely with the Iraqi Government and the
Turks together and the representatives of the KRG on means to combat PKK
terrorism. But we -- QUESTION: Mm-hmm. What about after you leave? I mean, do you think Peshmerga is -- MR. CORBIN: Well,
the first thing is we're not leaving and this type of civilian
cooperation, which is led by, for example, in this trilateral process
that we have, it's led by civilians. It's the ministry of interior from
the Turkish side, it's the Embassy with support from USFI on our side,
it's the Kurdish minister of interior equivalent, and it's the – it was
the Iraqi minister of state for national security affairs who was
running this. So this type of cooperation has got to continue and it's
important. Violence?
At least 12 reported deaths and 31 reported injured. The targets today
were primarily police officers, Sahwa and Iraqi soldiers. Yesterday,
attempts were made to kill 8 judges and 2 were successful attempts.
Today, another 2 judges are reported assassinated. Bombings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
a Baghdad roadside bombing which wounded two people, two more Baghdad
roadside bombings left ten people wounded, a Baghdad mortar attack
injured two people, a Mosul roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi
soldier (two other people were injured), a Ramadi roadside bombing
which wounded three people (including one police officer) and a Kasma
Kilo car bombing which left three police officers and four by-standers
injured. Reuters notes a Tikrit roadside bombing which claimed 2 lives and left two people wounded. Shootings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a
Baghdad assassination of 1 "government employee," the Baghdad
assassination of Judge Jabir Jumaa and the Baghdad assassination of
Judge Najim al Talabani (which follows yesterday's targeting of 8
judges, three of which were killed), a Baghdad Sahwa checkpoint was
attacked leaving 1 Sahwa dead and two more wounded, 1 Iraqi soldier
shot dead in Mosul, 2 police officers shot dead in Kirkuk and, dropping
back to Monday, 1 man shot dead in Mosul "and his young son" left
wounded. Yesterday CNN and the network's Alexander Mooney reported
on the latest CNN - Opinion Research Corp poll which found "69 percent
oppose the war in Iraq -- the highest amount of opposition in any CNN
poll." And while respondents support a withdrawal they do so with eyes
open to the possible issues arising when a withdrawal takes place: "Six
in 10 say they are not confident in the Iraqi government's ability to
handle the situation in that country." That's bad news for War Hawks.
Opposing withdrawal, War Hawks always want to whine, "Think what will
happen!" Americans, juding by the poll, are aware of the
possibilities. They're also probably aware that the alternative is
permanent occupation which they don't favor. Sentiment against the
illegal war hardened sometime ago. And the poll indicates that
attempts by War Hawks to insist the illegal war continue for
'humanitarian reasons' (so Samantha Power) will not work as a scare
tactic. Iraq will rise or fall on its own when US forces leave --
whenever that is. The Iraqi people will determine their future and that
may include determining that the exile class installed by the US
government does not represent them or their country's best interests. The
violence already exists in war-torn Iraq and has never vanished. It's
created the Iraqi refugee crisis, the largest refugee crisis in the
Middle East since 1948. Tomorrow is World Humanitarian Day. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) explains: Thursday
marks an important occasion for the staff of UNHCR and all humanitarian
workers. It is the day that militants detonated a massive truck bomb in
Baghdad in 2003, killing 22 people including 18 UN staff members and
injuring dozens more. Last year, the UN and other humanitarian
organizations began honouring the anniversary as 'World Humanitarian
Day' in order to recognize the contribution made by humanitarian workers
worldwide. Here at UNHCR, we spoke to a handful of our staff about their experience on the job. One story that we are publishing today, which is available here, reports on the unique challenges of working in Iraq and the broader Middle East. In another, which can be read here, Vincent Cochetel, who was kidnapped and held for nearly a year in Chechnya while serving as head of UNHCR's north Caucasus office, discusses the ordeal and the lessons it holds for his colleagues in the field. To learn more about World Humanitarian day, go here. Wafa
Amr, Helene Caux, Farah Dakhlallah, Nabil Othman and Sireen Khalifeh
look at the Iraqi refugee crisis on behalf of the UNHCR: Depending
on the organization estimating, there are between 3.9 million refugees
and 4.5 million. Iraq's population (non-refugee) is largely young (only
59% are estimated to be over the age of 15). For
UNHCR Iraqi staff member Wafa, just going to work and returning home at
the end of the day is a life-threatening experience. Elias Shalhoub, a
psychologist and protection officer in Lebanon, says the challenge for
him lies in discussing the needs of refugees and not knowing whether he
can help. Martha Kow-Donkor, a field officer for UNHCR in Yemen braves
tribal checkpoints and mine fields to help deliver aid to internally
displaced people there. Her main worry is failing to reach people in
time. All
three are struggling to balance the hardships, dangers and frustrations
of their work with the UN Refugee Agency with the goal of helping some
of the world's neediest people. Andrew England (Financial Times of London) observes of the refugee crisis, "This
enduring tragedy shows few signs of easing even as US troops prepare to
leave Iraq next year. After the British-American invasion of 2003, Iraq
sank into the bloody chaos of insurgency
and sectarian violence. Entire neighbourhoods of the country's cities,
particularly Baghdad, were cleared of either their Sunni or Shia
inhabitants." Jonny Abo and Abdul Jalil Mustafa (DPA) note
al-Mortagi Abdel-Moneim al-Kaabi, an Iraqi who became a refugee
following being shot multiple times and who says, "I still suffer from a
lot of diseases but thank God I'm alive, although I feel like I am
psychologically bleeding because I cannot forget the painful memories."
Now he and his wife (who has breast cancer and is receiving treatments
for which charitable assistance -- from the UN -- only pays 40% of the
cost ) live in Syria. Syria and Jordan have the bulk of Iraq's refugee
population. Fiyaz Mughal (Daily Star) explains,
"The Syrian government estimates that there are 1 million refugees in
the country, the overwhelming majority coming from Iraq. In Jordan,
estimates for Iraqi refugees range from 600,000 to 700,000 and the
influx has led to a steep rise in real estate and food prices in urban
areas. As a result, many Jordanians harbor increasing resentment toward
refugees." Lebanon and Egypt also have a large amount. The western
world has not done a very good job on the issue -- despite a lot of
public pronouncements. Andrew Ward (Finanical Times of London) reports
Sweden cares little for Iraqi refugees as evidenced by the tape
interview of Iraqi Riyad with Swiss immigration officials. Riyad
explains his brother was, beheaded, that, "They murdered my brother and
would have done the same to me." To which the immigration official
replies, "Yes, I know that. But it doesn't count that they might do the
same thing to you; you have to prove there is an actual threat."
Riyad's brother can prove it -- but of course that required his dying.
Apparently, when Sweden deports Riyad, if he's killed in Iraq, they'll
say, "Well, you proved it. You're dead, but we'll give you citizenship
after-the-fact. Congratulations." A very small number make it to the
US. (Detroit, the San Diego area and Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth
areas in Texas have been among the areas many Iraqi refugees have
settled in.) Anna Fifield (Financial Times of London) reports
on Iraqi refugee Elham who lives with Ayd (her husband) in Maryland
where she now works "as a doctor's assistant." In Iraq, Elham was a
doctor, a gynecolist. She states, "Before we arrived, we were told that
as doctors we would be welcomed with open arms. But when we got here,
everyone told us we were over-qualified and that we should not mention
our degrees, so that I could get a job as a housekeeper. [. . .] I was
respected in Iraq as a doctor and now I come here and I am nothing. It's
very difficult for me to accept this idea." Among
the hardest hit communities -- probably the second hardest hit when you
break it down into percentages (the Jewish community in Iraq has
vanished, they would be the worst hit) -- in the country is the
Mandaeans which now counts, Stephen Starr (Asia Times) notes, 70,000 external refugees and only 5,000 still in Iraq. Starr offers this background: Mandaeans
are followers of John the Baptist and moved from the Holy Land to the
expanses of today's southern Iraq and southwest Iran around the second
century AD. Their religious origins are thought to have been drawn
independently of Christianity and may even be older. They are
monotheists - thought to be the oldest in the Middle East - believing in
a single god. Mandaeans are also Gnostics, believing in mysticism and a heightened role of the natural world. Very little has been recorded of the Mandaean religion and traditions and in principle people cannot convert to, or leave, the religion. They speak their own language and have quietly been struggling to keep their customs alive for almost 2,000 years. Mission Network News released the following on Monday: Iraq (MNN) -- "Get up! Grab your things. We need to go!" Imagine these words said in panic, as you and your family are given less than 24 hours to gather your belongings and leave your home in Iraq. Open Doors USA says for thousands of Iraqi Christians, this scenario has become a real life nightmare, as extremist Muslims force them to either leave their homes or pay with their lives. Often, believers only have time to grab a few essentials and leave with the clothes on their back. Among these items is usually a Bible, as they cling to it and its message of hope. To help these refugees, Open Doors is aiding in the set up medical projects, as well as distributing emergency packs, which include basic necessities. However, their response is dependent on faithful supporters lending their gifts and prayers. Pray that God will grant courage to these fleeing families. Pray that they will not back down from their faith, even in the midst of persecution. Also, you can give financial support to Open Doors USA's relief efforts by clicking here. Deborah Amos' new book is entitled Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East. It covers the refugee crisis. August 10th, she and Steve Inskeep discussed some troubling realities about the refugee crisis on Morning Edition (NPR -- links has text and audio): Steve
Inskeep: And let's just emphasize here, is this turning into almost a
permanent refugee population, a permanent population of Iraqis who will
be outside their country the same way that there are Palestinians who
have been outside of the Palestinian territories for decades now?
Deborah
Amos: It begins to look that way. Not that there was ever a flood of
returnees, there wasn't, but 2010 has been less than 2009. And people
are making this calculation, that as long as there's a government crisis
as the Americans drawdown, why would you go back now? It is not easy
to be a refugee. It's likely that your kids are out of school. It is
likely that your diet is a mess, that you're probably eating mostly, you
know, sugared tea and bread, for at least two of those meals. The
international community's largesse -- while never large, is less. People
want this crisis to be over. Steve
Inskeep: And I suppose if you had another round of sectarian warfare,
you'd have to be prepared for that possiblity of another million people
coming across the border at some point. Deborah
Amos: You know, 18 months ago that was the nightmare scenario. As
Americans drewdown, there would be a return to the full out sectarian
war. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. However, it is this
randomness of the violence and, more important, it is the inability of
this government to find some power sharing agreement between Sunnis and
Shi'ites. As you know, the majority of the refugees outside are Sunnis
and Christians. They are watching a government that cannot come to terms
with a Sunni-backed political coalition that won the most seats in
Parliament, and yet has not been able to use that power to come into the
prime ministership. Every country in the region is now meddling in Iraq
because of the weakness of the state. And so, it is very difficult for
them to consider returning. Better to wait, better to wait and see what
happens. |
:: Article nr. 68961 sent on 19-aug-2010 13:44 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68961
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_18.html
U.S. on track to end Iraq combat mission
Related Video
1 / 8
BAGHDAD |
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. military is holding steady in its aim to reduce troop numbers in Iraq to 50,000 by August 31, when the 7-1/2 year U.S. combat mission launched by former President George W. Bush comes to an official close.
The last U.S. brigade officially classed as a combat unit formally handed over responsibilities to its Iraqi counterparts on August 7, but U.S. troops have been steadily flowing out of the country on transport aircraft and by road for a year.
"My personal experience is it was worth it. We paid a huge cost," said Staff Sergeant Christopher Hush from the First Battalion of the 116th Infantry regiment which pulled out to Kuwait earlier this week.
U.S. media said on Wednesday the last U.S. combat troops had left Iraq, but U.S. officials clarified there were still 56,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, so the reduction to 50,000 non-combat troops by September 1 promised by President Barack Obama still has a some way to go.
There will actually be little change on the ground in the U.S. military mission in Iraq come September 1 as most U.S. military units began switching their focus to training and assisting Iraqi troops and police more than a year ago when they pulled out of Iraqi urban centers on June 30, 2009.
Much of the U.S. war materiel and many of the soldiers departing Iraq are being redeployed to Afghanistan, where NATO forces are fighting a resurgent Taliban.
The end of the U.S. combat mission in Iraq will mark a milestone in the war that began in 2003 with the invasion to topple Sunni dictator Saddam Hussein, whose long rule was marked by an eight-year war with Iran, the invasion of Kuwait and economic decline and diplomatic isolation.
More than 4,400 U.S. soldiers have been killed since the invasion, while up to 106,071 Iraqi civilians also died in fierce warfare unleashed between majority Shi'ites and minority Sunni Muslims who dominated the country under Saddam.
Overall violence has fallen sharply since the height of the sectarian slaughter in 2006/07, when U.S. troop numbers topped out at around 170,000.
But a stubborn Sunni Islamist-led insurgency continues to carry out devastating attacks and Iraq remains a fragile place.
Its leaders have not resolved a number of politically explosive issues that could easily trigger renewed fighting, such as tensions between majority Arabs and minority Kurds, and reconciliation between Sunnis and Shi'ites.
Nor have they been able to form a new government five months after a national election that produced no outright winner, and tensions have been stoked by a steady stream of suicide bombings and other attacks by insurgents trying to exploit the political vacuum ahead of the end of the U.S. combat mission.
Nevertheless, Iraq's tentative experiment with U.S.-imposed democracy holds the potential to upset political power balances throughout a region accustomed to autocratic governance.
PROMISE TO VOTERS
Obama promised American voters he would halt combat missions on August 31 ahead a full U.S. withdrawal by the end of 2011 as agreed in a bilateral security pact signed by his predecessor.
The U.S. president faces a war-weary U.S. public as his fellow Democrats seek to hold on to their control of the U.S. Congress in elections in November.
Obama has said not a single U.S. service member will remain in Iraq come January 1, 2012, even though it will be impossible for Iraq to stand up its own air force and be ready to protect its territorial integrity on its own by then.
With U.S. opinion polls showing Americans tired of nearly a decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, any decision to extend U.S. military involvement in Iraq would be enormously risky for Obama, who is up for re-election in 2012.
He would almost certainly face a backlash from Democrats in Congress and from the left wing of his party, which is already disenchanted with him.
The war in Iraq has gone on longer than the U.S. Civil War, World War One and World War Two.
(Editing by Jon Hemming)
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|
Iraq war has forced millions from homes
Jonny Abo and Abdul Jalil Mustafa
 |
August 18, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 68955 sent on 19-aug-2010 00:02 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68955
Link: www.monstersandcritics.com/news/middleeast/features/article_1578317.php/Iraq-war
-has-forced-millions-from-homes-Feature
Tuesday, August 17, 2010:
81 Iraqis Killed, 178 Wounded
Margaret Griffis
August 17, 2010 A large blast killed and wounded dozens at an army center in Baghdad, while another explosion left more casualties. Overall, at least 81 Iraqis were killed and 178 more were wounded across the country. Eight other attacks targeting judges were also reported. U.S. officials said the drawdown would continue despite the violence. In Baghdad, a suicide bomber wearing an army uniform detonated his explosives as a large crowd gathered for the last day of recruitment at an army center in Bab al-Muadham. At least 61 were killed and 125 more were injured in the attack. Baghdad security chief Qassim Atta claimed the bomber was not an Iraqi. The bomber was described as green-eyed and longhaired, and there may have been a second bomber. Many of the recruits lost their documents in the chaos, some ventured back to find them. Another bombing at a petro station left 10 dead and 46 wounded in the Ur neighborhood. Separately, the cassation court head judge was wounded in a sticky bomb attack in Yarmouk. Gunmen in Amiriya killed an auditor working for the trade ministry. At least two judges were killed either in Baghdad or Diyala during one or more of eight attacks against judges. Four people were wounded, including three judges, in a bombing in Balad Ruz. The fourth man was a policeman accompanying the group as they made their way to court. The four are in serious condition. In Mosul, two bullet-riddled bodies were discovered. Gunmen killed a prison guard. A policeman was killed just outside town. A sheikh was killed in a small arms attack Fallujah. A subsequent clash wounded two policemen. Two policemen were killed in Kirkuk. Four suspects were captured in unrelated raids. Security forces arrested several suspects accused of boarding several ships off the coast and robbing them. |
:: Article nr. 68935 sent on 18-aug-2010 14:39 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68935
Link: original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/08/17/tuesday-69-iraqis-killed-132-wounded/
Iraq snapshot - August 17, 2010
The Common Ills
Tuesday, August 17, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Baghdad slammed by a bombing, 8 judges
around Iraq are targeted and only six remain living, a total of at
least 71 deaths are reported (161 injured), the political stalemate
continues, Ayad Allawi increases talks with a Shi'ite political party,
and more. Today Baghdad is slammed by a bombing. Alsumaria TV, citing "health sources," puts the death toll at "at least 60" with "another 157" injured from a suicide bombing this morning. Fan Chunxu (Xinhua) quotes
a Ministry of the Interior source explaining, "The explosion targeting
an army recruitment center at Bab al- Muazem area in Baghdad occurred at
local time 7:30 a.m. (0430 GMT), it was an old building of the Defense
Ministry, now up to 45 people were dead and 121 others were wounded." Stephen Farrell (New York Times) reports,
"Outside a blue-domed mosque near the scene of the attack on Tuesday,
Sgt. Muhammad Hassan, 28, said the latest bomber had clearly intended to
attack the Army recruits." Farrell quotes him stating, "I was here
from the early morning. We searched everybody. One exploded himself
among a group of soldiers and recruits. The recruiting has been going on
for at least a week, and this was the last day. We were not expecting
it because it was the final day." BBC News adds,
"The BBC's Hugh Sykes in Baghdad says that a suicide bomber walked up
to the army recruitment centre where hundreds of people had been queuing
for hours - some since Monday evening." At the top of the hour news
briefs on NPR this morning, listeners heard Sykes state that no
protection was provided for "men looking for employment." The New York Times' Stephen Farrell told PRI's The Takeaway this morning,
"how a suicide bomber had just walked up to the recruiting station at
7:30 a.m., waited until he was surrounded by as large a crowd as he
could get and then blew himself up." Ben Lando (Wall St. Journal) adds,
"An interior ministry official said a person wearing a suicide vest
triggered the explosion a few minutes past 8:00 a.m. local time." Channel 4 News states,
"An army source suggested two bombers could have been involved in the
attack as recruits gathered outside the centre in large groups to seek
work." Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) reports,
"The senior officer said they believed the bomber had accomplices who
helped him stow a pair of pants with explosives attached near the site
and put them on in addition to the pants he was wearing. Some of the
potential recruits had lined up before dawn." Richard Spencer (Telegraph of London) quotes
recruit Ahmed Kadhim stating, "After the explosion, everyone ran away,
and the soldiers fired into the air. I saw dozens of people lying on
the ground, some of them were on fire. Others were running with blood
pouring out." Aziz Alwan and Leila Fadel (Washington Post) describe
the aftermath, "Hours after the bombing, families searched frantically
for their relatives as casualties were transported to hospitals. An
elderly woman collapsed in the middle of the street, screaming just a
few yards from al-Midan square, where the recruits were killed. She
slapped her face and wept as young boys tried to calm her." Andrew England (Financial Times of London) adds,
"Another policeman pointed to bloody footprints left by survivors as he
described how they fled in panic. Nearby, dozens of sandals belonging
to the victims and a small heap of clothes were stacked in piles, while
large pools of blood were left to congeal in the sun." PBS' Margaret
Warner is in Iraq and she may have a report on tonight's The NewsHour. The Guardian has video footage of some of the survivors after they were taken to the hospital. ITN offers a photo of one survivor in the hospital. BBC News displays a photo essay on the aftermath. Damien Pearse (Sky News) provides a text and video report. BBC News' Hugh Skye also files a video report: Hugh
Sykes: One of Baghdad's main hospitals was suddenly overwhelmed shortly
after 7:30 this morning. The suicide bomber exploded his bomb in a
large crowd. Dozens of men, some with terrible shrapnel and impact
injuries, were taken to hospital after the attack. Saleh
Aziz: We were standing at al Muatham and the army and the officers were
registering our names for recruiting when a bomb went off. I don't know
exactly if it was a bomb or not. All the young men and the officers
were killed. I was wounded in my arms and, thanks God, I managed to run
away. Hugh
Sykes: It happened on the other side of the Tigris River from the
hospital in a square called the Maidan. Hundreds of men had been
waiting there all night hoping for a good place in the que for the army
recruitment center and then the suicide bomber arrived. This bomb is
part of a clear pattern of targeted attacks on the security forces here.
Baghdad traffic policemen and federal police have been murdered in
significant numbers over the past few weeks. Members of the
government-backed, mostly Sunni Sahwa militia, the "Awakening" movement,
have been attacked too and now these men simply queing for jobs in the
army in a country where unemployment is running at 60%. Richard Spencer (Telegraph of London) observes
of the bombing, "It marks a resumption of a previously successful
tactic aimed at discouraging Iraqis from joining the police and army." Liz Sly and Raheem Salman (Los Angeles Times) note,
"It was the bloodiest single attack in months, and came less than two
weeks before U.S. forces draw down to 50,000 and formally end their
combat mission. Tensions have been rising as the deadlocked negotiations
for a new government drag into a sixth month, and there are fears
insurgents will try to take advantage of the political and security
vacuum to stage a comeback." Sean Alfano (New York Daily News) notes, "Tuesday's bombing marks the fourth time in August Iraqi police or military have been attacked by insurgents." The Economist notes,
"By the end of next year even its military advisors expect to be gone,
so they say, unless the Iraqi government asks them to stay (which is
looking more likely now that American-made tanks and choppers are
arriving in defence ministry lots)." Terry Patar of IHS's Iraq Focus
Group tells Caroline Alexander and Kadhim Ajrash (Bloomberg News),
"The longer the things go without a government being formed properly,
the more of a driver there is for militant groups." The political
stalemate. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 10 days. Yesterday talks between Iraqiya and State Of Law broke down after Nouri declared on state television that Iraqiya was a "Sunni party." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) explains,
"[Iraqiya spokesperson Maysoon] Al-Damalouji said they were demanding
an apology to the supporters of al-Iraqiya. Allawi, a secular Shiite,
heads the cross-sectarian al-Iraqiya list, which won the largest number
of seats in the March 7 national elections. Al-Iraqiya garnered most of
the Sunni Arab vote." Leila Fadel and Mary Beth Sheridan (Washington Post) observe,
"The move by Allawi's group further isolates Maliki, who is intent on
staying in power. This month a coalition of Shiite groups also halted
talks with Maliki's group." They also note that US Ambassador to Iraq
Chris Hill (now former US Ambassador) just left the country (James
Jeffrey has been confirmed as the new ambassador) and that Gen Ray
Odierno, the top US commander in Iraq, is set to leave Iraq September
1st. Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) points out
of Nouri, "Only the Kurds, who do not have enough votes to give Maliki a
second term, have somewhat unenthusiastically said they do not reject
him." Lindsey Hilsum (Channel 4 News) adds: According to the think tank Stratfor, many of Mr Maliki's allies are taking their orders from Tehran, which is doing its obstructionist utmost. "There are not enough of these politicians to create a government, but there are enough to block a government from being formed. Therefore, no government is being formed," said the most recent Stratfor analysis. Others blame Mr Allawi's grouping, which brings together both Shia and Sunni politicians, for refusing to accommodate Mr Maliki's faction. With no government, even the illusion of stability cannot be maintained. Today's bombing of an army recruitment centre, with nearly 50 dead, is a sign of how dangerous the situation is. Meanwhile Waleed Ibrahim (Reuters) is reporting
that Allawi is increasing talks with Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc and Ibrahim
cites an announcement Allawi made yesterday, "In the next few days and
thereafter, we are going to intensify our discussions to reach an
important, mutual stance on what needs to be done to form the next
government." Earlier this month (August 6th), On The Media (NPR) addressed the issue of media with Deborah Amos (link has audio and text): BROOKE GLADSTONE:
The media echo chambers that we talk about so often are thriving in
Iraq. People watch the channel that confirms their own views. And yet
the phenomenon is not as strong there as it is here. DEBORAH AMOS:
Indeed, the studies show that Iraqis watch at least five different
channels. They are crossing sectarian lines to watch different
newscasts. A
Harvard professor who's done these kind of studies in the American
media, he uses a wonderful term, which is "cognitive misers." That's
what Americans are. We are cognitive misers. We don't like to watch
stations that don't necessarily agree with our political opinion. It's
too much trouble. And there's nothing really at stake for us to cross
the lines. For Iraqis, there's plenty at stake. What
are the other sects doing that I need to know about so that I can make
some serious decisions about is my neighborhood safe? Do I send my kid
to school tomorrow? Can I get to my job tomorrow? So it really matters
for them to cross those lines. BROOKE GLADSTONE:
The whole idea of a sectarian press is considered anti-democratic, and
yet the newspaper environment of America 200 years ago, when our
democracy was emerging, was incredibly sectarian. DEBORAH AMOS:
That's exactly right. And Iraq is mirroring an old system, in
particular because it is not yet a commercial system. These channels are
all funded by political parties, Islamists, Arab businessmen. Sharqiya
may be the most popular because they are the most commercial. And once
you become a commercial station, then you do have to broaden your appeal
because you just don't have enough consumers in your particular sect.
So it is possible that as all of these channels have to survive, not
simply by funding of political parties but funding by commercial, that
it may open that political space. And
while it's an interesting conversation with much to offer, we're noting
it in this section, on the elections, for a reason. Deborah Amos was
brought on to discuss her recent paper [PDF format warning] "Confusion, Contradiction and Irony: The Iraqi Media in 2010." Of prime interest: In
Iraq's short history of free elections, Shiite candidates have a
demographic advantage. Shiites are approximately 60% of the population,
and Iraqis voted almost exclusively along sectarian lines in the 2005
national elections and the 2009 provincial vote. Maliki also had a
media advantage. The state-run national news network did not accept
paid campaign advertisements, but freely broadcast extensive reports of
Maliki's election appearances and campaign speeches in evening news
bulletins. On the eve of the vote, state TV broadcast a documentary
highlighting the Prime Minister's visit to security checkpoints around
the capital. And guess who's political slate received the "highest positive coverage"? Nouri's. So explain it to us, did alleged reporters just sit around on their asses watching Iraqi TV in the lead up to the election? That
would certainly explain the NPR embarrassment that is Quil Lawrence
(who needs to get his Afghanistan reporting right real quick or we may
start including Afghanistan in the snapshots). For those who've
forgotten, Iraq held elections March 7th. The morning of March 8th,
Quil Lawrence was announcing the Nouri al-Maliki was "the winner." Not
just that his slate got the most votes -- which it didn't -- but that
Nouri was the winner. NPR's never explained how that happened. NPR's
never bothered to address why the day after the election -- when no vote
count, not even partial, was complete -- Quil was allowed to go on the
air and declare Nouri the winner. So what was it? The White House
wanted Nouri to win. (A Nouri win always meant an easy extension for
the SOFA.) Was Quil 'reporting' based on Iraqi media or was he
schilling for the White House? And why has NPR's ombudsperson never
addressed the issue of a reporter calling the election when the votes
weren't counted? That's
a serious question and it demands a serious answer. Deborah Amos is a
serious journalist (for NPR) and she is also the author of the new book Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East.
The book addresses the exiles, the refugee crisis created by the
violence and instability in Iraq. The Baghdad bombing wasn't the only
violence reported in Iraq today. Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
that judges were also targeted today: in Baghdad Judge Kamal Jabbar
Bander "was seriously injured" by a roadside bombing while in Diyala
Province two other judges were wounded by a roadside bombing. In
addition to the targeting of those 3 judges, Reuters notes
five more were targeted with bombs and 2 of those were killed, a
Baghdad explosion (a generator and it may or may not have involved a
bomb) which claimed 5 lives and left twenty-five injured, a Baghdad
assault in which three people were injured after being shot by unknown
assailants, 2 police officers shot dead in Kirkuk, a Baghdad grenade
attack in which two people were injured, Hasan Abdul-Lateef (Trade
Ministry's head of the audit department) was shot dead in Baghdad, 1
police officer was shot dead in Hamman al-Alil, 2 corpses (woman and a
man) were discovered in Mosul (inside a car) and 1 employee of Badosh
prison was shot dead in Mosul. If we use Reuters' conservative count of
57 killed in the Baghdad bombing at the recruitment center and 123
injured, we're left with 71 reported deaths and 161 reported injured. Staying with violence, last week, the US State Dept issued a warning on visiting Turkey which opened with: There
is an overall increase in violence and a continuing threat of terrorist
actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout
Turkey. The August 15 anniversary of the first PKK (also known as the
Kongra-Gel (KGK)) attack against Turkish government installations has
historically provided an excuse for an escalation of violence. While the
PKK's intentions for the anniversary are unclear, the potential for
violence or unrest warrants increased awareness during this period. The
Mersin and Kız Kalesi areas in southeast Turkey have been put off limits
for American military personnel from August 13–15. As
discussed in previous Warden Messages, the PKK terrorist group has
recently threatened increased violent activity in urban areas in Turkey,
and there is credible information that the PKK intends to target
tourist areas. There have also been recent clashes involving security
forces and the PKK in parts of Turkey outside of the PKK's usual
operating area in southeast Turkey. The
Department of State advises U.S. citizens traveling or residing in
Turkey to be alert to the potential for terrorist-related violence and
the possibility of increased PKK activity in urban and tourist areas, as
well as throughout southeastern Turkey. We encourage all U.S. citizens
to exercise extreme caution and maintain a low profile throughout
Turkey. We reiterate Department of State advice to take prudent steps to
ensure your personal safety: remain vigilant and aware of surroundings,
listen to news reports, avoid crowds and demonstrations, and vary times
and routes for all travel. That's
in contrast to the report the Turkish government was trumpeting in the
Turkish press. Missed it? The US press wasn't interested. The
State Dept's Office of Inspector General issued a report that's
interesting not in its praise for Turkey but in it really being beyond
the scope of an auditor to produce. Someone will have to explain that. We'll come back to the State Dept. Today Mu Xuequan (Xinhua) reports,
"Turkey and the United States have sped up talks over their cooperation
in the U.S. forces' pullout process from Iraq, local newspaper Hurriyet
Daily News reported on Monday. The two countries have increased the
frequency of talks on using the Turkish soil to transfer U.S. troops,
arms and logistics equipment out of Iraq, the newspaper quoted unnamed
Turkish Foreign Ministry sources as saying." Turkey's began a crackdown
(yet another) on PKK and "PKK" and that will not play well in nothern
Iraq. It may not play well in the US. Ivan Watson (CNN) reported
yesterday afternoon that Turkey was holding American citizen Jake Hess
and claiming he was part of the PKK. 25-year-old Hess tells CNN, "I am
being targeted for criticizing the Turkish government and criticizing
human rights abuses. The prosecutor accused me of waging a smear
campaign against the Turkish republic." Patrick Cronin (SeacoastOnline) reports that hess is stating he is going to be deported. Friday the Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement which includes the following: The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to release American journalist Jake Hess, who is being detained in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, according to the Turkish daily Hürriyet. Hess is accused of collaborating with the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), referred to in news reports as the "urban wing" of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Hess, who is a contributor to the Inter Press Service new agency, was detained on Wednesday evening, according to Serkan Akbaş, his lawyer. Akbaş told CPJ that Hess "wrote several articles that angered the authorities." He added that when Hess was arrested the police said he was being detained on allegations of "aiding the PKK" and that his name was in the government's file on the KCK. The lawyer told CPJ that Hess' name was in the KCK file likely in connection with a translation job he did in 2009 for a nongovernmental organization in Turkey called the Human Rights Association, which has reported extensively on human rights violations related to the Kurdish issue. Akbaş said that the timing of the arrest "clearly shows that they got annoyed with his articles." Hess wrote about human rights violations against Kurds. His latest piece, about Kurdish refugees who had fled to northern Iraq after the Turkish army attacked their villages, was published on August 4. From Turkey to its border neighbor the KRG, the most recent episode of Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera, began airing on Friday),
Teymoor Nabili discussed the Kurdistan Regional Government with Iraqi
MP Abdul Hadi al-Hassani, the KRG's representative in Baghdad Mohammad
Ihsan and Iraqi political and economic expert Kamil Mahdi. Teymoor
Nabili: Kamil Mahdi, let me start with you if I may. The situation in
Kirkuk is being touted by the people there as the most stable in Iraq
and certainly somewhere where they are hoping to attract foreign
investment and encourage a degree of progress. None the less, there are
still a number of issues unresolved. Give us an overview of how you
see the situation in Kurdistan and its relationship with Baghdad. Kamil
Mahdi: Well relatively speaking, the situation in Kurdistan is indeed
stable and it's secure unlik the rest of Iraq but the emphasis is on it
being relatively the case. One of the sources of instability in
Kurdistan -- in fact the ideology and the politics of the Kurdistan
Regional Government -- is the emphasis of this government on resolving
issues of longstanding claims in areas that are not under its control at
the moment. And that is really a source of instability for Iraq as a
whole and for the Kurdistan Region. I think the Kurdistan Government,
if it were to emphasize the economic prospects -- Teymoor Nabili: But -- Kamil Mahdi: -- in the region and to also move towards resolving problems in the region -- issues of jobs and services Teymoor Nabili: Alright, but -- Kamil Mahdi: -- above all the issue of corrutpion in Kurdistan. Teymoor
Nabili: You're talking about instability and we're getting a general
sense of perhaps a few problems but nothing serious but on the other
hand there does seem to be and there has always been this constant fear
that Kurdistan wants to secede and doesn't see itself as part of Iraq.
That seems like more than just a little instability. That seems like
the potential for some serious division, don't you think? Kamil
Mahdi: This is the point that the emphasis of the Kurdistan Regional
Government on resolving issues of conflict with Iraq is seen as a
prelude to a demand for secession. Now the question is if this was
the intention of the Kurdistan Regional Government then it should come
clean -- Teymoor Nabili: Alright -- Kamil Mahdi: -- and not meddle too deeply into Iraqi politics. Teymoor
Nabili: Well let's put that too a member of the Kurdistan Regional
Government. Mohammad Ihsan, the Kurdistan Government is advertising
itself as "the other Iraq." It would seem to suggest that you don't want
to be part of the existing Iraq. Is secession the ultimate goal? Mohammad
Ihsan: The concept of "the other Iraq" [. . .] is not on the basis that
we don't want to be part of Iraq. We wants to show better pictures of
Iraq or better view of Iraq. What people outside of Iraq, looking at
Iraq. This doesn't mean that there is a war or that there is sabotage
operations or that there is a conflict. We want to pursue our message
to show the international community that we have part of Iraq which
already exists, the economy is booming, you have stability, you have
peace, and wait for us in the near future. The other part of Iraq is
also going to be the same. That's our target for describing our
process as "the other Iraq," not that we want to isolate ourselves or to
show that we are not Iraqis, we are -- Teymoor
Nabili: Well the relationship -- the relationship between [KRG
President] Massoud Barzani and Nouri al-Maliki doesn't seem to suggest
that there is a great deal of common interest. Mohammad
Ihsan: It's not a common interest. We have to accept that we are
leaving a transitional period of time. Iraq after 2003, we moved to a
totally different part of our history. A lot of things have been
changed. We adopted new political system. We are adopting new economical
system. We are facing a war of terrorists. We are facing a lot of
things at the same time. This is why we have to accept that there will
be a lot of differences. Disagreement among leaders in Kurdistan and
other parts of Iraq or among Shia themselves, Sunni themselves. We are
at the stage of reforming the country, reforming the political system,
reforming the national identity -- Teymoor Nabili: Alright. Let me ask Mohammad Ihsan -- as well. We are doing all of these things at the same time. Teymoor
Nabili: Let me ask -- let me ask -- let me ask Abdul Hadi al-Hassani
then. Abdul Hadi al-Hassani, what do you think about the Kurdistan
Region wanting to reform Iraq politics? Abdul
Hadi al-Hassani: I think [. . .] I believe Iraq is in a phase of
transitional period and reforming period altogether. Let's not forget
Iraq capital is Baghdad and the changing that's taken place in Baghdad
not in the year 1991 or 1990 as the KRG had benefit from really. A lot
of really security and assistance from the international world as a
green zone. And this really transition and reformation, it need coherent
cooperation between all Iraqi people whether they are in the north or
the south, the KRG or in the rest of Iraq. [crosstalk] Teymoor
Nabili: Why does Nouri al-Maliki think the only time he needs to
particularly nice to the Kurdish politicians is when he needs their
support in Parliament? Abdul
Hadi al-Hassani: [Long pause] Maliki or any prime minister of Iraq has
to be really close to everybody in Iraq whether in the KRG or the south.
We have one Constitution. We have on state. Furthermore, we believe we
have to have on fiscal system, one political system which is democracy
and election. Turning to the United States, at the US State Dept yesterday,
Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Corbin and the Defense Dept's Colin
Kahl held a joint-press conference. Listen to Kahl and laugh (it's
okay, he's a War Hawk and an idiot and oh, so much more): Moreover,
as Michael explained, the U.S. interagency is focused very intensely at
the moment on transitioning to a civilian-led mission in Iraq. I think
contrary to the perceptions of some, this transition in the nature of
U.S. presence in Iraq does not imply strategic disengagement. Instead,
it signals a transformation in our bilateral relationship, and in many
respects an increase or a deepening of our engagement in a way that's
sustainable over the long term. I've traveled to Iraq in three of the
four official visits by Vice President Biden and this is something that
he makes a point of emphasizing, both in public and in private with
Iraqi officials, is that we're not disengaging from Iraq; our engagement
will increase. It's just the ratio of military versus civilian
engagement is changing over time, as it should and as the Iraqis want it
to. At
stake during this major transition, both for Iraq and the United
States, is not only ensuring that stability in Iraq is enduring and that
the Iraqi Government is able to meet the needs of its citizens, but
also the consolidation of a long-term strategic partnership between the
United States and Iraq that contributes to the region's peace and
security. Given this variety of strategic issues, I want to take a few
minutes to discuss the Administration's policy toward Iraq from a DOD
perspective. I think my points will complement Michael's nicely. My
brief remarks will basically skim over the surface of some current
security trends, some of the remaining political drivers in our overall
approach to dealing with them in – as we continue to draw down and
support this transition. So let me say a few things about where we are on the security front. Iraq's security situation, I think, is generally positive. The number of violent incidents in Iraq remains at its lowest levels of the war. According to USFI data, the number of security incidents and casualties -- that is, Iraqi civilian casualties, Iraqi security force casualties, and U.S. casualties -- for the first five months of 2010 are the lowest on record. We should expect to see periodic spikes. No,
it's not at the "lowest levels of the war." And that the press didn't
challenge that false claim goes to how in the tank they've all gotten
(except of course for the ones who were just bored by the whole press
conference). What an idiot. It didn't take today's violence to make
him an idiot. And the War Hawk works for the Defense Dept. And is on
board with the militarization of the US Embassy in Iraq. Start making
the connections, don't wait on the press because they're never going to
point it out. There's no withdrawal. But look to Kohl, follow him down
his rabbit hole, and you'll start to see who will be over the Samantha
Power plan of militarizing diplomacy. Two gal pals sitting around War
Hawking apparently. (It's not Hillary, kids, but the woman may take
Gates' job.) Michael Schwartz speaks with Ashley Smith about the non-withdrawal (US Socialist Worker): Secondly,
the State Department actually has a small military force of its own. It
has made public pronouncements that it's going to increase that
military force to a tremendous size to protect all of the American
civilians in Iraq. It made requests to take over the five major military
posts that remain in Iraq, each of which is meant to accommodate about
10,000 soldiers. Third,
the U.S. has flooded Iraq with civilian contractors and
bureaucrats--what U.S. officials call their "civilian presence." They
built the largest embassy in world history, and they plan to expand it
quite considerably to accommodate almost twice the 1,000 diplomats it
was built to hold. These civilians will constitute a very important
presence for the U.S., different from the military, but nevertheless
constituting pressure on the Iraqis to conform to U.S. policies. But
even with these surrogates, the U.S. military leadership has repeatedly
said that it expects a modification of the SOFA that will permit a
continued American military presence. The fact that it isn't dismantling
the five major bases suggests that it expects to get some kind of
agreement to retain a significant military force to control the country. U.S.
officials are determined to do so because the Iraqi government has not
been compliant with American wishes. When the current political impasse
since the election gets resolved, we should not expect the next Iraqi
government to be any more compliant. Therefore, the U.S. will need a
military force to discipline the Iraqi government. We
received this notice from people planning protests with the 3rd
Battalion is sent to Iraq next week. Some of you may have heard about
this upcoming action during the webcast we did a couple weeks ago. This
is a nation-wide call to action! Come to Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 22 to
participate in peaceful actions with veterans and anti-war leaders
opposing the deployment of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's 5,000
Soldiers to Iraq. This is your invite. Can you attend? Despite
President Obama's fallacious claims that the war in Iraq is winding
down, the 3rd ACR is gearing up for yet another deployment! Furthermore,
many Soldiers facing deployment are known to be unfit for combat due to
injuries sustained in prior tours. The Peace Movement must not let this
stand! The
Soldiers of the 3rd ACR and the people of Iraq need you to be here Aug.
