The Iraq thread 4

[turms 0]

U.S. Deaths in Iraq Top 1,000; Aid Groups Eye Exit

Quote[/b] ]BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Dozens of international aid agencies considered quitting Iraq Wednesday following the abduction of two Italian women, and as the U.S. military death toll rose above 1,000.

A coordinator for foreign aid groups said he expected most of the remaining 50 or so organizations to pull out following the kidnapping of the Italians, in Iraq to help child victims of war, from their Baghdad office Tuesday.

Aid groups met to discuss the issue Wednesday but broke off the meeting early for security reasons. Jean-Dominique Bunel, a French aid worker, said all organizations were reviewing their security and considering withdrawing.

The Pentagon announced that the death toll in Iraq had topped 1,000 Wednesday, equivalent to around two deaths a day since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a report to the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, said violence in Iraq may threaten elections scheduled for January 2005. Postponing the vote would be a severe blow for the U.S.-backed interim government.

The politically sensitive benchmark of 1,000 U.S. deaths, which could play a role in the U.S. presidential campaign, was surpassed after a surge of fighting in Muslim Sunni areas and Shi'ite enclaves.

In May last year, President Bush declared major combat operations over. Since then more than 800 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action.

[quicksand 0]

US military deathtoll exceeds 1,000;Aid groups consider quiting

Quote[/b] ] BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Dozens of international aid agencies considered quitting Iraq Wednesday following the abduction of two Italian women, and as the U.S. military death toll rose above 1,000.

A coordinator for foreign aid groups said he expected most of the remaining 50 or so organizations to pull out following the kidnapping of the Italians, in Iraq to help child victims of war, from their Baghdad office Tuesday.

Aid groups met to discuss the issue Wednesday but broke off the meeting early for security reasons. Jean-Dominique Bunel, a French aid worker, said all organizations were reviewing their security and considering withdrawing.

The Pentagon announced that the death toll in Iraq had topped 1,000 Wednesday, equivalent to around two deaths a day since U.S.-led forces invaded Iraq in March 2003.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a report to the U.N. Security Council Tuesday, said violence in Iraq may threaten elections scheduled for January 2005. Postponing the vote would be a severe blow for the U.S.-backed interim government.

The politically sensitive benchmark of 1,000 U.S. deaths, which could play a role in the U.S. presidential campaign, was surpassed after a surge of fighting in Muslim Sunni areas and Shi'ite enclaves.

In May last year, President Bush declared major combat operations over. Since then more than 800 U.S. soldiers have been killed in action.

U.S. DEATHS SURGE

One U.S. soldier was killed and another wounded in a convoy attack north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said, and another soldier was killed and two wounded in a roadside bomb blast in the east of the capital.

In Baghdad's sprawling Shi'ite Sadr City slum -- a powerbase of rebel cleric Moqtada al-Sadr -- U.S. troops fought battles on Tuesday with guerrillas using rocket-propelled grenades, killing at least 24 Iraqis. At least one American was killed.

UN:Iraq unrest could thwart ellections

Quote[/b] ]Annan urges US to rely more on political process, not force

The violence in Iraq may threaten elections planned in January 2005 and has already restricted UN international staff in the country to 35, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.

In a report to the UN Security Council, Annan on Tuesday said the security environment in Iraq had not improved much since the US-led invasion in March 2003 and he urged the United States to rely more on the political process than on force.

"It must be recognised that the problem of insecurity can only be addressed through a political process," he said.

"This requires a commitment to stop relying solely or mainly on threats or actual use of armed force and to pursue determined and genuine efforts" to address concerns.

Annan said security continued "to pose a very profound challenge for the successful achievement" of voter registration and polling for Iraq's first free elections.

"In addition to severely disrupting everyday life for Iraqis, the ongoing violence could undermine confidence in the transitional political process, making it more difficult to create the conditions necessary for the holding of elections in January 2005," he added.

Annan withdrew all foreign staff from Iraq in October after two bomb attacks on UN offices in Baghdad.

Last month he sent a small, permanent team there, led by Pakistani diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi. Qazi replaced Sergio Vieira de Mello, the former UN envoy who was killed in a bombing in August 2003.

Annan said the ceiling for deployment of international staff political, humanitarian and security staff in Iraq was set at 35 - all based in the US-guarded international zone in Baghdad.

Any expansion would require a special force, not yet organised, to guard UN staff as well as "a qualitative improvement in the overall security environment," he said.

Annan restated the world body's commitment to helping Iraq's Independent Electoral Commission, which UN officials helped to set up to organise and conduct the polls.

But he said this too would not happen unless violence subsided, aside from UN electoral advisers now in Baghdad.

