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Saturday, August 14, 2004

Somebody's Someone

Somebody's Someone
(Richie McDonald)

Turn to the six o'clock news, another soldier dies
Tried to hide it but I couldn't help it, I had to cry
When my little boy asked me daddy was he your friend
I said no, I didn't even know him

But he was somebody's someone, a neighbor, a husband
A brother, a father, and a mother's only son
He was an uncle, a cousin, somebody's best friend
And I'm sure at times a shoulder to lean on
He was somebody's someone

So I sat there in that chair and helped him understand
How this brave young man gave his life for our land
And although he's someone we'll never know
To you and me he is a hero

He was somebody's someone, a neighbor, a husband
A brother, a father, and a mother's only son
He was an uncle, a cousin, somebody's best friend
And I'm sure at times a shoulder to lean on
He was somebody's someone

To the world he was a total stranger
Who kept us safe and out of danger
But now he's just a picture on TV
Somebody's memory

He was somebody's someone, a neighbor, a husband
A brother, a father, and a mother's only son
He was an uncle, a cousin, somebody's best friend
And I'm sure at times a shoulder to lean on
He was somebody's someone
He was somebody's someone




Iraq War News
Iraq War News
Iraqi cleric rules out surrender: "A truce holds in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, but radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr vows victory or death."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq (UK Edition)



One Marine, one soldier killed in separate Iraq incidents: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Two U.S. servicemen were killed in separateincidents in Iraq, the military said Saturday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Iraqi gunmen 'release' UK journalist: "British journalist James Brandon, held hostage by Iraqi militants, has been released from captivity, witnesses in Basra said."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Ukraine Vows to Maintain Troops in Iraq: "Ukraine, one of the largest contributors of troops to Iraq, announced that a fresh brigade would be sent to replace the one rotating home this fall."

In New York Times: World Special



Protests in Iran at Najaf actions: "Thousands of Iranians hold protests at what they call "atrocities" by US forces in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



UN staff arrive back in Baghdad: "The United Nations returns international staff to Iraq, nearly a year after a deadly bomb on their Baghdad HQ."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Iraqi cleric has UK heart surgery: "Iraq's most influential Shia leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has heart treatment in London."

In BBC: Conflict with Iraq



Israel considers giving up Golan Heights: "Israel could give up all of the Golan Heights for peace with Syria without compromising security, the army chief said in an interview published Friday, undercutting the contention of successive governments that Israel needs to keep at least a slice of the plateau."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Aides for Iraqi cleric press for amnesty: "U.S. forces suspended a major offensive against militants in Najaf on Friday, and aides to Muqtada al-Sadr told Iraqi negotiators that radical Shiite cleric was prepared to disarm his followers in exchange for a list of demands including an American withdrawal from the holy city and amnesty for all his fighters."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



U.S. soldier arraigned on Abu Ghraib abuse charges: "BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A soldier accused of abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad has been arraigned on charges including maltreatment of subordinates, dereliction of duties, and committing indecent acts with detainees, the military said Friday."

In Fresno Bee: Iraq



Sadr Vows To Fight Until Death Or Victory: "

Reuters reports that Sadr vows to stay in his Najaf stronghold until victory or death:

"I will not leave this holy city," he told his fighters, who chanted "no, no to America" in response. "We will remain here defending the holy shrines till victory or martyrdom."

A Sadr spokesman had earlier said the cleric would pull his forces out of Najaf if U.S. forces also withdrew and religious authorities agreed to administer the city's sacred sites, the holiest for Iraq's majority Shi'ite Muslims.

But the fiery speech, designed to rally militia fighters who have suffered heavy losses against U.S. warplanes and tanks, appeared to reject earlier government overtures for a deal to end the confrontation.

"

In Command Post: Irak



Powell Denounces Iraqi Insurgent Leader: "Denouncing Iraqi insurgent leader Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia as outlaws, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Friday U.S. forces were "squeezing" Najaf in an effort to restore order and establish the authority of the Iraqi interim government. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



in



Najaf Cemetery Becomes Killing Field: "The platoon leader's call came crackling over Charlie Company radios: "We're taking RPG fire, 800 meters! Small arms fire, 300 meters!" (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Sadr Calls on Iraqi Govt to Quit, Vows to Fight On: "Radical cleric Moqtada al-SadrFriday urged Iraq's "dictatorial" interim government to resignand said his militia would fight U.S. forces in the holy cityof Najaf until death or victory, his spokesman said. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