22. This will be a RADICAL demonstration, with optional direct action
elements and possible legal implications. While all are welcome to
participate at whatever level they are comfortable, we value greatly
those willing to put their bodies on the line. Lastly, go to War Is A Crime for more on this but David Swanson is endorsing David Segal and we'll close with some of the following: On
Thursday, August 19th, show up at 5:30 p.m. at Local 16 on U Street to
help David Segal get elected to Congress from Rhode Island. There are lots of ways to change Congress that falsely appear easy, that would alter the rules and patterns of behavior if only Congress were already fixed and willing to make the changes, or if we owned the television networks, or if people could suddenly hear what they're paid good money never to hear. But I've got a way to change Congress that is actually easy. Congress lacks leadership. There is a progressive caucus, but it has never fought for anything. It doesn't fund its members' campaigns. It doesn't withhold votes needed for passing bills. It just does rhetoric. There are committees, but they don't subpoena, they don't send the police to pick up witnesses, they don't fine witnesses who refuse to answer questions. Congress thinks oversight was an oversight. If asked to put future generations into debt to fund wars, Congress asks "Would you like a side of drones with that?" Congress doesn't want power. [. . .] Here's audio of an interview I just did with David Segal: mp3. Here's the transcript: Swanson: This is David Swanson and I'm speaking with David Segal, candidate for Congress from Rhode Island, and someone I think that political progressives from around the country might want to be taking an interest in. David, thanks for speaking with me. Segal: Thank you, and thank you for saying all those nice things. Swanson: Well, I wonder if you could say from your own point of view what is your background that brings you to this and why you think people outside of Rhode Island might want to be paying a little attention. Segal: I was a city councilman in Providence first elected as a Green in 2002 and then in the state legislature since 2006 as a Democrat. And if you want to talk about why I decided to make that transition from one party to another I'm happy to in more detail. But my work throughout those eight years has entailed pushing back against powerful, typically wealthy corporatist interests, against leadership within my own party when I was a Democrat, against the powers that be in Providence to try to do right by working families in Providence and Rhode Island, to try to push back against the standard fare corporatist interests that run the country and also run the state and also run the city. And work's happened on basically every issue front that a progressive might care about. Swanson: I know a couple of areas that you've been involved with. One is proposing to cease funding out wars overseas should you be elected to Congress. I set up a list called A Coalition Against War Spending (http://www.caws.us), and you or your campaign immediately signed you on there with many other candidates. But many of them are Greens, many of them are Libertarians, and many are Democrats. What is your thinking in being willing to say you'll stop voting to fund the wars, because as you know, a great many members of Congress are willing to say they oppose the wars and they are critics of the wars but will not come within many miles of saying, "I won't fund the wars." Segal: Right. Well, I'll start by saying I'm a vegetarian and wouldn't hurt a fly. I've been against the wars since before they began. I was, my first act on City Council in Providence was to sponsor an antiwar resolution in 2003 through the Cities for Peace program, which was obviously not a, it was going to end the war or prevent the war in its own right, but it was a necessary step between here and there. It had cities assert that the war was clearly going to have negative impacts on cities and their ability to function, fund municipal services and education, and so on. And it has, of course, had all of those effects. So my first act as a councilmember was to oppose the war in Iraq. And I represent the area around Brown and RISD and helped restart antiwar mobilization on campus which was waning during the sort of 2004, 2003-2004 era where there was this full Washington consensus that the war was OK and the war was going kind of well, even. And left activists were demoralized. We restarted a chapter here and I've helped organize and spoken at countless rallies about the war. |
:: Article nr. 68936 sent on 18-aug-2010 15:05 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68936
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_17.html
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Iraq snapshot - August 16, 2010
The Common Ills
Monday, August 16, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the US military announces another death,
withdrawal isn't coming (though an agent for a foreign country can be
found all over the web insisting otherwise), talks between Iraqiya and
State Of Law break down as the stalemate continues, calls continue for
an inquest into the death of Dr. David Kelly and more. Today
the US military announced: "CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq
-- One United States Forces -- Iraq Soldier was killed when a patrol was
attacked in Baqubah, Diyala province yesterday. The name of the
deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and
release by the Department of Defense. The names of service members are
announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/.
The announcements are made on the Web site no earlier than 24 hours
after notification of the service member's primary next of kin. The
incident is under investigation." The announcement comes 14 days after Barack Obama gave his "mission accomplished" speech in Atlanta and it brings the ICCC number of US service members killed in Iraq since the start of the war to 4415. USF-I also 'mourns'
the 'passing' of a drone: "BAGHDAD -- A U.S. Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) crashed yesterday evening in Iraq's Diyala province, approximately
2 kilometers northeast of Muqdadiyah. The small UAV impacted an open
area outside of a residential suburb after experiencing engine problems.
No one was injured during the accident, which remains under
investigation." Meanwhile Michael Christie and Nina Chestney (Reuters) report a Muqdadiya car bombing claimed the lives of 4 Iranian pilgrims, 1 Iraqi and left nine people injured. Reuters notes 1 person shot dead in Falluja, 1 police officer shot dead in Mosul and 1 civilian shot dead ("and his son wounded) in Mosul. Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad bombing wounded one person. South Korea's Ariang TV notes violence raged over the weekend as well. Sunday there were 18 reported deaths and 49 reported injured and 5 dead and 5 wounded reported Saturday for a two-day total of 23 dead and 54 injured. Anthony Shadid (New York Times) observes,
"While insurgents have sought to make dramatic gestures lately --
raising their flag in prominent Baghdad neighborhoods and burning the
bodies of policemen they have killed -- more remarkable is the drumbeat
of assaults day after day on Iraq's security forces." In addition, Josh Pringle (580 CFRA News) reports
that unknown assailants robber four commerica ships which were docked
near Basra. When? Sunday. No, not yesterday. Sunday the 8th. Reuters explains
the authorities are only now talking and notes, "The attackers targeted
the Antigua-flagged Arminia, North Korea's Crystal Wave, Syria's Sana
Star and the American ship Sagamore last Sunday and took personal
belongings from the crews, Lieutenant John Fage of the U.S. Navy's Fifth
Fleet said." And the political stalemate continues. Yesterday Sam Dagher (Wall St. Journal) reported,
"Senior Iraqi politicians involved in forming a new government said
they are weighing the creation of a new federal position that could
break the nearly six-month logjam over which faction gets the coveted
premiership." Dagher reveals that the idea gained traction during Joe
Biden's visit and that if it is put forward, some believe it will be
Parliament's first order of business. No
one appears bothered by the larger reality. A political stalemate
exists and the answer being pushed is not to obey the laws, not to
follow the Constitution but to create a new post (with the apparent hope
that Nouri willw ant the new post). That's the lesson the US government
has imparted to Iraq. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes, "These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 9 days. And in an attempt to end the stalemate by September (not this week, by sometime in September), the US is 'suggesting' that the whole process be chucked aside and a new position created out of whole cloth. This fits in with another weekend report by Dagher about the disastification Iraqis are feeling over the stalemate: "One show, a 'Chair for Ownerhip,' on the popular Sharqiya television station, pokes fun at a prime minister called 'Abu so and so,' who refuses to leave power, a thinly veiled jab at Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki." Ned Parker, Raheem Salman and Saad Fakrildeen (Los Angeles Times) report that the White House isn't the only one hoping Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani will step in, some Iraqis are as well and former US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker is quoted stating, "If the civilians continue to flail over the next three-four years, the chances of a military coup are likely to go up. That could bring with it something like the 1958 revolution." Today BBC News reports that al-Iraiqya "has suspended talks on forming a coalition, five months after the inconclusive vote." Why? They're demanding Nouri apologize for calling them "the party of the Sunnis.'' Ammar Karim (AFP) speaks with Allawi's spokesperson Maysoon al-Damaluji who states, "We ceased negotiations with (Maliki's) State of Law. We are not a Sunni bloc, we are a nationalist project. [. . .] We have asked him to apologise. Without an apology, we are negotiate with him anymore." Citing an unnamed source, UPI declares "that Maliki's primary political party, Dawa, has decided to move forward with another as-yet named candidate for prime minister." Nouri
al-Maliki met last Sunday with KRG President Massoud Barzani. As noted
then, rumors would run rampant as to what sort of deal Nouri was
attempting to make with most assuming it was Kirkuk that was being
bargained away. Salah Bayaziddi (Kurdish Globe) reports: When Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki--at a joint press conference last week with Massoud Barzani, President of Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil--called for the implementation of Article 140 of the Constitution on the status of the city of Kirkuk and other disputed territories, it created a mixed feeling among the Kurds. While forming an alliance between Kurds and Maliki is still uncertain, this sudden visit has produced different reactions and interpretations among Iraqi politicians and policymakers in the region. Nevertheless, it seems one thing is for certain: When most political observers have argued that Maliki has agreed to most of the Kurdish demands--especially the implementation of Article 140--in return for Kurds' support for his premiership, after seven years scrambling over these contentious issues, one short sentence should be enough: It is little too late for him. Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution demands a referendum on the issue of Kirkuk. Kirkuk is oil rich and it is disputed territory. Kurds state that it is historically Kurdish territory and want it to be part of the Kurdistan Regional Government. The census and the referendum were supposed to take place long ago. Nouri has delayed the census (that's a national census, by the way, not just a Kirkuk census) offering one excuse after another. In 2007, the Kirkuk referendum was supposed to have taken place; however, Nouri began using the lack of a national census as an excuse for stalling on the referendum. On the issue of the meetings between Nouri and the KRG President, Iran's Press TV feels differently: "The latest intense round of talks between former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who heads the Rule of Law coalition, and Massoud Barzani, the president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, took place within the same framework of political consultation. The meeting is deemed a great step forward in resolving Iraq's current political impasse, provided that other leaders also accelerate talks aimed at forming a national unity government." Kurdistan is the topic of the latest Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera) and we'll note that tomorrow. In the meantime, the big targets in the last two weeks have been police officers (of all stripes -- including traffic police) and Sahwa. The latter is also known as "Awakenings" and "Sons Of Iraq." They are fighters the US military put on the payroll so they would stop attacking US military equipment and US military forces. Federico Manfredi (Huffington Post) interviews Sahwa leader Sheik Ali Hatem. FM:
Since the March 7 elections, violence in Iraq appears to be rising
again. Do you believe that the security gains of the past few years are
now slipping away? AH:
Yes, and this is the fault of the irresponsible and self-interested
Iraqi politicians. It was the Awakening that crushed Al Qaeda in
Al-Anbar, in Baghdad, in Diyala. We did it. After that the Iraqi
government told me that my men would be able to join the Iraqi army and
the Iraqi police. Fine, I said, I want what is best for my country. But
now it has become clear that the Iraqi government does not want to keep
its word. The politicians just wanted to take credit for our military
successes. Thousands
of former Awakening fighters are still jobless. And many of those who
did join the Iraqi security forces have been kicked out. They accused
them of being Ba'athists and terrorists, but these are just lies. It is
the people who run the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Defense
who are using sectarianism to advance their interests. They are thinking
that if they exclude the Sunnis from the police and the army they will
be able to give more jobs to the constituencies of their parties. No, I
have no respect for these politicians. They are scum. And we are paying
for their mistakes in blood. FM:
Do you think the marginalization of the Awakening Councils may lead
some of its former members to return to the insurgency? AH:
We are already seeing this. And mark my word: Security will deteriorate
further. You will see it in the coming weeks and it's not going to
stop. There is no withdrawal, it's one of the great myths of the Obama administration. Linda J. Bilmes (San Francisco Chronicle) explains the basics (again explains the basics) everyone tries to ignore: Second, even after the last U.S. troops leave Iraq, we still will have thousands of troops stationed in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar and on Navy ships in the region who are not being withdrawn. And while combat troops may go home, an army of contractors will be staying on. The American Embassy in Baghdad - already the biggest in the world - will be supplemented with five additional regional consulates. The State Department will increase its 2,500 private security contractors to 6,000 or 7,000 once the military pullout is complete. Other contractors will be hired to do medical evacuations, fly aircraft, drive armored vehicles, issue ID cards and do all the other functions that the departing military is transferring to the State Department. In addition, Andrei Fedyashin (Eurasia Review) offers the following: The withdrawal of troops from Iraq and the reconfiguration of the combat mission into a stabilization campaign may sound impressive, but behind that rhetoric, there seems to be no intention to truly end this war. Major General Stephen Lanza, the top American military spokesman in Iraq, has admitted that not much will change there in practical terms following the pullout. Military operations will continue, albeit with intensive outsourcing and privatization. The number of private contractors working for the U.S. in Iraq in sectors such as security, communications, utilities, and commerce has already reached 100,000. Of these, 10,000 work for private security firms. This number is likely to double once the "combat forces" are gone. This is a good deal for the Obama Administration, obviously. With most security positions filled by non-American contractors rather than American service members, possible terror attacks against the U.S. embassy will not cause as much resonance back home, and, consequently, there is less chance for a dramatic shift in public opinion against Americans' continued presence in Iraq. How will the withdrawal play out for Iraq itself? The most knowledgeable experts maintain that the term "withdrawal" is a misnomer, as no meaningful withdrawal is actually taking place. They also say that if a new cabinet is formed in Iraq after the holy month of Ramadan, the ministers will rush to petition the U.S. to postpone the withdrawal. As the Iraq War continues, greater opposition is needed. World Can't Wait is getting the word out on an upcoming action: We
received this notice from people planning protests with the 3rd
Battalion is sent to Iraq next week. Some of you may have heard about
this upcoming action during the webcast we did a couple weeks ago. This
is a nation-wide call to action! Come to Fort Hood, Texas, Aug. 22 to
participate in peaceful actions with veterans and anti-war leaders
opposing the deployment of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's 5,000
Soldiers to Iraq. This is your invite. Can you attend? Despite
President Obama's fallacious claims that the war in Iraq is winding
down, the 3rd ACR is gearing up for yet another deployment! Furthermore,
many Soldiers facing deployment are known to be unfit for combat due to
injuries sustained in prior tours. The Peace Movement must not let this
stand! The
Soldiers of the 3rd ACR and the people of Iraq need you to be here Aug.
22. This will be a RADICAL demonstration, with optional direct action
elements and possible legal implications. While all are welcome to
participate at whatever level they are comfortable, we value greatly
those willing to put their bodies on the line. The
Iraq War continues. Except at one site where someone's spinng for
Obama. Question for the day: What aging socialite is running the spin
of a foreign agent? Did you guess Arianna? You guessed correctly.
We're not linking to the crap but when you see his byline, remember he
is an agent for a foreign power and remember that the Blueprint Negev
Project -- which he takes money for -- is not a two-state solution. Make
that: "It's not a three-state solution" because the project requires
ripping off the land rights of the Bedouin tribes. You might ask again
why Arianna's allowing herself to be a stooge and a puppet? And you
might ask why, after the uprooting of the Palestinians is damn well know
-- widely known and discussed, she's allowing a supporter of similar
treatment to the Bedouins -- specifically the Negev Bedouins -- to
publish at her site? Staying in the US, Mark Walker (North County Times) reports
the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't being mentioned by candidates
in Congressional campaigns in the San Diego and Riverside County areas.
Not all candidates across the country are so silent. Jennifer Jacobs (Des Moines Register) notes
Rebecca Williamson who is running against two men -- Democrat Leonard
Boswell (current member of the House) and Republican Brad Zaun. Rebecca
is with the Socialist Workers Party. She's quoted asking a crowd,
"Iowa has sent many, many soldiers to fight and die in the war. But for
what? The war is being organized to defend the capitalist government
and protect the interests of the rich." Jacobs summarizes Williamson on
the issues as follows: Every
unemployed worker should receive unemployment benefits until they find a
job. Half the state is rural and rural Iowans don't have enough access
to good health care, including abortion services. Home and farm
foreclosures should stop. Unemployment continues to deepen, especially
for African Americans. Flood damage to homes and crop land "could be
dealt with if the wealth that's produced by working class people is
allocated toward a public works program that would rebuild and improve
the infrastructure and levees. … This would also put millions of people
to work." The Militant notes
that the Socialist Workers Party in Iowa "collected more than 2,100
signatures to place" Williamson and others on the November ballot. Chuck Geurra (Militant) notes that Rebecca is a twenty-eight-year-old "assembly worker" running in Iowa's District 3. A SWP press release notes,
"Rebecca Williamson for U.S. Representative, 3rd Congressional
District. Williamson, 28, is an assembly worker in Ankeny. She has been
part of union organizing efforts in Chicago, IL and St. Paul, MN. A
women's rights activist, she helped defend Dr. Leroy Carhart's Bellevue,
Nebraska abortion clinic from rightist harassment last year.
Williamson is fluent in Spanish." In London, Andrew Gilligan (Telegraph of London) rushes in to insist David Kelly was not murdered but still advocates for an inquest. As a general rule, Gilligan should find another topic to write about. He's done more than enough damage when it comes to David Kelly. The late doctor disputed Tony Blair's lie -- proven a lie in the Iraq Inquiry -- that Iraq could attack England with WMD in 45 minutes. Andrew Gilligan reported on the 'sexed up' documents and eventually revealed Kelly as his source. Kelly was found dead under questionable circumstances and the official story is he took his own life. If you're late to the story, CNN has a timeline of major events here. The editorial board of Gilligan's own paper argues for an inquest: Almost from the moment his body was discovered in woods near his home in July 2003, conspiracy theories have surrounded the death of Dr David Kelly. The government weapons inspector had been disgracefully exposed by ministers as the source of critical comments about the so-called "dodgy dossier" on the Iraq War. His death seemed, to all intents and purposes, a suicide prompted by the inordinate pressure to which this very private man had been subjected as a consequence. This was, indeed, the conclusion reached by Lord Hutton in his inquiry into the circumstances of Dr Kelly's death, which superseded the normal requirements for an inquest. In retrospect, it was a mistake to have combined the findings as to the cause of death with a wider investigation into the political shenanigans that led to his being drawn into such fierce political controversy. They should have been held separately to establish clearly how Dr Kelly died. The Guardian polls its readers on where it's "now time for an inquest into David Kelly's death?" and it currently stands at 86.7% say: "Yes, a formal inquest is the best way to resolve unanswered questions" while 13.3% say: "No, Hutton's findings were sufficient." James Slack and Miles Goslett (Daily Mail) report on another poll, "According to an exclusive Mail opinion poll, only one in five people accepts the Hutton Inquiry's finding that the government weapons inspector took his own life. The survey also reveals that eight out of ten people want a full inquest. With senior MPs making the same demand, the Coalition is under strong pressure to act. It comes as a medical report says it was 'impossible' that Dr Kelly bled to death in the way described by the inquiry." Simon Walters and Glen Owen (Daily Mail) report that MP Michael Howard is attempting "to force a full inquest into the death of Ministry of Defence weapons expert Dr David Kelly." As Simon Alford (Times of London) reminded last December, "Dr Kelly was identified as the source for a report by Andrew Gilligan on the Today programme in May 2003, in which it was claimed the Government wanted the weapons dossier "sexed up". Dr Kelly denied the claims and on July 15 2003, three days before he was found dead, he appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee." And in September of 2003, Warren Hoge (New York Times) reported on Gilligan's testimony to the Hutton Inquiry: Mr. Gilligan's apology came in response to an earlier disclosure that after he had testified to the foreign affairs panel himself, he sent an e-mail message to three of the committee members suggesting a tough line of questioning to entrap Dr. Kelly. "It was quite wrong to send it, and I can only apologize," Mr. Gilligan said today. "I was under an enormous amount of pressure at the time. I simply was not thinking straight, so I really want to apologize for that." Finally, David Bacon reports on migrant workers in Maine (at ImmigrationProf Blog) and the report includes photos: Agustin
Martinez, Juan Rayas and Martin Martinez are all migrant blueberry
pickers who come to Maine every year from Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato.
Agustin workerd for three years during the bracero contract labor
program, which ended in 1964. He came across the border each year at
Calexico, where he remembers being given X-rays, and dusted with DDT,
supposedly because workers from Mexico were "flea-ridden." He worked
picking tomatoes in Sacramento and Oxnard, in California. A thousand
people slept in a huge barracks, he remembers. On loudspeakers they'd be
called by numbers to the bathroom to wash, to the dining hall to eat,
and to go to work. Juan Rayas also remembers working in that program,
although he went to Georgia and Arkansas to pick
cotton. The
three men live most of the year in a huge labor camp operated by Jasper
Wyman, the world's largest blueberry producer, in Deblois. The labor
camp in Maine is not so different from the old bracero barracks, Agustin
thnks. His hand is injured, and he fears he won't be able to continue
working. Workers get paid $2.25 per 23 point box, the same rate growers
were paying in 1975, when it had the purchasing power of $8.50
today. David Bacon's latest book is Illegal People -- How Globalization Creates Migration and Criminalizes Immigrants (Beacon Press) which won the CLR James Award. Bacon can be heard on KPFA's The Morning Show (over the airwaves in the Bay Area, streaming online) each Wednesday morning (begins airing at 7:00 am PST). |
:: Article nr. 68898 sent on 17-aug-2010 08:21 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68898
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_16.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| ||
| Suicide Attack Leaves 41 Iraq Army Recruits Dead In Baghdad RTT News The suicide-bombing, along with other such attacks in recent months, signals increased violence in Iraq after a relative lull. The increasing number of ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Turkey, US speed up talks on cooperation in troop pullout from Iraq Xinhua 16 (Xinhua) -- Turkey and the United States have sped up talks over their cooperation in the US forces' pullout process from Iraq, local newspaper Hurriyet ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Dr Kelly death 'not Cluedo game' BBC News Dr Kelly, 59, died in 2003 after he was exposed as the source of a BBC story on the grounds for going to war in Iraq. They experts called the cause of death ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Long Goodbye for Robert Gates, His Legacy Still Taking Shape FOXNews (He said little about Iraq, by the way, which is not exactly an unmitigated success). If it is not, he'll propose “adjustments” in December, he confirmed. ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq's Deadly Legacy
Fouad Hady
 |
SBS, August 15, 2010 It
is seven years since the invasion of Baghdad and only now is the US
withdrawing its forces from Iraq, but the Iraqi people themselves,
meanwhile, are having to deal with what appears to be a more immediate
and devastating legacy from the war - stories are now emerging of
increased deformities in the country's newborn babies as well as a
dramatic rise in the number of children with cancer. Dateline's Walkley
Award-winning reporter Fouad Hady, an Iraqi-Australian, went back home
to investigate. As you know, Dateline always warns it’s viewers
when they are about to show images or sequences that they think you
might find upsetting. Well, George Negus had a long look at Fouad's
piece and it's definitely upsetting - confronting, in fact.
Nevertheless, he urges you to stick with it. It says a lot about the
ethical dilemma of modern armed conflicts like Iraq. I'm travelling to Falluja - about two hours drive west of Baghdad - the scene of fierce fighting between Sunni insurgents and US forces in 2004. My driver is Mohammed, a mechanic who lives here, he remembers a happier time. MOHAMMED, DRIVER (Translation): This is our city, Falluja. Every Monday and Tuesday it used to celebrate weddings, happy occasions, newborn babies and young men and women getting married….. He says that has all changed now. MOHAMMED (Translation): They don't have very high hopes of marrying and starting a family because they are scared to have children. This is the stricken Falluja city. Mohammed and his new bride stayed in Falluja throughout the fighting. They say there is a terrible legacy. MOHAMMED (Translation): She was two months pregnant when the battles with the American forces started. They were fierce battles and the American forces moved into the houses. There was heavy aerial bombing and armoured vehicles came in. A while later Zahraa was born disabled –she has six digits in her hands and feet – here are her hands and here are her feet. They are the effects – the doctors would not give us reports. She also had general paralysis and obesity, an allergy in the trachea, asthma, cross-eyed and also has mild mental retardation. MOHAMMED’S WIFE (Translation): I had high hopes when I was pregnant with her - I was expecting her to grow up, play, to guide her, play with her, take her out, enrol her at school... In two years, all kids her age will start school, except for her. MOHAMMED (Translation): We had a baby boy after her and when he was three or four days old, he died. He had an opening in the crown of the head, from the effects. It's not the only case in Falluja - there are not hundreds but thousands of cases in Falluja. Mohammad and many others believe US bullets and bombs - which spread depleted uranium - have made Falluja toxic. He wants me to meet some of his neighbours. REPORTER (Translation): What is your son’s condition? WOMAN (Translation): My son’s condition is from the effects of the war – I was pregnant with him when Falluja was attacked – I was pregnant during the first attack and he was barely 40 days old during the second. So that is why this happened to my son Abdul Rahman. It is the effects of war – the bombs the Americans dropped on us. In general, Falluja’s women are not happing children. REPORTER (Translation): Do you know women, like neighbours, friends… WOMAN (Translation): All of them. REPORTER (Translation): Do they miscarry or can’t they fall pregnant? WOMAN (Translation): She miscarries - then can’t fall pregnant – my sister miscarried as well. REPORTER (Translation): The same condition? WOMAN (Translation): Yes, the same condition. REPORTER (Translation): Do you know any neighbours in the same condition – miscarry and so on? WOMAN (Translation): All of them. The fighting in Falluja filled the cemeteries, so people were buried here in the sports ground and the locals say the curse of Falluja continues REPORTER (Translation): What is this? LOCAL REPORTER (Translation): Where? I want to ask the doctors at Falluja hospital what they think is causing this tragedy. The hospital is clean, well-equipped and was paid for by the US. Paediatrician Dr Samira al-Ani says she has seen an increase in the numbers of deformed children. DR SAMIRA AL-ANI, PAEDIATRICIAN: The cases that I am meeting now or I am facing now, are more than before, I can say 2002. I feel that the number is increasing after 2006. REPORTER: Increasing by how many per cent? DR SAMIRA AL-ANI: I can't give a per cents, I can't give a percentage because there is no documentation - in the past or even now. There is no statistics at all. There is no documentation of... I can say of most of the cases, not all of the cases, but most of the cases. There is nothing documented. There should be some studies and there should be some investigations. REPORTER: No study here? DR SAMIRA AL-ANI: No, no, no. REPORTER: Why? DR SAMIRA AL-ANI: We have no facilities to do such investigations. It's a complex subject and it needs complex investigation. Travelling with us is a journalist, Mr Haamed Alname from a local paper, he also tried to talk to doctors - without success. HAAMED ALNAME, JOURNALIST (Translation): They refused categorically and the direct response was that an official letter from the Health Ministry prohibits all statements by doctors in relation to, quote unquote, "congenital deformities". The main reason is pressure from the American forces on the Health Ministry. The letter was sent to the Anbar Department of Health and to Falluja General Hospital. I decide to head back to Baghdad seeking more information. The Health Ministry refuse all my requests for an interview, but Mishkat al-Moumin, the Minister for the Environment, agreed to talk. She's working to clean up those parts of Iraq contaminated during the war. MISHKAT AL-MOUMIN, MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (Translation): So what we have today is 41 sites. The majority are in areas close to Baghdad or in areas close to Basra, or in the proximity of Basra. Central Baghdad - this is one of the many radioactive sites scattered across Iraq. Once the Department of Youth and Sport, it was badly damaged in the fighting for the city. Many of the shells and bullets contained depleted uranium. This man is from the Environment Ministry. With barrels of contaminated material, including depleted uranium, or DU, stacked along the wall, I put on the protective overalls. REPORTER (Translation): Isn’t it contaminated? REPORTER (Translation): Which floor is this? REPORTER (Translation): Contaminated? REPORTER (Translation): Which level? REPORTER (Translation): So there's still uranium here? When the shells hit, radioactive dust particles can contaminate large parts of the surrounding area. REPORTER (Translation): They're not wearing suits, will they be exposed? Not far from this building is the al-Alwiyah Children's Hospital, in the centre of Baghdad. A baby has been delivered in the ambulance on the way here. DOCTOR: Female baby, with cleft palate and the issue of abdominal vessel and most probably a polycystic kidney. This is the bulge in the abdominal muscle and this is a polycystic kidney and there is a facial cleft complete facial collapse and the cleft. Most of all, this patient is - low-set ear and polydactyl, you can see the polydactyl for the left hand, there is six fingers, not five, six finger on the left hand. She is a female baby. We see multiple cases like this. This is the newborn baby's grandmother. GRANDMOTHER (Translation): They told us in her sixth month hat she had this condition. REPORTER (Translation): You found out by ultra-sound? GRANDMOTHER (Translation): Yes. I felt it was so wrong and did not accept it – the medical committee recommended an abortion and she was young and scared. But I did not agree and told her to have the baby. God Almighty created her and God will… Here, look at her. So many things are wrong with her. Both her father and mother are healthy. It's not that anything's wrong with them. They're fine. REPORTER (Translation): Where's her mother? GRANDMOTHER (Translation): I sent them home. I haven't told the mother or father yet. Even when I saw her in the ambulance, I was dumbfounded. It's all because of the fighting. What has this baby ever done? If her father sees her, he will go crazy. What's her fault, this baby? Oh, God. The doctor calls me to see another baby, just two hours old. REPORTER (Translation): Doctor, this is a scary case. What is this? DOCTOR (Translation): It's wrong to say scary about them. REPORTER (Translation): Not scary, I'm sorry. But this case is tragic. It's really a sad situation? DOCTOR: This is a case of enkaphalosio - you'll notice that this is the forehead of the baby disappeared completely and there is a herniation of the brain tissue to the back of the baby. This is a common situation we have noticed lately. This baby is gasping - put him on oxygen, please. Oxygen, oxygen, oxygen. Down the corridor is another 3-month-old baby with facial deformities. Her name is Farah, which means 'happiness'. She's been isolated from other babies because she is very sick. REPORTER (Translation): What's wrong with Farah? WOMAN (Translation): She has acute infections. She was very ill yesterday - she was almost finished. We gave her, her medication, and plasma. We felt so sad in the section when we stopped hearing her voice. REPORTER (Translation): Do you like her? WOMAN (Translation): We love to hear her voice. Especially as we have children... We're mothers and we know. Poor girl - She's helpless. We are all she has. Isn't she a human being too? REPORTER (Translation): Did you find her mother? WOMAN (Translation): I don't know if anyone has visited her or not. They haven't even left an address. Just Baghdad. Just across the Tigris River, is another hospital specialising in young cancer patients. DOCTOR (Translation): After the last war on Iraq the number of leukaemia cases has increased. The children who come to us face real suffering, especially those coming from remote areas, rural areas. REPORTER (Translation): Is he your son? WOMAN (Translation): Yes. REPORTER (Translation): What happened? WOMAN (Translation): He has leukaemia in the blood. REPORTER (Translation): How long has it been? WOMAN (Translation): Almost a year. REPORTER (Translation): How did you discover it? WOMAN (Translation): He had a tumour - he started losing weight and got skinny. We did a marrow test and it showed up in his blood. All the children are like that. They say it's the effect of wars, I don't know why. WOMAN 2 (Translation): We took her to a hospital in Irbil – a haematology hospital, we did the marrow test. We'd never heard of it before. We knew her condition was critical. The results confirmed it was leukaemia. We were so shocked but when we came here we saw so many cases even worse than Marwa’s case. But thank God... God is generous, He will cure her. REPORTER (Translation): Hassan, what's Hassan's condition? WOMAN 3 (Translation): He was fine except that he was coughing. They requested more tests and the results showed he had the disease in the blood. REPORTER (Translation): Leukaemia. WOMAN 3 (Translation): Yes. I cried until I couldn't cry any more. My tears dried out from so much crying. The hospital could not, or would not give me any figures about the number of young leukaemia patients. REPORTER: Let's talk about the war. DOCTOR: Oh, maybe this is difficult. You cannot say for sure that the war in what way affected our problem in Iraq but our observations that the numbers are increasing for the newly diagnosed patients over the past 20 years. Again, I can't get no firm statistics but as I film a technician testing blood, I begin to get an idea of the scale of the problem. REPORTER (Translation): How many cases do you detect per day? TECHNICIAN (Translation): Sometimes 10, 14... It depends on what comes in.. REPORTER (Translation): Leukaemia? TECHNICIAN (Translation): Leukaemia - All blood diseases. REPORTER (Translation): You're saying 10 cases a day, that's 300 a month. So the numbers are… TECHNICIAN (Translation): The numbers are, well, it's normal here. Those figures would mean thousands of cases a year in this one hospital. I return to al-Alwiyah Hospital the next day. The doctor is examining baby Farah - her condition has improved but her severe disabilities make me fear for her future. DOCTOR: There are no eyelids for this baby since her birth and that make a lot of complication for her. And her age now is 80 days, but also she has a repetitive infection in the chest because she is complaining from repeated aspirations to the lower respiratory system. One of the time in her early life she was complaining from pneumonia - aspiration pneumonia. She aspirates her own saliva and that's all. Iraq's broken children need love and care and they need to know what's causing this terrible tragedy. REPORTER (Translation): Do you have the intention to have more children? MOHAMMED’S WIFE (Translation): I hope so. I would love to have more children. But I'm scared, because I had a baby boy after her and he died then, he was deformed. His head was deformed. I would love to, but I'm scared. GEORGE NEGUS: Fouad Hady with that disturbing report. Fouad tells us, by the way, that the head of the Baghdad hospital where he was filming was gunned down on Thursday as she left work. The Iraqis are struggling to come up with valid evidence of the causes of the deaths and deformities in their children, but this UK report done in Fallujah and published by the 'International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health' says "we conclude that the results confirm the reported increases in cancer and infant mortality, which are alarmingly high." The report also states that "although we have drawn attention to the use of depleted uranium as one potential relevant exposure, there may be other possibilities". And our website this week includes a blog from our executive producer on our decision not to show some particularly distressing scenes from Fouad's Iraq report, plus links to research on uranium and deformities. That's at sbs.com.au/dateline. Reporter/Camera FOUAD HADY Producer ASHLEY SMITH Editor DAVID POTTS Researcher DONALD CAMERON Translations/Subtitling JOSEPH ABDO DALIA MATAR Original Music composed by VICKI HANSEN 15th August 2010 |
:: Article nr. 68861 sent on 16-aug-2010 10:23 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68861
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Iraq looks to Shiite leader for a way out of political crisis Los Angeles Times Political figures are whisked to the cleric's simple office, leaving a short time later with vague pronouncements about Iraq's direction. ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| In Iraq, Western Clocks, but Middle Eastern Time New York Times PERIOD PIECE The excavation of Samarra in Iraq, with the Askariya Mosque, a Shiite holy site, in the distance early in the 20th century. ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Extremist organizations retain their grip on Iraq Boston Globe By Ernesto Londono BAGHDAD — As the end of the US combat mission in Iraq nears, extremist groups “are very much alive,'' according to the US Special Forces ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Kelly had heart attack, says pathologist Independent Kelly, Britain's most senior inspector in Iraq, was found dead in woods near his home in Oxfordshire. He was revealed to be the source behind a BBC news ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Iraq war winds down, but costs soar San Francisco Chronicle President Obama announced recently with much fanfare that the number of US troops in Iraq will be down to 50000 by the end of August. ... See all stories on this topic » | |
| Can't go both ways on Obama and Iraq Chicago Daily Herald One person wrote that Obama has taken credit for now withdrawing American troops from the very long Iraq war by the end of the month, and that Obama ... See all stories on this topic » | |
|
Iraq snapshot - August 13, 2010
The Common Ills
Friday, August 13, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the political stalemate continues, rumors
swirl throughout Iraq, and more. Today on the second hour of The Diane Rehm Show (NPR), Diane discussed Iraq with Daniel Dombey (Financial Times), Yochi Dreazen (National Journal) and Susan Glasser (Foreign Policy). Diane
Rehm: And now we have Iraq's most senior soldier saying the Iraqi army
will not be ready until 2020. What does that mean, Dan? Daniel Dombey: Well
I think one of the things that it really means is that if you were a
betting person, I think you would be very advised to bet that there will
still be US soldiers in Iraq after the 31st of December 2011. Diane Rehm: The question is how many? Daniel
Dombey: Well at the moment there supposed to come down to 50,000 by the
end of this month. That from a peak of over 140,000 when President
[Barack] Obama took office. I have to say they talk a lot about the
combat mission ending. I would say a large part of that is just
semantics. They're still going to be involved in counter-terrorism,
they're still going to be an essential part in terms of communication
and logistics and transport -- all the really difficult actions against
al Qaeda or against insurgengents are going to likely rely on US forces
for some time to come, I would say. Yochi
Dreazen: Two quick points. One on this issue of semantics, it's
important also to look at what General Zubari -- Babaker Zubari -- was
actually saying. He was asked about Iraq's ability to defend its
borders externally. Which is a very different issue when it has Iran on
one side, Turkey on other side, I mean it has multi-powerful countries
on almost all of its borders. That's a very different question from its
ability to patrol within its borders. And clearly the US focus rightly
has been can you get Iraqi security forces capable of fighting
insurgents, controlling areas, operating on their own. And there's been
really remarkable progress. I mean, admist all the bad news from
Afghanistan, I've spent a lot of time with Iraqi forces over the years,
they've gotten markedy, markedly better. So the question of what their
main mission is in the near future, they're already doing it. I would
also add that I totally agree with Dan's point. I think that there's no
question in the mind of anyone I talk to in Afghanistan -- I'm sorry, in
Iraq or the Pentagon, that there will be an amendment to the deals to
allow for some number -- usually in the low thousands is the number I
hear -- to stay after 2011 when they're supposed to all leave. Susan Glasser: I
think those are all really important points. I think a couple of things
I would add. One, is Iraq unlike Afghanistan had a large standing army
that was to maintain internal and external order. This was Saddam
Hussein's police state which functioned in a very militarized way so
they had something they were reconstructing there which is very
different from in Afghanistan which has hadn't a very meaningful army in
a long time. Could
Yochi explain this: "One on this issue of semantics, it's important
also to look at what General Zubari -- Babaker Zubari -- was actually
saying. He was asked about Iraq's ability to defend its borders
externally. Which is a very different issue when it has Iran on one
side, Turkey on other side, I mean it has multi-powerful countries
on almost all of its borders." Is he implying that Iraq installed new
borders after 2003 (when the illegal war started)? Or is he implying
everyone overseeing the illegal war is so stupid they didn't know basic
geography? Iraq's borders were well known. I believe a considerable
amount of press ink was spent in 2002 and 2003, for example, on how
Turkey might or might not allow the US to fly over (they decided not).
Iraq's defense is its borders. It's stupid to act as if this just
popped up or to say, "Woah, they can do the internal, just not the
external!" That's stupid and crazy. And, point of fact, Iraqi forces
can't protect the country internally. As AP notes,
"Bombings continue almost daily in Baghdad and around the rest of Iraq,
a grim reality illustrated by the fact that the number of civilians
killed by insurgents in July was the highest in two years. Though
violence is far lower than it was between 2005 and 2007, when revenge
attacks brought the country to the edge of civil war, Iraq is far from
secure." Matthew Rusling (Xinhua) speaks with Statfor's military analysist Nathan Hughes who also sees realities different than Yochi. Michael Jansen (Irish Times) observes,
"Iraq has just begun to receive some of the equipment it needs to
defend the country. Eleven of 140 US battle tanks have arrived but crews
will not be trained and the rest of the tanks will not be in service
until mid-2012. Iraq has no independent air cover, an essential
component of any defence strategy. Last March the government contracted
to purchase 18 US F-16 fighter jets, but these are not set for delivery
before 2013." Arab News notes the following in an editorial: Lt.
Gen. Babaker Zebari went on to claim his troops might not be able to
take control of the military situation for another decade. It is hard to
imagine what the general thought he was going to achieve by this
outburst, which surely cannot have been authorized by any government
figure, if for no better reason than the deplorable fact that over five
months after elections, Iraq still has no proper government. It
will be suspected, of course, that Washington may have been behind
Zebari's words, since they constitute an invitation for the US to
continue its occupation. However, there are powerful factors arguing
against US complicity. Barack Obama won the presidency with a clear
promise to quit Iraq. The American message has been that the Iraqi
police and armed forces have reached a level of competence and equipment
where they can assume responsibility for security. Indeed in recent
months, much has been made of the fact that very few US troops have been
out on the streets, leaving the job of dealing with the violence to the
Iraqis. Only in the field of sophisticated signals intelligence is the
US likely to have any future role alongside the Iraqi military. That
contribution probably need not involve the continued presence of US
boots on the ground. Besides,
if Washington's assurances about the standards achieved by the Iraqi
security forces really are nonsense, what does it say about similar
protestations over the level of training and efficiency currently being
claimed for the Afghan police and military? And
the line Yochi's attempting to draw -- "security" relegated to internal
-- is as false as the claim that "combat" missions are now over and the
US has housed Iraq with "non-combat" troops. March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. The Guardian's editorial board notes,
"These elections were hailed prematurely by Mr Obama as a success, but
everything that has happened since has surely doused that optimism in a
cold shower of reality." 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 6 days. Andrew England (Financial Times of London) visits
the Parliament and speaks with an unidentified MP who tells him, "Ten
per cent of parliamentarians [those involved in political negotiations]
are active, the other 90 per cent have nothing to do. The whole of Iraq
is a vacuum, for God's sake. You know when you get a black hole in the
universe? It's exactly the same now." Hayder Najm (Niqash) states: Iraqis
have no idea when both the US and Iran have agreed to throw their
combined support behind Nouri al-Maliki's candidacy for Prime Minister .
The leader of the State of Law coalition has never been a 'key ally' to
Tehran or Washington. In fact, he has probably been more of a source of
concern for both. The US and Iran have managed to align their interests on the future of Iraq, despite their clashes over many issues. The US accuses Iran of supporting armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan. Iran is critical about Washington's stances on Israel at the expense of its neighbours' interests. The Iranians recently detained three US citizens who crossed the border, who it accuses of spying. Iran's nuclear ambitions also remain on the US file. Salah Hemeid (Al-Ahram Weekly) runs through a number of possibilities on what's taking place (including that the stalemate lives on). As Azzaman notes, many rumors are flying around and they provide a list of some of the more popular ones: · The crime of killing medical doctors is back in Baghdad in full force. · Al-Qaeda is luring Sahwa Councils -- the Sunni militia the U.S. raised and armed -- by paying them salaries higher than those the U.S. offers. · The Iraqi army is asking U.S. troops to extend their occupation of the country for another decade. The reason is that the army comprises mainly candidates from sectarian parties who are not capable of guarding the country. · Iran wants free shipments of Iraqi oil in return for compensations of the 1991 Gulf War. · The bombing of fixed U.S. military bases is easier than smoking a cigarette. · Militia leaders have returned to Baghdad camouflaged in parliamentary garb and quiet and moderate turbans. The Iraq War did create some things. Such as the refugee crisis. Michael Otterman pens a column about the refugee crisis for the Christian Science Monitor: And
there are currently 4.5 million displaced Iraqis languishing on the
outskirts of Iraqi cities and scattered throughout nearby Jordan and
Syria. This represents the largest urban refugee crisis in the world.
