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design: OMI Ripped, by nakaithus
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Barak Defends Plan to Assassinate Saddam: "Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak defended an Israeli plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein in 1992, breaking his silence on an operation that was canceled after five Israeli commandos were killed during a dress rehearsal. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Attacks Decline in the Iraqi City Samarra: "After emerging as one of the worst trouble spots for U.S. forces in Iraq, the violence in Samarra tapered off this week amid raids by American troops and calls by Muslim clerics for insurgents to halt attacks that lead to civilian deaths. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkish court charges man in bombings: "An anti-terrorism court Friday charged a Turk with an offense amounting to treason after authorities said he acted as a link between al-Qaida and suicide bombers in attacks that killed 62 people in Istanbul last month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
How Army Sleuths Stalked the Adviser Who Led to Hussein: "The man who led U.S. Special Operations forces to Saddam Hussein's hideaway was not on anyone's Top 55 or even Top 200 fugitive list."
In New York Times: World Special
Yes, Convoy Was Attacked, Bremer Says: "L. Paul Bremer III, the top American official in Iraq, acknowledged on Friday that a convoy he was traveling in two weeks ago had been attacked."
In New York Times: World Special
Halliburton Says It Saved U.S. Oil Money: "Halliburton officials noted that it saved taxpayers $164 million by importing most of the fuel from Turkey."
In New York Times: World Special
Baker Briefs Bush on Trip on Reducing Iraq's Debt: "Administration officials pronounce James A. Baker's trip ? to France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Britain ? a success."
In New York Times: World Special
Fears of Retaliation for U.S. Limits on Iraq Work: "The decision to ban certain countries from bidding on reconstruction projects may come back to haunt some American companies."
In New York Times: World Special
2 Kurdish Parties Close to Forming Unity Government: "Once they have created a single government in the Kurdish areas of the north, Kurdish officials will push for a federalist system in Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
The Aftermath: ""It started about 3pm in Fallujah. From the time it was announced that Saddam was caught, until about 3pm, everyone was astonished. There was no reaction, just waiting, to see if it was true. There was a rumour that he was seen in Fallujah, so people went out cheering. Explosions started, people demonstrated in the streets, with lots of heavy firing till midnight, rockets, RPGs." Jo Wilding writes about the reaction of Iraqis to Saddam Hussein's capture."
In Electronic Iraq
A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Dec. 19, 460 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 315 died as a result of hostile action and 145 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam, Libya Announcements Boost Blair: "In less than a week, Prime Minister Tony Blair has had two big moments in the international spotlight, going public first with important good news for him and close ally President Bush. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-Atty. General Would Aid Saddam Defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-atty. general would aid Saddam defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bomb demolishes Badr Brigade HQ in Baghdad: "Bomb blast in Baghdad destroys the HQ of the Badr Brigade. What will the Shi'ites do now?"
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Anti-Bush Iraq Documentary Makes the Party Circuit: "In the midst of a film industrycrackdown on digital movie piracy, filmmaker Robert Greenwaldis urging rampant, unauthorized copying of his documentarycriticizing the Bush administration's reasons for invadingIraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
War in Iraq Voted Top Story of 2003: "The "major combat" phase was over in six weeks, but the war in Iraq - from its tumultuous prelude to a still-active insurgency - was in the global spotlight throughout the year. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Democrats Press Rumsfeld for Halliburton Records: "Democratic lawmakers pressed DefenseSecretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday for records that could shedlight on a draft audit that found Halliburton may haveovercharged the U.S. government by $61 million for fuel itshipped into Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Homemade Humvee armor gets a no-go from Pentagon in IraqWar.info
Mideast 'road map' architects to meet: "The architects of the "road map" to Palestinian-Israeli peace hope to meet early next year to press for its implementation, the European Union's top diplomat said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Why did the West lend so much to Iraq?: "Iraq is swamped by more than $120 billion in debt that clouds its economic future. Where did it come from? Why did so many Western democracies, including the United States, lend so much money to President Saddam Hussein? What happens now?"
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Attacks Decline in the Iraqi City Samarra: "After emerging as one of the worst trouble spots for U.S. forces in Iraq, the violence in Samarra tapered off this week amid raids by American troops and calls by Muslim clerics for insurgents to halt attacks that lead to civilian deaths. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Turkish court charges man in bombings: "An anti-terrorism court Friday charged a Turk with an offense amounting to treason after authorities said he acted as a link between al-Qaida and suicide bombers in attacks that killed 62 people in Istanbul last month."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
How Army Sleuths Stalked the Adviser Who Led to Hussein: "The man who led U.S. Special Operations forces to Saddam Hussein's hideaway was not on anyone's Top 55 or even Top 200 fugitive list."
In New York Times: World Special
Yes, Convoy Was Attacked, Bremer Says: "L. Paul Bremer III, the top American official in Iraq, acknowledged on Friday that a convoy he was traveling in two weeks ago had been attacked."
In New York Times: World Special
Halliburton Says It Saved U.S. Oil Money: "Halliburton officials noted that it saved taxpayers $164 million by importing most of the fuel from Turkey."
In New York Times: World Special
Baker Briefs Bush on Trip on Reducing Iraq's Debt: "Administration officials pronounce James A. Baker's trip ? to France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Britain ? a success."
In New York Times: World Special
Fears of Retaliation for U.S. Limits on Iraq Work: "The decision to ban certain countries from bidding on reconstruction projects may come back to haunt some American companies."
In New York Times: World Special
2 Kurdish Parties Close to Forming Unity Government: "Once they have created a single government in the Kurdish areas of the north, Kurdish officials will push for a federalist system in Iraq."
In New York Times: World Special
The Aftermath: ""It started about 3pm in Fallujah. From the time it was announced that Saddam was caught, until about 3pm, everyone was astonished. There was no reaction, just waiting, to see if it was true. There was a rumour that he was seen in Fallujah, so people went out cheering. Explosions started, people demonstrated in the streets, with lots of heavy firing till midnight, rockets, RPGs." Jo Wilding writes about the reaction of Iraqis to Saddam Hussein's capture."
In Electronic Iraq
A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Dec. 19, 460 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 315 died as a result of hostile action and 145 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Saddam, Libya Announcements Boost Blair: "In less than a week, Prime Minister Tony Blair has had two big moments in the international spotlight, going public first with important good news for him and close ally President Bush. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-Atty. General Would Aid Saddam Defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ex-atty. general would aid Saddam defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Bomb demolishes Badr Brigade HQ in Baghdad: "Bomb blast in Baghdad destroys the HQ of the Badr Brigade. What will the Shi'ites do now?"
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Anti-Bush Iraq Documentary Makes the Party Circuit: "In the midst of a film industrycrackdown on digital movie piracy, filmmaker Robert Greenwaldis urging rampant, unauthorized copying of his documentarycriticizing the Bush administration's reasons for invadingIraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
War in Iraq Voted Top Story of 2003: "The "major combat" phase was over in six weeks, but the war in Iraq - from its tumultuous prelude to a still-active insurgency - was in the global spotlight throughout the year. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Democrats Press Rumsfeld for Halliburton Records: "Democratic lawmakers pressed DefenseSecretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday for records that could shedlight on a draft audit that found Halliburton may haveovercharged the U.S. government by $61 million for fuel itshipped into Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Homemade Humvee armor gets a no-go from Pentagon in IraqWar.info
Mideast 'road map' architects to meet: "The architects of the "road map" to Palestinian-Israeli peace hope to meet early next year to press for its implementation, the European Union's top diplomat said Friday."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Why did the West lend so much to Iraq?: "Iraq is swamped by more than $120 billion in debt that clouds its economic future. Where did it come from? Why did so many Western democracies, including the United States, lend so much money to President Saddam Hussein? What happens now?"
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Friday, December 19, 2003
Freedom Tower Design
The proposed Freedom Tower, center, is seen from the south, with the Statue of Liberty at left, in this artist's architectural illustration by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, released by the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., in New York, Friday Dec. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Lower Manhattan Development Corp., HO)
Rebels kill one U.S. soldier in Iraq: "Rebels killed a U.S. soldier in the first fatal ambush for the U.S. military since the capture of Saddam Hussein last weekend. Also in the Iraqi capital, Shiites buried an assassinated politician Thursday after a sneak attack blamed on Saddam loyalists."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudi warning doesn't sway some Americans: "As armored personnel carriers and heavily armed soldiers guarded Western housing compounds, some Americans said Thursday they were in no rush to leave Saudi Arabia despite a State Department recommendation that U.S. citizens depart because of terrorism threats."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Russia Willing to Discuss Iraqi Debt: "President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is willing to start negotiations on forgiving Iraq's $8 billion in debt to Moscow, its largest creditor. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ðîññèÿ ãîòîâà îáñóäèòü ñîêðàùåíèå èðàêñêîãî äîëãà ñ ó÷åòîì ñâîèõ èíòåðåñîâ: " ÷åòâåðã ðîññèéñêàÿ ñòîðîíà âûðàçèëà ãîòîâíîñòü ïðèñòóïèòü ê ïåðåãîâîðàì ïî óðåãóëèðîâàíèþ çàäîëæåííîñòè Èðàêà. Îá ýòîì ñòàëî èçâåñòíî ïîñëå ïåðåãîâîðîâ ïðåçèäåíòà ÐÔ Ïóòèíà ñî ñïåöïðåäñòàâèòåëåì ïðåçèäåíòà ÑØÀ. Îäíàêî ïîçèöèÿ Ðîññèè íà ïåðåãîâîðàõ áóäåò îïðåäåëÿòüñÿ â òîì ÷èñëå ñ ó÷åòîì ýêîíîìè÷åñêèõ èíòåðåñîâ ÐÔ è ðîññèéñêèõ êîìïàíèé â Èðàêå."
In Lenta.Ru: Iraq
Rebels Kill GI, Shiite Official in Iraq: "Guerrillas ambushed a U.S. military patrol with small arms fire, killing one soldier, the military said Thursday. Suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists killed a representative of a major Shiite political party. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi newspaper publishes photos of Saddam behind bars: "A giant photo of fallen dictator Saddam Hussein getting a jail visit from his nemesis Ahmed Chalabi graced the front page of a Baghdad newspaper. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush visits US war wounded: "President George W. Bush visited US soldiers wounded during the Iraq conflict and paid tribute to their sacrifice against "an enemy that hates what America stands for." (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Thursday for a Jan. 15 meeting with the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S.-led coalition to discuss what role the United Nations might play as Iraq heads toward self-government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Russia willing to discuss Iraqi debt: "President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is willing to start negotiations on forgiving Iraq's $8 billion in debt to Moscow, its largest creditor."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Myers: Bin Laden alive, will be found: "Osama bin Laden is probably alive and will be caught one day "with absolute certainty," America's top general said Thursday during a pre-Christmas morale-boosting visit for U.S. troops in Afghanistan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sharon: Israel won't wait for Palestinians: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel will take unilateral steps to establish a makeshift border, using a controversial security barrier, if Palestinians do not make moves toward peace within a few months."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Saudi warning doesn't sway some Americans: "As armored personnel carriers and heavily armed soldiers guarded Western housing compounds, some Americans said Thursday they were in no rush to leave Saudi Arabia despite a State Department recommendation that U.S. citizens depart because of terrorism threats."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Russia Willing to Discuss Iraqi Debt: "President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is willing to start negotiations on forgiving Iraq's $8 billion in debt to Moscow, its largest creditor. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Ðîññèÿ ãîòîâà îáñóäèòü ñîêðàùåíèå èðàêñêîãî äîëãà ñ ó÷åòîì ñâîèõ èíòåðåñîâ: " ÷åòâåðã ðîññèéñêàÿ ñòîðîíà âûðàçèëà ãîòîâíîñòü ïðèñòóïèòü ê ïåðåãîâîðàì ïî óðåãóëèðîâàíèþ çàäîëæåííîñòè Èðàêà. Îá ýòîì ñòàëî èçâåñòíî ïîñëå ïåðåãîâîðîâ ïðåçèäåíòà ÐÔ Ïóòèíà ñî ñïåöïðåäñòàâèòåëåì ïðåçèäåíòà ÑØÀ. Îäíàêî ïîçèöèÿ Ðîññèè íà ïåðåãîâîðàõ áóäåò îïðåäåëÿòüñÿ â òîì ÷èñëå ñ ó÷åòîì ýêîíîìè÷åñêèõ èíòåðåñîâ ÐÔ è ðîññèéñêèõ êîìïàíèé â Èðàêå."
