A must read story"Alive and Well in Bangkok!!! "

First post.
"Hi everyone, This is my first post. My name is Ali and I'm an Iraqi living in Baghdad. And yes I'm a liberal as my blog title says, but I must stress that I'm a liberal Iraqi and not just liberal, a term which has different meanings depending on where you live and compared to your surrounding ideologies.I intend through this blog to talk about the rising democracy in Iraq and I hope I can provide others around the world with a view of how life is going on in Iraq from where I see it. I do not and will not pretend that I represent the majority of Iraqis, but I'll try to convey as objectively as I can what Iraqis think and how they feel about the changes and the hardships in Iraq, in addition to my own opinion. Different perspectives will be wellcomed on this blog, but any offensive language towards other readers (I believe this blog would be read by some sooner or later) and any racist remarks will cause the person who post it to be banned.I hope those who will read this blog would find it useful and please if anyone has any question, don't hesitate to send them.I'll
be updating the blog soon."
Liberal Iraqi

Also found on the last link

Tsunami notes

": See the first before-and-after satellite images.
Buzzmachine

I found this on that link in the last post.

Iran Torturing Bloggers

"Let's see if the New York Times gives this anywhere near the play they gave to Abu Ghraib.


They told very important points about the unjustifiable treatment they had received, including: 1- Physical torture, punches and kicks: "he banged my head to the bench that made my recently-operated nose bleed, and later I found out that they broke my nose"; "they punched us"; "we were alone in single cells for months"; and things of this kind...
2- The classical questions about sexual relationships [to create moral scandals]: "Write down the names of your boy/girl friends"; "tell us about your illegal [= out of marriage] sexual relationships"; "what kind of relationship have that girl/guy had with you?"; "how many times have you been raped, or have you raped?"; and worst of all, they gave the names of 6 reformist activist to one of the girls asking her to confess in writing that she had had illegal sexual relationship with them. And when the girl refused, they brought in a former prisoner (who had turned to their side under torture) who told the girl face to face that he had had sexual relationship with her!"
CounterColumn

"Celebrations were to culminate in a midnight appearance by Yushchenko, along with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili. The Georgian leader's landslide election victory after the "rose revolution" a year ago inspired many activists in Ukraine."

"But Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, accused in the West of rights violations, said there was "no need to shout that Ukraine elected a pro-Western president. Ukraine elected a pro-Ukrainian president," he told BelTA news agency."
myway news

K-k-r-r-BOOM.

"K-k-r-r-BOOM. An explosion went off right where they had all been gathering. It was dead center of where the guys had disappeared.
“Ramrod 18, Red 6. That shit was right on. Fire for effect. Fire for effect!”
“Roger. 20 rounds. Observe effects.”
“Holy shit. 20 rounds? That’s gonna be bigger than the barrage.”
K-k-r-r-BOOM. K-k-r-r-BOOM. K-k-r-r-BOOM.
ARMOR GEDDON

"It was announced that two Iraqi children recently led the Marines to a site where roadside bombs were concealed, near Baiji"
Juan Cole

I heard something similar, but in the version I heard the solider recognized the children because they had given them toys and one child had a tedybear that they recognized, and the child told them where a the bomb was. I don't know if these are two versions of the same story of if there two separate instances of Iraqi children leading us to the bombs.

Uncle Usama

"I think that this news is really not that big, people in Iraq are shrugging this off, its not really on our minds. All we take from this video is that Usama will definately stick his fingers into our elections in some way. I assume there will be bombings or some attacks like the ones that have already happened on election workers during the election. But we will not waver. Only by going forward with this plan of building a new Iraq will we be able to squelch Usama and his supporters. He knows that in the next few months his support base will be eroded further here in Iraq, and he is afraid. This is why he made this tape."
Democrocy in Iraq

Neurotic Wife: the political side

"But I guess as the day is nearing people are getting excited. Whatever the results will be, I am sure some parties will dispute it, others will probably say that these elections are illegal, which already is being said, and I am pretty sure that many innocent people will lose their lives, a very grim aspect. The people who are against these elections are the same ones that encourage the "Jihad" acts. They are the same ones that dont want Iraq to be peaceful, they are the same ones that dont want their own people to live."
Neurotic Iraqi Wife

House for rent: Terrorist need not apply

"There was a big explosion in Al-Ghazalia suburb of Baghdad last night. The explosion killed 30 people and injured 25 more. But, the explosion itself isn't the only reason I'm writing. The actions of ordinary Iraqis inspired me.

The story starts with a Sudani who moved into a house in Al-Ghazalia two days ago. The neighbors became suspicious of the new resident when foreigners started visiting him carrying bags and left without the bags. Obviously, the number of bags was big enough to prompt one of the neighbors to call the police and tell them about the weird things happening in that house. [Source Al-Rafidain and Radio Sawa]."
Live from Dallas

God bless all the lists

"The situation here indicates that a great percentage of Iraqis are WITH the elections and are looking forward to participate in the process and truly I don't know why the media insists on showing the voices that oppose the elections that represent parties swimming against the majority's current and chose violence and terror as a way to deal with the people and this is a striking evidence for their failure because if they were representing the general will of the people we would've seen peaceful activities in which the sons of Iraq take part, the thing that didn't happen because Iraqis are certain that the elections fall into the interest of the whole population (except of course for the terrorists and the remnants of the dead regime).
Iraqis' response to terror was so clear; after the terrorists, or the so called insurgents threatened to slaughter anyone who participates in the elections, 7200 Iraqis rushed to announce their candidacy. YES, 7200 Iraqis representing more than 200 different political parties and I believe this makes the image clearer for the viewer.

And to remove the fog and debunk the claims about the Sunni population being against the democratic process, I want to point out that tens of the political parties come from the Sunni population. Moreover you almost can't find a single list that lacks Sunni candidates in it, even lists from She'at, Kurdis, Christian or liberal parties"
Iraq the Model

I will NOT vote because :

"* A report published by the Kurdistan Regional Government's Human Rights Ministry, announced that this year 130 Kurds have been beheaded in 2004 by terrorists. (Hawlati.com). Voting for Iraq, means more Kurds killed in Iraq."
Kurdo's World

Kurdo I don't see any comments or trackback on your new site, but maybe your still working on the new look which is very nice, specially for me as I like blue.

the extremest Sonna, threaten to kill everyone that will run in the elections, and probably everyone that votes."

And it will prove there undoing, as it will make it clear to all who their enemy really is.
Madtom

This is the Fallujah during* picture I got from Raed's
For a reference this is the before picture.

Update:
*I have re-label that "After" image.
After closer inspection, the date Nov.14 I realized that it's more of a during picture, we have to wait for the next series to get the after.

Way cool, new site sam!
It's to bad I don't have and account to tell you with :(
Maybe someone can put in a good word for me

What would a true "jihadis" do?

There has been a devastating earthquake and Tsunami that has left tens of thousands dead and dying across a large swath of the earth.

What would a "pios" man do? Help the dying or continue to wage a war?
What would a man of God do in this situation.

"terrorist007"

"A terrorist, who calls himself "terrorist007" posted a video on a militant Islamic chat room teaching his fellow terrorists/idiots/killers how to make explosive vests from simple materials available at home and most shops.

I decided to write about it here because I'm tired of seeing Iraqi and American soldiers and civilians losing their lives for Darth Vaders of the 21st century."
Live from Dallas

D+1

"ZZZip. P-e-e-e-w-w-w-w
Crack…CrackCRACK
“Oh SHIT!”
“Hey! How does it go in that movie? ‘If it’s a whiz it’s close, if it’s a crack, it’s hitting you’ or something like that?” I hollered at the humvees next to me. That wasn’t the exact quote. But I think it was from Black Hawk Down, I’m not sure. I was standing ball-defilade in my hatch. That means, from my crotch up, I was exposed. Dawn was rising in the east and we were all situated on the overpass bridge now. The tanks were in the center of the bridge, hull facing south, gun tubes facing west. This gave anybody on the ground behind the tanks, the maximum friendly cover from the sniper fire. Either way, whoever was shooting at us, wasn’t far off."
Armor Geddon

A View from the Eye of the Storm

I have not had a chance to read this, but it looks interesting

"Santa thinks you're naughty he murders you.

He knows when your are sleeping,
He knows when you're on the can,
He'll hunt you down and blast your ass from here to Pakistan.
You better not breathe, you better not move,
You're better off dead, I'm telling you, dude.
Santa Claus is gunning you down!