New U.N. Envoy to Iraq Calls for Peace: "The new U.N. envoy to Iraq called for an end to the ongoing violence in the holy city of Najaf as he met with government officials Friday, establishing the world body's first official presence here since a series of deadly bombings forced it out last year. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Friday, August 13, 2004

Iraq War News
Israeli troops detain reporters, doctor: "Israeli troops in the West Bank detained three British Broadcasting Corp. journalists and a Palestinian doctor at gunpoint for three hours Thursday before releasing them, BBC officials and the doctor said."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Angry Palestinians lash out at Arafat: "Dozens of homeless Palestinians led by gunmen occupied a government office in this Gaza refugee camp Thursday, forcing officials to leave and lashing out at the Palestinian Authority."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Najaf is one of Shiite's holiest cities: "The gold-domed mosque of Imam Ali bin Abi Talib - named after the slain cousin and son-in-law of Islam's prophet Muhammad - has been revered by the world's 120 million Shiite Muslims as a place of pilgrimage for centuries."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Pandora's mosque: "While U.S. forces may have received "permission" to strike the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf from Iraqi authorities, any such action is likely to provoke widespread outrage throughout the Shi'ite community. According to the Los Angeles Times, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of neighboring Iran, said in an address on Iranian state television, "The United States is slaughtering the people of one of the holiest Islamic cities, and the Muslim world and the Iraqi nation will not stand by.""

In Alternet: War On Iraq



in



U.S. Marines Seize Center of Najaf, Oil Hits Record: "U.S. marines backed by tanks andaircraft seized the heart of the holy Iraqi city of Najaf onThursday in a major assault on Shi'ite rebels that drove worldoil prices to record highs. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Pentagon faults Halliburton for Iraq accounting: "An internal Pentagon audit has faulted US oil services group Halliburton for failing to account for some of the 4.2 billion dollars it has been awarded for logistical contracts in Iraq and Kuwait. (AFP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Cemetery Fight Haunts Some U.S. Soldiers: "NAJAF, Iraq, Aug. 10 -- Bats flapped out of crypts, startling soldiers creeping through the cemetery with guns up. Graves opened beneath their combat boots. And an old enemy displayed a new professionalism, darting in clearly practiced moves between tombstone and mausoleum to stalk the Americans from above ground and below. (washingtonpost.com)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



UN Prolongs Iraq Mission Stymied by Unrest: "The U.N. Security Council votedunanimously on Thursday to extend for a second year a U.N.mission in Iraq that has so far failed to get off the grounddue to a lack of security. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Cheney criticizes Kerry's call for 'more sensitive' war in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



National conference now set to begin Sunday in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



Storms approach...Allawi appeal...No time to be sensitive? in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



U-S helicopter crashes in Aghanistan in Katu.com: Iraq & Terror



U.N. Extends Mission in Iraq for a Year: "
The U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Thursday extending the U.N. mission in Iraq for a year, but how significant a role the world body can play remains in question because of continuing insecurity in the country.

The resolution adopted by the 15 council members reaffirms "that the United Nations should play a leading role in assisting the Iraqi people and government in the formation of institutions for representative government."

Read more?

"

In Command Post: Irak



Sadr Not Home: "

Breaking, no links yet.

U.S. and Iraqi troops have stormed Al Sadr's home, but the cleric was nowhere to be found.

More as we get it.

Update: ABC has a short bit on the news:

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. forces stormed the home of rebel Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in the holy city of Najaf on Thursday, witnesses said.
They said servicemen went into the house in the center of the city after warplanes bombed nearby targets and battled militiamen loyal to Sadr.

The cleric was thought to be at Imam Ali shrine, about one mile away.

"

In Command Post: Irak



Najaf Official Resigns: "

Al Jazeera:

The deputy governor of Najaf has resigned in protest against the US offensive on the city even as a series of explosions rocked Najaf as fighting between US marines and Al-Mahdi fighters entered a second week.
"I resign from my post denouncing all the US terrorist operations that they are doing against this holy city," Jawdat Kadam Najim al-Kuraishi, deputy governor of Najaf, said on Thursday.

Read more?

"

In Command Post: Irak



Iraqi National Conference Set for Sunday: "
Iraq's delayed national conference to select an interim national assembly will convene Sunday, Minister of State Qassim Dawoud announced Thursday.

The conference, considered a crucial step in the country's move toward democracy, was to have been held in late July, but was delayed to allow more time for preparations - a postponement encouraged by the United Nations.

