The Iraq thread 3

[theavonlady 2]

Would you have ever guessed.There is another side of the blogspots.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Intresting read..

Wanna bet she won`t be getting any coverage from usatoday.com ?

That might be because she insists on anonymity.

I tried looking through her blog to see what she thinks should be done. Should the US just leave now and the Iraqis will manage to sort it out?

Or does she prefer that the war should never have happened and Saddam should still be in rule?

Maybe the answers are there but I'm having a tough time finding constructive ideas from Riverbend with all her ranting.

[quicksand 0]

Would you have ever guessed.There is another side of the blogspots.

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

Intresting read..

Wanna bet she won`t be getting any coverage from usatoday.com ?

That might be because she insists on anonymity.

I tried looking through her blog to see what she thinks should be done. Should the US just leave now and the Iraqis will manage to sort it out?

Or does she prefer that the war should never have happened and Saddam should still be in rule?

Maybe the answers are there but I'm having a tough time finding constructive ideas from Riverbend with all her ranting.

Does she need to have a point?She is not the one who needs to come with sollutions,she is not the one who invaded the country,she is not the one who has to bring security

US created the mess they should find the way to fix it(even if it`s impossible). She is just enjoying freedom of speach and spilling her anger at the aughful job US soldiers are doing there.Nothing more nothing less.

And here is the quote of the day coming from her

Quote[/b] ]They've been contacting the old members of the Iraqi Mukhaberat for months and promising them lucrative jobs should they decide to join the new Iraqi intelligence (which, we hope, will be an improvement on American intelligence- I`d hate to have us invade a country on false pretenses).

Almost funny if not for the misery and the suffering of the Iraqi people...

[theavonlady 2]

Does she need to have a point?

No. She's free to rant on!

BTW, I didn't say she was pointless but you can ask yourself as well: so now what?

Quote[/b] ]She is not the one who needs to come with sollutions,she is not the one who invaded the country,she is not the one who has to bring security

US created the mess they should find the way to fix it(even if it`s impossible). She is just enjoying freedom of speach and spilling her anger at the aughful job US soldiers are doing there.Nothing more nothing less.

Very well. Could be.

But I would think that someone in her mid 20s, under the circumstance, who certainly seems concerened about the horrors she's been through, seen and heard, and who has her writing skills, would venture into contemplating how to make things better.

Quote[/b] ]

And here is the quote of the day coming from her

Quote[/b] ]They've been contacting the old members of the Iraqi Mukhaberat for months and promising them lucrative jobs should they decide to join the new Iraqi intelligence (which, we hope, will be an improvement on American intelligence- I`d hate to have us invade a country on false pretenses).

Almost funny if not for the misery and the suffering of the Iraqi people...

And the misery and the suffering of the Kuwaiti people in 1991...

[ralphwiggum 6]

They are not in any case gloryifing the Resistance fighters.When they reported about the dead civillians and interviewed the hospital director that was the greatest thing they ever did.US oficialls were praising their siege and said there were minimum civillian casualties while Al-Jazeera(the only TV agency that remained in Fallujah) was airing from the Fallujah hosptial showing an ambulance sprayed with bullets and graphical footage of dead victims quoting Iraqis that claimed they were the victims of US bombarments.

Biased indeed...

how about showing marines getting shot? or them being nice to POWs?

you'll seldom see such images on AJ. as much as FOX news is biased, AJ is same, in different spectrum.

[theavonlady 2]

how about showing marines getting shot? or them being nice to POWs?

you'll seldom see such images on AJ. as much as FOX news is biased, AJ is same, in different spectrum.

Or these.

[Bernadotte 0]

...

I tried looking through her blog to see what she thinks should be done. Should the US just leave now and the Iraqis will manage to sort it out?

Or does she prefer that the war should never have happened and Saddam should still be in rule?

...

Or maybe the US should continue with redesigning her flag, rewriting her national anthem while denying her any form of democratic processes for many years to come.  If you insist on viewing only the extreme case of everything then you should not disregard this scenario.

And the misery and the suffering of the Kuwaiti people in 1991...

So now you're comparing Bush2003 with Hussein1990.  So Iraq's attack of Kuwait was a result of false intel or under false pretense, was it?  Care to explain this amazing comparison of yours?

[theavonlady 2]

...