In Lenta.Ru: Iraq
Rebels Kill GI, Shiite Official in Iraq: "Guerrillas ambushed a U.S. military patrol with small arms fire, killing one soldier, the military said Thursday. Suspected Saddam Hussein loyalists killed a representative of a major Shiite political party. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Iraqi newspaper publishes photos of Saddam behind bars: "A giant photo of fallen dictator Saddam Hussein getting a jail visit from his nemesis Ahmed Chalabi graced the front page of a Baghdad newspaper. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Bush visits US war wounded: "President George W. Bush visited US soldiers wounded during the Iraq conflict and paid tribute to their sacrifice against "an enemy that hates what America stands for." (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan called Thursday for a Jan. 15 meeting with the Iraqi Governing Council and the U.S.-led coalition to discuss what role the United Nations might play as Iraq heads toward self-government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Russia willing to discuss Iraqi debt: "President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia is willing to start negotiations on forgiving Iraq's $8 billion in debt to Moscow, its largest creditor."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Myers: Bin Laden alive, will be found: "Osama bin Laden is probably alive and will be caught one day "with absolute certainty," America's top general said Thursday during a pre-Christmas morale-boosting visit for U.S. troops in Afghanistan."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Sharon: Israel won't wait for Palestinians: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel will take unilateral steps to establish a makeshift border, using a controversial security barrier, if Palestinians do not make moves toward peace within a few months."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
2 "Huge Explosions" in Baghdad: "BBC World is reporting "2 Huge Explosions" in Baghdad. No Links yet.
UPDATE: Not any more they're not. Nothing on Google News either. As You Were."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel Defense Forces' 1992 plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein: "Haaretz [ Full story »» ] reports:
In Command Post: Irak
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Secondary School under Siege by US Forces: "On the evening of December 16th, in the Amiriya suburb of West Baghdad, the residents held a pro-Saddam Hussein demonstration. Many of the kids were throwing stones at a US Humvee Patrol as it passed by. Aside from this, it was a non-violent demonstration-no shots were fired, nobody was injured. Today, US forces from the First Armored Division returned with two large tanks, helicopters, several Bradley fighting vehicles and at least 10 hummers to seal off the Al Shahid Adnan Kherala secondary school for boys. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Finally, the end for Saddam: "The capture of Saddam Hussein was a fittingly ignominious end for a cruel dictator, writes eIraq contributor Hasan Abu Nimah. But the end of Saddam does not justify the occupation, nor does it mean that the situation in Iraq will immediately improve."
In Electronic Iraq
Growing Fury and Unrest: "On the BBC, we watch footage of Americans gunning down Iraqis as they ran from the armor clad vehicles. Gunned down in the street as they tried to run away, red tracer bullets leaving laser-like trails as they flew past bodies falling upon the cement. This was told to be in Ramadi, by the BBC, then later the same footage was told to have occurred in Falluja. As usual, the truth is hard to come by, even here, unless it is witnessed personally -- or residents of an entire neighborhood or city are all telling the same story. This when, according to Iraqis converging around journalists today at the scene amidst pools of blood and pieces of US military uniforms, remnants from the night before when the fighting commenced in earnest. Pent up rage towards the occupiers was being released in the form of RPG's and machine guns firing towards the Americans. Three Hummers are reported to have been destroyed. Black scars mark where they were hit, burned into the pavement. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Interview: Saddam's Capture, WMDs and the U.S. Occupation of Iraq: "Democracy Now! interviewed Electronic Iraq correspondent and former Jordanian Ambassador to the United Nations, Hassan Abu Nimah. Abu Nimah recently returned from Cairo, Egypt where he met with Arab officials from across the Middle East. In this interview he discusses Saddam's capture, WMDs and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Format: Real Video -- Watch 128k stream | Watch 256k stream | Listen to the interview with Real Audio. The interview begins at 36:25 on the timeline in the 59 minute show."
In Electronic Iraq
Freedom of Information Act request filed on behalf of A.N.S.W.E.R.: "Yesterday, attorneys with the Partnership for Civil Justice and the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) with the FBI on behalf of the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition. The FOIA request follows media revelations of FBI domestic spying targeting the antiwar movement, and is part of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's Campaign to Defend the First Amendment."
In Electronic Iraq
Amnesty: "Only justice can serve the future of Iraq": ""The way this trial is handled will be crucial for the future shape of Iraq and the extent to which the rule of law will be respected," said Amnesty International. "It is important for the truth to emerge but equally important for justice to prevail.""
In Electronic Iraq
Fuel shortages continue in the north: "A severe petrol shortage in the northern city of Dahuk has seen people waiting hours at a time to get fuel, and the sprouting of a flourishing black market. Queues of vehicles have stretched for over a kilometre in recent weeks as petrol stations have run dry."
In Electronic Iraq
Title VI funding renewal imperils Middle East scholarship: ""For nearly four decades, American universities have benefited from the U.S. Department of Education programs funded under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Title VI provides grants to nurture area and international studies centers and aims to create national resources for teaching foreign language and supporting research and training in international studies and world affairs. But these programs are under threat as neoconservatives seek to place conditions on continued funding. Title VI reauthorization already has passed the House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in January." Electronic Iraq co-founder Laurie King-Irani, writing in the pages of In These Times, examines legislation that imperils Middle East studies in the United States"
In Electronic Iraq
Through a legal lens - the attack and occupation of Iraq: "The passage of time does not in any way alter the illegal nature of the war that has been waged by the United States and Britain in Iraq. From the moment their combined forces commenced hostilities without the express authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, the illegality of the invasion was confirmed. The Charter of the United Nations, universally accepted as legally binding, is clear and unambiguous on this issue. Shane Darcy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights reports for Electronic Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Searching Iraq: A Journalist's Diary: "I went to Ad Dour once, where Saddam was caught on 14 December 2003, when I was embedded with the US military as a photographer for a news agency. The 4th Infantry Division -- the Army division taking the credit for Saddam's capture -- raided a farm September 24th, 2003 on a tip that there was a large weapons cache. The Army began by raiding about 20 homes, separating the men and women and then combing through the houses. After their search of the houses turned up only a shotgun and one AK-47, they went to the farm. The highlight of the village raid was when the soldiers roughed up and then arrested some ragged old man who the locals said was 'senile'. Jamal A. Wilson describes a day spent with the US army in September 2003, searching for a weapons cache in the area Saddam was ultimately discovered."
In Electronic Iraq
Jubilation, grief, and sadness in occupied Baghdad: "The winds of change are blowing strongly across Baghdad today, literally and figuratively, on this grey, windy, chilly day. The overall mood is subdued, aside from a few small, sporadic demonstrations, namely by the Communist Party. This underscored by the fact that Saddam has been returned to the Iraqi capital, albeit under drastically different circumstances from when he left. What can be said of Iraqi reaction? It all depends on who I talk with."
In Electronic Iraq
NGOs sceptical that security will improve: "While initial bursts of celebratory gunfire and people dancing in the streets marked the capture of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein, on Saturday evening, international aid agencies remaining in Baghdad said the event was unlikely to have a positive effect on the security situation."
In Electronic Iraq
Blocking Military shipments: "Protesters plan to stop war shipments Antiwar group seeks to shut port of Oakland with picket line April 3 ? Shifting protests against the war in Iraq to a new level, a San Francisco group says that it will set up a picket line Monday to block supplies being shipped to U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. The group, Direct Action to Stop the War, said will attempt to ?shut down the war merchants? at the port of Oakland by urging members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to not cross the picket line. Full story... This action will still..."
In How To Stop The War
Demand more media coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties and war damage: "I'm sure you've noticed that the U.S. TV media has provided scant coverage of the damage this war has done to the lives of civilian Iraqis. As of this writing, an estimated minimum of 876 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the war, and it's safe to say that few if any of their names or stories have been told on CNN, or any other mainstream TV news channel in the U.S. Here's what MEDIA CHALLENGE!, a coalition of anti-war groups, is urging: Every day for the next three weeks call the national news chiefs listed below (also separately call..."
In How To Stop The War
Uniting for Peace UN action: "Jeremy Brecher is spreading the word about an opportunity for emergency action at the UN: Uniting for Peace UN General Assembly Provides Crucial Opportunity for Global Peace Movement by Jeremy Brecher; April 02, 2003 By The United Nations General Assembly is hovering on the edge of calling an emergency session to challenge the US attack on Iraq. But US opposition has been fierce. The world's "other superpower" -- global public opinion as expressed in the global peace movement -- can tip the balance if it concentrates on demanding a UN General Assembly meeting to halt the war on Iraq now...."
In How To Stop The War
Librarian Strike: "This is a twist on the "no business as usual" angle. I read here that 1,900 librarians around the world expressed their opposition to the war before it happened. I don't know how that compares with the total librarian population -- which is to say I don't know if there are enough anti-war librarians to execute enough of a strike to have an impact. It wouldn't make a difference unless it caused a marked decline in availability of the service. Workers in essential services strike in Europe often to accomplish change, and I assume it's effective at least some of..."
In How To Stop The War
World Dignitary Cease-Fire Summit in Baghdad: "This idea is pretty radical, but would be highly effective if implemented, I think. It first came to mind before the war, and part of it was actually tried back then. Basically the idea is to get the Pope, and a number of other highly prominent and valued world dignitaries, to announce their intention to go to Baghdad to force a cease-fire. I say part of was already tried because there was at least a mini-movement directed toward getting the Pope to go to Baghdad back before the war started. It was probably spurred by the published plea to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Promote John Mellencamp's Protest Song "To Washington": "John Mellencamp has released a protest song called "To Washington". It's more than just a war protest song -- it's protesting the whole chain of events that led Bush and us to this point. The lyrics are below I suggest that peace activists do what they can to get this song played on their local radio stations, as well as Internet stations, record stores, and wherever else. The bigger vision would be to try and get the song to number one on the charts, and keep it there. Here are the lyrics of "To Washington" --you can listen to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Bringing PNAC to light - The Project for a New American Century: "The best strategy I have come up with to turn public opinion on this war is the idea of bringing the Project for a New American Century to the attention and focus of the mainstream American public. Even surface analysis of the PNAC shows that the war in Iraq is not about liberation for Iraqis, but control for the U.S., and military dominance in the Middle East. The news reports showing strong Iraqi resistance to the U.S. invasion provide the other piece of that puzzle. Americans in general are not in favor of global dominance for America, or a "unipolar"..."
In How To Stop The War
Welcome to HowToStopTheWar.org: "This site was created out of concern that some of the anti-war protest efforts were not having their intended effects -- namely, to influence public opinion and bring an end to the war. I'm speaking particularly of the traffic-blocking and more aggressive efforts. I truly applaud the dedication and effort of those non-violent resisters, I just feel (and I know many agree) that they are not winning people over, but instead angering and alienating many who might otherwise be open to hearing anti-war views. My hope is that HowToStopTheWar.org can become a clearinghouse of ideas for creative and achievable projects..."
In How To Stop The War
InsideVC's War Blog: "Saddam and the CIA . Details from UPI. (via Matt Welch )"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Kurds, Kirkuk, Kontrol
The NYT has an excellent article summarizing the breadth of de facto power in Kurdish hands in the north. Among other things, it mentions that "Kurdish groups appear to be quietly nursing relations with foreign neighbors independent of Baghdad. A Turkish consulate will open in Sulaimaniya this month..."
A Turkish consulate??
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe describes the lead up to the council elections in Kirkuk:
An AP report on Yahoo news goes into more detail on the process of the elections, themselves, with a description of the flap surrounding a group of independent delegates. Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, finally "said he would not decide until Sunday whether he would accept the results of the balloting or choose other members.
"When I make my decision tomorrow," he said, "everyone must abide by it."
So....the Kurds are clearly in control, with occupation forces trying to put a good face on the intense inter-ethnic rivalry with these, uh, elections. The same NYT article mentioned above summarizes things: "American authorities are still unsure how to handle the problem." We seem to be pressing ahead with the symbols of democracy (i.e., red, white and blue bunting), despite the facts on the ground. Is it that we don't know what else to do, or are we attempting a public relations exercise, or a little of both?"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Looking for some good news...
The Christian Science Monitor recently published a "report card" on the occupation, and summarized the good news by citing "coalition officials," suggesting that crime was lower outside of Baghdad, and that those living in the north and south have "more electricity than ever."
The Washington Post adds a glimmer of hope to this assessment, describing a new approach the US military will be taking in Baghdad, involving more contact between soldiers and civilians, and changing the organization and techniques used in patrolling.
The Guardian , however, rains on the parade, reporting that "Baghdad is being carved up by armed gangs," and that there is "a total disconnection between the optimistic language of US press briefings at Saddam Hussein's old palace and the anarchic reality on the street."
I'd been wondering about that."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Sergio Vieira de Mello
Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the US Government all are backing Mr. Vieira de Mello enthusiastically. Given his background (see BBC profile ), if anyone can take a four-month appointment with no clearly defined authority and make something happen -- he can. Cross your fingers."
Iraq Democracy Watch: " UN Resolution = American business contracts
1. From the Washington Post , re: the latest UN Resolution:
Is that like what shows up at the end of a job description -- "and other duties as necessary"?