Most
displaced Iraqis fled Iraq amid the height of the civil war in 2006 and
2007. At the time, as many as 30,000 Iraqis per month poured into
Syria. Thousands fled to Jordan everyday. The torrent slowed by 2008,
but the refugees remain. Dozens of them have shared their stories with me. "I
don't own a thing and even if I owned the world, if Iraq would become a
country again, I would never return," said an Iraqi I met two years ago
in Jeramana, a hub for Iraqis in Damascus, Syria. He told me between
sobs about the kidnapping of his youngest son, whom he later found dead
in an abandoned Baghdad schoolyard. He fled to Syria with his wife and
two surviving children the day after he recovered the
body. "Everything
is gone," an Iraqi living in a crumbling apartment in East Amman,
Jordan, told me in 2008 while his pregnant wife paced nearby. In 2006,
his house in Baquba, Iraq, burnt down amid crossfire between Iraqi
insurgents and US forces. He sat at home and smoked cigarettes while
pondering the future. "I never want to go back. [Iraq] will be divided,"
he said. The Iraq War was also a 'growth industry' for ophans. Kelly McEvers (NPR's All Things Considered) reports,
"The war in Iraq has taken a heavy toll on children, many of whom saw
their own family members kidnapped, tortured and executed during the
brutal sectarian fighting from 2006 to 2008. More recently, orphanages
are filling up with children left without parents after attacks from
insurgent groups, including al-Qaida. But there are very few services
for Iraq's estimated 4 million to 6 million orphans. Plans to open the
country's first ever child-psychiatry clinic have been approved. But the
project has stalled because there is still no government amid political
wrangling after the March election." And file it under "rumor," Samir Sumaida'ie is weighing in with his 'knowledge.' Caroline Alexander and Margaret Brennan (Bloomberg News) report
that the the Iraqi Ambassador to the US is insisting that all US forces
will be out of Iraq at the end of next year. Realities come in Jamal Dajani's column for the Huffington Post: But will the U.S. actually withdraw from Iraq? Not
really. Tens of thousand of U.S. troops will remain in the country to
train the Iraqi army and provide it with logistical support. If need be,
they will be engaged in combat missions. Meanwhile, the number of
private contractors working for the U.S. in Iraq in sectors such as
security, communications, utilities, and commerce is estimated at
100,000. This number is likely to increase significantly once the
"combat forces" are gone, especially in the security
sector. Move on US Marines, here come Xe Services (better known as Blackwater)! This week on Antiwar Radio, Scott Horton spoke with Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan. Click here for the interview at Antiwar Radio and here for it at Peace of the Action. Excerpt: Cindy
Sheehan: Well, you know I've learned in the last five years, I think
I've learned -- I couldn't even measure how much I've learned. But I
know in the last five years I've learned more than the previous years I
lived put together. And I've learned, Republicans will be Republicans.
And you know they're very unapologetically pro-war. Not every Republican
but, you know, most Republicans are unapologetically pro-war. The
faction that I learned the most about, I think, would be the anti-war
movement or the so-called anti-war movement. The people who are
supposedly on the left, the progressives. And, you know, it's just very
disheartening that all of my -- my colleagues -- most of my colleagues,
or friends or associates that I worked with before Obama was elected
have basically fallen off the face of the earth or they support now what
Obama is doing or they're not as energetically against it as they were
when Bush was president. So the major thing that I've learned, I think,
is that we have one party system in this country and it's the War
Party. And it just depends on if you have an "R" or "D" after your name
if you support what's happening or if you're against what's happening.
So that's what I've learned. There's no noble cause for war, there never
has been, there never will be. And, you know, we just have to stop
being such hypocrites and such supporters of empire depending upon who
is president. It doesn't matter who's president. The empire is what has
the momentum, not political parties. Scott
Horton: Well, you know, I think one of the things about your story that
really captured everybody's attention is the specificity of your
complaint -- particularly that your son was sent off to die for -- in a
war that should have never been fought. That he was betrayed. And I read
-- you know me, Cindy, I'm, into this. I read about it all day. And yet
still the casualty reports come in -- 'A couple of soldiers died in
Iraq today.' That's still going on. Summer of 2010 here if you're
listening to this on MP3 format years from now, doing your thesis on it.
Soldiers still dying. Soldiers still dying obviously more than ever in
Afghanistan as the war escalates there. And often times, even for those
of us who deliberately try to not think this way or whatever, you know,
'a number's a number. Some soldiers died, some soldiers died.' But, you
know, I've been reading -- you just get desensitized to it. It's not a
scene that you see. It's words and a headline, you know what I mean? Cindy Sheehan: Right. Scott
Horton: That's what you get to picture -- is the shape of the news
article, not the event that actually happened. So I've been reading The Good Soldiers
by David Finkel which is about a group of guys, a battalion, that were
part of the surge in 2007 in Baghdad. And they were basically -- they
were part of the ground crew from that Collateral Murder
video actually. But anyway, it's the story of 'Hey these are real
people driving around in aluminum Humvees getting their bodies torn
apart by EFPs and IEDs on the side of the road, getting their brains
sniped out by some guy hiding behind a wall. These are -- you know,
there names are Gary and Dave and Bob and DeShawn and, you know, Juan
and whoever, they're our friends and our neighbors. Their names are
Casey. Cindy Sheehan: Right. Scott
Horton: And they're out there dying for nothing. Real people,
individuals, crippled for life, brains scrambled by shock waves and by
the things that they've seen. And that's if they're lucky! That's if
they come home with their arms and legs and life intact. This is not
playing around. It's not some movie scene we're talking about here.
These are people's sons and brothers and brand new husbands and fathers
in a lot of cases as well. Cindy has her own radio show, Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox
and this Sunday the guest is Tommy Chong. This past Sunday, she had on
Ethan McCord, Iraq War veteran and on the ground during the assault
captured in the Collateral Murder video and who says there was no threat and he perceived no threat prior to the assualt. Ralph Lopez (OpEdNews) reports of the interview: At
one point McCord criticized media war analysts, whom he called "these
supposed war analysts [who] were going over this video, who knew nothing
of what happened that day..." In
the wide-ranging interview with Cindy Sheehan on her weekly radio
program Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox, McCord also again attested to
witnessing a high-level war crime, that of random execution of civilians
in retaliation for an attack on U.S. forces, a crime which was
successfully prosecuted after World War II. McCord's allegation was
broadcast widely across the Internet two months after he first made it
in an interview in April. Turning to the isssue ov violence, Reuters notes
1 police officer was shot dead last night in Garma and that an attack
in Samarra on a Sahwa leader and police with over eighteen injured. Sinan Salaheddin (AP) reports a Baghdad home invasion which claimed the life of 1 woman who was stabbed to death. In other violence news, the PKK has declared a ceasefire for the holiday and state the ceasefire will last through September 20th. Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "The Pig-Pen Ambassador," from April 5, 2009, commented on Chris Hill's confirmation hearing (see the March 25, 2009 snapshot and the March 26th snapshot ). Today Anthony Shadid (New York Times) reports
Chris Hill is out of Iraq and "Hours before his departure from Baghdad,
he said a power-sharing arrangement between the main winners in the
March election was just weeks away." Though Hill makes that assertion,
Shadid notes Iraqi officials are not rushing to agree with it. It's a
portrait of the manic depressive Hill that comes as close as the press
will probably ever come to telling the truth about the uninformed Hill.
The Iraqis are the most honest in their assessment. Hill spoke no Arabic
and struggled with the basics. He goes on to outline some of James
Jeffrey's past work experience (Jeffrey is the new US Ambassador to
Iraq) and see how many in 'independent' media bother to comb over that. Also worth noting is this from the article, "Preparation for the election, the vote and the negotiations on a new government have dominated the tenure of Mr. Hill, who took over the American Embassy at a time when Iraq was less violent and more stable, but only in comparison to the anarchic months of 2006 and 2007." Good for Shadid for not applying the false baseline/benchmark when evaluating the violence. Alsumaria TV reports, "In an interview with a US TV station, Hill explained that the political situation in Iraq is normal and doesn't differ from any other country where the difference is slight between two winning parties." Hill has a tendency to repeat himself (heavily scripted) in one interview after another; however, they may be referring to the interview Steve Inskeep did with him for NPR's Morning Edition earlier this week. The National Lawyers Guild has issued their [PDF format warning] Summer/Fall 2010 publication.
You can check out a photo of the new federally trademarked NLG Legal
Observer caps with Heidi Boghosian and Joel Kupferman wearing them and
Jamie Munro contributes "Lynne Stewart re-sentenced to 10 years in
prison" which contains this quote from NLG President David Grespass. It appears that being a vigorous and conscientious advocate for one's clients is becoming ever more dangerous. As you know, our former president, Peter Erlinder, was held in a Rwandan jail for the better part of a month because of his representation of a client before the ICTR. From Puerto Rico to the Philippines, lawyers who display principle and courage face dire consequences, including assassination. I know it is cold comfort, but you have long since joined that illustrious company. Our colleagues in Pakistan were arrested and beaten for defending the rule of law but they, in the end, triumphed. We hope the same will be said of you and we remain committed to you and to doing all we can to secure your freedom. Whatever you call upon us to do, we stand ready. There's much more in the issue but those are two things that stood out. And remember that Heidi co-hosts Law and Disorder with Michal Ratner and Michael Steven Smith -- WBAI airs it on Mondays and other radio stations air it throughout the week. Lynne Stewart is a political prisoner. TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week,
Charles Babington (AP), Dan Balz (Washington Post), Todd Purdum (Vanity
Fair) and Nancy A. Youssef (McClatchy Newspapers) join Gwen around the
table. Gwen now has a weekly column at Washington Week and the current
one is "Leaning Left and Right: Why Labels Won't Help This Year." This week, Bonnie Erbe
will sit down with US House Rep Donna Edwards, Avis Jones-DeWeever,
Darlene Kennedy and Sabrina Schaeffer on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. And this week's To The Contrary online extra is an interview with Nancy Pelosi. Need To Know
is PBS' new program covering current events. This week's hour long
broadcast (Fridays on most PBS stations -- but check local listings)
features a look at youth violence in Chicago. And turning to broadcast
TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers: Swiss
bank accounts offered people, including American tax cheats, a safe
place to hide money. But Switzerland's largest bank has given
authorities formerly sacrosanct information on its American customers
because of tips provided by whistleblower Bradley Birkenfeld, who tells Steve Kroft some of the secrets Swiss bankers never tell. | Watch Video 130 Million Tons of Waste Al Pacino 60 Minutes, Sunday, August 15, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. |
:: Article nr. 68813 sent on 14-aug-2010 15:58 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68813
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_13.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| America must not neglect Iraq's refugees as US troops withdraw Christian Science Monitor “I am very optimistic about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration,” said Vice President Joe Biden earlier this ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
|
Iraq snapshot, August 12, 2010
The Common Ills
Thursday, August 12, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the political stalemate continues, the
spinning continues, Robert Gates lets some 'withdrawal' talk slip, Lt
Col Victor Fehrenbach takes on the Air Force, Big Oil gets richer, and
more. Today Teri Weaver (Stars and Stripes) quotes
US Maj Gen Terry Wolff stating, "The ministries are still operating.
It's not like they're shut down." What the heck is he talking about?
He's minimizing the political stalemate. March
7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. 163 seats are needed to
form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers).
When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the
number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four
more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats
needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must
be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates.
(Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority
candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad
Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament
making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law
which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89
seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing
allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial
results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place
winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give
them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the
government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 5 days. And
the ministries are not 'still operating.' There's no Minister of
Electricity and if any Ministry in Iraq needs leadership, it would be
the Ministery of Electricity. Iraq is plauged with blackouts, has
electricity in most areas for only a few hours each day. There is no
Minister of Electricity. He tendered his resignation months ago. Nouri
al-Maliki has one of his cronies acting as the minister but the
Constitution is very clear that ministers are approved by Parliament and
Parliament's never approved this 'acting' minister who is also the
Minister of Oil. Erdal Safak (Sabah) explains,
"The Iraqis have access to electricity for only three or four hours a
day and they do not have access to [potable] water. Iraqi politicians
gather every day and negotiate for hours and hours. Although five
months have passed since the elections in Iraq, the chances that a
government will form are bleak. President Obama is so desperate that he
sent a top secret letter to Shiite leader Ali al-Sistani, encouraging
him to step in and use his influence." What
a stupid thing to say, "The ministries are still operating. It's not
like they're shut down." The elections were supposed to take place in
2009. Everyone's ignoring the fact that Nouri is operating in some
quasi-legal territory when he pretends to be Prime Minister. His term
expired. Can you imagine the outcry if, in the US, Bully Boy Bush had
attempted to occupy the White House through May 2009? If oil is all that matters, Maj Gen Terry Wolf, then you are indeed sitting pretty. Jung Seung-hyun (JoongAng Daily) reports
on the announcement by the Korea National Oil Corporation, "After 10
months of work drilling 3,847 meters (12,621.4 feet) into the earth from
October 2009 to August this year, the KNOC estimated a maximum 970
barrels of crude oil and 3 million cubic meters of natural gas could be
produced at the site every day. The average daily production expectancy
for crude oil was placed at 200 barrels per day." Meanwhile London South East reports,
"Shares in Gulf Keystone Petroleum rise as much as 9 percent touch a
year high after the oil explorer says tests at its Shaikan-1 well in
Iraq's Kurdistan show a ten-fold increase in flow rates, raising
expectations for future production rates." AMEinfo explains,
"Baker Hughes announced it has signed a three-year strategic alliance
with Iraq's South Oil Company (SOC) to provide technical services to
SOC's wireline logging department in Burj Esya, Basra south Iraq. Under
the terms of the technical services agreement (TSA), Baker Hughes will
supply wireline technologies to SOC and other Iraqi oil and gas
producers as well as help develop local Iraqi wireline logging
capabilities." Dow Jones notes
that the Kirkuk pipeline that was carrying oil from Kirkuk to Turkey
and was bombed earlier this week is 'back in business' having "resumed
the pumping at 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) on Wednesday." And Al Bawaba notes: The
exploration of Iraq's rich oil and gas fields will be under the
spotlight during a top meeting of oil executives and Iraqi energy
regulators in Istanbul in October as global companies that have won
contracts prepare to start the development of various
fields. The
programme director of Iraq Future Energy 2010, Claire Pallen, says
"with the recent awarding of rights to develop various oil and gas
fields in Iraq the world's oil and gas executives now await the
formation of the government bodies following the recent general
elections as well as the eagerly awaited third licensing round that is
scheduled for September. Top representatives from global oil giants as
well as lawmakers from Iraq will meet in October to prepare for the road
ahead with regards to the short to medium term development of Iraq's
oil and gas sector". Of
course, Iraqis can't eat oil and the tag sale on their national assets
will ensure that the Iraqi people don't profit from the boomtown. And IRIN notes
that over "a tenth of Iraq's 2009-2010 wheat crop has been infected by a
killer fungus, according to authorities." But Maj Gen Terry Wolf
thinks Iraq's functioning just fine. How Iraq's functioning was
addressed today on Morning Edition (NPR -- link has audio and text) when Steve Inskeep discussed the country's current status with Thomas E. Ricks. Thomas
E. Ricks: The problem in Iraq is none of the basic political questions
facing the country have been solved, and this is one reason that weve
gone so many months now without the formation of an Iraqi government.
But the basic questions are: How are these three major groups in Iraq
going to get along? How are they going to live together? Are they going
to live together? How are you going to share the oil revenue? What's the
form of Iraqi government? Will it have a strong central government or
be a loose confederation? What's the role of neighboring countries, most
especially Iran, which is stepping up its relationship with Iraq right
now, even as Uncle Sam tries to step down its relationship? All these questions have been hanging fire in Iraq for several years, in fact before the surge. Steve Inskeep: Aren't -- Thomas
E. Ricks: All of them have led to violence in the past and all could
easily lead to violence again. The only thing changing in the Iraqi
security equation right now is Uncle Sam is trying to get out. Steve
Inskeep: Aren't these last few months helpful in some way? Ambassador
Hill in his interview suggested that while Iraqis have gone months since
this election without forming a government, at least they're talking
and maybe making progress. Thomas E. Ricks: Yeah.
It strikes me as whistling past the graveyard. I think what's happening
in Iraq is everybody is waiting for Uncle Sam to get out of the way so
they can get on with their business. No one wants get in a fight with
Uncle Sam again. The American troops know Iraq well, the commanders know
how to operate there, and they can smack down anybody who turns
violent. But President Obama has said we're not going to get involved in
that. And so I think a lot of people in Iraq are simply keeping their
powder dry. Steve Inskeep: Is America really getting out of the way? There still going to be 50,000 troops there, for example. Thomas
E. Ricks: Yeah. And actually, the mission becomes more violent and more
dangerous with the passage of time, not less violent. I would much
rather be on an American combat infantry patrol than, say, be with an
advisor to Iraqi forces. That's a more dangerous position to be in.
Also, as you draw down American forces, you withdraw a lot of the forces
that make things safe and/or limit the consequences of violence. For
example, a medical evacuation of wounded people. Intelligence - these
are the type of support functions that get cut because youre trying to
bring down the troop numbers but are essential to somebody whos wounded,
to getting them treatment quickly and getting them out of the country. As Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio)
tells Gilbert (Johnny Depp), "We're not going anywhere, Gilbert. We're
not going anywhere, you know? We're not going anywhere" (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?), Liz Sly (Los Angeles Times) reports: Iraq will need U.S. military support for up to another decade to defend its borders because the Iraqi army won't be ready to guard the country when American troops leave at the end of 2011, according to U.S. and Iraqi commanders. Commanders say they are reasonably confident in the Iraqi security forces' ability to keep order while facing insurgents or other internal threats. But when it comes to their capacity to protect against attacks from other nations, it is inconceivable that the Iraqi army will be able to stand alone by the time U.S. troops go home, said Lt. Gen. Michael Barbero, commander of the U.S. military training program in Iraq. Al Jazeera adds: A top White House advisor meanwhile suggested that the US military presence in Iraq after the main pullout in 2011 could be limited to "dozens" or "hundreds" of troops under the embassy's authority. "We'll be doing in Iraq what we do in many countries around the world with which we have a security relationship that involves selling American equipment or training their forces, that is establishing some connecting tissue," said Anthony Blinken, national security advisor for vice president Joe Biden. "When I say small, I'm not talking thousands, I'm talking dozens or maybe hundreds, that's typically how much we would see." Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) notes, "On Wednesday, a senior Iraqi military leader, Gen. Babaker Zubari, stated publicly what most Iraqi officials say more privately – that he believed there would need to be a continuing US presence here after 2011. Under current plans to expand Iraq's armed forces, destroyed and dismantled by the US in the war, Iraq will not have the capability to secure its land borders and air space for almost another decade." Bob Higgins offers his take at Veterans Today. Hugh Sykes (BBC News) offers his take here (sidebar mid-page). Martin Chulov (Guardian) reports, "The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has made a sudden visit to senior defence officials a day after the country's most senior soldier declared his forces would not be capable of securing Iraq's borders until 2020." As the White House and Nouri continue to soft-peddle a US presence/occupation after 2011, Lara Jakes (AP) reports on what slipped out of the cabinet today: But within hours, while talking to Pentagon reporters en route to a military ceremony in Tampa, Fla., Defense Secretary Robert Gates left open the door that troops could stay in Iraq as long as Baghdad asks for them. "We
have an agreement with the Iraqis that both governments have agreed to
that we will be out of Iraq at the end of 2011," Gates said. "If a new
government is formed there and they want to talk about beyond 2011,
we're obviously open to that discussion." "But that initiative will have to come from the Iraqis," he said. Joseph A. Kechichian (Gulf News) offers,
"A beaming US Commander in Iraq, General Ray Odierno, freshly
reiterated that US forces will stay as long as the Iraqi government
wishes them to, ostensibly to deny foreign powers -- read Iran, Turkey
and Saudi Arabia -- from meddling in the country's internal affairs.
Still, it was unclear what that actually meant, especially after
President Barack Obama prognosticated that the US has not 'seen the end
of American sacrifice in Iraq'. While few should expect a White House
banner on August 31 to claim 'Mission Accomplished', combat missions
will then fall under a new soubriquet: training Iraqis to fight on their
own." Meanwhile the US is avoided by Iraqi candidates the way
Democrats in tight races avoid Barack Obama. Rahmat al-Salaam (Asharq Alawsat Newspaper) reports that Iraqiya's Jamal "Al-Battikh
criticized the US role and said 'the United States is the origin of the
disease afflicting Iraq, especially as it has helped complicate the
situation', adding that 'it wants a candidate acceptable to Iran and a
friend to it and this is what it is working for behind the scenes'."
Meanwhile Stephen Farrell (New York Times) gauges
Iraqi reactions via the media, "This year the Iraqi channel Al Sharqiya
has been promoting a satirical comedy, 'Kursi Tamleek.' Roughly
translated as 'Holding on to the Chair', it is a sideswipe at Iraq's
reluctant-to-depart caretaker government headed by Prime Minister Nuri
Kamal al-Maliki. A musical number from the show has already become
popular and made its way onto YouTube." And an Iraqi correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers shares this at Inside Iraq: Since
the March election, we have been waiting for the new government forming
and it looks that we are going to wait for another month or maybe even
more. Every day, we hear and read news about new agreements and new
negotiations among the political parties but nothing really happens, no
progress at all. Today and while I was watching TV at the office, a
politicians said during an interview on TV that forming the government
might not take place before the new year. In
spite of this long period and although the winning blocs are only four
main blocs that represent most of the Iraqi people, they could not reach
any kind of agreement about anything and they are still blaming each
other for the delay. Each bloc claims that it is the patriotic one and
that it is the one that aim to (SERVE THE IRAQI PEOPLE) The painful
truth is the following. These blocs which fight now for the privilege of
( SERVING IRAQIS ) are the very same blocs which formed the government
in 2005. The very same government that did nothing for Iraqis. No
one is expecting any announcement on a government in the coming days or
weeks. For one thing, many Iraqis are in the midst of regligious
observation. Yesterday Secretary of State Hillary Clinton delivered this message:
On behalf of the United States Department of State, I wish all Muslims around the world a happy and blessed Ramadan.
Ramadan is a time for self-reflection and sharing. American Muslims make valuable contributions to our country every day and millions will honor this month with acts of service and giving back to their communities.
Along with dozens of our Embassies, I will host an Iftar in Washington, DC, for Muslims and non-Muslims to join together and reflect on our common values, faith and the gifts of the past year. At our Iftar, we will also celebrate dozens of young American Muslims who are helping shape the future of our country with their energy and spirit. These young business and social entrepreneurs, academics, spiritual leaders, and other young Muslims around the world are leading the way to a new era of mutual respect and cooperation among all the citizens of our world.
During this month of peace and renewal, I wish the 1.5 billion Muslims around the world Ramadan Kareem. In violence being reported today, Reuters notes
an attack on a Mosul checkpoint which claimed the life of 1 Iraqi
soldier (one more injured), a Baaj car bombing yesterday which injured
four people and an attack on a Garma police checkpoint yesterday which
claimed the life of 1 police officer and injured five people. "Almost
daily attacks on police and traffic police in Baghdad and Anbar
Province west of the capital in the past two weeks have killed almost 30
police," Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) observes. Yesterday
Barack Obama had a "national security" meeting on Iraq at the White
House and it's telling that whatever outlet you go to (try here, for example, or here), you fail to get a complete listing of who attended the meeting. What did Jackson Browne once say? "I
want to know who the men in the shadows are, I want to hear someone
asking them why, they can be counted on to tell us who are enemies are
but they're never the ones to fight or to die." Karen DeYoung (Washington Post) notes
one attendant, NSA James L. Jones, and his recap he offered on CNN
(blather) as well as his remarks on Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Read the
following that he stated on CNN and see if you don't find it offensive:
"The standard for service in the armed forces of the United States ought
to be based on good order and discipline. And we found ways to modify
eligibility to serve in the armed forces for other groups, you know,
whether it was based on race or religion or whatever." Eligibility was
'modified'? As if "race or religion or whatever" couldn't meet the
benchmark? As though the problem wasn't the racism, wasn't the
religious bias? There was never any reason that, for example, an
African-American male couldn't serve except for racism. And there's no
reason today that a gay man or lesbian can't serve except for
homophobia. Or, in the words of the White House philosopher James L.
Jones, "whatever." "Whatever."
It's not whatever to the many men and women losing their jobs and, in
many cases, their identies because they see themselves as members of the
military but the military can only see them as gay or lesbian. Lt Dan Choi is an Iraq War veteran. He is also a strong fighter who publicly fought the policy of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. July 22nd, he learned he had been discharged for the 'crime' of being gay. The following day, he appeared on PRI's The Takeaway. Lt
Dan Choi: A big surprise. It's painful as much as much as I'm prepared
for that. Anytime somebody knowingly breaks Don't Ask, Don't Tell for
the sake of integrity and telling the truth about who we are, we still
have to be prepared for the consequences -- John Hockenberry: Which were what? What did your commander say to you? Lt Dan Choi: He said that I'd been discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell. John Hockenberry: You're out. Lt Dan Choi: I'm fired. John Hockenberry: He said fired or he just said -- 'You're being honorably discharged'? Lt Dan Choi: I'm being honorably discharged. That is an end to an entire era that I've started since I was age 18 -- John Hockenberry: How long have you been in the service? Lt
Dan Choi: -- I'm sorry. I have not been a civilian since then. And as
much as you might be interested in how it was said and what was in the
letter, to me, it's all a summation of the entire journey and it says
it's all over. As much as you can prepare yourself and build up the
armor to get ready for that, it's hard, it's very painful to deal with
that. I think about every moment of being in the military since
starting from West Point eleven years ago and preparing for deployments
and infantry training and then going to Iraq and coming back and then
starting a relationship and then all of the emotions of this entire
journey just came right back at that moment when he said that your -
your - your service is now terminated. I got the letter. He e-mailed me
the letter, I got the letter yesterday morning, and in very cold words,
it just said that I'm finished. Earlier this month, Trina addressed
the homophobia involved in these discharges and the systematic hatred
behind them. Lt Col Victor Fehrenbach is taking the issue to the courts
as the Air Force attempts to discharge him for the 'crime' of being
gay. Servicemember Legal Defense Network (which is representing him) explains the basics: *
Lt. Col. Fehrenbach will reach his 20-year retirement in September of
2011; just 14 months from now. He has been on desk duty at Mountain Home
Air Force Base in Idaho awaiting the results of nearly two years of
investigations and discharge proceedings. If Lt. Col. Fehrenbach is
discharged, he will lose his retirement benefits. *
In May of 2008, Lt. Col. Victor Fehrenbach was notified that his
commander was seeking to separate him from the US Air Force under "Don't
Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) after the Air Force received information from a
civilian. He decided to fight his discharge after hearing
then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama pledge to end Don't Ask, Don't
Tell. *
Lt. Col. Fehrenbach served in the Former Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and
Iraq. He flew the longest combat sorties in his squadron's history,
destroying Taliban and Al Qaeda targets in support of Operation Enduring
Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. And after the Sept. 11th attacks,
Fehrenbach was hand-picked to protect the airspace over Washington,
D.C. *
Lt. Col. Fehrenbach's awards include the Meritorious Service Medal,
nine Air Medals -- including one for Heroism -- the Aerial Achievement
Medal, five Air Force Commendation Medals and the Navy Commendation
Medal. James Dao (New York Times) reports,
"Lawyers for Colonel Fehrenbach assert that his case is among the most
egregious applications of the policy in their experience. The Air Force
investigation into his sexuality began with a complaint from a civilian
that was eventually dismissed by the Idaho police and the local
prosecutor as unfounded, according to court papers. Colonel Fehrenbach
has never publicly said that he is gay. However, during an interview
with an Idaho law enforcement official, he acknowledged having
consensual sex with his accuser. Colonel Fehrenbach's lawyers say he did
not realize Air Force investigators were observing that interview; his
admission led the Air Force to open its 'don't ask' investigation." In other news, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is on a diplomatic mission to Denver this week (he's D.C. based most weeks) and Al Bawaba notes,
"In addition to his official events and meetings, Mr. Talabani's top
priority while in Colorado is to express the deepest gratitude from the
people of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to the U.S. Military and their
families for their role in liberating Iraq from tyranny. While in
Colorado, he will also visit with families who paid the ultimate price
of losing a loved one in the fight for Iraq's freedom and democracy." We'll note this from Debra Sweet's "How YOU Can Help People See the Truth Exposed by Wikileaks" (World Can't Wait): When an activist from World Can't Wait sent me a link to Thursday's Pentagon press conference, and called Geoff Morell, their spokesman a "pompus ass," I thought that wasn't really a news flash. But really, to get the full impact of the government's threat to Julian Assange & Wikileaks for revealing the government's "property," you have to see Morell's sneer as the Pentagon reacted to Wikileak's posting of its huge "insurance" file, presumably designed to make sure the information is still available if their sites are shut down, or they are rounded up. Tired
of Democrats who abandon their base, who mock the left and sneer at
it? There are many other choices -- including choosing not to vote.
Mid-terms can be the ideal time to send Democrats in office the message
that if they don't work for you, you'll hire/elect someone who will.
And with that, we'll close with this from the Green Party of Michigan: Green Party of Michigan ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ www.MIGreens.org ** News Release ** ** ------------ ** August 11, 2010 For More Information, Contact: ----------------------------- Dianne Feeley feeleyd@earthlink.net (734) 272-7651 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (734) 272-7651 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (734) 272-7651 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting John A. La Pietra, Elections Co-ordinator / GPMI jalp@triton.net (269) 781-9478 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (269) 781-9478 end_of_the_skype_highlighting Green Party of Michigan Holds Nominating Convention =================================================== (Lansing) -- The Green Party of Michigan selected candidates over the July 31-August 1 weekend at its nominating convention in Lansing. Harley G. Mikkelson, from Caro, is the Green Party's candidate for governor with Lynn Meadows, from Ann Arbor, as lieutenant governor. In the wake of the oil spill on the Kalamazoo River, Mikkelson pointed out that "accidents always happen" when our society is dependent on oil and coal. "In a state known for its manufacturing we have to prioritize an alternative energy policy. Manufacturing plants running under capacity or closed should be converted into building mass transit. If private business is unable to do this, the state government should be working with communities and the work force to begin this transition." The oil spill points to the intersection of two central issues in the 2010 Green Party campaign: tying the need for jobs to the need for move away from using non-renewable energy, whether oil or hydrocarbons, and transitioning toward wind, water and geothermal power. The party also opposes nuclear energy as a solution -- it also poses grave safety issues. In the interim, as Julia Williams, of Fraser, who is running for U.S. Congress in the 12th District, pointed out, regulations must be strengthened: "We need to get away from allowing corporations to write the laws. They can't be dictating our future. That means tough regulations and an oversight process that prioritizes safety and sustainability. We need to walk the walk when we talk about protecting our water and our air." It was clear to Green Party activists attending the convention that both the BP oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico and the 35-mile long Enbridge Energy Company spill along the Kalamazoo River are the result of depending on corporate promises to do the right thing. But both cases are examples of how inadequate and unprepared the corporations really are. Both have been cited by various agencies but did not face immediate shutdown or takeover. For those who ask, "Where can the money come from to convert our manufacturing?", Green Party candidates point to a federal war budget that only brings more war and destruction as well as starves our social programs and infrastructure. As Harley Mikkelson remarked: "The first priority naturally has to be people. We need to make education, continuing education and early education, more and more available. That has to be the number one priority, that and the environment, passing on an environment that's better than what was passed on to us." For more information about all Green Party candidates in Michigan, go to: www.MIGreens.org # # # created/distributed using donated labor Green Party of Michigan 548 South Main Street Ann Arbor, MI 48104 http://www.migreens.org 734-663-3555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 734-663-3555 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 734-663-3555 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting GPMI was formed in 1987 to address environmental issues in Michigan politics. Greens are organized in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state Green Party sets its own goals and creates its own structure, but US Greens agree on Ten Key Values: Ecological Wisdom Grassroots Democracy Social Justice Non-Violence Community Economics Decentralization Feminism Respect for Diversity Personal/Global Responsibility Future Focus/Sustainability |
:: Article nr. 68785 sent on 13-aug-2010 17:11 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68785
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_12.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| US Military Prepares to Leave Iraq, But May Stay If Asked Voice of America Thousands of US combat troops are leaving Iraq every week, as the total American military presence in the country falls rapidly toward the target of 50000 ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Ambassador Leaves Iraq With Much Still Unsettled New York Times By ANTHONY SHADID BAGHDAD — Christopher R. Hill, the ambassador to Iraq charged with reshaping the American role here, on Thursday ended his 16-month ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Attacks target Iraq security forces, killing 6 San Jose Mercury News By SAMEER N. YACOUB AP Writer Iraqi traffic police gather at a bombing scene at their precinct in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Aug. 9, 2010. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Thomas Ricks: I'm More Optimistic About Afghanistan Than Iraq Huffington Post (blog) [TIME] Ricks more optimistic about Afghanistan than Iraq. In an interview on NPR, bestselling author Tom Ricks said that unlike in Iraq, which "does look to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Flow Of Oil From Iraq To Iran Raises Concerns NPR by Kelly McEvers Trucks carrying oil snake their way through Haj Omran, Iraq, a mountainous Kurdish resort town on the border with Iran. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Two soldiers killed in Iraq violence Hindustan Times Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and five security personnel wounded in three attacks, including a suicide car bombing, in central and northern Iraq, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Postal Service change will allow military personnel in Iraq, Afghanistan to ... Louisville Courier-Journal The current policy requires Express Mail service, and Express Mail isn't available in Iraq or Afghanistan. Louisville resident Jack Gray, who was frustrated ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| AP Interview: US. contractor recounts kidnapping The Associated Press SAN DIEGO — A US Army contractor kidnapped in Iraq earlier this year described how his captors easily maneuvered past Iraqi checkpoints as he was held ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Unlikely group helps photographer retrieve camera MiamiHerald.com By HENNING ENGELAGE MIAMI -- Heard the one about the judge, the taco vendor, the pistol-packing Iraq war vet and the thief on roller blades? ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq snapshot - August 11, 2010
The Common Ills
Wednesday, August 11, 2010. Chaos and violence continue, Chris Hill offers America another chance to play Are You As Stupid As A US Ambassador?, Sahwa remains under attack, a maternity doctor is slaughtered in her home, the political stalemate continues, more talk of how SOFA doesn't always make it right, the Iraq Inquiry seeks input from Iraq War veterans, and more. Is
there a bigger idiot than Chris Hill? Well, there's always the one that
appointed him to his current post. The outgoing US Ambassador to Iraq,
Chris Hill manages to public embarrass himself yet again, this time in an interview with Steve Inskeep on today's Morning Edition (NPR). First
up, Chris Hill offers a break down of population but somehow forgets
the Kurds. Don't think they aren't paying attention. Don't think it
didn't register: "Did that fool just include Turkomen but forget us?"
How typical, how very much like his embarrassing confirmation hearing.
Hill never understood the Kurds, never understood the dispute over
Kirkuk and, let's be honest, he never made the effort to. Steve Inskeep: As you prepare to leave Baghdad, do you leave Iraq thinking that this a country that still could collapse? Chris
Hill: Actually, I look at this in pretty optimistic terms. Its
obviously a complex country. Its where the Shia world meets the Sunni
world. Its where the Turkmen world meets the Arab world. There are a lot
of complexities here. And I think its a very important country to our
interests, and I dont mean that from an ideological point of view. I
mean that from the point of view of looking at a map. So I think there's
a lot at stake here, but I think its also a place thats going in the
right direction. They signed 11 major oil deals while I was here. I mean
these are oil deals with all the major oil companies. Indeed, they are
oil deals with all the companies from all the countries who are
permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. So Iraq is no longer
just Americas problem; other countries have a real stake in its success. That's
progress? That's progress to Hill who rarely left the Green Zone with
one exception: He acted as tour guide from time to time for Big Oil.
There's something rather disturbing about the US government whoring out
the ambassador for Big Oil. But maybe the logic was: "It's not a real
ambassador, it's just Chris Hill"? Steve
Inskeep: Ambassador Hill, as you know very well, the United States if
formerly reducing its role in Iraq this month. And even as that happens,
former Congressman Lee Hamilton, very respected voice on foreign
affairs, in looking over the accomplishments or lack of them over the
last couple of years, wrote recently: National reconciliation, which the
surge, the surge in American troops, was supposed to create the space
for, has not occurred. Is that correct? There's been no national
reconciliation? Chris
Hill: Well, first of all, there has been national reconciliation. But
there are people known as unreconcilables. I mean, people, you know,
firing rockets in the Green Zone or, you know, exploding car bombs. I
mean these are not people who are going to be bought off by, you know,
by giving them the Culture Ministry and a government formation exercise.
But I would say, in terms of main political groupings,
I would say there's been a lot of reconciliation here, but obviously
more needs to be done. National reconciliation? Inskeep asked him about
it. Did he mention Kirkuk? There was supposed to be -- it's in the 2005
Constitution -- a referendum on Kirkuk. That's part of national
reconciliation. So is the de-de-Ba'athification process. National
reconciliation? It's a benchmark, one of the 18 benchmarks by which
progess in Iraq was to be measured, signed off on by the US government
and by the Iraqi government and Chris Hill has no idea what it is. He's
an idiot. How the hell did someone who didn't even know the benchmarks
-- and obviously never bothered to learn them -- get nominated for the
post to begin with? Okay, the US, via Paul Bremer (Bremer was ordered
to do this though Colin Powell likes to pretend otherwise in a last
ditch attempt to salvage his own reputation), implemented
de-Ba'athification in Iraq following the invasion. This was a purge of
numerous senior officials in the government who were Ba'athists. To get
ahead politically in Iraq, you had to be Ba'athists. Ba'athists were
not just Sunni, they were also Shi'ite. Ayad Allawi is one example of a
Shi'ite who was a Ba'athist. Long before Saddam Hussein was
overthrown, Allawi had left the Ba'ath Party (and left Iraq). The Ba'ath
Party was, regionally, part of a Ba'ath movement, a Pan Arab identiy.
Saddam Hussein and others rode the Ba'ath Party into power. By 1979,
Hussein had eliminated all of his one time Ba'ath allies and, in Iraq,
had total control of the Ba'ath Party. de-Ba'athification
as carried out under Paul Bremer targeted the top levels of the Ba'ath
Party. That de-Ba'athifcation, the Iraq Inquriy has been repeatedly
informed, played out on the ground as a mistake. British witnesses have
repeatedly told the Inquiry they were opposed to the idea. That
included the ones who learned about it shortly after Bremer arrived and
that Bremer intended to implement it right away. They spoke with Bremer
about their concerns which did not alter the orders he had (as the
witnesses testified) and de-Ba'athification was pushed through. British
government witnesses have stated that the policy wrapped up too many
people and it should have been much more narrow. It was agreed by all
witnesses offering testimony to the Inquiry on this topic that
de-Ba'athifcation helped ensure paralysis in the government because
those experienced in the process were no longer allowed to work for the
government. While some witnesses may (or may not have) been offering
statements that benefitted from hindsight, certainly those who warned
Bremer before the policy was implemented were able to foresee what
eventually happened. So, for example, John Sawers testimony on December 10th: Committee
Member Roderic Lyne: You arrived on 8 May, [head of CPA, the US' L.
Paul] Bremer on the 12th, and within Bremer's first two weeks he had
promulgated two extremely important decisions on de-Ba'athification and
on dissolving the former Iraqi army. Can we look at those two decisions?
To what extent were they Bremer's decisions or -- how had they been
pre-cooked in Washington? I see you have got the Rand Report there, and
the Rand Report suggests there had been a certain interagnecy process in
Washington leading to these decisions, albeit Rand is quite critical of
that process. And, very importantly for us, was the United Kingdom
consulted about these crucial decisions? Was the Prime Minister
consulted? Were you consulted? It is pretty late in the day be then for
you to have changed them. Can you take us through that story. John Sawers: Can I separate them and deal with de-Ba'athification first. Committee Member Roderic Lyne: Yes. John
Sawers: When I arrived in Baghdad on 8 May, one of the problems that
ORHA were facing was that they had been undiscriminating in their Iraqi
partners. They had taken, as their partners, the most senior figures in
the military, in -- not in the military, sorry, in the ministries, in
the police, in institutions like Baghdad University, who happened to be
there. And in several of these instances, Baghdad University was one,
the trade ministry was another, the health ministry, the foreign
ministry, the Baghdad police -- the working level were in uproar because
they were being obliged to work for the same Ba'athist masters who had
tyrannised them under the Saddam regime, and tehy were refusing to
cooperate on that basis. So I said, in my first significant report back
to London, which I sent on the Sunday night, the day before Bremer came
back, that there were a number of big issues that needed to be
addressed. I listed five and one of those five was we needed a policy
on which Ba'athists should be allowed to stay in their jobs and which
should not. And there was already a debate going on among Iraqi
political leaders about where the line should be drawn. So I flagged it
up on the Sunday evening in my first report, which arrived on desks on
Monday morning, on 11 May. When Bremer arrived late that evening, he and
I had a first discussion, and one of the first things he said to me was
that he needed to give clarity on de-Ba'athification. And he had some
clear ideas on this and he would want to discuss it. So I reported again
early the following monring that this was high on the Bremer's mind and
I needed a steer as to what our policy was. I felt that there was,
indeed, an important need for a policy on de-Ba'athifciation and that,
of the various options that were being considered, some I felt, were
more far-reaching than was necessary but I wasn't an expert on the Iraqi
Ba'ath Party and I needed some guidance on this. I received some
guidance the following day, which was helpful, and I used that as the
basis for my discussion with Bremer -- I can't remember if it was the
Wednesday or the Thursday that week but we had a meeting of -- Bremer
and myself and our political teams, where this was discussed, and there
was very strong support among the Iraqi political parties for quite a
far-reaching de-Ba'athification policy. At the meeting itself, I had
concerted beforehand with Ryan Crocker, who was the senior American
political adviser, and I said to him that my guidance was that we should
limit the scope of de-Ba'athification to the top three levels of the
Ba'ath Party, which included about 5,000 people, and that we thought
going to the fourth level was a step too far, and it would involve
another 25,000 or so Iraqis, which wasn't necessary. And I thought
Crocker was broadly sympathetic to that approach but at the meeting
itself Bremer set out a strong case for including all four levels, ie
the top 30,000 Ba'athists should be removed from their jobs, but there
should be a policy in place for exemptions. I argued the alternative.
Actually, unhelpfully, from my point of view, Ryan Crocker came in in
strong support of the Bremer proposal, and I think he probably smelled
the coffee and realised that this was a policy that had actually already
been decided in Washington and there was no point getting on the wrong
side of it. I was not aware of that at that stage and, in fact, it was
only when I subsequently read the very thorough account by the Rand
Corporation of these issues that I realised there had been an extensive
exchange in -- between agencies in Washington. As
noted after that snapshot, it's John "SAWERS" and not "SAWYERS" as it
reads in the December 10th snapshot. It's corrected above. (Refer to
the May 28th snapshot
for Bremer's statement to the Inquiry.) Even the US government realized
(finally) it was a mistake which is why they began encouraging
reconciliation and ended up putting it into the 18 benchmarks. From the
Iraq Inquiry, we'll note the testimony from January 8th as one example of the discussion of de-Ba'athification: Committee
Member Roderic Lyne: Going beyond the military, we heard from earlier
witnesses how a lot of teachers, doctors, civil servants, competent
professionals, who had to be in the Ba'ath Party in order to do what
they did, were excluded. Do you feel that that has now been corrected? John Jenkins: I do not have a real sense of that. Committee Member Roderic Lyne: Do you want to comment on that? Frank
Baker: If I could. I would comment more about government employees in
Ministries across Baghdad where I think it is certainly the case that a
large number of Sunnis, and, therefore, by definition, former Ba'ath
Party members, are now being employed -- have been employed, in fact,
for the last two or three years. If you look at, for example, the
Ministry of Water, where a lot of them are technocrats, but the Minister
for Water had made an effort to bring back a lot of the previous
Ba'athist experience in order to try to get the Ministry up and running
properly back in about 2007/2008. So I think the indications there are,
yes, they have done so. I think, if I may, just to revert to your
previous question about the democratisation, I think these two are
related because on of the big changes we have seen since 2005 has
actually been the re-emergence of the Sunnis as a political force in
Iraq, with the Sunnis having essentially taken their toys out the pram
and walked away. Back in 2004, not actually partaking in the 2005
provincial elections, not really being a part of the 2005 national
elections, and, in fact, what we saw in 2009 was that they played a full
part in that and they are going to play a full part in the national
elections scheduled for March this year. In that sense, we are seeing
the Sunnis now coming back and trying to play a full role -- a large
part of the Sunni movement. So
de-Ba'athification was implemented in 2003. Following the 2006
mid-terms, the US White House came up with a list of 18 benchmarks.