I tried looking through her blog to see what she thinks should be done. Should the US just leave now and the Iraqis will manage to sort it out?

Or does she prefer that the war should never have happened and Saddam should still be in rule?

...

Or maybe the US should continue with redesigning the Iraqi flag, rewriting the Iraqi national anthem and denying the Iraqi people any form of democratic processes for many years to come.  If you insist on viewing only the extreme case of everything then you should not disregard this scenario.

OK, if you say so. I simply don't know what she would suggest.

Speaking of Iraq's new flag:

Design of new Iraq flag draws broad rejection

Quote[/b] ]In interviews in several Baghdad neighborhoods, a variety of residents expressed strong negative reactions to the flag, which was reproduced in most daily newspapers. In particular, people objected to the pale blue color of the crescent and stripes, saying it was identical to the dominant color in the flag of Israel, a Jewish state.

``When I saw it in the newspaper, I felt very sad,'' said Muthana Khalil, 50, a supermarket owner in Saadoun, a commercial area in central Baghdad. ``The flags of other Arab countries are red and green and black. Why did they put in these colors that are the same as Israel? Why was the public opinion not consulted?''

Quote[/b] ]

And the misery and the suffering of the Kuwaiti people in 1991...

So now you're comparing Bush2003 with Hussein1990. So Iraq's attack of Kuwait was a result of false intel or under false pretense, was it? Care to explain this amazing comparison of yours?

I wasn't going for any amazing or direct comparison. Sorry you thought so. I do think that Iraq might be concerned about reenstating Saddam's intelligence people because of what they've done in the past. Nothing "amazing" here.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

Or maybe the US should continue with redesigning her flag, rewriting her national anthem while denying her any form of democratic processes for many years to come.  If you insist on viewing only the extreme case of everything then you should not disregard this scenario.

Reminds me of the fact that if you travel from the US to Iraq you do not need to pass through a passport control. "no sir, no ID required, you will remain on US-teritory, have a nice flight"

By the way the site about this school isnt so bad after all. It is a nice idea with hands-on suggestions and the possibility to forward a few things to where it is realy required. If it wouldnt be the end of the month (that when I am usually broke) I would send some stuff. Maybe I do that next month. Call me naive!

[Bernadotte 0]

I do think that Iraq might be concerned about reenstating Saddam's intelligence people because of what they've done in the past.

Iraq attacked Kuwait largely because of the irresponsible way the Kuwaitis were developing their corner of an important transboundary oil field.  Any suggestion of Kuwait being some sort of renegade Iraqi province could be regarded as a false pretense.

The Iraqi attack had nothing to do with the quality of intelligence gathering.

[theavonlady 2]

Iraq attacked Kuwait largely because of the irresponsible way the Kuwaitis were developing their corner of an important transboundary oil field.  Any suggestion of Kuwait being some sort of renegade Iraqi province could be regarded as a false pretense.

From HistoryGuy.com

Quote[/b] ]There are three basic causes to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. First, Iraq had long considered Kuwait to be a part of Iraq. This claim led to several confrontations over the years (see below), and continued hostility. Also, it can be argued that with Saddam Hussein's attempted invasion of Iran defeated, he sought easier conquests against his weak southern neighbors.

Second, rich deposits of oil straddled the ill-defined border and Iraq constantly claimed that Kuwaiti oil rigs were illegally tapping into Iraqi oil fields. Middle Eastern deserts make border delineation difficult and this has caused many conflicts in the region.

Finally, the fallout from the First Persian Gulf War between Iraq and Iran strained relations between Baghdad and Kuwait. This war began with an Iraqi invasion of Iran and degenerated into a bloody form of trench warfare as the Iranians slowly drove Saddam Hussein's armies back into Iraq. Kuwait and many other Arab nations supported Iraq against the Islamic Revolutionary government of Iran, fearful that Saddam's defeat could herald a wave of Iranian-inspired revolution throughout the Arab world. Following the end of the war, relations between Iraq and Kuwait deteriorated; with a lack of gratitude from the Baghdad government for help in the war and the reawakening of old issues regarding the border and Kuwaiti sovereignty.

Iraq-Kuwait Relations Prior to the 1990 Invasion.

1961- Iraq (President Qasim) threatens Kuwait, invoking old Ottoman claims. Britain supports Kuwait and Iraq backs down.