So what the draft is saying is that we will decide what benefits the people of Iraq. And then when folks like Philip Carroll say that the Iraqi people will decide whether or not to stay in OPEC or not, or that the Iraqi people will decide which telecommunications company to use, American voters will be convinced of our own benefaction. It's all for the Iraqi people. Say, "The Iraqi People" ten times, fast.
2. Meanwhile, the NYT reports that Paul Wolfowitz has come back from a trip from Bosnia, freshly enlightened about the benefit of taking plenty of time before holding elections after a dictatorship. There are countless historical examples, mind you, of imperial powers (woops, did I say, "imperial"?) occupying a weaker country indefinitely, saying that they need to do it to maintain stability. Please feel free to add examples in the comments section.
3. From an outstanding article in Asia Times :
Don't know what ever happened to the Iraqi United National Company for Investment and Construction (see previous post ). "
Iraq Democracy Watch: " Now, about that interim authority...
The U.S., Britain and Spain presented a third draft of the resolution for lifting sanctions on Iraq --although The Guardian reports the US is trying to push it through in 48 hours. The current draft, says the Financial Times, is "close to its [the American] bottom line." Basically, we throw some bones to the U.N., buy off Russia, and drop "the open-ended grant of authority in favor of a requirement that the United States and Britain cede power when 'an internationally recognized, representative government is established.' " (NYT) Well, that's a relief.
Oh, and we do get to appoint our own auditors for monitoring Iraqi oil profits. We have a strong tradition of auditing our own interests here in America.
Where, you might ask, are the Iraqis in all of this? Well, 10,000 were on the streets of Baghdad protesting their lack of real power in the still amorphous and undefined interim authority. And key players among the Iraqi opposition groups are saying they won't play if the so-called authority doesn't have real control over the ministries. The Financial Times quotes Hoshyar Zebari, of the Kurdistan Democratic party, as saying that if the US doesn't empower the Iraqi political parties, they will not participate, and, instead, "seek local power 'on their own turf'," a sentiment echoed by Kasim Sahlani, head of the political bureau of the Da'awa party.
Given the fact that the Washington Post reports a marked increase in vigilante justice in Baghdad, and yesterday's sharp spike in violence between Kurds and Arabs in the north (Boston Globe), these signs do not bode well. We know that President Bush doesn't like basing policy on focus groups, but let's hope the US can sense a pending civil war when the signs start peeking out."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Iran - a moderating influence?
I couldn't wait until tomorrow -- Salam Pax is back, with a note:
Houchang Chehabi , a professor of International Relations at Boston University, said in a recent lecture that the U.S. shouldn't be so worried about Iran's potential interference in Iraqi politics. Why? The Iranian Islamists tend to be less radical, and could act as a moderating influence on the Iraqi Shi'ites.
Question #1: does anyone in the DoD know this? (Clearly, it doesn't matter if State knows about it, since they're just a bunch of intellectual whiners, anyway.)
Question #2: if we know about it, are we complaining about Iran because we are trying to pick a fight? "
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Correction
Quick correction, thanks to Christopher Allbritton of Back In Iraq 2.0 . According to Christopher, "Turkey has been supporting clandestine groups in Iraqi Kurdistan for years now. The various Turkomen parties ALL get a crap load of money and support from Turkey and they have been a more or less destabilizing force against the Kurds. However, I suspect Turkey will definitely step up its support in the near future..."
Thanks, Christopher!
"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Northern Iraq
We've been hearing about Bremer's publicity tour in Mosul, celebrating its "embryonic democracy." It's certainly possible for the new city council there to morph into something concrete, but the current level of democracy, with Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus in virtually complete control, remains debatable. A profile of Petraeus in the Washington Post quotes him as saying, "I am the occupying power, make no mistake...," and depicts him as a veritable village khan, receiving individuals and telling them what they can and can't do.
Kirkuk is also installing a new city council, which, according to ABC News , will have 24 members elected by a body of 300 selected by the Americans. But, it turns out, according to the Post , again, US forces are supporting the new coalition of the Kurdish PUK and KDP -- to the virtual exclusion of the non-trivial minorities of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen. The Kurds control the local police force (made up of peshmerga forces), the television station, and the new city council. And you may have heard the recent reports that the Kurds are offering oil deals to a number of major oil companies.
Given the incredible tensions existing now between local Arabs and Kurds, and the Turkish discomfort with the prospect of Kurdish autonomy, I would venture to say we could be looking at a powder keg. For example, if we manage to keep Turkey from invading, as we have so far, we may not be able to prevent it from supporting clandestine groups among the ethnic minorities. "
Iraqi Mobile Phone system still on hold in IraqWar.info
Saddam's men worked for the CPA in IraqWar.info
Post-war procedures for US troops in Iraq being discussed. in IraqWar.info
Atta Trained in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
UPDATE: Not any more they're not. Nothing on Google News either. As You Were."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel Defense Forces' 1992 plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein: "Haaretz [ Full story »» ] reports:
Sayeret Matkal, the IDF General Staff's elite special-operations force, trained in 1992 to assassinate Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in a daring operation that would have landed commandos in Iraq and fired sophisticated missiles at him during a funeral. The attempt was called off after five soldiers were killed during a training accident."
In Command Post: Irak
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Secondary School under Siege by US Forces: "On the evening of December 16th, in the Amiriya suburb of West Baghdad, the residents held a pro-Saddam Hussein demonstration. Many of the kids were throwing stones at a US Humvee Patrol as it passed by. Aside from this, it was a non-violent demonstration-no shots were fired, nobody was injured. Today, US forces from the First Armored Division returned with two large tanks, helicopters, several Bradley fighting vehicles and at least 10 hummers to seal off the Al Shahid Adnan Kherala secondary school for boys. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Finally, the end for Saddam: "The capture of Saddam Hussein was a fittingly ignominious end for a cruel dictator, writes eIraq contributor Hasan Abu Nimah. But the end of Saddam does not justify the occupation, nor does it mean that the situation in Iraq will immediately improve."
In Electronic Iraq
Growing Fury and Unrest: "On the BBC, we watch footage of Americans gunning down Iraqis as they ran from the armor clad vehicles. Gunned down in the street as they tried to run away, red tracer bullets leaving laser-like trails as they flew past bodies falling upon the cement. This was told to be in Ramadi, by the BBC, then later the same footage was told to have occurred in Falluja. As usual, the truth is hard to come by, even here, unless it is witnessed personally -- or residents of an entire neighborhood or city are all telling the same story. This when, according to Iraqis converging around journalists today at the scene amidst pools of blood and pieces of US military uniforms, remnants from the night before when the fighting commenced in earnest. Pent up rage towards the occupiers was being released in the form of RPG's and machine guns firing towards the Americans. Three Hummers are reported to have been destroyed. Black scars mark where they were hit, burned into the pavement. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Interview: Saddam's Capture, WMDs and the U.S. Occupation of Iraq: "Democracy Now! interviewed Electronic Iraq correspondent and former Jordanian Ambassador to the United Nations, Hassan Abu Nimah. Abu Nimah recently returned from Cairo, Egypt where he met with Arab officials from across the Middle East. In this interview he discusses Saddam's capture, WMDs and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Format: Real Video -- Watch 128k stream | Watch 256k stream | Listen to the interview with Real Audio. The interview begins at 36:25 on the timeline in the 59 minute show."
In Electronic Iraq
Freedom of Information Act request filed on behalf of A.N.S.W.E.R.: "Yesterday, attorneys with the Partnership for Civil Justice and the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) with the FBI on behalf of the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition. The FOIA request follows media revelations of FBI domestic spying targeting the antiwar movement, and is part of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's Campaign to Defend the First Amendment."
In Electronic Iraq
Amnesty: "Only justice can serve the future of Iraq": ""The way this trial is handled will be crucial for the future shape of Iraq and the extent to which the rule of law will be respected," said Amnesty International. "It is important for the truth to emerge but equally important for justice to prevail.""
In Electronic Iraq
Fuel shortages continue in the north: "A severe petrol shortage in the northern city of Dahuk has seen people waiting hours at a time to get fuel, and the sprouting of a flourishing black market. Queues of vehicles have stretched for over a kilometre in recent weeks as petrol stations have run dry."
In Electronic Iraq
Title VI funding renewal imperils Middle East scholarship: ""For nearly four decades, American universities have benefited from the U.S. Department of Education programs funded under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Title VI provides grants to nurture area and international studies centers and aims to create national resources for teaching foreign language and supporting research and training in international studies and world affairs. But these programs are under threat as neoconservatives seek to place conditions on continued funding. Title VI reauthorization already has passed the House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in January." Electronic Iraq co-founder Laurie King-Irani, writing in the pages of In These Times, examines legislation that imperils Middle East studies in the United States"
In Electronic Iraq
Through a legal lens - the attack and occupation of Iraq: "The passage of time does not in any way alter the illegal nature of the war that has been waged by the United States and Britain in Iraq. From the moment their combined forces commenced hostilities without the express authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, the illegality of the invasion was confirmed. The Charter of the United Nations, universally accepted as legally binding, is clear and unambiguous on this issue. Shane Darcy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights reports for Electronic Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Searching Iraq: A Journalist's Diary: "I went to Ad Dour once, where Saddam was caught on 14 December 2003, when I was embedded with the US military as a photographer for a news agency. The 4th Infantry Division -- the Army division taking the credit for Saddam's capture -- raided a farm September 24th, 2003 on a tip that there was a large weapons cache. The Army began by raiding about 20 homes, separating the men and women and then combing through the houses. After their search of the houses turned up only a shotgun and one AK-47, they went to the farm. The highlight of the village raid was when the soldiers roughed up and then arrested some ragged old man who the locals said was 'senile'. Jamal A. Wilson describes a day spent with the US army in September 2003, searching for a weapons cache in the area Saddam was ultimately discovered."
In Electronic Iraq
Jubilation, grief, and sadness in occupied Baghdad: "The winds of change are blowing strongly across Baghdad today, literally and figuratively, on this grey, windy, chilly day. The overall mood is subdued, aside from a few small, sporadic demonstrations, namely by the Communist Party. This underscored by the fact that Saddam has been returned to the Iraqi capital, albeit under drastically different circumstances from when he left. What can be said of Iraqi reaction? It all depends on who I talk with."
In Electronic Iraq
NGOs sceptical that security will improve: "While initial bursts of celebratory gunfire and people dancing in the streets marked the capture of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein, on Saturday evening, international aid agencies remaining in Baghdad said the event was unlikely to have a positive effect on the security situation."
In Electronic Iraq
Blocking Military shipments: "Protesters plan to stop war shipments Antiwar group seeks to shut port of Oakland with picket line April 3 ? Shifting protests against the war in Iraq to a new level, a San Francisco group says that it will set up a picket line Monday to block supplies being shipped to U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. The group, Direct Action to Stop the War, said will attempt to ?shut down the war merchants? at the port of Oakland by urging members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to not cross the picket line. Full story... This action will still..."
In How To Stop The War
Demand more media coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties and war damage: "I'm sure you've noticed that the U.S. TV media has provided scant coverage of the damage this war has done to the lives of civilian Iraqis. As of this writing, an estimated minimum of 876 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the war, and it's safe to say that few if any of their names or stories have been told on CNN, or any other mainstream TV news channel in the U.S. Here's what MEDIA CHALLENGE!, a coalition of anti-war groups, is urging: Every day for the next three weeks call the national news chiefs listed below (also separately call..."
In How To Stop The War
Uniting for Peace UN action: "Jeremy Brecher is spreading the word about an opportunity for emergency action at the UN: Uniting for Peace UN General Assembly Provides Crucial Opportunity for Global Peace Movement by Jeremy Brecher; April 02, 2003 By The United Nations General Assembly is hovering on the edge of calling an emergency session to challenge the US attack on Iraq. But US opposition has been fierce. The world's "other superpower" -- global public opinion as expressed in the global peace movement -- can tip the balance if it concentrates on demanding a UN General Assembly meeting to halt the war on Iraq now...."
In How To Stop The War
Librarian Strike: "This is a twist on the "no business as usual" angle. I read here that 1,900 librarians around the world expressed their opposition to the war before it happened. I don't know how that compares with the total librarian population -- which is to say I don't know if there are enough anti-war librarians to execute enough of a strike to have an impact. It wouldn't make a difference unless it caused a marked decline in availability of the service. Workers in essential services strike in Europe often to accomplish change, and I assume it's effective at least some of..."