Reunification was number two: "Enact and implement legislation on
de-Ba'athifcation reform." In other words, de-de-Ba'athifcation. By
early 2008, Iraq's Parliament had passed a questionable law. The Center for American Progress noted
in January 2008 of the Accountability and Justice Law, "the
controversial legislation, passed with the support of less than a third
of Iraq's members of parliament on a day when the body barely achieved a
quorum, has received significant criticism from former Ba'athists and
some Sunni groups. [. . .] More than a dozen
Iraqi lawmakers, U.S. officials, and former Baathists here and in
exile expressed concern in interviews that the law could set off a new
purge of ex-Baathists, the opposite of U.S. hopes for the legislation.
According to Khalaf Aulian, a Sunni politician, the de-Ba'athification
law 'will remain as a sword on the neck of the people'." Which ended up
very true. Ahmed Chalabi used the commitee and the law to purge
various candidates ahead of the election -- to purge various political
rivals ahead of the elections. Steve
Inskeep noted that the escalation ("surge") was supposed to create
space of the diplomacy and that no national reconciliation had taken
place. Chris Hill was, as ever, clueless as to what the issue being
discussed actually was. Asked
about the five months of political stalemate, he insisted that was
"politics." Then he went on to cite 'progress,' Iraq had signed 12 oil
deals. Even for someone who opposed Hill's confirmation, it was
appalling to hear that interview. You were stuck with the realization of
just how little he cared for or thought of the Iraqi people. He never
mentioned the lack of potable water, he never mentioned the electricity
shortage, he never mentioned the assault on Iraqi Christians, he never
mentioned anything. So like a ghost in the snow I'm getting ready to go 'Cause, baby, that's all I know -- How to open the door And though the exit is crude It saves me coming unglued For when you're not in the mood For the gloves and the canvas floor That's how I knew this story would break my heart When you wrote it That's how I knew this story would break my heart -- "That's How I Knew This Story Would Break My Heart," written by Aimee Mann, first appears on her album The Forgotten Arm. No need for broken hearts just yet, the war hasn't ended and it doesn't appear it will end in 2011. Tim Arango (New York Times) speaks with a variety of people including the former US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker about the Status Of Forces Agreement: The
reality in Iraq may defy that deadline, because many American and Iraqi
officials deem the American presence to be in each nation's
interest. "For a very long period of time we're going to be on the ground, even if it's solely in support of its U.S. weapons systems," said Ryan C. Crocker, who was the American ambassador in Baghdad until 2009 and helped to negotiate the agreement that tethers the two countries and mandates that all American troops leave Iraq by the end of 2011. Even as that deadline was negotiated, he said, a longer-lasting, though significantly smaller, presence of American forces had always been considered to be likely. The
SOFA never meant the end of the war. Peace talks were not what the SOFA
was about and how idiotic that so many people who should have known
better (they lived through the Paris Peace Talks) instead whored it out
as "End of war." That's never what it was. It replaced the UN mandate
for the occupation of Iraq by foreign forces -- a yearly mandate. The
SOFA was a three year contract which had a kill clause (but, after
activated, the SOFA dies in 12 months -- meaning it's pointless for
either side to kill it now). For the uninformed, a peace treaty never
ends 3 years from now. That's not how they work. A large number of the
once-upon-a-time informed either developed Alzheimer's or decided to
lie. Take it up with them. Meanwhile AFP reports:
"The Iraqi army will require American support for another decade
before it is ready to handle the country's security on its own, Iraq's
army chief of staff said on Wednesday. Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari
said Iraq's politicians had to find a way to 'fill the void' after
American troops withdraw from the country at the end of next year under a
bilateral security pact." Richard Spencer (Telegraph of London) reports
that Iraqi Lt Gen Babakir Zebari is stating that Iraq's military "will
not be fully trained until 2020 and that the army would not be able to
cope without the support of the Americans." In addition, the militarization of 'diplomacy' means R.M. Schneiderman's "Mercenaries to Fill Void Left By U.S. Army" (Newsweek) covers some of the details of the continued Iraq War: An influx of mercenaries will become especially important for the State Department, as the military leaves and as Iraqi security forces -- while much improved -- remain unable to provide the necessary security for what Patrick Kennedy, the undersecretary of state for management, calls "a major expansion" of the department's postwar presence. Indeed, the number of private security contractors employed by state will grow from roughly 2,700 to as many as 7,000. And those figures don't include the more than 1,000 tasks that state will inherit from the military once it leaves, according to the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, a bipartisan government panel created in 2008. These tasks -- which include clearing travel routes and driving armored combat vehicles -- do not involve attacking, and thus are not military functions, Kennedy argues. But they do potentially increase the chances that "people acting in the name of the U.S.…can get the U.S. involved in perceptions of misconduct," says a spokesman for the contracting commission. Karen DeYoung and Ernesto Londono (Washington Post) report that this transition/transformation was agreed to "more than two years ago" and that the economic climate today is different with skyrocketing costs and a Congress increasingly concerned about rising costs: "The State Department has signaled in recent weeks that it will need up to $400 million more than initially requested to cover mushrooming security costs, but lawmakers seem in no mood to acquiesce." Progress,
Chris Hill insisted, was the oil deals. This tied Iraq, he maintained,
to permanent members of the UN Security Council and other nations.
Iran doesn't sit on the UN Security Council but it has been
strengthening it's diplomatic ties to Iraq. Sam Dagher (Wall St. Journal) reports,
"Iran's new ambassador to Iraq promised to double trade volume and
bolster economic ties between the two countries, the latest economic
outreach by Tehran as its influence here grows. The move also comes amid
fresh sanctions against Iran by the United Nations, the U.S. and the
European Union, aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions. Analysts
said Tehran could be redoubling efforts at building economic ties with
Baghdad to help limit the impact of those measures." Iran's Press TV adds: Hassan Danaeifar made the remarks in his first press conference at the Iranian embassy since arriving in the Iraqi capital to replace former Ambassador Hassan Kazemi Qomi, a Press TV correspondent reported. Calling Iraq a niche market for Iranian goods, Danaeifar reiterated that "the sanctions will not affect economic relations between the two countries." The new ambassador said that Iran is currently supplying 750 megawatts of power to electricity-starved Iraq daily, in addition to fuel to a number of power stations across the country. He added that two Iranian banks -- Parsian and Karafarin -- recently received preliminary approval to open branches in Iraq. But a cloud rises over the diplomatic horizon. Tehran Times reports, "The Iranian parliament is drafting a plan to obtain war reparations from Iraq, MP Eivaz Heidarpour announced on Monday. The Iraqi government inflicted a $1 trillion loss on Iran during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war, and the plan will require that the government demand compensation from Iraq through international channels, Heidarpour, who is a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told the Mehr News Agency." In other cloudy diplomatic news, Alsumaria TV reports, "Ali Akbar Velayati, adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denied any dispute between Syria and Iran over the nomination of a Prime Minister in Iraq stressing that the Iraqi people will soon reach an understanding in order to establish its government without any foreign interference. Velayati denounced news saying that his country has special requests in the regard." "It's
politics," insisted Chris Hill to Steve Inskeep when asked about the
political stalemate. Just politics? March 7th, Iraq concluded
Parliamentary elections. 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 3 days. As many Iraqis enter into a lengthy observation of a religious holiday,
many Iraqi politicians are noting no progress is likely to be made on
the issue of creating a government. For example, yesterday Alsumaria TV reported
that State Of Law's Ali al-Dabbagh states that there will be no
formation of a government this month and that "it is not easy to set
dates to announce the formation of the new Iraqi government." Federico Manfredi (Huffington Post) offers an analysis of where things stand currently: Now
the National Alliance may decide to form a coalition with Allawi, even
though he heads a secular list. Wahil Abdul Latif, a judge and a member
of parliament within the National Alliance bloc, told me that he
personally supports Allawi because of his ability to reach out to the
Sunni minority. He also said that the National Alliance would be willing
to join forces with Allawi and support his bid to become the new prime
minister, if only he accepted to remove certain "tainted" Sunni leaders
from his list. Among these, he named Vice-President Tariq Al-Hashimi,
the leader of one of the main Sunni political parties, and Saleh
Al-Mutlak, another Sunni, whom he accused of conspiring with Ba'athist
reactionaries to overthrow the Iraqi government. Allawi,
however, is unlikely to exclude these individuals from his list, since
they represent pillars of his cross-sectarian outreach
strategy. When
I asked Abdul Latif how long it might take the various leaders to reach
an agreement on the formation of a new government he laughed and said:
"This could take another two months. Perhaps more." Such a delay,
though, could severely strain Iraq's fragile institutions, since it
would not only protract the current state of governmental paralysis but
might also lead the army and police to question the constitutional
authority of their leadership. Also weighing in on Iraq today was Kenneth M. Pollack. At the Brookings Institution, he held an online chat: 12:32
[Comment From Jennie: ] What do you make of this seeming inability to
put together a new government since the elections last March? What would
it take for Allawi and Maliki to get together? 12:32
Ken Pollack: This is the $64,000 question. Both Maliki and Allawi KNOW
that the best outcome for both of them is a coalition of their two
parties. But the problem is that they really don't like each other, and
both want to be the senior partner in the coalition. So far, no one has
been able to get around that. I think the Administration is on the right
track by trying to farm out some of the powers that the PM has accrued
to other official positions -- both to make people more comfortable that
the next PM won't emerge as a dictator, and to create additional
positions that would be acceptable to the two of them and other
important groups who will also want to have a key position of authority.
My concern is that what the US, UN and Iraqis have been talking about
-- some new positions and legislature to give force to their authority
-- may not fix the situation, and might even make it worse. As PM,
Maliki has demonstrated an ability to subvert and work around other
such new positions that were created as counterbalances to his office.
That suggests that he, or whoever is the next PM, might be able to do so
again if that is all we do. In addition, especially with the new
parliament, the PM will probably be able to manipulate the CoR fairly
easily to get legislation repealed or merely ignored. It is why I'd like
to see constitutional changes to shift the role of commander-in-chief
and responsibility for the security services to the Presidency. That
would create a real balance of power between the Presidency and the PM,
and would create two positions that I think either Maliki or Allawi
would be willing to take. He
took questions on many Iraq topics, so refer to the chat for other
issues and, for any late to the party, we don't worship at the feet,
midsection or head of Brookings which was infamously wrong about the
illegal war and Pollack was one of their chief analysts then and remains
so now. The never-ending violence continued today . . . Bombings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a
a Baghdad sticky bombing which claimed 1 life and left one person
injured, a Mosul roadside bombing which left two police officers
wounded, a Salahuddin Province bombing which claimed the lives of 5
Sahwa members and, dropping back to Tuesday, a Baghdad sticky bombing
which claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier and left one person injured
and a Baghdad mortar attack which left two people injured. Meanwhile
Sadiya is slammed with a bombing. BBC News reports that Iraqi soldiers were shot at from a home and as they were about to raid the home in Saadiya, it blew up. Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) adds 11 people died in the bombing. Deng Shasha (Xinhua) reports
at least five Iraqi soldiers were injured and that at least 2 of the
dead were civilians: "In the morning, Iraqi security forces and civil a
defense tram removed the debris of the collapsed house and found bodies
of a man and a woman who were shot dead before the explosion of the
house, the source added. The insurgents apparently attacked the house
earlier at night and killed the two victims, and then they planted bombs
in the house before they sent a false information to the security
forces saying that hostages were kept in the house, the source said." Reuters notes
a Baghdad rocket attack which claimed 1 life and left three people
injured and, dropping back to yesterday, a Baghdad rocket attack last
night injured one woman and one child. Ayla Jean Yackley (Reuters) notes the bombing of a Kurdish pipeline last night and that it remains ablaze. Shootings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a
Baghdad invasion of the home of Dr. Intisar Moahmmed Hasen
("Administrator of Ilwiyah Maternity Hospital") in which she was
assassinated and her son and husband were left "hand-bound and
blindfolded". Reuters notes 2 police officers shot dead in Baghdad. Corpses? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 1 corpse discovered in Baghdad yesterday. 5
Sahwa killed. Sahwa are also known as "Awakenings" and "Sons Of
Iraq." They are Iraqis the US military paid (with US tax payer monies)
to stop attacking US military equipment and US service members. Martin Chulov (Guardian) reported yesterday
that al Qaeda in Mesopotamia was offering money to Sahwa in an attempt
to get them to return to fighting with al Qaeda. Turning
to London. The Iraq Inquiry now would like to hear from Iraq War
veterans. Inquiry Chair John Chilcot [PDF format warning] issued the following invitation. To: Military personnel who served in Iraq between 2003 and 2009 The
Iraq Inquiry will be holding an event at Tidworth Garrison on 14
September to hear the views of military personnel (serving or retired,
regular or reserve) who were deployed to Iraq between 2003 and 2009. The
purpose of this event is to gain insights from those who are in a
unique position to talk about how the campaign was conducted and the
impact it had upon their lives. This event is an opportunity for you to
ensure that your voice is heard and your views feed into the lessons
that the Inquiry identify. My
colleagues on the Iraq Inquiry Committee and I believe it is vital that
we hear direct from those most affected by the Iraq campaign. In the
latter half of last year we met the families of some of the 179 service
personnel, and other British citizens, killed in Iraq. We heard how they
have been affected by their losses and their views on what they would
like the Inquiry to address. We also held an extremely useful event
earlier this year at the Defence Academy in Shrivenham where we met
service personnel who served in Iraq. The
Inquiry is primarily about learning lessons so these meetings are
crucial to our work. We need to understand what went well and what could
have been done better. I hope that the lessons the Inquiry identifies
will help us, as a nation, to continue to improve in many areas,
including the way in which we approach expeditionary campaigns and
nation building, and the impact on military personnel. If you would like to express an interest in attending this event please contact the Iraq Inquiry (secretariat@iraqinquiry.org.uk) before noon on Friday 10th September. This
event is not the only means by which you can give your views to the
Inquiry. We are happy to receive the toughts of anyone who served during
the campaign or from relevant groups or associations on behalf of their
members. If you would like to send a written submission to the Iraq
Inquriy please use the address above. [Iraq Inquiry: 35 Great Smith
Street, London SW 1P 3BQ] The
Committee is grateful for your help in this aspect of the Inquiry's
work and looks forward to receiving your views in person, or in writing. |
:: Article nr. 68758 sent on 12-aug-2010 16:16 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68758
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_11.html
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Iraq snapshot - August 10, 2010
The Common Ills
Tuesday, August 10, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, Sawha remains targeted for violence and now
they're also a target for money according to the Guardian, the Iraqi
refugee crisis continues, veterans express frustration with the Obama
administration and more. On the alleged withdrawal due to supposedly (and slowly) follow this month's drawdown of US forces in Iraq, Voice of Russia seeks out the Russian Academy of Sciences' Pavel Gusterin for his take on it: "The
statement by [the top US commander in Iraq] General [Ray] Odierno does
not correspond to the current realties in Iraq. Iraqis cannot cope with
the security of their nation by themselves, even if the US gives them
money and equipment. At issue is not providing security in the ordinary
sense of the word. The security of a country must be sustainable, but
Iraq is a much more complex nation; fighting is ongoing and a country
which has no functioning government cannot provide tangible security for
the citizens." "General
Odierno spoke the words that are music to the ears of his listeners,
especially US voters who want to see an end to the Iraqi military
campaign. In truth, the military presence of the US in Iraq will be
maintained for a long time to come. The Iraqi oil fields are a plum that
cannot be given up easily." Should
the US military 'leave' Iraq, the Carr Center plan will be implemented
putting thousands of foreign contractors on the ground to do military
operations which will be coordinated by the US Ambassador to Iraq and
other US government staff. Renee Montagne (NPR's Morning Edition) spoke with
Nada Naji about some of the current knowns today. Nada Naji revealed
that her hopes for a free Iraq vanished as the war continued ("nothing
change and the suffering of people is just increased") and how random
violence is the new norm -- leading her to pull her oldest child out of
kindergarten -- and takes place with no explanation and or reason
leaving everyone wary and unsure of whom to trust. She states, "Every
day people dying here without any reason, only because they were in
wrong place and time." In the same segment, Steve Inskeep speaks with
Deborah Amos about the status of Iraqi refugees. Amos is back from
Lebanon, Syria and Cairo. and explains that the slow number of refugees
who have returned has gotten even slower so you're most likely looking
at a refugee class of people for some time to come. Steve
Inskeep: And let's just emphasize here, is this turning into almost a
permanent refugee population, a permanent population of Iraqis who will
be outside their country the same way that there are Palestinians who
have been outside of the Palestinian territories for decades now? Deborah
Amos: It begins to look that way. Not that there was ever a flood of
returnees, there wasn't, but 2010 has been less than 2009. And people
are making this calculation, that as long as there's a government crisis
as the Americans drawdown, why would you go back now? It is not easy
to be a refugee. It's likely that your kids are out of school. It is
likely that your diet is a mess, that you're probably eating mostly, you
know, sugared tea and bread, for at least two of those meals. The
international community's largesse -- while never large, is less. People
want this crisis to be over. Steve
Inskeep: And I suppose if you had another round of sectarian warfare,
you'd have to be prepared for that possiblity of another million people
coming across the border at some point. Deborah
Amos: You know, 18 months ago that was the nightmare scenario. As
Americans drewdown, there would be a return to the full out sectarian
war. It doesn't look like that's going to happen. However, it is this
randomness of the violence and, more important, it is the inability of
this government to find some power sharing agreement between Sunnis and
Shi'ites. As you know, the majority of the refugees outside are Sunnis
and Christians. They are watching a government that cannot come to terms
with a Sunni-backed political coalition that won the most seats in
Parliament, and yet has not been able to use that power to come into the
prime ministership. Every country in the region is now meddling in Iraq
because of the weakness of the state. And so, it is very difficult for
them to consider returning. Better to wait, better to wait and see what
happens. Deborah Amos new book is entitled Eclipse of the Sunnis: Power, Exile, and Upheaval in the Middle East. As Amos noted, a large portion of the Iraqi (external) refugee population is Sunni and/or Christian. Catholic News Service reports,
"The ancient Christian communities that one thrived in Iraq 'now face
potential extinction,' said U.S. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, urging
the United States to develop a postwar plan to help Iraq resolve the
humanitarian consequences of the seven-year war." Meanwhile Steve Schmidt (San Diego Union-Tribune) reports
on the Chaldean refugees resettling in the San Diego and El Cajon area
and how St. Peter Chaldean Catholic Catherdal 's Father Michael "Bazzi
will speak Thursday to more than 200 schoolteachers and education
staffers who want to get a better fix on the immigrants and what brought
them here." Schmidt notes "a recent San Diego State University study"
found that "one out of four Iraqi refugees coming to the U.S. ends up in
San Diego County." Refugees International issued the following last Thursday: As the Security Council seeks to renew the mandate for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI), Refugees International urges the UN to put humanitarian objectives, and not only development needs, at the forefront of its work in Iraq. Craig Johnstone, Refugees International interim president, stated: "Security rules have restricted UN staff's access to people, who desperately need their help and protection. The UN needs to relax these restrictions, so that humanitarian needs can be properly addressed. The staff of RI have traveled without security escorts throughout most of Baghdad, and in other locations, so it is possible to do more." "There are an estimated one and a half million displaced people in Iraq, 500,000 of whom live as squatters in slums. These people have no land rights, no access to basic health and sanitation, and are almost entirely dependent on the UN. "Many of these families live under cardboard, alongside polluted rivers and amongst garbage dumps. Some are completely dependent upon the UN to provide clean water. Refugees International urges the UN to work with member states to help these people until long term solutions become available. They should not resort to such desperate measures. Displaced people have the right to more protection." Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises and receives no government or UN funding. www.refugeesinternational.org. For Immediate Release: August 5, 2010 Contact: Refugees International, Gabrielle Menezes P: 202-828-0110 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-828-0110 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 202-828-0110 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting x225/ 347 260 1393 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 347 260 1393 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 347 260 1393 end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting gabrielle@refugeesinternational.org And the Iraqi refugee crisis is not the only thing continuing. Also
continuing is the political stalemate. March 7th, Iraq concluded
Parliamentary elections. 163 seats are needed to form the executive
government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single
slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but
the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they
may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the
executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with
other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament
seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent
various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of
Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat
holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the
current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show
of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the
certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing
coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this
coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they
have the right to form the government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 3 days. And today Alsumaria TV reports that State Of Law's Ali al-Dabbagh states that there will be no formation of a government this month and that "it is not easy to set dates to announce the formation of the new Iraqi government." Nouri went to the KRG Sunday seeking their support and leading to many rumors of what he might be bargaining/bartering with. The report by Namo Abdulla and Hemin Baban (Rudaw) won't calm any fears among Shi'ites: Maliki reiterated in Erbil that he is best candidate for prime minister and not going to compromise. "Just like any other side, we have our own candidate for the post of prime minister" Maliki said. Maliki expressed his full support for Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution, a package that could annex the oil-rich city of Kirkuk to Kurdistan, through a referendum it calls for. Maliki's words were not taken as serious by Kurds as they were five years ago when he made a pledge to implement the article. He has never done it, though. "No one will be able to block article 140," said Maliki. In addition, Alsumaria TV reports, "Member of Iraqi Kurdistan Alliance Ala Talabani said that the coalition of the Kurdish blocs back Al Maliki for a second term and pointed out to the importance of political accordance and the formation of a national partnership government." Arab News offers this analysis: There are two clear dangers here. The first is already manifest. The power vacuum continues to be exploited by those who are opposed to the American occupation with bombings and murders. The bloodshed may not be on the scale of the past, but as the police and security forces battle with them, they carry the disheartening knowledge that they are acting in the name of a political process that is proving itself spectacularly incoherent or incomprehensible to outsiders. The second danger is perhaps less well appreciated. It is that Iraqis will become used to living without a government and will fall even further back upon the support and resources of their different communities. Though in some respects this may not be a bad thing, we should not forget that Iraq is a country deeply polarized by war and occupation. In such a situation it is easy for anybody -- the occupying authorities, disgruntled Iraqis or neighbors -- to sharpen the divisions between the communities and with these schisms, the death squads will return to the streets, butchering innocent individuals purely because they come from a different confessional or ethnic background. The refugee crisis didn't stop, the political stalemate didn't stop. The violence? You know it didn't stop. Bombings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a
Baghdad sticky bombing which injured two people and 3 Baghdad bombings
"in quick succession" which claimed 4 lives and left twenty people
injured. Reuters notes
a Jurf al-Sakhar home invasion in which Sahwa leader Malik al-Janabi
and 3 of his bodyguards were murdered, a Baghdad roadside bombing in
which two people were injured and last night, Alsumaria TV adds
that "rockets fell in the US Embassy campus in the Green Zone, the
damages were not determined yet, police sources told Alsumaria News. As
soon as the rocket fell sirens wailed inside the Green Zone and
helicopters roamed in the surrounding." , Shootings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
Adnan Khidhir ("owner of a currency exchange business") was shot dead
in Kirkuk "late Monday," a Salahuddin Province attack left a football
player and Kurdish intelligence officer injured, and a Monday Mosul
attack which left six people wounded. Corpses? Reuters notes 1 corpse (handcuffed) discovered in Jurf al-Sakhar. Sahwa remains under attack. Dropping back to yesterday's snapshot to note the one reporter going beyond "al Qaeda in Iraq!": Interestingly, Michael Jansen (Irish Times) appears
to be the only one offering anything other than that, "The rise in
violence is attributed to two factors. First, analysts say al-Qaeda,
which has claimed a number of recent attacks, is reviving because it is
recruiting former members of so-called 'awakening councils', made up of
Sunni militiamen who joined the US in the 2007-2008 war against al-Qaeda
and its allies." Jansen goes on to note how Nouri never did supply the
jobs the Sahwa needed. But possibly noting that explanation would
underscore just how much the violence is Nouri's fault? They
said al-Qaida leaders were exploiting the imminent departure of US
fighting troops to ramp up a membership drive, in an attempt to show
that they are still a powerful force in the country after seven years of
war. Meanwhile, as Gen Ray Odierno prepares to be "outgoing" commander in Iraq, he tells Ernesto Londono (Washington Post)
that Iraq's security forces need lots of money. We're also supposed to
hiss and boo that when Ray & company requested $2 billion, 'mean
old' Senator Carl Levin cut it down to one billion. Having spent $18
billion of US tax payer moneys on 'security forces' in Iraq already, the
$1 billion is not only more than generous, it's honestly more than
American can afford. And
note all that gets ripped off and ignored to toss over that $1 billion
as well as other wasted monies. Noting Barack Obama's weekly address
given Saturday, Sarah Kliff (Politico) reports,
"The address came shortly after the administration launched a
months-long, multimillion-dollar television campaign featuring Andy
Griffith to promote health reform's free preventive care and lower
prescription costs." A multi-million dollar campaign? To sell what? A
piece of crap legislation. Where's the money going? It's a PSA, where is
the money going? Though no one in the press will bother to ask that
question (look for those faux news segments on your local news
trumpeting ObamaCare), note where it's not going: to address PTSD and
veterans suicides. July 14th, the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing on veterans' suicides, chaired by US House Rep Harry Mitchell. From that hearing we'll note this: US House Rep John Hall: Thank you. I know I'm over my time. But I would just mention that this committee has -- the full Veterans Affairs Committee on the House side has voted to give funding not just for PSA, as Ranking Member Roe mentioned, but for paid advertising. And IAVA who will hear from shortly partnered with the Ad Council in one effort to put together an ad that was more powerful than the average PSA -- Public Service Announcement -- shown in the middle of the night because that's when the time's the cheapest and the TV station will give it up to do there public service whereas what we really need is advertising during the Superbowl, during American Idol, during the highest rated shows, during prime time where the half-hours -- I mean, the thirty-second spot costs the most money. But we're willing to do that to advertise "Be All That You Can Be" [Army recruitment ad], or "The Few, The Proud, The Marines" -- you know, the lightening bolt coming down onto the sword. And if we want to recruit and attract people to go into the armed services and to go fight for our country, we'll spend the money for prime time advertising but when it comes time to help them find the resources that they need to stay healthy after they come home, we want to do it on the cheap. And just do it at 3:00 a.m. in the morning on a PSA. And I think that needs to change, something we in Congress should fund so that the outreach is just as strong afterwards as it is before they were recruited. Millions aren't being spent on that. Despite the large number of veterans taking their own lives, despite the large number of service members taking their own lives. But the White House has multi-millions to waste as a campaign tool? US tax payer dollars being wasted for what really is nothing but propaganda purposes. The Baxter Bulletin notes today: If they haven't yet captured the attention of the American public, the suicide rates in the U.S. Army have sounded alarms among veterans groups and in the active-duty military. The Army suicide rates doubled from 2001 to 2006, even as civilian rates of suicides remained the same. Last year, 160 soldiers killed themselves -- the Army says 60 percent were "first-term" soldiers, or those with one or no deployments to war zones -- and more than 1,700 soldiers made attempts on their lives. It's not a minor issue and Mark Benjamin (Salon via Veterans Today) reports that many veterans are beginning to express frustration with the administration over the lack of focus on PSTD and on suicide -- including veterans who, in 2008, were part of Veterans For Obama: The
flagging support among veterans results from a combination of unforced
errors by the White House in basic constituency relations, coupled with
rising frustration that the Obama administration is not aggressive
enough in tackling wartime crises that continue to escalate, like
suicides in the military. The damage is serious enough that it threatens
to lurk as a political liability for Obama in 2012, since disgruntled
surrogates might refuse to help the next time around. "Suicides
are skyrocketing, people are being deployed to war with PTSD, people
are being denied their healthcare benefits, and the Obama administration
is allowing the Department of Defense to punish people who are
suffering from PTSD rather than giving them the medical care they
deserve," said Steve Robinson, a retired Army Ranger and longtime
veterans advocate who has worked for a number of veterans'
organizations. Robinson closely advised then-Sen. Obama on veterans
policy and was prominently featured in a video tribute to Obama
made by the campaign that played at the Democrats' 2008 convention in
Denver. "I am confident that he believes in this generation and that he
is actually putting into practice what he believes," Robinson said about
Obama, from a huge TV screen at the convention. The Democratic nominee
fought for vets, he added, "by stepping out, by speaking up, by
legislating, by holding government accountable to take care of this
generation when they send them to war." Now,
Robinson says he can't get his e-mails returned. "There is a deafness
in the White House," Robinson said. "Let's forget about the idea that
you might want to do the right thing and keep your campaign promises. It
is politically stupid." At
its seventh annual national convention in Austin, Texas, IVAW called
for the prosecution of senior Bush administration officials for
allegedly conspiring to manipulate intelligence in order to justify the
U.S. invasion of Iraq. IVAW
alleges that Bush administration officials conspired to create the
perception that Saddam Hussein presented an imminent threat to the
United States in order to bypass an uncooperative U.N. Security Council
and secure a congressional Authorization for Use of Military Force
against Iraq. The growing body of evidence, including testimony from
British officials in the ongoing Chilcot Inquiry, indicates that Bush
officials could be charged with criminal offenses against the United
States and violations of international law for making false claims to
national self-defense. Article
1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution vests the power to authorize use
of military force in the Legislative Branch, not the Executive. In order
to do so responsibly the Congress must be provided with accurate and
objective intelligence. Bush officials' alleged distortion of the
intelligence picture created a climate of fear and uncertainty in which
the constitutional power of Congress was subverted. IVAW
further alleges that the Bush administration's alterations to Iraqi
laws were made for the intended benefit of U.S. multinational
corporations and are illegal under international law. Efforts to
pressure Iraqi officials to open up the country's oil industry to
foreign investment exacerbated the insurgency and undermined the U.S.
military's ostensible mission there. IVAW
finally asserts that senior Bush officials are responsible for the
illegal treatment of Iraqi and Afghan officials in U.S. custody and that
this treatment was detrimental to the security of American citizens. Tens
and perhaps hundreds of thousands of deaths have resulted from the Bush
administration's disastrous invasion and occupation of Iraq. Millions
of Iraqis have been internally displaced and hundreds of thousands are
forced to subsist as refugees in neighboring countries. Thousands of
American men and women have lost their lives and tens of thousands
suffer from wounds sustained while fighting there. Families and
communities across the United States are now suffering from veteran
suicides, homelessness, substance abuse and domestic violence. The
long-term cost of this war, including the provision of VA support for
our returning veterans, is estimated to run into the
trillions. |
:: Article nr. 68737 sent on 11-aug-2010 17:54 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68737
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_10.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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|
Iraq snapshot - August 9, 2010
The Common Ills
| :: Article nr. 68718 sent on 10-aug-2010 17:00 ECT
Monday, August 9, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, al Qaeda in Iraq blamed/credited yet again,
DoD identifies a service member who died over the weekend, the
political stalemate continues, Nouri cozies up to the Kurds, and more. Atul Aneja (The Hindu) dubbed it the "weekend of violence" and indeed it was. By midnight US time last night, Saturday and Sunday's reported tolls were at least 77 Iraqis killed and at least 303 injured. It was just Monday that Barry Obama was happy talking violence in Iraq -- two days after the US military was attacking official Iraqi ministry figures on the July death toll. How long ago it now seems. Basra was rocked by bombings Saturday with a death toll that rose to 43.
That would be Basra in the south. The south. Where US military brass
have told reporters for three weeks now that there are no problems. Any
violence remaining, the brass has insisted, is in the north. But, fact,
Basra is in the south. And apparently so shocking that many attempted to
spin it by insisting to the press it was a generator exploding and not a
bombing. Appearing Sunday on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour, Gen Ray Odierno, top US commander in Iraq, was one of the few who didn't attempt to spin. Christiane
Amanpour: Well, let me ask you about the violence. This weekend alone
in Basra in the south there has been a big explosion that's caused
dozens of deaths. What is it? Do you know what it is, in fact, was it a
terrorist attack? Gen
Ray Odierno: Well, I think it probably was. We're still sorting through
that, because there was conflicting reports, but my guess is it was
probably some sort of an improvised explosive device that went off. Odierno's guess was correct. Arwa Damon and Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) report
today, "Basra's police chief had said over the weekend that the
explosions were caused by a power generator. But the U.S. Forces-Iraq's
deputy commanding general for operations, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, told
reporters Monday that the explosions were caused by two car bombs and
two roadside bombs. They left 43 people dead and 103 wounded." So many
deaths, so many wounded. What's the US military brass to do? Ernesto Londono (Washington Post) reports,
"Though weakened by the deaths of top leaders and a drop-off in foreign
funding, al-Qaeda in Iraq's 'cellular structure' remains 'pretty much
intact,' Brig. Gen. Patrick M. Higgins said in his first interview since
taking command in Baghdad last fall." So it's time to trot out al Qaeda
in Iraq again. The homegrown, illegal war created group that the US
military was swearing was waning and that the 'capture' and killing of
various alleged high-ranking leaders had thrown into disarray.
Interestingly, Michael Jansen (Irish Times) appears
to be the only one offering anything other than that, "The rise in
violence is attributed to two factors. First, analysts say al-Qaeda,
which has claimed a number of recent attacks, is reviving because it is
recruiting former members of so-called 'awakening councils', made up of
Sunni militiamen who joined the US in the 2007-2008 war against al-Qaeda
and its allies." Jansen goes on to note how Nouri never did supply the
jobs the Sahwa needed. But possibly noting that explanation would
underscore just how much the violence is Nouri's fault? Jane Arraf (Christian Science Monitor) reports
that US Lt Gen Robert W. Cone stated they expected to see violence
continue to increase "as the holy month of Ramadan begins this week".
This follows Wang Fengfeng, Ran Wei and Xiong Tong (Xinhua) Saturday report
that, "With the United States scheduled to withdraw all its combat
troops from Iraq by the end of this month amid political stalemate and
rising violence in that country, worries are mounting in Washington and
elsewhere about the situation in Iraq after the drawdown." The violence didn't stop today. Salam Faraj (AFP) reports
a Baghdad bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi traffic police officer
and 1 civilian while injuring ten other people and Faraj notes, "Iraqi
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, fighting to keep his job after narrowly
losing the election, insisted the security situation was not getting
worse, 'but some gaps have opened up, here and there, from time to
time'." Nouri the comic. Reuters notes
an Abu Ghraib medical complex bombing which claimed 2 lives and left
seven people injured, a Mosul roadside bombing left two people wounded, a
second Mosul roadside bombing left six people injured, 1 man was shot
dead in Kirkuk and, dropping back to Sunday for other violence, notes
Sinan al-Shibibi's bodyguard was injured in a Baghdad shooting and 1
"official" was shot dead in Kirkuk and two of his bodyguards were
injured. Over the weekend, another US service member died in Iraq. DoD issued a statement today noting
"the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Faith R. Hinkley, 23, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died Aug. 7 in
Baghdad, of wounds suffered when inusrgents attacked her unit in
Iskandariya, Iraq. She was assigned to the 502nd Military Intelligence
Battalion, 201st Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, Joint Base
Lewis-McChord, Wash." On last Monday's speech by Barack, we'll highlight this from Bill Van Auken's analysis for WSWS last Tuesday: One
would never know from this lyrical description that the US had waged a
criminal war of aggression that has cost the lives of over a million
Iraqi men, women and children and left an entire country in
ruins. Nor,
for that matter, would one guess from his words that the speaker was a
candidate who won the Democratic nomination less than two years ago by
proclaiming that the Iraq war "should never have been authorized and
never been waged." One could be excused for thinking instead that it was
George W. Bush. Also weighing in on the speech, Eric S. Marolis (Gulf Times) observes,
"Has America's goodbye to Iraq really begun? One suspects it's more a
question of re-branding than retreat. The 50,000 US troops left in Iraq
will supposedly 'advise and assist' and perform 'anti-terrorism'
missions, and training. To this old war correspondent, that sounds a lot
like white officers leading native troops." Sunday Saad N. Jawad (Lebanon's Daily Star) observed,
"The former US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, recently described the
Iraqi elections and their aftermath as 'high drama and low comedy.' It
is the perfect description, yet he should have added that this was a
natural outcome of the occupation, Iraq's vague and divisive
Constitution, Washington's insistence on standing by the corrupt and
failing people who came in with American forces after the invasion, and
the sectarian-quota policy." March
7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. 163 seats are needed to
form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers).
When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the
number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four
more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats
needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must
be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates.
(Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority
candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad
Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament
making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law
which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89
seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing
allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial
results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place
winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give
them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the
government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 5 months and 2 days. Al Jazeera notes many of the problems facing Nouri al-Maliki's desire for a second term as prime minister. Press TV reports
that KRG President Massoud Barzani -- strangely they give him no title
(not so strange, they don't recognize the KRG) -- stated, "Maliki's
visit to Kurdistan is not aimed at the formation of a new alliance, but
is to reinforce an old alliance and a start to put an end to all the
problems Iraq is suffering from." Again, the meeting will lead to rumors
that Nouri's willing to give away Kirkuk. Liz Sly and Riyadh Mohammed (Los Angeles Times) shared
their belief that Nouri "received a boost" by a non-endorsement from
KRG President Massoud Barzani whom he met with today. That would be
difficult for that to translate into a boost. The KRG does not have
enough votes to put him over the top and any embrace by the KRG of Nouri
will be interpreted by Shi'ites as an under the table deal being made
on Kirkuk which has long been a tug-of-war point between Shi'ites and
Kurds. Just meeting with Barzani leads to those accusations, cries of
"Nouri's giving the Kurds Kirkuk!" Which should make it hard for Nouri
to pull off support from the Iraqi National Alliance (which is his only
hope short of making some deal with Iraqiya). Meanwhile Alsumaria TV reports
Iraq's Shi'ite Vice President and member of the Iraqi National Alliance
Adel Abdul Mehdi is calling out Nouri for Nouri's statements blaming
everyone "but himself" which Mehdi finds contradictory and beneath the
position of prime minister. Pakistan's The News International speculates on the sort of deals Nouri could make to continue as prime minister: Maliki becomes prime minister, a Sunni member of Iraqiya gets the speaker's post, and Allawi becomes head of the National Security Council with broad authority. Maliki becomes prime minister, and Allawi president. This is hard to imagine. Sunnis say they would regard Allawi as an honorary Sunni as prime minister, but not if he is president. Kurds would likely object to this scenario as well. Maliki becomes prime minister, and Iraqiya picks half the government. This scenario is possible, but it hinges on Sunni leaders within Iraqiya sacrificing Allawi or on Allawi sacrificing himself for the benefit of Iraqiya. Iraqiya combined with Maliki's State of Law would have 180seats in the 325-seat parliament. An Iraqiya deal with INA, including ISCI and the Sadrists, would give the combined bloc 161. On the latest edition of Inside Iraq (Al Jazeera, began airing Friday),
Teymoor Nabili was joined by State of Law and ministry adviser Saad
al-Muttalibi, Arab Lawyers Association president Sabah al-Mukhtar and,
from the US, noted 'scholarship' provider Jack Burkman.
We're not noting Burkman. He wants to show his ass to the world, he
can. It's a shame many Al Jazeera viewers will think that's how
Americans are -- that we snicker and laugh while someone else speaks and
then immediately ridicule them. It's a shame he had no parent or
guardian who cared enough to instill manners in him. Teymoor
Nabili: Well let me allow Sabah al-Mukhtar to respond to this. The
idea or notion that the ability to criticize a non-existent government
somehow represents progress, tell me about that? Sabah al-Mukhtar: Well Mr. Saad is living in the Green Zone so, of course he feels -- Saad al-Muttalibi: No, I don't live in the Green Zone -- Sabah al-Mukhtar (Con't) -- that -- Saad al-Muttalibi: No, I don't -- Sabah
al-Mukhtar: All of you live in the Green Zone. All of you live in the
Green Zone. All of you work in the Green Zone. And when you go out,
you have thirty people protecting you from the people. So the idea that
somehow that the life of people does not matter because you can speak
and because you have 20 newspapers or some satellite station while
people can not even go to -- [Pushy,
Ignorant American John Burkman attempts to interrupt even though it is
not his turn to speak. The Ugly American: John Burkman.] Sabah al-Mukhtar: -- and work without being bombed and killed and the figures show that and that's what we're discussing. Jack Burkman: [. . .] Teymoor
Nabili: Let me stop you there and not ask that question, John, if I
may, because that's not really the question at issue here. Let me put a
question to you, when General -- when General -- when General Ray
Odierno says that when the Americans pull out they may well have to send
a peace keeping force to keep the peace in Kurdistan, you've got to ask
yourself whether anything has been achieved. Jack Burkman: [. . .] Teymoor
Nabili: Well alright, I'll tell you -- I'll tell you why -- I'll tell
you why there's a degree of skepticism being raised, not necessarily by
me, but by a lot of people, and I'll put this to Mr. al-Muttalibi, and
that is the question of comparing it now to what it was seven or eight
years ago, is not necessarily the right one because the question is
what's going to happen when they leave. Now if there's trouble in
Kurdistan, if as we have seen and our reporter has reported, the attacks
in July represent evidence that the insurgency or some kind of violent
tendency remains fairly strong then once the 'combat' operations or
however President Barack Obama wants to phrase it decides to move on,
those forces of anarchy and violence remain and will once again reassert
themselves. Do you not have that fear? Saad
al-Muttalibi: You see with the military disengagement now taking place
in Iraq, we will see or we're hoping there will be a political
engagement by the free world with Iraq, helping Iraq, pass this very
critical time. I must disagree with your guest in the United States
because we cannot compare between now and Saddam Hussein because they're
two different worlds completely. Now if we go back to your question,
sir, yes, there are elements of unrest, there are elements of
differences between how the Kurds see the circumstances in Iraq and how
the Arab side see the political situation with their northern
colleagues. There are differences, there are problems. But we are all
resorting to resolving these differences through dialogue. If you have
noticed in the last few months, we don't view political violence between
competing political parties. There is an open dialogue and the dialogue
is taking place. The insurgency have gone down tremendously. As you
know, I am in charge of reconciliation and I deal with insurgents every
single day. It's my job. Jack Burkman: [. . .] Teymoor Nabili: Let me give Sabah al-Mukhtar, another-another comment here because he hasn't had too much of a say. Go ahead. Sabah
al-Mukhtar: The reconciliation is taking place between the people who
are actually in power. You know when you have a Hakim, a Maliki and and
Ayad Allawi having reconcilation, this is an absolute abuse of the
terminology. Reconcilation is beween people who differ. Those people
have all come with the Americans, they all have the same agenda. They
all want the Americans to stay. They all will leave before the
Americans leave. Meanwhile in the US, Peter Maass (Foreign Policy) explores oil and attempts to figure out the reason for the Iraq War: "I made a mistake," Mohammed said. "I just hope I will be allowed to go back to Riyadh. I want to leave." He
would not be going home soon. A U.S. military advisor, dressed in jeans
and with a pistol strapped to his thigh, was monitoring my talk with
Mohammed. The Iraqi who interpreted, also with a pistol on his hip, was
an overweight police official. The Saudi, the American, and the Iraqi in
this room were in a deep mess, as were their homelands. There were many
reasons, and a core one was evoked when Mohammed ventured a guess as to
why Iraq had been invaded. "The Americans want to control Iraq's resources," he said. "They came here for oil." And, Maass continued: Shortly
after the Marines rolled into Baghdad and tore down a statue of Saddam
Hussein, I visited the Ministry of Oil. American troops surrounded the
sand-colored building, protecting it like a strategic jewel. But not far
away, looters were relieving the National Museum of its actual jewels.