1973, March- Iraq occupies as-Samitah, a border post on Kuwait-Iraq border. Dispute began when Iraq demanded the right to occupy the Kuwaiti islands of Bubiyan and Warbah. Saudi Arabia and the Arab League convinced Iraq to withdraw.

1980-1988- Kuwait supports Iraq in the First Persian Gulf War with Iran.

I recall that Iraq was something like 15 billion dollars in debt to Kuwait alone at the time.

So unlike your claim of false pretenses, maybe yours was just one in several.

[Bernadotte 0]

So unlike your claim of false pretenses, maybe yours was just one in several.

You're right.  Kuwaiti sovereignty was a true pretense, rather than a false one.  Nonetheless, the attack was still largely over of transboundary oil issues.

More specifically, oil reservoirs have to be pumped evenly to avoid creating pressure gradients that might allow gases to exsolve in the reservoir that would degrade the produceable reserve.  The mechanism is kinda similar to when divers come up slowly to avoid the bends.  A small portion of a huge oil reserve beneath Iraq extends under Kuwait.  Iraq, with it's wells distributed across the field had to pump them evenly, but slowly to avoid exceeding their OPEC quotas.  Kuwait, on the other hand, could pump the hell out of its corner of the reservoir and still remain within the its OPEC production quota limit.  So that's what they did inspite of Iraq's protest.  I believe Iraq even took it up in the Hague, but got no where.  Meanwhile, Kuwait's overpumping was causing oil to migrate across from the Iraq side AND creating permanent dead zones in the reservoir on both sides.

Btw, I have a B.A.Sc in Geological Engineering and we studied the Iraq/Kuwait dispute in our Petroleum Eng classes, well before GW1.

[turms 0]

Quote[/b] ]A US flying gunship has pumped shells into suspected militant positions in the Iraqi city of Falluja in one of the heaviest attacks since the siege began.

One witness said the earth had shaken beneath his feet as detonations succeeded at a rate of 10 a minute during the night.

US forces say their positions in the north of the city had come under fire.

Loudspeakers in some of the city's reputed 70 mosques broadcast verses of the Koran during the shelling.

The BBC's Jennifer Glasse, with US forces outside Falluja, said commanders described the action as "defensive in nature".

Now if it would of been a defensive action, why on earth are they calling it "defensive in nature" instead of defensive? And bombarding the city (filled with civilians) isnt a defensive action in any way you turn it. 105mm cannon fire from AC-130 cant be considered a precision weapon, and it was fired to the inside the city. Are the tanks there used as defensive weapons? if so against what?

As for the arab media thing you might want to read foxnews article about the situation, and compare that to Al-Jazeeras article Locate the propaganda from each and count whos telling more propaganda.

EDIT: the quote was from BBC

105mm cannon fire from an orbiting AC-130 is indeed a very precise weapon, far more so than a smart bomb.  The 105 gun is radar controlled, is direct fire and has much smaller explosive force.

The Marines called in the gunships after coming under heavy rocket fire from vehicles full of insurgents doing hit and run attacks.  The gunships neutralized the vehicles.

It seems the insurgents took advantage of the ceasefire to rearm, regroup and reinforce their positions.  So, yes it was defensive fire.

Is artillery a precise weapon also? Or machinegunfire from spectre?  Do you think that the ending of the time to rebels to give in their weapons passed by had something to do with this "pre-emptive offensive"

Also id like to know what source do you have for the "The Marines called in the gunships after coming under heavy rocket fire from vehicles full of insurgents doing hit and run attacks." part

EDIT: Article from BBC

[Bernadotte 0]

Another interesting article looking at the UN vs US role in defining the interim authority.

Some of what Brahimi said:

Quote[/b] ]"...we do believe that it shall be possible to identify, by the end of May, a group of people respected and acceptable to Iraqis across the country, to form this caretaker government."

"...it is vital to limit the powers of that government, which it is hoped will only be in charge until a new one is elected late this year or early next."

"This caretaker government, by definition, must be short-lived, as its sole purpose will be to tend to the day-to-day administration of the country . . . and only until such time as a democratically elected government can be put in place."

"...the members of the government must not try to advance any particular party while in office and that 'it would be best' if the interim president, vice presidents, and prime minister and other interim government members were to choose not to stand for elections."