"Unless and until there is a significant improvement in the overall security situation, the (United Nations) will have to continue to work both inside and outside Iraq, as circumstances permit, with a restricted presence on the ground in Iraq," Annan said.

So let`s recap the start of September:16 marines killed during the last few days acompanied by the sadly average dozen Iraqi deaths,"mission accomplished" as of today is ten times more deadly then the actual war;TBA acknowledges that parts of Iraq are under effective resistance control;you have your average spate of kiddnappings and above all UN says under the current situation ellections would not be possible at all.

It also makes you wonder if the Iraqi rebels have a political agenda.After a weary calm that lasted more then a week, articles were citing the 1,000 milestone is slowly approaching then came an unexpected upsurge in attacks all over the country that pushed forward this moment.Coincidental,possibly what's beyond doubt is that this will affect Bush suport as more wonder in what direction is this war going to.

[billybob2002 0]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tm....7205153

Quote[/b] ]

US soldiers in Iraq say 1,000 death toll meaningless

Tue Sep 7, 4:51 PM ET  Add Mideast - AFP to My Yahoo!

BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - The deaths of 1,000 American troops in Iraq (news - web sites) since the 2003 invasion to topple Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) has only strengthened US resolve to restore security to the strife-torn country, soldiers said.

Dismissing parallels with the 1961-75 war in Vietnam, officers lashed out at the media for playing the grim-reaper over the mounting casualty toll and failing to appreciate the sacrifices made by each soldier.

"It sucks. The newspapers glorify it. Everyday, reporting the numbers going up and up, trying to push a point," said Captain Gregory Wingard, 39, at the 1st Infantry Division's Camp Warhorse near Baquba, north of Baghdad.

"Sad as it is for those 1,000 families and their friends, they're nothing to the number of Iraqis that get killed trying to defend their own families," he added, smoking a cigar with friends under the stars.

"There's one word you have to push back at them. Gettsburg: 63,000 killed in a single day," said Sergeant Kimberly Snow, 35, from Ohio, refering to the US civil war battle.

The conversation turns to a comrade, a Muslim US soldier who was killed in June when a suicide bomber blew up a car outside the north gate of the base.

"I'm nervous, sure, because you don't know. When I lay down on my rack for the first 10 minutes I'm listening for mortars," said Wingard.

The bombs make him "I want to get that bastard."

US patrols are considered combat missions and soldiers have to be prepared to the worst every time they roll out of their bases.

"There's always a fear in the back of your head, but you can't let it take over," said Snow, speaking about the soldiers' biggest scourge -- the improvised explosive device, known as IEDs to the army, or a roadside bomb to civilians.

"The scary thing is its not like facing a normal enemy and you've got a good chance of fighting back. You're just tooling down the road and boom there's an explosion," said National Guard Major Tony Quinn, from North Carolina.

"If 1,000 died today, that'd be pretty significant, but its just another number," said 36-year-old Quinn, who is based along the Iran-Iraqi border.

"Every single soldier knows the risk. You do the best you can with your day and don't think about it. If I was to get killed tomorrow by an IED, I would not regret coming over here," said Captain Michael Adams, 37, from Oregon.

"Six months ago people were afraid of their own shadow. Now I've seen kids playing in the park, farmers are out working. Now they can have a chance at rebuilding their country," he added.

"Obviously when you loose people, its a tragic time. But you don't loose morale. It strengthens your resolve," said Specialist Robert Bybee, 21, deployed in Saddam's hometown of Tikrit.

But for several young soldiers, barely old enough to graduate from college or have a beer in a US bar, the horror of war and the separation from loved ones is wearing thin.

"I'm scared even to take a shower in case they mortar us. I want to go home and be with my wife and start a family," said Specialist Luis Cruz, 21, from Puerto Rico, also based near Baquba.

But none of the soldiers accept any similarities with Vietnam, where tens of thousands of soldiers were killed before the United States finally withdrew.

"Once in a while people make comparisons, but I don't think the majority of soldiers feel there are any similarities," said Quinn.

"We are winning the hearts and minds... It's nothing like Vietnam. We're still missing 60,000, 52,000 were killed. We've had 1,000 soldiers die, how can you make a comparison?" said Wingard.

The title seems negative, no?

[Akira 0]

Quote[/b] ]"There's one word you have to push back at them. Gettsburg: 63,000 killed in a single day," said Sergeant Kimberly Snow, 35, from Ohio, refering to the US civil war battle.

The also lined up across from each other and shot!

Quote[/b] ]"We are winning the hearts and minds... It's nothing like Vietnam. We're still missing 60,000, 52,000 were killed. We've had 1,000 soldiers die, how can you make a comparison?" said Wingard.

Umm..Vietnam went what...10+ years...this is only what...the first year?

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]The also lined up across from each other and shot!

