Thursday, June 30, 2005

The Endgame

"I was looking at the spattered dust outside my room today when it hit me. Someday our soldiers will leave this ugly, barren FOB. The high guard towers will lay empty, their glowering profile softened by unruly nests of squawking birds. The sandbags will rot away from dusty windows and the shimmering light of day will finally dance in cloistered rooms. Warehouses full of supplies will lay barren. Motorpools thick with the low, lethal silhouettes of armored vehicles will sit empty save for wretched and twisted weeds. Sections of the high perimeter wall will crumble and fall into chaotic piles of masonry. And the only sound will be the tortured screech of broken sheet metal roofs banging in the desert wind. The FOB will be dead – drained of the throbbing pulse of men and machinery that make her so powerful and fell."
365 and a Wakeup

Constitution update.

"Baha' Al-'Araji, a member of the constitution drafting committee told Al-Mada paper yesterday that there are going to be 5 spots in each Iraqi province where citizens can find designated boxes where they can put their opinions and suggestion as to the process of writing the constitution.
Only Baghdad will be an exception due to its high population so there will be 5 spots in each main quarter in the capital.

One million "suggestion forms" are planned to be distributed nationwide soon and there will be specialized teams to read, sort the received forms and prepare summaries that will eventually be submitted periodically to the main committee.
He also mentioned-according to the paper-that the committee has already purchased air time on satellite channels and columns space on papers (ten in total) to publish/broadcast materials of value to constitutional education to help people get a better understanding of the process."
ITM
I sure am glad that they are planing a educational campaign, I cant wait to see what the new constitution is going to look like. I agree that overly vague language about Islamic principles should not be added.

The last post in the constitution series

Iraqis Divided Over U.S. Troop Pullout

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - For engineering professor Moayad Yasin al-Samaraie, President Bush's pledge to keep U.S. troops in Iraq until their mission is complete was the promise of order over chaos. But the assurance rang hollow for Mona Hussein, who woke up Wednesday without electricity or running water after spending the night on her roof trying to escape Baghdad's sweltering heat.

Iraqis on the street and the country's politicians seemed divided over Bush's refusal to provide a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops, along with his promises for a better life in this country of 26 million people.

"Iraq cannot be stable if the American and coalition forces leave," al-Samaraie said.

The 55-year-old said chaos could result "because Iraqi forces don't have the required level of training to protect the country."

But Hussein, also an engineer, said withdrawing foreign troops might restore the security their presence has so far failed to establish.

"The terrorists will continue to attack the Americans as long as they're here. They should leave so that there will be less explosions and more security," she said. "As long as they're here, we'll remain an occupied country, just like Palestine.""
My Way
I think that the important thing here, is that neither of these two opinions are illegal, and that people are engaging in this conversation in public. The experience will color future decisions.

Victory disregarded...

"The UK's Guardian manages to snatch a defeatist headline from the jaws of a true victory. The arhabi threw everything that they had at the local Iraqi Security Forces in our sister Battalion's sector, in one of the largest coordinated attacks that we have seen since we got here. They failed."
Major K.

U.S.-Led Forces Detain Suspected Militants

"BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S.-led forces detained more than a dozen suspected militants in a counterinsurgency sweep through western Anbar province as part of a sustained effort to disrupt the flow of foreign fighters into Iraq, the military said Thursday.

Separately, a Sunni Arab politician who brokered secret talks between American officials and insurgents said he has formed a group to give political voice to Iraqi fighters, and he demanded a timetable for a U.S. troop withdrawal.

Former Cabinet member Ayham al-Samarie announced the creation of the National Council for Unity and Construction of Iraq on Wednesday to give representation to Iraqi fighters. Al-Samarie, a dual Iraq-U.S. citizen, is believed to have strong tribal links in the so-called Sunni Triangle in central Iraq, where the Sunni branch of the insurgency is concentrated.

He was the target of a death threat issued Thursday on an Islamic Web site, claiming he was spreading lies...

...The new political front is representing "resistance" fighters who have not targeted civilians, al-Samarie said. Nearly all car bomb and suicide attacks targeting Iraqis are believed to be the work of Islamic extremist groups
My Way

AIDS ? a foreign plot against Kurds !

"Or how to be as so stupid as most of states in the world which had waited for a serious epidemic to acknowledge that... ahem... yeah, at home also... Thus, according to the Kurdish newspaper Hawlatî, 61 HIV cases have been reported in Silêmanî. This number would have been quoted by the Department Police of the city, some high ranked people having made a memo about the issue.

Is it so surprising for a worldwide epidemic ? We could even say that 61 is few and it would be interesting to search other cases in ALL the country.

But the minister of Health has - of course - denied everything, saying that there is NO HIV case in Kurdistan. Absolutely none. When virus is going to pass the border it realizes that it goes to Kurdistan and runs away."
KBU -Piling
""With the Aug. 15 deadline for writing a new constitution bearing down, a cadre of powerful, mostly secular Shiite politicians is pushing for the creation of an autonomous region in the oil-rich south of Iraq, posing a direct challenge to the nation's central authority."

I'm all for it. What is good for the Kurds should be good for the people of Basra. Fifty years of drinking contaminated water is more than enough for the region that sits on half of Iraq's oil. Previous governments and the current government have been guilty of ignoring the people of Basra.

Today I was watching the Inspector General in the Ministry of public Services and he said the ministry allocated only 2% of its budget to Basra. Basra is the second largest city in Iraq. This is outrageous. Even if they allocate the money equally among the provinces, Basra will have 5% of the budget. Now we know they must steal 50% of the money before allocation. This still going to leave Basra with 2.5% of the budget. How did it end up with 2% is beyond me."
Abbas Kadhim
"Actually the visit to the U.S. by our prime minister is of very special significance. I don't know if many amongst the American public really understand this significance. To start with this is an elected civil servant. Secondly this is the leader of one of the most important grass root Shiaa movement in Iraq, the Da'awa party, which has mass support amongst a very wide segment of society from poor to rich."
The Mesopotamian
Retraction:
It has been brought to my attention that my comments below are incorrect. The blog does argue that the draining of the marshes was of necessity to create more arable land and flood control, as opposed to just punishing marsh Arabs, but after a closer reading I agree that the article does not implicate the US in caring out these projects for whatever reason they may have been done.

I thank the reader for bringing this to my attention.


Original post:
This is a new Iraqi Blog I found listed at Blog Count

Wafaa' al-Natheema

I was reading down and found this

IRAQ's Marshes Beyond Politics
Which after a quick reading seems to suggest that the marshes of southern Iraq were drained by the US for environmental, flood control, and to create more arable land.
Who would have guessed? Is there anything that we are not guilty of?

What's Happening In Basra

"Before I left to Dallas, Big pharaoh sent me a link from an Iraqi newspaper that reported the closing of Al-Sadr's offices in Basra. I sent the news to my friend in Basra. She sent me back this reply:

But, I've asked at that time about this special news. Were the offices of Al-Sader closed in Basra?

The answer was no...

...So, as you can see even if Al-Sader is out of there, 10 more will move in. It's no use. It's in their heads to destroy things that I cannot see it in another people. Islamic or not. No matter what you do. No matter how much good things you do for them, they still have bad souls, thinking bad thoughts (DIRTY THOUGHTS might be the right word).


Here's my prediction for the next Iraqi elections. The religious parties will lose MANY votes. The Sunnis and minorities will participate in big numbers. Some Iraqis won't be pleased with the results. But, it will definitely drive Iraq in a different and better direction.

Each time I read the news from Basra, I keep wondering how the Kurds got it right while parts of Iraq are drifting to a very conservative society. It may have to do with the geography and climate of Kurdistan."
Iraqi in America

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Is the Humvee doomed?

"Some in congress are questioning its future on the modern battlefield.

Remember what George C. Scott said in the movie "Patton?" He said that fixed positions are monuments to the stupidity of man.

So is a purely defensive approach to vehicle armor."
CounterColumn

reporter's death mentioned in "Bumps in the road"

"Posted on Wed, Jun. 29, 2005

R E L A T E D C O N T E N T
An Iraqi special correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers, Yasser Salihee, was shot and killed in Baghdad on June 24.

PAULINE LUBENS, San Jose Mercury News
An Iraqi special correspondent for Knight Ridder Newspapers, Yasser Salihee, was shot and killed in Baghdad on June 24.

R E L A T E D L I N K S
• *Sunni men in Baghdad targeted by attackers in police uniforms*
http://www.realcities.com/.../11999387.htm
• *Sunnis, Shiites struggling for control of mosques in Iraq*
http://www.realcities.com/.../11699583.htm
• *Iraqi authorities crack down on solo drivers in effort to stem attacks*
http://www.realcities.com/.../11648761.htm
• *Much-needed emergency medical supplies arrive in Najaf*
http://www.realcities.com/.../11591245.htm
Reporter shot to death in Iraq

*By Tom Lasseter*

*Knight Ridder Newspapers*

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Yasser Salihee, an Iraqi special correspondent for Knight Ridder, was shot to death in Baghdad last Friday.