Be careful, husband. It's Xmas.
Trying to Grok

Make my day.

James W. Ceaser's "The Genealogy of Anti-Americansim".

From Jeffrey

livejournal community insideiraq/

New wild site I just found on Words from Iraq

Juan Cole, a retraction

"So, anyway, I offer this posting as a clarification and also, as a retraction of the comment about the Abilene ISP and any unfounded implication of USG support for the IraqTheModel site. And I apologize to the Ali brothers for the error, and want to stress that I bear them no ill will. I am sorry I was abroad and unable to respond in detail before now."
Juan Cole

"Referendum Movement"

"Without anyone hearing about it ?! What the hell Kofi Annan was up to then ? I guess he spends too much time on his facial goaty in the mornings he can't check out the news ?!
Nice goaty Mr. Annan. . But please, switch your news channel to BBC World sometimes will ya Mr. Annan ?! Too much Rock & Roll are not good for your ears.

So for that reason, the "Referendum Movement" has decided to hold an unofficial referendum on the 31st of January 2005, the day of the Iraqi elections."
Kurdo's World

"DUBAI (Reuters) - An audio tape purportedly from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has urged Iraqis to boycott January parliamentary elections, Arabic Al Jazeera television said on Monday.

Shortly before airing the tape, the television said bin Laden backed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as the Islamist network's leader in Iraq. "
CNN.Netscape

no explanation or justification

"What happened in Abu Graib prison is another image of brutality and seizing the opportunity to behave meanly which is the same of Saddam's era. It was expected (at least for me). Since August 2003 I'm trying my best to avoid any American person here. In that month a horrible incident happened to my brother in law. He is an electrical engineer, works in the maintenance department at the University of Baghdad. He is a man of self-respect, in the same age of mine. Their department is working hard to rehabilitate colleges of the university."
Ibn_Alrafidain

Rumsfeld says 9-11 plane 'shot down' in Pennsylvania...

I found this link on Druge but it is not working, even the main page seems to be down at the time of this post. Does anyone now anything about this story

Attention Mosul

"Here, I wish to write about one of the events which happened a few days ago in Mosul. The events are as described to me by my brother about what he witnessed in one area of Mosul. In the University area, two persons were assaulted by some gunmen. The victims were abducted from a restaurant where they were taking their lunch and then killed in the public street. No one in the area could stop them or even tried to do anything more than watching in horror.

This is not the only killing incident which happened in Mosul, but what made me very interested to write about it is that the two men did not die immediately, but rather remained fallen on the street. No one came to help them. These two were accused of working with the Americans, and the gunmen, after the assault, put photographs which show the victims working with Americans. For fear, no one helped them even after they stayed a long time. Perhaps several hours later did one old man came and take them to the hospital."
Iraq Today

Blogger blues

"I was living a nightmare yesterday because of some stupid error with bloggeer or maybe with my ISP's server. I couldn't view my blog and all I could get was a blue screen, no posts, no side-bar…..simply nothing!
I went to take a look at my template and found that most of it was missing.
I was telling myself, OH MY God, everything is gone. I even considered moving to a new URL which would mean losing all the history of the past 13 months."
Iraq the Model

And I thought this shit only happened to me.
Madtom

Fucking war is hell.

"Hi....
Do you remember my friend Alaa? he's died.. I recieved an e mail from my friend saying that Alaa died because of a sudden deterioration ...
God damn this situation.... "
Iraq at a Glance

Everyone should stop by ays's and offer him your condolences at this time of grief. Fucking war is hell.

More on the attack

"The attack on the US base in Mosel was suicidal by Insar Al-Sunnah Army. The one who executed it called Abo-Omar Al-Moseli.

Click here to see the video."
Hammorabi

"Christmas Spirit"

"The Peshmerga women, like soldiers everywhere, never get a day off and must keep fighting. I have them in my prayers."
Peshmerga Women

Iraqis and Americans

"People have asked me why do people fight the Americans. Its an interesting concept in my view. I should say first that I do not know anyone who is an insurgent, not that I know of. IT is possible though, as people do things in their own time that they do not talk about openly. But I do live in a major city so I know many people, and I know people who are opposed to the United States Army and who are apparently against elections"
Democracy in Iraq

Zeyad returns

"I always have the best of intentions when it comes to more regular blog posting, but somehow weeks swiftly pass by while I am attending to daily mundanities and the keyboard is left, barely touched. So once again, apologies for the absence. "
Healing Iraq

Zeyad bring us two great post after al all too long absence, read them both.

We went to school today

"So, Christmas is not promising here.. It looks so dark outside although it's 2PM.. We went out tomorrow for my cousin's birthday (Who became 7 years old) and people are talking about how courageous we are to go out at 4PM!! I felt sorry for this boy, he was so afraid the day before yesterday when plains were throwing rockets from the sky. But I don't blame him, mom was so scared too.

I feel like I'm getting more pessimistic everyday. But I'm more positive than I look like here..
One more new before signing out.. The number of students who died in the bus accident increased to 5, the one who died the other day, and 3 from the bus, and another one (16 years old) from the car infront of them..

Okay, Merry Christmas one more time, and good bye."
A Star from Mosul

sad days

"It's never easy for us to see the blood of our brothers and friends being shed everyday but we should also remember that great goals to be achieved need great sacrifices and now it's our duty; we, who are still breathing must make sure that the priceless blood of our brothers and friends was not shed in vain and we should remember that the sacrifices they made were made for a noble reason."
Iraq the Model

Support our troops, the government don't seam to care

From: Lori Noyes
Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 12:28 AM
Subject: Request for Help for our wounded troops at LRMC

Dear CAP Friends:

I am writing is to tell you about a project the Ramstein Cadet Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is starting. The Landstuhl Regional Medical Center (LRMC) here in Germany got an influx of about 500 wounded troops from Iraq last week and more arrive almost daily. They arrive straight from the battlefield, with only the torn, dirty, bloody clothes on their back. They have no clothes, underwear, or toiletry items. The hospital provides them with only a cotton gown or pajamas, robe, and disposable slippers. Some stay only a few days before being sent to hospitals stateside, while others are here up to several weeks. The military gives them a $250 voucher to buy clothing and toiletries at the BX, but many are not ambulatory, and those who are have to wait for a bus to get down to the BX on Ramstein 7 miles away. The BX runs out of the clothing and it takes weeks for more to come in. Those who can go to the BX still need something to wear to get there!

The cadets are collecting new clothing and toiletries to that they can take to the wounded at LRMC. Below is a list of items the wounded need. It is cold here in Germany and warm items are needed. Items need not be name brands . . .

For males - all sizes, but mostly medium and large

briefs, boxer shorts, undershirts or T-shirts, white crew sox, cotton turtleneck shirts, flannel shirts, sweatshirts (crew or zip-up hooded), sweat pants, inexpensive athletic shoes, knit caps, knit gloves,

For females - all sizes, but mostly medium and large

cotton briefs, cotton T-shirts, cotton turtleneck shirts, flannel shirts,
bras - mostly sizes 34, 36, 38 with cup sizes B and C,
white crew sox, sweatshirts (crew or zip-up hooded),
sweat pants, inexpensive athletic shoes, knit caps, knit gloves,

Toiletry articles -

disposable razors, shaving cream - regular and/or travel size, deodorant - regular and/or travel size, tooth brushes,
tooth paste - regular and/or travel size, nail clippers, combs, hair brushes

The hospital could also use new or used video tapes or DVDs of movies for the patients to watch. Comedies or light drama are best. Please avoid movies about war or those with excessive violence.

If your squadron would like to help, we would greatly appreciate it, no matter what the quantity. Every little bit helps.

If you wish to send money, make your check out to the Ramstein Cadet Squadron and put "Help for LRMC" on the memo line. We will use the money to purchase toiletry items and movies. But American-sized clothing listed below is what is mostly needed, which the BX is currently out of.


Send your donations to:

Lt Col Lori Noyes
PSC 2 Box 6037
APO AE 09012

or

Ramstein Cadet Squadron NHQ-OS-119
Unit 3395
APO AE 09094


We can get items to the hospital faster if they come to my mailing address, but feel free to send them to the squadron address.

Feel free to pass the word along to other CAP units in your wing. Thank you for your support of our troops.