Some of what Negroponte said:

Quote[/b] ]"Would your understanding of a limited sovereign Iraqi government have veto authority over proposed military action, like going into . . . Fallujah?" Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, asked Negroponte at the hearing.

Negroponte said security was one of the few areas where Iraqis would not be able to "fully exercise their powers" of sovereignty.

I suppose the British might have set similar restrictions had they been in charge of drafting America's constitution.

[theavonlady 2]

I suppose the British might have set similar restrictions had they been in charge of drafting America's constitution.

Opportunity only knocks once.

[Balschoiw 0]

Bombardment in Falluja goes on:

New Fighting in Iraqi Town of Falluja, Witnesses Say

Quote[/b] ]FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - A new U.S. bombardment struck the same area of the besieged Iraqi city of Falluja on Wednesday which took an overnight pounding from the air, residents said.

"There are explosions in the Golan district. It seems to be shelling. There is also heavy machinegun fire coming from the American positions," one witness told Reuters.

U.S. warplanes were flying over the Sunni Muslim city west of Baghdad but were not attacking, he added.

A Series of Explosions Rocks Fallujah

Quote[/b] ]FALLUJAH, Iraq - A series of explosions and gunfire rocked Fallujah on Wednesday in new fighting after a heavy battle the night before in which U.S. warplanes and artillery pounded the city in a show of force against Sunni insurgents holed up in a slum.

Gunfire and mortar blasts could be heard for more than an hour from southwestern Fallujah in the afternoon, then three thunderous explosions shook the area as warplanes circled overhead. A black plume of smoke rose over the area.

Despite three straight days of battles, U.S. officials say they are pushing ahead with negotiations to resolve the Fallujah standoff rather than launch an all-out offensive. Iraqi police took up posts in parts of the city, laying the groundwork for Marine patrols to begin circulating to establish control.

In southern Iraq (news - web sites), meanwhile, gunmen ambushed a Ukrainian convoy outside the city of Kut, barraging it with rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns. One Ukrainian was killed and two wounded, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

...

A U.S. soldier died Tuesday in Baghdad, raising the U.S. death toll for April to 115 — the same number killed during the invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) last year. Up to 1,200 Iraqis also have been killed this month.

Outside Baghdad, gunmen opened fire on a military convoy headed in the direction of Fallujah, killing or wounding at least two people.

After the attack, a cargo truck was left with its tires shot out and windshield pockmarked with bullets. Pools of blood were on either side of the truck's cab, and U.S. soldiers at the scene said two casualties were taken away. Their nationalities were unknown.

Wednesday's fighting in Fallujah came after a heavy battle the night before against insurgents holed up in the northern neighborhood of Jolan, a slum area of tight alleyways. On Tuesday night, AC-130 gunships and artillery pounded insurgent targets in Jolan for more than an hour, sending huge plumes of smoke and orange flames into the sky.

At least eight destroyed houses could be seen in the Jolan neighborhood. Hospitals reported Wednesday that two people were wounded in the fighting. Militants, however, often do not evacuate their casualties to hospitals fearing that the injured could be arrested by American forces.

I heard that a TV station in the USA will broadcast the names of dead US soldiers who died during this Bush-war. Will there be something comparable for the Iraqi policemen and military units who help the coaltion and die like flies ?

[billybob2002 0]

Reporting by Al-Jazeera correspondent in Fallujah that was seen by the Arab world.

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0404/27/asb.00.html

Quote[/b] ]

BROWN (voice-over): The most watched newscast in the Arab world had clearly the best pictures of the night fighting in Fallujah and this is how their reporters described the scene.

"Severe clashes broke out tonight," says the Al-Jazeera reporter "between the American occupying forces and the Iraqi resistance fighters." There is no mention in the report of the Marine explanation that the attack began when the Iraqis started to fire on American units.

This is what the Al-Jazeera correspondent reported. "A civilian house was severely destroyed. Two civilian cars were hit, one of the drivers wounded."

On a different Arab television network Al Arabiya, a telephone report from one of its correspondents painted a horrible picture of civilian casualties in Fallujah on the order of 500 civilians killed, he said, 1,200 wounded. "More innocent Iraqi civilians are dying," said the Al Arabiya reporter. "What can be done at this point?" And then a man described by Al Arabiya as a military expert said by phone: "I wish all these people in Baghdad would live one night out of the last 23 nights in Fallujah so they can see with their own eyes what is going on here."