The shot appears to have been fired by a U.S. military sniper, though there were Iraqi soldiers in the area who also may have been shooting at the time.

Salihee, 30, had the day off and was driving alone near his home in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Amariyah when a single bullet pierced his windshield and then his skull.

He was shot as his car neared a joint patrol of American and Iraqi troops who'd stopped to search a building for snipers. American and Iraqi soldiers are frequently targeted by suicide car bombers.

The U.S. Army is investigating the incident.

U.S. Humvees blocked three of the entry points to the intersection that Salihee was approaching. The one he was driving toward was manned by Iraqi and American soldiers on foot. It's unclear how well he could have seen those troops, and whether they were standing in the road and waving motorists away, or taking cover by the side of the road in case of sniper attack.

Witnesses at the scene have offered conflicting accounts of what happened.

An early report said Salihee was shot by a passing U.S. convoy when he failed to heed hand signals or shouts from soldiers. That later turned out to be untrue.

Most of the witnesses told another Knight Ridder Iraqi special correspondent that no warning shots were fired. But the front right tire of Salihee's car, a white Daewoo Espero, was pierced by a bullet, presumably meant to stop him from advancing.

Iraqis in Baghdad often complain that U.S. and Iraqi soldiers set up positions in roadways without clearly marking them. Such roadblocks increase the likelihood that motorists won't have time to stop before soldiers, worried about suicide car bombers, open fire, many Iraqis say.

In May, Salihee wrote a story about the dangers of men driving alone in Iraq; such drivers are often suspected of being suicide bombers.

Knight Ridder didn't previously report on Salihee's death because his family was worried about reprisal from insurgents, who often target Iraqis working for Western organizations. The family's wish to have Salihee's story told now outweighs those concerns.

Salihee began working for Knight Ridder in early 2004. He said he left his position as a doctor at Baghdad's Yarmouk Hospital because of low salaries paid by the Iraqi government. He didn't lose his passion for helping others through medicine, though: He volunteered at medical clinics on his days off.

He reported and wrote frequently about the nation's political turmoil, with particular attention to the minority Sunni population and its lack of unity.

Knight Ridder Baghdad Bureau Chief Hannah Allam recently wrote of Salihee: "We weren't really looking for reporters at the time, but Yasser's impeccable English and sunny personality made him too hard to pass up. We hired him and took great delight in watching him blossom into one of our best reporters, the one who accompanied us to militant mosques and talked his way into insurgent-controlled Fallujah."

In the last story he worked on, Salihee used his medical expertise to review records of Sunnis brought to city morgues after reportedly being taken by men in police uniforms.

Salihee is survived by his wife, Raghad, also a physician, and their 2-year-old daughter, Danya."
I received this in the mail from Jay, with the subject line: "reporter's death mentioned in "Bumps in the road""
So I thought I would present it here as is. Thanks Jay, whoever you are.

I would just like to highlight this one quote from the story above:

"He was shot as his car neared a joint patrol of American and Iraqi troops who'd stopped to search a building for snipers."

One stupid rule down, millions to go...

"I am very glad to hear that Gold Star Mothers has changed their rules. They now allow non-citizen Mom's to join. The price they pay to be eligible for membership in that organization is too high as it is. Kudos to the new leadership at Gold Star Mothers."
Major K.

OK, who wants to take a stab at this email? (Updated)

"I tried to respond to the following email I recieved last night, but...well...see for yourselves:


Hola Val--A friend just turned me on to your blog. I really enjoy reading it. I guess you could call me an anti-Castro, anti travel-ban patriotic American. I just read the article by the couple who traveled there, became disgusted, and got fined. I think all of us should be able to go there and see for ourselves and have the freedom to be disgusted. What disgusts me is this paternalistic "we know what's best for you" attitude. I feel there is no justification for it. My Cuban friends who hate Fidel still manage to get money to their relatives. Pure hippocracy! Why can't I go there, see for myself, and give money to anti-Castro relatives of my Cuban-American friends?"
Babalu Blog
Some things never change :(

Don't Worry, Faiza Jarrar Has the Answer!

"Faiza Jarrar has returned to her penthouse apartment in Amman, Jordan, her "second home." The best parts of her latest blog entry are those personal encounters she has with other students at the "peace building" seminar and with Americans she meets on the train to Washington, D.C. Then there's a section where Faiza steps back, looks at the big picture, and asks some very good questions:

How come that we, Arab Muslims, have lived since thousands of years with Christians and other religions, in our countries in peace, without violence?

Why weren't we terrorists all our lives? Why was a deformed picture of Islam sent there? Why did the American government support manufacturing that deformed picture? Why was that picture used in the Media, so that whenever the word "Islam" comes into the news broadcast, we hear words like "extremist" or "fundamental" with it? As our British teacher…..from South Africa says?
"
Iraq Bloggers Central

Kurdish Christians Complain of Discrimination

"Muslims who convert to Christianity say they are ostracised by society and family.

By Ayyub Kareem in Sulaimaniyah (ICR)

The small but growing number of Kurds who convert to Christianity say they face discrimination and intolerance from the Muslim majority.

Kurdish Christians – still a tiny minority - say they find it difficult to practice their religion because of public intolerance. Muslims in the region counter that it is wrong for Christians to proselytise among other faith groups.

The converts are joining new, western-style Christian groups which started growing after the fall of Saddam Hussein, rather than the long-established Christian communities such as the Assyrians and Chaldeans, who do not seek new members from Muslim backgrounds.
(more…) "
ChristianIraq

Web of Support

"My old friend, (I've known him almost a year now) Chris Missick, returned from the Middle East a few months ago. He has a brilliant idea, in my opinion, of traveling throughout the U.S. to thank all of those people who supported him while he was serving. He's going to post about it on his blog, Web of Support and put together a book talking about his experiences both in the Middle East and with his journey meeting those who supported him."
Steven kiel

Bumps in the Road

"BAGHDAD—The Americans have killed two Iraqi journalists inside of a week. One was killed Friday and I just heard news of the other. I know a lot about the first death, but at the request of his family, I can't publish much because his widow fears retribution for her husband having worked for a Western news organization. But he was killed with a single shot to the head by Americans in a passing convoy.

The second I don't know much about, as I just heard about it. Details haven't started coming in yet."
Back to Iraq 3.0

Friendship

"It is strange to use friendly expressions, like (the American-Iraqi friendship), to describe the bilateral relations between the Iraqis & other peoples. For more than four decades, the Iraqis have been exposed continuously to education of hatred which resulted in a very suspicious personality. All the adjacent countries represent, according to this way of thinking, an inimical environment & the Iraqi relations with these countries are based on aggression.

It is really amazing to see the Iraqi Prime Minister & the American President, standing side by side, in the White House. Mr. Bush referred to the hard task that the PM is facing when he said "
Ibn_Alrafidain

Some random guy

"Whoever this "guy" is on this interview, he sure is handsome. You have to wait for the president to stop talking before this handsome guy starts speaking. Did I mention he is handsome?"
In Iraq for 365
I'm not sure if this is a "hint, hint" or a "wink, wink"? You make the call! :)

Some Iraqis Criticize Bush's Speech Looming Health Crisis in Qaim Area

"An Iraqi response to Bush's claim that he is fighting terrorism by drawing terrorists to Iraq:



' "Why don't they find another place to fight terrorism?" asked Abdul Ridha al-Hafadhi, 58, head of a humanitarian aid group. "I don't feel comforted by Bush's remarks; there must be a timetable for their departure." '
Juan Cole

THE DEATH IN IRAQ

"Every one hera by the number of innocent people killes in Iraq for nothing for just they were in the wrong time and place,but yesterday the member of NATIONAL ASSEMBLY was killed by the terrorists in the city of Kirkuk with his son and three of his guardes...."
Free Iraq

Talk less, think more and do more.

"It's visible to everyone that debates over the war in Iraq, war on terror, invasion or occupation or whatever you may name it are at peak levels right now.
The process is being questioned, criticized and discussed more profoundly than at any time in the last two years but you know what?
That's not happening in Iraq; you can find such discussions and accusations in America but you can't find them in Iraq."
ITM

My projects became fruitful for others

"You remember when I asked for a donation to educate six students during summer’s holiday and a donation introduced to us from Mr. Kosel to assist my project.
A few days ago and after seeing my blog , the Scientific Club decided to take similar further step to support teenagers and students to use their class rooms, computers, internet line in registering interested persons during summer to learn essential lessons on computer and internet , and the most important thing it is all ( FREE OF CHARGE)."
Free Writer

Mr. President, You are Immoral

"I usually try not to post when I am angry. I didn’t wait up last night to hear Mr. Bush’s speech. I followed it this morning. I wish I didn’t.