He should of used World War 2 has better example. Plenty of times in which more than 1000 americans were killed in a couple of day.

Quote[/b] ]Umm..Vietnam went what...10+ years...this is only what...the first year?

You are going aganist McCain now....

If would take 50 years if 1,000 servicemen were killed each year in Iraq. Furthermore, 1,000 servicemen/women did not die in a year in Iraq. I sound ghoulish but...  

[red oct 2]

who cares how long it took, its still 1000 lives waisted. who is Bush to go and ask a bunch of 17 and 20 year old's to throw away there lives in vain in his war when he himself never even served his country in war. and since you don't seem to think that a 1000 military deaths is not a big deal, you can try and explain how it isn't a big deal to one of the many now common sights of some 5 year old holding a portrait of their dad at their funeral. im sure they'll understand.

[Akira 0]

who cares how long it took, its still 1000 lives waisted. who is Bush to go and ask a bunch of 17 and 20 year old's to throw away there lives in vain in his war when he himself never even served his country in war. and since you don't seem to think that a 1000 military deaths is not a big deal, you can try and explain how it isn't a big deal to one of the many now common sights of some 5 year old holding a portrait of their dad at their funeral. im sure they'll understand.

Or come to Texas, since Texas and California have had the most losses (stories every night on local news from Fort Hood).

[Akira 0]

Quote[/b] ]Columbus Senator To Be Deployed To Iraq

Stivers Running In November Election

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A state senator has announced he's headed to the Persian Gulf as the leader of his Ohio Army National Guard unit.

He said security rules prevent him from providing more details or saying where he'll be based.

His unit keeps track of soldiers in the field, the awarding of medals and contact with families at home.

Stivers, 39, was appointed to the Senate in January 2003 and is running for election to the seat this November.

Stivers joined the Army National Guard 19 years ago.

He was eligible for a lawmaker's deferment but said he never considered not going.

"I always knew that mobilization was a possibility, and now the time has come," Stiver said.

Word of deployment came as the U.S. military death toll in Iraq topped the 1,000 mark.

"No soldier loves war too much, because soldiers pay the ultimate price in war," Stivers said.

He will remain overseas for up to a year. Stivers said he will not give up his Senate seat and will continue to campaign. His staff will run his office while fellow Republicans will stump for him.

"He's always been active in the military, and he feels it's his duty," said his mother Carol Stivers. "As a mother, I am apprehensive. I pray daily for everybody who is there."

One of the Representatives here in Texas also shipped out with his National Guard unit.

[billybob2002 0]

Quote[/b] ]who cares how long it took, its still 1000 lives waisted. who is Bush to go and ask a bunch of 17 and 20 year old's to throw away there lives in vain in his war when he himself never even served his country in war. and since you don't seem to think that a 1000 military deaths is not a big deal, you can try and explain how it isn't a big deal to one of the many now common sights of some 5 year old holding a portrait of their dad at their funeral. im sure they'll understand.

People like to rush to say that 1000 lives were loss in Iraq. But, in the 1980's, more than 13,000 servicemen/women died in accidents alone. Or, in the 1990s, in which 6,042 servicemen/women died because of accidents. Were was the outrage or the saying they died in vain? Were was the media coverage when the 1,000 serviceman/woman died during a accident? Were was the calling for Clinton's head for allowing majority of those accidents that happened during the 90s? It sucks and they paid the ultimate price. I do not like when people said they died in vain. They got rid of Saddam (and his friends) and put him in jail and that my friends proves that they did not die in vain. Also, they died trying to stabilize a country that was far from perfect and trying to make it better. They are in the same "group" of people that died for this country in previous conflicts.

[Akira 0]

Quote[/b] ]who cares how long it took, its still 1000 lives waisted. who is Bush to go and ask a bunch of 17 and 20 year old's to throw away there lives in vain in his war when he himself never even served his country in war. and since you don't seem to think that a 1000 military deaths is not a big deal, you can try and explain how it isn't a big deal to one of the many now common sights of some 5 year old holding a portrait of their dad at their funeral. im sure they'll understand.

People like to rush to say that 1000 lives were loss in Iraq. But, in the 1980's, more than 13,000 servicemen/women died in accidents alone. Or, in the 1990s, in which 6,042 servicemen/women died because of accidents. Were was the outrage or the saying they died in vain? Were was the media coverage when the 1,000 serviceman/woman died during a accident? Were was the calling for Clinton's head for allowing majority of those accidents that happened during the 90s? It sucks and they paid the ultimate price. I do not like when people said they died in vain. They got rid of Saddam (and his friends) and put him in jail and that my friends proves that they did not die in vain. Also, they died trying to stabilize a country that was far from perfect and trying to make it better. They are in the same "group" of people that died for this country in previous conflicts.