Baghdad had become a carnival of looting. A few dozen Iraqis who worked
at the Oil Ministry were gathered outside the American cordon, and one
of them, noting the protection afforded his workplace and the lack of
protection everywhere else, remarked to me, "It is all about
oil." The
issue he raised is central to figuring out what we truly pay for a
gallon of gas. The BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reminded Americans
that the price at the pump is only a down payment; an honest
calculation must include the contamination of our waters, land, and air.
Yet the calculation remains incomplete if we don't consider other
factors too, especially what might be the largest externalized cost of
all: the military one. To what extent is oil linked to the wars we fight
and the more than half-trillion dollars we spend on our military every
year? We are in an era of massive deficits, so it pays to know what we
are paying for and how much it costs. The
debate often hovers at a sandbox level of did-so/did-not. Donald
Rumsfeld, the former defense secretary, insisted the invasion of Iraq
had "nothing to do with oil."
But even Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve chairman, rejected
that line. "It is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone
knows," Greenspan wrote in his memoir. "The Iraq war is largely about oil." If it is even partly
true that we invade for oil and maintain a navy and army for oil, how
much is that costing? This is one of the tricky things about oil, the
hidden costs, and one of the reasons we are addicted to the substance --
we don't acknowledge its full price. Peter Maass' latest book is Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil which is out tomorrow in softcover. The release of 90,000 secret U.S. military files by the whistleblower website Wikileaks, in its broadest context, reveals that the Obama administration and the Pentagon brass have been and still are fully aware that they are not only losing the war in Afghanistan, but also have no possibility of winning. The documents present a powerful indictment against the Pentagon, the Obama administration and the Bush administration for their failure to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan. They provide documentary evidence of the killing of hundreds and perhaps thousands of civilians by U.S. and NATO troops. The files reveal that the Pentagon set up a secret commando unit called Task Force 373 that is nothing other than a death squad. Task Force 373, made up of Army and Navy Special Operatives, is seeking to assassinate individuals from an assembled list of 2,000 targets. And despite rosy-sounding publicity missives coming from the Pentagon, the information released on Wikileaks shows an obvious pattern of intensifying bomb attacks against U.S. and NATO forces. The decision by the Obama administration to send 60,000 additional troops to Afghanistan in 2009 is exposed as nothing other than a decision to send more human beings to their death in an ongoing war that cannot be won, so as to avoid taking the political responsibility for a military setback. That is the rule that all U.S. policymakers abide by. No matter what, they must avoid the appearance of military defeat at the hands of an armed resistance. The White House condemned the release of the classified documents in the most disingenuous and hypocritical way. It denounced those who provided the files for putting "the lives of U.S. and partner service members at risk." That is turning reality upside down. It is the Obama administration that is putting the lives of U.S. service members and Afghan civilians "at risk" every day by continuing a war just so that it can avoid the political backlash for suffering a defeat on its watch. The released documents paint a grim picture that is repeated over and over again involving a large number of previously unknown incidents where U.S. and NATO troops shot and murdered unarmed drivers and motorcyclists. The documents reveal another incident where French troops used machine guns to strafe a bus full of children in 2008. A military patrol machine gunned another bus, wounding or killing 15 of its civilian passengers. In 2007, Polish troops rained mortar fire down on an Afghan village, killing a wedding party, including pregnant women, in a revenge attack for an earlier insurgent assault. In April of this year, Wikileaks published the now-famous classified video of a U.S. Apache helicopter murdering 12 Iraqi civilians and seriously wounding children. The Pentagon arrested Bradley Manning, a 22-year-old intelligence analyst in Iraq and has been holding him incommunicado in recent months. Wikileaks has not disclosed whether Manning was the source of the leak of the classified video or the recently released documents, but has announced that it will help provide legal assistance for Bradley Manning. For months now, the web of lies spun by the White House and Pentagon about the Afghan war has started to come undone. Public support for the Afghan war, along with support from inside the military ranks, continues to decline. But it will take a resurgent anti-war movement to convert this latent frustration into a powerful political force that can finally bring the criminal occupation to an end. |
:: Article nr. 68718 sent on 10-aug-2010 17:00 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68718
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_09.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Odierno: Troops staying in Iraq to prevent foreign interference Politico (blog) US forces are staying in Iraq to prevent foreign powers from meddling with the new government, Gen. Ray Odierno said Sunday. "A strong Iraq will defend ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Will Iraq Fall Victim to the Oil Curse? Wall Street Journal By JUDITH MILLER Since America toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, Iraq has had three free-wheeling, relatively fraud-free national elections. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| IRAQ: Baghdad's traffic police defiant in face of violent attacks Los Angeles Times (blog) Nobody knows for sure who is carrying out the attacks, although fingers point to Al Qaeda in Iraq. Many Iraqis fear the extremist group is trying to make a ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Foreign Service shortages in Iraq Washington Post 5 letter stating that the problem of State Department employees refusing to "volunteer" to serve in Iraq never happened. Perhaps it didn't, but I remember ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Airmen from Mass. to depart for Iraq Boston Globe About 40 members of the Massachusetts Air National Guard are set to leave for a six-month mission to Iraq. A send-off ceremony is scheduled Monday at Otis ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Whichever government Iraq has, indecisiveness lies ahead Daily Star - Lebanon By Saad N. Jawad The former US ambassador to Iraq, Ryan Crocker, recently described the Iraqi elections and their aftermath as “high drama and low comedy. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Local guardsman returns from Iraq and meets his infant son for the first time Knoxville News Sentinel Kenadi Drozdowski, 2, left, and Tayce Drozdowski, 5, wait for their father Master Sgt. Stan Drozdowski to arrive home from Iraq at McGhee Tyson Airbase on ... See all stories on this topic » |
Saturday, August 7, 2010: 46 Iraqis Killed, 213 Wounded
Margaret Griffis
:: Article nr. 68656 sent on 08-aug-2010 06:07 ECT August 7, 2010 Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki admitted his reluctance to give up the premiership is part of the deadlock preventing the formation of the new government. In central Basra, at least two explosions of unknown origins left as many as 25 dead at the al-Ashaar souk. Medical officials reported 110 hospital admissions but the toll could be as high as 162 wounded. Although witnesses and some security sources earlier said three improved bombs were the cause of the explosions, the city’s police chief maintains that a malfunctioning generator is actually to blame. Even before the blasts, Basra police had prepared for potential demonstrations against frequent electrical blackouts. It is unclear whether this may have been related sabotage. A lawmaker blamed police for the security situation in the city. Although few reports of violence come out of Basra, it has long been clear that attacks there seldom get accurate coverage in the media. In Baghdad, an all-night shootout at a Saidiya bomb factory left five policemen and one gunman dead. Another 14 Iraqis were wounded, among them women and children. Two suspects were later arrested. In the cache discovered at the factory was an explosives-packed minibus. Last night, gunmen killed a policeman and wounded two others in Hurriya. In the Jihad neighborhood, one civilian was killed and three more were wounded. Bombs planted outside the homes of three policemen and a Sahwa member in Garma left 15 wounded. Four people were killed in the attacks. At a checkpoint outside Fallujah, gunmen killed a policeman and wounded three others. A sticky bomb wounded a policeman. Gunmen killed a policeman in Rutba. A bomb in Abu Ghraib killed a militant leader from the 1920 Revolution Brigades. Elsewhere, a blast killed one civilian and wounded two others. In Mosul, a police official tried to stop a suicide bomber but the explosives were triggered, killing one policeman and wounding six others, including the official. An I.E.D. killed a child. Gunmen wounded three people, including a prison warden, at a mourning service. In Khanaqin, two brothers were killed in a blast. Two roadside bombs in Mahmoudiya wounded two people. Police captured nine suspects and a weapons cache in Baquba. |
:: Article nr. 68656 sent on 08-aug-2010 06:07 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68656
Link: original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/08/07/saturday-15-iraqis-killed-37-wounded/
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| ||
| Withdraw troops from Iraq, but US still has work to do Boston Globe THE IMPENDING withdrawal of US forces from Iraq offers grounds for relief, but not for celebration. President Obama proudly affirmed Monday that he is ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Explosions rock Basra commercial district CNN International By the CNN Wire Staff Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A large power generator in a busy market in central Basra exploded Saturday evening and sparked a fire and ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| US hands over control of Iraq combat operations CNN By the CNN Wire Staff Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi commandos showed off skills they learned from US military forces, who Saturday formally handed over ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Obama sent a secret letter to Iraq's top Shiite cleric Tehran Times President Obama has sent a letter to Iraq's top Shiite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urging him to prevail upon Iraq's squabbling ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Foster City man gets respite from war in Iraq San Jose Mercury News Justin C. Erickson, a graduate of San Mateo High School, spent a good chunk of the last year rebuilding a school destroyed by insurgents in Iraq. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Guests on today's TV news shows: Kansas City Star Ray Odierno, commander of US forces in Iraq; Gen. Peter Chiarelli, vice chief of staff of the Army. •CBS' “Face the Nation,” 1 am Monday: Thad Allen, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Lincoln-based Guard soldiers return home from Iraq KTIV (AP) - About 70 National Guard soldiers have returned home to Nebraska after several months in Iraq. The members of the 313th Medical Company arrived Friday ... See all stories on this topic » |
Twin blasts rock Iraqi city
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At least 16 people have been killed and more than 100 injured as at least two blasts rocked a market in the southern Iraqi city of Basra. Initial reports said that a car bomb, followed by a secondary explosion, hit the busy al-Ashaar marketplace in Basra city. But police officials insisted the the blasts were caused by a power generator exploding. "The explosion was caused by an electricity generator short-circuiting," Colonel Karim al-Zaidi, a spokesman for Basra's police command, said. Hospital officials said that 110 people had been injured in the explosion, which police blamed on an electrical malfunction. Cause unknown Other security officials said that the cause of the explosion was not known. "We're investigating the cause. We don't know whether it was a terrorist attack or something else," said Ali al-Maliki, the head of the security committee in the Basra council. Hussein Talib, a member of parliament for Basra, hinted that the blasts could have a more sinister cause. "As a lawmaker from Basra I hold the military and police leadership responsible for the blood that has been shed," he said. "They are not responding to the people of Basra. We want the police of Basra to be responsible for security in Basra and we have constantly been repeating this request." Private communal generators are common in Iraq, where demand for electricity dramatically outstrips supply, forcing the use of unpopular power rationing. Electricity shortages triggered protests across the country over the summer, including in Basra, that eventually led to the resignation in June of the electricity minister. |
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Iraq snapshot - August 6, 2010
The Common Ills
:: Article nr. 68637 sent on 07-aug-2010 17:15 ECT
Friday, August 6, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the political stalemate continues, 2 US
service members died Monday but no one wanted to 'cramp' Barack's style
by announcing it, and more. Jaimee Lynn Fletcher (Orange County Register) reports
300 soldiers with the California National Guard's 1-140th Aviation (Air
Assault) Battalion deploy to Iraq this weekend. "Air Assault" --
doesn't sound like non-combat forces. And they're "also known as Task
Force Long Knife." B-b-but, Monday,
Barack Obama, President of the United States, stood up in front of
cameras and creation in Atlanta, Georgia and insisted that no combat
troops would be in Iraq after the end of this month. Are those
California National Guard soldiers deploying for a few weeks and then
flying back to the US? And about that 'wowie' speech . . . |
Elise
Labott: Well he said that the US would maintain a longterm cariment --
commitment to Iraq in terms of the ever growing civilian presence on
there but he spoke about bringing the war in Iraq to a responsible end
and he's saying that the August 31st deadline for the military to bring
their troops down to 50,000 is the closing of a chapter and that the US
is going to be transitioning towards a more normal relationship with
Iraqis as it does with many other countries. I mean, this is really for
the US kind-of signaling the end of so-called occupation . But you --
What you have right now is a five-month deadlock on the government
forming up, you have the drawdown of US troops and a lot of the, you
know, instability in the country. You've seen a lot more violence. al
Qaeda is doing a lot more recruiting to try and fill this void right now
that the government isn't meeting because it's very much deadlocked.
And the US is concerned that it's going to be leaving the country as
there's more instability in the country. And you even saw Tariq Aziz,
the Deputy to Saddam Hussein, say, "Don't leave Iraq right now! You're
leaving them to the wolves!" So it kind of signals that the US is
growing increasingly worried that the government won't be in place
before all of these troops come out and America's clout diminishes
further.
Susan
Page: But you know in a way there was no news in President Obama's
speech? He's simply reaffirming what he said before. So why -- why give
the speech?
Jonathan
S. Landay: Oh, I think there was -- I'm going to be really cynical
about this. You're facing -- he's facing these Congressional elections
coming up in Novmeber in which his party has got an uphill battle --
basically an uphill battle. And at the same time, he sent an additional
at least 52,000 more American troops to a place called Afghanistan. The
other thing that I feel when I look at this in a cyncical way is the
fact that he's meeting requirements that were actually negotiated with
Iraq by the Bush administration. And it seems the deadline for getting
American troops -- combat troops out, the deadline for getting all
American troops out, the fact is that he seemed to be trying to take
credit. He used -- he used the expression all American combat [clears
throat]. Excuse me. American combat troops will be out by the end of
this month "as promised and on schedule." As if he's the guy who's
fulfilling this promises when, indeed, these are required under an
agreement that the Bush administration negotiated with the Iraqi
government.
That's Susan Page filling in for Diane Rehm on today's The Diane Rehm Show (second hour) where she was joined by Jonathan S. Landay (McClatchy Newspapers), Elise Labott (CNN) and James Kitfield (National Journal). Cynical?
How
could anyone be more cynical than the White House was. As Barack Obama
was still boning up on his speech, the number of US service members
killed in the Iraq War stood at 4413. However, last night Reuters reported 2 US soldiers killed on Monday -- and we only learn now. USF/MNF has nothing posted.
When on Monday did they die?. Barack began speaking in Atlanta a little
after 11:30 a.m. EST. That would have been 6:30 p.m. in Baghdad. Were
they already dead by then?
The White House knew while spinning all day Monday and continuing on Tuesday that two US service members were dead, killed by a bombing (a third wounded). But they didn't want you to know because it would interfere with Barack's messaging. It would hurt Brand Obama.
Thursday, Ari Shapiro (All Things Considered, NPR) reported, "The White House has been on a good news streak this week, accentuating the positive every day in areas ranging from Iraq to the BP oil well to the auto industry." But it's easy to have a 'good news' streak if you control what information gets out and what information doesn't.
Barack Obama grand-standed on the backs of 3 US service members -- two dead, one wounded. That announcement, which USF should have made on Monday, was killed because Barack needed some sweet-ass headlines.
First order of business for the White House, finding a fall guy or gal to blame the decision to bury the news of the 2 deaths Monday. Tony Karon (Time magazine) notes:
The White House knew while spinning all day Monday and continuing on Tuesday that two US service members were dead, killed by a bombing (a third wounded). But they didn't want you to know because it would interfere with Barack's messaging. It would hurt Brand Obama.
Thursday, Ari Shapiro (All Things Considered, NPR) reported, "The White House has been on a good news streak this week, accentuating the positive every day in areas ranging from Iraq to the BP oil well to the auto industry." But it's easy to have a 'good news' streak if you control what information gets out and what information doesn't.
Barack Obama grand-standed on the backs of 3 US service members -- two dead, one wounded. That announcement, which USF should have made on Monday, was killed because Barack needed some sweet-ass headlines.
First order of business for the White House, finding a fall guy or gal to blame the decision to bury the news of the 2 deaths Monday. Tony Karon (Time magazine) notes:
Major
U.S. combat operations in Iraq were first declared to have ended in
March 2003, in President Bush's infamous "Mission Accomplished" address
aboard the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln. Seven years and many thousands
of casualties later, President Barack Obama made a similar announcement
this week. But it remains to be seen whether his note of finality has
any more traction than that of his predecessor.
JAY: And weren't they also committed to having all troops out, and not just combat, by, what is it, the end of 2011?
PORTER:
They are in fact committed not just by a policy, but by the US-Iraq
withdrawal agreement, which was signed in November 2008, to getting all
US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2011. That's now a treaty
commitment, or at least a formal international commitment, if not a
treaty.
JAY: Of course, unless Maliki, their guy, happens to say, well, you can stay longer.
PORTER:
Well, that's right. And of course we know that US military leaders have
been saying, since even before that treaty or that agreement was signed
in November 2008, they wanted to keep US troops there long, long
beyond, way beyond 2011. We know that even after Obama was elected, the
month of the signature of this agreement, November 2008, that General
Odierno, the commander of US troops in Iraq, told Tom Ricks of the The Washington Post,
when he was asked what kind of US military presence do you foresee in
2014-2015 (that's four years after the supposed event of US military
presence under the agreement), his answer was: I foresee, and what I
would like to see, is 30,000, 35,000 US troops remaining, and that they
would still be on combat mission.
It's the fifth anniversary of the first Camp Casey and Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan reflects on the 'changes' in US policies (here at Peace of the Action, here at Cindy Sheehan's Soapbox):
Back
sometime after the Nobel Laureate was installed on top of the IDH, the
mission that killed my son was renamed: "Operation New Dawn." So every
single one of our troops and Iraqis that have been killed since Obama's
reign have been killed in something that resembles dish-washing
detergent and most certainly the selling of it. "Operation New Dawn: New
and Improved with more Lemony Freshness -- and, boy, does it cut
through grease!" Grease is the only thing that Operation New Dawn cuts
through, though -- since many of my fellow USAians want to believe that
Obama is the "New and Improved" George Bush.
Now,
Obama has taken back a promise to have "Combat Troops" out of Iraq by
September 1st of this year and now has pledged to have them out by the
end of 2011 -- but of course, he has again redefined the mission and the
troops are now on a "support and train" mission instead of a combat
mission, so the Bots will believe that there is a new "Mission
Accomplished." There will be some troops movement and more empty
rhetoric about this as the next presidential season is rapidly coming to
assault us with more Madison Avenue Trickery. And people on the
so-called left and so-called antiwar movement were upset with John
McCain when he said that troops would be in Iraq for "100 years?" Well,
that is upsetting to me, also, but troops will be in Iraq for 100 years
because WE only come out to fight when a Republican is in office and it
is apparent that The Empire can tenaciously hang in there until the next
cycle when a Democrat takes the "con" of The Empire and neutralizes
the "Left" for another four to eight years.
Since
I camped in Crawford, Texas beginning August 6th, 2005 --there has been
little to celebrate and virtually no progress in a progressive
direction regarding any policy.
Bush's
troop "surge" in Iraq that was bought and paid for by Pelosi's
Democratic Congress only "worked" because just about everybody that
could be killed or displaced in or out of Iraq has been. In 2003, Iraq
had a population of roughly 25 million and about 5 million of those have
been killed or displaced -- that's 1/5 of the population. Devastating
figures -- that would be comparable to 60 million USAians being killed
or displaced! Significant and tragic figures that mean very little to
most daily consumers of what passes for news here in the U.S.
Casey
Sheehan died serving in Iraq. Some Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans
(as well as some in the military who have not deployed) are dying at
their own hands.
"They gave me a gun" he said
"They gave me a mission
For the power and the glory
Propaganda piss on 'em
There's a war zone inside me
I can feel things exploding
I can't even hear the f**king music playing
For the beat of, the beat of black wings"
[. . .]
"They want you they need you
They train you to kill
To be a pin on some map
Some vicarious thrill
The old hate the young
That's the whole heartless thing
The old pick the wars
We die in 'em
To the beat of, the beat of black wings"
-- "The Beat Of Black Wings," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her Chalk Mark In a Rainstorm
As noted in yesterday's snapshot,
the Marines released their suicide data and have classified 28 this
year as suicides. Last year they saw 52 suicides and the Army saw 160.
Today Juan Gonzalez (Democracy Now!) noted
that "another 146 [Army in 2009] died by other violent means, such as
murder, drug abuse or reckless driving while drunk; another 1,700
attempted suicide." He and Amy Goodman spoke with Gregg Keesling, the
father of SPC Chancellor Keesling who was in Iraq on his second
deployment when he saw no other solution but to take his own life on
June 19, 2009, and with Joyce and Kevin Lucey, the parents of Iraq War
veteran and Marine Jeffrey Lucey who received no help from the VA while
repeatedly struggling to find some solution other than taking his own
life and finally did that June 22, 2004. Excerpt (and remember DN! is watch, listen or read -- video, audio and text formats):
KEVIN
LUCEY: I think when we decided to try to bring him to the hospital, we
had been trying to negotiate with him for over a month. We had actually
hired a therapist to be able to help us get them into the hospital. On
Friday, May 28th, 2004, the beginning of the Memorial Day weekend, Jeff
finally went to the hospital. He had no intention of staying. And they
did say that he needed to stay. And so, finally, we did an involuntary
commitment. It took about six hours to do it. During the
three-and-a-half days that he spent there, we thought that he was being
assessed, assessed for PTSD and assessed for treatment, but regretfully,
they didn't assess him. What they stated was that he had to be detoxed,
and they were just trying to detox him. And then he was going to have
to stay sober, completely substance-free, for a period of three to six
months. And I looked at him, and, in this age of dual diagnosis, I
couldn't understand how they could even say that, because I went with
the naive belief that the VA were the experts in regards to PTSD.
Despite Jeff divulging how he had bought a hose to kill himself, that he had plans, what happened is that they ended up discharging Jeff three-and-a-half days later. Two days after that, Jeff got into a single car accident, totaled our family car. He was unscathed. And he saved the two coffees that he went to get for his mother and for himself. And then, that weekend, we tried to bring him back, because it had gotten much more severe. And the VA, they didn't even bother calling a person who had the authority to enter him involuntarily. And he just came back home. And at that point, I was furious. I lost faith in the VA.
Despite Jeff divulging how he had bought a hose to kill himself, that he had plans, what happened is that they ended up discharging Jeff three-and-a-half days later. Two days after that, Jeff got into a single car accident, totaled our family car. He was unscathed. And he saved the two coffees that he went to get for his mother and for himself. And then, that weekend, we tried to bring him back, because it had gotten much more severe. And the VA, they didn't even bother calling a person who had the authority to enter him involuntarily. And he just came back home. And at that point, I was furious. I lost faith in the VA.
JOYCE
LUCEY: And I'd like to say that my dad did go along with Jeffrey on
that second time, along with my daughters, and that he begged. He begged
the VA to do something to help his grandson. My dad lost his brother in
World War II at twenty-two years old, and he was now seeing his
grandson going downhill right before his eyes. And nobody was there to
help. So, to me, that -- that's heartbreaking. It really is.
JUAN
GONZALEZ: And you, obviously, had no doubt from the beginning that the
changes in his behavior, in his activities, his destructive activities,
were as a result of being in the war, that he was -- he had been fine
before he enlisted and went to Iraq?
JOYCE
LUCEY: Absolutely, absolutely. His girlfriend said that, a year prior
to this, he would never, never have thought about taking his life. I
mean, that wasn't Jeffrey. That wasn't Jeffrey at all. And to listen to
him when he came back and to sit on the deck -- and I remember sitting
there going, "Who is this person? This isn't my son." I didn't
understand what he was saying. It just seemed like it was my son's body,
but the person was no longer my child. He was totally changed, and he
was lost. He was in his own world, of everything going through his head,
not really looking at me, just kind of staring out and reliving things,
you know, saying things in fragments, so that you never really got the
whole story. But you knew whatever he had gone through was horrific to
him.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Hot Line is 1-800-273-TALK begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-273-TALK begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1-800-273-TALK end_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Talk is something you can apparently do easier in foreign media. The Hindu minces no words when analyzing 'Barry ends the war':
Thirdly,
Washington's talk of reduction covers only combat troops and conceals
the fact that the U.S. will maintain a network of gigantic bases in
Iraq. The one at Balad, about 100 km north of Baghdad, can house 20,000
personnel; it covers 40 sq km and has an internal bus service and the
usual American facilities. Inside, U.S. law applies and staff need not
even set foot outside. The Al Asad base, 160 km west of Baghdad, holds
17,000 troops; one of its runways is 4.26 km long. The base is to be
connected to the national electricity grid. Other U.S. stations in Iraq
include Camp Falcon-al-Sarq at Baghdad, and Camp Victory near Baghdad
International Airport, which can take 14,000 troops.
The plan is apparently to maintain 70,000 troops and 200,000
contractors, or mercenaries by any other name, in Iraq.
The
terms "enduring bases" and "permanent access" do more than evade the
Congressional ban on permanent bases in foreign countries. The creation
of such huge outposts in Iraq is entirely consistent with the
Quadrennial Defense Review and the National Defense Strategy, both of
which in effect put U.S. interests above the sovereignty or independence
of other states.
In Iraq, a letter's been delivered. Not just any letter. Barbara Slavin (Foreign Policy) reports
the letter is to Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and is from Barack and it
calls on al-Sistanit "to prevail upon Iraq's squabbling politicians to
finally form a new government". The timeline on the letter? After
Biden's visit at the start of last month -- "shortly after." Which
would appear to indicate that nothing came of it. Ranj Alaaldin (Guardian) offers,
"The letter from Obama to Sistani should simply be seen as the US
pulling out all the stops for an Iraqi government. However, should it
fail in its objective, which is quite likely, then it could be yet
another depressing sign of Washington's diminishing influence in the
country." However, Press TV reports, "Sadr
City's Friday Prayers Leader Seyyed Muhammad al-Musawi accused the US
of trying to portray the Iraqi government and security forces as weak
and incapable of providing security for the Iraqis in order to justify
the country's occupation." March
7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. 163 seats are needed to
form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers).
When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the
number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four
more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats
needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must
be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates.
(Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority
candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad
Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament
making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law
which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89
seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing
allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial
results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place
winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give
them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the
government. In 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 4 months and 28 days.
Reuters notes
a Baghdad roadside bombing left two people injured, another left
fifteen wounded (and may have claimed 2 lives -- according to a "police
source"), a third one claimed the life of 1 police officer (five people
injured), a fourth left six people injured and one late yesterday left
two people wounded.
Yesterday the US State Dept released "Country Reports on Terrorism 2009." There are 12 paragraphs in the Iraq section:
Iraq
remained a committed partner in counterterrorism efforts. As a result
of the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement, Iraqi security forces assumed
primary responsibility for the security and stability of Iraq, with
support from Multi-National Forces-Iraq. Together, U.S. and Iraqi
security forces continued to make progress in combating al-Qa'ida in
Iraq (AQI) and affiliated Sunni terrorist organizations, as well as
Shiite militia elements engaged in terrorism. A significant reduction in
the number of security incidents throughout much of Iraq, beginning in
the last half of 2007, continued through 2009, with a steady downward
trend in numbers of civilian casualties, enemy attacks, and improvised
explosive device (IED) attacks.
Still,
terrorist organizations and insurgent groups continued their attacks on
Iraqi security forces, civilians, and government officials using IEDs,
including vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs), and
suicide bombers. Although a scattering of small scale attacks continued
to hamper the country's progress toward broad-based security, terrorist
elements focused their efforts on high-profile and deadly attacks in
Baghdad, as demonstrated by attacks on August 19, October 25, and
December 8. The three sets of attacks targeted Iraqi government
buildings with simultaneous, multiple suicide and/or remote-detonated
VBIEDs in Baghdad. While AQI claimed responsibility for the violence,
some Iraqi government officials publicly blamed Syrian-based individuals
with alleged ties to the former Baath Party.
U.S.
forces conducted full spectrum operations with the Iraqi forces to
defeat the evolving threats employed by AQI. Their efforts to defeat AQI
cells, in addition to an increasingly violence-weary Iraqi public,
forced AQI elements to consolidate in Ninewa and Diyala provinces.
Despite being limited to smaller bases of operation within Iraq, AQI
retained networks in and around Baghdad and in eastern Anbar. In Ninewa,
U.S. and Iraqi security forces focused efforts against AQI and other
Sunni extremists through operations targeting warranted individuals and
judicial detentions of senior leaders, and targeted the terrorists'
operational support systems. AQI, whose apparent goal in 2009 was to
discredit the Iraqi government and erode its security and governance
capabilities, targeted primarily the Iraqi security forces, government
infrastructure, Sons of Iraq (SOI) groups, and tribal awakening movement
members. Despite the improved security environment, AQI, fueled in
part by former detainees, still possessed the capacity to launch
high-profile attacks against Iraqi civilians and infrastructure.
In
addition to reducing the strength of AQI and Sunni extremists, Iraq
made progress in containing other terrorist groups with differing
motives, such as Jaysh Rijal al-Tariqah al-Naqshabandiyah (a Sunni
nationalist insurgent group with links to the former Baath Party that
advocates the removal of occupation forces from Iraq) and Kata'ib
Hizballah (a Shia militant group with ideological ties to the militant
wing of Hizballah).
The
flow of foreign terrorists from North Africa and other Middle Eastern
countries greatly diminished, although they continued to enter Iraq,
predominantly through Syria. AQI and its Sunni extremist partners mainly
used Iraqi nationals, including some females, as suicide bombers.
Terrorist groups receiving weapons and training from Iran continued to
endanger the security and stability of Iraq; however, incidents of such
violence were lower than in previous years. Many of the groups receiving
ideological and logistical support from Iran were based in Shia
communities in central and southern Iraq.
Iraq,
Turkey, and the United States continued their formal trilateral
security dialogue as one element of ongoing cooperative efforts to
counter the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Iraqi leaders, including
those from the Kurdistan Regional Government, continued to publicly
state that the PKK was a terrorist organization and would not be allowed
a safe haven in Iraq. The trilateral discussions and other efforts
continued through the end of the year, with a ministerial in late
December.
The
Iraqi government increased its efforts to garner regional and
international support against terrorism. The Expanded Neighbors Process
continued to provide a forum for Iraq and its neighbors to address
Iraq's political and security challenges in a regional context. In
October, the Iraqi government sent representatives to Egypt to
participate in the sixth Neighbors Process working group on border
security, in which the group sought ways to enhance and integrate border
security systems in preparation for Iraq's 2010 parliamentary
elections. Iraq also became a more active voice at the UN in 2009.
The
Iraqi government pressed senior Iranian leaders to end support for
lethal aid to Iraqi militias, and the Iraqi army carried out operations
against extremists trained and equipped by Iran in Basra, Baghdad, and
other areas. Although attacks by militants have sharply decreased,
concerns remain that Iranian-supported Shia groups may be stockpiling
weapons to influence the elections or the subsequent government
formation. Shia militant groups' ties to Iran remained a diplomatic and
security challenge and a threat to Iraq's long-term stability. National
unity efforts to involve Iraqi Shia groups with Iranian ties, such as
Asaib ahl al Haq (League of Righteousness) in the political process,
decreased Shia-linked violence.
The
Iraqi government faced internal and external pressure to relocate the
Mujahadeen-e Khalq (MEK) organization, a U.S. designated foreign
terrorist organization, from the group's current location in eastern
Iraq. The Iraqi government committed to act with respect for human
rights in any efforts to relocate the group, and UN and international
observers monitored the situation.
The
Iraqi government attributed security gains to Iraqi security force
capability and proficiency, as well as to increasing popular support for
Iraqi government actions against AQI and other extremist groups. SOI
and other groups provided U.S. and Iraqi forces with valuable
information that helped disrupt terrorist operations and exposed large
weapons caches. The SOI began integration into Iraqi security forces in
2008, and many more transitioned to non-security ministries throughout
2009. Sunni tribal awakening movements continued alliances with U.S.
forces against AQI and extremist groups. AQI targeting of Christian and
other minority churches, schools, and institutions indicated that AQI
pursued strategies that required the least resources and yielded the
highest payoff in the media and minds of Iraq's citizens. Despite this,
ethno-sectarian violence continued to decline.
On
June 30, U.S. combat troops pulled out of cities, villages, and
localities, in accordance with the U.S.-Iraq Security Agreement,
and after that conducted all kinetic operations in partnership with
Iraqi security forces. The focus of U.S. operations moved from urban to
rural areas where international support will remain critical for the
Iraqi government to build its capacity to fight terrorist organizations.
All U.S. military operations are conducted with the agreement of and in
partnership with Iraqi authorities.
Iraq's
intelligence services continued to improve in both competency and
confidence but will require ongoing support and legislative authority
before they will be able to adequately identify and respond to internal
and external terrorist threats.
Meanwhile
an Iraq War veteran remains imprisoned in Iraq. Danny Fitzsimons served
in the British military for eight years and was stationed in
Afghanistan and Kosovo as well as Iraq. He returned to Iraq last fall as
a British contractor, or mercenary, accused of being the shooter in a Sunday, August 9th Green Zone incident
in which 1 British contractor, Paul McGuigan, and 1 Australian
contractor, Darren Hoare, died and one Iraqi, Arkhan Madhi, was injured.
From yesterday's snapshot:
PA quotes Danny stating, "I'm making a direct plea to Mr Cameron asking him, telling him that it's a disgrace that I'm here. I served nine years for Queen and Country and I served another five years serving big British business in Iraq, you know. So, in a way that's five years serving the country as well. [. . .] I should be in hospital in Britian, in a mental hospital getting the treatment that I need. You know, I shouldn't be in a dungeon in Baghdad. Worst case scenario is guilty and death by hanging. I don't want to die. I don't want to end it here." Chris Jones, Peter Devine and Sunday Mirror reporters (Manchester Evening News) quotes Danny's step-mother Liz Fitzsimons stating, "Eric is on anti-depressants because of the terrible conditions Danny is behind held in, and it has all been a very, very stressful situation with no end in sight. Danny feels like he has been abandoned by the military. Some of the people who have been held in Iraqi prisons, and whom we have spokenw ith, have said they would rather face the death penalty than serve a life sentence in those conditions. Mentally, it must be a very, very tough for Danny because he is not being allowed outside, not getting adequate food and water and he is sharing a cell with 17 others who don't speak English, and we are very concerned. He is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder."
Amnesty International issued the following yesterday:
Responding to a new televised appeal to David Cameron made by Danny Fitzsimons, the British security contractor detained in Iraq and awaiting trial for murder, Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock said:
"It's obviously right that private military and security contractors are made fully responsible for any alleged wrongdoing when they're working in places like Iraq, but we're very concerned about this case.
"Iraq has an appalling record of unfair capital trials and there's a definite danger of Danny Fitzsimons being sentenced to death after a shoddy judicial process.
"David Cameron should certainly seek assurances from the Iraqi authorities that Mr Fitzsimons will receive a fair trial and that the death penalty will be ruled out from the beginning."
Iraq is one of the biggest users of the death penalty in the world. Last year Iraq executed at least 120 people, the third highest of any country in the world. Approximately 1,000 prisoners are currently on death row, many reportedly close to execution.
PA quotes Danny stating, "I'm making a direct plea to Mr Cameron asking him, telling him that it's a disgrace that I'm here. I served nine years for Queen and Country and I served another five years serving big British business in Iraq, you know. So, in a way that's five years serving the country as well. [. . .] I should be in hospital in Britian, in a mental hospital getting the treatment that I need. You know, I shouldn't be in a dungeon in Baghdad. Worst case scenario is guilty and death by hanging. I don't want to die. I don't want to end it here." Chris Jones, Peter Devine and Sunday Mirror reporters (Manchester Evening News) quotes Danny's step-mother Liz Fitzsimons stating, "Eric is on anti-depressants because of the terrible conditions Danny is behind held in, and it has all been a very, very stressful situation with no end in sight. Danny feels like he has been abandoned by the military. Some of the people who have been held in Iraqi prisons, and whom we have spokenw ith, have said they would rather face the death penalty than serve a life sentence in those conditions. Mentally, it must be a very, very tough for Danny because he is not being allowed outside, not getting adequate food and water and he is sharing a cell with 17 others who don't speak English, and we are very concerned. He is suffering from post traumatic stress disorder."
Amnesty International issued the following yesterday:
Responding to a new televised appeal to David Cameron made by Danny Fitzsimons, the British security contractor detained in Iraq and awaiting trial for murder, Amnesty International UK Campaigns Director Tim Hancock said:
"It's obviously right that private military and security contractors are made fully responsible for any alleged wrongdoing when they're working in places like Iraq, but we're very concerned about this case.
"Iraq has an appalling record of unfair capital trials and there's a definite danger of Danny Fitzsimons being sentenced to death after a shoddy judicial process.
"David Cameron should certainly seek assurances from the Iraqi authorities that Mr Fitzsimons will receive a fair trial and that the death penalty will be ruled out from the beginning."
Iraq is one of the biggest users of the death penalty in the world. Last year Iraq executed at least 120 people, the third highest of any country in the world. Approximately 1,000 prisoners are currently on death row, many reportedly close to execution.