A few excerpts from President Bush’s speech on 28th June, 2005:"...

...But there was one truth in your speech:

Some wonder whether Iraq is a central front in the war on terror. Among the terrorists, there is no debate.

You are so right on this one!"
Iraqi Letters
If they are stupid enough to cooperate...

Tuesday, June 28, 2005

Who is Responsible

"I was’t planning to publish this today, I kept it for the future but it became urgent to publish since many people are discussing the same issue in the comments area.

First, I want to apologize to the dreamers this post is not something they want to read or hear. As many people saw I am realistic, I don’t sell hopes and dreams in this Blog and I don’t buy them also, I don’t live in a delusions or ideological fantasies and I don’t want to hear about them.

My examples will not sound pleasant and I would like to mention that I believe in human equality and against all sorts of discrimination or racism."

Baghdad Dweller
Well Bush reaffirmed what I have been saying all along.
"The game is afoot,” instructed Holmes, then he whispered in his friend’s ear,..."

One year of independence

"Of course, Iraqi independence. Not Kurdish one.

Let's see how things have gone after 1 year of independence from American occupation.

1. Iraqi government ? Does it have any control ?
Not outside the Green zone. The suicide bombings in the Green Zone shows that it is about to lose control inside that 1-2 KM zone as well.

2. The American forces.
The American forces are not capable to protect themselves, yet let alone Iraqis. After one year, their task which was meant to be easier, it is now even harder. They have lost control of themselves, and of Iraqis of course.

3. The Kurdistan government.
The suicide bombings in Kurdistan carried out by Kurdish members of the Islamic fanatics shows that the Kurdish government has lost control of what was known as "Iraq's safe haven". On 20th of June, just in 12 hours, there were 3 suicide bombings in Kurdistan. In Kirkuk, Sulaymaniyah, and Arbeel.

4. The British forces..
They are the only ones to be in control of themselves so far, but they have lost the control of Iraqis...From newspaper reports I read, Basra and southern Iraq are now turning into a Taliban-styled regime ruled by Mullahs.


So where are we today ? What has gone wrong ?"
Kurdo's World

Interest Rises in Ethanol-Heavy E85

"EAGAN, Minn. (AP) - Like lots of motorists, Chuck Nye thought he had no choice but to grin and bear it as rising gas prices made filling up his minivan a painful experience.

But then he heard a radio ad promoting E85 - a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - that sells for an average of about 45 cents per gallon less than regular unleaded. Inside his fuel door was a sticker saying Nye had a flexible fuel vehicle, which can burn the homegrown alternative.

Nye was sold.

"It's good gas," he said while fueling up at a Holiday station just off Interstate 35E in this Twin Cities suburb. "I haven't noticed any difference in gas mileage performance or engine performance as well.""

Vehicles Than Can Use E85

My Way
We should start buying all the grain Africa can produce, till they can grow no more...Kill two birds with one stone.

Top Shiite Cleric Hints at Wider Voting Role for Sunnis

"BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 27 - Iraq's most powerful Shiite cleric appeared to offer a major concession to the Sunni Arab minority on Monday when he indicated that he would support changes in the voting system that would probably give Sunnis more seats in the future parliament.

In a meeting with a group of Sunni and Shiite leaders, the cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, outlined a proposal that would scrap the system used in the January election, according to a secular Shiite political leader, Abdul Aziz al-Yasiri, who was at the meeting. The election had a huge turnout by Shiites and Kurds but was mostly boycotted by Sunni Arabs.

Such a change would need to be written into Iraq's new constitution, which parliamentarians are drafting for an Aug. 15 deadline. Although there has been little public talk about what form elections might take under the constitution, Ayatollah Sistani has been highly influential in Iraq's nascent political system.

Under the proposal, voters in national elections would select leaders from each of the 19 provinces instead of choosing from a single country-wide list, as they did in January. The new system would essentially set aside a number of seats for Sunnis roughly proportionate to their numbers in the population, ensuring that no matter how low the Sunni turnout, they would be guaranteed seats."
NYT
This looks like good news for Iraq's future. I remember we had this very debate on Abbas before the last election. At the time I opposed the district voting system and was in favor of the country wide, or single district system for obvious reasons, like the US should not be seen as picking the districts, called gerrymandering here in the US. The Iraqis can gerrymander their own districts. And the new constitution is the right place to do it, or at least set the ground rules.
What a place Iraq, the only place I ever heard of where the Ayatollah is the sanest guy in town. The ME needs more Ayatollah's like Sistani. If he keeps on this path his name will go down in history right next to the likes of Jefferson.

The last post in the constitution series

I want this guy more than Zarqawi

"We lost another good man. Many of us only knew him as "Dup," short for his last name, not because it was in anyway pejorative. He was highly regarded by all who knew him. He was young, but obviously made from the right stuff."
Major K.

What's happening?

"The situation overall is as bad as it can be, and everyone with an old car is finding a way to blow it up, it seems.

The gasoline problem is still present, not improving.. The bridges are constantly getting blocked, if not controlled strictly.

bottom line: It's always proven that we have not yet hit the bottom!"
A Star from Mosul

U.S.-Led Forces Launch New Offensive In

"HIT, Iraq (AP) - More than 1,000 U.S. troops and Iraqi forces launched Operation Sword on Tuesday in a bid to crush insurgents and foreign fighters in western Iraq, the third major offensive in the area in recent weeks.

The new campaign is focusing on communities along the Euphrates River between the towns of Hit and Haditha in the volatile Anbar province, said Marine Capt. Jeffrey Pool, a spokesman.

The region, about 125 miles northwest of Baghdad, is a hotbed of insurgent activity. The Marines, though, received a friendlier-than-expected welcome from Hit's residents in the early going.

A group of troops, operating in sweltering temperatures, stopped at one home to take advantage of the air conditioning. The hosts even changed the channel on the satellite TV to an English-language talk show about the Middle East."
My Way

8. Other Theories

"Possible Undeclared Motives for the Invasion of Iraq

This series has been running long enough! In this post, I will list readers’ additions to undeclared motives very briefly to complete the main line of this series to give readers a chance to debate them. I hope that I have managed to retain the intended message but I also added a link to the original reader’s post. They are listed in no particular order. I leave it to readers to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these different theories."
Iraqi Letters
You need to get your tinfoil hats out for this one.

Personal Iraq Diary: 9 June 2004.

"We get more stupiderer each day or the Hajj is REALLY lucky. Same OP, same few routes in and out. Today an IED hit us wounding 3, 1 seriously but he was RTD (return to duty). The crater analysis later showed that it was 2 155mm rounds buried about 18 inches down below the concrete."
Candle in the Dark

Monday, June 27, 2005

Saddam's palaces to be cultural centers.

"The minister of culture Mr. Nouri Al Rawi announced today that all the 170 places that Saddam built for himself will be turned into cultural centers that will be open to all Iraqis.
From Radio Nawar (Arabic link).
I've never been to any of these palaces and it was scary to even get close to them."
Free Iraqi

Iranian net censorship powered by US technology

"Internet censorship in Iran is amongst the most restrictive and sophisticated in the world, a technical study has revealed. And much of the filtering technology in use was developed by western companies.

The Iranian government employs extensive internet filtering to block out content deemed inappropriate, according to a new report issued by the OpenNet Initiative - a partnership between the University of Toronto in Canada, Harvard Law School in the US and the University of Cambridge, UK.

Researchers remotely accessed computers within Iran's internet borders to test the restrictions imposed by the government. The team used a variety of methods to test the filters - dialling into Iranian ISPs from outside the country, connecting to desktop machines using remote-control software, and routing traffic through dedicated servers within the country.

They found that 34% of the 1465 URLs they tested were blocked, including 100% of the pornographic websites tested. Many gay and lesbian web pages were blocked, as were those hosting politically sensitive content - 15% of blogs and 30% of news sites were inaccessible. Sites providing tools and information for circumventing filtering technology were also blocked in 95% of cases."
New Scientist
No wonder they all hate us!

OLD NEWS

"June 22, 2005 By DAVID S. CLOUD, New York Times

WASHINGTON, June 21 - American casualties from bomb attacks in Iraq have reached new heights in the last two months as insurgents have begun to deploy devices that leave armored vehicles increasingly vulnerable, according to military records.

Last month there were about 700 attacks against American forces using so-called improvised explosive devices, or I.E.D.'s, the highest number since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, according to the American military command in Iraq and a senior Pentagon military official.

The surge in attacks, the officials say, has coincided with the appearance of significant advancements in bomb design, including the use of "shaped" charges that concentrate the blast and give it a better chance of penetrating armored vehicles, causing higher casualties.

Another change, a senior military officer said, has been the detonation of explosives by infrared lasers, an innovation aimed at bypassing electronic jammers used to block radio-wave detonators.