Indeed. They may not have died in vain...

But they did die because their supposed Commander in Chief lied for the purposes of the war, and sent them there without adequate equipment (which he later tried to blame on his challenger) or adequate planning for "post-war".

Also, while accidents are tragic and usually avoidable, there should hardly be the outrage at these losses for the reason above (for that matter why not yell at auto makers for all the accidents that are caused by their product?)

[quicksand 0]

REUTERS:Children Among 8 Dead in U.S. Air Strikes on Falluja

Quote[/b] ] FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes bombed houses in the Iraqi city of Falluja for a third successive night, killing at least eight people, four of them children, doctors and residents said on Thursday.

A statement from the U.S. military said the air assault was part of a "precision strike" on an operating base for Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a man Washington says is allied to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network.

A doctor at Falluja's main hospital, Rafi Hayad, said four of those killed were children and two women. He said at least 16 people had been wounded, eight of them children.

Bloodied bodies lay on hospital beds while residents with flashlights searched for more victims in the rubble.

The strike was launched shortly after 2 a.m. (6 p.m. EDT) on a northern district of Falluja, a city of around 250,000 people which has been a focus of anti-American activity since the U.S.-led invasion and is largely under guerrilla control.

Witnesses said at least two houses had been destroyed and said those killed came from three families. The U.S. military said the target was a "building frequently used by terrorists."

"Three Zarqawi associates were reported to be in the area, no other individuals were present at the time of the strike," the military said in a statement.

U.S. forces have carried out around a dozen air strikes on Falluja over recent weeks, in one case hitting a truck lot. On each occasion Falluja residents have said civilians were killed and that Zarqawi was not in the area.

The strike came hours after a U.S. helicopter crashed in the desert near the western city. It was not clear what brought the aircraft down, but the U.S. military said the four crew were rescued and did not suffer life threatening injuries.

U.S. troops have been engaged in intense fighting around Falluja and in the eastern Baghdad district of Sadr City in recent days, incurring some of their heaviest losses in weeks. At least 10 U.S. soldiers have been killed since Monday.

The U.S. death toll in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003 surpassed 1,000 this week, the Pentagon said, hitting a psychologically damaging mark that is likely to figure prominently in the U.S. presidential election campaign.

Scrap the article's title,as said by the US military no other individuals were present at the time of the strike,thankfully for Reuters outstanding journalism we can confirm that for a fact.

This picture offers a rare glimpse at a Zarqawi associate heavily wounded due to the precision strike,hopefully next time he won`t be so lucky.

This picture is self explenatory,Zarqawi associates carying the bodies of their fellow foreign terrorists,teaches them a lesson!

[theavonlady 2]

It looks like war to me.

[quicksand 0]

It looks like war to me.

AvonLady looks can be deciving,those are just two pictures.Media is so biased in reporting Iraq,they are concentrating on the bad things;don`t you remember the Iraqi sculptor who was so grateful that US brought freedom in Iraq he built a statue dedicated to their heroic deaths?

<a href="http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113?2387601,00.html" target="_blank">

Bitter truth unfolds about Iraqi's memorial sculpture</a>

Quote[/b] ]You can't always trust what you read on the Internet.

Fairbanks veterans and the local media were taken in by a patriotic e-mail last spring that twisted the truth.

The widely circulating e-mail included a photo of a bronze war memorial sculpture said to have been made by an Iraqi artist who had been forced to make bronze busts of former Iraq dictator Saddam Hussein until American troops arrived.

The e-mail said that the artist was so grateful for the presence of the U.S. troops that he melted down three bronze Saddam busts toppled by his countrymen, and cast the memorial sculpture from the molten metal as a tribute to American soldiers in Iraq and their fallen comrades.

Local veterans responded by having the memorial duplicated in ice at the World Ice Art Championships in March, and the News-Miner and other local media responded with stories and film about the bronze memorial and its icy local rendition.

The ice sculpture melted months ago, and the bronze original, shipped to Fort Hood in Texas, was respectfully dedicated last week in tribute to the 80 members of the 4th Infantry Division and one civilian who lost their lives in battle.

But the e-mails continued to circulate, some with the taunt-- "You'll never see this story in the media."

Receiving three such e-mails in one week raised the curiosity of News-Miner Managing Editor Kelly Bostian. He decided to search Internet news sites for the story. What he found was a wealth of misinformation and half-truth, as well as a more accurate memorial sculpture story written by Wall Street Journal reporter Yochi J. Dreazen.

During the Iraq War, Dreazen was imbedded with the 4th Infantry Division, and he too heard the compelling story about the statue. Last March, he decided to track down the artist.

The military refused to name the artist, claiming it was at his request, and for his own safety," Dreazen explained in a recent e-mail interview from Iraq.