There were no American military officials interviewed in the broadcasts that we saw.

inciting? The Al-Jazeera correspondent reported only that a civilian house was destroyed and two civilian cars were hit.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm....cid=716

Quote[/b] ]Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the battle was sparked when troops saw two trucks moving through the city with their lights off in an area where insurgents had been active earlier in the day.

The AC-130s destroyed the trucks, and ammunition in the trucks exploded, Kimmitt told NBC's "Today" show.

Another mosque used by the insurgents:

Quote[/b] ]Here in video shot by pool journalists accompanying U.S. forces into combat, the Marines go after enemy fighters holed up in a mosque. One Marine was killed, several wounded in the fierce engagement and a tank took out the mosque's minaret the U.S. says was being used as a sniper's nest.

[Bernadotte 0]

Quote[/b] ]BROWN (voice-over): The most watched newscast in the Arab world had clearly the best pictures of the night fighting in Fallujah and this is how their reporters described the scene.

"Severe clashes broke out tonight," says the Al-Jazeera reporter "between the American occupying forces and the Iraqi resistance fighters." There is no mention in the report of the Marine explanation that the attack began when the Iraqis started to fire on American units.

This is what the Al-Jazeera correspondent reported. "A civilian house was severely destroyed. Two civilian cars were hit, one of the drivers wounded."

On a different Arab television network Al Arabiya, a telephone report from one of its correspondents painted a horrible picture of civilian casualties in Fallujah on the order of 500 civilians killed, he said, 1,200 wounded. "More innocent Iraqi civilians are dying," said the Al Arabiya reporter. "What can be done at this point?" And then a man described by Al Arabiya as a military expert said by phone: "I wish all these people in Baghdad would live one night out of the last 23 nights in Fallujah so they can see with their own eyes what is going on here."

There were no American military officials interviewed in the broadcasts that we saw.

inciting?

If it was you who put some of that text in bold print then, yes, inciting.  

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]If it was you who put some of that text in bold print then, yes, inciting.

The correspandents said that on live television. I was pointing out the stuff that could be considered inciting and also how they omitted things.

[denoir 0]

inciting?

Not at all. Did they say "Go forth and kill all Americans!". Nope. They didn't even call the resistance fighters for "martyrs".

Quote[/b] ]Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the battle was sparked when troops saw two trucks moving through the city with their lights off in an area where insurgents had been active earlier in the day.

OMG! They saw two trucks! I see that the spirit of of making claims about invisible WMD lives on in the US military. So contrary to your later statement:

Quote[/b] ]There is no mention in the report of the Marine explanation that the attack began when the Iraqis started to fire on American units.

they weren't fired upon, but they SAW TWO TRUCKS. Oh man, I saw at least three trucks today and quite many cars. I better arm myself.

The point here however that apparently the American media can't even get the basic facts straight. Did the Iraqis fire upon the Marines, or did the Marines spot "two trucks" and called in airstrikes? You're really not making a good case for the US media here.

Quote[/b] ]American occupying forces

Those are occupying forces by every definition. Including legal point of view. And so has been acknowledged by coalition forces as well.

Quote[/b] ]A civilian house was severely destroyed. Two civilian cars were hit, one of the drivers wounded

Your point being?   That CNN should have reported it, instead of quoting coalition press statements about precision munitions? Yepp, I agree. CNN should have reported it.

Quote[/b] ]More innocent Iraqi civilians are dying," said the Al Arabiya reporter. "What can be done at this point?"

That's the question everybody is asking. More innocent Iraqi civilians are indeed dying and it is not acceptable. I don't know. What is done normally in cases like this? Sanctions perhaps? What do you suggest?

Quote[/b] ]There were no American military officials interviewed in the broadcasts that we saw.

As opposed to CNN and FOX that showed interviews with 20 resistance commanders.. right.

[MLF 0]

inciting?

Not at all. Did they say "Go forth and kill all Americans!". Nope. They didn't even call the resistance fighters for "martyrs".

Quote[/b] ]Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt said the battle was sparked when troops saw two trucks moving through the city with their lights off in an area where insurgents had been active earlier in the day.