In How To Stop The War
World Dignitary Cease-Fire Summit in Baghdad: "This idea is pretty radical, but would be highly effective if implemented, I think. It first came to mind before the war, and part of it was actually tried back then. Basically the idea is to get the Pope, and a number of other highly prominent and valued world dignitaries, to announce their intention to go to Baghdad to force a cease-fire. I say part of was already tried because there was at least a mini-movement directed toward getting the Pope to go to Baghdad back before the war started. It was probably spurred by the published plea to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Promote John Mellencamp's Protest Song "To Washington": "John Mellencamp has released a protest song called "To Washington". It's more than just a war protest song -- it's protesting the whole chain of events that led Bush and us to this point. The lyrics are below I suggest that peace activists do what they can to get this song played on their local radio stations, as well as Internet stations, record stores, and wherever else. The bigger vision would be to try and get the song to number one on the charts, and keep it there. Here are the lyrics of "To Washington" --you can listen to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Bringing PNAC to light - The Project for a New American Century: "The best strategy I have come up with to turn public opinion on this war is the idea of bringing the Project for a New American Century to the attention and focus of the mainstream American public. Even surface analysis of the PNAC shows that the war in Iraq is not about liberation for Iraqis, but control for the U.S., and military dominance in the Middle East. The news reports showing strong Iraqi resistance to the U.S. invasion provide the other piece of that puzzle. Americans in general are not in favor of global dominance for America, or a "unipolar"..."
In How To Stop The War
Welcome to HowToStopTheWar.org: "This site was created out of concern that some of the anti-war protest efforts were not having their intended effects -- namely, to influence public opinion and bring an end to the war. I'm speaking particularly of the traffic-blocking and more aggressive efforts. I truly applaud the dedication and effort of those non-violent resisters, I just feel (and I know many agree) that they are not winning people over, but instead angering and alienating many who might otherwise be open to hearing anti-war views. My hope is that HowToStopTheWar.org can become a clearinghouse of ideas for creative and achievable projects..."
In How To Stop The War
InsideVC's War Blog: "Saddam and the CIA . Details from UPI. (via Matt Welch )"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Kurds, Kirkuk, Kontrol
The NYT has an excellent article summarizing the breadth of de facto power in Kurdish hands in the north. Among other things, it mentions that "Kurdish groups appear to be quietly nursing relations with foreign neighbors independent of Baghdad. A Turkish consulate will open in Sulaimaniya this month..."
A Turkish consulate??
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe describes the lead up to the council elections in Kirkuk:
In preparation for the vote... Iraqis whitewashed the building, hung up red, white, and blue bunting - and then took it down, because those are not the colors of the Iraqi flag. And when Major General Ray Odierno entered the auditorium, the delegates were instructed to stand. They dutifully rose, then sat and offered tepid applause for Odierno's opening remarks.
An AP report on Yahoo news goes into more detail on the process of the elections, themselves, with a description of the flap surrounding a group of independent delegates. Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, finally "said he would not decide until Sunday whether he would accept the results of the balloting or choose other members.
"When I make my decision tomorrow," he said, "everyone must abide by it."
So....the Kurds are clearly in control, with occupation forces trying to put a good face on the intense inter-ethnic rivalry with these, uh, elections. The same NYT article mentioned above summarizes things: "American authorities are still unsure how to handle the problem." We seem to be pressing ahead with the symbols of democracy (i.e., red, white and blue bunting), despite the facts on the ground. Is it that we don't know what else to do, or are we attempting a public relations exercise, or a little of both?"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Looking for some good news...
The Christian Science Monitor recently published a "report card" on the occupation, and summarized the good news by citing "coalition officials," suggesting that crime was lower outside of Baghdad, and that those living in the north and south have "more electricity than ever."
The Washington Post adds a glimmer of hope to this assessment, describing a new approach the US military will be taking in Baghdad, involving more contact between soldiers and civilians, and changing the organization and techniques used in patrolling.
The Guardian , however, rains on the parade, reporting that "Baghdad is being carved up by armed gangs," and that there is "a total disconnection between the optimistic language of US press briefings at Saddam Hussein's old palace and the anarchic reality on the street."
I'd been wondering about that."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Sergio Vieira de Mello
Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the US Government all are backing Mr. Vieira de Mello enthusiastically. Given his background (see BBC profile ), if anyone can take a four-month appointment with no clearly defined authority and make something happen -- he can. Cross your fingers."
Iraq Democracy Watch: " UN Resolution = American business contracts
1. From the Washington Post , re: the latest UN Resolution:
The seven-page resolution would immediately transfer legal control over Iraq's oil industry from the United Nations and Iraq to the United States and its allies. The oil proceeds would be used to finance the country's reconstruction, the costs of an Iraqi civilian administration, the completion of Iraq's disarmament and " other purposes benefiting the people of Iraq ." [Emphasis added.]
Is that like what shows up at the end of a job description -- "and other duties as necessary"?
So what the draft is saying is that we will decide what benefits the people of Iraq. And then when folks like Philip Carroll say that the Iraqi people will decide whether or not to stay in OPEC or not, or that the Iraqi people will decide which telecommunications company to use, American voters will be convinced of our own benefaction. It's all for the Iraqi people. Say, "The Iraqi People" ten times, fast.
2. Meanwhile, the NYT reports that Paul Wolfowitz has come back from a trip from Bosnia, freshly enlightened about the benefit of taking plenty of time before holding elections after a dictatorship. There are countless historical examples, mind you, of imperial powers (woops, did I say, "imperial"?) occupying a weaker country indefinitely, saying that they need to do it to maintain stability. Please feel free to add examples in the comments section.
3. From an outstanding article in Asia Times :
a) Rebuilding oil fields, potentially also exporting oil -- Halliburton
b) General infrastructure reconstruction -- Bechtel
c) Rebuilding seaports - Stevedoring Services of America
d) Refurbishing rebuilt airports - Airlink USA
e) Contracted policing services - Dyncorp
f) See yesterday re: satellite phone service and MCI Worldcom
Don't know what ever happened to the Iraqi United National Company for Investment and Construction (see previous post ). "
Iraq Democracy Watch: " Now, about that interim authority...
The U.S., Britain and Spain presented a third draft of the resolution for lifting sanctions on Iraq --although The Guardian reports the US is trying to push it through in 48 hours. The current draft, says the Financial Times, is "close to its [the American] bottom line." Basically, we throw some bones to the U.N., buy off Russia, and drop "the open-ended grant of authority in favor of a requirement that the United States and Britain cede power when 'an internationally recognized, representative government is established.' " (NYT) Well, that's a relief.
Oh, and we do get to appoint our own auditors for monitoring Iraqi oil profits. We have a strong tradition of auditing our own interests here in America.
Where, you might ask, are the Iraqis in all of this? Well, 10,000 were on the streets of Baghdad protesting their lack of real power in the still amorphous and undefined interim authority. And key players among the Iraqi opposition groups are saying they won't play if the so-called authority doesn't have real control over the ministries. The Financial Times quotes Hoshyar Zebari, of the Kurdistan Democratic party, as saying that if the US doesn't empower the Iraqi political parties, they will not participate, and, instead, "seek local power 'on their own turf'," a sentiment echoed by Kasim Sahlani, head of the political bureau of the Da'awa party.
Given the fact that the Washington Post reports a marked increase in vigilante justice in Baghdad, and yesterday's sharp spike in violence between Kurds and Arabs in the north (Boston Globe), these signs do not bode well. We know that President Bush doesn't like basing policy on focus groups, but let's hope the US can sense a pending civil war when the signs start peeking out."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Iran - a moderating influence?
I couldn't wait until tomorrow -- Salam Pax is back, with a note:
"I came back from the trip seriously worrying that we might become an Iran-clone. If anyone went to the streets now and decided to hold elections we will end up with something that is scarier than Khomeini?s Iran."
Houchang Chehabi , a professor of International Relations at Boston University, said in a recent lecture that the U.S. shouldn't be so worried about Iran's potential interference in Iraqi politics. Why? The Iranian Islamists tend to be less radical, and could act as a moderating influence on the Iraqi Shi'ites.
Question #1: does anyone in the DoD know this? (Clearly, it doesn't matter if State knows about it, since they're just a bunch of intellectual whiners, anyway.)
Question #2: if we know about it, are we complaining about Iran because we are trying to pick a fight? "
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Correction
Quick correction, thanks to Christopher Allbritton of Back In Iraq 2.0 . According to Christopher, "Turkey has been supporting clandestine groups in Iraqi Kurdistan for years now. The various Turkomen parties ALL get a crap load of money and support from Turkey and they have been a more or less destabilizing force against the Kurds. However, I suspect Turkey will definitely step up its support in the near future..."
Thanks, Christopher!
"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Northern Iraq
We've been hearing about Bremer's publicity tour in Mosul, celebrating its "embryonic democracy." It's certainly possible for the new city council there to morph into something concrete, but the current level of democracy, with Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus in virtually complete control, remains debatable. A profile of Petraeus in the Washington Post quotes him as saying, "I am the occupying power, make no mistake...," and depicts him as a veritable village khan, receiving individuals and telling them what they can and can't do.
Kirkuk is also installing a new city council, which, according to ABC News , will have 24 members elected by a body of 300 selected by the Americans. But, it turns out, according to the Post , again, US forces are supporting the new coalition of the Kurdish PUK and KDP -- to the virtual exclusion of the non-trivial minorities of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen. The Kurds control the local police force (made up of peshmerga forces), the television station, and the new city council. And you may have heard the recent reports that the Kurds are offering oil deals to a number of major oil companies.
Given the incredible tensions existing now between local Arabs and Kurds, and the Turkish discomfort with the prospect of Kurdish autonomy, I would venture to say we could be looking at a powder keg. For example, if we manage to keep Turkey from invading, as we have so far, we may not be able to prevent it from supporting clandestine groups among the ethnic minorities. "
Iraqi Mobile Phone system still on hold in IraqWar.info
Saddam's men worked for the CPA in IraqWar.info
Post-war procedures for US troops in Iraq being discussed. in IraqWar.info
Atta Trained in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
2 "Huge Explosions" in Baghdad: "BBC World is reporting "2 Huge Explosions" in Baghdad. No Links yet.
UPDATE: Not any more they're not. Nothing on Google News either. As You Were."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel Defense Forces' 1992 plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein: "Haaretz [ Full story »» ] reports:
In Command Post: Irak
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Secondary School under Siege by US Forces: "On the evening of December 16th, in the Amiriya suburb of West Baghdad, the residents held a pro-Saddam Hussein demonstration. Many of the kids were throwing stones at a US Humvee Patrol as it passed by. Aside from this, it was a non-violent demonstration-no shots were fired, nobody was injured. Today, US forces from the First Armored Division returned with two large tanks, helicopters, several Bradley fighting vehicles and at least 10 hummers to seal off the Al Shahid Adnan Kherala secondary school for boys. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Finally, the end for Saddam: "The capture of Saddam Hussein was a fittingly ignominious end for a cruel dictator, writes eIraq contributor Hasan Abu Nimah. But the end of Saddam does not justify the occupation, nor does it mean that the situation in Iraq will immediately improve."
In Electronic Iraq
Growing Fury and Unrest: "On the BBC, we watch footage of Americans gunning down Iraqis as they ran from the armor clad vehicles. Gunned down in the street as they tried to run away, red tracer bullets leaving laser-like trails as they flew past bodies falling upon the cement. This was told to be in Ramadi, by the BBC, then later the same footage was told to have occurred in Falluja. As usual, the truth is hard to come by, even here, unless it is witnessed personally -- or residents of an entire neighborhood or city are all telling the same story. This when, according to Iraqis converging around journalists today at the scene amidst pools of blood and pieces of US military uniforms, remnants from the night before when the fighting commenced in earnest. Pent up rage towards the occupiers was being released in the form of RPG's and machine guns firing towards the Americans. Three Hummers are reported to have been destroyed. Black scars mark where they were hit, burned into the pavement. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Interview: Saddam's Capture, WMDs and the U.S. Occupation of Iraq: "Democracy Now! interviewed Electronic Iraq correspondent and former Jordanian Ambassador to the United Nations, Hassan Abu Nimah. Abu Nimah recently returned from Cairo, Egypt where he met with Arab officials from across the Middle East. In this interview he discusses Saddam's capture, WMDs and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Format: Real Video -- Watch 128k stream | Watch 256k stream | Listen to the interview with Real Audio. The interview begins at 36:25 on the timeline in the 59 minute show."
In Electronic Iraq
Freedom of Information Act request filed on behalf of A.N.S.W.E.R.: "Yesterday, attorneys with the Partnership for Civil Justice and the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) with the FBI on behalf of the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition. The FOIA request follows media revelations of FBI domestic spying targeting the antiwar movement, and is part of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's Campaign to Defend the First Amendment."
In Electronic Iraq
Amnesty: "Only justice can serve the future of Iraq": ""The way this trial is handled will be crucial for the future shape of Iraq and the extent to which the rule of law will be respected," said Amnesty International. "It is important for the truth to emerge but equally important for justice to prevail.""
In Electronic Iraq
Fuel shortages continue in the north: "A severe petrol shortage in the northern city of Dahuk has seen people waiting hours at a time to get fuel, and the sprouting of a flourishing black market. Queues of vehicles have stretched for over a kilometre in recent weeks as petrol stations have run dry."