But Dreazen pressed on. He traveled to Tikrit, expecting, he said "to find a heart-warming story about Iraqi gratitude."

Instead, he found an embittered man.

The artist, Khalid Alussy (also called Kalat), was "harshly critical of the United States and bitter over a U.S. rocket attack during the war that killed his uncle," Dreazen reported in his March 9 story.

"Alussy said he thinks the war was fought for oil and holds the United States responsible for the violence and unemployment that since have plagued Iraq."

Alussy, 27, told Dreazen that he made statues for Saddam because he needed money and was afraid of the consequences of saying no.

"I made the statues of Saddam--even though I didn't want to--because I needed money for my family and to finish my education," he said. "And I decided to make statues for the Americans for the exact same reasons."

Where or why the erroneous e-mail originated is still a mystery.

Setting the record straight has fallen on the shoulders of Maj. Randall Cephus, official spokesman for the 4th Infantry Division. He has been helped by Ceilia Stratton, director of the 4th Infantry Division Museum, who has fielded numerous inquiries about the Internet e-mail.

"I've never figured out the exact origin of this e-mail," Stratton said. "Every time it circled the world, I would get e-mails asking 'Is this true?'"

What is true, said Cephus and Stratton, is that under the direction of Command Sgt. Maj. Charles Fuss, the 4th Division Infantry did commission the sculpture from Iraqi artist Alussy and that soldiers in the division collected $22,000 to pay the artist and his helpers--a substantial sum in Iraq.

It is true that the sculpture was made from melted-down statues of Saddam Hussein.

Thousands of additional dollars, time and equipment, they said, were donated by Killeen, Texas, businesses, veterans organizations and individuals around the country to pay for the sculpture's placement, memorial plaques, stonework and labor.

"The entirety of the memorial is so impressive," said Stratton, describing its permanent outdoor placement in a large, stone-sided circle near the 4th Infantry Division Museum.

But for some area residents, the bitter truth was disheartening.

Jeff Turkel of North Pole was in Iraq earlier this year training Iraqi fire service personnel, when he forwarded the e-mail to Fairbanks friends. Today he feels victimized by the untruths presented in the e-mail.

"I felt that I was duped, that I was sucked in," he said.

"It shouldn't matter how it happened, how that statue came about. All that should matter is that statue is at Fort Hood paying respect to the members of the 4th Infantry Division who paid the ultimate sacrifice to bring freedom to the people of Iraq."

Turkel said that the many Iraqis he and other coalition members worked with while overseeing the reconstruction of Iraq were grateful for the downfall of Saddam.

"I was over there when their constitution and bill of rights was signed," he said. "To me it was like being back in 1776."

Fairbanks Ice Festival director Dick Brickley also was surprised and saddened when he learned that the memorial e-mail was a fraud.

"I am sick about this. I thought it was a great story when it came out. It was so inspiring," Brickley said. "We need to tell the story now because it is not true. I really want the truth. This is why we live in this country."

Just like I`ve said looks can be deciving

[theavonlady 2]

Just like I`ve said looks can be deciving

Yep. There's no end to it.

Quote[/b] ]Iraq At A Glance - Monday, September 06, 2004

My God..what a great news..at last the Iraqi people got out to the streets of AlNajaf in a demonstration against Muqtada, they want him to get out of the city and also do not want any one of his followers to pray there..

They were cursing his militia, courts and they looked so angry..

AlHurra channel met few of them who said ‘we don’t want him..they are thieves’

The people were repeating words that support the ING and IP and wanted the government to put an end to what they called ‘a disgrace’ and ‘crimes’ that happened in AlNajaf especially the courts of Muqtada..

Let the world know the real Iraqi people, the people who look for peace and justice, security , freedom and democracy..not those criminals who are shown on the channels kidnapping and killing the innocents in the name of ‘resistance and Islam’…there is NO ‘resistance’ in Iraq, there are AlQaida, Saddamis, Arabs and criminals who are destroying our country and the MNF, ING, IP and the IRAQI PEOPLE are fighting them….

OK?

Update: Here are some photos from AlHurra channel..

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

And this banner says: the crimes and oppression of the ‘illegal courts’ will stay a disgrace forever.

# posted by ays @ 9:32 PM |

[quicksand 0]

Quote[/b] ]Yep. There's no end to it.

Tell me about it,tens of thousands of Iraqis were demonstrating in Baqubah just a couple of months ago in suport for Saddam,you made a very good point,one could be easily decived if he shapes his opinion upon this handful of demonstrators in Najaf.

Quote[/b] ]?there is NO ?resistance? in Iraq, there are AlQaida,Saddamis, Arabs and criminals who are destroying our country and the MNF, ING, IP and the IRAQI PEOPLE are fighting them?.

