The Iraq thread 3

[brgnorway 0]

bg, you are back again

Hi love

....on occasions!

I found out it would be a bad thing if you all had forgotten about me by now

[Balschoiw 0]

Neither hearts nor minds won in Iraq.

Iraqi women's resistance

Quote[/b] ]The first source is the national grid, from which we receive electricity for two hours then are cut off for three (we're lucky - in al-Adhamia the on/off ratio is 2:4; residents there believe that they are being punished because they support the resistance).

The second source is the local mosque, which acquired a generator during the looting and now supplies 100 houses with three hours of electricity per day. The third source is the house generator, which must be handled with special care. To add to the general misery, there is still no postal service in the country and no telephone services in most areas.

There has been no shortage of initiatives to "enlighten" Iraqi woman and encourage them to play an active role in the country's reconstruction. In one, the Department for International Development and the Foreign Office declared "the need, urgently, for a women's tent meeting in Baghdad with a declaration in compliance with 1325".

Patricia Hewitt tried to establish a high council for Iraqi women. Condoleezza Rice opened a centre for women's human rights in Diwanya. In her opening speech - delivered via satellite - she assured Iraqi women that "we are with you in spirit".

Quote[/b] ]They are not about to forgive the US or British governments for strengthening Saddam's regime, imposing sanctions, and destroying their cities in two wars. Iraqi women know that the occupation forces are in the country to guard their own interests, not those of the Iraqis.

In refusing to take part in any initiative by the US-led occupation, or its Iraqi allies, women are practising passive resistance. They adopted the same technique against Saddam's despised General Union of Iraqi women.

PR doesn´t do the job in Iraq. It takes more than words to convince Iraq´s population.

[walker 0]

Hi all

This flash movie is a good potted history of Sadam and US relations.

Edit Link Removed

[EDIT]It has come to my attention that on the same site as the above there are some disturbing images. May I suggest you exersize caution if you visit the rest of the site.[/EDIT]

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

Lest we forget:

Edit link Removed

[EDIT]It has come to my attention that on the same site as the above there are some disturbing images. May I suggest you exersize caution if you visit the rest of the site.[/EDIT]

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

As you may have seen: I have censored some of my posts.

The reason for this is that the posts contained links to files that in themselves were perfectly acceptable but were on a site where more disturbing images and film were available a few clicks away.

While the site itself and even the disturbing content were used in context and used by the site for a good and honourable pupose in reporting things that are wrong in Iraq and else where; they were never the less graphic and disturbing.

I will endevour to find a location for the same files that does not also contain the disturbing images and films.

For those who have already followed the links I gave and then via those links clicked on to other links where the disturbing images and films were. I give my unreserved apologies and point out only that it was not my intention they be upset by the images and that I did not post the links knowing the disturbing content existed on the site.

Once again my apologies Ian Walker

[Balschoiw 0]

US drops caucus formula for Iraq

The Bush administration is abandoning the core idea of its plan to hold regional caucuses for an Iraqi provisional government, and will instead work with the United Nations and Iraqis to develop yet another plan for the transfer of political power by June 30, UN and US officials said Thursday.

Quote[/b] ]The US decision, forced by rejection of the caucus system by a wide range of Iraqis, means that the Coalition Provisional Authority led by US Ambassador L. Paul Bremer will instead hand over authority to some kind of caretaker government until direct elections can be held, officials said.

They can export oil but not run elections for another year ?

Bremer says Iraq elections not possible for a year

Quote[/b] ]U.S. civilian administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer has said it would not be possible to hold elections in Iraq for a year to 15 months for "technical reasons", an Arabic television channel said on Saturday.

"These technical problems will take time to fix - we estimate somewhere between a year to 15 months...There are real important technical problems why elections are not possible," Bremer said in an interview aired on Dubai-based Al Arabiya.

technical problems...yeah yeah...

There seem to be no technical problems when exploiting Iraq´s crude oil.

Quote[/b] ]Iraqi crude exports to generate $13.5 billion

WASHINGTON: Iraq's economy is starting to thrive with oil revenue up and street markets alive, a top Treasury Department official said yesterday. "The economy is beginning to work and thrive again and grow," the department's undersecretary for international affairs, John Taylor, said in a conference call during a visit to Baghdad.

"There is a lot that needs to be done though." Iraqi oil exports should rake in $13.5 billion this year, $1.5bn more than first thought, Taylor said.

Iraqi crude exports to generate $13.5 billion

Now you tell me what the occupiers focus on ?