In service,


Lori L. Noyes, Lt Col, CAP

Deputy Commander

Ramstein Cadet Squadr
Juan Cole

civil war

"The Iraqis have strong bonds between them, in spite of religion or ethnic differences, we all work together, have neighbors from other religions, visit each other and respect our differences. my neighbors are shias, my best friends are Christians and Kurds and I’m Sunni, but we all have good relations between us. I’m afraid of those who are trying hard to tear us a part, for me I don’t think they will succeed but I’m sure they are from outside Iraq, and they want Iraq to separate into several parts or maybe drag it to civil war. In Iraq’s history for the few past hundreds of years we had no problems with each other so I think those terrorists will lose."
Diary from Baghdad

One Two Three.

"The Middle East scholar and war critic Juan Cole has been pilloried by the pro-war bloggers because he dared question the bona fides of the two democratic dentists who are supposed to represent the wave of the Iraqi future – and now it seems Cole's suspicion that all was not as it appeared to be on the surface has been confirmed. Elsewhere on the "Iraq the Model" blog, Ali denounces certain "extreme conservatives" who are trying to use him and his brothers as a "propaganda tool." Imagine that!"
antiwar.com

Well according to this the rift in the brothers three comes from them being used as a propaganda tool by the right wing policy makers here in the US. But don't this very argument throw a wrench in the works for the supporting theory that the three were willing participants in the deal from the beginning?
Madtom

Saddam was hastening to his end.

"Saddam viewed judges and judicial system as toys which he can play with. In the mid of 1990s an incident happened between a bodyguard of Qusay (one of Saddam's sons) and another person. The two guys quarreled over a prostitute in a private party. The bodyguard drew a gun to shoot his rival. The other guy jumped on him, managed to snatch the gun and killed the bodyguard.

The case came to trail. Qusay ordered the court to hang the killer. According to the Iraqi law, since the accused had not had an earlier intention of killing the bodyguard and the gun owned and drawn by the victim, the maximum sentence is not death and that was the court rule. Qusay started to become angry. Appeal was made with strict orders from Qusay to hang the accused. The court of appeal couldn't change the judgement since the law is clear about the case circumstances. Qusay anger multiplied, so the case was finally taken to Supreme Court of Appeal in Iraq with the same strict orders from Qusay to hang the accused."
Ibnalr_Afidain

resolve in the face of murder

"In a lengthy account of the weekend's horrific bombings, Post staffers and stringers gathered Iraqi reaction to these attempts to intimidate them. Here's one example:

"'These attacks aim to destroy the country and the holy sites. This is terrorism against Shiites,' said Fadhil Salman, 41, the owner of the Ghufran Hotel in Najaf. 'They want to foil the elections, but this won't deter us.'"

Here's another:

"'God saved us,' said Abu Ahmed, an employee of Kawther Transportation Co., whose office was just 10 yards from the blast. He was cut by flying glass.
'All the dead and wounded were civilians,' he said by telephone. 'But this won't stop the people from returning to their normal lives.'"

Here's a third:

"'I swear to God, even if they burn all the elections centers, we will still go and vote,' said Ali Waili, 29, a taxi driver reached by telephone in Karbala. 'We have been mistreated for a long time, we have been tortured for a long time.'"

Here's a fourth:

"Those responsible [for blasts at a mosque] 'must be trying to incite sectarian strife, but this will not happen,' said a mosque caretaker, Ali Mashhadani."
IraqPundit

Chalabi on the prospects of a theocracy

"

"The WSJ published an oped by Ahmed Chalabi: “The United Iraqi Alliance list, consisting of most of the Shiite groups, is an important achievement for this new Iraq. It is a long way from the Shiite rejectionist position back in the early days of the Iraqi state, a position that Shiites have paid for ever since. Today, they are learning that their participation can only be ensured through a legitimate political process. This list is about active participation in a democratic process, not a subversion of elections for the sake of a theocratic Islamic state. It is wrong to assume that this process will be subverted by a pro-Iranian Islamic government. Iraq’s Shiites are well aware that it was the U.S. and its allies that rid them of Saddam. This will remain the basis for a pragmatic relationship that dictates their interaction with Washington. They risk losing, rather than gaining, by doing otherwise.”CP@AOL "
Iraq Election Blog

Broken Windows

"Yes, I did see the university of Mosul, and it's great. You're right, there are responsible Americans.
Americans who caught Saddam, who rebuilt the university, who are paying for my school's expenses, who close the street to blow up a bomb, who gave the pictures of Abu-Ghraib to the media.. Americans who if I praised, I won't have my relatives to think that I became crazy to think that way, Americans who are giving children in the streets money to get them to study..

But, there are irresponsible Americans too:
Americans who abused Iraqis in Jail, who caught my mom's friend's son in jail because they suspected him, who broke into my cousin's house this Sunday (Full story later), who accidentally blew half of the governments' building up, who accidentally killed half of Falloja,who didn't guard our museums, who don't warn people before blowing up bombs (Try it! Bring a loud speaker and tell people to open their windows or at least get way from them, they'll like you.), Americans who took Saddam's palaces as bases, who while searching two women's houses made them both lie on the ground with guns over their heads (What harm can those two women do to you. BTW: Those two women are relatives), Americans who destroyed a mosque in Mosul, who urinating in the middle of the street cutting the way for tens of Iraqis, who made my poor son-in-law sit on the bridge with tens of others for more than one and half hour, he was fasting, eager to see his wife and daughter, not knowing the his dad was killed by AMERICANS for no reason.."
A Star in Mosul

Well Najma right away I can tell you that people are going to still complain, for one, your bad american list is longer than your good american.
But remember one thing just like there are good and bad American there are also smart and stupid Americans. We also like things nice and neat, with the good guys and bad guys all lined up so we can tell them apart, once they read from someone like you, who is conflicted through no fault of your own, they will want to put you down on one of their list, but they will not find an easy place for you and get confused. give them time, and they will grow.

if the people truly want it.

"I was standing in front of a formation taking photos of ING soldiers while an ING general was talking to them. As the general was speaking in Arabic, my interpreter was telling me what he was saying. At one point in the speech, he pointed at me and said, “This American woman came thousands of miles from her family to fight for your freedom, shame on us if we cannot stand up and fight.”
This is what these people need to hear. They complain about how we are doing here in their country, they complain we don’t give them enough or help them enough, but there comes a point where they need to start helping themselves. We are here to assist them in rebuilding their country, not to hand it to them so they can destroy it again."
1000 words from Iraq

Happy "Shawi Zestan"

"Kurds have been under " Turk ,Arab and Muslems' torturing and killing for celebrating "newroz" , see this BBC report that a Kurd in Turkey have been under torture for 6 years just for taking part in "newroz" .
read a part of it"
Medya Daily

‘Liberte’

"Photon Courier reports that it was 60 years ago Sept. 11 that Noor Khan was executed at Dachau. A Sufi princess & remarkable woman who joined the WAF in WWII, Noor's life reads like a potboiler:"
Beautiful Atrocities

we're fighting for our dream.

" think that we owe the readers some clarifications regarding what happened in the last couple of weeks and we apologize for not posting anything about that.
We were very busy during our visit to the States that we couldn't find the time to communicate with our readers."
Iraq the Model

Ansar al-Sunna, strikes back

"MOSUL (Reuters) - A mortar and rocket attack on a U.S. military base in the Iraqi city of Mosul killed at least 22 people and wounded more than 50 on Tuesday in one of the most deadly attacks on U.S. forces since last year's invasion.

The Mosul attack came as British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a surprise visit to Baghdad where he vowed that the war against insurgents would be won and that elections scheduled for Jan. 30 would happen on time despite an upsurge in bloodshed.

Iraqi militant group Ansar al-Sunna, a major player in the insurgency against the U.S.-backed government and U.S. forces, said it was behind the attack."
reuters.myway

War against information

"Item 1: Two months ago, thugs blew up the offices of the TV station al-Arabiya, killing five people. (Al Arabiya staffers have also been killed as a result of U.S. actions.)

Item 2: Asharq al-Awsat, a London-based paper that is one of the leading journals in the Middle East, has announced that it will close its Baghdad bureau to protect its staff. The paper had reported that Omar Hadid, supposedly a leader of the Fallujah gangs, is not only an aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, but also the brother of al-Jazeera's Baghdad bureau chief. (Jazeera has denied the report.) According to the BBC, armed men threatened to attack the newspaper demanding that Asharq al-Awsat publish a retraction. Instead, the paer said it would close the bureau.