Most likely, this little bit of precious information was overlooked as just another article concerning the ever present droll of “The War Against Terrorism” in Iraq. Unfortunately, what is said here not only proves the presence of a growing insurgency in Iraq opposed to Coalition Forces, but more importantly displays the insurgency’s increasing ability to improve techniques needed to kill American soldiers.

I am no longer a soldier in the United States army, and I am no longer fighting this useless war in Iraq. However, not too long ago I was there, and ever day I could not help to notice just how potentially fatal operating in a combat zone really is, regardless of how much fancy equipment or impenetrable armor you are surrounded by. The bottom line is this: As we continue to fight dedicated guerrilla warriors, a growing number of Americans keep dying in vain."
Fight to Survive -hEKLe

nation of dreams

"I want to begin by apologizing for allowing so much time to pass since my last post. We have been extremely busy. Sorry to worry you. Thank you for your e-mails and comments of support and concern.

I appreciate all of your comments regarding amnesty for insurgents. Valid points were made by all and the discussion certainly proved to be productive. I still believe that even discussing the issue is premature. The way things have been going since the 16th when I last posted even strengthens my belief the insurgency is crumbling and desparate."
Boots in Baghdad

No cellphones for you!

"Venezuelan blogger Tomas Sancio has a link to a Univision audio of a conversation between a Cuban telephone operator and a Cuban in Miami who's seeking a Cuban cellphone. There aren't any cellphones issued in Cuba without government permission, she tells the man. He asks her if it was his fault that he was born Cuban?

Tomas's link is here, and if you can understand Spanish, the actual audio is here."
Babalu Blog
This is so funny according to that audio, a phone call to the cell phone company in Cuba, you can only get one if your a foreigner or a member of the regime.

So if your a Cuban, born in Cuba, and living in Cuba, NO CELL PHONE FOR YOU!

R&R

"The world and a persons view of it are framed by his life, they way he was raised to see the world. Saturday moening cartoons, afternoons spent on the carpet watching Under Dog after Pre School and eating yogert. John Wayne movies about fighting Indians or the Japs on some hellish Pacific island. Starblazers and Speed Racer on Channel 40 before school, Robotech, Combat, Tour of Duty, Platoon, Hamburger Hill.... The books he reads, Dune, Starship Troopers, Symapathy for the Devil, Night Dogs... They all contribute to how a man sees the world he lives in. How he preseves death and it's aftermath."
Paint it Black

"I prefer to play with the invisible"

"As the movie could be seen in September in France a booklet of presentation has been already published. I just reproduce the interview, though many of the talking could have been red here and there. The movie is announced on memento.film.com, too. Moreover, I know that Hiner Saleem will come to Kurdistan in July, to present his work. So Kurdistani, be aware !

INTERVIEW


What was the genesis of the movie ?"
KBU -Piling

50 Killed in Guerrilla Violence Al-Hakim: Sectarian War Could Engulf Middle EastAl-Akhbar: Internationalize Iraq Crisis

"There were two bombings in Kirkuk, one of them using a booby-trapped dog, which left 6 persons injured.

Al-Hayat: Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) and of the United Iraqi Alliance that controls parliament, warned Sunday that "the launching of a sectarian war in Iraq would mean the outbreak of war in the entire region." He called on Arabs and Muslims to "stand decisively against those who spread terror" to Iraq. His statement was distributed at a wake held for the victims of attacks last Wednesday and Thursday on the largely Shiite neighborhoods of Shu'lah and Karradah in Baghdad.

He said, "Zarqawi-- the criminal and the wreaker of corruption in the land-- and his helpers and supporter from among the sectarians, and the orphans of the dead-and-buried Saddam regime, and the excommunicators, have unveiled the ugliness of their visages more and more by targeting innocent civilians from among the Shiites." He added, "These criminal groups have openly announced to the multitudes their sectarian war against the Shiites in Iraq, and have issued Islamic legal rulings declaring them excommunicated and unbelievers, saying that it is a duty to kill Muslims who follow the family of the Prophet, after having initially hidden for the previous span of time behind the pretext of confronting Occupation and those who collaborated with it." He affirmed that the Iraqi people "will not be drawn into these criminal, terrorist plots, rather Sunni and Shiite organizations will strengthen their bonds."

Then there is this item:

' Iraq's Al-Hakim Praises Egyptian Grand Imam for Condemning Terrorist Attacks
MENA (MIDDLE EAST NEWS AGENCY)
Sunday, June 26, 2005 T19:03:23Z

BAGHDAD, June 26 (MENA) - Chairman of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) Abdel Aziz Al-Hakim hailed Sunday the stance of Al-Azhar Grand Imam Sheikh Mohammad Sayed Tantawi on Iraq.

Sheikh Tantawi had condemned attacks targeting innocent Iraqis, Hakim told a ceremony mourning those recently killed in a cluster of bombings in Al-Karada and Al-Shuala districts in Baghdad.

The SCIRI leader asked Muslim scholars and religious authorities to make public their stances on attacks against Iraqis.

He stressed that Iraqis need to unite in the face of terrorist attacks. '




Al-Hakim was glad for the denunciation of the killing of innocent Muslims by the Rector of al-Azhar, who is among the foremost religious authorities in the Sunni world. Tantawi has also forbidden Sunnis to excommunicate Shiites, i.e., to allege that they are not really Muslims. His statement calling on Muslims in Iraq to unite across the sectarian divide came after he had met with former interim PM Iyad Allawi."
Juan Cole

SPC Roby Vs. IED: The Movie

"Well, I promised you guys the movie of SPC Roby blowing up an IED. And here it is. It's my first time, there isn't much cool music or editing so bear with me. I'm no SPC Camp. If the movie doesn't show up as "IED", just hit refresh. SFC Kennedy is in the front seat of the humvee that Roby is in. He is laying Roby's shots onto the IED. You can hear SSG Terry coaching Roby and telling SPC Benton that Roby knows he's shooting short.

If you haven't done so already, go to January archives and read about SPC Roby on Election Day."
Armor Geddon

Sunday, June 26, 2005

Where have the good bloggers gone?

"This was a question asked recently in the comments of an earlier blog...where are we? We are here, listening, biding our time until the right moment to speak presents itself. It has been months since I have last posted, and during those months I have watched the tone of this blog being hyjacked.

The purpose of this blog is to educate others on the subject of the Kurds, to provide a forum where Kurds from around the world can unite and discuss...however the tone of this blog has morphed into an analogy of the Kurds in the world now. We are as un-united here in cyberspace as we are in reality. All of our voices converge here, but we can never say that we speak for all."
KBU -Delal

Another bloody morning in Mosul


oneleg Posted by Hello
"Again terrorist targeted a police station and surrounded civilian buildings in the most crowded city center .It was happened at 7 AM , just before shop owners in market began opening it.
I visited the area after one hour for seeing the site, all streets were closed and many searching points allowing to civilian to get through after searching them.
Helping groups were still trying to find the dead bodies under the wreckage of the police station, and still that time, the counted casualties 8 dead and 18 wounded.
The shops in surrounding area destroyed completely, and big damages also hit the area around explosion for about 150 meters."
A Free Write
You can see right there in the picture that our Glorious Foreign Resistance has once again struck at the heart of the enemy, the innocent Iraqi people.

Iraq: Brussels Conference Is All Support, Little Action

"The 22 June Iraq donors conference in Brussels achieved what participants hoped it would in terms of drumming up support for Iraq’s transitional phase. Though participants voiced overwhelming support for the transitional government, few new commitments were made.

The overwhelming phrase echoed by some 80 nations and international organizations was “We will do more, when the security situation allows it.”"
ChristianIraq
But apparently they are not willing to do anything to help stabilize the security situation. It's the usual bla, bla, bla.

Sorry for the inconvenience. Scroll down to see the content of the new post "Their Losses" and by the way, I HATE "bugs"!

"Now after you have probably listened to our losses through the media, I'd like to carry the news of their losses…I hate to parrot what others say.
It's not only us who bleed, they're bleeding too end even more profusely and obviously the media has a purpose behind focusing on our losses while mentioning the terrorists losses in the inner pages or in many cases pretending that they don’t exist.
Iraqi and multinational forces are still scoring victories over terrorists and here on this blog, we'd like to summarize the victories of the latest 48 hours:"
ITM

Two reactions may solve the mystery of Buhriz photos

"Let me start this off by stating exactly who I am. My name is 1LT TJ Grider. I led the platoon attack that resulted in those insurgents being killed. I personally killed some of them and I took the pictures that are being tossed around on the internet now. My actions and the actions of my men that day were lawful, precise, descriminating, and completely followed the rules of engagement. They did not violate the laws of land warfare or the Geneva Conventions. My only wish is that Mr. Mark Kraft, who apparently follows comments on this website would have tried to contact me and do a little more investigating prior to putting my name on an internet page associating me and my platoon, possibly the most decorated platoon in the 1st Infantry Division during OIF II, with war crimes. Now I will answer a few questions that should put to rest this issue with the majority of the sensible people that read this. To those obsessed with conspiracy theories or already convinced that the U.S. is fighting an unlawful war, I doubt these comments will change your views. On October 22 2004, my platoon received a call to aid a friendly unit in contact in Buhriz. We moved to Buhriz and fought in the city for 8 hours against over 60 RPG attacks, multiple snipers, and an array of insurgents ranging greatly in age, dress, and level of skill."
Baghdad Dweller
Well it looks like my little bit of speculation from the other day was not too far from the facts

Link to the last post in the saga.