OK?

Quote[/b] ]That angry dumb and silly boy(Moqtada) is not respected by many religious leaders here in Iraq and consider him as a child

Second.. that foolish boy(Moqtada) has many thieves following him.

..Moqtada scum must be eliminated

Do you know that neighborhood ? Althawra? or ? Al-Sadr city? in Baghdad? This is the worst place in Iraq.. yes .. all Iraqis hate that place and never ever reach there.. More than 75% of this neighborhood are thieves and murders

..many idiots still remember his father and they feel that he continues his father?s message in Islam.

..Now we have a silly angry boy, thieves and idiots..!

..I?m afraid the world will say that Iraqis don?t deserve the liberation because of those people..

So I entered, I walked about 20 meters and turned left and stood in front of the metallic door, this door has a small opening in the corner, I called carefully ?hey..anybody here??, the fat man came by ?yes, what do you need?? I replied ? nine? he said ? nine of what?? I replied ?beer? !!

So, all the above dangerous steps are for beer !!! I hated myself for that, the neighborhood I used to buy from has been bombed by the crazy Islamists and the poor owners are no longer opened, God damn it, when will we get rid of those too?

The worst thing was when I got the beer and went back home, we drank and drank, then my friend lifted the can and read the expire date.. It was March 22 !!!

..I wish all the ATTACKERS(Iraqi rebels) will be killed, and never hear about accidents and victims.

..Please thank you so much and keep your ?must? for you and leave us alone with our ?occupiers?.. yes.. just forget Iraq as a part of the Arab nation..Iraq on the way of prosperous future in spite of you, so forget us..

..Beyond the fact if what happened in Falluja was right or wrong.. I think battalion 36 must be punished .... what did they mean by ?refusing to fight? ?(The Iraqi batallion who refused to fight iraqis in Fallujah)

I could go on and on for the rest of the day quoting perls from this obviously "unic" Iraqi,pointing out his rather extreme views but the end question is do you actually take this guy seriously and read his ravings and bagglings?

[theavonlady 2]

I could go on and on for the rest of the day quoting perls from this obviously "unic" Iraqi,pointing out his rather extreme views

What extremes do you see?

Quote[/b] ] but the end question is do you actually take this guy seriously and read his ravings and bagglings?

You mean he fabricated the TV photos of the anti-Muqtada protest in Najaf?

[quicksand 0]

Quote[/b] ]What extremes do you see?

Just about everything he mindlessly spouts.

Is a beer drinking Iraq who considers US forces as heroes who brought freedom to his country questioning if he diserves such a privilage competly suporting George W Bush and the war he started scared to hell at the prospect of Kerry winning the ellections,ranting for the destruction of every Iraqi who raises up against the occupation,exclusion from the Arab nations ,punishment for the men who refused to be part of the Fallujah horrific siege extreme enough for you?

Quote[/b] ]You mean he fabricated the TV photos of the anti-Muqtada protest in Najaf?

Why do you insists on clinching on the protest,when you know as well as I do it has the same relevance then the thousands of Iraqis chanting their suport for Saddam in Baqubah a couple of months ago?

[Balschoiw 0]

Avon you´re sure you want to quote Al Hurra news ?

It´s like quoting Ari Fleischer back in the days...

[denoir 0]

Just like I`ve said looks can be deciving

Yep. There's no end to it.

Quote[/b] ]Iraq At A Glance - Monday, September 06, 2004

My God..what a great news..at last the Iraqi people got out to the streets of AlNajaf in a demonstration against Muqtada, they want him to get out of the city and also do not want any one of his followers to pray there..

They were cursing his militia, courts and they looked so angry..

AlHurra channel met few of them who said ‘we don’t want him..they are thieves’

The people were repeating words that support the ING and IP and wanted the government to put an end to what they called ‘a disgrace’ and ‘crimes’ that happened in AlNajaf especially the courts of Muqtada..

Let the world know the real Iraqi people, the people who look for peace and justice, security , freedom and democracy..not those criminals who are shown on the channels kidnapping and killing the innocents in the name of ‘resistance and Islam’…there is NO ‘resistance’ in Iraq, there are AlQaida, Saddamis, Arabs and criminals who are destroying our country and the MNF, ING, IP and the IRAQI PEOPLE are fighting them….

OK?

Update: Here are some photos from AlHurra channel..

photo 1

photo 2

photo 3

And this banner says: the crimes and oppression of the ‘illegal courts’ will stay a disgrace forever.

# posted by ays @ 9:32 PM |

Wow, that blogger is truly an idiot. He considers Iraqis turning on each other good news?

The worst case scenario for Iraq has always been the breaking the very fragile national structure that holds very diverse groups together. If they start fighting, the country will completely break apart.