In Electronic Iraq
Title VI funding renewal imperils Middle East scholarship: ""For nearly four decades, American universities have benefited from the U.S. Department of Education programs funded under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Title VI provides grants to nurture area and international studies centers and aims to create national resources for teaching foreign language and supporting research and training in international studies and world affairs. But these programs are under threat as neoconservatives seek to place conditions on continued funding. Title VI reauthorization already has passed the House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in January." Electronic Iraq co-founder Laurie King-Irani, writing in the pages of In These Times, examines legislation that imperils Middle East studies in the United States"
In Electronic Iraq
Through a legal lens - the attack and occupation of Iraq: "The passage of time does not in any way alter the illegal nature of the war that has been waged by the United States and Britain in Iraq. From the moment their combined forces commenced hostilities without the express authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, the illegality of the invasion was confirmed. The Charter of the United Nations, universally accepted as legally binding, is clear and unambiguous on this issue. Shane Darcy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights reports for Electronic Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Searching Iraq: A Journalist's Diary: "I went to Ad Dour once, where Saddam was caught on 14 December 2003, when I was embedded with the US military as a photographer for a news agency. The 4th Infantry Division -- the Army division taking the credit for Saddam's capture -- raided a farm September 24th, 2003 on a tip that there was a large weapons cache. The Army began by raiding about 20 homes, separating the men and women and then combing through the houses. After their search of the houses turned up only a shotgun and one AK-47, they went to the farm. The highlight of the village raid was when the soldiers roughed up and then arrested some ragged old man who the locals said was 'senile'. Jamal A. Wilson describes a day spent with the US army in September 2003, searching for a weapons cache in the area Saddam was ultimately discovered."
In Electronic Iraq
Jubilation, grief, and sadness in occupied Baghdad: "The winds of change are blowing strongly across Baghdad today, literally and figuratively, on this grey, windy, chilly day. The overall mood is subdued, aside from a few small, sporadic demonstrations, namely by the Communist Party. This underscored by the fact that Saddam has been returned to the Iraqi capital, albeit under drastically different circumstances from when he left. What can be said of Iraqi reaction? It all depends on who I talk with."
In Electronic Iraq
NGOs sceptical that security will improve: "While initial bursts of celebratory gunfire and people dancing in the streets marked the capture of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein, on Saturday evening, international aid agencies remaining in Baghdad said the event was unlikely to have a positive effect on the security situation."
In Electronic Iraq
Blocking Military shipments: "Protesters plan to stop war shipments Antiwar group seeks to shut port of Oakland with picket line April 3 ? Shifting protests against the war in Iraq to a new level, a San Francisco group says that it will set up a picket line Monday to block supplies being shipped to U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. The group, Direct Action to Stop the War, said will attempt to ?shut down the war merchants? at the port of Oakland by urging members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to not cross the picket line. Full story... This action will still..."
In How To Stop The War
Demand more media coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties and war damage: "I'm sure you've noticed that the U.S. TV media has provided scant coverage of the damage this war has done to the lives of civilian Iraqis. As of this writing, an estimated minimum of 876 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the war, and it's safe to say that few if any of their names or stories have been told on CNN, or any other mainstream TV news channel in the U.S. Here's what MEDIA CHALLENGE!, a coalition of anti-war groups, is urging: Every day for the next three weeks call the national news chiefs listed below (also separately call..."
In How To Stop The War
Uniting for Peace UN action: "Jeremy Brecher is spreading the word about an opportunity for emergency action at the UN: Uniting for Peace UN General Assembly Provides Crucial Opportunity for Global Peace Movement by Jeremy Brecher; April 02, 2003 By The United Nations General Assembly is hovering on the edge of calling an emergency session to challenge the US attack on Iraq. But US opposition has been fierce. The world's "other superpower" -- global public opinion as expressed in the global peace movement -- can tip the balance if it concentrates on demanding a UN General Assembly meeting to halt the war on Iraq now...."
In How To Stop The War
Librarian Strike: "This is a twist on the "no business as usual" angle. I read here that 1,900 librarians around the world expressed their opposition to the war before it happened. I don't know how that compares with the total librarian population -- which is to say I don't know if there are enough anti-war librarians to execute enough of a strike to have an impact. It wouldn't make a difference unless it caused a marked decline in availability of the service. Workers in essential services strike in Europe often to accomplish change, and I assume it's effective at least some of..."
In How To Stop The War
World Dignitary Cease-Fire Summit in Baghdad: "This idea is pretty radical, but would be highly effective if implemented, I think. It first came to mind before the war, and part of it was actually tried back then. Basically the idea is to get the Pope, and a number of other highly prominent and valued world dignitaries, to announce their intention to go to Baghdad to force a cease-fire. I say part of was already tried because there was at least a mini-movement directed toward getting the Pope to go to Baghdad back before the war started. It was probably spurred by the published plea to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Promote John Mellencamp's Protest Song "To Washington": "John Mellencamp has released a protest song called "To Washington". It's more than just a war protest song -- it's protesting the whole chain of events that led Bush and us to this point. The lyrics are below I suggest that peace activists do what they can to get this song played on their local radio stations, as well as Internet stations, record stores, and wherever else. The bigger vision would be to try and get the song to number one on the charts, and keep it there. Here are the lyrics of "To Washington" --you can listen to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Bringing PNAC to light - The Project for a New American Century: "The best strategy I have come up with to turn public opinion on this war is the idea of bringing the Project for a New American Century to the attention and focus of the mainstream American public. Even surface analysis of the PNAC shows that the war in Iraq is not about liberation for Iraqis, but control for the U.S., and military dominance in the Middle East. The news reports showing strong Iraqi resistance to the U.S. invasion provide the other piece of that puzzle. Americans in general are not in favor of global dominance for America, or a "unipolar"..."
In How To Stop The War
Welcome to HowToStopTheWar.org: "This site was created out of concern that some of the anti-war protest efforts were not having their intended effects -- namely, to influence public opinion and bring an end to the war. I'm speaking particularly of the traffic-blocking and more aggressive efforts. I truly applaud the dedication and effort of those non-violent resisters, I just feel (and I know many agree) that they are not winning people over, but instead angering and alienating many who might otherwise be open to hearing anti-war views. My hope is that HowToStopTheWar.org can become a clearinghouse of ideas for creative and achievable projects..."
In How To Stop The War
InsideVC's War Blog: "Saddam and the CIA . Details from UPI. (via Matt Welch )"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Kurds, Kirkuk, Kontrol
The NYT has an excellent article summarizing the breadth of de facto power in Kurdish hands in the north. Among other things, it mentions that "Kurdish groups appear to be quietly nursing relations with foreign neighbors independent of Baghdad. A Turkish consulate will open in Sulaimaniya this month..."
A Turkish consulate??
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe describes the lead up to the council elections in Kirkuk:
An AP report on Yahoo news goes into more detail on the process of the elections, themselves, with a description of the flap surrounding a group of independent delegates. Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, finally "said he would not decide until Sunday whether he would accept the results of the balloting or choose other members.
"When I make my decision tomorrow," he said, "everyone must abide by it."
So....the Kurds are clearly in control, with occupation forces trying to put a good face on the intense inter-ethnic rivalry with these, uh, elections. The same NYT article mentioned above summarizes things: "American authorities are still unsure how to handle the problem." We seem to be pressing ahead with the symbols of democracy (i.e., red, white and blue bunting), despite the facts on the ground. Is it that we don't know what else to do, or are we attempting a public relations exercise, or a little of both?"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Looking for some good news...
The Christian Science Monitor recently published a "report card" on the occupation, and summarized the good news by citing "coalition officials," suggesting that crime was lower outside of Baghdad, and that those living in the north and south have "more electricity than ever."
The Washington Post adds a glimmer of hope to this assessment, describing a new approach the US military will be taking in Baghdad, involving more contact between soldiers and civilians, and changing the organization and techniques used in patrolling.
The Guardian , however, rains on the parade, reporting that "Baghdad is being carved up by armed gangs," and that there is "a total disconnection between the optimistic language of US press briefings at Saddam Hussein's old palace and the anarchic reality on the street."
I'd been wondering about that."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Sergio Vieira de Mello
Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the US Government all are backing Mr. Vieira de Mello enthusiastically. Given his background (see BBC profile ), if anyone can take a four-month appointment with no clearly defined authority and make something happen -- he can. Cross your fingers."
Iraq Democracy Watch: " UN Resolution = American business contracts
1. From the Washington Post , re: the latest UN Resolution:
Is that like what shows up at the end of a job description -- "and other duties as necessary"?
So what the draft is saying is that we will decide what benefits the people of Iraq. And then when folks like Philip Carroll say that the Iraqi people will decide whether or not to stay in OPEC or not, or that the Iraqi people will decide which telecommunications company to use, American voters will be convinced of our own benefaction. It's all for the Iraqi people. Say, "The Iraqi People" ten times, fast.
2. Meanwhile, the NYT reports that Paul Wolfowitz has come back from a trip from Bosnia, freshly enlightened about the benefit of taking plenty of time before holding elections after a dictatorship. There are countless historical examples, mind you, of imperial powers (woops, did I say, "imperial"?) occupying a weaker country indefinitely, saying that they need to do it to maintain stability. Please feel free to add examples in the comments section.
3. From an outstanding article in Asia Times :
Don't know what ever happened to the Iraqi United National Company for Investment and Construction (see previous post ). "
Iraq Democracy Watch: " Now, about that interim authority...
The U.S., Britain and Spain presented a third draft of the resolution for lifting sanctions on Iraq --although The Guardian reports the US is trying to push it through in 48 hours. The current draft, says the Financial Times, is "close to its [the American] bottom line." Basically, we throw some bones to the U.N., buy off Russia, and drop "the open-ended grant of authority in favor of a requirement that the United States and Britain cede power when 'an internationally recognized, representative government is established.' " (NYT) Well, that's a relief.
Oh, and we do get to appoint our own auditors for monitoring Iraqi oil profits. We have a strong tradition of auditing our own interests here in America.
Where, you might ask, are the Iraqis in all of this? Well, 10,000 were on the streets of Baghdad protesting their lack of real power in the still amorphous and undefined interim authority. And key players among the Iraqi opposition groups are saying they won't play if the so-called authority doesn't have real control over the ministries. The Financial Times quotes Hoshyar Zebari, of the Kurdistan Democratic party, as saying that if the US doesn't empower the Iraqi political parties, they will not participate, and, instead, "seek local power 'on their own turf'," a sentiment echoed by Kasim Sahlani, head of the political bureau of the Da'awa party.
Given the fact that the Washington Post reports a marked increase in vigilante justice in Baghdad, and yesterday's sharp spike in violence between Kurds and Arabs in the north (Boston Globe), these signs do not bode well. We know that President Bush doesn't like basing policy on focus groups, but let's hope the US can sense a pending civil war when the signs start peeking out."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Iran - a moderating influence?
I couldn't wait until tomorrow -- Salam Pax is back, with a note:
Houchang Chehabi , a professor of International Relations at Boston University, said in a recent lecture that the U.S. shouldn't be so worried about Iran's potential interference in Iraqi politics. Why? The Iranian Islamists tend to be less radical, and could act as a moderating influence on the Iraqi Shi'ites.
Question #1: does anyone in the DoD know this? (Clearly, it doesn't matter if State knows about it, since they're just a bunch of intellectual whiners, anyway.)
Question #2: if we know about it, are we complaining about Iran because we are trying to pick a fight? "
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Correction
Quick correction, thanks to Christopher Allbritton of Back In Iraq 2.0 . According to Christopher, "Turkey has been supporting clandestine groups in Iraqi Kurdistan for years now. The various Turkomen parties ALL get a crap load of money and support from Turkey and they have been a more or less destabilizing force against the Kurds. However, I suspect Turkey will definitely step up its support in the near future..."
Thanks, Christopher!
"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Northern Iraq
We've been hearing about Bremer's publicity tour in Mosul, celebrating its "embryonic democracy." It's certainly possible for the new city council there to morph into something concrete, but the current level of democracy, with Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus in virtually complete control, remains debatable. A profile of Petraeus in the Washington Post quotes him as saying, "I am the occupying power, make no mistake...," and depicts him as a veritable village khan, receiving individuals and telling them what they can and can't do.
Kirkuk is also installing a new city council, which, according to ABC News , will have 24 members elected by a body of 300 selected by the Americans. But, it turns out, according to the Post , again, US forces are supporting the new coalition of the Kurdish PUK and KDP -- to the virtual exclusion of the non-trivial minorities of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen. The Kurds control the local police force (made up of peshmerga forces), the television station, and the new city council. And you may have heard the recent reports that the Kurds are offering oil deals to a number of major oil companies.
Given the incredible tensions existing now between local Arabs and Kurds, and the Turkish discomfort with the prospect of Kurdish autonomy, I would venture to say we could be looking at a powder keg. For example, if we manage to keep Turkey from invading, as we have so far, we may not be able to prevent it from supporting clandestine groups among the ethnic minorities. "
Iraqi Mobile Phone system still on hold in IraqWar.info
Saddam's men worked for the CPA in IraqWar.info
Post-war procedures for US troops in Iraq being discussed. in IraqWar.info
Atta Trained in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
UPDATE: Not any more they're not. Nothing on Google News either. As You Were."