Saturday, June 25, 2005

22 June 2005

"I went and saw you D, the day you died. I tired to close your eyes but they wouldn't stay closed. The 1SGT asked me if I wnted to see you and I hesitated, a fraid of what I would see. I didn't want to see your smashed body but I needed to say goodbye, to look at you one last time."
Paint it Black

what the hell is this?

"U.S., Iraq Consider Amnesty for Insurgents

By PAUL GARWOOD, Associated Press Writer

U.S. and Iraqi officials are considering difficult-to-swallow ideas — including amnesties for their enemies — as they look for ways to end the country's rampant insurgency and isolate extremists wanting to start a civil war......

I am of the firm belief that if you kill an American, whether it be a soldier or civilian, you must be brought to justice. No question, without fail, you will pay for your crimes. Killing Americans is an act of war. We are currently engaged in a war against terrorism here in Iraq. Whatever happened to, "you are either with us or against us!"?"
Boots in Baghdad

FEAR AND IRAQIS: A COMMENTARY

"Fear - Inaction

Iraqis are no different than any other human beings, when it comes to fear. They possess the same fight or flight reaction to fear as we do. Fighting in Baathist controlled Iraq, would leave you severely punished or perhaps killed, so "flight" was much safer. There are two ways to "fly away": By crossing the border, getting away from Iraq, or by staying put and giving up, paralyzed like a deer in front of a oncoming car. Say nothing, hear nothing, do nothing. Those were the options for the ones who stayed behind."
Iraqi Bloggers Central

Answering readers' questions

"I'll start from where I stopped the last time.

kung fu kat/missouri said:

1)What is a typical "breakfast" in Iraq? Is cereal in milk popular there? 2) What time does a typical work day begin?3) What time is lunch served? What is a typical lunch? Do most Iraqis go home for lunch or take their lunch or eat out?4) What time does a typical work day end?5) What time is supper served? Is it late or early evening? Is their a formal "snack" or other meal in between? What is a common meal?

1) The usual stuff most Iraqis have for breakfast include any of the following: eggs, cheese, jam, butter. Most people have tea for breakfast. Cereals with milk are not common.
2) Typical day work begins at 8 a.m.
3) Lunch is usually served between 1 and 2.30 p.m. typical lunch includes rice and tomato soup with one type of vegetable (in the soup) like beans, potato, eggplant and others I don't know the translation for in addition to salad (usually tomato and cucumber) and yogurt is essential in summer .
Friday lunch is usually special; barbequed meat (Kabab, tecca) fish or qouzi (rice with well-cooked lamb meat and "stuff" mixed with the rice). Most Iraqis eat at home although with the new system of work hours (from 8 to 3 p.m. instead of 2 p.m.) this is changing for some.
4) Supper is usually served anytime between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. although this is more variable than lunch. There's no formal snack but afternoon tea is common and usually include biscuits or pastry. I believe we got that from the British.
I'm sorry I can't name most of the stuff we have for supper in English but I'll keep looking for it and would probably make a post just about this stuff if it's important."
Free Iraqi

6 US Troops Missing or Dead Following Suicide Blast in Fallujah

"The U.S. military says at least two Marines are dead and three Marines and a sailor are missing after a suicide car bomb blast struck their convoy in Fallujah late Thursday.

The military says that 13 other service members were wounded in the attack, which took place as the convoy was traveling through the city. Officials released no further details about the incident.

In Baghdad, a British security firm guarding Iraq’s main airport has temporarily stopped work because of a contract dispute with the Iraqi government. Following the move, all commercial flights at the airport were halted.

And in Mosul, local officials say one Iraqi woman was killed by an errant mortar round fired at a nearby police academy."
ChristianIraq
I wonder in that is the same story we heard from A citizen of Mosul? In his version no one was hurt in the errand mortar, who knows

Mark Kraft answers to several comments

"This is very important, in case people missed it, I publish it on the front page without asking Mr. Kraft permission.
If he don’t feel comfortable with it, I will delete it.

In answer to several comments:

Yes, these kids are at risk of a speedy trial and quick execution — not from the U.S., but from the Iraqi government, which is starting to take over control of the prisons and prisoners. The Iraqi government has already executed several insurgents in a quick and questionably legal manner. Don’t expect it to get a lot of play in the news, however. See http://multigraphic.dk/lounge/wordpress/?p=1480"
Baghdad Dweller
I for one am not convinced that the photos prove anything. I posted them here just so people that are interested could see them, but without any solid evidence they prove nothing to me. I could think of a completely innocent scenario of how the pictures came to be the way they are:
Mainly that those children drooped those weapons and ran before being shot, the US solider perused them to the place they found them and them collected the weapons. Easy as that to paint an innocent scenario. So without further evidence....it's all conjecture

Link to the story behind this

Bad days

"Those days are really bad, here in Mosul, there are many accidents of kidnapping, killing and hijacking.

Before a couple of days, a neighbor's son which is 30 years old, married and have 4 children was kidnapped from his shop in the most crowded street in Mosul. Today before noon they found his body with two bullets in his head.

Yesterday, just in front of my clinic, a car hijacked in the middle of the day.
Few hours later a body of two dead guys were found 100 m. From my clinic.

This morning at 6:30 about 50 explosions heard, later we knew they were a mortar bomb against an American base. One mortar bomb fell on the house of my close friend's brother, thanks God no body hurt in the house."
A Citizen of Mosul

What's happening?

"We went to the suq (Market) today, first time in about months.. Cars were crowded at the gasoline stations in our way there.. LONG lines of cars whose drivers were waiting for their turn to fill them, standing a kilometer +/- away from the station as there are many cars In front of them!

We got there, it was not as crowded as it was the last time.. I bought a long shirt so I can wear it on the jeans when we go on vacation, and a baseball cap which I truly liked... The rest were for HNK, I didn't need anything else.

As I was buying my shirt, there was noise in the street, and suddenly the road was blocked. The brave national guards came with their guns aimed at us in a women's suq.. Bravery! Can't put it anyway else. They didn't let men (Usually, the owners of the shops) move in the street but the great women didn't fear at all and continued their shopping while the NGs were wondering in the streets and searching the men! Then, the NG, again aiming at us, moved to their cars, got in, moved while distributing leaflets that I didn't take a look at.. Leaflets started making me sick. All the phone numbers which are written on them are in my contacts list in the mobile now, but the writing on some of them are really dumb.."
A Star from Mosul

THE SITUATION IN IRAQ

"I am sorry for all this absence but I think that my blgo doesnt appear to most of you and I dont know the cause.
The situation in Iraq and espicially in Baghdad is very very bad and the bombed cars return to the streets despite of the presnce of the that number of security men .
Every one heard about the three explosions in Karada District before two days, the people that were live in this area said that the US army with ING members were searching this area looking for bombed cars before one day from the explosions.....That means there was News about bombed cars and didnt declare the News to the people living in this area and the result was more than 40 innocent people died in the three attacks ......"
Free Iraq

More bad news from Iraq

"Last terror news :
The last invension of terrorist in the city now to keep a financial support for their criminal actions by using a bullet attached to a letter and sending it to choosen targets
and families asking them to pay or die .. of course tenth of thousands dollars must be paid for them secretly .Most families were obliged to sell every thing they own , houses,
cars , golden items , lands , properties to cover the required amount.
Other families escaped to other cities or outside Iraq to spend the money their better than paying for terrorists."
A Free Writer

Friday, June 24, 2005

What’s happening in Egypt?!

"For the first time SOMETHING is finally happening in Egypt, after 50 years of political stillness since the 1952 coup d’etat (which Arab nationalists would call it the 1952 revolution) which ousted King Farouk and the British army from Egypt. Since then every president has ruled for life: Gamal Abdul Nasser, Anwar El Sadat and of course the current president Hosni Mubarak who stayed already in power for 24 whole years, and wants to extend it with another 6 years term, so he wants a total of 30 years in power. Until now he is the third longest serving president after King Ramses II and Mohammed Ali Pasha. And then his son Gamal wants to become president in succession to his father."
The Big Pharaoh

World exclusive: Iraqi Prime Minister

"In an exclusive interview with MSNBC-TV's 'Hardball,' Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Al-Jaafari tells NBC's Senior White House Correspondent David Gregory he agrees with Vice President Dick Cheney that the insurgency is in its final throes. He also says he does "not call them insurgents," but rather, "terrorists" from outside of the country.