Item 3: The British newspaper The Times reports that an Iraqi TV journalist named Mohamed Abdul Razzaq recently interviewed a group of non-Iraqi thugs in Fallujah after he had received the following threat: "Interview us or we will kill you." Leaving the house after conducting the demanded interview, and even before he had reached his car, the reporter was confronted by a different group of thugs, these apparently Iraqis, who told him, "Broadcast that [tape] and we will kill you.""
IraqPundit

the obvious

"Good morning. Allawi has stated the obvious in regard to what happened. I dont get the point. We all know why the terrorists do what they do. He should stop telling journalist what anyone can realize, and clamp down on these animals further. I hope today is a day of peace. Its a little chilly right now before I head outside.

This frustration that I have with Allawi is one beautiful thing about democracy though, next month, I can vote him out if I dont like him!"
Demorocy in Iraq

Optimistic future on the horizon for Samarra

"SAMARRA, Iraq – Until two months ago, this moribund city was being held hostage by insurgents. But 1st Infantry Division and Iraqi National Guard troops forced out the rebels.

Now, Samarra, a once-thriving holy city of some 200,000 people, is in the early stages of a massive facelift. Thus far, Coalition Forces have spent millions of dollars repairing the infrastructure. Millions more will be spent on other major projects in the coming months in hopes of making Samarra a hub for tourism in the future, one officials said optimistically"
1ID news

Iran accused the Zionists

"The Iraqi Minister of Defence said today that the cause of the insurgents is because of the redundant borders where many cars cross every day as shown by the airplane pictures. He added the Iraqi forces got no helicopters to deal with them but have to wait until they come to inside the cities which is not a solution at all!

We hope the US to help the new Iraqi forces and provide them with sufficient helicopters and airplane fighters to guard the borders.

There reports about Wahabi terrorists from Zarqawi group inside Najaf now trying to assassinate one of the big Shiite leaders who may be Ali Sistani. It may also be Muqtada Sadr just to create a chaotic atmosphere before the election.

The Wahabi terrorists may even attack the shrines in the holy cities."
Hammorabi

German intelligence cracks terror group's codes

"German intelligence services have deciphered secret codes used by the Ansar al-Islam organization which is suspected of being behind many of the kidnappings and terror attacks in Iraq, according to German news magazine Focus. In a report, Focus quotes police and intelligence authorities as saying the arrest of a man believed to have been planning an attack on Iraq's interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in Berlin earlier this month has led to the codes being deciphered."
Rantburg

Hello World

"My name is Husayn Uthman, I live in Iraq. I have decided to write about the upcoming election in Iraq, and tell you about how things are progressing here. I have in my short time on the web, seen that not all news is positive on the internet. I hope to give you a good look into how things are really progressing here, how we are excited about our future, and how we are working to build our nation after all that has happened in the last few years. I look forward to sharing this experience with everyone who visit my blog, my e-mail is husayniraq@yahoo.com. Feel free to drop me a letter for conversation."
Demcracy in Iraq

I continued my packing today and took a nap.

"Last week we had the USO come through. Robin Williams and John Elway plus some others came and did a show and then a meet and greet. I think they continued on to Afghanistan. Throughout the year we've seen a steady stream of entertainers and stars come through to ours and other bases to support the troops. The most out of place one had to be the rapper 50 Cent giving a concert when it was 115 degrees. Everyone had to wear their helmet and body armor and carry their weapons. Not your usual rap concert. Personally, I have a lot of respect for anyone who takes time out of their schedule and visits the troops. Wayne Newton also came through with his variety show which was actually the best overall event. In our own twisted sort of thinking we almost wish for a mortar attack while they are on base, just so they can see how we live." Iraq Calling

Random tired thoughts

"Tired Update 1: I was told today that someone with some rank was trying to get the Army to shut down all Military diaries i.e. Milblogs. He feels it’s going to compromise unit missions. Talk about some bullshit! Goodluck with that hoss!!"
American Soldier

Hey, I would be careful, this is not the first we've heard of this here in the blogs and it surely will not be the last. "They" have not liked these blogs from day one and as the situation in Iraq gets even more hairy than it's ever been they will continue to blame the new guy on the block, oprsec or not they are looking for a way to have one voice. You can scan your own links for more.
Madtom

have some security reasons that I prevent me from writing all that I see

"Before I start, I wish again to thank all the readers who encourage me to write and pray for me and thank me for this site. I promise to do this as long as I can, but occasionally I have some security reasons that I prevent me from writing all that I see. I apologize for this and wish I could share more, but these are dangerous times. I wish to ask my readers to rate this site. Please post and cross link my articles where more people can see them. I want the world to know how we struggle for freedom and liberty."
Iraq Today

here is some none answered questions for you:

"All I can tell you that if I was in responsibility, then I will take all those who didn’t help or try to help or didn’t take the mater as their responsibility as guilty and at least will press charges against them even if I know they will not be convicted, but at least they will start to think. We had thirty five years of being told what to do, how to do it, when to do it and how often to do it. But enough, we need to make people start to think."
Iraq & Iraqi's

to the Shire

"And, from CJM, a great "Blonde" joke

Homer & the blonde

Homer, a handsome dude, walks into a sports bar around 9:58 PM.
He sits down next to this blonde at the bar and stares up at the TV.
The 10:00 news was on.
The news crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a large

building preparing to jump.
The blonde looks at Homer and says, " Do you think he will jump?"
Homer says, "You know, I bet he'll jump."
The blonde replied, "Well, I bet he won't."
Homer placed $20 dollars on the bar and said, "You're on!"
Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy did a
swan dive off of the building, falling to his death.
The blonde was very upset and handed her $20 dollars to Homer and
said, "All is fair. Here is your money."
Homer replies, " I can't take your money, I saw this earlier on
the 5 o'clock news and knew he would jump."
The blonde replies, "I did too, but I didn't think he'd do it again."
Deep in Mordor

start thinking about political solutions to this mess?

"Isn't there something that can be done about it? So far, apparently not! As things are at the moment, most people on either side simply think of the combatants of the other side as terrorists.

Meanwhile, those vile, true terrorists who are killing people indiscriminately, and who are actually the true enemies of both sides, are getting away with their acts."
Iraqi letter to America

chatting with Fadhil

"A few days ago, he and eleven others set up an ambush for a US army convoy. It was said that they had hit and destroyed six Hummers. It so happened that another, unexpected convoy came from the opposite direction and the group was over-powered. There was a lot of fire from both sides. The team withdrew. All the others made it to their rendezvous point except Amir. They couldn't go back and check on him while it was light, so they waited for nightfall. They found him dead.

Shakir was a young police officer in the old police force. He joined the new Iraqi Police force several months ago.

A few times he was warned by the "resistance" to quit. He didn't pay attention. Last month, his brother was kidnapped and then released a few days later with a warning message to Shakir, but Shakir didn't pay heed. A few days ago he was attacked while at home by several masked men with guns. They killed him and set fire to his car."
A Glimpse of Iraq

Yours sincerely, Ali

"This is the last time I write in this blog and I just want to say, goodbye. It's not an easy thing to do for me, but I know I should do it. I haven't told my brothers with my decision, as they are not here yet, but it won't change anything and I just can't keep doing this anymore."
Iraq the Model

army exemption.

"hooray ! I got through of "army's exemption", I got it last saterday ...It is a big success . It got a lot of energy,time,mind,strees,....I think i have been in offices for 4-5 month to get it. I faced with several problems but I got through all of them now I have the army exemption. now I am one more step near to studying in Canada "

"I really enjoyed the Carleton University's booklet, I wish I can find a way to afford the high tuition"
Medya Daily

The "Lists"

"Below is a list of Iraqi political coalitions running for the National Assembly elections in January 2005. The list was reported by Elaf two days ago. Things keep changing on a daily basis. I'll try to keep the list updated as much as I could. "
Live from Dallas

"moment of truth"

"So ever wondered why Kurds prefer independence rather than a "United Iraq" ?! There must be a reason. The main reason is, the lack of trust between the successive Iraqi governments, and the people of Kurdistan."
Kurdo's World

human rights organizations.

"For example Qassim Daud at a press conference was asked how come you can't at least execute these ppl, he was like what can you do we catch them red-handed doing the act and all the EU countries come up to us with all these human rights laws threatening us to not write off our debts if we even show a picture of one of them."
Kurdistan Bloggers Union-dilnareen

Guerrillas detonated a huge bomb

"In contrast to the violence in West Baghdad and in the shrine cities, in Sadr City or the slums of Shiite East Baghdad, relative calm has prevailed for weeks, allowing the US to do some community development work, including clearing trash from the streets. The Sadr movement is strong in East Baghdad, but Sadr has declared neutrality toward the upcoming elections, while many Shiites are hopeful that they will produce a Shiite-dominated government that will pave the way for the end of the US occupation. As a result of these hopes, along with a past campaign of US bombing that made it clear it would not put up with armed militiamen patrolling the streets, the situation has been quiet in the vast slum.