[Balschoiw 0]

I´ve seen an interview with the kurdish leader in northern Iraq yesterday. He was asked about the independance status of the Kurds and what would happen if the government in Bagdad took away or tried to take away their nearly independant status wich is most likely at the moment to please turkey and the US.

He said that he has the biggest working army in Iraq (60 000 soldiers) and only a separate Kurdish state will be accepted by him and his people.Asked for the consequences of a Bagdad decision not to give them independance, he just said that the kurdish borders are set and will be defended against any initiative to take away their souverenity. He was asked 3 times in a row and he made his point clear by saying that there will be war if they are not granted independance.

I don´t know where exactly but I´ve warned of this about 1 year ago already. Now it becomes true...

[EiZei 0]

I almost could wish that kurds had their own state, secular and relatively calm compared to the mess shias and sunnis are making.

[Balschoiw 0]

As there are some major oil fields in the area neither turkey nor Bagdad will allow them to separate.

[Balschoiw 0]

US hid Iraq prisoners in violation of Geneva Convention

Quote[/b] ]WASHINGTON - The United States may have kept up to 100 "ghost detainees" in Iraq off the books and concealed from Red Cross observers, a far higher number than previously reported, an Army general told Congress today.

Estimates were rough because the CIA has withheld documents on concealed detainees, Army generals who investigated US abuses of Iraqi prisoners told lawmakers. Republican and Democratic senators blasted the CIA, and called for it to turn over the material.

At a Senate committee hearing, Gen Paul Kern, commander of the US Army Materiel Command, said he believed the number of ghost detainees held in violation of Geneva Convention protections was "in the dozens to perhaps up to 100," far surpassing the eight people identified in an Army report.

Maj Gen George Fay, deputy commander at the US Army Intelligence and Security Command, said he expected it may be two dozen or more. "We were not able to get documentation from the Central Intelligence Agency to answer those types of questions. So we really don't know the volume," he said.

The Geneva Conventions require countries to disclose information on prisoners to the International Committee of the Red Cross, which monitors their treatment.

The Senate and House of Representatives Armed Services Committees held hearings on an Army probe of the role of military intelligence in abuses at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad, as well as broader findings on US mistreatment of prisoners by an independent panel headed by former Defence Secretary James Schlesinger.

The reports depicted more widespread abuses than the acts of a handful of soldiers accused when the images of horrific sexual and physical humiliation and torture at the Abu Ghraib prison first came to light last spring.

While the panel led by Schlesinger blamed top Pentagon civilian and military leaders for contributing to a climate that led to the sadistic treatment of detainees, Schlesinger said US forces in Iraq had behaved far better overall than in previous wars, including World War 2, Korea and Vietnam.

He said the 66 cases of confirmed abuse, although higher than the Bush administration first disclosed, "is a small number -- comparing quite well ... with previous wars."

Senators called the CIA's failure so far to turn over information sought by Army investigators unacceptable.

"The situation with the CIA and ghost soldiers is beginning to look like a bad movie," said Sen John McCain, an Arizona Republican.

"I think that this is something that needs to be asked ... of the incoming director of the CIA," McCain said, referring to Rep Porter Goss, a Florida Republican tapped by President George W Bush to run the CIA.

The Senate Intelligence Committee scheduled a confirmation hearing for Goss on September 14.

Warner said the Intelligence Committee also was pressing the CIA for information, and said the Armed Services Committee would more closely examine the ghost detainees issue.

CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said the agency's inspector general was conducting "a comprehensive review of the agency's involvement in detention and interrogation activities," and the agency was "determined to examine thoroughly any allegations of abuse."

The findings of the Army investigation, headed by Fay and Lt Gen Anthony Jones and released in August, listed 44 instances of prisoner abuse, 13 directly involving interrogations.

It said 27 military intelligence personnel -- 23 soldiers and four contractors -- directly took part in abuse or induced others to do so, while another eight -- six soldiers and two contractors -- failed to report abuse they had witnessed. All have been recommended for possible criminal charges.

Lawmakers said those higher up the chain of command also must be held accountable for failing in key duties.

Sen Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, worried that the "only people that are court-martialled here are privates and sergeants ... Dereliction of duty will be redefined one way or the other after this investigation."

Funny eh ?

Could someone please stuff a sock in his mouth :

Cheney again links Saddam to al Qaeda

Quote[/b] ]CINCINNATI - Vice President Dick Cheney has again linked former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with al Qaeda as he defended the US decision to invade Iraq.

His comments today came in the same week that US deaths in Iraq passed the 1000 mark.

At a town-hall style forum in the swing state of Ohio, Cheney described Saddam as a "man who provided safe harbour and sanctuary to terrorists for years" and a man who "provided safe harbour and sanctuary as well for al Qaeda."