DAVID GREGORY, 'HARDBALL' GUEST HOST: Mr. Prime Minister, as you know, most Americans don't know. They don't see you. They haven't heard from you. What would you like to say to the American public that is, to say the least, pretty unsettled about how things are going in Iraq today?

IBRAHIM AL-JAAFARI, IRAQI PRIME MINISTER: It is not surprising that the Iraqi people do not know me because what we had before, which was the regime of Saddam Hussein, was a dictatorial regime that tried to annihilate and abolish anything to do with the Iraqi people. However, now, with the elimination of Saddam Hussein, people will come to know Iraqis, they will start to know them as talented politicians, artists and really, the face of Iraq to come will start to become more and more pronounced and will be known to the world."
MSNBC

Armed Men Set Afghan Girls' School on Fire

"PADKHWAI RAGHANI, Afghanistan (AP) - Armed men broke into a girls' school south of the Afghan capital and set it on fire, the latest attack on education for girls in the conservative country, officials said Thursday.

The children burst into tears when they saw their school destroyed, principal Zaher Din said.

"The children are desperate for their classes to resume," he said.

The assailants tied up two school guards Tuesday night, beat them and then doused the small building and two classroom tents with gasoline, said Khan Mohammed, police chief in Logar province.

Three men from the local village, 35 miles south of the capital, Kabul, were being questioned, he said.

Workers were stringing up plastic tarpaulins across the school's compound Thursday, and the principal said he plans to resume classes for his 665 students, ages 7 to 15, by Saturday.

Interior Ministry spokesman Latfullah Mashal blamed Taliban militants, saying the "burning of schools and education institutions is an agenda of the terrorists.""
WTOP
I wonder if Roya saw this.

More disgusting bias from the media.

"This article by the Guardian is another striking evidence to the bias of the media whenever it comes to Iraq. (Hat tip: Kerry).

"What's new?" One would think. Well, the new thing and really disgusting thing is that the paper didn’t only ignore a piece of good news or exaggerated a piece of bad news like we get to see, hear or read almost every day in the last two years; instead, a frank victory for Iraqi police was somehow changed into a victory for the "insurgents"!!

I read the piece twice and tried to see the any sign that indicates such a victory for the insurgents but I failed in both trials.
The editor carried almost accurate news about the incident in question, yet the commentary and conclusions were a piece of mere ridicule.
It is true that the terrorists were able to arrange a relatively large assault but it was far from being well organized or well done let alone a victory, and here is why:"
ITM

Thursday, June 23, 2005

Milblogger down

a
"Fellow milblogger Chuck who’s Blog “From My Position… On the Way” was hit by shrapnel from an IED a couple of days ago, he’s injured, missing his left pinky and has nerve damage to his right hand plus it sounds like a liberal peppering of the rest of his body. His sense of humor is still intact though, the first thing he asked was "Be honest with me, guys. Do I still have my face and my 'package'?"
Doc in the Box

Getting Away with Murder

"The section met for the Patrol Brief in the upstairs conference room, dusty thread bare indoor/outdoor carpet, dented and scratched battleship gray filing cabinets labeled for the forms they contain. In the middle of the room are two long and narrow laminated press board tables, the kind you would see in the 'conference room' of a small construction business.
The tables sit like and island in the center of the room, pushed together the tops permanently coated in a thin layer of dust. Streaks from fingers prints an entire hand print and the rings from coffee cups and Red Bull cans mar the surface, evidence for the existence of ghosts. Arrayed around the tables are a ecliptic collection of chairs and stools. The wall are painted a flat chalky white, like sheet rock. Smudges of dirt from sweaty uniforms and ragged tears pit the walls.
Plywood boards with dirty memos pined to them, a large satellite photo of the sector is tacked to another wall. Taped to the inside of the door is the cover 2003 Time magazine that named the person of the American Soldier. Hand written in black ink on the lead Soldiers' body armor is the word 'Girl' in case some one had any doubts as to the sex of the Soldier, like I did the first time I saw the cover.
After the brief I went back to my room to gather my gear and weapons and saw that Wendy had sent me an instant message. She was Home and safe and I was relieved. Contact reestablished and calm restored."
Paint it Black
Found at Doc in the Box

Updates on Exemptions

"I have not posted at all about the success of a variety of exemptions I have been involved in so I thought it was time to give everyone an update. I have successfully helped over 10 people win full exemptions from deployment and they all were for very good reasons. Here are some lessons learned"
ArmyAdvice
And also found this
"Military Blogging Guidance


Some recent info on soldier blogging:

Military Blogging Rules

Report: Gen. Advises Soldiers on Personal Sites

Original Memo (pdf)

Short version:

1) Don't say stuff you shouldn't.

2) Notify your chain of command that you have a personal website"
Army Advice
Everyone should drop by Juan Cole's blog today and read the whole thing it's very interesting. I usually pick something that interest me an link through that, but today's post were all interesting.

Lightning, Thunder then Rain...

"Okay, I think that "Lightning" updates have become a regular item on this blog, so here's today's-rather short-briefing of what's been happening as to this operation and other activities of security forces in Iraq in the last 24 hours:"
ITM
and this report from an embed
"An embedded reporter in Iraq provides a refreshing comment about Iraq from the kind that we don't often get from the media.
Hat tip: ITM reader."
ITM

The West incubate terrorism

"The scenes of blood and car bombs in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq became part of the daily life. No day passed with out tens of Iraqis killed and wounded. The causalities in the last month exceeded one thousand.

If the situation remained so it may certainly leads to serious consequences as far as the terrorism is regarded.

We wrote before about networks feeding the insurgency in Iraq. Yesterday the UK security police arrested a man in Manchester on charges of recruiting men and money for suicidal operations in Iraq. The UK police have not yet finished investigation about another case of a UK citizen from Yemeni origin who led a suicidal operation in Baghdad last month."
Hammorabi

The Flag Desecration Amendment

"I'd vote against it.

It's a flag. Not a graven image. I'm a civil libertarian. Flag burning and desecration should be legal. In the long run, having the freedom to burn this nation's symbol actually makes us look good. Every time some moonbat burns a flag in the U.S. on TV and it gets shown overseas, we get shown to be a tolerant and democratic society.

Freedom of expression is more important to me than a piece of cloth.

I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution, not the flag.

Plus, it helps us reliably identify the idiot fringe.

Burn, baby, burn!!!

Splash, out

Jason"
CounterColumn
I happen to agree. I have never burned a flag, but hey, if it's your flag and your having a flag burning party and you happen to run out of matches and lighter fluid, I would be more than happy to let you borrow a cup. Maybe even a bag of marshmallows! So you can count on a no vote from me.

7. Leading America into Perpetual Conflict

"Possible Motives for the Invasion of Iraq

Theory of Perpetual War

This theory is another possible explanation for the events in Iraq over the past two years. It is different from, and less ambitious than, the ‘world domination theory’. In this post, I will only give a very brief outline of this theory but will come back to it in future posts to examine it in greater detail and apply it to the US administrations’ performance in Iraq.

This discussion is no more than a proposal of a possible theory and should not be seen as an attempt at any absolute revelation of the truth. It is simply just another attempt to fit sense and logic into what is otherwise seen as irrational, senseless or inexplicable. I may well be wrong on the theory I am proposing in this article. I certainly hope that I am; otherwise we are in for a gloomy future.

The basic premise of the theory is not built around Iraq! It is basically an approach to the long term defense of the United States.

Brief Outline of Theory "
Oh and for my republican fiends I also offer you this choise quote from this post
"Due to the resulting public and Congressional mood, and because of the mounting national debts, military expenditure was reduced considerably (during the Clinton administration). Some of the consequences would be that the arms industry will suffer without much influx of capital, arms research will be weaker. "
Iraqi Letters
I offered you that little quote so you could see that it's not just the rhetoric from the left that embolden our enemies. You can see for your self the result that the right's rhetoric has had on our deadliest enemies. Good job I hope your happy with yourselves.

General Gayhart : Washington Post Lied About Kurds

"KURDISTAN BLOGGERS UNION ,
ASKS YOU MEDIAS THAT COVERED ALLEGEATION OF "WASHINGTON POST" TO COVER THESE NEWS ASWELL

US commander , General Gayhart denies Washington Post Kirkuk abductions story


Kurdistan Regional Government sent a letter to Washington Post about their allegation


Iraq president disputes report of Arab, Turkomen abuse


PUK official: Washington Post’s allegations "nothing but lies"

we should ask , why Washington Post and other medias doenst cover Fucking Turkey's Big Crimes against Kurdish peoepel ? why they pubish lie news about Kurds ? Why no Media but small medias cover the Statements declaring Washington Post's lying ?