A. Liberty and freedom for Iraq

B. Oil

Hard to guess isn´t it ?

[Pipski 0]

From what I hear half the problem is that there is no list of registered voters.  Corrupted voting would be a problem.  No point in having elections if everyone is afterwards going to assume that they weren't free and fair.  Not surprised Iraqis rejected the caucus system anyway, I still can't see the sense in it myself.

EDIT: If it's not going to be for another year then, were he to lose the election in November, G.W.B. could always stand for President of Iraq!

[ralphwiggum 6]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/02/21/sprj.nirq.main/index.html

Quote[/b] ](CNN) -- A three-member delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross visited Saddam Hussein on Saturday, a delegate said.

The former Iraqi dictator has been in coalition custody since his December 13 capture near his hometown of Tikrit. The Red Cross customarily visits prisoners of war under the Geneva Conventions and has been trying for two months to arrange a visit with Saddam.

The delegation included a physician, and the purpose of the visit was to check Saddam Hussein's health and condition, but they would not comment on either. The visit occurred Saturday afternoon, they said.

"We asked him about his condition of detention," said ICRC representative Nada Doumani -- whether he is getting food, water, good treatment or has a health problem.

She said Saddam had given the Red Cross a written message to his family, but wouldn't disclose contents.

Doumani said "we will repeat this visit."

Saddam is believed to have been held in Baghdad with other high-value detainees at the same facility -- near the international airport

[Jacko 0]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/02/23/sprj.nirq.main/index.html

8 police men killed in bombing

Quote[/b] ]A car bomb attack on a police station Monday killed eight police officers and wounded 35 others, including two children, in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, the U.S. military said.

Quote[/b] ]One of Iraq's four Shiite grand ayatollahs warned Monday that delaying national elections could lead to civil war among the country's rival ethnic and religious groups, according to The Associated Press.

[ralphwiggum 6]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/23/halliburton.probe/index.html

Quote[/b] ]WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon's investigation into allegations a Halliburton subsidiary may have overcharged for gasoline delivered to Iraq last year is now a criminal probe, the Pentagon said Monday.

"The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the criminal investigative arm of the Inspector General's office, is investigating allegations of fraud on the part of Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), including the potential overpricing of fuel delivered to Baghdad by a KBR subcontractor," a Pentagon statement said.

[denoir 0]

Is that the same accusation that was before, or is it a new one?

[walker 0]

Hi denoir

It is that the investigation haas been raised to a crime. Before it was just put down to error but since then it has been found that Halliburton were doing this as a company policy. It has also been found that this policy was brought in when Halliburton was under the control of Dodgy Dick Cheyney.

Simple short explanation the case against Halliburton just became a criminal one.

Kind Regards Walker

[ralphwiggum 6]

it's same one, but now it's going to be a criminal probe, meaning that the accusation has been materialized and will be considered to be an act of crime. in other words, they pretty much found that overcharge was there and will pursue it.

think it as this way - someone says Mr. A embezzled funds. It's not sure if that accusation is true or not. so police look into it and find that the accusation is credible. so will go for a full investigation.

[walker 0]

Hi Denoir

You may have missed this I posted it earlier in the thread.

I think the investigators just put 2 and 2 together.

Quote[/b] ]_Top Halliburton officials frequently told employees that high prices charged by vendors were not a problem because the U.S. government would reimburse the costs and then pay the company an additional fee.

_Higher than necessary prices were paid for ordinary vehicles, leased for $7,500 a month, and for furniture and cellular telephone service.

_Halliburton tried to keep as many purchase orders as possible below $2,500 so its buyers could avoid the requirement to solicit quotes from more than one vendor.

_Supervisers provided buyers with a list of preferred Kuwaiti vendors, including companies that charged excessive prices. Buyers were not encouraged to identify alternative vendors

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm....blowers

That makes it an accusation of "conspiracy to defraud" by the firm Dodgy Dick Cheyney was in charge of and at the time he was in charge.

It also apears in to be a prima facie case for including Dodgy Dick Cheyney US Vice President and the man in charge of Halliburton when this was their policy in the indictment.

What is the process for impeaching a vice president?

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi all

The investigation into the activites of The Office of Special Plans, Rumsfeld's Amateur Private Secret Service have begun.

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=17923

Quote[/b] ]The OSP and a parallel group under Feith, the Counter Terrorism Evaluation Group, have become central targets of the congressional investigation, according to aides on Capitol Hill, while unconfirmed rumors circulated here this week that members of the DPB are also under investigation.