TV notes. On PBS' Washington Week,
Joan Biskupic (USA Today), Gloria Borger (CNN) and Eamon Javers (CNBC)
join Gwen around the table. Gwen now has a weekly column at Washington
Week and the current one is "What's to Celebrate, Mr. President?" This week, Bonnie Erbe will sit down with a number of female panelist on the latest broadcast of PBS' To The Contrary to discuss the week's events. Need To Know
is PBS' new program covering current events. This week's hour long
broadcast (Fridays on most PBS stations -- but check local listings)
features a discussion on WikiLeaks, the Gulf Disaster, prison reform and
more. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:
The Cost of Dying
Many Americans spend their last days in an intensive care unit, subjected to uncomfortable machines or surgeries to prolong their lives at enormous cost. Steve Kroft reports. | Watch Video
Many Americans spend their last days in an intensive care unit, subjected to uncomfortable machines or surgeries to prolong their lives at enormous cost. Steve Kroft reports. | Watch Video
The Patriarch
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of the 300 million-member Orthodox Christian Church, feels "crucified" living in Turkey under a government he says would like to see his nearly 2,000-year-old Patriarchate die out. Bob Simon reports. | Watch Video
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the leader of the 300 million-member Orthodox Christian Church, feels "crucified" living in Turkey under a government he says would like to see his nearly 2,000-year-old Patriarchate die out. Bob Simon reports. | Watch Video
Chef Jose Andres
Pioneering Chef Jose Andres takes Anderson Cooper's taste buds on a savory tour of his culinary laboratory, featuring his avant-garde cooking technique, molecular gastronomy. | Watch Video
Pioneering Chef Jose Andres takes Anderson Cooper's taste buds on a savory tour of his culinary laboratory, featuring his avant-garde cooking technique, molecular gastronomy. | Watch Video
60 Minutes, Sunday, August 8, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
:: Article nr. 68637 sent on 07-aug-2010 17:15 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68637
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/08/iraq-snapshot_06.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Iraq: Hussein's Ex-Lieutenant Faults Obama on Leaving Iraq New York Times By AP The man who was once Saddam Hussein's top lieutenant has appealed to the United States not to withdraw from Iraq and is accusing President Obama of ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Al Qaeda in Iraq offers cash to recruit allies San Francisco Chronicle Hamza Hendawi, AP AP Exclusive: CIA flight carried secret from Gitmo 08.06.10 Al Qaeda in Iraq has begun offering cash to lure back former Sunni allies ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Coming up… EXCLUSIVE: Gen. Ray Odierno and Gen. Peter Chiarelli ABC News Two top generals come to "This Week with Christiane Amanpour" to discuss the drawdown of US forces in Iraq and caring for those troops when they return. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| General Mattis Confirmed by Senate to Head US Mideast Command BusinessWeek He commanded the 1st Marine Division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. His new command includes oversight of Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and other Persian Gulf ... See all stories on this topic » |
Fallujah – a poisoned city
Socialist Aotearoa
:: Article nr. 68629 sent on 07-aug-2010 04:02 ECT
 |
August 6, 2010 
A world of fear and treachery and torment, a world of trampling and
being trampled upon, a world which will grow not less but MORE merciless
as it refines itself. Progress in our world will be progress towards
more pain.......If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever. An excerpt from George Orwell’s 1984. -- If you were to walk into any travel agency office today and ask the sales rep to plan a trip for you to whatever city in the world best fitted this description there’s a pretty good chance you’d soon find yourself with a ticket to Fallujah, Iraq. Fallujah is a picture of the future. Although Fallujah has been a site of human civilisation for thousands of years and was once the site of a Jewish school of philosophy and religion it is known around the world as the site of the 2004 battles between the Iraqi resistance and the US military. Collective punishment The conflict between US occupation forces and the people of Fallujah began just five days after US soldiers arrived in the town on April 28, 2003, "when a demonstration calling for the soldiers to leave turned violent. According to protesters, U.S. soldiers fired on them without provocation, killing seventeen people and wounding more than seventy." According to the U.S. military, the soldiers returned precision fire on gunmen in the crowd who were shooting at them. At a protest in town two days later, a U.S. military convoy opened fire killing three persons and wounding another sixteen. Again the military said it had come under armed attack, which the protesters denied. That same night, grenades were thrown into a U.S. base in al-Falluja, injuring seven U.S. soldiers. An attack a month later, on May 28, killed two U.S. soldiers and wounded nine. This and other attacks in late May and early June killed four U.S. soldiers and wounded twenty-one.The demonstration on April 28 is described in detail in the report by Human Rights Watch however it is worth noting that, "Human Rights Watch did not find overwhelming sympathy for Saddam Hussein following the collapse of his government. Many al-Falluja residents told Human Rights Watch that they considered themselves victims and opponents of his repressive rule." ... "According to participants in the demonstration, the protest was peaceful and no one had guns. They chanted slogans like "God is great! Muhammad is his prophet!" They also chanted a slogan heard often at protests around Iraq: "No to Saddam! No to the U.S.!"" A year later Iraqi insurgents killed four military contractors from the notorious Blackwater company. The insurgents burnt the bodies and left them dangling on a bridge. In response the US launched an unsuccessful attack in May ’04 and then a successful attack in November ’04 to destroy the insurgent forces in control of the city. During the siege of Fallujah US human rights violations were widely reported. Journalist Dahr Jamail interviewed refugees in the wake of the conflict who recounted murder and brutality beyond belief. "I saw so many civilians killed there, and I saw several tanks roll over the wounded in the streets," said Aziz Abdulla, 27 years old, who fled the fighting last month. Another resident, Abu Aziz, said he also witnessed American armored vehicles crushing people he believes were alive.Tom Eley’s excellent article on the lead up to the November assault notes that in wake of the failed May attack, The victory of Fallujah’s residents against overwhelming military superiority was celebrated throughout Iraq and watched all over the world. The Pentagon delivered its response in November 2004. The city was surrounded, and all those left inside were declared to be enemy combatants and fair game for the most heavily equipped killing machine in world history. The Associated Press reported that men attempting to flee the city with their families were turned back into the slaughterhouse.  After
the US had taken control of the citya security apparatus was put in
place that used biometric identification and tracking of all residents
and the division of the city into areas controlled by roadblocks. The
soccer fields became cemeteries to cope with the hge intake of bodies. In 2008 Jamail would report,"Unemployment, and lack of medical care and safe drinking water in the city 60 km west of Baghdad remain a continuous problem. Freedom of movement is still curtailed." "The brutal destruction of Fallujah by the American army was not followed by any reconstruction, as if the city is being punished for its attitude against the occupation," said an engineer in Fallujah, Kaltan Fadhil. Water and electricity supply, health facilities and roads were provided "in a way that only made some people who collaborated with Americans richer," he said. Poisoned prospects Unreported in the New Zealand media and virtually unreported in the United States was the release of a report by public health academics who studied the cancer rate, infant mortality and the birth to sex ratio of children in Fallujah. The authors concluded that the findings, "show increases in cancer, leukaemia and infant mortality and perturbations of the normal human population birth sex ratio significantly greater than those reported for the survivors of the A-Bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945."  You can read the full report here and the authors' press release summarises the main findings,Results of a survey in Jan/Feb 2010 of 711 houses and more than 4000 individuals in Fallujah show that in the five years following the 2004 attacks by USA-led forces there has been a 4-fold increase in all cancer. Interestingly, the spectrum of cancer is similar to that in the Hiroshima survivors who were exposed to ionizing radiation from the bomb and uranium in the fallout. By comparing the sample population rates to the cancer rates in Egypt and Jordan, researchers found there has been a 38-fold increase in leukaemia (20 cases) almost a 10-fold increase in female breast cancer (12 cases) and significant increases in lymphoma and brain tumours in adults.The report is astounding. It shows that the residents of Fallujah have been collectively poisoned and genetically damaged since 2004. An entire city turned into a radioactive and toxic metropolis. The brain damaged, the deformed and the disabled babies who will be the living victims of this were not even born as the bombs rained on the city and the bullets tore the population apart in 2004. The cause of this "worse than Hiroshima" legacy is undoubtedly depleted uranium or DU. As Dahr Jamail reported in 08, "depleted uranium (DU) munitions, which contain low-level radioactive waste, were used heavily in Fallujah. The Pentagon admits to having used 1,200 tonnes of DU in Iraq thus far." DU has been used by the US and UK occupation forces in Iraq. The Coalition to Ban DU summarise why, "Depleted Uranium itself is a chemically toxic and radioactive compound, which is used in armour piercing munitions because of its very high density. It is 1.7 times denser than lead, giving DU weapons increased range and penetrative power." The effect of using DU in ammunition is like something out of a science fiction film a substance that travels through the air and then the body to end up lodged in the brains of victims. The DU oxide dust produced when DU munitions burn has no natural or historical analogue. This toxic and radioactive dust is composed of two oxides: one insoluble, the other sparingly soluble. The distribution of particle sizes includes sub-micron particles that are readily inhaled into and retained by the lungs. From the lungs uranium compounds are deposited in the lymph nodes, bones, brain and testes. Hard targets hit by DU penetrators are surrounded by this dust and surveys suggest that it can travel many kilometres when re-suspended, as is likely in arid climates. The dust can then be inhaled or ingested by civilians and the military alike.The effects of DU are just beginning as it has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. Thus the doctors of Fallujah are going to have their work cut out. "We are seeing a very significant increase in central nervous system anomalies," said Falluja general hospital's director and senior specialist, Dr Ayman Qais. "Before 2003 [the start of the war] I was seeing sporadic numbers of deformities in babies. Now the frequency of deformities has increased dramatically."  Holiday in FallujahThe destruction of Fallujah, once an ancient university town, now a radioactive, bombed out, corrupt, open air prison gives a chilling vision of what happens when the US military decides to punish a population for resisting occupation. Fallujah is the archetypal dystopian city brought into existence by US imperialism. John Key in April 2003 told the Rodney Times that "New Zealand troops should be alongside their British and United States allies as they continue their invasion of Iraq". In May 2010 he said "I’m not prepared to send troops to places that I’m not prepared to go to myself." So the question needs to be asked. When will John Key be taking a holiday in Fallujah? |
:: Article nr. 68629 sent on 07-aug-2010 04:02 ECT
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Link: socialistaotearoa.blogspot.com/2010/08/fallujah-posioned-city.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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Tariq Aziz: 'Britain and the US killed Iraq. I wish I was martyred'
Martin Chulov
 |
August 5, 2010 Tariq Aziz is slumped on a tattered brown sofa seat cradling his walking stick and cigarettes, his gaunt face topped, incongruously for a practising Christian, by a Muslim prayer cap. It is perhaps only the familiar black-ringed spectacles that signal to the visitor that this was Iraq's former face to the world – Saddam Hussein's right-hand man, his most powerful deputy. Apart from his captors and lawyers, Aziz, says he has not seen or spoken to a foreigner since the fall of Baghdad. But after years rotating between solitary confinement and a witness box in court, he is now more than ready to speak. "It's been seven years and four months that I have been in prison," he told the Guardian. "But did I commit a crime against any civilian, military or religious man? The answer is no." Iraq has been through hell since Aziz was last seen in public, days before Baghdad fell in April 2003, toppling Hussein and the totalitarian Ba'athist regime that Aziz had helped lead for 30 years. In his first face-to-face interview since then, Aziz seemingly longed for the old days, while at the same time calling on the US president, Barack Obama, not to "leave Iraq to the wolves". "Of course I was a member of the Revolutionary Command Council, a leader of the Ba'ath party, deputy prime minister, foreign minister – all of those posts were mine," he says inside the Iraqi prison that he now calls home. Aziz had just returned from another court hearing inside Baghdad's green zone, where the ghosts of Iraq under Saddam are being exorcised in a series of painstaking trials. However, he claims that he was powerless to stymie the will of the leader he served, and that none of the blood on the regime's hands was also on his. "All decisions were taken by president Saddam Hussein. I held a political position, I did not participate in any of the crimes that were raised against me personally. Out of hundreds of complaints, nobody has mentioned me in person." Aziz is serving a 15-year sentence for one conviction for a crime against humanity, but faces many more charges. He claims he is being convicted because of guilt by association, and that he is nothing other than an Arab nationalist loyalist. "Being a member of the government, I had a moral responsibility to defend the government," he said. "If you go back to the history, I asked Saddam Hussein not to invade Kuwait, but I had to support the decision of the majority. "When the decision was taken, I said to him, this is going to lead to war with the US and it is not in our interests to wage war against the US. But the decision was taken. I was the foreign minister of the country and I had to defend the country and do everything possible to explain our position. I stayed on the side of right." Aziz's influence after the 1991 Gulf war rose substantially, largely because of the loyalty he had shown. Through 12 years of sanctions and the lead up to the Iraq invasion in 2003, he claims he knew every one of the regime's secrets – including that there was no secret weapons program, and no will to resurrect one from the ruins of Iraq's three bombed nuclear reactors and adjoining research laboratories. He said that he and Saddam were convinced that the US was going to invade by late 2002, and his job of escorting sceptical UN inspectors around Iraq was largely futile. "I was trying to prove a negative." Aziz says the events of 9/11 were shocking to him and Saddam. "We were against that at the time, but we were not speaking to the American government. Saddam Hussein called me and said he would like me to write a letter to Ramsey [Clark, a former US attorney general] and say that we condemn the attack. I did that." But he did not foresee that that day would lead to the fall of Baghdad 18 months later. "Some things became clear to both myself and the president as the world leaders increased their rhetoric against us. They were going to invade anyway. "Bush and Blair lied intentionally. They were both pro-Zionist. They wanted to destroy Iraq for the sake of Israel, not for the sake of the US and Britain." Via his TV, Aziz monitors developments in Iraq, which he says will be better off if it is returned to rule by an Arab strongman. "There is nothing here any more. Nothing," he says. "For 30 years Saddam built Iraq, and now it is destroyed. There are more sick than before, more hungry. The people don't have services. People are being killed every day in the 10s, if not hundreds. We are all victims of America and Britain. They killed our country." When asked why Saddam kept the US guessing about his weapons programme, he confirmed the dictator's account to his captors that he had been playing to Iran, not to the west. "Partially, it was about Iran [the deterrent factor]," Aziz said. "They had waged war on us for eight years so we Iraqis had a right to deter them. Saddam was a proud man. He had to defend the dignity of Iraq. He had to show that he was not wrong, or weak. "Iran was our biggest enemy. We had to defy them whatever the cost. Now Iran is building a weapons programme. Everybody knows it and nobody is doing anything. Why?" Pressed on whether pride over wisdom had been a main factor in his country's destruction, Aziz replied: "We are Arabs, we are Arab nationalist. We must be proud." He will not, at this point, concede any serious regrets, although he clearly harbours some. The time to talk about wrongdoings will only come if Aziz is freed, a possibility that appears to hinge heavily on a change of government. "Tell Tariq Aziz that he is my friend and I think of him often," said Iyad Allawi, the lead candidate to replace Nouri al-Maliki as Iraq's prime minister, when told that the Guardian would soon be speaking to him. "He is a good man and I know his family well. I wish him all the best and it is wrong to lock him up like this for so long. He is an old man." Aziz says he will not pass judgment on his former boss, Saddam, until the day when his freedom comes. "If I speak now about regrets, people will view me as an opportunist. I will not speak against Saddam until I am a free man. Wisdom is part of freedom. When I am free and can write the truth I can even speak against my best friend. "I don't say that I am a great man and that I was correct in everything that I did. But I am proud of my life because my best intention was to serve Iraq. There were mistakes though, there were things that were not completely correct." The one regret he will talk about is his decision to surrender to the US on 24 April 2003. He had, days earlier, bade farewell to Saddam in a house in the Baghdad suburb of Mansour. "I told him I support what he has done and I support him as president. Then I said goodbye. "Through an intermediary, I contacted the Americans. If I could return to that time, I wish I would be martyred. But the war was here and Baghdad had been occupied. I am loyal to my family and I made a major decision. I told the Americans that if they took my family to Amman they could take me to prison. My family left on an American plane. And I went to prison on a Thursday." Aziz is full of praise for his jailers, in particular a young warden who lights his cigarettes for him, places his medicine on a table and allows him a weekly phone call to his family in Jordan. "The conditions here are excellent," he says in an air conditioned office adjacent to his cell in a north Baghdad suburb. "The treatment from these guys has been excellent and I'm not just saying that. It is clean, the food is good and there is a small garden nearby where we can exercise." Pressed by one of his jailers on how his conditions compared with the conditions that prisoners during Saddam's regime faced, Aziz would only say: "Yes, there were some mistakes made." Aziz has a perhaps surprising request of the US commander-in-chief, whom he initially welcomed as a clean break from George W Bush. Aziz now wants the occupation to continue. "He cannot leave us like this. He is leaving Iraq to the wolves," he said. "When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death."  Saddam Hussein deputy Tariq Aziz calls for US forces to stay in Iraq Exclusive: In his first interview since the fall of Baghdad, Tariq Aziz accuses Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves' Saddam Hussein's most loyal deputy, Tariq Aziz, has accused Barack Obama of 'leaving Iraq to the wolves' by pressing ahead with a withdrawal of combat troops in the face of festering instability and a surge in violence. In his first interview since he was captured shortly after the fall of Baghdad more than seven years ago, Iraq's former deputy prime minister and long-time face to the world said the United States would cause the death of Iraq if it continued to withdraw its combat forces. "We are all victims of America and Britain," he told the Guardian from his prison cell in Baghdad. "They killed our country in many ways. When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death." Speaking only days after Obama confirmed that the US would be ending its combat mission in Iraq this month with the withdrawal of thousands of troops, Aziz said the country was in a worse state than before the war. "For 30 years Saddam built Iraq and now it is destroyed. There are more sick than before, more hungry. The people don't have services. People are being killed every day in the tens, if not hundreds. "I was encouraged when [Obama] was elected president, because I thought he was going to correct some of the mistakes of Bush. But Obama is a hypocrite. He is leaving Iraq to the wolves." Aziz is currently incarcerated in a clean and well-managed small prison in Qadhimiyah in Baghdad's north, after being handed over to Iraqi authorities by US forces several months ago. He said he refuses to criticise Saddam and his regime. "If I speak now about regrets, people will view me as an opportunist. I will not speak against Saddam until I am a free man. Wisdom is part of freedom. When I am free and can write the truth I can even speak against my best friend," he said. But he went on to mount a strong defence of the former Iraqi dictator. Saddam, who was executed in 2006 after being captured by US forces, was at the centre of three wars, 12 years of sanctions and the brutal suppression of two uprisings, all of which Aziz had to sell to the world as Iraq's long-term deputy prime minister and foreign minister. "Wars are wars, and there are reasons for them," he said of Saddam's belligerence. "Saddam did not lie," he claimed. "He did not change the facts. He is someone for whom I have a great respect and love. He is a man who history will show served his country. "Saddam built the country and served the people. I can not accept your [the west's] judgment that he was wrong. "Didn't Churchill make mistakes? Didn't Brown make mistakes? Did the British ministers stand up at the time and point out the lies of their leaders? No. They spoke later." Aziz claimed he tried to persuade Saddam not to invade Kuwait in 1991, because it would lead Iraq into a war with the US within a few years of the debilitating decade-long conflict with neighbouring Iran. "I asked Saddam Hussein not to invade Kuwait," he said. "But I had to support the decision of the majority. When the decision was taken, I said to him this is going to lead to war with the US, and it is not in our interests to wage war against the US." Casting himself as an unquestioning patriot, Aziz continued: "But the decision was taken. I was the foreign minister of the country and I had to defend the country and do everything possible to explain our position. I stayed on the side of right." Throughout the next decade of UN-enforced sanctions and the oil for food programme, Aziz claimed he and Saddam managed to nourish all Iraqis and maintain stability throughout the country. "Even during the time of sanctions, which is a difficult time in the life of any country, every day, every man, woman and child was taking 2,000 calories per day." As another conflict with the United Nations and US loomed in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion, Aziz said he tried to convince the world that its fears that Iraq was concealing a secret weapons programme were unfounded. "I was in charge of supervising the work of Unscom. I attended hundreds of meetings with them at hundreds of sites, but they were committed to proving the untrue. Bush was going to war regardless." Saddam, however, preferred a policy of ambiguity, a stance that heightened US and British suspicions. After his capture, Saddam told the FBI that his main intent had been to keep Iran guessing, not to beat the drums of war. "Partially it was about Iran," Aziz confirmed. "They had waged war on us for eight years, so we Iraqis had a right to deter them. Saddam was a proud man. He had to defend the dignity of Iraq. He had to show that he was neither wrong nor weak. "Now Iran is building a weapons programme. Everybody knows it and nobody is doing anything. Why?" "Bush and Blair lied intentionally. They were both pro-Zionist. They wanted to destroy Iraq for the sake of Israel, not for the sake of the US and Britain." |
:: Article nr. 68600 sent on 06-aug-2010 04:43 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68600
Link: www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/05/iraq-us-tariq-aziz-iran
Google News Alert for: Iraq |
| Violence in Iraq shadows U.S. plans to withdraw combat troops Kansas City Star By the end of this month, the last US combat troops will have left Iraq. This is a good thing. Combat, for American soldiers, is and should be over in Iraq. ... See all stories on this topic » |
| UN urges Iraq to quickly form new government The Associated Press The Security Council issued its appeal to members of Iraq's newly elected Council of Representatives to end their five-month dispute as quickly as possible ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Allawi: Still Our Safest Bet in Iraq Huffington Post (blog) That is the date the US combat mission in Iraq will end. It is not that I was unaware of this date, or forgot. Instead, it was the near-absence of Iraq from ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Iraqi 'deck of cards': No. 54 has been released Los Angeles Times After the invasion of Iraq in 2003, US officials produced the deck of cards, which included pictures of the suspects, to aid the search for former ... See all stories on this topic » |
| 3-2 SBCT Command Team returns from Iraq Aug. 6 Nisqually Valley News The brigade deployed in August 2009 to Iraq, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The brigade was stationed at forward operating bases located throughout ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Gina: Army Dog with PTSD Making Outstanding Progress (Video) Blue Star Chronicles (blog) Gina is now a 4-year-old German shepherd highly trained bomb-sniffing dog who went to war in Iraq to conduct door-to-door searches and witnesses all sorts ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Neighboring countries compete for influence in Iraq Daily Caller Everything from helicopters to printer cartridges are being wrapped and stamped and shipped out of Iraq in one of the most monumental withdrawal operations ... See all stories on this topic » |
| Pentagon Probes Alleged Research Misconduct on Wounded Troops FOXNews The clinical trial in Iraq, conducted by Dr. Michael Hoffer of the United States Navy Medical Center in San Diego, aimed to test whether a drug made to ... See all stories on this topic » |
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| Neighboring countries compete for influence in Iraq Los Angeles Times By Liz Sly, Los Angeles Times As US troops accelerate their withdrawal from Iraq, a fierce and potentially dangerous struggle to fill the vacuum is ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Anniversary For Imprisoned Hikers Voice of America 3 Americans trekking in northern Iraq have been held by the Iranian government since crossing the border into the country. Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS Laura ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| US military deaths in Iraq war at 4413 Washington Post 3, 2010, at least 4413 members of the US military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq's Blessed Affliction Wall Street Journal By OMAR FADHIL AL-NIDAWI AND AUSTIN BAY As President Barack Obama focuses American attention on this month's drawdown of US troops from Iraq, the result of ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| K-9 PTSD? Some vets say dogs stressed by war, too The Associated Press Gina was a playful 2-year-old German shepherd when she went to Iraq as a highly trained bomb-sniffing dog with the military, conducting door-to-door ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Bacevich: Vietnam vs. Munich, and Creating an "Iraq/Afghanistan Syndrome" Huffington Post (blog) This is all the more striking as the Administration celebrates the drawdown of US forces from Iraq, because the centerpiece of the present relationship ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iran, Iraq business prospects conference in Tehran Tehran Times TEHRAN – Business opportunities and investment prospects in Iran and Iraq will be reviewed in a conference in Tehran on August 8. ... See all stories on this topic » |
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Obama reaffirms Iraq withdrawal timeline Los Angeles Times Reporting from Atlanta and Baghdad-- President Obama affirmed Monday that US combat troops would leave Iraq by the end of August — "as promised and on ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| The Iraq Commitment Wall Street Journal President Obama yesterday declared "a responsible end" to the Iraq war with the close of US combat operations on August 31. It's a taste of wartime success ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq Needs Gas Infrastructure Investment Before Bid Round -Executives Wall Street Journal By Hassan Hafidh Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES ISTANBUL (Dow Jones)--Iraq must invest in natural gas processing and transport infrastructure before awarding ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| For voters this year, economy overshadows Iraq, Afghan wars MiamiHerald.com By DAVID LIGHTMAN GALESBURG, Ill. -- The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have drifted far off this year's political radar, and are likely to stay there. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Analysis: Iraq combat end a huge gamble Washington Post By STEVEN R. HURST AP WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama hailed the coming end of the US combat mission in Iraq, but the gamble is huge - a wager that the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| The State Of Iraq's Government, Security NPR As American troops pull out of Iraq, we hear from a veteran war correspondent about the condition of the country those troops are leaving behind. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq: Key figures since the war began The Associated Press July 19, 2010: Approximately 1.55 million people are currently displaced inside Iraq. EMIGRANTS: Prewar: 500000 Iraqis living abroad. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| McDonough defends Clapper, Iraq and Afghan policies Politico (blog) McDonough also downplayed concerns over Obama's decision to stick with his pledge to end the US combat mission in Iraq at the end of the month, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Eight-year prison term for officer who robbed bank Minneapolis Star Tribune By JAMES WALSH, Star Tribune A former Minneapolis police officer and military veteran who served in Iraq was sentenced Monday to eight years in prison for ... See all stories on this topic » |
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| Iraq's July Death Toll Highest In 2 Years Voice of America Photo: AP Iraqi officials say July was the deadliest month in Iraq in more than two years. Government figures released by Iraqi's Health, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq to Sweeten Terms for Gas Bidders Wall Street Journal By HASSAN HAFIDH ISTANBUL—Iraq is set to sweeten contract terms for its third bidding round for its three prized natural gas fields, in an attempt to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Obama to set course for changing Iraq mission Washington Post By JULIE PACE AP WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will set a course Monday for the nation's changing mission in Iraq as the military prepares to end its ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Iraq's Invasion of Kuwait Remembered 20 Years Later The Takeaway US Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said, 15 January, it was 'entirely possible' the US would strike Iraq again. (Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty) Twenty years ago today ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Obama to set course for Iraq mission Sydney Morning Herald AP US President Barack Obama will set a course for America's changing mission in Iraq on Monday as the US military prepares to end its combat operations ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Tearful farewell for 670 soldiers Boston Herald The 670 soldiers, members of the 181st Infantry Regiment, bring the number of Bay Staters in Afghanistan and Iraq to nearly 2000 - the state's highest ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq violence 'worst in two years'
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At least 535 people have been killed in Iraq in the month of July, making it the country's deadliest since May 2008, according to Iraqi government figures. The US military on Sunday, however, took the unusual step of disupting those numbers, saying the real death toll for July stood at less than half of that. Figures from the Iraqi health, defence and interior ministries show 396 civilians, 89 policemen and 50 soldiers were killed, with another 1,043 people left wounded. But in a statement e-mailed to reporters, the US military said that 222 people were killed in July, with 782 people wounded. "The claim that July 2010 was the deadliest month in Iraq since May 2008 is incorrect," the statement said. The statement did not say how the US military calculated its death toll. Continued violence Casualty counts are difficult to tally in Iraq, for a variety of reasons. Ministries do not always keep accurate tallies, and the number of fatalities is often adjusted several times, particularly following major attacks. Al Jazeera reports for the month showed at least 362 fatalities occured. Another set of data, provided by a security consulting firm AKE, showed roughly 300 people killed in July.  Weekly data from AKE shows an increase in violence over the last four weeksRegardless of the exact number of deaths, violence has apparently increased in Iraq. On average about 50 Iraqis have been killed each week in 2010, according to the security firm's data. In July, though, the death toll stayed at or above that level for four weeks - the only time this year Iraq has seen such a sustained "above-average" level of violence. July also saw an unusually high number of mass-casualty attacks. Seventy people were killed in the three-day period leading up to a Shia pilgrimage in Baghdad on July 8. A suicide bomber also killed more than 45 people west of Baghdad on July 18. And two car bomb attacks in late July, in Baquba and Karbala, killed 30 and 21 people respectively. 'Holistic view' US officials have sought to stress Iraq's improved security as they prepare to withdraw tens of thousands of troops next month.  Lanza called the continued violence "sporadic" and "not unexpected" [EPA]General Stephen Lanza, the spokesman for the US military in Iraq, e-mailed reporters in July and urged them to provide "context" in reporting on the Iraqi insurgency. "I believe it's important to take a holistic view of security in Iraq," Lanza said in his e-mail. Violence in Iraq has dipped markedly from its peak in 2006 and 2007, when dozens of people were killed each day. But anti-government fighters do continue to carry out attacks on a daily basis, taking advantage of a political vaccum left when March elections left no clear winner. Iraqi political parties, meanwhile, continue to wrangle over who will lead the next government. |
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Saturday, July 31, 2010: 15 Iraqis Killed, 39 Wounded
Margaret Griffis
Updated at 9:12 p.m. EDT, July 31, 2010 An unconfirmed message purportedly from Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who was Iraq’s military commander under Saddam, was released to the media. In it, the voice warned the government of attempting to root out Ba’ath loyalists. At least 15 Iraqis were killed and 39 more were wounded in attacks unrelated to the threatening message. Several of the attacks occurred yesterday but went unreported until today. Separately, an Italian anti-death penalty group reported that state executions rose in number last year. Iraqi politicians are increasingly worried that the United States or the international community will intervene in the political stalemate preventing a new government from taking power. Iraqi lawmaker Jamal al-Bateekh of the Iraqiya party suggested that the U.S. could intervene to make sure its "project" in the region remains undisturbed; however, Izat al-Shabandar from rival State of Law party said the U.S. would stay out of the fray. Meanwhile, the head of Iraqiya, Ayad Allawi, welcomed input from Arab community. Four people were killed and 11 were wounded south of Baghdad in Yusufiya, during a blast that occurred when security personnel were called to investigate an earlier bombing that left no casualties. Three people were killed and eight were wounded when their minibus struck a roadside bomb in Tarmiya yesterday. A sticky bomb placed on a police brigadier’s vehicle yesterday in Shirqat killed one person and wounded four others. In Baghdad, a blast wounded two civilians in Khadraa yesterday. A mortar round wounded a civilian in Shabb. In Mosul, the body of an unidentified civilian was found. A man died when the bomb he was allegedly planting exploded prematurely. An off-duty policeman was found dead hours after he was kidnapped. A fuel tanker exploded at a checkpoint in Fallujah, killing two people and wounding three others. A blast in Zinjili wounded eight people. A soldiers’ body was discovered in Qayara. In Ramadi, a roadside bomb wounded a policeman. A fifth person died in a previously reported attack in Buhriz. Gunmen in Kirkuk wounded a policeman. |
:: Article nr. 68476 sent on 01-aug-2010 15:44 ECT
A Post Script ...
Layla Anwar
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:: Article nr. 68467 sent on 01-aug-2010 03:36 ECT July 31, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 68467 sent on 01-aug-2010 03:36 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68467
Link: arabwomanblues.blogspot.com/2010/08/post-script.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| One Year Since Hikers Detained Along Iran and Iraq Border KEYC Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar joined a small rally at the state capitol urging the release of three Americans arrested along the Iran-Iraq border. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Afghan war using lessons from Iraq The Tennessean BY JAKE LOWARY • THE LEAF-CHRONICLE • August 1, 2010 Iraq and Afghanistan clearly are not the same country. Iraq has advanced societal and economic ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Cimatu looks into workers' plight in Iraq Manila Standard Today The Philippine government has dispatched Special Envoy Roy Cimatu to Iraq to assess the security situation and the measures in place for Filipino workers in ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Local Soldiers Return Home From Iraq KBTX Dozens of soldiers are back home in Bryan after a 7-month tour in Iraq. Friends, families and veterans waited anxiously Saturday for the charter buses to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Learning From WikiLeaks New York Times By MITCHELL LaFORTUNE LAST summer, as the nation's war effort and attention turned from Iraq to Afghanistan, the new United States commander there, Gen. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Pocono hit-and-run victim was decorated Iraq war veteran Pocono Record King earned a Purple Heart in Iraq for saving another soldier. King and the other man were injured when a land mine sprayed the two with shrapnel. ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq establishes special court to prosecute journalists
By Jordan Shilton
:: Article nr. 68471 sent on 01-aug-2010 04:16 ECT WSWS, July 31, 2010
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:: Article nr. 68471 sent on 01-aug-2010 04:16 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68471
uruknet – Irak News and Middle East Excellent
Sources News!
The looting of Iraq
Nearly $9 billion in Iraqi funds disappeared
By: Richard Becker
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July 31, 2010 The corporate media-created popular image of "looting" is one of poor people taking TVs or shoes or other goods from broken-into stores. Many desperate, mostly African American residents of New Orleans abandoned to their fate when Hurricane Katrina flooded that city in 2005 were assailed and arrested as "looters" for appropriating food from shutdown grocery stores. On July 27, the office of the U.S. Special Investigator for Iraq Reconstruction released a report that states the Pentagon cannot account for an astounding 95 percent of at least $9.1 billion in Iraqi funds that it seized when U.S. forces conquered Iraq and dismantled its government in 2003. A total of $8.7 billion has disappeared from the "Development Fund for Iraq." L. Paul Bremer, the head of the Civilian Provisional Authority, who ruled Iraq as a virtual dictator for the 15 months following the April 2003 occupation of the country, set up the DFI. Its funds came from frozen Iraqi assets in the United States and other countries and sales from Iraq’s then-nationalized oil fields. Did Bremer, the Pentagon and their corporate cronies like Halliburton engage in massive looting? Not according to the corporate media. The Special Inspector General’s report does not even allege any crime has been committed. "The breakdown in controls left the funds vulnerable to inappropriate uses and undetected loss," the audit states, describing theft on an unimaginable scale in the blandest possible terms. Capitalist establishment knows how to protect its own The report about the DFI is just the tip of a very big iceberg. The primary target of the corporate looters and the government and military that serves them is Iraq’s vast oil fields. Iraq ranks among the top three countries in the world in petroleum reserves. When it was a British colony from 1920 to 1958, Iraq’s oil was 100 percent foreign-owned—British, Dutch, French and U.S. oil companies each had a 23.75 percent share. While companies today known as BP, Chevron, Total, Shell, and so on profited from the country’s rich resources, the vast majority of Iraqis suffered from extreme poverty and 80 to 90 percent illiteracy, with little chance of ever seeing a doctor. Following the 1958 revolution, which put an end to British domination, Iraq’s oil was nationalized. Oil revenues served as the basis for the modernization of the country and dramatic improvements in life for a great part of the population. The 2003 U.S.-British invasion and occupation returned Iraq to the status of a colony. A primary and openly stated objective of the occupation forces has been the de-nationalization of Iraq’s oil and the opening up of the country to unlimited economic exploitation by U.S. and other transnational corporations—regardless of the human cost. And that cost has been very high. An estimated 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed since 2003 and millions more wounded or made refugees. Living conditions in most of the country are worse now than even during the period of the sanctions and blockade that preceded the occupation. One bitter irony is that in a country with vast energy resources, there are chronic fuel shortages and in many areas constant electricity blackouts. More than 4,300 U.S. troops have been killed, and hundreds of thousands have suffered severe physical or psychological wounds. The cost of the war has surpassed $700 billion—$700,000,000,000—and will rise into the trillions. All of this death, destruction and waste of resources is to secure Iraq for the benefit of the same oil, banking and other corporate criminals who are looting the environment and economy here. |
:: Article nr. 68457 sent on 31-jul-2010 22:08 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68457
Link: www.pslweb.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=14294&news_iv_ctrl=1261
Iraq death toll in July highest in more than two years
AFP
July 31, 2010 |
:: Article nr. 68456 sent on 31-jul-2010 21:51 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68456
Link: news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100731/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunresttoll
Iraq arrests two over deadly Baghdad attacks
Iraqi security forces patrol a street in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, July 31, 2010. -AP Photo
BAGHDAD: Iraqi soldiers arrested two suspected insurgents behind a brazen series of attacks in Baghdad this week that killed 16 people and wounded 14 others, a security official said on Saturday.
The pair were arrested as a result of security camera footage that showed insurgents setting alight three dead soldiers and planting Al-Qaeda’s flag, a defence ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The private surveillance tape was taken from a shop in the predominantly Sunni area of Adhamiyah where the attack, which also involved homemade bombs being placed on routes to the scene of the fire, took place on Thursday.
“The private security camera recorded the entire operation and shows the gunmen attack an army checkpoint, plant bombs and burn dead bodies,” the official said.
According to the official, the videotape shows the gunmen killing the soldiers after a 10-minute gun battle, pouring oil over their bodies and setting them on fire.
“Then, they put bombs on the roads leading to the scene, and planted the flag of the Islamic State of Iraq (Al-Qaeda’s front group) near the dead bodies before fleeing,” the official said.
He said two people including a lawyer had been arrested as a result of the footage of the attacks, which occurred within 15 minutes of each other.
In addition to the original killing of the soldiers, three homemade bomb attacks on different routes to the scene of the shooting killed 13 more people, including three soldiers and three policemen, and wounded 14, among them seven police and two civil defence members, the interior ministry said.
Baghdad security spokesman Major General Qassim Atta said “large numbers of weapons and explosions were found within the last 24 hours” in raids as part of an investigation into the attack.
“A number of suspects and wanted persons have been arrested after the terrorist attack in Adhamiyah,” he said.
US and Iraqi officials have warned of the dangers of an upsurge in
violence as negotiations on forming a new governing coalition drag on,
more than four months after the country held a parliamentary election. –
AFP
Tags: Iraq unrest attack Al-Qaeda arrests
Four killed, 11 wounded in bombing south of Baghdad
Women walk past an Iraqi soldier standing guard during the reopening
of al-Jomhouri Street beside the Shorja wholesale market in central
Baghdad July 31, 2010. The street was closed for security reasons. –
Reuters Photo
BAGHDAD: Iraqi officials say a roadside bomb has killed four Iraqis, including three soldiers, and wounded 11 people south of Baghdad.
The blast took place on Saturday near the municipal offices in Rashid district just south of the Iraqi capital, as soldiers were responding to an earlier explosion in the same area.
Police and hospital officials say the three soldiers and a bystander succumbed to their wounds in a Baghdad hospital. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
Violence has dramatically dropped in Iraq since 2008, but insurgent attacks are still a daily occurrence at a time when US forces are withdrawing and leaving the country's nascent forces alone in charge of security. – AP
Tags: Iraq US troops roadside bomb attack
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| New President, Same War Funding? FOXNews (blog) Yet, as president, on Thursday night he signed his second Supplemental Appropriations Act, which continues funding for Afghanistan and Iraq without going ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Roadside bomb in Iraq kills 5 members of family The Associated Press While violence has dropped significantly in Iraq, militants continue to attack members of the Iraqi security forces, and civilians are often caught in the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Pentagon Report Places Blame for Suicides New York Times The report, released Thursday at the Pentagon, found that it was not only the stress of repeated deployments over nearly a decade in Iraq and Afghanistan ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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The Anatomy of a Massacre
Malcom Lagauche
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July 30, 2010
Iraq had a legitimate gripe with Kuwait and thought the Kuwaitis would sit down at the bargaining table if Iraqi troops crossed the border. Iraq was wrong. Kuwait and the US had begun to plan the destruction of Iraq in 1987 and now was the chance the U.S. was awaiting to control the Arab world with troops on the ground. Shortly after the August 2 intrusion of Iraqi troops, Saudi Arabia became a launching pad for the US military in the Arab world.
Soon, it will be the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the end for the country of Iraq. Let’s go back to those days and also look at the preposterous events that followed that doomed Iraq’s fate.
When the first bomb fell on Iraq at 2:00 a.m. on January 17, 1991, the United States began the military implementation of years of deceit and dirty tricks to attain a permanent foothold in the Middle East. George Bush I enlisted, coerced and paid 27 other nations to help massacre Iraq, depriving these newly-won allies of any ethical high ground.
If you look at some of the countries involved in the anti-Iraq coalition, you will see that they varied greatly in their reasons for becoming involved in the slaughter. Few came on board because they considered it the right thing to do. As with the "alliance of the willing" that participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, many of the "allies" of the 1991 campaign participated only to receive a payday from Washington.
Egypt, a long-time backer of Iraq, initially declined. After George Bush I told the Egyptians he would forgive a $7 billion debt, the once Iraq-friendly Egyptian government changed sides. Syria entered the alliance because of long-time animosities between its president, Haffas al-Assad, and the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein. Coincidentally, Syria was on America’s list of countries that support terrorism, but that did not affect Bush. Al-Assad’s payday came after the cease-fire was signed between Iraq and the U.S. The Bush administration turned a blind eye to Syria’s sending more than 30,000 military personnel to Lebanon, leaving Syria with a tremendous amount of influence in that country. Ironically, the Bush II administration called for the exit of Syrian troops from Lebanon and threatened Syria with military force if the troops remained. The difference between then and now is that Syria’s former president Hafez al-Assad died and his son, Bashir, inherited the presidency of Syria. The young al-Assad did not share the same animosity with Iraq as his father and the two countries were experiencing flourishing trade and political relations up to the time of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq. Because it did not support U.S. intervention, Syria had to pay a price instead of being given preferential treatment as it was in 1991.
Saudi Arabia, a country not exactly known for its progressive government, quickly sided with the U.S. when Bush falsely proclaimed that Iraqi troops were stationed in Kuwait, just across the Saudi border, waiting to pounce on them. On September 11, 1990, Bush told a joint session of Congress: We gather tonight witness to events in the Gulf as significant as they are tragic. One hundred and twenty thousand Iraqi troops with 850 tanks had poured into Kuwait and moved south to threaten Saudi Arabia. The Defense Department outdid Bush with an estimate of 250,000 Iraqi troops and 1,500 tanks. Bush’s and the Pentagon’s ominous warnings were based on falsehoods.
Pictures taken by Soyuz-Karta, a Soviet commercial satellite agency, of Saudi Arabia on September 11, 1990, and of Kuwait on September 13, 1990 portrayed a different scenario. They showed no Iraqi presence near the Saudi border and only a small percentage of the U.S. administration’s estimate of the number of troops.
In December 1990, the St. Petersburg Times of Florida purchased these photos from the Soviet agency. They were analyzed by experts who concluded that the U.S. estimate was based on lies. According to Peter Zimmerman, who served with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency during the Reagan administration: "The Pentagon kept saying, the Iraqi troops were there, but we do not see anything to indicate an Iraqi force in Kuwait of even 20 percent the size the administration claimed."
Jean Heller wrote a report for the St. Petersburg Times in January 1991 about the quandary. However, the national media ignored the report and refused to publish it despite the newspaper’s editors approaching the Associated Press twice and the Scripps-Howard News Service. According to Heller: The troops that were said to be massing on the Saudi border and that constituted the possible threat to Saudi Arabia that justified the U.S. sending of troops do not show up in these photographs. And when the Department of Defense was asked to provide evidence that would contradict our satellite evidence, it refused to do so. I think part of the reason the story was ignored was that it was published too close to the start of the war. Secondly, and more importantly, I do not think people wanted to hear that we might have been deceived. A lot of the reporters who have seen the story think it is dynamite, but the editors who have seen it seem to have the attitude, "At this point, who cares? If the war ends badly with a lot of casualties, more than the administration had led us to expect, you might hear of this story again." Coincidentally, the same photos that failed to show proof of an Iraqi buildup portrayed an American presence that was not supposed to be in Saudi Arabia at the time. According to Zimmerman: We could see five C-141s, one C5A and four smaller transport aircraft, probably C-130s. There is also a long line of fighters, F-111s or F-15s, on the ground. In the middle of the airfield are what could be camouflaged staging areas. Several countries did oppose the overwhelming force that was brought against Iraq, but they paid a price for such a lack of pro-U.S. sentiment. Aid was quickly cut to Jordan. Its leader, the late King Hussein, was under strong pressure from his country-people not to support the U.S. and he followed their lead, even though he was at one time, and again later became, a U.S. ally and informant in the region. When told about the cessation of aid, King Hussein stated, "We’re not that cheap." In the years after Desert Storm, King Hussein was brought back on board the U.S. ship of influence in the Middle East. Jordan became, and still is, the main area for U.S. intelligence and other operations in the regiion. For a short time, however, King Hussein asserted his independence from the United States and stood up for the principles and ideals of his people.
Yemen was hard hit by the immediate severing of U.S. aid after it voted in the United Nations against the use of force against Iraq. Cuba, a long-time U.S. "enemy," was chastised after it voted the wrong way in the United Nations against "U.S. interests."
The U.S. version of democracy is selective — you are allowed to vote freely, as long as the vote is in favor of the U.S. A few years after the Gulf War, an incident occurred that depicted this U.S. murky view of democracy. The first democratic elections were held in the Serbian portion of Bosnia. When the results were announced, then U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright quickly negated the election. When she was asked by the press what made her decide to annul the results, she stated, "The wrong side won." In occupied Iraq, we see the same manipulation of democratic ideas occurring. In the first year of control, U.S. authorities shut down many newspapers and magazines for printing stories that were critical of the occupation.
The concept of the U.S. using the United Nations as a forum was a sham. Until November 1990, the U.S. considered the U.N. a useless organization that catered to Third World interests. The U.S. was quite vocal about its distaste for the U.N. and had refused to pay a substantial amount of money owed to the organization. Then, in an about-face, shortly before a November 1990 vote on the Iraq issue, the U.S. forked over $187 million to the U.N. This "enlightened" action only constituted a small portion of what it owed to the world agency.
Much of the U.S. seemed to have gone mad during the five weeks of massacre in 1991. We watched as politician-after-politician talked favorably about what was happening. At times, it appeared that a vast portion of the U.S. political establishment was euphoric when describing the destruction. Unfortunately, we did not see the millions of people, both inside and outside the U.S., who were aghast at such actions. Government ministers from France, Italy and Turkey resigned in disgust, but the U.S. media did not deem their opposition newsworthy. There was a virtual news blackout of dissent. We were not being told what was happening, and what we were being told was mostly lies because the U.S. military controlled the media. Shortly after the cease-fire was signed, Norman Schwarzkopf publicly humiliated the U.S. media by explaining how they printed everything exactly the way the military described the conflict.