Key political groups had said last month that they would boycott the conference, some areas of the country complained they hadn't been given enough time to agree on delegates, and officials expressed worries the gathering would be a target for terror attacks.

U.N. officials hoped to persuade resistant factions to attend, but it wasn't immediately clear if they had changed any minds.

Read more?

"

In Command Post: Irak



Allawi Calls on Militants to Leave Najaf Shrine: "

AP :

Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi called Thursday on the Shiite militants fighting U.S. and Iraqi forces in the holy city of Najaf to put down their weapons and leave the Imam Ali shrine where they have sought refuge.
Allawi's appeal, made in a statement read by Iraqi officials, came as U.S. and Iraqi forces began a major operation in Najaf intended to defeat the militants.

The militants have been holed up in the shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam, during the fighting and the U.S. military accused them of launching attacks from the shrine compound.

"These places have never been exposed to such violations in the past," he said, adding that the violence has killed many innocent people.

"Our government calls upon all the armed groups to drop their weapons and return to society," Allawi said. "We also call upon all the armed men to evacuate the holy shrine and not to violate its holiness."

"

In Command Post: Irak



IRAQ: AI criticises reinstatement of death penalty: "ANKARA, 12 Aug 2004 (IRIN) - Amnesty International (AI) has criticised the Iraqi government's recent decision to reinstate the death penalty, saying it will do nothing to restore security in the country."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



IRAQ: Medical supplies delivered to Najaf as fighting continues: "BAGHDAD, 12 Aug 2004 (IRIN) - International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials had delivered three mt of medical supplies to the besieged southern Iraqi city of Najaf as US troops launched a comprehensive assault on Mehdi army fighters resisting them on Thursday."

In IRIN: Iraq Crisis



in



in



in



Palestinians occupy gov't office in Gaza: "Dozens of Palestinians, some of them armed, occupied local government offices in a Gaza refugee camp Thursday, demanding assistance after a series of home demolitions by the Israeli army."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Rumsfeld: Iraq Security Forces Expanding: "Iraqi security forces should grow by 50,000 trained and equipped personnel during the next three or four months, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said as he acknowledged the forces so far have had a mixed record on the battlefield. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Iraq War News
Britons join al-Sadr's army in Iraq: "Two British men have joined the Mahdi Army of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in fighting coalition forces in Iraq, it has emerged."

In Ananova: War In Iraq



Gunmen Slay Top Shiite Faction Official: "Gunmen killed a regional leader of one of Iraq's largest Shiite parties in a drive-by shooting south of Baghdad Wednesday, and oil production resumed in Iraq's southern oil fields after authorities reached a deal with supporters of militant cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



U.S. Won't Negotiate With Sadr: "BAGHDAD - After failing in previous attempts to rid Najaf and Fallouja of insurgents, U.S.-led forces say they hope to avoid an inconclusive cease-fire during the current fighting in Najaf. This time, military officials say, they will not negotiate and will not stop applying pressure until they "defeat and destroy" radical Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr's Al Mahdi militia. (Los Angeles Times)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Iraq's Sadr Urges Men to Fight Even if He Dies: "A radical Shi'ite Muslim clericurged his militia on Wednesday to keep fighting U.S. forces inIraq even if he is killed, raising the stakes in a bloodyconfrontation that shows no sign of ending. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Fierce fighting rages in Iraq: "... killed in clashes between rebel forces and Italian troops in Nasiriyah. Rebels also clashed with ... worsening violence. As Iraq's most respected Shiite religious leader, the aged ayatollah has played a ..."

In EIN News: Italy Religion News



How big Al Qaeda's footprint is in the US: "... several developments overseas. Security was tightened at Rome's main airport following threats directed at Italy. Pakistan, meanwhile, continued with a crackdown on Islamic militancy, and a dozen Al Qaeda suspects were arrested in Britain. In all, the ..."

In EIN News: Italy Religion News



RACHID: Inside The Mind Of A "Terrorist": "... gives an insight into the mesh of religion, politics and violence that creates a "terrorist". ... designer clothes, Levi 501s, gelled hair and Italian shoes. These GIA 'emirs' (princes) are handsome ... civilians such as journalists, doctors, teachers or Christians. Intestines are used to decorate trees, heads ..."

In EIN News: Italy Religion News



Fighting spreads in Iraq: "... After noon prayers in Basra, Iraq, a Shiite Muslim holds ... injured and six killed in attacks on Italian troops in the city of Nasiriyah. There ..."

In EIN News: Italy Religion News



Anybody know anything about shadow people? in The Pagan Library


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