The commission that investigated the September 11, 2001 attacks has said it had not discovered any evidence of a "collaborative" relationship" between the fallen Iraqi government and al Qaeda.

The Bush administration in the past has cited reports that Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al Zarqawi had been treated at a Baghdad hospital as evidence of the links between Saddam and al Qaeda.

Zarqawi's group has claimed responsibility for several suicide bombings and other attacks on Iraqi and US officials in recent months. It has also killed an American, a South Korean and probably a Bulgarian hostage in Iraq.

After the Sept 11 attacks, Cheney became the most outspoken Bush administration official in making a direct link between al Qaeda's attack and Saddam's Iraq. In response to questions, President George W Bush later said the 9/11 attacks were not linked to Iraq but that there had been "numerous contacts" between Iraq and al Qaeda.

Polls show about half the American public see the war on terror as linked to the year-old conflict in Iraq.

Cheney did not repeat his assertion, made on Tuesday, that America might "get hit again" by another terrorist attack if voters elected Senator John Kerry, Bush's Democratic rival for president.

This Cheney bugger is one of the biggest liars running around unpunished in the USA. Why are no actions taken against him ? why can he run around telling lies and drawing pictures of doom only to scare people and make them vote his warparty ?

Isn´t it illegal to lie to his fellow citizens ?

I germany it would be called "Volksverhetzung" and he would go to jail for it.

[theavonlady 2]

Avon you´re sure you want to quote Al Hurra news ?

It´s like quoting Ari Fleischer back in the days...

Or like quoting The BBC:

Quote[/b] ]Voices from Iraq: Women speak out

Iraqi women face tough choices in their country following the US-led invasion and occupation.

While many remain determined to build new lives for themselves in the country, others fear continuing instability and its effects on their families.

 

Noura:

Civil servant

"We are not free to come and go"

 

Samira:

Computer engineer

"A fall of a regime is not a small matter"

 

Um Samir:

Housewife

"Our material situation has improved a lot"

Essraa:

Student

"I can afford to buy what I want"

 

Fawzia:

Teacher

"We can criticise without fear"

 

Zeinab:

Student

"I am unable to go anywhere I want"

BBCArabic.com spoke to six Iraqi women living in Baghdad.

They talked about how their lives had changed under occupation, their fears over security and their hopes for the future in a new Iraq.

We would also like hear what you think of the women's stories, so send us your comments using the form after each person's views.

[Balschoiw 0]

Quote[/b] ]Or like quoting The BBC

I´ve seen a documentary yesterday. A journalist team travelled from Bagdad up to northern Iraq. They interviewed a lot of people and the essence was the following:

There are priviliged people in Bagdad. They are the ones who made money under Saddam and they are having a nice life right now. On a contrary to that the regular Bagdad citizen has lost his job due to the invasion and has to bring through his family with selling ice or doing unofficial jobs. Those are the majority of people. They got unemployed because of the invasion and have big problems to finance their living while the former upper-class enjoys a great time...

People are not happy. Some of them do ask why the US forces are still there...Saddam is gone and they want to run the country on their own, not Halliburton.

The common sense among all those who were interviewed was that free elections need to take place. And if those elections are not free, or selected by US or interim government thaey all said that the US will face real resistance then. Resistance coming from the Iraqi people as a whole and not only from certain groups.

They want to see the US leave the country. Better now than tomorrow. A permanent troop presence, that Washington dreams of, will not be accepted.

Iraqis are fed up with excuses and delays and false proposals from Bremer and the USA. They want their country back.

They can´t ubnderstand why the US had Chalabi on their list to lead the country as he is a criminal and his cousin that was supposed to be minister of education is now hunted with charges of murder.

The head of interim government has a CIA history and is not accepted by Iraqui population. They only wait for elections to get rid of him...same with the rest of the current government. Iraquis don´t feel well represented by people who have not lived in Iraq for over a decade, now return to grab some money and will go away once their stauts is changed. Iraqui people don´t trust them at all. They see that the families of the new government people are still abroad and the contracts the government people had at home were only suspended. Noone in Iraq believes in them as their representatives.

They wait for the "one man one vote" promise G.W Bush has given them. And they know that he has betrayed them about exactly this. There will never be a "one man one vote" democracy in Iraq. Neither do people support an Islamic state with Sharia. They want to run the country their way and they want the oil contracts nullyfied as they want to sell their oil on their own and not some US companies.

I guess they have the right to and I´m sure if the election goes as planned they will throw the coalition troops out of the country.

The coalition troops did all of the things a muslim considers as deadly faults and attacks to the arabic culture. They will not tolerate this longterm.

They have enough of broken promises and are aware that it was the war who brought Al Quaida to Bagdad.