"No more Vietnams!" we heard as the slaughter was occurring. This definitely was not Vietnam. Iraq was a developing country that happened to be America’s chosen enemy in exorcising the ghost of Vietnam. After the cease-fire, even some ardent supporters of Desert Storm felt empty and confused. As one caller to National Public Radio stated on March 5, 1991, "The United States isn’t going to save its soul by a massacre in the desert."
Despite the seemingly simple victory over Iraq in 1991, the U.S. has seen the Vietnam analogy resurrected. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, a strong resistance took hold
The U.S. used all its experience in deception and its advanced weaponry that was built up over the decades in demolishing Iraq, despite international law stating the military force can only be used to reach a military objective. In this case, the military objective would have been to remove the Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The "allies" could have reached that goal with a fraction of the force used, but instead, the U.S. threw everything it had at Iraq.
After the slaughter, George Bush had the audacity to encourage the Iraqis to revolt and topple Saddam Hussein. He had no knowledge of Iraqi or Arab culture and he thought that a good beating by the United States would automatically turn the Iraqis against their president.
The only result of Bush’s call for an uprising was more bloodshed. Certain factions in Iraq (Kurds and Shi’ite Muslims) were given false hope by the United States and they paid a heavy price for U.S. deception. Many Iraqis supported Saddam Hussein before the hostilities and their allegiances did not change after the cease-fire. This era is now being recalled by the U.S. as one in which the Iraqi government massacred tens of thousands of innocent Shi’ite Muslims. However, the U.S. does not state that the Shi’ites (with much assistance from Iran), not the Iraqi army, began the uprising and the vicious fighting affected both sides. Many Iraqi army personnel and civilian workers were brutally killed by the Shi’ite insurgents. Photos came from Iraq showing Shi’ite executioners working overtime using scythe-like instruments to chop the heads off individuals as they were tied to tables. At one point, the insurgents of the north and south controlled 16 of Iraq’s 18 provinces. The Bush administration considered it a matter of time until Baghdad fell.
Little-by-little, the Iraqi forces regained control of the country in brutal fighting. When the smoke cleared, the Shi’ites and the Kurds lost. The blame for all this chaos and bloodshed can be placed directly in the hands of the U.S. administration.
Coincidentally, the U.S. used the excuse of mass graves in southern Iraq as a reason for eventually toppling Saddam Hussein. For years, we heard of them, but after the illegal invasion of Iraq in March 2003, these mass graves came to the forefront. The news headlines read of the discovery of many mass graves. Eventually, the number of bodies found was put at 400,000. However, on July 18, 2004, British Prime Minister Tony Blair admitted to the British public that this was an inflated figure. There were about 5,000 bodies, not 400,000 in these graves. And, almost 100% were males of military age, meaning they were participants in the insurrection against Baghdad, or Kurdish fighters from the north of Iraq who died in the 1990s during a Kurdish civil war, not civilian casualties massacred by Saddam Hussein. Further forensic studies showed that many of the bodies were casualties of U.S. bombing in 1991.
The American lack of knowledge of the Arabic language played right into the hands of the administration. Pete Williams, the White House spokesman at the time, showed pictures of thousands of demonstrators in Baghdad as the insurrection of 1991 reached its peak. He told of how rare demonstrations were in Iraq and mentioned that the Iraqi people were turning on their president. This could have been the official story if a few Arab-Americans did not step forward with the truth. Yes, there were demonstrations, but the protestors were displaying signs and posters demanding that the Iraqi government put a stop to the uprisings in the south and north of Iraq. Because few Americans can read Arabic, another convenient lie came into place in American folklore.
When photos of devastation in Iraq began to emerge, Bush tried to blame all of the destruction on Saddam Hussein, but the Iraqis did not buy the explanation. They knew all the devastation to the infrastructure of the country was caused by U.S. bombs, not Iraq’s retaliation against the Kurds and Shi’ites. Blatant attempts at deceiving the world were put forth by the U.S. For instance, the U.S. government showed photos of destroyed buildings and attributed the destruction to the Iraqi military. Under scrutiny, many of these depictions were proven to be false. A common ploy was a U.S. government spokesperson showing a part of Baghdad that was bombed by the U.S. and telling the world that it was an area of Basra that was destroyed by Saddam’s troops. This deception was quickly halted when enough people (photographers, journalists, etc.) came forward and pointed out the inaccuracies.
Desert Storm and its aftermath virtually eliminated a country on this Earth. Iraq was left without fresh water and electricity. The first United Nations inspection team to visit Iraq after Desert Storm said the country had reverted to a "pre-industrial society."
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:: Article nr. 68441 sent on 31-jul-2010 06:46 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68441
Lost Billions in Iraq
Laura Flanders
:: Article nr. 68408 sent on 30-jul-2010 03:08 ECT
July 29, 2010 The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says $8.7 billion earmarked for Iraq reconstruction has gone. Precisely where, no one can tell him. Not one percent or five percent, but a full 96 percent of the special fund created from the sale of Iraqi oil and gas—and frozen Saddam Hussein-era assets -- is missing according to the BBC. The Pentagon is "unable to fully account for" it. And they're blaming a lack of accounting, oversight, and who knows what -- probably some secretaries. Powerful politicians have a habit of blaming their secretaries. It's not the first time billions have disappeared—in 2005, the Coalition Provisional Authority faced a criminal investigation over its management of an $8.8 billion fund. This isn't the same $9 billion. It's a different one. In that case, eight US officials were convicted of bribery, fraud and money-laundering. It's not the same $9 billion but it is the the same old story. How many strikes and the Pentagon's pals are out? There's a very different law for shop-lifters. Officials are now, as they always do, mouthing words like "undetected loss" and "significant archival retrieval efforts." I'd say -- no more talk of deficits or cash crunches or tax -- until the lost cash is accounted for. Can't afford to support the troops you've deployed? Bring them home then. The F Word
is a regular commentary by Laura Flanders, the host of GRITtv which
broadcasts weekdays on satellite TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 Free Speech
TV) on cable, and online at GRITtv.org and TheNation.com. Support us by signing up for our podcast, and follow GRITtv or GRITlaura on Twitter.com. |
:: Article nr. 68408 sent on 30-jul-2010 03:08 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68408
Link: www.thenation.com/blog/38054/lost-billions-iraq
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Deadly assault exposes Iraq's delicate state of security Los Angeles Times By Liz Sly and Raheem Salman, Los Angeles Times Insurgents briefly raised the black flag of Al Qaeda in Iraq over a mostly Sunni neighborhood of Baghdad on ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Spain wants three US soldiers for death of journalist in Iraq Xinhua MADRID, July 29 (Xinhua) -- A Spanish judge has issued an arrest warrant for three American soldiers accused of killing a Spanish cameraman in Iraq. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| A view of the truth from Iraq, in 2003 TODAYonline by Paul Gilfeather I am sitting in the Baghdad bunker of Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz - the man Mr George W Bush insists is responsible for ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Poor leadership, not repeat deployments blamed for rise in Army suicides MiamiHerald.com At bases throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, signs now tell soldiers to look for warning signs among their comrades. Back home, however, base commanders remain ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| SIGIR: Pentagon Flushed Iraqi Funds down the Toilet with Alarming Efficiency OMB Watch On Tuesday, the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR) released a devastating report on the Department of Defense's (DOD) ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| War's goal back on target The Decatur Daily (subscription) Vice President Joe Biden came back from his recent visit to Iraq, as many visitors do, pumped up over the might of the US military. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| How do Iraq Wikileaks comapre to Vietnam Pentagon Papers? BBC News In what has being called the largest leak in United States military history, three major news publications have released details of what they say are ... See all stories on this topic » |
Reports emerge the UK used depleted uranium weapons in Iraq
Russia Today
:: Article nr. 68405 sent on 30-jul-2010 02:21 ECT
 |
July 29, 2010 It is alleged that a joint inquiry by Iraq’s environment, health and science ministries uncovered more than 40 sites across the war-torn country contaminated with high levels of radiation. The use of uranium ammunition is widely controversial because of potential long-term health effects. The US and UK have allegedly used up to 2,000 tons of such ammunition during the war. British Labor Party MP Paul Flynn says the depleted uranium still causes serious health problems. "We know that in the first Iraq war depleted uranium was used in shells. It’s very likely it was used again," Flynn said. "It’s used as ballast because of its density in shells. It’s not as radioactive as it might be, it’s uranium 238 where the gamma-radiation has been reduced and it’s not the weapon of mass destruction, but sadly it’s a weapon of eternal destruction because it turns into dust and gets into the water supply, into the air and it can of course give children cancer, it can cause birth defects." Findings of the recent study conducted by a group of researchers in London suggest the same. "The study that we have conducted does actually prove that there are massive increases in cancer, a 38-fold increase in leukemia, 10-fold increase in breast cancer and infant mortalities are also staggering," one of the authors of the report, British-Iraqi scientist Malak Hamdan told RT. However, the World Health Organization claims the depleted uranium has not that that large an effect on new-born infants. But science is changing every minute, says another author of the study, Professor Christopher Busby, scientific secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risks. "There is an enormous amount of new science that is being completely ignored by the World Health Organization and by the scientists who work for the governments who are associated with use of these weapons," Prof. Busby said. House of Commons Written Answers 22 July 2010 Depleted Uranium Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make it his policy to support international efforts to ensure transparency in the use of depleted uranium munitions in the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War in order to reduce the potential risks to civilians and to facilitate safe management; and if he will make a statement; [8801] (2) if he will publish the locations and quantity of depleted uranium munitions used by UK forces during the Iraq War; and what steps he has taken to monitor the effectiveness of depleted uranium clearance programmes in Iraq; [8809] 483 (3) if he will publish the geographical and quantitative data on the UK's use of depleted uranium munitions in the 1991 Gulf War and 2003 Iraq War held by his Department; if he will make representations to his NATO counterparts to release equivalent information held in their countries; and if he will make a statement. [8810] Dr Fox: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has previously published information about the extremely limited use of depleted uranium (DU) munitions by UK forces during the 1991 Gulf War: less than one metric tonne of DU was expended in these munitions. Approximately 1.9 metric tonnes of DU ammunition was expended in the 2003 Iraq War by UK forces. The MOD provided the coordinates of targets attacked using DU ammunition in 2003 to the United Nations (UN) Environmental Programme. The MOD also shared with the UN and the Government of Iraq the results of a scientific assessment carried out in June 2003 that indicated very low levels of DU even in the vicinity of vehicles struck by DU munitions. Responsibility for clean-up after an armed conflict falls to the country’s civilian administration with assistance from the international community. The World Health Organisation and the International Atomic Energy Agency state that the risks of DU can be controlled with simple countermeasures conducted by national authorities. In Iraq, UK forces carried out ordnance disposal activities and removed surface-lying DU fragments as they were discovered. They also exchanged information with humanitarian and other organizations, and warned Iraqis through signs and leaflets that they should not go near or touch any debris they find on the former battlefield. The UK has also provided UN and Iraqi scientists with the results of our DU contamination monitoring in Iraq and offered to provide advice on carrying out risk assessments and on long-term monitoring of DU in the environment, including water. The MOD has made it clear that we take seriously concerns about the effects of the use of DU munitions. However, the scientific literature and UN report of 24 July 2008 indicate that DU has not been shown to have, and indeed is very unlikely to have, any significant impact on the local population or on veterans. Other nations’ choices to share or not to share information are a matter for them alone. |
:: Article nr. 68405 sent on 30-jul-2010 02:21 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68405
Link: rt.com/Top_News/2010-07-24/uk-iraq-depleted-uranium.html
Militants kill 23 security forces across Iraq
Iraqi security forces inspect the scene of an attack on their
checkpoint in Baghdad. Militants Thursday killed a number of Iraq's
security forces with a combination of shootings and roadside bombs that
was a bitter demonstration of the dangers Iraqi forces still face. -AP
Photo
BAGHDAD: Militants killed 23 members of Iraq's security forces across the country Thursday in a combination of shootings and roadside bombs that was a bitter demonstration of the dangers Iraqi forces still face.
The worst attack came in Baghdad's Sunni neighborhood of Azamiyah when 16 Iraqi security troops died in what appeared to have been coordinated killings by militants in a bold, daylight attack in the neighborhood that was once an insurgent stronghold, Iraqi police and army officials said.
Militants first started shooting at an Azamiyah checkpoint and then set it on fire, burning several of the soldiers' bodies, according to an army officer who was on patrol in the neighborhood. Minutes later, attackers detonated three roadside bombs nearby, the officials said.
A large pool of blood and what appear to be charred marks could be seen on the ground near an Iraqi army truck. Authorities immediately closed down the area.
Seventeen people were also wounded in the Azamiyah attack, which appeared concentrated around one street in the Sunni neighborhood.
Earlier Thursday, a suicide bomber drove a minibus into the main gate of an Iraqi army base near Saddam Hussein's hometown, killing four soldiers and wounding 10, said police and hospital officials.
In the western city of Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, two roadside bombs targeting Iraqi army patrols killed two Iraqi soldiers and wounded eight others, police and hospital officials in the city said.
In the northern city of Mosul, a bomb attached to a police vehicle killed one policeman and injured two others, a police official in the city said.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Thursday's attacks underline the fact that militant groups can still strike with lethal force across Iraq, despite their overall weakened capability that is the result of a massive and joint US and Iraqi security forces' crackdown.
Also Thursday, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for a bombing earlier this week that targeted the Baghdad offices of a pan-Arab television station, describing the deadly attack that killed six people as a victory against a ''corrupt channel.''
A statement posted on the website of the Islamic State of Iraq said the operation was carried out by a ''hero of Islam'' and was intended to hit the ''mouthpieces of the wicked and evil.''
''We take responsibility for targeting this corrupt channel, and we will not hesitate to hit any media office and chase its staffers if they insist on being a tool of war against almighty God and his prophet,'' the announcement said. -AP
Tags: iraq attacks militant insurgency
Iraq snapshot - July 28, 2010
The Common Ills
:: Article nr. 68387 sent on 29-jul-2010 19:40 ECT
Wednesday, July 28, 2010.
Chaos and violence continue, the political stalemate continues, the VA
can't account for millions, Congress wants to know why that is, and
more. "The
US Dept of Veterans Affairs is the second largest agency in our system
of government," declared US House Rep Bob Filner this morning as he
called to order the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, "and each year,
they are authorized billions of dollars to care for our nation's
veterans. Miscellaneous obligations are used by the VA to obligate funds
in circumstances where the amount to be spent is uncertain. They are
used to reduce administrative workload and to facilitate payment for
contracted goods and services when quantities and delivery dates are
unknown." Bob Fliner is the Chair of the Committee and Steve Buyer is
the Ranking Member. In his opening remarks, Buyer noted that, "The
hearing today is very timely in light of the VA's announcement to our
offices that they plan to halt the development of what the Chairman just
talked about -- our integrated financial accounting system [pilot
program entitled Financial and Logistics Integrated Technology
Enterprise]. I, franky, was surprised the VA would take this step with
the supposed blessing of OMB but without any plan for the real future
other than to limp along. That's what surprised me the most." The main
issue for the hearing was the VA's inability to track millions of
dollars filed under "miscellaneous." The
Committee heard from three panels. The first was made up of the GAO's
Susan Ragland, the second by the VA's Edward Murry and the third by the
VA's Jan Frye. The first two witnesses were accompanied by others,
Ragland was accompanied by the GAO's Glenn Slocum. After Ragland
finished her opening statement, she was asked a question. Chair Bob Filner: If you had to give a grade between your initial report and now, what would you give? Susan Ragland: Oh. Chair Bob Filner: I'm a teacher, so. Susan Ragland: Oh, I guess I'd say somewhere between a C+ or a B-. Somewhere in there. Chair Bob Filner: Sounded like an F to me, but what do I know? And
we're opening with that because it's a call everyone can follow --
whether they agree with it or not (I agree with the call). We're
jumping ahead to US House Rep Cliff Stearns who picked up on the grade
later in the hearing. US
House Rep Cliff Stearns: Ms. Ragland, you gave this exercise a B-. Now
the report in 2008 was roughly 5.7 billion miscellaneous obligations
that were unable to be identified as how they were spent and now it's 12
billion in 2009. I mean, so it looks like it's jumped twice. So the
problem has gotten . . . Susan Ragland: Twice as big. US
House Rep Cliff Stearns: Twice as big. And wouldn't that mean that
they flunked? I mean, wouldn't you have to be honest to yourself and
say, "It appears to me that nothing's been done"? I mean if this had,
if you couldn't get $6 billion -- find out where it was spent in 2008
and now it's 12, following this extrapolation, it will be 24, 25 billion
when you come back here again with your GAO report. At what point don't
you think that there -- How can you say that they're passing? Susan
Ragland: Well you're making a really good point and really the thinking
that I had behind my response was that I do think VA is making efforts
in these areas and so -- US House Rep Cliff Stearns: So they get a B- because they're making efforts when it doubles? Susan Ragland: Well. US House Rep Cliff Stearns: Would you -- would you have a student that -- Susan
Ragland: They do-they do have the policies and procedures in place and
they are taking actions to monitor them and that's the information that
we got from the MQAS [Management Quality Assurance Service] service,
that they are doing inspections and finding these things which is what
we would look for any agency. That they are looking -- US
House Rep Cliff Stearns: I, I understand you're being diplomatic. In
reading the summary in your report, you say there are "serious
longstanding deficiencies we identifed that are continuing." So here,
2008, 2009, you say these deficiencies -- serious long-standing
deficiencies are continuing and that's not very optimistic to me. And
then you went on to say that "serious weaknesses continue to raise
questions concerning whether VA management has established the
appropriate tone at the top necessary to ensure that these matters
receive the full sustained attention." So in both the statements I gave
you, it appears that the management's not connecting, that you've
identified long-standing deficiencies that continue and these serious
weaknesses raise further questions. So I think you've done your job. I
think you have to be woman enough to say these folks are flunking and
you've got to be a little bit more draconian in your statement. Now
let me ask you this question, you mention in your report they have
outdated systems. Does the VA have the technilogical capabilities to do
this? What do you mean by outdated systems? Susan Ragland: You can take that. Glenn Slocum: There are -- VA systems sometimes revert to manual processes in order to produce its year-end finan -- US House Rep Cliff Stearns: So they haven't used computers? They haven't use the internet? Glenn
Slocum: No-no, they do have -- they do have all that. But some of the
reconciliations that they may need to do at year-end, uh, they have a
MinX system which is used to, uhm, produce their year-end statements. US House Rep Cliff Stearns: It's done manually then? Glenn
Slocum: It's not manually -- it's not totally manually. But there are,
uh, reconciliations that take place that, in a better world, would be
more automated. And it effects their inventory systems at pharmacies and
that's what we're talking about. US
House Rep Cliff Stearns: In 2008, did you bring that to their attention
with the same statement that they had outdated systems? Glenn
Slocum: Well -- well there are two reports. You know, there's one with
miscellaneous obligation and I think that's the one that Ms. Ragland
gave them a B- on. The other report dealt with the financial report
deficiencies and those are the problems that have been around since
2000 or longer. And maybe there would be uh -- [looks at Ragland] maybe
you would give them a lower grade on that? I'm not sure. US
House Rep Cliff Stearns: Okay, well then the statement says "a lack of
sufficient personnel." Uhm, have you found that the personnel is one of
the serious problems that they have? Personnel that either don't have
the appropriate knowledge or skills or they just don't have the
personnel? Susan
Ragland: That's been one of the independent public auditors' findings
in the financial reports. And that's been over-over years. US House Rep Cliff Stearns: Was that true in 2008? That same conclusion? Susan Ragland: I'm not positive, I believe so. US
House Rep Jerry McNerney noted that fraud seemed very likely in the
conditions Ragland described in her opening remarks (at "a level that
would be scandalous") and voiced the belief that they should ''bring
that to light before the press does, before outside activities do."
McNerney also noted that the VA's plan for solving the problems, "those
seem a little bit far off" (2011 and 2012). Ragland noted that
announcements by the VA in 2008 of deadlines to be met have not been
kept by the VA and have been extended. US
House Rep David Roe: I would think that when you have a -- Obviously
$12 billion is a lot of money and it's a lot to look after, but there
should be a plan that when this isn't implemented and you don't find it,
someone ought to be held accountable and-and-and heads ought to roll.
And clearly what Congressman Buyer said in the private sector [you get
fired], that's clearly what happens. People get fired. Susan Ragland: Yeah. US House Rep David Roe: Is that what happens here? Or do we just don't do anything or what do we do? Susan Ragland: Uh, I don't know if that -- Glenn
Slocum: I would just say that OMB Circular A-50 addresses this point.
You know, one of the things it talks about is holding people accountable
for the remediation of these problems. But we have not looked at the
extent to which that's actually taken place. It's part of a monitoring
mechanism that should be there. But we haven't looked at that. US
House Rep David Roe: And I think -- and I agree with Congressman
McNerney, my colleague, is that it reflects poorly on the VA which they
don't want to be -- I mean, I understand that they want to do a good job
-- and this Committee if we allow that to happen and if we come back a
year or two years from now and the same thing's going on, what happens?
Is there any corrective action that can be taken in your recommendation,
Ms. Ragland. Susan
Ragland: I think that the only thing that we have is to come back to
you all and-and point that out. That's-that's our role. Yeah. If
it reads like the Committee had a consenus building, you're not
mistaken. US House Rep Ann Kirkpatrick would note, "And Mr. Chairman, I
share the sentiment of the other members of this Committee, that this
is a very serious problem that we really need to stay on top of."
Following that the Ranking Member would weigh in on a pattern, "I mean,
right now, you could look back and the last three or four [VA]
Secretaries -- I mean, they have, since 2000, increased these directives
without execution." He also wondered that "the VA's own audits showed a
continued disregard for your recommendations." Welcoming
the second panel, Chair Bob Filner offered a warning: "I would not
underestimate the anger that my colleagues feel on this on both sides of
the aisle." And for the second panel, refer to Kat who is reporting on that at her site tonight. A
few decades on down the line, history will probably include all the
many helicopter crashes in Iraq that crashed due to rebel/resistance
attacks. Today, we instead get 'hard landings' (that was hugely popular
for years with the press) and 'sandstorms.' Sinah Salaheddin (AP) wants
to share this morning that 6 people are dead from an Iraqi helicopter
crash due to, yes, "a sandstorm." ("A sandstorm downed an Iraqi military
helicopter . . .") Could it have been a sandstorm? Yes, it could have. I
wasn't there. (Though I did have the weirdest dream last night/this
morning about Jane Arraf being in Mosul and having difficulty taking
photos of an explosion.) So what's the problem. I'd say this is the
problem (from the same report): " The crash is under investigation, and no other details were immediately available, al-Askari said." When a crash is under investigation, the reasons for the crash are not known. Reasons may be suspected, but they aren't known -- hence the need for an investigation. Repeating, decades from now we'll no doubt learn just how many helicopters were downed during the Iraq War by something other than 'sandstorms' and 'hard landings due to mechanical failure'. Reuters notes 4 died in the crash and, unlike AP, don't attempt to pin a cause on a crash which is "under investigation." They also note 5 people are dead from a Baghdad bombing with twelve more injured. BBC News also notes 5 dead in the helicopter crash As noted, Mullen was on a whirlwind trip and we'll blame jet lag for many of his more dubious statements. Dan De Luce (AFP) reports he hailed what he termed "stunning" progress (only on security and only by cheating the scale and referring to the last three years -- if you can't use 2007 as your benchmark, you can't claim 'success' -- stunning or otherwise). While Mullen praised the 'stunning' progress, it was left to his underlings to note the week's violence and to US Deputy Sec of State Jacob Lew to explain, "The events of the last few days are horrific, and they are sobering, but they don't deter us from the process that we're in." Which would be the drawdown. But interesting that the main speaker declares "stunning" while the lesser lights have to deal with reality. Tang Danlu (Xinhua) reports on Mullen's meeting with Nouri al-Maliki and Nouri's laughable claim that, "The regional interference is the reason behind hampering a new government, and we have repeatedly demanded such interference in our internal affairs be halted. We are going forward in the formation of the new government as soon as possible." Jet lag doesn't excuse Nouri's lies. But Mullen was under the weather. Press TV offers a quote, see if you catch it, ""We're still on track to reduce the number of troops to 50,000 by the end of August and to have all combat troops out of Iraq by 2011." Combat troops -- a laughable designation -- are supposed to be out at the end of next month, not "by 2011." March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki, the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance -- this coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming they have the right to form the government. It's four months and five days and, in 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. It's now 4 months and 20 days. No government. Steven Lee Myers (New York Times) offers, "Nearly five months after elections in March ended without a decisive winner, Mr. Maliki and the leaders of the other political blocs are divided over his efforts to stay in power for a second term. With no clear resolution in sight, many politicians now say that the impasse could extend after the United States officially ends its combat mission here after more than seven years of war and reduces the number of troops to fewer than 50,000 by the end of August." Ross Colvin (Reuters) notes that US Vice President Joe Biden has asked that the politicians "get on with the business of governing." The International Crisis Group's Joost Hiltermann weighs in with thoughts on the stalemate in an essay for the New York Review of Books: What
is holding things up, however, is the fear among many Iraqis that
whatever party wins the right to form the government and appoint the
prime minister will proceed to concentrate power around itself, using
gaps and ambiguities in Iraq's new constitution to its advantage.
Maliki's detractors point to his record during the past four years -- he
has done little by way of concrete governance, but instead has spent
much effort to carve out a power base, including setting up security
agencies that have no basis in the constitution. In addition to Iyad
Allawi and his mainly Sunni constituency, Maliki's critics and
competitors include the Kurds and his Shiite rivals in the Iraqi
National Alliance (INA).
This last is a loose grouping that includes the Islamic Supreme Council
of Iraq, the Sadrist movement, and a variety of smaller parties and
independents, among them the US's
erstwhile friend and current nemesis, Ahmed Chalabi. Moreover, Allawi
asserts that since his list won the most seats -- ninety-one, compared
to Maliki's eighty-nine -- he has the right to take the first stab at
forming a government. Maliki
has questioned the election results, hinting in not so unambiguous
terms that a "foreign power" -- understood to be the United States --
has defrauded him by manipulating the vote, the count, and the recount
in Baghdad. Even now, while resigning himself to the decision by the
federal Supreme Court to certify the original results in early June, he
continues to challenge Allawi's bid to form the government. His main
tactic has been to pursue an alliance with his Shiite rivals in the INA,
in order to become the largest bloc in parliament, gain the right to
form a government, and thus deprive Allawi of his presumptive right to
become prime minister. Whatever
their opinion of Maliki and his autocratic tendencies, Shiite
politicians fear most of all losing the position of prime minister, and
they are convinced that although Allawi would have a hard time
collecting by himself the necessary number of seats (a simple majority
of 163 in Iraq's 325-member legislature), a hidden hand -- again, the
United States -- will somehow assist him and through trickery and deceit
cheat the Shiites out of the dominant position they have acquired since
2003, after what they see as the long years of Sunni
oppression. What
is striking about the Obama administration's current approach to Iraqi
politics, however, is not its presumed preference for one party,
Allawi's, but its unexplained lack of will to push for a solution,
something much noted by politicians of all parties. Moving to London where the Iraq Inquiry continued public testimony today with Gen Richard Dannatt and Gen Mike Jackson appearing before the Inquiry (link goes to video and transcript options). Chris Ames notes
that the remarks by Dannut about the British military was stretched to
the point where it was on the verge of breaking in 2006. The helicopter
issue (specifically yesterday's testimony) was rejected, by the way. As noted this morning, Hans Blix's testimony yesterday to the Iraq Inquiry was a joke. Chris Ames, writing at the Guardian, feels differently and feels it said a great deal about David Miliband: That
is Miliband in a nutshell. Too clever for his own good. There are the
usual weasel words about voting "to support the government" rather than
for war. He wanted to show that he had done his homework but has ended
up saying that he supported the invasion on the basis of Saddam's
behaviour in the 90s and was thus seeking regime change rather than
peaceful disarmament. Chris does great work at Iraq Inquiry Digest
and is always worth reading on this subject. (And Chris has been
working this story before anyone.) But I strongly disagree with his take
(a) that there was much of value in Blix's idiotic testimony, (b) that
the testimony said that about David and (c) that Ames would ever know
what was or wasn't "Miliband in a nutshell." As disclosed before I have
known David and Ed Miliband forever and a day. That is not David
Miliban in a nutshell. Let's move to Blixie. (And for
qualifiers/disclosures on my opinion, click here.)
Hans Blix was, as usual, all over the map with his ridiculous testimony
yesterday. His half-baked testimony provided a little for everyone and
nothing of substance for anyone. Should inspections have continued? In
retrospect, he believes they should have. And in real time? He wanted
them to go on through April. At one point in his testimony. He wanted
them to go on for months, at another point. He wanted armed inspectors
to roam through Iraq for years, he offered at another point. With his meandering and ever changing opinions, Bush could well argue that what Blix did find (no WMD, no real violations but some small issues) and Blix' refusal to clear Iraq and say they had no WMD, his move was forced. Was he forced? Of course not. It's an illegal war. And it's a war of choice. It's in violation of the UN charter and every international law -- including those the US has signed on to. But if your argument is based on Blix, Bush can shoot back, "Blix supported me!" Because Blix' wishy-washy b.s. does just that. Blix is forever inconsistent. Giving a broadcast interview, he tosses charges around freely only to then walk it back after the interview airs. He was asked about some statements from a print interview yesterday and explained that he wasn't responsible for any remarks in an article unless he authored it. Hans
Blix was the white-wash witness and you have to wonder if, in fact,
that's why he was called. Hans Blix appeared before the Inquiry and told
a pleasing (for British ears) fairytale. "Sleep easy, England, Tony
Blair is not a bad person." That's Blix' testimony in a nut shell. The
US, apparently led by Condi Rice (whom Blix is obsessed with),
controlled everything and pushed the poor British around. The British,
Blix insisted, wanted to follow the UN rules. Really? That's in direct
contrast to every British official in the legal department. Are we
supposed to forget that? But it was a runaway train on the railroad and
the US was driving while the poor British officials were stuck in the
caboose unable to disconnect from the rest of the train. Hans Blix is one of the main reason the illegal war started. That shined through in his testimony. He hedged every statement. No government official would have taken him seriously. (Except for his constant repeating that he believed Iraq had WMD. He repeated that to everyone. And this is our hero? This is who the peace movement wants to support?) He was a joke and he was an idiot. Doubt it? Go to page 30 of the testimony and read him insisting he believed (up until after the war started) that Iraq had anthrax ("we were very suspicous") and "I came out right from September 2002 on to the very end when I said, 'Yes, there might be weapons of mass destruction'." The idea that he was a calm voice or one not echoing the stove-piped intell is really a joke. Caroline Crampton (New Statesman) offers a selective reading of his testimony and attempts to rescue Blix: He
felt that once his team began reporting back that no evidence had been
found at any sites, the US and UK should have changed their policy --
that, he feels, is the main lesson that should be drawn from the
situation. His only regret, he says, is the "harsh tones" he used in the
January document, which consituted a warning to Iraq to improve
co-operation, which it then did. His
job was to find WMD or to clear Iraq. He failed at both. That's
reality. He did not clear it ahead of the war. Nor did he find WMD --
he couldn't because there was no WMD in Iraq. And yet he felt they had
it. That's reality, that's what he testified to. His enablers and
rescuers can pretty it up as much as they want but Blix is as much at
fault as Bush and Blair for the illegal war. And it was a damn shame that someone who knew SO DAMN LITTLE was allowed to testify about so much. If you don't get that, you missed his white washing of all crimes. There are no more war crimes today, Blix wanted to insist. The stupid idiot declared that the US back then "was high on military" but "this has changed with Obama." What the hell does that piece of s**t know about what "changed" or didn't "change"? Is he unaware that he's supposed to be testifying only to what he has witnessed. Is he unaware of what's going on in Afghanistan? Or Pakistan? Or what continues in Iraq? "Obama says yes, they will retain the rights to -- they reserve the possibility to take unilateral action but they will try to follow international rules." If
that statement shocks you (page 28 of the testimony, lines 1 through
4), that may be due to the fact that a number of outlets have 'improved'
it to make it say something else. Stream the video, that's what he
said. And Blix is praising Barack for that crap? Where's the 'change'?
Barack "says yes, they will still retain the right to -- they reserve
the possibility to take unilateral action but they will try to follow
international rules." That's not a change? That's exactly what Bush said
before the Iraq War for months and months. His
entire testimony exists to whitewash reality, to insist that the
problem was George W. Bush (via Condi Rice) and that, with Bush out of
office, the threat is gone. It's the sort of fairytale that exists to
keep people ignorant of their governments' actions and motives. It's the
sort of fairytale that reduces everything to a simple cartoon. There
was no honesty in the garbage. And, if you were British, you may have
been thrilled that sweet and cute Tony Blair really wasn't at fault
after all. It was Bush . . . led by Condi. John F. Burns (New York Times) reports on Blix's testimony here.
And, yes, if Burns -- Mr. Establishment -- is reporting on it (and not
questioning it) then Blix exists to Whitewash and give Empire a pearly
smile. Jalal Ghazi (New America Media) notes that WikiLeaks' latest revelations echo earlier reports by Arab media: In many cases, Arab media used testimony by American soldiers themselves to validate their reports about U.S. responsibility for civilian casualties. For example, Al Jazeera English reported on March 15, 2008 that hundreds of U.S. veterans of the war in Iraq say the American military has been covering up widespread civilian killings in Iraq. The soldiers who testified said that there have been routine cover-ups of indiscriminate killings of Iraqi civilians. Former U.S. Marine Jason Washburn, for example, told Al Jazeera English: "We would carry these weapons and shovels so in case we accidentally shot a civilian we would toss the weapon on the body and we would say that he was an insurgent." U.S. Army veteran Jason Hurd said, "We would fire indiscriminately and unnecessarily at this building. We never got a body count and we never got a casualty count afterward." He added, "These things happen every day in Iraq." The veterans also showed videos supporting their claims. The testimony of the U.S. veterans also highlights the mental state of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that may have led to acts of violence against civilians. Al Jazeera English journalist Omar Chatriwala wrote in a blog ("WikiLeaks vs. the Pentagon") that the WikiLeaks documents are supported by reports from the ground by Al Jazeera English. Today, Amy Goodman (Democracy Now!) continued
her coverage of the WikiLeaks Afghanistan revelations and spent the
hour with WikiLeaks' Julian Assange. We'll note him on Bradley Manning
(a suspect who has never issued a public statement on whether or not he
leaked to WikiLeaks) and on Iraq. On Bradley: JULIAN
ASSANGE: In relation to a military source, alleged military source,
Bradley Manning, who has been charged with supplying --the charges don't
say to us, but supplying to someone the helicopter video showing the
killing of two Reuters journalists in Baghdad in July 2007, he is now
being held in Kuwait itself. A bit of a problem. Why isn't he being held
in the United States? Is it to keep him away from effective legal
representation? Is it to keep him away from the press? We're not sure.
But there doesn't seem to be any reason why he could not be transferred
to the United States. We obviously cannot say whether he is our source.
We in fact specialize in not knowing the names of our sources. But
nonetheless, he is a young man being held in dire circumstances on the
allegation that he supplied this material to the press, and we were the
initial publisher of that Iraq video. So we are trying to raise money
for his legal representation. We have committed $50,000 of our own
funds, that if the general public could contribute or other people could
contribute, I know that his military counsel would find that of
significant value. The lawyers that we have spoken to say that his
representation will cost $200,000, assuming that it's a regular sort of
trial, it goes ahead. People can go to bradleymanning.org,
where there is a grassroots campaign that his friends and family and
some internet activists have become involved to try and support him. On Iraq: AMY GOODMAN: And do you have more documents to release on Iraq? JULIAN
ASSANGE: We have an enormous backlog of documents, stemming all the way
back to January. During the past six months, we have been concentrating
on raising funds and dealing with just a few of our leaks and upgrading
our infrastructure to deal with the worldwide demand. So that huge
backlog is something that we are just starting to get through, and this
latest Afghan leak is an example of that. Deep down inside of me, there is the Cindy who is raging against the Democratic Congress's passage of the recent war-funding bill, but so I don't explode, I am outwardly calm. Pissed off Cindy has to be in here, or I wouldn't be writing this piece--but the rhetoric that I have written hundreds of times is now having the feeling of "been there, done that." Well, I am numb, I think, because I have visited this topic continually and words are just not cutting it. How many words are there for: murder, death, destruction, slaughter, starvation, predatory Capitalism, war profiteering, war, illegal, immoral, war crimes, callous, greedy, rape, pillage, plunder, blah, blah, blah! We live in an Empire that on a daily basis murders dozens of people without blinking even before I drink my first cup of coffee and which always ignores the basic needs of its own citizens. But its citizens are quietly complacent and materially complicit in these crimes. Slaves of, and to, The Empire. I am numb, I think. |
:: Article nr. 68387 sent on 29-jul-2010 19:40 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68387
Link: thecommonills.blogspot.com/2010/07/iraq-snapshot_28.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Biden, Addressing Troops, Cites Successes in Iraq Voice of America Photo: AP Addressing US troops returned from Iraq, Vice President Joe Biden has pointed to successes of the more than seven year American military ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Iraq military helicopter crash kills five BBC News The level of violence in Iraq has decreased since 2006 and 2007, when Sunnis and Shias fought a bloody sectarian conflict, but Shia pilgrims are still ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Iraq, Afghanistan News Examined NPR The Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says the US government can't account for $8.7 billion in reconstruction funds for Iraq. Also, Gen. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Alstom in talks to build Iraq power plants BusinessWeek ... to enter exclusive talks with the Iraqi Oil and Electricity Ministry to build a 1200 megawatt power plant in Iraq's oil-rich southern province of Basra. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq's Maliki, US military chief discuss US withdrawal from Iraq Xinhua During a meeting late on Tuesday, Maliki blamed the regional interference in Iraq's affairs for the delay of forming a new government, pledging to form it ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| US military investigates contractor work force The Associated Press Philippines citizens have been banned since 2004 from traveling to Iraq after insurgents threatened to behead a Filipino truck driver, and officials in the ... See all stories on this topic » |
Google News Alert for: Iraq
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| Diplomat Harsh on Leaders in Testimony for Iraq Inquiry New York Times By JOHN F. BURNS LONDON — In the years Hans Blix has spent relating his struggle to deter the United States and Britain from going to war in Iraq, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| GE to Pay $23.4 Million in Iraq Probe, US SEC Says BusinessWeek US Senate investigators have said Hussein stole $21.3 billion through the program, which was supposed to support UN sanctions on Iraq from 1996 to 2003. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| US Officials Call on Iraq to Form Government Voice of America US officials have hinted that some US troops might remain in Iraq after the scheduled withdrawal at the end of next year, if the Iraqi government wants them ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| $8.7-Billion Missing In Iraq Funds National Post The figure is nearly 96% of the US$9.1-billion the Pentagon received from the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), said the report from the US Special Inspector ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| House Passes $33 Bln In Afghanistan, Iraq War Spending NPR (blog) by Frank James The House passed legislation Tuesday containing $33 billion to fund the US military's efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Senate has already ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| US military deaths in Iraq war at 4413 Washington Post By AP AP -- As of Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at least 4413 members of the US military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Scores in Iraq head to religious festival despite bombing CNN By the CNN Wire Staff Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims will celebrate the Shaabaniya religious holiday on Wednesday, ... See all stories on this topic » |
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Blasts in Iraq target pilgrims, news station, killing dozens Dallas Morning News AP BAGHDAD – Two car bombs targeting Shiite pilgrims during a religious festival in Karbala killed 25 people Monday, police and hospital officials said. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Former UN weapons inspector Blix to face Iraq questions BBC News The man who led UN weapons inspectors in Iraq before the 2003 invasion is set to appear before the war inquiry. Hans Blix was a key figure in the months ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq inquiry 'has low standards of questioning' BBC News The Iraq inquiry has been "too easygoing" in grilling witnesses about the lead-up to the war, a former UK diplomat has said. Carne Ross told the BBC that ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Al-Qaida In Iraq Weakened But Still Dangerous NPR by Kelly McEvers An Iraqi soldier gives water to detainees after returning to base from a morning mission in Mosul, Iraq, June 5, 2010. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq's political impasse is a bad omen for the Arabs Daily Star - Lebanon Before I knew it, we were sitting next to a table whose guest of honor was Iyad Allawi, the newly appointed prime minister of Iraq, who was being hosted by ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Afghan businesses, troops accused of stealing fuel Washington Post Camille Nichols, head of the contracting authority for both Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has long criticized the international ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Volatile North still a powder keg as US exits Iraq eTaiwan News By Carlos Hamann As US troops withdraw from Iraq, a large swath of the oil-rich north coveted by the Kurdish regional government remains a powder keg that ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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July 27, 2010
Been following the leaks from Afghanistan...the untold covered up
stories, parts of them...people are getting very excited about the whole
thing, as if they've just discovered dynamite.
This shit has been going on for 10 years now...suddenly Afghanistan is remembered again...which is good but it's a tad late...thousands of lives have been destroyed in an already poor ravaged country...
The same happened to Iraq - it must take a big story for people to remember...again, meanwhile a whole nation and thousands of lives have been totally destroyed...and the same goes for occupied Palestine, it must take something monumental for the world, the Western world in particular to react...
It's like you need to go and dig for that empathy, through torturous routes, and all that it takes is for some Western run agency or person to divulge parts of the Truth, (because trust me the whole truth is still buried down there), for any of it to become credible...for any of it to be listened to...to be acknowledged...but for years and years...nothing much happened...I suppose people still secretly held on to the idea that the victim must have asked for it...must have deserved it somewhere...yes I know it sounds crude but damn it it rings so true...and this is another chapter, a thorny chapter reserved for later...
And most likely nothing much will happen again...a big brouhaha that will soon abate until another scoop comes along...
This is truly sickening...truly sickening, because nothing that has been leaked is new..it is not new knowledge...it is the barbarity of the US enterprise and that's not new knowledge...
So one layer of illusions has been torn away on one end and layers of skin have been torn away on the other end...and from the reactions I've been observing the message is clear to me - more layers of skin must be ripped apart before anything is believed ...the message am reading - give us more leaks about death and destruction so we can believe that we're not the people we believe we are...leak some more so we can slowly shed through our illusions about ourselves...at our own pace...like in 20 fucking years or maybe more...
And the other becomes more feed for you...for your self improvement.
This is too much...I will stop here.
This shit has been going on for 10 years now...suddenly Afghanistan is remembered again...which is good but it's a tad late...thousands of lives have been destroyed in an already poor ravaged country...
The same happened to Iraq - it must take a big story for people to remember...again, meanwhile a whole nation and thousands of lives have been totally destroyed...and the same goes for occupied Palestine, it must take something monumental for the world, the Western world in particular to react...