OMG! They saw two trucks! I see that the spirit of of making claims about invisible WMD lives on in the US military. So contrary to your later statement:

Quote[/b] ]There is no mention in the report of the Marine explanation that the attack began when the Iraqis started to fire on American units.

they weren't fired upon, but they SAW TWO TRUCKS. Oh man, I saw at least three trucks today and quite many cars. I better arm myself.

The point here however that apparently the American media can't even get the basic facts straight. Did the Iraqis fire upon the Marines, or did the Marines spot "two trucks" and called in airstrikes? You're really not making a good case for the US media here.

Quote[/b] ]American occupying forces

Those are occupying forces by every definition. Including legal point of view. And so has been acknowledged by coalition forces as well.

Quote[/b] ]A civilian house was severely destroyed. Two civilian cars were hit, one of the drivers wounded

Your point being?   That CNN should have reported it, instead of quoting coalition press statements about precision munitions? Yepp, I agree. CNN should have reported it.

Quote[/b] ]More innocent Iraqi civilians are dying," said the Al Arabiya reporter. "What can be done at this point?"

That's the question everybody is asking. More innocent Iraqi civilians are indeed dying and it is not acceptable. I don't know. What is done normally in cases like this? Sanctions perhaps? What do you suggest?

Quote[/b] ]There were no American military officials interviewed in the broadcasts that we saw.

As opposed to CNN and FOX that showed interviews with 20 resistance commanders.. right.

what you have not seen was that these trucks after hit kept on exploding for around 20 minutes after they were destroyed, also the truck was driving around, picking up and dropping off people, the civilian houses also after being hit kept on exploding, now sounds to me that these truck's or truck that kept on exploding sounds like it had a shit load of ammo on the back same goes to the houses, actually marines didn't call it, it was Air Assets that spotted the trucks and the spectres destroyed them, the houses i dunno if that corresponds to the fact that the insurgents when being attacked fled into the nearby house and engaged ground troops from that position.

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]and contrary to both of you, both FOX and AJ have tendency to skew the fact like denoir said

Can you please post a link that proves that about fox news.

Tada!

notice your reply. you did not say "can you prove that either is skewing fact?", but rather "can you prove that FOX NEWS..."

in other words, you view AJ as the only one who skews the facts.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,86177,00.html

Quote[/b] ]

On today's edition of "DaySide" with Linda Vester:

Fallujah Raids: Brand new raids in the city of Fallujah (search) as U.S. Marines exchange gunfire with guerillas. But is this the major offensive our military leaders warn is in the works? We’ll ask retired U.S. Army Col. David Hunt, Fox News military analyst.

Plus, how will the continuing violence impact the June 30 transfer of power in Iraq? We’ll get insight from Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for Iraqi Governing Council Member Ahmed Chalabi.

Good News: It’s a story you’ll only see on Fox. A regular guy in California with a big heart is working with U.S. Marines to pull off miracles!

o jeez, your trying to point out Fox's News as being biased by using a human interest story that usually last around 5 minutes at the end of the broadcast c'mon every news channel has them, im not saing Fox is unbiased but please try and prove it using something else.

[quicksand 0]

Quote[/b] ]how about showing marines getting shot?

Intresting point of view.So the marines aren`t getting shot in Fallujah?

Showing graphical pictures doesn`t make you a biased source Ralph.I clearly remember during the war CNN showing a severly wounded Iraqi soldier that was being picked up by US soldiers.Is that what makes you biased,hell no.

Quote[/b] ]or them being nice to POWs?

Quote[/b] ]DOHA, QATAR - Three weeks after being captured and then displayed as trophies on Iraqi state TV, seven U.S. soldiers were reunited with elated coalition forces Sunday.

There were different accounts of how the six men and one woman were freed. Some said that marines found them in a building after getting a tip from Iraqis. Others said U.S.-led forces came across the PoWs on a road, where they were being escorted by Iraqis who wanted to release them.

Either way, it appeared that Saddam Hussein's fighters who had been assigned to watch the prisoners had fled the site near the town of Samarra, south of Tikrit.

News that the PoWs were safe and in relatively good shape prompted cheers from U.S. troops in Iraq to the homes of families and friends back home.