I don't want to take anything away from these necessary development projects, but merely collecting the trash is not that big an accomplishment, and shouldn't be seen as a triumph this late in the day."
Juan Cole

Black Sunday

"PS:
We removed the Haloscan comment site because it was misused by some for long time and Haloscan only provides limited number of bans. We apologize for that but will try to find a way of controlled and registered type of comments. If you know a site please let us know"
Hammorabi

PS: I'm having some problems

"We reached school, the first thing I saw was a classmate crying, I hurried asking what happened and she told me "I saw him dying there! We couldn't do anything" I just didn't know what to ask more and hurried to the class, about 3 other girls were crying and the number was increasing, appearantly, a girl saw a man putting a bomb at the side of the road and before being able to do anything, a stryker passed, nothing happened, a bus full of secondary school students passed and the bomb exploded, the American soldiers got frightened and started shooting randomly everywhere.. The students in the bus lied on the ground, one of them shouted for the others to say al-shahada, he got a bullet and died, a teacher got a bullet too but she didn't die.."
A Star from Mosul

Are the Sunnies starting to come around?

"At a recent meeting an academic spoke to the assembled sheiks, imams, and politicians and stated that the main purpose of the National Assembly they will be electing in January is to write a new Iraqi constitution. He then said (quite correctly) that the consitution will be voted on in a national referrendum that will be held sometime next year. The constitution must be approved by seventy-five percent of the voters to be ratified. Then he made his pitch..."we can fully participate in the 30 January elections and, if we do not approve of the constitution that is written, we will have to do our best to ensure that it is not approved. Then, by law, a new National Assembly will be elected and a new constitution drafted." "This," he said, "means that we should do our best to participate and therefore get as many seats in the assembly as possible in order to ensure a constitution we can agree on. If the constitution turns out to be unsuitable then we must mobilize our voters to reject it.""
Dagger Jag

Donating to Soldiers

"Hi all,

I have received many emails from people regarding donations. There are alot of ways to do this.

You can visit these links:
American Soldier

An interesting series on: "Piles of Insurgent Stuff."

"To start off todays montage I like to call "Piles of Insurgent Stuff." Not only was this a good haul I really like the way this picture came out. I'm thinking of enlarging it and framing it. We went on one of our last missions near Baghdad to an abandoned military base that had been used as an insurgent training camp. We found 17 guys there I always refer to as "The 17" in conversation with my platoon. They claimed to be guards for the oil company even though there were no oil assets there or anywhere near there. These weapons were in the back of a truck when I took this picture along with some other goodies. An RPG and the new advanced sight for it. Several grenades and gobs of ammo for all. I also found several used RPG rocket fins lying around the camp, maybe a battle or practicing but they were fairly new and not weathered. A few guys took the folding bayonet off the AK's which upset me that I didn't think about that. I am a gun lover and real Soviet parts are scarce so I pulled a couple of muzzle compensators off since they were real old Soviet ones. I have them in what I call my "Iraq Box" here in my office at home. At least I got a nice picture."
Candle in the Dark and here and here and the mother load here

8 November(D-Day): First In

"The best part of my day is hearing that turbine engine wind up. The jet engine starts out deep and low. It builds up slowly as it whines higher and higher. If you listen closely, you can hear the rise of new low pitches, winding up at different points in the engine-start. The power pack gets to its peak screaming and then settles back down to a lower pitch. If you’re obsessed like me, you get the sensation that this 68-ton beast just stood up slowly and dramatically. Took a deep breath, mass rising and then settled into her armor, drinking 8 gallons of JP8 in 30 seconds just to wake up. And by obsessed, I mean a big dork."
ARMOR GEDDON

Dictator fan club

The most important thing that we Cubans here in the US have in common with the people of Iraq is our utter disgust with those people and Governments that have for years supported and cheered our respective dictators.
I have posted many stories on this blog from the Iraqis and how they feel toward this dictator fan club, It's no different for us.
Val at Babalu blog puts it this way

Frustration a lo Cubano
You know, there's nothing worse than an American castro apologist. Tucked under the security blanket of freedom and rights that other people pay a dear price to afford them, all the while spewing the venom of propaganda for a regime that systematically and profoundly denigrates the individual.

The worse thing about people like that is that there is no way to have a reasonable conversation or debate with them. How can one make a person understand truth when that person knows that they aren't being truthful with themselves?

I am so frustrated right now because of a little blog encounter I just had with an American castro lover. I will be dealing with this in more detail once the steam stops billowing from my anger
Babalu Blog

Fevered pitch: The killing fields

"On the same time in Mosel insurgents killed and mutilated members of Iraqi security forces and today 3 Westerners has been attacked and 2 were shot while the third was beheaded. Their bodies mutilated and corpses scattered along the main road. See Video.
Hammorabi

Meet the future

"I want to tell you that If anybody of you could send me a visa or invite or whatever it is to America because I am going out when I finish the final exams in June and I wanted to tell you that if I couldn't get a visa to America I'll be in Jordan/Amman so if anyone of you wants to see me I'll be there in June."
Nabil's Blog

You live, you learn!

"Two real stories of many here in Iraq. One can not persuade people by talking to them. They prefer, unconsciously, to go through every matter to have first hand experience. This leads us back to the Iraqi people awareness"
/Ibn_Alrafidain

Waste bin of history.

"You know what kills me most these days? It's watching most of the world waiting on Iraqis to fail in every step they take. Except for a few countries, the rest of the world is watching Iraqis running in circles and laughing at them."

Fayrouz presents a column written by Thomas L. Friedman that ask the important question, What is wrong with the EU, why are they not helping with the upcoming elections in Iraq?
The EU in my opinion is proving itself to be as useless as the UN has become. One day they are going to wake up and the world will have passed them right by and left them in the waste bin of history.
Madtom

The "Cole" offensive

"As for polls, we never said that the vast majority of Iraqis love America, as I don't believe it's true and it's not true that the majority of Iraqis hate America also. However, the same polls that Dr. Cole rely on keep telling us that the majority of Iraqis favor elections and want them without delay, which should mean that the majority of Iraqis want democracy and that is what we say and want. So how can we be outside the main public opinion!? However, this is a highly subjective issue and we can wait for the upcoming elections and see how many Iraqis will vote and what they are going to vote for."
Iraq the Model-By Ali

War for Oil

"UBL has called the Mujahdeen to attack the oil wells in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States"
Hammorabi

Life in Mosul

Aunt Najma has a couple of great post that you all should read, I think that she's getting more of an education this year than she bargained for. Growing up in a war zone is not for the timid, that's for sure.
Madtom

Reckon by Fire

A report from the fight for Fallujah from WYNC radio
ra stream
Thanks Nadia for the link

Funny of the day

"A Baptist minister was seated next to a Marine on a commercial airline flight. After the plane was airborne, drink orders were taken.

The Marine asked for a scotch and soda, which was promptly placed before him. The flight attendant then asked the minister if he would like a drink.

The minister replied in disgust, "I'd rather be savagely raped by brazen whores than let liquor touch my lips."

The Marine handed his drink back to the attendant and said, "Me too. I didn't know that was a choice.""
Trying to Grok

The fevered pitch..The Candidates

"The big thing we're waiting for on Wednesday is the publishing of the consolidated candidates list by the government. This is a necessary thing but will have some unfortunate side effects. For the bad guys it represents a high value target list and we are almost sure to see a surge in assassinations. You have to be a very brave person to run in this election, you are sure to make it on someone's hit list."
Iraq Calling

The fevered pitch.. it's the Jew's

"So, I heard some really funny stories about Jews in Iraq. If you do not understand "irony" then perhaps this post is not for you:)."
Peshmerga Women

At long last, professor, have you no shame?

"What disgusts me most is Cole's implication that Iraqis are unable to think and reason for themselves. If Iraqi blogs are supportive of liberalization (and most are), then Cole apparently believes that we must suspect a hidden hand somewhere. Enlightenment and independence of mind are to be defined by whether or not you agree with Juan Cole. If you don't, you lack integrity and honesty, and you may even be a hoax, a fraud, or an agent provocateur."
IraqiPundit

Not a pretty picture

-Hasan Ibrahem Farhan an important aide to Zarqawi has been killed by the Iraqi ING.