In Command Post: Irak
Israel Defense Forces' 1992 plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein: "Haaretz [ Full story »» ] reports:
Sayeret Matkal, the IDF General Staff's elite special-operations force, trained in 1992 to assassinate Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in a daring operation that would have landed commandos in Iraq and fired sophisticated missiles at him during a funeral. The attempt was called off after five soldiers were killed during a training accident."
In Command Post: Irak
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Secondary School under Siege by US Forces: "On the evening of December 16th, in the Amiriya suburb of West Baghdad, the residents held a pro-Saddam Hussein demonstration. Many of the kids were throwing stones at a US Humvee Patrol as it passed by. Aside from this, it was a non-violent demonstration-no shots were fired, nobody was injured. Today, US forces from the First Armored Division returned with two large tanks, helicopters, several Bradley fighting vehicles and at least 10 hummers to seal off the Al Shahid Adnan Kherala secondary school for boys. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Finally, the end for Saddam: "The capture of Saddam Hussein was a fittingly ignominious end for a cruel dictator, writes eIraq contributor Hasan Abu Nimah. But the end of Saddam does not justify the occupation, nor does it mean that the situation in Iraq will immediately improve."
In Electronic Iraq
Growing Fury and Unrest: "On the BBC, we watch footage of Americans gunning down Iraqis as they ran from the armor clad vehicles. Gunned down in the street as they tried to run away, red tracer bullets leaving laser-like trails as they flew past bodies falling upon the cement. This was told to be in Ramadi, by the BBC, then later the same footage was told to have occurred in Falluja. As usual, the truth is hard to come by, even here, unless it is witnessed personally -- or residents of an entire neighborhood or city are all telling the same story. This when, according to Iraqis converging around journalists today at the scene amidst pools of blood and pieces of US military uniforms, remnants from the night before when the fighting commenced in earnest. Pent up rage towards the occupiers was being released in the form of RPG's and machine guns firing towards the Americans. Three Hummers are reported to have been destroyed. Black scars mark where they were hit, burned into the pavement. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Interview: Saddam's Capture, WMDs and the U.S. Occupation of Iraq: "Democracy Now! interviewed Electronic Iraq correspondent and former Jordanian Ambassador to the United Nations, Hassan Abu Nimah. Abu Nimah recently returned from Cairo, Egypt where he met with Arab officials from across the Middle East. In this interview he discusses Saddam's capture, WMDs and the U.S. occupation of Iraq. Format: Real Video -- Watch 128k stream | Watch 256k stream | Listen to the interview with Real Audio. The interview begins at 36:25 on the timeline in the 59 minute show."
In Electronic Iraq
Freedom of Information Act request filed on behalf of A.N.S.W.E.R.: "Yesterday, attorneys with the Partnership for Civil Justice and the National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Committee filed a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) with the FBI on behalf of the A.N.S.W.E.R. (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition. The FOIA request follows media revelations of FBI domestic spying targeting the antiwar movement, and is part of the A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition's Campaign to Defend the First Amendment."
In Electronic Iraq
Amnesty: "Only justice can serve the future of Iraq": ""The way this trial is handled will be crucial for the future shape of Iraq and the extent to which the rule of law will be respected," said Amnesty International. "It is important for the truth to emerge but equally important for justice to prevail.""
In Electronic Iraq
Fuel shortages continue in the north: "A severe petrol shortage in the northern city of Dahuk has seen people waiting hours at a time to get fuel, and the sprouting of a flourishing black market. Queues of vehicles have stretched for over a kilometre in recent weeks as petrol stations have run dry."
In Electronic Iraq
Title VI funding renewal imperils Middle East scholarship: ""For nearly four decades, American universities have benefited from the U.S. Department of Education programs funded under Title VI of the Higher Education Act of 1965. Title VI provides grants to nurture area and international studies centers and aims to create national resources for teaching foreign language and supporting research and training in international studies and world affairs. But these programs are under threat as neoconservatives seek to place conditions on continued funding. Title VI reauthorization already has passed the House and is expected to be taken up by the Senate in January." Electronic Iraq co-founder Laurie King-Irani, writing in the pages of In These Times, examines legislation that imperils Middle East studies in the United States"
In Electronic Iraq
Through a legal lens - the attack and occupation of Iraq: "The passage of time does not in any way alter the illegal nature of the war that has been waged by the United States and Britain in Iraq. From the moment their combined forces commenced hostilities without the express authorisation of the United Nations Security Council, the illegality of the invasion was confirmed. The Charter of the United Nations, universally accepted as legally binding, is clear and unambiguous on this issue. Shane Darcy from the Irish Centre for Human Rights reports for Electronic Iraq."
In Electronic Iraq
Searching Iraq: A Journalist's Diary: "I went to Ad Dour once, where Saddam was caught on 14 December 2003, when I was embedded with the US military as a photographer for a news agency. The 4th Infantry Division -- the Army division taking the credit for Saddam's capture -- raided a farm September 24th, 2003 on a tip that there was a large weapons cache. The Army began by raiding about 20 homes, separating the men and women and then combing through the houses. After their search of the houses turned up only a shotgun and one AK-47, they went to the farm. The highlight of the village raid was when the soldiers roughed up and then arrested some ragged old man who the locals said was 'senile'. Jamal A. Wilson describes a day spent with the US army in September 2003, searching for a weapons cache in the area Saddam was ultimately discovered."
In Electronic Iraq
Jubilation, grief, and sadness in occupied Baghdad: "The winds of change are blowing strongly across Baghdad today, literally and figuratively, on this grey, windy, chilly day. The overall mood is subdued, aside from a few small, sporadic demonstrations, namely by the Communist Party. This underscored by the fact that Saddam has been returned to the Iraqi capital, albeit under drastically different circumstances from when he left. What can be said of Iraqi reaction? It all depends on who I talk with."
In Electronic Iraq
NGOs sceptical that security will improve: "While initial bursts of celebratory gunfire and people dancing in the streets marked the capture of the former dictator, Saddam Hussein, on Saturday evening, international aid agencies remaining in Baghdad said the event was unlikely to have a positive effect on the security situation."
In Electronic Iraq
Blocking Military shipments: "Protesters plan to stop war shipments Antiwar group seeks to shut port of Oakland with picket line April 3 ? Shifting protests against the war in Iraq to a new level, a San Francisco group says that it will set up a picket line Monday to block supplies being shipped to U.S. forces fighting in Iraq. The group, Direct Action to Stop the War, said will attempt to ?shut down the war merchants? at the port of Oakland by urging members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union to not cross the picket line. Full story... This action will still..."
In How To Stop The War
Demand more media coverage of Iraqi civilian casualties and war damage: "I'm sure you've noticed that the U.S. TV media has provided scant coverage of the damage this war has done to the lives of civilian Iraqis. As of this writing, an estimated minimum of 876 Iraqi civilians have been killed in the war, and it's safe to say that few if any of their names or stories have been told on CNN, or any other mainstream TV news channel in the U.S. Here's what MEDIA CHALLENGE!, a coalition of anti-war groups, is urging: Every day for the next three weeks call the national news chiefs listed below (also separately call..."
In How To Stop The War
Uniting for Peace UN action: "Jeremy Brecher is spreading the word about an opportunity for emergency action at the UN: Uniting for Peace UN General Assembly Provides Crucial Opportunity for Global Peace Movement by Jeremy Brecher; April 02, 2003 By The United Nations General Assembly is hovering on the edge of calling an emergency session to challenge the US attack on Iraq. But US opposition has been fierce. The world's "other superpower" -- global public opinion as expressed in the global peace movement -- can tip the balance if it concentrates on demanding a UN General Assembly meeting to halt the war on Iraq now...."
In How To Stop The War
Librarian Strike: "This is a twist on the "no business as usual" angle. I read here that 1,900 librarians around the world expressed their opposition to the war before it happened. I don't know how that compares with the total librarian population -- which is to say I don't know if there are enough anti-war librarians to execute enough of a strike to have an impact. It wouldn't make a difference unless it caused a marked decline in availability of the service. Workers in essential services strike in Europe often to accomplish change, and I assume it's effective at least some of..."
In How To Stop The War
World Dignitary Cease-Fire Summit in Baghdad: "This idea is pretty radical, but would be highly effective if implemented, I think. It first came to mind before the war, and part of it was actually tried back then. Basically the idea is to get the Pope, and a number of other highly prominent and valued world dignitaries, to announce their intention to go to Baghdad to force a cease-fire. I say part of was already tried because there was at least a mini-movement directed toward getting the Pope to go to Baghdad back before the war started. It was probably spurred by the published plea to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Promote John Mellencamp's Protest Song "To Washington": "John Mellencamp has released a protest song called "To Washington". It's more than just a war protest song -- it's protesting the whole chain of events that led Bush and us to this point. The lyrics are below I suggest that peace activists do what they can to get this song played on their local radio stations, as well as Internet stations, record stores, and wherever else. The bigger vision would be to try and get the song to number one on the charts, and keep it there. Here are the lyrics of "To Washington" --you can listen to the..."
In How To Stop The War
Bringing PNAC to light - The Project for a New American Century: "The best strategy I have come up with to turn public opinion on this war is the idea of bringing the Project for a New American Century to the attention and focus of the mainstream American public. Even surface analysis of the PNAC shows that the war in Iraq is not about liberation for Iraqis, but control for the U.S., and military dominance in the Middle East. The news reports showing strong Iraqi resistance to the U.S. invasion provide the other piece of that puzzle. Americans in general are not in favor of global dominance for America, or a "unipolar"..."
In How To Stop The War
Welcome to HowToStopTheWar.org: "This site was created out of concern that some of the anti-war protest efforts were not having their intended effects -- namely, to influence public opinion and bring an end to the war. I'm speaking particularly of the traffic-blocking and more aggressive efforts. I truly applaud the dedication and effort of those non-violent resisters, I just feel (and I know many agree) that they are not winning people over, but instead angering and alienating many who might otherwise be open to hearing anti-war views. My hope is that HowToStopTheWar.org can become a clearinghouse of ideas for creative and achievable projects..."
In How To Stop The War
InsideVC's War Blog: "Saddam and the CIA . Details from UPI. (via Matt Welch )"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Kurds, Kirkuk, Kontrol
The NYT has an excellent article summarizing the breadth of de facto power in Kurdish hands in the north. Among other things, it mentions that "Kurdish groups appear to be quietly nursing relations with foreign neighbors independent of Baghdad. A Turkish consulate will open in Sulaimaniya this month..."
A Turkish consulate??
Meanwhile, the Boston Globe describes the lead up to the council elections in Kirkuk:
In preparation for the vote... Iraqis whitewashed the building, hung up red, white, and blue bunting - and then took it down, because those are not the colors of the Iraqi flag. And when Major General Ray Odierno entered the auditorium, the delegates were instructed to stand. They dutifully rose, then sat and offered tepid applause for Odierno's opening remarks.
An AP report on Yahoo news goes into more detail on the process of the elections, themselves, with a description of the flap surrounding a group of independent delegates. Maj. Gen. Ray Odierno, finally "said he would not decide until Sunday whether he would accept the results of the balloting or choose other members.
"When I make my decision tomorrow," he said, "everyone must abide by it."
So....the Kurds are clearly in control, with occupation forces trying to put a good face on the intense inter-ethnic rivalry with these, uh, elections. The same NYT article mentioned above summarizes things: "American authorities are still unsure how to handle the problem." We seem to be pressing ahead with the symbols of democracy (i.e., red, white and blue bunting), despite the facts on the ground. Is it that we don't know what else to do, or are we attempting a public relations exercise, or a little of both?"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Looking for some good news...
The Christian Science Monitor recently published a "report card" on the occupation, and summarized the good news by citing "coalition officials," suggesting that crime was lower outside of Baghdad, and that those living in the north and south have "more electricity than ever."
The Washington Post adds a glimmer of hope to this assessment, describing a new approach the US military will be taking in Baghdad, involving more contact between soldiers and civilians, and changing the organization and techniques used in patrolling.
The Guardian , however, rains on the parade, reporting that "Baghdad is being carved up by armed gangs," and that there is "a total disconnection between the optimistic language of US press briefings at Saddam Hussein's old palace and the anarchic reality on the street."
I'd been wondering about that."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Sergio Vieira de Mello
Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and the US Government all are backing Mr. Vieira de Mello enthusiastically. Given his background (see BBC profile ), if anyone can take a four-month appointment with no clearly defined authority and make something happen -- he can. Cross your fingers."