"It's just a good way to start off the morning, to have been notified that seven of our fellow Americans are going to be home here pretty soon in the arms of their loved ones," said U.S. President George W. Bush.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld said Iraqis told American troops that they would find the seven missing soldiers just south of Tikrit. "They said, 'You should go get them,' and they did," according to Rumsfeld.

PoW Shoshana Johnson, 30, had been shot in the ankle

But some coalition ground forces said the PoWs were being marched to freedom by Iraqi soldiers when the U.S. 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Company came across them. The commander of the entire military operation in Iraq, Gen. Tommy Franks, said he was also told that "our guys picked them up on the road."

All seven PoWs were taken to a base in Kuwait for medical exams and a debriefing. They were reported to be in good health, and were released a short time later.

"They all are in great condition, great spirits," said Lt.-Col. Ruth Lee, a senior military nurse. "We all got to hug them, and tell them 'welcome back.'"

Five of the prisoners returned Sunday were members of a maintenance company that had been ambushed near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah March 23. The other two were from the crew of an Apache helicopter that crashed the next day.

Another PoW, Pte. Jessica Lynch, was returned to the United States Saturday from a military hospital in Germany.

ARTICLE

If you look carefully at the picture you can distinctly see a tiny little scratch on his head   .The brutal Iraqis!

I am sorry but you still haven`t convinced me as to why Al-Jazeera is biased...

[ralphwiggum 6]

Quote[/b] ]how about showing marines getting shot?

Intresting point of view.So the marines aren`t getting shot in Fallujah?

Showing graphical pictures doesn`t make you a biased source Ralph.I distinctly remember during the war CNN showing a severly wounded Iraqi soldier that was being picked up by US soldiers.

Quote[/b] ]or them being nice to POWs?

Quote[/b] ]DOHA, QATAR - Three weeks after being captured and then displayed as trophies on Iraqi state TV, seven U.S. soldiers were reunited with elated coalition forces Sunday.

There were different accounts of how the six men and one woman were freed. Some said that marines found them in a building after getting a tip from Iraqis. Others said U.S.-led forces came across the PoWs on a road, where they were being escorted by Iraqis who wanted to release them.

Either way, it appeared that Saddam Hussein's fighters who had been assigned to watch the prisoners had fled the site near the town of Samarra, south of Tikrit.

News that the PoWs were safe and in relatively good shape prompted cheers from U.S. troops in Iraq to the homes of families and friends back home.

"It's just a good way to start off the morning, to have been notified that seven of our fellow Americans are going to be home here pretty soon in the arms of their loved ones," said U.S. President George W. Bush.

U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld said Iraqis told American troops that they would find the seven missing soldiers just south of Tikrit. "They said, 'You should go get them,' and they did," according to Rumsfeld.

PoW Shoshana Johnson, 30, had been shot in the ankle

But some coalition ground forces said the PoWs were being marched to freedom by Iraqi soldiers when the U.S. 3rd Light Armored Reconnaissance Company came across them. The commander of the entire military operation in Iraq, Gen. Tommy Franks, said he was also told that "our guys picked them up on the road."

All seven PoWs were taken to a base in Kuwait for medical exams and a debriefing. They were reported to be in good health, and were released a short time later.

"They all are in great condition, great spirits," said Lt.-Col. Ruth Lee, a senior military nurse. "We all got to hug them, and tell them 'welcome back.'"

Five of the prisoners returned Sunday were members of a maintenance company that had been ambushed near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah March 23. The other two were from the crew of an Apache helicopter that crashed the next day.

Another PoW, Pte. Jessica Lynch, was returned to the United States Saturday from a military hospital in Germany.

ARTICLE

If you look for a while you can distinctly see a tiny little scratch on his head   .The brutal Iraqis!

I am sorry but you still haven`t convinced me as to why Al-Jazeera is biased...

i think you are missing my point. Marines are getting shot, as you can see the death toll increasing day by day. problem is. AJ does NOT report how Marines can be humans too, instead purport them as mindless killing machines.

repeat after me hundred times.

say I start "reporting" situation Iraq only in terms of how good things are and neglect to show how other things are. a clear bias right there.

and speaking of the news you quoted,

1)it's not AJ news

2)the POWs were not picked up per se. IIRC, one of the POWs did say in an interview that the place they were in was searched by US troops.

here's some AJ stuff.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR....305.htm

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR....98A.htm

notice that in both linked articles, AJ fails to acknowledge that the arabs themselves also share part of the blame.