-Many other terrorists who were involved in beheadings captured.

-Eiz Den Majeed Couson of Saddam has been captured in Falluja.

-Three of Saddam's relatives escaped with hundreds of millions of dollars to Syria, Yemen and Lebanon.

-One of the captured Zarqawi aides confessed that Zarqawi is planning for a dirty attack in which the 11/9 attack was nothing! This is more likely by a nuclear weapons.

-Iraq situation is even worse than before regarding fuel, services, power, water etc.

-Attacks, killings, kidnappings, beheadings and suicidal bombs are now daily events and even worse. 14 dead bodies have been found in Mosel, shot in the heads.

-Why is the reconstruction not started in the stable areas in the South?
Hammorabi

Support the troops send phone cards

I am re-posting this because one of the most popular search terms I get is about sending calling cards to the guys in hospital. And I like this post because it sends you right to the source. So back by popular demand, Take two

"The number ONE request at Walter Reed hospital is phone cards. Because the priority of our government is to continue tax cuts for the likes of Paris Hilton, the government doesn’t pay LD phone charges and these guys, many of them amputees, are rationing their calls home.
Many will be there throughout the holidays.

Remember that most are from poor families. It is disgusting that they cannot keep in touch with family after what they have been asked to sacrifice for BushCo; especially this time of year.

Support the troops—cuz BushCo doesn’t. Send phone cards of any amount to:
Medical Family Assistance Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

They say they need an “endless” supply of these—any amount even $5 is greatly appreciated. "

ginmar

Voices from the blog

listen here to the voices of Mohammed and Omar from in and interview on WNYC radio. This is a real audio stream
Madtom

Local Cuban Blogger make the news

You see that why they all think that all Cuban's in Miami are Mafioso, I mean just look at that picture, it would scare anyone.
Madtom

Basic right's for the Turkish Kurds

"Since a week, a petition coordinated by the Kurdish Institute of Paris has been published in the French newspaper Le Monde and in the Herald Tribune : What do Kurds in Turkey want ? 200 Kurdish personnalities call the European Union. (Good idea, later is better than never to ask the advice of the most concerned people), with rather consensual and reasonable claims, conciliating "hard line" and "diplomats", diaspora and Kurds stayed in the country (I have not the Herald Tribune with me so I translated the French paper :

)a new and democratic Constitution, recognizing the existence of Kurds, guaranteeing the right to have a public educational system, to have media in their own language and the right to found associations, institutions and parties in the aim to promote the free expression of their culture and their political wishes ;

)a general political amnesty in order to found a climate of confidence and reconciliation and to begin a new chapter and let violence and armed conflicts ;

)Starting, with the support of Europe a vast program of economic development for the Kurdish area, including especially the rebuilding of more than 3 400 Kurdish villages distroyed in 90s and inciting measurements for the return to their home of the three million displaced Kurds.

The requirements to the Turkish candidature in EU are in fact summed up in this paragraph :

)To integrate this family of democracies, Turkey must itself become a real democracy, respectful of its cultural diversity and its political pluralism. It must especially guarantee to its Kurdish citizens some rights comparables with Basques, Catalans, Scottish, Lapps, South-Tyroleans or Walloons' rights in European democratic countries, or the same rights that Turkey claims for Turks in Cyprus.
Kurdistan Bloggers Union-piling

Mr lice

"Rumors about his capture came in the morning and we kept switching between all the news channels for any update, unfortunately we landed on jazeera on they had some guy on in a calling screaming while probably foaming at the mouth " its was the kurds, the kurds we know what their plan are"... cool we've now been upgraded 2nd only to jews for all the problems that face the average brainwashed arab.
And then I think arabiyah (or probably it was jazeera again) called a member of the ex governing council in his background there were sounds oululation and he said yes it is true. We still weren't convinced but we waited till the press conference that followed. Yes the "we got him" sounds corny but it did wonders then, We kept watching and waiting thinking where they would pop saddam out of, would he be sitting in the crowd, would he bought on stage, would he show up in a cage, where? the talks by bremer and pacahachi just seemed too long"
Kurdistan Bloggers Union-dilnareen

Brothers Fadhil tour America

"I was sitting here on Friday morning and listening to the radio -- Brian Lehrer's show on WNYC -- when he announced that his guests today would be Omar and Mohammed Fadhil, two of the three brothers behind the Iraqi blog Iraq the Model."
Iraqi Bloggers Central

What about others dictators?

"Supporting democracy is not a selective process!"
Hammorabi

UP-ARMOR

"Some soldier perspective on the question posed to Sec. Rumsfeld the other day:"
"I round 'em up, you decide".
Trying to Grok

The daily news, and a bit more

""But in Arizona, the folks at ArmorWorks knew that wasn't true. Matt Salmon, the former Republican congressman who is a consultant for the firm, told me, ‘This is horribly frustrating. This is supposed to be about saving lives. We're producing 300 Humvee kits a month and we could be producing 600. This technology has been in the field. It's battle-tested. And we're incredulous that we haven't been asked to step up production. If the government is doing everything humanly possible then this factory should at close to capacity.’”"
dailywarnews.blogspot

Toy's for "Iraqs" Tots

Fayrouz with the help of Ladybird have put up a list of Charities that are trying to help the children of Iraq heal some of the wounds inflicted by this war.
It does not matter if you are pro, or against this war, the fact remains that the innocent children are the ones that pay the highest price, so do what you can to help alleviate the pain and suffering to those that through no fault of their own find themselves at the heart of this conflict.
A child is a terrible thing to waste.
Madtom

It's a small blog

": While I was in Washington yesterday, I got to meet Omar and Mohamed, the blogging brothers behind IraqTheModel.com, and I can't tell you what a wonderful moment it was. It was magical, even miraculous. For this could never have happened in a world without the internet and citizens' media."
buzzmachine

Bush said:

"I ate too many donuts"

What 'did' he mean?
Madtom

Four Images of sleeping soldiers here

Baghdad Dweller

Is Taiwan, China?

"An Alert Reader, who is in Taiwan, and wishes to remain anonymous, emails Chester with this report:
The Adventures of Chester

Update:
Found this, becker-posner-blog posted there too.

Al-Jazeera

"you hear the name of Al-Jazeera , when Bin-laden sends a message to Muslems , or when some terrorist behade a human , in fact you hear no good news from them "
Medya Daily

"Article 58"

"Article 58 has not been implemented in Kirkuk. It seems that the Iraqi government has no plans to change what Saddam did in Kirkuk. The Iraqi government might indeed agree with what Saddam did in Kirkuk. Not giving any help to resettle the Kurdish refugees in Kirkuk and not helping the Arab settlers to return to south Iraq are some signs of that.
Not just that, the American soldiers, were given "clean-up" jobs in Kirkuk. Not "cleaning-up" terrorists but cleaning up Kirkuk's streets from Kurdistan flags.
From time to time, they go in missions going in the streets in Kirkuk to remove all Kurdistan flags.
I mean can the American marines tell their natives Americans in USA that they are not allowed to fly their favourite football team's flag ?! So why we are not allowed to fly our "Kurdistan" flags in Kirkuk ?! What is in a flag ?!"
Kurdo's World

A City without Police

"When I started to write this article, I was feeling scrupled to choose the title of this article between two. The first one that one I considered was "we must start preparing for a big assault in Mosul". I chose the first one above maybe because it is a shorter one. But in fact I see that the second one is really conveys the fact of life in Mosul."
Iraq Today

roots in Iraq

Responding to abbaskadhim.blogspot Nadia wrote:

I think it’s time that he shuts up too. Many times I hear people try to blame the ordinary people in the Arab countries for not doing enough for the Iraqi people under Saddam. I think that is wrong it gives the impression that somehow the people in Arab countries are free to say and act the way they want and that is not the case at all. Torture of civilians opposing unelected leaders and governments is spread all over the ME. It is the leaders that had the choice not to support Saddam, the business people that had the choice not to do business with Saddam and the money lenders that had the chose not to give him loans that have blood on their hands. King of Jordan is one of them.
Just before the war broke out I was in Egypt, one Egyptian guy told me that he loved Saddam. So then I sat down and talked to him and told him how life was for Iraqis, and that the jumping up and down support was a must otherwise you would be killed or tortured and I we talked a lot. During the time he apologized and was embarrassed that he did not know. I for one was not surprised, Saddam’s propaganda was huge, and then the Egyptian press really did not write anything about mass graves or torture in Iraq either. The Egyptian government itself uses routinely torture. For me all Arabs I have met they have given support for the Iraqi people, I was in Portugal recently and med some people from Tunisia; I was treated like a queen when they learned that I had roots in Iraq. These unelected leaders in the ME should start packing their bags, their time is over. I really want that.