Looks like the real culprits TBA are trying to use their plausable deniability option a bit early. I wonder which of the Rumsfeld's Amateur Private Secret Service will spill the beans to stop themself going to jail?

Kind Regards Walker

[walker 0]

Hi All

Quote[/b] ]A GCHQ translator sacked for revealing a secret e-mail has been cleared of a charge under the Official Secrets Act.

Katharine Gun, 29, from Cheltenham, claimed the e-mail was from US spies asking British officers to tap phones of nations voting on war against Iraq.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3485072.stm

Quote[/b] ]There has been speculation the government was worried about the disclosure of secret documents during the trial, particularly the advice by Attorney General Lord Goldsmith about the legality of war.

Many in the UN are said to be fuming that their diplomatic phone lines were tapped by the National Security Agency and GCHQ.

As well the phones of other nations politicians, do the National Security Agency and GCHQ also tap US congress and senators phones?

Kind Regards Walker

[Balschoiw 0]

2 GIs killed in crash of Fort Carson chopper in Iraq

Another one down.

Quote[/b] ]The craft was burning as it went down after an explosion, witnesses said, but the military said the cause of the crash was not known.

And now the unavoidable EVERYONE has warned about:

Kurds demand vote on independence

Quote[/b] ]Kurdish activists have collected 1.7 million signatures on a petition demanding a referendum on the future of northern Iraq's Kurdish region.

Quote[/b] ]Referendum advocates said Kurds had strong memories of repression under Arab-majority governments in Baghdad and did not want to give up the freedoms gained during more than a decade of autonomy under Western protection.

And finally something that has also been obviouse since the "fund" was installed:

'Huge risk' of Iraq funds' misuse

Quote[/b] ]"We are talking about very huge sums of money," he said.

"There is a huge danger that these sums will be misallocated, mis-spent or not dealt with in a transparent way.

"That could undermine all future attempts to reform the Iraqi economy, because it would set things up in the wrong way."

In addition, many reforms of state enterprises would have to wait for an indigenous Iraqi government, since the Geneva Convention forbids major changes in areas such as state-controlled firms by occupying powers.

Ohh Halliburton and all the TBA friends are at risk of losing their promised money.

Damnit ! It´s Iraq´s oil, it´s Iraq´s money, it´s not the US to decide what companies benefit of the money.

Give control of fund to UN or bust.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

You remember the video of the Apache pilots shooting the wounded. CNN published another video but this time a far more concerning one. In fact it is a direct execution of wounded Iraqi and cheerign crowd of american soldiers. In fact it is a clear breach of the geneva convention. The question is, may I post it here? If you wanna watch it just send me a message and if ya old enough I send you the link!  

Or PM tovarish, he has the link now too!

[denoir 0]

Longinius posted it a while ago. We concluded that it was most likely a fake.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

What are you talking about??? It was published by CNN! And how can it be a fake if there are clearly US soldiers being shown, the interview tells the rest of the story. Also, this video isnt so new and has been used since for many occasions. ALSO, it is investigated by Den Haag (even if US soldiers are not liable under Den Haag law)

THis is not a short video-tape but an extract of an entire day that a journalist spend with a US unit. I think 24 hours of the 8. April 2003 on tape is enough proof that this is NOT a fake

[denoir 0]

Give me some reliable references. Because somebody did a cut with a "CNN" logo does not make it CNN. You can whip up something like that in Adobe Premiere in five minutes.

Show me a CNN reference to the footage or any other main stream news source.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

PANORAMA, a political TV series from reliable NDR

press anouncement by the same channel!

Oh and it was commented by US-General Robert G. Gard of the WAF foundation.

[Tovarish 0]

I'm in a lab with no sound at the moment so all I have to go on is the images....it certainly looks like a killing of an unarmed wounded man. It would be interesting to see how he came to be wounded in the first place though. denoir, what makes you think it's a fake?

[denoir 0]

Albert, you'll have to do better than that. Some mainstream news please. As I said to you in the PM, to me it looks very very fake. The voice over has an accent and uses language very inconsistent with normal news anchor lingo. There are several very visible cuts in the video as well.

My guess is that it consists of cuts taken out of context and a new voice-over.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Main stream news? This was shown on ARD which is germanies most political sophisticated channel. And by the way it is the oldest channel we have!

And as I said US-General Robert G. Gard about him!

Reference by CNN itself

Link