[ralphwiggum 6]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR....49A.htm

notice the header of the article

Quote[/b] ]The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has said "Iraq is the most dangerous place in the world to work as a journalist."

ANY warzone is a dangerous place to work for journalist. and yet the statment is claiming that Iraq is the most dangerous place in history.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR....91F.htm

Quote[/b] ]

The Anglo-US war on Iraq and the subsequent occupation has raised many questions.

And some of the key ones concern the United Nations.

Has its failure to halt the US's quest for war in Iraq effectively made the world body irrelevant? Is international law now the weakest link in the unfolding crisis in occupied Iraq? Who defines the UN's course of action, its power and scope?

first, it cannot be stressed enough how Arabs have problem with Jewish-Anglo-US conspiracy theory, and on top of that they are raising issues about UN, which is composition of the whole group of nations. UN had its hands tied for MANY actions, and they do not make much of that fact come to light.

this article won't be linked since it contains graphic image.

Quote[/b] ]Chaos versus hope in Iraq

Quote[/b] ]The Iraqi capital Baghdad has degenerated from one of the Middle East’s most attractive and affluent cities in 1990 to "the least attractive city" in the world to live in.

am i missing something here? I thought embargos on Iraq devastated economy?

Quote[/b] ]Analysts say the chaos gives the

US/UK forces an excuse to stay

yeah sure. if US pulls out, then will AJ be running article on how US did not do its job?

oops, AJ missed something

Quote[/b] ]Misery in Baghdad's ailing hospitals

<snip>

Dr Ahmad Abd Al-Fattah, the hospital's assistant manager, admits specialised treatments, like cancer therapies, are in short supply. During the crippling UN sanctions, some of the medications were unavailable not only for financial reasons, but for political ones, said al-Fattah.

Some of the drug makers were in the United States and United Kingdom and Baghdad had no access to buying them, he said. However, with the capture of toppled leader Saddam Hussein, this is changing, said Abd al-Fattah.

so the 90s baghdad was good i guess.

Quote[/b] ]Medicine under fire

Before sanctions and the invasion of Iraq, Baghdad's Medical Hospital was considered one of the capital's most impressive facilities.

these two previous contradict the article a few more lines up that Baghdad was the most attractive city to live in.

[ralphwiggum 6]

Quote[/b] ]

Quote[/b] ]and contrary to both of you, both FOX and AJ have tendency to skew the fact like denoir said

Can you please post a link that proves that about fox news.

Tada!

notice your reply. you did not say "can you prove that either is skewing fact?", but rather "can you prove that FOX NEWS..."

in other words, you view AJ as the only one who skews the facts.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,86177,00.html

Quote[/b] ]

On today's edition of "DaySide" with Linda Vester:

Fallujah Raids: Brand new raids in the city of Fallujah (search) as U.S. Marines exchange gunfire with guerillas. But is this the major offensive our military leaders warn is in the works? We’ll ask retired U.S. Army Col. David Hunt, Fox News military analyst.

Plus, how will the continuing violence impact the June 30 transfer of power in Iraq? We’ll get insight from Entifadh Qanbar, spokesman for Iraqi Governing Council Member Ahmed Chalabi.

Good News: It’s a story you’ll only see on Fox. A regular guy in California with a big heart is working with U.S. Marines to pull off miracles!

o jeez, your trying to point out Fox's News as being biased by using a human interest story that usually last around 5 minutes at the end of the broadcast c'mon every news channel has them, im not saing Fox is unbiased but please try and prove it using something else.

every news channel has them, but not 'exclusively on FOX'

if they were so fair and balanced, why would denoir have to point it out many many pages ago?(from my memory)

[MLF 0]

Human Interest are not supposed to be fair and balanced they usually point out a good dead, tragedy, ;ife story, so if some ordinary joe is workign with marines in Iraq to help ppl then whats wrong with broadcasting it, it was the same with the BBC they did a segment on a circus travelling in Basra.

And "Exclusively on Fox" is just that, they probally bought the rights to his story OR nobody else is reporting it. i really think you should not read so much into it and try and find things that are not there.