Nadia

going to war

"If any of my guys are reading this, you know where to find me, see ya on the flip side....."
Doc in the Box

The issue

"That being said, I think there is an issue with lack of armor for our combat support and combat service support units. They are the ones driving up and down the highways every day carrying supplies to the combat units and, in my opinion, they need armored vehicles just as much as the infantry and armor guys. I've seen a number of their trucks with scavenged, and "home-built" armor."
Dagger Jag

The fatwa

"News from the House of Horror (Saud). This is a verbatim translation from the Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas (December 9th, 2004): "Two Saudi clerics `Uthman Al-Khamis and Sa`d Al-Ghamdi issued a fatwa forbidding women from using the internet due to their "wicked nature." The fatwa added that "women are not permitted to open the internet except when in the presence of a male guardian who is aware of their harlotry and foxiness." (thanks Amir)."
Angry Arab

on the edge of western Baqubah

"I hang around talking with the XO, Lt. Joshua Kaser and 1st Sgt. Andrew Richard, and at last Fowler says there’s room in a 113, a Vietnam-era tracked personnel carrier -- a kind of big metal box on tracks with an opening on its top at about chest height -- that belongs to a squad from the 82nd Engineers. He makes it clear that fighting is likely. I’m feeling some fear and ambivalence, but I came to Iraq to make art about the war so I’m determined to go along."
All paintings by Steve Mumford

this caught my eye
Madtom

Why weren't they on the trucks.

"To start today's photo montage we have what a burned out Stryker looks like. The only one my battalion lost and no one even got their feelings hurt. The Haj' fired an RPG and hit the fuel can strapped on back. I mentioned this in a photo posted just a few days ago. The round was fired from a gas station up the street; we later closed the guy down for being dirty. Everyone lost something personnal in the vehicle. Usually books or CD players. This happened to my platoon the day I got in country. "
A Candle in the Dark

Supas

"South Korean President made a surprise visit to Kurdistan yesterday. The south Koreans are doing a superb job in Hawler (Erbil) in particular and all over Kurdistan generally. They are busy building modern hospitals, banks, and other important places. Their vehicles have the labels "We are your friends" in both Kurdish & English.
Thank You in Kurdish = Supas
Kurdo's World

don't know sushi?

"No not the japanese dish that sometimes doesn’t even contain fish (california roll u confuse me) but a spoof nickname for ppl who are half sunni half shiia, the first time i heard it I thought it was a euphemism for something. And I hate when something comes up that’s obviously new but ppl go on about it as if they've had it all along "c'mon u don't know sushi?", and its funny with ppl going about saying "I'm a sushi he’s a sushi she's a sushi""
kurdistanblog-Dilnareen

Jingle fucking bells, fidel. Jingle fucking bells.**

"In an unprecedented act, the United States Interest Section in Havana has constructed an immense billboard in lights on the roof of its building with the number "75" in solidarity with the 75 political prisoners who were arrested and unjustly condemned in April of last year. "
Babalu Blog

He, gets it.

"a great victory upon theterrorsits and a bridge to pass to other side where the Progress and prosperity for Iraq are achieved .but my God help us to stay alive until the Elections.
Thank you . "
free iraq

Live from Kuwait, wielding for dummies

Right now on C-SPAN Lt. Gen Steven Whitcomb, Army Commander is giving a press conference standing in front of what looks like a wielding shop with two big trucks and wielding going on right behind him, live of TV the guy is talking to the press while the workers are wielding away. How Sad for him.
Madtom

Che's List

"The fact that the NYPL is making money from this grossly misguided, horribly influential man who celebrated hatred is especially ironic because it is Communism-celebrating libraries like the NYPL that are helping keep Cubans under tyranny, as Paul Berman recently wrote in Slate:

The modern-day cult of Che blinds us not just to the past but also to the present. Right now a tremendous social struggle is taking place in Cuba. Dissident liberals have demanded fundamental human rights, and the dictatorship has rounded up all but one or two of the dissident leaders and sentenced them to many years in prison. Among those imprisoned leaders is an important Cuban poet and journalist, Raúl Rivero, who is serving a 20-year sentence. In the last couple of years the dissident movement has sprung up in yet another form in Cuba, as a campaign to establish independent libraries, free of state control; and state repression has fallen on this campaign, too.

These Cuban events have attracted the attention of a number of intellectuals and liberals around the world. Václav Havel has organized a campaign of solidarity with the Cuban dissidents and, together with Elena Bonner and other heroic liberals from the old Soviet bloc, has rushed to support the Cuban librarians. A group of American librarians has extended its solidarity to its Cuban colleagues, but, in order to do so, the American librarians have had to put up a fight within their own librarians' organization, where the Castro dictatorship still has a number of sympathizers.
Babalu Blog

get this guy:

Dr. Farid Ayar, the spokesman for the Independent Election Commission

Iraq's digital divide, neocolonialism, or development gap

"Whatever your label for what plagues the Middle East, there is a desperate need for more research and funding for pilot projects in ICT deployment in not only Iraq, but most of the Middle East. For more, just read the 2003 Arab Human Development Report; there is one produced annually by leading Arabic scholars. Also, here is the abstract to my JOMC 223 final, for which I wrote about, surprise: ICTs in Iraq! "
Liberation Watch

civil affairs type projects

"A colonel stood up at our meeting and emphasized how important these projects are both for the local communities and for the soldiers. He recounted how he had brought members of a combat unit out to a village to distribute school supplies. The only time these guys were outside the wire before this had been 7 months of combat patrols. He said its important for the soldiers to see the smiling faces of people who genuinely are happy you are there, which by the way is most people in our part of the country. He said it had a profound effect on the soldiers and allowed them to see the bigger picture and get a better sense of why we are here. It hard to care about the local people when you spend all your time ducking mortars and getting shot at.

I've been very fortunate to have been able to travel around the country and to participate in some of these projects. Every soldier I talk to who has done the same considers it time well spent."
Iraq Calling

Birding Babylon

"The next stop was the sewage pond"
Birding Babylon

It's the geography, that keeps me coming back to this blog!
Madtom

I am an American Soldier.

"A question was posed to me in an email and I thought I would answer it here. The question pretty much asked why does a Soldier volunteer to go to war.

So in my own words this is my reason."
soldierlife

Iraq need your help to stand up again.

"Dear readers ,I got a letter on my email ,and there it is, like I received ,I want to know what you say about that ,and I will comment letter ."
Road of a Nation

(no not to tell them to stop exporting terrorism)

"We have had enough of "empty promises" and "lies" from all the Iraqi governments including Allawi's "selected" government.
The Kirkuk issue was the main reason of the failure of the 1970 peace accord between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish faction. It seems that history is going to repeat itself.

In this "democratic" part of Iraq (yet many refuse to be part of it but technically and according to Koffi Anan we are) this is what happened to a guy who told the bodyguards of a high ranking member of one of the Kurdish parties to mind the queue. He was in a queue at a petrol station when a car jumped infront of him.
He told them "Heyyy mind the queue"...and they told him "Heyyy mind your a$$" . The photo of the victim was published in one of the Kurdish newspapers. The politician is called (Mahmood Sangawi)."
kurdo

What it is with mullah title that makes them so lovable in europe

"How many times time are they going to let him free , he's a co-founder of ansar al islam, what are these ppl doing protecting him"
kurdistanblog-Dilnareen

Hi all

"Hi all,
What's going on in Iraq, my parent called and said that the situaton is getting worse everyday, no electricity, petrol, gas, and the terrorists are threatening to bomb the elections' centers especially the Shia ones..
If the situation continues like that, I think the elections must be postponded.

I am sorry but I can't write more, I am looking for a PC, and once I find a good one, I'll be back to blogging..
till then..bye "
iraq at a glance

Failure of the Security System

"There is no doubt that the failure of the security system in Iraq became very clear but who is responsible for this failure? Is it the multinational and US forces or the Iraqi Police and NG?