I ask f****ing Washington Post to take a look at these pictures before they accept Turk's bribe ."
KBU -Pope John Paul III

Saddam's WMDs: The issue that will not die

"Christopher S. Carson discusses the Duelfer report on the fabled Iraqi WMDs at FrontpageMag.com

Carson points out some lil' biddy parts of the report and the aspects surround it's compilation that weren't widely reported and that Duelfer himself didn't highlight.

For instance, Duelfer wrote his report after concluding his investigation early. He said Zarqawi “tried to get me and my follow car. Two of my guards were killed and one was badly wounded. My hearing's not been right since." After that, Duelfer decided he had gathered plenty of information regarding the possible transfer of weapons to Syria to write his report.

Carson says:"
Iraq Bloggers Central -Jeffrey

Baghdadis are without water...And so is the government.

"This article caught my attention while I was reading Al-Mada newspaper this morning and I would like to share it with you.
By the way, to avoid any misunderstanding or confusion I think I should mention that there are some sarcastic sentences in this article:"
ITM -Omar
And this story of the Judiciary
"Rebuilding justice in Iraq...

The number of execution sentences against convicted criminal and terrorists that have has been declared so far is now 18; none of which has been practically executed till this moment.

An official from the "supreme judicial board of Iraq" explained that these sentences were not carried out because they represent preliminary sentences and can be subject to objections and retrials and that such cases would be-incase of objections-handed to the state attorney and then to the supreme court which consists of 14 judges to verify the sentences and give a final word about them."
ITM -Mohammed

Life in Iraq

"Life in Iraq, is like hell, because its very hooooooot, I wonder how is it if you go to hell, will it be the same?(lol), and the thing that is killing me that the electricity is not on all the day, and that means no airconditioning, cause i can't run an aircondition on the generator, add to that, that some places in Baghdad have lake in water, I just can't understand the situation in Baghdad, because its like we have two rivers and a lot of lakes and some places doesn't have water,"
Nabil's Blog
Well if the terrorist blow up the water distribution system...

Wednesday, June 22, 2005

Gunmen Kill Iraqi Ex-Judge; Hostage Freed

"Former judge Jassim al-Issawi, whose candidacy to join the 55-member committee was later dropped, was a law professor at Baghdad University and the former editor-in-chief of Al-Siyadah newspaper, said Salih al-Mutlak, secretary general of the Sunni National Dialogue Council

Al-Issawi, 51, and his son were killed in Baghdad's northwestern Shula neighborhood, said Abdul Sattar Jawad, current editor of Al-Siyadah.

The core of a violent insurgency plaguing most of Iraq is thought to be composed of Sunni Arabs fighting to overthrow the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. Some militants have begun threatening fellow Sunnis because some of their leaders have expressed a readiness to join the political process.

"The assassination of professor Jassim al-Issawi comes within an organized campaign aiming to liquidate all Sunni figures who will play an important role in the upcoming political process," said al-Mutlak. "Many threats were directed toward Sunni figures in order for them not to take part in the constitutional committee."

On Monday, Sunnis submitted a list of 15 candidates for the Shiite-dominated committee drafting the constitution, but were having second thoughts about a demand by legislators that they first win the backing of a larger Sunni group.

The names of the Sunni candidates have not been announced, but al-Issawi was not on the most recent list. He was dropped in earlier negotiating rounds, officials said."
MyWay

Egypt to Send Ambassador to Iraq

"BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) - Egypt will become the first Arab nation to send an ambassador to post-Saddam Iraq, the Iraqi foreign minister was to announce Wednesday, according to a copy of his speech obtained by The Associated Press.

In his address to an international conference on Iraq, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari praises Egypt for "showing regional leadership by taking the decision to appoint the first Arab ambassador we hope to soon welcome in the new Iraq," according to the text.

Arab nations withdrew their ambassadors from Baghdad under Saddam Hussein.

Some Arab nations, including Egypt, have diplomats in Baghdad, but none at the ambassador level - a source of irritation to Iraq's transitional government, which considered it less than a full commitment to Iraq.

Egypt is among Iraq's Mideast neighbors attending the conference hosted by the European Union and the United States on Iraq's future. Foreign ministers were expected to discuss diplomatic relations and border control in addition at the gathering."
MyWay
This was the entire text of that story

Social Security Opened Its Files for 9/11 Inquiry

"WASHINGTON, June 21 -The Social Security Administration has relaxed its privacy restrictions and searched thousands of its files at the request of the F.B.I. as part of terrorism investigations since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, newly disclosed records and interviews show.

The privacy policy typically bans the sharing of such confidential information, which includes home addresses, medical information and other personal data. But senior officials at the Social Security agency agreed to an "ad hoc" policy that authorized the release of information to the bureau for investigations related to Sept. 11 because officials saw a "life-threatening" emergency, internal memorandums say.

The Internal Revenue Service also worked with the bureau and the Social Security agency to provide income and taxpayer information in terror inquiries, law enforcement officials said. Officials said the I.R.S. information was limited because legal restrictions prevented the sharing of taxpayer information except by court order or in cases of "imminent danger" or other exemptions. The tax agency refused to comment."
NYT
Someone must have redefined the term "Republican Party" and forgot to tell me. I hate to say this, but I yearn for the days when we had the real republicans.

U.S. Spy Plane Pilot Dies in Asia Crash

"BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A U.S. Air Force U-2 spy plane involved in a mission in Afghanistan crashed while returning to its base in the United Arab Emirates, killing the pilot, the military said Wednesday.

U.S. Central Command said the crash occurred in "southwest Asia," a term that can be a substitute for the Middle East.

"The Airmen of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing mourn the loss of a true American hero in the service of his country," said Col. Darryl Burke, the unit's wing commander.

The wing has been based at the al-Dhafra air base near Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates, since early 2002. The wing flies various types of aircraft, including aerial refueling tankers. It was visited in August by Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff."
WaPo

Democrats Press Bush Harder On Iraq

"Congressional Democrats, after months of sporadic and often tepid critiques of the administration's handling of the Iraq war, are sharpening their criticisms and demanding that President Bush say more about the mission's difficulties and his plans for surmounting them.

A blunt speech yesterday by Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), who said disaster in Iraq is "a real possibility," was the latest example of mainstream Democrats becoming more forceful in expressing their alarm as polls show drooping support for the war. The Senate's 44 Democrats plan to meet today to discuss Iraq.

"There is rising concern that everything seems to be going the wrong way," Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said in an interview. "Support is dropping drastically." Bush, she said, "has got to give regular progress reports" to Congress and the public on topics such as the training of Iraqi troops and police to take over their nation's security. "It has to be the president," she said. "It's his war.""
WaPo


I'm going to link this story to the Milblogger memo series as it goes to the administration painting a rosy picture of events on the ground.

Syria Deploys 7,000 to Block Infiltrators

"Syria has deployed 7,000 troops along its border with Iraq to forestall its territory being used as for transit to Iraq by radical jihadi volunteers. The Baath government of Syria is dominated by esoteric Alawite Shiites. Both their minority, Shiite background and Baath secularism lead the Syrian elite to be extremely alarmed at the rise of radical Sunnism in Iraq, fearful that it could blow back on Damascus. In 1982, the Syrian regime killed 10,000 persons in Hama, claiming that they were radical Sunnis bent on overthrowing the regime and instituting a theocracy. The London Times explains the attractions of the Syrian route for the jihadis."
Juan Cole
Now they worry about the Sunnies, they waited till now to deploy troops to the border crossing points, yea sure we are going to believe that one.

The last post in the border crossing series

War on Terror or War on Each other?

"I guess in weird Bushworld, if you want to be ignored and left alone, the best approach is to kill 3000 Americans and blow up the Pentagon."
Juan Cole
I couldn't resist :-p

New U.S. Ambassador ‘Horrified’ By Iraq Violence

"Baghdad (RFE/RL) — The new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said today he is horrified at the level of violence wracking the country, and that Islamic extremists and former members of Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Ba’ath Party are trying to start a civil war in Iraq.

Khalilzad said after meeting in Baghdad with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani that Iraq must prevail."
ChristianIraq

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

US troops do kill Iraqi children

"They [the pictures] indicate that a group of U.S. soldiers planted weapons — the same weapon, in fact — in front of killed, wounded, and captured Iraqi kids. I cannot authenticate whether Mr. Hersh is correct and that the teens in question were innocent or not, but clearly, something significant is amiss. At the very least, it indicates how uncertain the situation is over there. Our soldiers literally do not know who the enemy is, and apparently are willing to manipulate the evidence in order to justify their actions."

Read the rest and see the images here

(Thank you Nadia)"
Baghdad Dweller
Warning the pictures are graphic even for me. I did not even post the one on the cover. If you want to see them follow the links.

Also don't anyone read over the disclaimer, mainly
" the inconclusive nature of what happened"

I have decided to link this story to the Milblogger memo series. You might ask yourself why? well if you follow the links all the way to the first post in that series, I predict the publication of just this kind of story.