Iraq Democracy Watch: " UN Resolution = American business contracts
1. From the Washington Post , re: the latest UN Resolution:
The seven-page resolution would immediately transfer legal control over Iraq's oil industry from the United Nations and Iraq to the United States and its allies. The oil proceeds would be used to finance the country's reconstruction, the costs of an Iraqi civilian administration, the completion of Iraq's disarmament and " other purposes benefiting the people of Iraq ." [Emphasis added.]
Is that like what shows up at the end of a job description -- "and other duties as necessary"?
So what the draft is saying is that we will decide what benefits the people of Iraq. And then when folks like Philip Carroll say that the Iraqi people will decide whether or not to stay in OPEC or not, or that the Iraqi people will decide which telecommunications company to use, American voters will be convinced of our own benefaction. It's all for the Iraqi people. Say, "The Iraqi People" ten times, fast.
2. Meanwhile, the NYT reports that Paul Wolfowitz has come back from a trip from Bosnia, freshly enlightened about the benefit of taking plenty of time before holding elections after a dictatorship. There are countless historical examples, mind you, of imperial powers (woops, did I say, "imperial"?) occupying a weaker country indefinitely, saying that they need to do it to maintain stability. Please feel free to add examples in the comments section.
3. From an outstanding article in Asia Times :
a) Rebuilding oil fields, potentially also exporting oil -- Halliburton
b) General infrastructure reconstruction -- Bechtel
c) Rebuilding seaports - Stevedoring Services of America
d) Refurbishing rebuilt airports - Airlink USA
e) Contracted policing services - Dyncorp
f) See yesterday re: satellite phone service and MCI Worldcom
Don't know what ever happened to the Iraqi United National Company for Investment and Construction (see previous post ). "
Iraq Democracy Watch: " Now, about that interim authority...
The U.S., Britain and Spain presented a third draft of the resolution for lifting sanctions on Iraq --although The Guardian reports the US is trying to push it through in 48 hours. The current draft, says the Financial Times, is "close to its [the American] bottom line." Basically, we throw some bones to the U.N., buy off Russia, and drop "the open-ended grant of authority in favor of a requirement that the United States and Britain cede power when 'an internationally recognized, representative government is established.' " (NYT) Well, that's a relief.
Oh, and we do get to appoint our own auditors for monitoring Iraqi oil profits. We have a strong tradition of auditing our own interests here in America.
Where, you might ask, are the Iraqis in all of this? Well, 10,000 were on the streets of Baghdad protesting their lack of real power in the still amorphous and undefined interim authority. And key players among the Iraqi opposition groups are saying they won't play if the so-called authority doesn't have real control over the ministries. The Financial Times quotes Hoshyar Zebari, of the Kurdistan Democratic party, as saying that if the US doesn't empower the Iraqi political parties, they will not participate, and, instead, "seek local power 'on their own turf'," a sentiment echoed by Kasim Sahlani, head of the political bureau of the Da'awa party.
Given the fact that the Washington Post reports a marked increase in vigilante justice in Baghdad, and yesterday's sharp spike in violence between Kurds and Arabs in the north (Boston Globe), these signs do not bode well. We know that President Bush doesn't like basing policy on focus groups, but let's hope the US can sense a pending civil war when the signs start peeking out."
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Iran - a moderating influence?
I couldn't wait until tomorrow -- Salam Pax is back, with a note:
"I came back from the trip seriously worrying that we might become an Iran-clone. If anyone went to the streets now and decided to hold elections we will end up with something that is scarier than Khomeini?s Iran."
Houchang Chehabi , a professor of International Relations at Boston University, said in a recent lecture that the U.S. shouldn't be so worried about Iran's potential interference in Iraqi politics. Why? The Iranian Islamists tend to be less radical, and could act as a moderating influence on the Iraqi Shi'ites.
Question #1: does anyone in the DoD know this? (Clearly, it doesn't matter if State knows about it, since they're just a bunch of intellectual whiners, anyway.)
Question #2: if we know about it, are we complaining about Iran because we are trying to pick a fight? "
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Correction
Quick correction, thanks to Christopher Allbritton of Back In Iraq 2.0 . According to Christopher, "Turkey has been supporting clandestine groups in Iraqi Kurdistan for years now. The various Turkomen parties ALL get a crap load of money and support from Turkey and they have been a more or less destabilizing force against the Kurds. However, I suspect Turkey will definitely step up its support in the near future..."
Thanks, Christopher!
"
Iraq Democracy Watch: "Northern Iraq
We've been hearing about Bremer's publicity tour in Mosul, celebrating its "embryonic democracy." It's certainly possible for the new city council there to morph into something concrete, but the current level of democracy, with Maj. Gen. David H. Petraeus in virtually complete control, remains debatable. A profile of Petraeus in the Washington Post quotes him as saying, "I am the occupying power, make no mistake...," and depicts him as a veritable village khan, receiving individuals and telling them what they can and can't do.
Kirkuk is also installing a new city council, which, according to ABC News , will have 24 members elected by a body of 300 selected by the Americans. But, it turns out, according to the Post , again, US forces are supporting the new coalition of the Kurdish PUK and KDP -- to the virtual exclusion of the non-trivial minorities of Arabs, Assyrians and Turkmen. The Kurds control the local police force (made up of peshmerga forces), the television station, and the new city council. And you may have heard the recent reports that the Kurds are offering oil deals to a number of major oil companies.
Given the incredible tensions existing now between local Arabs and Kurds, and the Turkish discomfort with the prospect of Kurdish autonomy, I would venture to say we could be looking at a powder keg. For example, if we manage to keep Turkey from invading, as we have so far, we may not be able to prevent it from supporting clandestine groups among the ethnic minorities. "
Iraqi Mobile Phone system still on hold in IraqWar.info
Saddam's men worked for the CPA in IraqWar.info
Post-war procedures for US troops in Iraq being discussed. in IraqWar.info
Atta Trained in Baghdad in IraqWar.info
Head of U.S. Team Searching for Iraq Arms May Leave: "In a potential setback to the so farfruitless hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, thehead of the U.S. search team, David Kay, told administrationofficials he is considering leaving the job as early as nextmonth, U.S. officials said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troop Strength in Iraq to Spike with Rotation: "U.S. Army troop strength in Iraqwill spike, at least briefly, as more troops are kept in thecountry as part of a major rotation in coming months, Pentagonofficials said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Is the search for weapons over? (19 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Sharon gives ultimatum on peace deal: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel was willing to move some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but delivered an ultimatum that Palestinians had only a few months to make peace or Israel would impose its own solution."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Japan Orders Air Force Team to Get Ready for Iraq: "Japan issued orders on Friday for membersof its air force to prepare to leave for the Middle East,marking the start of its contribution of military personnel tosupport the reconstruction of Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. OKs $1.4B for Iraq Kuwait Victims: "A United Nations panel has approved paying an additional $1.4 billion in damages to the victims of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, officials said Thursday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
An Email from a Captain in Iraq: "From The Corner .
Via Silflay Hraka .
* * *
An Email from a Captain in Iraq
We knew there was a dinner planned with ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division weretasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got ourtable. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend. I chose not to go.
But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked me to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or Bremer, but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you go. We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when all kinds of secret service guys showed up.
That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his personal security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops. He then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to give it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled.
Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read the speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering. Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty feet away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.
Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There was not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could clearly see tears running down! his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was this man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours on an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where a plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.
Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the chow hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner, then wolfed it down as he was still working the room.
You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way over the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with Ambassador Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him.
I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the eye and "How you doin', captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, captain." Then moved on.
* * *
"
In Command Post: Irak
Ñòîðîííèêè Õóñåéíà ïðîíèêëè âî âðåìåííûå âëàñòè in IraqWar.Ru
Mukhabarat Agent: No WMDs here!: "No WMDs in Iraq but plenty of chaos!"
In Back to Iraq 2.0
America's enlightened warriors: "Preparing the mind for battle
Via the Baltimore Sun
December 18, 2003
* * *
On the theory that preparing the mind for battle is as important as preparing the body, the top officer in each service provides a reading list of recommended books for enlisted personnel to commissioned officers. The Marine Corps, which for many Americans has the image of being the toughest of the tough, offers the most extensive reading list, with about 175 books divided among each rank.
They include classics on warfare, such as The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (for staff sergeants and lieutenants); and The Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides (for colonels). The U.S. Constitution is recommended for low-ranking enlisted personnel and junior officers.
There are memoirs by enemies, including World War II German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and by Civil War generals, such as William Tecumseh Sherman. There are books on courage, firepower and military innovation. And there are best sellers, such as Fields of Fire, by former Navy Secretary James H. Webb Jr., and Diplomacy, by former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. There are heroic tales and examinations of stunning defeats.
For senior officers, the largest category centers on the Vietnam War. "Marines are expected to read at least two books a year from this list," according to the list's introduction. "The lessons learned from the books can be used to be better leaders both in and out of the Corps."
Following is a sampling of books from the list of recommendations by Marine Corps rank, compiled by Tom Bowman, The Sun's military affairs reporter.
Private, private first class, lance corporal
Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. A recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe - and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most frightening enemy.
The Bridge at Dong Ha, by John Grider Miller. On Easter morning 1972, Marine Capt. John Ripley, the sole U.S. adviser to the tough 3rd Battalion of the South Vietnamese marines, braved intense enemy fire to blow up a bridge and stop a major invasion from the north.
Corporal and sergeant
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane. One of the greatest war novels, it is the story of the Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy turned soldier.
The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West, by William H. Leckie. Chronicles the importance of African-American units in the conquest of the West.
Second lieutenant and first lieutenant
Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship, by J.F.C. Fuller. An analysis of the Civil War battles commanded by Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee; argues that Grant was among the best generals ever.
How We Won the War, by Vo Nguyen Giap. North Vietnam's military commander discusses "just wars of national liberation" from tactics for insurgency operations to the political guidelines for enlisting the populace on the insurgent's side.
Captain
Once a Legend: "Red" Mike Edson of the Marine Raiders, by Jon T. Hoffman. Edson earned the Medal of Honor and lasting fame during a desperate, two-day defense of Guadalcanal's vital airfield.
On Guerrilla Warfare, by Mao Tse-tung. Written by the future Chinese leader in 1937, it served as an instruction manual for guerrilla fighting.
Major
Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara. A leader of the 1959 overthrow in Cuba discusses the need for revolution to topple governments in Latin America. He details his style of hit-and-run tactics that proved successful.
It Doesn't Take a Hero : The Autobiography of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The general who commanded U.S. and allied forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf war talks about his life, from his teen-age years spent in the Middle East to his time as a young officer in Vietnam and then to the gulf war.
Lieutenant colonel
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Considered among the best military memoirs, the two-volume work was published by Mark Twain and completed in the last month of the Civil War general's life. He offers firsthand accounts of the waging of war.
Take That Hill! Royal Marines in the Falklands War, by Nick Vaux. The book chronicles the actions of Britain's 42 Commando Royal Marines and their actions in the Falklands during the 1982 war with Argentina.
Colonel
The Marine Corps Search for a Mission 1880-1898, by Jack Shulimson. Although the Marines distinguished themselves fighting on the Barbary Coast, their essential mission and identity remained unclear throughout most of the 19th century. The book tells how the Marine Corps got out from under the thumb of the Navy and became a distinct and separate branch of the military.
Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1891-1939, by Robert A. Doughty. Discusses the failure of the French Army to turn back the Nazi attacks in the spring of 1940. Although France possessed the technology to fight, it lacked the right tactics and leadership.
Brigadier general through general
The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam. The story of how the U.S. got involved in Vietnam through the "best and brightest" policymakers appointed by John F. Kennedy.
Maverick Marine: General Smedley Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History, by Hans Schmidt. A two-time Medal of Honor recipient, Butler, beginning in 1898, served on American foreign military expeditions from Cuba to the Philippines, China, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, France and China. After a rescinded court-martial and premature retirement in 1931, he renounced war and devoted his energies to causes ranging from labor unions to the anti-war movement of the 1930s.
* * *
"
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Scientists Going on U.S. Payroll: "Hundreds of Iraqi scientists and technicians who the Bush administration says worked on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs for Saddam Hussein will be paid by the United States for their role in postwar projects, partly to keep the Iraqis from selling their expertise elsewhere. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS IN DECEMBER!: " (Ann Coulter)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
More troops headed to Iraq in new year in CNN - War in Iraq
Double legal terror blow for Bush (18 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Pentagon Adjusts Iraq Deployment Plans: "The Pentagon is sending an additional brigade of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq and extending the deployment there of another 82nd Airborne unit in what officials said Thursday is a minor adjustment to their plan for rotating fresh forces into Iraq next year. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld approves deployment of additional troops to Iraq: officials: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the deployment of an extra brigade of the elite 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq in January and extended that of another brigade to maintain combat power, senior US defense officials said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called for a Jan. 15 meeting of the key players in Iraq to pin down what role they want the United Nations to play as the country moves from U.S. occupation to a democratically elected government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UN's Annan Wants Meeting on UN Role in Iraq: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan on Thursday proposed a Jan. 15 meeting with the IraqiGoverning Council and the U.S.-led coalition to see what rolethe United Nations should play if it returns to Baghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Stryker Brigade gets first combat in IraqWar.info
New look, new mission: "New look for a new mission."