We have seen in the last few days that those who are planning to kill the Iraqis and destroy their services including the worship places like Churches and Shia Mosques are able to execute their plans as if there is no one to challenge or stop them at all."
hammorabi

Support the troops send calling cards here

I am re-posting this because one of the most popular search terms I get is about sending calling cards to the guys in hospital. And I like this post because it sends you right to the source. So back by popular demand

"The number ONE request at Walter Reed hospital is phone cards. Because the priority of our government is to continue tax cuts for the likes of Paris Hilton, the government doesn’t pay LD phone charges and these guys, many of them amputees, are rationing their calls home.
Many will be there throughout the holidays.

Remember that most are from poor families. It is disgusting that they cannot keep in touch with family after what they have been asked to sacrifice for BushCo; especially this time of year.

Support the troops—cuz BushCo doesn’t. Send phone cards of any amount to:
Medical Family Assistance Center
Walter Reed Medical Center
6900 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20307-5001

They say they need an “endless” supply of these—any amount even $5 is greatly appreciated. "

ginmar

Just a different culture

"As for who wins wars - privates do the fighting, but leadership is the most important element of combat power."
iraqnow.blogspot

The Road goes ever on and on

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- Hamid Karzai was sworn in Tuesday as Afghanistan's first popularly elected president, calling for sustained help from the international community to bolster a young democracy that still faces the twin threats of terrorism and drugs.
nytimes

"The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say."
JRR Tolkien

Madtom

December 7 1941

Relive the events of that day of infamy
National Geographic
Madtom

awareness

"Few weeks ago there was a radio program on the BBC Arabic. It receives calls from the audience to talk about certain issue. That day it was about the Iraqi elections. Something, similar to that of the European lady, reflected by an Iraqi woman. She said, through her call, with much enthusiasm that she will participate in the election for the sake of our future generations. The radio presenter asked her about the threats made by the insurgents to blow up the poll centers and that she might be harmed. She replied in a humorous way with determination ‘ I’ll vote even if that day is declared as the universal day of explosions’. Excellent reply, but how many Iraqis have the same opinion. I hope that they are the majority. Otherwise this lady represents a minority which should be looked after as a seed of the future."
ibnalrafidain.blogspot

term exams

"The remaining time for the Elections is less than 2 months but these two months will be very long in the Iraqian and soldiers life because these days will witness terroristic worksagainst voting centre ,police stations, police ,ING, Alliance patrols in whole Iraq trying to obstruct this democratic event."
saleemtheiraqi.blogspot

A message for President Bush

"In these hard days in Iraq there is a need for clearing some confusion, that is important to stop the bleeding of the Iraqi and American blood, by clearing these issues the pretext that the terrorist are using to recruit young Muslims is weakened and that will remove the misunderstanding that lead a lot of Iraqi people to have a hostile look at the present of the coalition forces in their land too.
To do this a clear statement is needed from the US president by talking in clear words to the Iraqi people and the people of the world in a televised speech setting clear these important issues:"
road of a nation

Shortage

"The problem this time is that some power stations have been affected by sabotage operations from some groups which do not want this country to be improved. In addition to that, there was a large increasing in the power demand in the country because of the increasing in the appliances for each family. For example, I am sure that each family which has one TV before, now have at least two. In my estimation, I would say that the increasing in family requirement is about 25 to 50% of electrical power, in addition to the increasing in the industrial and commercial demands."
Iraq Today

On a knifes edge

"Iraq is on the verge of a civil war if not already started at least from the Sunni side. If it is broken it will not exclude any one including the US forces."
hammorabi

New pictures

"They say a picture can say more than thousands of words and I say a picture says it all.

Visit my Photo blog I have some images from Iraq from the last week "
Ladybird

This nation will never die.

"These are the new recruits of the new Iraqi army. They look full of energy and happiness. It made me happy and sad at the same time. Happy because it asserted the above statement in my head. Sad because of the continuous suicide bombing against the Iraqi people."
Live from Dallas

Fallugah

"I entered Iraq from Kuwait yesterday, November 4th. We had flown into Balad Air Base,"
avengerredsix.blog

IO war

"I recall a Special Forces officer I met in the Green Zone who worked with the 36th Commando of the Iraqi Army. His comment to me was that we were categorically losing the IO war, largely courtesy of the international press."
Iraq Calling

I disagree, I think it's a direct result of the administrations policy of controlling first hand information. Witch had the odd effect of creating an information vacuum, Who would have guess that the enemy would fill that vacuum with as much propaganda as would fly. We gave up on the information battle ground to this enemy over six months ago. And now it seems that the big wigs are trying to play catch-up, but if you ask me it's a day late and a dollar short
Madtom

OK

sgtlizzie. is up and running again right after getting blown up.
I'll take what she's having
Madtom

Dear President Bush

President Bush, I need some advice regarding God's Laws and how best to follow them

Dear President Bush:

11/26/04 "ICH" -- Congratulations on your election victory and for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from you and understand why you would propose and support a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. As you said, "in the eyes of God marriage is based between a man a woman." I try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual lifestyle, for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18.22 clearly states it to be an abomination. End of debate.

However, I do need some advice from you regarding some other elements of God's Laws and how best to follow them.

1. Leviticus 25.44 states that I may possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not to Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21.7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her?

3. I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanness (Leviticus15.19-24). The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord. (Leviticus 1.9) The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

5. I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35.2 clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination (Leviticus11.10), it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there degrees of abomination?

7. Leviticus.21.20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle-room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Leviticus19.27. How should they die?

9. I know from Leviticus 11.6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean. May I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Leviticus 19.19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? (Leviticus 24.10-16) Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair, as we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Leviticus 20.14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging.

Yours truly,
An Inquiring Supporter

P.S. I look forward to your answers because there are a number of other issues that I'd like to get settled as soon as you've enlightened me on these ... Thanks again.

(I found this old rehash of the Dr. Laura letter and I could not resist.)
Madtom

The madness of it all

I was reading ginmar, and she was on a rant about the Equal Protection Clause and gay rights and she had a link to something about Alabama, so I just had to look, and to my horror I found this little quote

"When asked about Tennessee Williams' southern classic "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," [Rep. Gerald Allen, the writer of the bill] said the play probably couldn't be performed by university theater groups"
cleolinda.livejournal

These people have to be stopped, or at least they will have to give out free marshmallows at the upcoming book burning festivals. One or the other.
Madtom

I Fought in Iraq and All I Got Was This Shitty Necklace

"While the BC was on the radio trying to find himself a truck, we did some traffic stops. Any chance we get to pull vehicles over, we take advantage of. The more random the occasion, the better. The less predictable we are about traffic stops, the more effective of a deterrent it is for insurgents to use the highway to transport their evil wares. And you won't believe some of the stuff we find this way. On this particular night, we found a car that had a large cardboard box completely stuffed full of stacks of Iraqi cash. They claimed the money had something to do with the Olympic soccer game. (Winnings perhaps?) There was nothing else incriminating in the car and they didn't seem very scumbagish, so it was decided to just let them go. Our night was already deep into the realm of clusterfuck and no one was eager to fill all the witness statements this amount of cash would require."
justanothersoldier

The Heretic,

"For all these reasons, whether the G.I.s are conscience of it or not, the military personal have a decreased motivation and intensity. We fight for lies, are alienated by our chain of command and are only trying to ride out the clock until we can finish our contracts without losing what we have worked for or seeing the inside of a prison cell. The Armed Forces will never have a loyal troop base until it’s goals change. If there was something worth fighting for, something the common man can gain, rather than just being underpaid mercenaries for some elitist, then the soldiers would have more encouragement to join in work hard.

I myself find it difficult to have discipline in an Army full of ass kissing lying hypocrites who enforce a wicked US policy with a violent war I disagree with.
I serve in shame,"
ftssoldier

Exposed

docinthebox.blogspot has an interesting report about someone with depleted uranium found in his urine. Don't sound too good.
Madtom

RELATIONS BETWEEN PEOPLES

"I’ve been trying to be more acquainted with American people through the internet which I started using it since few months before the recent war of 2003. I was, and still, wondering why we deal with the Americans, or the western in general, as enemies. So I started to gain pen pals from all over the world using the internet. For my amazement, I discovered that these people, especially the Americans, are wonderful, helpful and friendly. One should distinguish between the foreign policy of the administration of a certain country and its people.
Let’s look forward to a day in the near future. A day on which the Iraqi people receive guests from all over the glob saying (Ahlan Wa Sahlan) which means welcome.And till that day comes allow me to be your host in this humble blog saying to all visitors (Ahlan Wa Sahlan), your visits and comments please me."
ibnalrafidain.blogspot