The Mouse, the KIA, and Conspiracy Theories

"by Hussein Al-Kaabi


In Iraqi popular slang, the faara is commonly known as the female noun of the faar, which means “mouse” in English. In proper classical Arabic, it is pronounced with a spoken apostrophe.

The fa'ra is a rodent many Iraqi families used to suffer from in the past. These days, however, the interim government seems to have succeeded in eradicating the threat of rodents simply by emptying the cellars of Iraqi homes of the flour, sugar, fat, and legumes that made up our monthly rations in the days of the sanctions."
Friends of Democracy
I had no idea about this blog, I found it in my bookmarks, how it got in there I have no idea.... talk about conspiracies.. it's the government they are placing blogs links on my computer, there's no other explanation, it must be.

Despisable... Despicable... Disgusting...

"Someone called "Anonymous" commented on one of my old entries, "Why Harith Al Thari is not being arrested?". His comments are way too nauseating.

I came across this blog while doing a bit of research about Harith Al Thari. As a British citizen who has visited Iraq three times during the past year as a volunteer in UN aid missions and currently residing in the United Arab Emirates, I can honestly say the irony in all this are comments such as the above. May I ask all of you, including Ahmed, where do you get your information regarding Iraq from? If its from news media hailing from the two major countries backing this war, then Im afraid you are burrying your heads in the sand."
Iraqi Expat

Should we be in Iraq?

"Should we be in Iraq? Let’s analyze this.

Ask this 40-year-old terrorist captured in England if it was easier getting into Iraq or America to detonate his car bombs and suicide belts. Or we could ask any one of the thousand terrorists living in France or other parts of Europe if they’d rather attempt to enter Iraq through Syria to kill an American or would they like to make it past our airport security, which trust me won’t even let you bring a jagged penny on board.

Better yet, just look at the statistics that state most suicide bombers are Saudi and in fact that less than 20 percent are Iraqi. Let’s ask Zarqawi about these claims."
In Iraq for 365

Constitution fever!

"Public conferences and sessions in Baghdad and other provinces seem to be endless nowadays; municipalities, NGOs and forums are all very excited about Iraq's top topic which is writing the Iraqi constitution and they obviously don't want to miss the chance to take part in the historic event.
Such activities play a good role in educating the population and activating the concept of public involvement in the state's decisive steps through organizing sending the people's suggestions and thoughts to the authorities and making sure they're being considered.

During the past week, we were able to count a good bunch of interesting activities:"
ITM
The last post in this series

Iraq is moving forward despite the despicable thugs

"The Arab terrorists especially the Saudis, Syrian, Jordanian, Libyan, Sudanese and others used Al-Falluja and the outcome was the destruction of the city driving away its people. Same thing happened in Al-Qaim, and again in Al-Karabla.

In Karabla the cockroaches used three factories to booby-trap cars. Important Syrian travel documents and many Saudi and Arab thugs have been killed there.

On this time Condoleezza Rice met the Saudi government vice-King (for life) and surprisingly she commends them for the referendums!
Nice referendums Dr Rice!"
Hammorabi
Sam! some respect for our Secretary of State! Please.

The minister of health get stoned in Najaf.

"Yesterday and while the minister of health was visiting Najaf he and his guards were stoned and beaten near the holy shrine of Imam Ali by Najafis. There are two stories for this incident.

The minister of health, Dr. Abdul Muttalib Mohammed Ali is one of the Sadirists that got appointed as a minister in the new government along with three others. The relation between Najafis and Sadirists have been very bad since Muqtada Al Sadr brought his Mehdi Army to occupy the city months ago and was only driven out by the Iraqi and American forces. Immediately after the Mehdi Army left Najaf, hundreds of Najafis went out to the streets to welcome the Iraqi forces and condemn Muqtada and his men chanting things like, "Muqtada the trash, leader of the looters"."
Free iraqi

U.S. General: Many Insurgents in Iraq Paid

"WASHINGTON (AP) - Many insurgents conducting attacks in Iraq are primarily motivated by money instead of ideology, and can receive $150 for setting a bomb and more for other types of assaults, a top U.S. general asserted Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. John R. Vines, commander of the Multinational Corps in Iraq, also said he was not ready to recommend any U.S. troop reductions, but he held out hope they may be possible early next year. Several generals have expressed similar hopes in recent months.

Vines acknowledged the insurgency has become static in size and capability, despite U.S. and Iraqi operations to combat it, frequent reports of mass arrests and the discovery of weapons caches. Daily attacks across Iraq number between 50 and 60, roughly the same level as much of last year."
Guardian

Marines win Iraq desert battle, war far from over

"KARABILA, Iraq, June 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Marines claimed success on Tuesday in another battle against insurgents in the Iraqi desert but acknowledged that the war was far from over and that guerrillas would soon recover lost ground.

After four days of bombardment and street-to-street gunbattles, the Marines cleared Karabila -- a strategic way station near the main border crossing where the Euphrates flows in from Syria -- of foreign fighters who made it a base.

But U.S. officers and local people in the town, badly damaged by the fighting, said the insurgents would be back."
Reuters

Syria Under Fire to Better Guard Border

"TANAF, Syria (AP) - On a bleak hill overlooking Iraq, Syrian officials on Monday pointed out enlarged sand berms and other security measures they say they have taken to hinder foreign fighters from crossing the border.

But Western diplomats maintain Syria could do more, saying the guards need better intelligence and better night-vision equipment to keep insurgents from slipping across after dark to join extremist groups like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is under intense pressure from Washington and Baghdad, which have charged in the past that the Syrians let militants cross the frontier. His government denies that, arguing it is impossible to seal the 360-mile border."
MyWay

Al-Qaida Announces Iraqi Suicide Squad

"CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Iraq's most feared terror group said Tuesday that it has formed a unit of potential suicide attackers who are exclusively Iraqis, an apparent bid to deflect criticism that most suicide bombers in Iraq are foreigners.

Al-Qaida in Iraq announced the unit in an Internet posting signed by Abu Maysara al-Iraqi, the group's purported spokesman. The statement could not be authenticated, but it appeared on an Islamic Web site known for carrying messages from militant groups.

"In response to God's decree, and the heavy insistence of the (Iraqi) brothers and their longing for paradise, the Ansar platoon from the land of Iraq has been formed," the posting said."
MyWay

Yet another cowardly attack in Hawler

"When will anyone stand up to these criminals, and this is kurdistan the "safe area" in the same day a suicide attack in hawler kills 15 ppl (and rising) and injuring over a hundred others early morning in hawler/irbil and another suicide attack in Halabja kills a security officer and his 3 bodyguards. How did a jihadist reach halabja anyway?? I thought that city was meant to be especially protected more from this type of scum.
There's also rumors that another car bomb was meant to set off in hawler but was defused in time"
KBU -Dilnareen

Wrong Message

"Some Congressmen are calling for a timetable to pull out from Iraq. I believe it is a wrong message in a wrong time to be sent to the insurgents. Logically, the insurgents have no chance to win the struggle with the MNF on the ground, but they could if they sought humbug. For that they are working hard to obtain support from anyone. The insurgents are trying to gain aid from the Arab League, Islamic states, EU, UN, neighboring countries, media, clerics, organizations, individuals…etc. President Bush once said that if his homeland was invaded, he would resist the invaders fiercely. The insurgents & their mouthpieces are tenaciously clinging to what Mr. Bush said to justify their crimes. The insurgency consists of several factions. The baathists & saddamians embody themselves in these factions. The baathists & saddamians are the most powerful group among them. Pulling out from Iraq will cause these groups to appear on the ground & regain power. The baathists are good in deception, so they are expected to turn against their allies, of the present time, and wipe them out."
Ibn Alrafidain

IRAQ: Australian wheat safe for consumption, officials say

"BAGHDAD (IRIN) - The Iraqi government has announced that Australian wheat, reportedly contaminated with iron dust, is safe for human consumption and is going to be discharged without delay.

Baghdad finally cleared the 120,000 mt of wheat, which has been stored in the southern port of Umm-Qasr since 18 April."
ChristianIraq

Condi Can't Count

"As for the political process, , it is moving with the speed of molasses in winter. Sunni Arab groups who were given the opportunity to appoint 15 members to a committee for the drafting of a permanent constitution have been wrangling over how exactly to appoint them."
How is this a bad thing? It's bad enough that they are not elected to anything, at least they should be appointed or recommended by some mainstream groups, so that they "some legitimacy" which in the end, think referendum on the constitution, produce better results.
"As for getting anyone over at the UN to take on Iraq, I fear I think there are few third world armies that couldn't be enticed by a couple of billion dollars-- the kind of money they would probably be rewarded with if they really could help Iraq."
Juan Cole
Yea right that's in the best interest of Iraq. Sure why not, just look around the world at all the places where that has worked. Wait, there are no places in the world were that has ever worked, unless the bulk of the forces were in fact US and current coalition to begin with.