It's like you need to go and dig for that empathy, through torturous routes, and all that it takes is for some Western run agency or person to divulge parts of the Truth, (because trust me the whole truth is still buried down there), for any of it to become credible...for any of it to be listened to...to be acknowledged...but for years and years...nothing much happened...I suppose people still secretly held on to the idea that the victim must have asked for it...must have deserved it somewhere...yes I know it sounds crude but damn it it rings so true...and this is another chapter, a thorny chapter reserved for later...
And most likely nothing much will happen again...a big brouhaha that will soon abate until another scoop comes along...
This is truly sickening...truly sickening, because nothing that has been leaked is new..it is not new knowledge...it is the barbarity of the US enterprise and that's not new knowledge...
So one layer of illusions has been torn away on one end and layers of skin have been torn away on the other end...and from the reactions I've been observing the message is clear to me - more layers of skin must be ripped apart before anything is believed ...the message am reading - give us more leaks about death and destruction so we can believe that we're not the people we believe we are...leak some more so we can slowly shed through our illusions about ourselves...at our own pace...like in 20 fucking years or maybe more...
And the other becomes more feed for you...for your self improvement.
This is too much...I will stop here.
Mullen to review plans for US troop withdrawal from Iraq
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, is due
in Baghdad after a two-day visit to Afghanistan, where he checked on
progress in the nearly nine-year-old war. –Photo by Reuters
KANDAHAR: The US military’s top officer flies to Iraq Tuesday to review plans for a troop drawdown and efforts to form a new governing coalition, amid fresh violence targeting civilians.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was due in Baghdad after a two-day visit to Afghanistan, where he checked on progress in the nearly nine-year-old war.
His visit to Iraq comes after twin car bombs killed 21 people Monday in the southern Shiite holy city of Karbala, while four people died in a suicide attack on a Saudi-funded television channel in Baghdad.
US and Iraqi officials have warned of the dangers of a spike in violence as negotiations on forming a new governing coalition have dragged on without agreement, more than four months after parliamentary elections.
Mullen’s meetings were to include President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and the commander of US forces, General Ray Odierno, officials said.
There are currently 77,500 US soldiers in Iraq but all combat troops are due out by September 1, leaving a training and advisory force of 50,000 behind which is itself scheduled to withdraw by December 2011. —AFP
Tags: Iraq troops in Iraq US troop withdrawal
Iraq car bombs in Karbala kill 19 people
10:01 AM PST | Tue, 27 Jul, 2010
|
Sha'aban 14, 1431
Iraqi army soldiers stand near a massive crater outside the office of
the Al-Arabiya television station after a suicide bomber driving a
minibus struck in Baghdad. -AP Photo
KARBALA: Twin car bombs killed 19 people in the Shia holy city of Karbala in southern Iraq on Monday, while four people died in a suicide attack on a Saudi-funded television channel in Baghdad.
The blasts in Karbala, where commemoration ceremonies are due to begin on Wednesday, occurred at around 1600 GMT and left at least 47 wounded, interior ministry and medical officials said.
One of the explosions struck on the southern outskirts of the city, which is the site of revered shrines to Imam Hussein and Imam Abbas, but it was unclear where the second bomb detonated.
The car bombs exploded two days before the birthday of Mahdi, the 12th and the last imam. Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims are expected to descend on Karbala and the nearby holy city of Najaf for the ceremonies.
Meanwhile, a suspected Al-Qaeda suicide bomber blew up a car in front of the Baghdad offices of Al-Arabiya television, killing four people, a month after the Dubai-based channel was warned of insurgent threats.
The bomber struck at around 9:30 am (0630
GMT) before the station's bureau in the city centre, leaving a massive
crater and sending a plume of smoke into the air that could be seen from
several kilometres (miles) away.
A journalist for the pan-Arab satellite channel, said four people were killed, three security guards and a female office assistant. That toll was confirmed by an official at Al-Yarmuk hospital in west Baghdad.
An interior ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, put the casualty toll at three dead and 16 wounded. -AFP
Tags: iraq bomb attacks shia pilgrims
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Iraqi forces still frail as US troops head home Washington Post By LARA JAKES AP MOSUL, Iraq -- When the US ends its combat mission in Iraq five weeks from now, the nation's safety will be in the hands of its homegrown, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Diplomat claims his Iraq Inquiry evidence was 'blocked' BBC News The Foreign Office (FO) has declined to comment on claims by a former diplomat that it blocked key parts of his testimony to the Iraq Inquiry. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| IRAQ: My Baghdad field trip Los Angeles Times (blog) That is what is left to us after seven years of the US-led invasion of Iraq. It is considered an achievement that Iraqis play sports together. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq May Change Gas-Field Bidding-Round Date - Minister Wall Street Journal Iraq, home to the world's 11th-largest natural-gas reserves estimated at 3.15 trillion cubic meters, has a daily natural-gas production rate of 1.64 billion ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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| Soldiers put Iraq in rear-view Chattanooga Times Free Press The final leg of Sgt. Andy Youngs' journey from Iraq was aboard a big, white charter bus along hilly Interstate 24 into the arms of his 22-year-old wife, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
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July 25, 2010
The Donkey Party.
This is serious stuff...not satire at all.
While some have been converting to Paul the Octopus sect, in the wake of his World cup football predictions, am happy to announce that am converting or more aptly joining the Donkey party of Iraq - called in Arabic Jamiat Al Hameer Al Iraqiya. The Iraqi Donkey's Association also known as the Abu Saber Party.
The headquarters of this party which has been approved by the Kurdish Regional Government - probably the only intelligent thing this latter has done - are in Suleimaniya.
But this is no chauvinistic party and is not limited to "Kurdistan". The founder Omar Glul, secretary general of the Party is nicknamed Abu Saber. Abu Saber is also a name given to Donkeys in Iraq. Saber comes from Sabr and Sabr means Patience...Abu Saber means the Father of Patience and who better represents that than a Donkey ?!
The HQ are located in a 5 stars hotel in Suleimaniya. And this party has found much support and mobilization amongst the Iraqi population, in particular its intellectuals who pride themselves to be "original donkeys". And am happy to be one of them.
The Donkey Party branches are called stables and its manifesto is very simple.
The founder affirms that we should all live like donkeys - zmal in Iraqi, because at least Donkeys don't kill one another for power, money or politics...and Donkeys don't lie.
I've said before on this blog that I have never been a member of any party quoting G. Marx - I will never join any club that will accept me as a member...but I am making an exception, and am hoping that the Iraqi Donkey party will honor me and accept me as a loyal lifelong member...
Abu Saber - the Donkey - is running for office on the next round of elections in "Free and Democratic" Iraq - Please show full solidarity and vote for him.
Long live the Donkey Party of Iraq - Long Live Abu Saber.
P.S : Thank you Firas for guiding me to the Iraqi Donkey party...hope you will join us too.
July 23, 2010
More English Filth...
There was a program early evening on the new "debate" around the
"legality or illegality" of the war ON Iraq, taking place in not-so
Great Britain...
Seven years on, only now is there a debate about - if the reasons leading up to the war ON Iraq and consequently their legality are justified or not...
Oh my, the English are having a sudden coup de coeur for Iraq or what ?! Or are they just going through the usual motions of the "mea culpa" in an attempt to atone for the crimes ? You know trying to look good in public - stiff upper lip and plum in ass and what have you...
You lot make me laugh...and when I see you pontificate, my contempt and disdain grow even stronger...it kind of implants itself in my being, solid like rock, solid like roots from an old tree that refuses to bend...
What are you debating you wankers ?! Debating what exactly ? After what ? You really have no shame whatsoever. You are a total disgrace. A total failure. A totally immoral, amoral people.
So you want to give yourself a good conscience after 7 years of mayhem and murder, where we saw and still experience the unthinkable ? Where the most abject violations of basic human rights were carried out by none other than yourselves (and the dumb fucks called Americans) -- what are you debating you scum, you perverts of history !!!
The English turd said - now we will need to let go of the past and concentrate on helping Iraqis reconstruct their country....that English pervert did not say - Help the Iraqis re-construct what we destroyed....he did not say help the Iraqis get rid of the Iranian criminal puppets we installed for them. He did not say clean Iraq of millions of years of contamination and toxicity, he did not say pay for the horrendous damages we inflicted on an innocent country and an innocent people....
No, none of that was said --help us reconstruct what you English filthy, once a month bather piece of shit ? Reconstruct what ??? What is there left to reconstruct ?!
Why don't you and the American pieces of crap tell it like it is - why don't you say we wanted to invent a new Iraq but we are not managing...we have failed, we have tried but we can't make it...why don't you say - we would really like to leave it in chaos just like it is...because this is what you really want - only this will ensure the breaking of the Iraqi spirit...
Your fucked up General Maude did not manage it in the 20's, so you think you can give it a jolly good shot now - don't you ?
The legality of the war eh ?! After you made your Blair a viceroy of peace ?! After you voted for him twice ? After you massacred Iraq, and its south in particular ! After you tortured our people and sodomized them under her Majesty's rule. After you used the most lethal weapons on us during Gulf War I and II, leaving Iraqi mothers to give birth to babies with two fucking heads... Now you come and debate ?! Debate -- if the reasons leading up to the war were justified or not, debate how legal it was ?!
There is NOTHIING, absolutely NOTHING justifiable about your acts. NOTHING. And trust me, even if it takes another 20, 50 or 100 years, we will sue your putrid, filthy English arses...and you will pay...you will pay.
I heard that Iraqis took great pleasure in pissing over General Maude's grave, we're not done with you yet...
Seven years on, only now is there a debate about - if the reasons leading up to the war ON Iraq and consequently their legality are justified or not...
Oh my, the English are having a sudden coup de coeur for Iraq or what ?! Or are they just going through the usual motions of the "mea culpa" in an attempt to atone for the crimes ? You know trying to look good in public - stiff upper lip and plum in ass and what have you...
You lot make me laugh...and when I see you pontificate, my contempt and disdain grow even stronger...it kind of implants itself in my being, solid like rock, solid like roots from an old tree that refuses to bend...
What are you debating you wankers ?! Debating what exactly ? After what ? You really have no shame whatsoever. You are a total disgrace. A total failure. A totally immoral, amoral people.
So you want to give yourself a good conscience after 7 years of mayhem and murder, where we saw and still experience the unthinkable ? Where the most abject violations of basic human rights were carried out by none other than yourselves (and the dumb fucks called Americans) -- what are you debating you scum, you perverts of history !!!
The English turd said - now we will need to let go of the past and concentrate on helping Iraqis reconstruct their country....that English pervert did not say - Help the Iraqis re-construct what we destroyed....he did not say help the Iraqis get rid of the Iranian criminal puppets we installed for them. He did not say clean Iraq of millions of years of contamination and toxicity, he did not say pay for the horrendous damages we inflicted on an innocent country and an innocent people....
No, none of that was said --help us reconstruct what you English filthy, once a month bather piece of shit ? Reconstruct what ??? What is there left to reconstruct ?!
Why don't you and the American pieces of crap tell it like it is - why don't you say we wanted to invent a new Iraq but we are not managing...we have failed, we have tried but we can't make it...why don't you say - we would really like to leave it in chaos just like it is...because this is what you really want - only this will ensure the breaking of the Iraqi spirit...
Your fucked up General Maude did not manage it in the 20's, so you think you can give it a jolly good shot now - don't you ?
The legality of the war eh ?! After you made your Blair a viceroy of peace ?! After you voted for him twice ? After you massacred Iraq, and its south in particular ! After you tortured our people and sodomized them under her Majesty's rule. After you used the most lethal weapons on us during Gulf War I and II, leaving Iraqi mothers to give birth to babies with two fucking heads... Now you come and debate ?! Debate -- if the reasons leading up to the war were justified or not, debate how legal it was ?!
There is NOTHIING, absolutely NOTHING justifiable about your acts. NOTHING. And trust me, even if it takes another 20, 50 or 100 years, we will sue your putrid, filthy English arses...and you will pay...you will pay.
I heard that Iraqis took great pleasure in pissing over General Maude's grave, we're not done with you yet...
The Ultimate Truth about Iraq
Hussein Anwar
 |
July 25, 2010 For
a long time, I so much avoided writing this post, it was on my mind for
a long time but I kept on delaying it and delaying it and delaying it,
till I became so depressed, so not in the mood and a lump in my throat
and said "Fuck it...its not going to make any difference if I add more
salt to the wound." The
truth is...there is so much destruction in Iraq that it wont be
repaired till all the Iraqis' bones have become fossil fuels, and there
are things that wont get repaired at all, repairing the people who were
beaten, raped, prisoned, tortured, lost a loved one... repairing them
Psychologically in Rehab institutes...this is impossible...humans
dont forget what bad has been done to them and what injustice has been
done to them. Its just the way God created them...they dont have a
delete button like a PC...they never forget. Just like Layla Anwar said...its all in the head. Iraq
needs billions and billions and billions and billions of dollars if not
trillions to be repaired, and I am not talking about investment...fuck you and your investments.
I am talking about repairing the infrastructure, the hospitals, the
buildings, the economy, the farms that their palm trees were rooted
deliberately. And
as I said there are things that wont be repaired...it is just
impossible to repair them, be my guest and read an article below from
The Independent about Fallujah being worse than Hiroshima. Ever
body knows that the bastard Americans used depleted uranium,
internationally illegal weapons such as napalm and other sick chemical
weapons. Iraq's soil and mainly Fallujah is so radioactive because of
your sick depleted uranium and these are the results...RIGHT HERE!!! The
Iraq I knew and all the other Iraqis knew...is not coming back! that is
the fact, this blog will not liberate Iraq, not even a Billion blogs,
the main purpose of this blog is to make more people aware of the crimes
that have been done to Iraq and the injustice. Take
for example the night life of Baghdad and other provinces. The Elite
Society of Baghdad and by Elite I dont mean the rich ones, but I mean
the educated ones from all classes, lower, middle and upper, the
doctors, the intellectuals, the teachers, the young men and women from
well known respected families, the social clubs, the restaurants, the
stores...etc ITS NOT THERE ANYMORE! They
all left, the beautiful streets of Baghdad that match the perfect night
life of Baghdad are all destroyed, the restaurants, stores and people
are no longer there. These streets are being used as stores to store
merchandise. The owners of the restaurants, clubs and stores all left
and established a new business in other countries...what will bring them
back? only an Iraq like before will bring them back... The
doctors are no longer there that this puppet Iraqi government imported
Indian doctors...in the 80s we had Irish, British and American doctors
working for us. The doctors that hold a PHD and a Professors degree are
no longer there...fresh graduates began teaching at
Universities...Fresh graduates with no experience, not even a masters
degree. The doctors that hold PHD and Professors and even Masters
whether from Iraq or from England they all left...or were assassinated.
Here is an incomplete list of the doctors, professors, engineers and
intellectuals assassinated by the Iranian Militia in Iraq...HERE! This list is incomplete, and God knows how many others were assassinated from that day...till today. So
tell me...how can you repair such a country? The first step to repair
it...the resistance must triumph...and then for every accident there is a
talk...as we say in Iraqi. The music below...every time I listen to it...Iraq comes to my mind...and all the dead with it like a video tape inside my mind. |
:: Article nr. 68256 sent on 25-jul-2010 20:36 ECT
www.uruknet.info?p=68256
Link: nebuchadnezzar-ii.blogspot.com/2010/07/ultimate-truth-about-iraq.html
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| Schofield soldier killed in Iraq Honolulu Star-Advertiser By Star-Advertiser Staff A 24-year-old Schofield Barracks soldier was killed Wednesday when insurgents attacked his convoy in Iraq, the Pentagon reported. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| Dying faces, body bags: A battle shows how US military grapples with troops in ... FOXNews Nearly 20 percent of the 1.6 million troops who had returned from Iraq and Afghanistan reported symptoms of post-traumatic stress or major depression, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq facing international suspension again after rival factions hold meetings insideworldfootball July 24 - Iraq is risking suspension from international football for the second time in three years after rival groups trying to wrestle control of the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Militant leader killed in Iraq raid CNN International By the CNN Wire Staff Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi security forces killed a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq leader southeast of Baghdad, the US military said on ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Troops Return Home from Iraq NewsChannel5.com Most these soldiers call Cleveland Tennessee home. They've spent the last year in Iraq. Not even the scorching temperatures could dampen the mood. See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq's Political Impasse: Who Needs a Government? TIME 24, 2010 Iraqi Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, right, welcomes former Iraq's Prime Minister Iyad Allawi before a meeting in Damascus, Syria. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Volatile North still a powder keg as US exits Iraq Lanka Business Online WASHINGTON, July 25, 2010 (AFP) - As US troops withdraw from Iraq, a large swath of the oil-rich north coveted by the Kurdish regional government remains a ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
|
Google News Alert for: Iraq
| ||
| Governor meets with Massachusetts soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq Enterprise News The governor traveled through Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan, where he met with Massachusetts National Guardsmen and Army reservists serving there, ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Names of the Dead New York Times The Department of Defense has identified 4404 American service members who have died since the start of the Iraq war. It confirmed the death of the ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq, Again New York Times (blog) ... tells us that his “biggest mistake” was not fighting back against the perception that the Bush administration deliberately misled us into the Iraq war. ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Iraq inquiry: Ex MI5 chief pulls no punches BBC News Significantly though, Eliza Manningham-Buller was coming out of the shadows to give evidence in public to the Iraq inquiry. She is the first witness from ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| ||
| 'Don't ask' critic Dan Choi honorably discharged Washington Post (blog) Pentagon faces new pressures to trim budget: The combination of big budget deficits, the winding down of the war in Iraq and President Obama's pledge to ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| INTERVIEW: Iraq, Intl Cos Discuss Building 4 Refineries-Deputy Oil Min Wall Street Journal Shammaa said Iraq's first priority refinery is in Kerbala governorate south of Baghdad with a production capacity of 140000 barrels a day and an estimated ... See all stories on this topic » | ||
| Families of fallen soldiers gather in DC Washington Post (blog) About 2000 families of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan are expected to join a Weekend of Remembrance activities in Washington. ... See all stories on this topic » |
Iraq snapshot - July 22, 2010
The Common Ills
:: Article nr. 68185 sent on 23-jul-2010 18:52 ECT Thursday July 22, 2010. Chaos and violence continues, the Iraqi refugee crisis continues, the US (and many other countries) offers a paltry dollar figure towards humanitarian relief, Turkey looks for new ways to keep the PKK out, and more. Starting with Iraqi refugees. Tuesday the United Nations released [PDF format warning] "Regional Response Plan for Iraqi Refugees."
The 108 page report focuses on "the immediate needs of Iraqi refugees
in 12 countries: Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Iran" Oman,
Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudia Arabia and the UAE. Syria, Jordan and
Lebanon continue to house the most Iraqi refugees. And humanitarian
organizations -- including the UNHCR, CARITAS, CARE International,
UNICEF, France RC, -- are suffering from a drop in donations. This comes
at a time when Iraq itself continues to be unstable. The report notes
that "human rights violations continue, including illegal detention,
targeted killing, kidnapping and discrimination. The formation of a new
Government following the Parliamentary elections in March continues to
be delayed and the political vacuum may continue until August or
September 2010." These conditions and others continue to influence the
flow of Iraqis out of Iraq and create new refugees -- with very few
refugees (the report covers external refugees only) returning to Iraq.
In Syria, for example, new Iraqi refugees are citing "threats made
against them" and/or "the security situation in their area" as reasons
for departing Iraq in 2010. One new feature emerging is a drop in
official refugees. How can that be? Many
refugees are no longer apparently confident that they can be helped and
they have been dropped from the UNHCR rolls (it's noted that all they
have to do is ask to be reactivated). In addition, this year, the UN has
resetled 7,918 Iraqi refugees as of May 31st. The report offers a
breakdown of registered refugees by country and by gender. GCC is Gulf
Cooperation Council and Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudia Arabia and
the UAE make up the GCC. Iraqi refugees (registered) in Syria,
Jordan and Egypt make up 49% of each countries' Iraqi refugees. By
contrast, in Lebanaon, females make up only 36% of the Iraqi refugee
population with males coming in at 64%. All host countries have similar
needs because the realities refugees face don't differ a great deal.
They need medical assistance, they need food assistance, they need
training if they're fortunate enough to be in an area that will allow
them to work, they need housing assistance and much more. It's all the
basics and with the global economy having dived, donations are down to
humanitarian organizations. We
won't provide a breakdown of each country (the report does); however,
we will not a camp on the border between Syria and Iraq. Iraq's
Palestinian population has been noted at this site several time before;
however, it is the segment of the population that has received the least
attention at this site. So we'll note the section on the ones at
Al-Hol camp in full. But first, Palestinians who became Iraqi refugees
mainly populated Al-Hol, Al-Tanaf, Al-Walid and Al-Ruwesiehed camps.
The Al-Tanaf camp closed February 1st. The Al-Hol camp was set up in
1991, during the first Gulf War. Children of this camp attend Syrian
schools. From the report, we'll note: As of 15 May 2010, some 561 Palestinians from Iraq were living in Al-Hol camp. This population comprises three major groups: 1) The former Al-Hol camp population, the majority of whom is awaiting the completion of formalities for resettlement departure. 2)
The remaining Al-Tanf population who were transferred to Al-Hol between
the ened of 2009 and 31 January 2010, and have fallen outside the
resettlement process for Al-Tanf camp. 3) Palestinian refugees recently arrived at the camp from Damascus. Since
the beginning of the year, various achievements have been made. They
include the closure of the Al-Tanf camp, thanks to increased advocacy
efforts by the humanitarian community in 2009 with the Syrian Government
and resettlement countries. Regarding
the Al-Hol situation, improved and standardized registration procedures
for camp residents have been introduced, all vulnerabilites and basic
bio-data being checked and updated. Three refugee committees were newly
elected and participate in the camp management and decision-making
process. All
agencies involved have set up and now closely monitor an accountability
framework of the activities. On the assistance side, all shelters have
been connected to the potable water system; a food basket was agreed at
the beginning of the year with the refugee community; primary health
care has been provided at the camp level; and regular food and NFI
distributions (such as hygiene kits or school supplies) have taken
place. In
terms of solutions, return to Iraq is not considered a viable option,
given the current security situation and the uncertain future for
Palestinians in Iraq. Resettlement is still considered the most
desirable option for Palestinians ex-Iraq living in Al-Hol camp. At the
same time, UNHCR and UNRWA are exploring a local temporary solution with
the Syrian authorities, whereby part of the remaining Palestinian
population from Iraq would be authorized to regularize their stay and
enjoy a set of minimal rights. In
this view, and similarly to the process that took place in Al-Tanf, the
Syrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs has publicly communicated that its
objective is to support the joint efforts to close Al-Hol camp by the
end of 2010. It's
worth noting that while US government dollars have been wasted on a
huge number of projects and 'projects,' the US -- which led on the Iraq
War which produced the refugee crisis -- has only agreed to provide
$17,724,493 (in US dollars). That's appalling. Though they can take
pride in not being the United Kingdom ($2,400,000). And Australia whose
John Howard (prime minister when the war started) wanted to be a player
and got so upset when the press would forget to mention him as one of
the three big leaders on the war? They're bellying up to the bar to
waive $161,570. They can't even reach the million mark. How very sad.
Of course, these are only the figures to date and all the countries --
including the US -- could increase their contributions before the end of
the year. Refugees International issued the following press release today: Washington,
D.C. -- Refugees International President L. Craig Johnstone today
called for a greater U.S. commitment to more than two million Iraqis who
have fled their homes due to conflict and fear of persecution during
seven years of U.S. engagement in Iraq. "As the U.S. military departs Iraq it is leaving behind nearly 500,000 Iraqi refugees -- mainly in Syria and Jordan -- and one and a half million Iraqis who have been uprooted from their homes, many of whom live in total destitution in shanty towns of Iraq," said L. Craig Johnstone, President of Refugees International. "This is the tragic legacy of the conflict in Iraq and as the United States disengages militarily it would be unconscionable to abandon our responsibilities to these civilian victims of war." Ambassador Johnstone testified at a Helsinki Commission hearing, "No Way Home, No Way to Escape: The Plight of Iraqi Refugees and Our Iraqi Allies." Johnstone is former Deputy UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and former U.S. Ambassador and Director for Resources, Plans and Policy in the Department of State. Recalling his own experiences in Vietnam, he called on Congress and the Administration to step up to its commitment to Iraqi refugees, as it did after the fall of Saigon. "The United States was woefully unprepared for the collapse of South Vietnam and unfortunately the prevailing attitude bordered on callous disregard for the well being of the many Vietnamese civilians the U.S. was about to leave behind," stated Johnstone. "But as Saigon was falling, the nation mobilized with unprecedented effort, opening its arms to welcome to hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese refugees. We now face an analogous situation in Iraq, and the United States must again wake up to its responsibility -- this time to the millions of Iraqi civilians displaced by the war." Johnstone asked Congress to expand the program that has resettled some 48,000 Iraqis in the Unites States, and to provide greater financial and social support for refugees struggling to rebuild their lives. Seven years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, an unprecedented number of Iraqis are still living in squatter slums filled with open sewers and lacking water and electricity. Most of the squatter settlements are located precariously under bridges, alongside railroad tracks and amongst garbage dumps. Following visits this year to 20 different squatter settlements throughout Iraq, RI found that nearly 500,000 Iraqis are left living in squalor receiving little help from the Iraqi government, aid agencies and the United Nations. Johnstone called on Congress and the Administration to fund at least 50 percent of the United Nations humanitarian appeals for Iraq and noted that to date it has funded only 23 percent of the some $700 million requested. "The United States must fund humanitarian efforts in proportion to its responsibility," stated Johnstone. RI also recommended that the UN adapt its security measures so that humanitarian officials can access squatter communities regularly and provide assistance. "UN and U.S. officials need to get out of the Green Zone and work the problem where it is, in the slums, in the cardboard shelters that go without electricity or sewage systems," stated Johnstone. In February RI staff traveled to Iraq, Jordan and Syria where they interviewed displaced people, local and national government officials and international agencies. Since November 2006, the organization has conducted eleven missions to the Middle East and has led the call to increase assistance and solutions for displaced Iraqis. To read the report, go to: http://www.refugeesinternational.org/policy/field-report/iraq-humanitari... Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises and receives no government or UN funding. www.refugeesinternational.org. Oussayma Canbarieh (CBC) reported
Friday from Damascus on Iraqi refugees (the UN report notes that
Damascus is home to the most Iraqi refugees within Syria) where people
like Zakiya reside: "Look at me here, I used to be happy. Now, I've lost
it all. First two of my daughters were killed and, a couple of months
ago, my husband went back to Baghdad to get us some of our savings and
he never came back." Meanwhile John Pontifex notes
that Syrian Bishop Antoine Audo SJ has thanked Aid to the Church in
Need for their latest contribution of $29,000. From Pontifex's press
release: The
Chaldean-rite bishop, who is a Jesuit, said: "I do not think the
situation for Christians in Iraq is improving. It is still difficult
especially in Mosul [city, north Iraq]. "In Baghdad, it varies a lot. Life can be quite normal and then suddenly there can be attacks on the churches and acts of persecution against the people." His comments come after Pope Benedict XVI told the new Iraqi ambassador to the Holy See that the beleaguered country should "give priority to improved security, particularly for the various minorities". At the meeting earlier this month in which Habeeb Mohammed Hadi Ali al-Sadr presented his credentials to the Pontiff, the Pope stressed his concern that if at all possible, Christians resolve to stay in their ancestral homeland. But he added: "Iraqi Christians need to know that it is safe for them to remain in or return to their homes and they need assurances that their properties will be restored to them and their rights upheld." Aid to the Church in Need is prioritising help for the Middle East after Pope Benedict XVI told the charity that "Churches in the Middle East are threatened in their very existence." As well as helping Iraqi Christian refugees in Syria, ACN is providing aid for those fleeing to Turkey and Jordan. Also giving thanks this week was Ayad Allawi. Al Jazeera notes, "Allawi
in turn thanked Syria for hosting hundreds of thousands of Iraqi
refugees and for its support for efforts to restore stability in Iraq." Meanwhile AINA reports that the Council of Europe is demanding that "the Swedish government stop the deportation of Iraqis." And Gabriel Gatehouse (BBC News -- link has video) reports on an internal refugee camp within Iraq near the Iranian border. Gabriel
Gatehouse: [. . .] this tent village has grown up in just the last
month. The people who are living here now come from villages between
here and that border [Iranian border] and they fled because of the
persistent shelling from inside Iran and aerial bombardments byTurkish
planes. They're living a very basic life, water systems provided by
UNHCR, the same for the tents they're living in. These people are
farmers, they're too scared to go back home to their villages. What's
more, they don't know when they'll be able to go back. Turkish
military aircraft is targeting the PKK -- a Kurdish group which
believes in an autonomous, Kurdish homeland and is considered a
terrorist organization by Turkey, Iraq, the US and others. From the June 3rd snapshot: "Shamal Arqawi (Reuters) reports
that the cease fire the PKK had with Turkey is now off according to
'PKK spokesman Ahmed Danees [. . .] in Kurdistan. This followed PKK
leader (one of them) Abdullah Ocalan, in prison in Turkey since 1999,
stated he was no longer engaging in any dialoge with the government of
Turkey. Last month a historic visit took place to Turkey and that got
little attention as well. Even though PBS' NewsHour had Turkey's Foreign Minister on as a guest the day before, they didn't even bother to ask about the meeting. Robert Olson (Lexington Herald-Leader) offers: Turkey reportedly offered KRG President Masoud Barzani these choices when he visited in June: The KRG takes unilateral armed action to destroy PKK bases in Iraq; or the KRG, Baghdad government and/or U.S. forces take joint action against the camps. Failing either of those, Turkey undertakes "unilateral armed action against the PKK in Iraq," including a substantial land invasion. Turkey's top commanders say the U.S. -- loathe to diminish the political and military power of the KRG or the Kurds in Iraq -- would oppose a major Turkish incursion. But if the PKK attacks from Iraq into Turkey continue, Ankara may risk U.S. ire by launching an invasion into northern Iraq because Turkish nationalist outrage against the PKK and Kurds could hurt the ruling Justice and Development Part (JDP), led by Prime Minster Recep Tayyib Erdogan, in next year's national election. Today's Zaman reports, "Turkish defense authorities have decided to use remote sensing systems, called 'moles,' to prevent the infiltration of terrorists from Turkey's border with northern Iraq and to ensure the security of military outposts along the border." As they work to keep the PKK from slipping in, Justin Vela (Asia Times) notes, Turkey is flooding northern Iraq with investment money which is, historically, one way to control a region. Gabriel Gatehouse (BBC News) reports from a PKK camp in northern Iraq: After a number of abortive approaches, we finally made contact with the PKK. With the help of a guide, for hours we travelled by car along miles of bumpy, unpaved winding roads up into the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq. When we got to the camp, hidden in a dip in the mountains, our reception was friendly but guarded. Few of the fighters wanted to talk to us. About a third of them are women. All were dressed in the same heavy green uniform. Most carried Kalashnikov rifles. Violence isn't only on the borders of Iraq. Tim Arango (New York Times) reports
the Green Zone was attacked with a rocket and 3 "foreign contractors"
who work for the US Embassy in Baghdad were killed in the attack with
fifteen more ("including two American citizens") injured. Ben Lando (Wall St. Journal) notes the dead hailed from Uganda (two of the dead) and Peru and that "nationalities of the other 13 injured aren't known." Bombings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
four Baghdad roadside bombing which injured three people, a Baghdad
mortar attack which injured two people, a Diyala Province sticky bombing
blew up a police officer's motorcycle, a Mosul roadside bombing claimed
1 life and left four injured (all police officers), a Mosul roadside
bombing wounded three people, a Mosul sticky bombing claimed the life of
"a retired Brig. Gen." and a Falluja roadside bombing claimed 1 life. Shootings? Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) reports
Iraqi military officer Ahmed Jassim was injured in a Baghdad shooting, 1
civilian was killed in another Baghdad shooting (and one person
wounded), 1 civilian was shot dead in a Mosul shooting (and two police
officers and a female civilian were injured), another Mosul shooting
claimed 1 life and another Mosul shooting claimed 1 life. In other news, Ned Parker and Usama Redha (Los Angeles Times) report Camp Cropper prison (just handed semi-over to Iraqis -- US military retains one wing) saw four prisoners escape today. Meanwhile
March 7th, Iraq concluded Parliamentary elections. Three months and two
days later, still no government. 163 seats are needed to form the
executive government (prime minister and council of ministers). When no
single slate wins 163 seats (or possibly higher -- 163 is the number
today but the Parliament added seats this election and, in four more
years, they may add more which could increase the number of seats needed
to form the executive government), power-sharing coalitions must be
formed with other slates, parties and/or individual candidates. (Eight
Parliament seats were awarded, for example, to minority candidates who
represent various religious minorities in Iraq.) Ayad Allawi is the head
of Iraqiya which won 91 seats in the Parliament making it the biggest
seat holder. Second place went to State Of Law which Nouri al-Maliki,
the current prime minister, heads. They won 89 seats. Nouri made a big
show of lodging complaints and issuing allegations to distract and
delay the certification of the initial results while he formed a
power-sharing coalition with third place winner Iraqi National Alliance
-- this coalition still does not give them 163 seats. They are claiming
they have the right to form the government. It's four months and five
days and, in 2005, Iraq took four months and seven days to pick a prime minister. Today makes it four months and fifteen days without any government being established. The Council of Foreign Relations' Mohamad Bazzi (New York Daily News) focuses on Moqtada al-Sadr's face-to-face with Ayad Allawi earlier this week, "But Sadr's political ascendance threatens to stoke sectarian tensions in Iraq: His followers were responsible for some of the worst atrocities against Sunnis during the country's recent civil war. Sadr's militia, the Mahdi Army, unleashed death squads that assassinated Sunnis and drove them out of Shiite neighborhoods." The editorial board of the New York Times weighs in on the stalemate: Four months after national elections gave a cross-sectarian alliance led by Ayad Allawi, a former prime minister, a two-seat lead over Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's Shiite coalition, Iraqi politicians are still squabbling over who should form the new government. Until that is sorted out, Mr. Maliki is in charge -- a caretaker with limited authority. The list of problems for the new government to address is long. Iraq's economy is growing, but even the most optimistic estimate puts unemployment at 15 percent. Despite billions of dollars in American aid -- too much of it squandered on corruption and mismanagement -- Iraqis still lack adequate electricity. Iraqi politicians also have yet to settle some of the most difficult, and potentially combustible, political issues. The government has to come up with a better plan for protecting, and employing, former Sunni insurgents whose decision to switch sides helped quell the violence. They are increasingly the target of revenge killings by Al Qaeda in Iraq. The Parliament still has not agreed on laws for negotiating oil contracts and for sharing oil revenues. Competing Kurdish and Arab claims to the oil-rich city of Kirkuk must be settled. In London yesterday, the Iraq Inquiry heard from Stephen
White (Director of Law and Order and Senior Policy Adviser to the
Coalition Provisional Authority, 2003 - 2004), Colin Smith (Senior
Police Adviser, Basra, 2005 - 2006), Lt Gen Anthony Palmer (Deputy Chief
of Defence Staff - Personnel - 2002 - 2005), Lt Gen Alistair Irwin
(Adjutant General, 2003 - 2005), Carolyn Miller (Director Europe, Middle
East and Americas, Department for International Debelopment 2001 -
2004) (link goes to video and transcript option). Last week, we were calling out Dimiter Kenarov's idiotic article for Esquire where he was glorifying DynCorps. So we'll note that they got a shout-out in the hearing. Colin Smith: I don't think they were initially. I think the IPLOs, who worked the Dyncorps were really working as part of CPATT and they saw their role as looking at 22 very much logistics. They didn't see them themselves coming under British military command. They didn't see themselves coming under my command. So they attended weekly meetings with the Provost Marshall in the APOD, MND South East headquarters, but they really were operating -- I brought them in -- when I looked at the development strategy, I brought them on board and their views were taken. I tried to bring them in to be more inclusive but it was difficult because they just awe [saw] themselves as part of CPATT, which was a US-led organisation. They didn't see themselves as part of the team. I made them welcome and I think by the time I left, I would like to say again the work Dave Haverley(?) and his team did -- that we brought them all on board. The Armourgroup when I arrived, were very much on a contract, set to do certain things -- mentoring, monitoring, advising and I was slightly surprised to find they weren't actually under my control. So I couldn't task them. Contractors were mentioned in James Jeffrey's hearing this week on his nomination to be the US Ambassador to Iraq (click here for Tuesday's snapshot, Wednesday's snapshot, Kat's coverage, Ava's coverage and Wally's coverage). It's worth noting that there are few problems that could spring up in the coming months with contractors that could be seen as surprising at this late date. A point to remember should mercenaries shoot up Iraqi civilians again and the State Dept try to spin a Condi Rice golden oldie: "No one could have guessed." We'll note this from Lt Gen Anthony Palmer's testimony: Committee Member MARTIN GILBERT: I would like to ask about a specific MoD announcement which we have taken evidence on. That was the announcement in March 2003, made on 20 March, that unmarried partners of service personnel killed in operations might be eligible for the equivalent of a widow's pension so long as certain eligibility criteria were met. Can you tell us the background to this rather important change of policy? LT. GEN. ANTHONY PALMER: Gosh! Well, clearly it has to be seen in the general context of government policy on partners more widely. My own personal view was that we ought to be responding to partnerships in exactly the same way as we should be responding to marriages, and that, of course, eventually became the law. So we were looking for a response which took that into account, and to me, quite clearly, if somebody had been living as a partner, provided it could be proved, and I seem to recall one of the difficulties was to define exactly what a partner was and, as I recollect, it was if there was a joint mortgage on a house or whatever. So, as you can imagine, in the armed forces there are partnerships and partnerships, and some are enduring and really take the place of a marriage and others less so. So this, again, I think is an example of where we had to tread very carefully. Another issue I think was that there was a bit of reluctance within some parts of the armed forces on the partnership issue. It wasn't generally accepted that it was going to be necessarily a good thing to have people who were married and people who were partners, and we are going back eight years now, so obviously the situation has changed since, living on the same married quarter, etc. So there were issues like that. That's why I say that coordination, consultation with the principal personnel officers and, of course, with ministers on this issue, and sometimes other government departments, was extremely important to produce an enduring policy. Committee Member MARTIN GILBERT: Given the actual timing of it, to what extent was it driven by the imminence of the invasion, and to what extent was it a longer element that just happened to come into place on that day? LT. GEN. ANTHONY PALMER: Well, quite clearly, there were going to be issues that were going to affect people in partnerships, that were going to need to have exactly the same treatment as people in marriage, for instance, in the event of a fatality or whatever. As I said, I was very keen to make sure that these people were treated with the same degree of compassion and sensitivity, because, to me, a partnership, provided it meets the criteria, is every bit as much a commitment as a marriage, that they should be treated exactly the same and that is eventually what happened. LT. GEN. SIR ALISTAIR IRWIN: I have a little titbit to add to that, if that's helpful. I am pretty sure I am right in remembering that the issue of partners' entitlements emerged after the death in action of Bombadier Tinnion in Sierra Leone, during the course of a helicopter assault in the rescuing of some hostages. Bombadier Tinnion's partner -- I think they had a baby. I think they had been planning to get married, but they had not got round to it. The rules at the time clearly were going to be disadvantageous to her, because there was no entitlement to anything of the things she would have had, had she been a wife. There was then -- that, I think, was in 1999, something like that, towards the end of 1999. So from then until -- I don't remember when, but certainly halfway through my time as Adjutant General, this was an issue that was debated, and, you know, as Anthony says, there were a lot of different opinions. Certainly at the beginning of the argument, as Adjutant General, I am afraid I took an old-fashioned view that, you know, commitment means marriage and, if you love somebody enough, you should marry and then -- but clearly this is an out-of-date idea now. Chris Ames (Iraq Inquiry Digest) covers Carolyn Miller's testimony here. And that covers the three testimonies worth noting. Turning to the issue of US service members. This afternoon, Lt Dan Choi Tweeted the following: I have been discharged under DADT. Our fight is just beginning. http://tiny.cc/thpr5 n England, Today (BBC News -- link has audio) speaks
with Iraq War veteran Sgt Maj John Dale who states, "You can't come
back and just switch off." Meanwhile in the US, Iraq War veteran Peter
Kastner has taken his own life. WSAW reports that he was discovered at Yellowstone National Park. WQOW notes that Park Rangers began looking for him in May after finding his rental car but only discovered his body last week. His father Larry Kastner tells WXOW that his son suffered from PTSD. KOTV reports that the "autoposy revealed Kastner died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound." KRTV adds,
"Kastner had been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps after
serving for four years. During his service, he was injured twice by
Improvised Explosive Devices while serving in Iraq." John Brewer (Pioneer Press) explains,
"Male veterans are twice as likely as civilians of either gender to
commit suicide, according to the VA, with 1,000 suicides occurring per
year among veterans receiving VA care. About 5,000 suicides occur per
year among all living veterans, the VA said, an average of 14 veterans a
day." The House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees have examined the suicide rate and other issues effecting veterans such as education which is the topic of a press release issued by Senator Daniel Akak who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee: AKAKA TO MOVE FORWARD WITH POST-9/11 GI BILL IMPROVEMENT ACT Chairman holds hearing on strengthening new education program WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Following a favorable hearing on improving the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) is preparing to move forward with legislation to improve the new program. "The original GI Bill changed my life and our country," said Akaka, one of three current U.S. Senators who went to college on the original GI Bill. "I am committed to strengthening the new program for post-9/11 troops and veterans, and I look forward to moving this improvement bill to a vote." Akaka is the author of a S. 3447, the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, a bill to enhance the new education benefit for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is scheduled to hold a markup of pending legislation on August 5, 2010, at which point Akaka intends to bring the bill up for a vote. At the hearing yesterday, witnesses testified in support of the legislation and offered suggestions. Eric Hilleman of the Veterans of Foreign Wars stated that Senator Akaka's legislation "addresses every area of concern the VFW has with improving the Post-9/11 GI Bill." Tim Embree from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America offered ideas for the draft bill as well as IAVA's endorsement. Embree said the "discussion draft of S. 3447 will improve the New GI Bill and ensure that all student veterans have access to the most generous investment in veterans' education since World War II." Akaka, a World War II veteran, attended the University of Hawaii-Manoa on the original GI Bill. He cosponsored the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and worked with Senator Jim Webb (D-Virginia) to revise and negotiate the legislation. More information about the hearing, including statements, testimony and the webcast is available here: |