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Putin in Moscow: White House: "US envoy James Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on lightening the burden of Iraq's debt, the White House said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.S. Troop Strength in Iraq to Spike with Rotation: "U.S. Army troop strength in Iraqwill spike, at least briefly, as more troops are kept in thecountry as part of a major rotation in coming months, Pentagonofficials said on Thursday. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Is the search for weapons over? (19 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Sharon gives ultimatum on peace deal: "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel was willing to move some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but delivered an ultimatum that Palestinians had only a few months to make peace or Israel would impose its own solution."
In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq
Japan Orders Air Force Team to Get Ready for Iraq: "Japan issued orders on Friday for membersof its air force to prepare to leave for the Middle East,marking the start of its contribution of military personnel tosupport the reconstruction of Iraq. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. OKs $1.4B for Iraq Kuwait Victims: "A United Nations panel has approved paying an additional $1.4 billion in damages to the victims of Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, officials said Thursday. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
An Email from a Captain in Iraq: "From The Corner .
Via Silflay Hraka .
* * *
An Email from a Captain in Iraq
We knew there was a dinner planned with ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. There were 600 seats available and all the units in the division weretasked with filling a few tables. Naturally, the 501st MI battalion got ourtable. Soldiers were grumbling about having to sit through another dog-and-pony show, so we had to pick soldiers to attend. I chose not to go.
But, about 1500 the G2, LTC Devan, came up to me and with a smile, asked me to come to dinner with him, to meet him in his office at 1600 and bring a camera. I didn't really care about getting a picture with Sanchez or Bremer, but when the division's senior intelligence officer asks you to go, you go. We were seated in the chow hall, fully decorated for thanksgiving when all kinds of secret service guys showed up.
That was my first clue, because Bremer's been here before and his personal security detachment is not that big. Then BG Dempsey got up to speak, and he welcomed ambassador Bremer and LTG Sanchez. Bremer thanked us all and pulled out a piece of paper as if to give a speech. He mentioned that the President had given him this thanksgiving speech to give to the troops. He then paused and said that the senior man present should be the one to give it. He then looked at Sanchez, who just smiled.
Bremer then said that we should probably get someone more senior to read the speech. Then, from behind the camouflage netting, the President of the United States came around. The mess hall actually erupted with hollering. Troops bounded to their feet with shocked smiles and just began cheering with all their hearts. The building actually shook. It was just unreal. I was absolutely stunned. Not only for the obvious, but also because I was only two tables away from the podium. There he stood, less than thirty feet away from me! The cheering went on and on and on.
Soldiers were hollering, cheering, and a lot of them were crying. There was not a dry eye at my table. When he stepped up to the cheering, I could clearly see tears running down! his cheeks. It was the most surreal moment I've had in years. Not since my wedding and Aaron being born. Here was this man, our President, came all the way around the world, spending 17 hours on an airplane and landing in the most dangerous airport in the world, where a plane was shot out of the sky not six days before.
Just to spend two hours with his troops. Only to get on a plane and spend another 17 hours flying back. It was a great moment, and I will never forget it. He delivered his speech, which we all loved, when he looked right at me and held his eyes on me. Then he stepped down and was just mobbed by the soldiers. He slowly worked his way all the way around the chow hall and shook every last hand extended. Every soldier who wanted a photo with the President got one. I made my way through the line, got dinner, then wolfed it down as he was still working the room.
You could tell he was really enjoying himself. It wasn't just a photo opportunity. This man was actually enjoying himself! He worked his way over the course of about 90 minutes towards my side of the room. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to shake a few hands. I got a picture with Ambassador Bremer, Talabani (acting Iraqi president) and Achmed Chalabi (another member of the ruling council) and Condaleeza Rice, who was there with him.
I felt like I was drunk. He was getting closer to my table so I went back over to my seat. As he passed and posed for photos, he looked my in the eye and "How you doin', captain." I smiled and said "God bless you, sir." To which he responded "I'm proud of what you do, captain." Then moved on.
* * *
"
In Command Post: Irak
Ñòîðîííèêè Õóñåéíà ïðîíèêëè âî âðåìåííûå âëàñòè in IraqWar.Ru
Mukhabarat Agent: No WMDs here!: "No WMDs in Iraq but plenty of chaos!"
In Back to Iraq 2.0
America's enlightened warriors: "Preparing the mind for battle
Via the Baltimore Sun
December 18, 2003
* * *
On the theory that preparing the mind for battle is as important as preparing the body, the top officer in each service provides a reading list of recommended books for enlisted personnel to commissioned officers. The Marine Corps, which for many Americans has the image of being the toughest of the tough, offers the most extensive reading list, with about 175 books divided among each rank.
They include classics on warfare, such as The Art of War, by Sun Tzu (for staff sergeants and lieutenants); and The Peloponnesian War, by Thucydides (for colonels). The U.S. Constitution is recommended for low-ranking enlisted personnel and junior officers.
There are memoirs by enemies, including World War II German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and by Civil War generals, such as William Tecumseh Sherman. There are books on courage, firepower and military innovation. And there are best sellers, such as Fields of Fire, by former Navy Secretary James H. Webb Jr., and Diplomacy, by former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger. There are heroic tales and examinations of stunning defeats.
For senior officers, the largest category centers on the Vietnam War. "Marines are expected to read at least two books a year from this list," according to the list's introduction. "The lessons learned from the books can be used to be better leaders both in and out of the Corps."
Following is a sampling of books from the list of recommendations by Marine Corps rank, compiled by Tom Bowman, The Sun's military affairs reporter.
Private, private first class, lance corporal
Starship Troopers, by Robert A. Heinlein. A recruit of the future goes through the toughest boot camp in the universe - and into battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most frightening enemy.
The Bridge at Dong Ha, by John Grider Miller. On Easter morning 1972, Marine Capt. John Ripley, the sole U.S. adviser to the tough 3rd Battalion of the South Vietnamese marines, braved intense enemy fire to blow up a bridge and stop a major invasion from the north.
Corporal and sergeant
The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane. One of the greatest war novels, it is the story of the Civil War through the eyes of Henry Fleming, an ordinary farm boy turned soldier.
The Buffalo Soldiers: A Narrative of the Negro Cavalry in the West, by William H. Leckie. Chronicles the importance of African-American units in the conquest of the West.
Second lieutenant and first lieutenant
Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship, by J.F.C. Fuller. An analysis of the Civil War battles commanded by Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee; argues that Grant was among the best generals ever.
How We Won the War, by Vo Nguyen Giap. North Vietnam's military commander discusses "just wars of national liberation" from tactics for insurgency operations to the political guidelines for enlisting the populace on the insurgent's side.
Captain
Once a Legend: "Red" Mike Edson of the Marine Raiders, by Jon T. Hoffman. Edson earned the Medal of Honor and lasting fame during a desperate, two-day defense of Guadalcanal's vital airfield.
On Guerrilla Warfare, by Mao Tse-tung. Written by the future Chinese leader in 1937, it served as an instruction manual for guerrilla fighting.
Major
Guerrilla Warfare, by Che Guevara. A leader of the 1959 overthrow in Cuba discusses the need for revolution to topple governments in Latin America. He details his style of hit-and-run tactics that proved successful.
It Doesn't Take a Hero : The Autobiography of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. The general who commanded U.S. and allied forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf war talks about his life, from his teen-age years spent in the Middle East to his time as a young officer in Vietnam and then to the gulf war.
Lieutenant colonel
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant. Considered among the best military memoirs, the two-volume work was published by Mark Twain and completed in the last month of the Civil War general's life. He offers firsthand accounts of the waging of war.
Take That Hill! Royal Marines in the Falklands War, by Nick Vaux. The book chronicles the actions of Britain's 42 Commando Royal Marines and their actions in the Falklands during the 1982 war with Argentina.
Colonel
The Marine Corps Search for a Mission 1880-1898, by Jack Shulimson. Although the Marines distinguished themselves fighting on the Barbary Coast, their essential mission and identity remained unclear throughout most of the 19th century. The book tells how the Marine Corps got out from under the thumb of the Navy and became a distinct and separate branch of the military.
Seeds of Disaster: The Development of French Army Doctrine, 1891-1939, by Robert A. Doughty. Discusses the failure of the French Army to turn back the Nazi attacks in the spring of 1940. Although France possessed the technology to fight, it lacked the right tactics and leadership.
Brigadier general through general
The Best and the Brightest, by David Halberstam. The story of how the U.S. got involved in Vietnam through the "best and brightest" policymakers appointed by John F. Kennedy.
Maverick Marine: General Smedley Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History, by Hans Schmidt. A two-time Medal of Honor recipient, Butler, beginning in 1898, served on American foreign military expeditions from Cuba to the Philippines, China, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Haiti, France and China. After a rescinded court-martial and premature retirement in 1931, he renounced war and devoted his energies to causes ranging from labor unions to the anti-war movement of the 1930s.
* * *
"
In Command Post: Irak
Iraqi Scientists Going on U.S. Payroll: "Hundreds of Iraqi scientists and technicians who the Bush administration says worked on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs for Saddam Hussein will be paid by the United States for their role in postwar projects, partly to keep the Iraqis from selling their expertise elsewhere. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS IN DECEMBER!: " (Ann Coulter)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
More troops headed to Iraq in new year in CNN - War in Iraq
Double legal terror blow for Bush (18 Dec 03) in Radio Free USA
Pentagon Adjusts Iraq Deployment Plans: "The Pentagon is sending an additional brigade of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq and extending the deployment there of another 82nd Airborne unit in what officials said Thursday is a minor adjustment to their plan for rotating fresh forces into Iraq next year. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Rumsfeld approves deployment of additional troops to Iraq: officials: "Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has approved the deployment of an extra brigade of the elite 82nd Airborne Division to Iraq in January and extended that of another brigade to maintain combat power, senior US defense officials said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
U.N. to Meet With Iraq Council, Coalition: "Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday called for a Jan. 15 meeting of the key players in Iraq to pin down what role they want the United Nations to play as the country moves from U.S. occupation to a democratically elected government. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
UN's Annan Wants Meeting on UN Role in Iraq: "U.N. Secretary-General KofiAnnan on Thursday proposed a Jan. 15 meeting with the IraqiGoverning Council and the U.S.-led coalition to see what rolethe United Nations should play if it returns to Baghdad. (Reuters)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Arresting Children: ""Two days ago there was a demonstration after school finished, against the coalition and for Saddam. Yesterday the American army came and surrounded the whole block. They just crashed into the school, 6, 7, 8 into every classroom with their guns. They took the name of every student and matched the names to the photos they got from the day before and then arrested the students. They actually dragged them by their shirts onto the floor and out of the class." They wouldn't give their names. The children at Adnan Kheiralla Boys' School in the Amiriya district of Baghdad were still scared, still seething with rage. Jo Wilding writes about the event from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
One Small Business in Iraq, Indicative of Many: "In 1953 an Iraqi man named Aziz Mikhail Zablok opened a small shoe store in Baghdad. This was no small feat, for when Aziz was 12 years old; he had begun working to help support his widowed mother of four. He eventually learned to make shoes while working for the International Shoe Company. With his brother, he opened a small shop on Rashid Street in Baghdad selling imported shoes. Eventually they began making their own in the back of the shop. Things continued to improve, and in 1958 they bought and opened a factory, then many more shops. Their business, priding itself on handmade, high quality shoes would grow into over 20 successful stores throughout Baghdad. Dahr Jamail traces the history of the family business from the coming of Saddam's regime, through the US invasion, to the present day occupation."
In Electronic Iraq
Another Home Pillaged, More Illegal Detentions: "On December 9th, at 10pm, US soldiers stormed a home in Al Ewadiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. Taharoh Muhammad Munahi Al Rufayai, a 43-year-old college professor; Leith, her brother and a retired army officer; and their elderly aunt Fahad. The soldiers forced the inhabitants to stand outside at gunpoint for five and a half hours in their bed clothes while they searched and pillaged the home, destroying much of its contents while looking for weapons and members of the resistance. Twenty soldiers picked through the home, while many more waiting outside with the family members, amidst hummers and light tanks, while helicopters circled above. Dahr Jamail writes from Baghdad."
In Electronic Iraq
Stryker Brigade gets first combat in IraqWar.info
New look, new mission: "New look for a new mission."
In Back to Iraq 2.0
Poll: Public Confident of Osama Capture: "Public confidence that Osama bin Laden will be caught is rising along with approval of President Bush's handling of foreign policy and terrorism in the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's capture, an Associated Press poll says. (AP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Putin in Moscow: White House: "US envoy James Baker had a "constructive" meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on lightening the burden of Iraq's debt, the White House said. (AFP)"
In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq
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