Iraqis

One of the hallmarks of the Cold War was that whenever the USSR invaded another country, they claimed that they were "invited" by that country's government to enter and keep the peace. When the Warsaw pact nations invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, the USSR declared that the 500,000 troops were invited into the country in order to "preserve socialism." On December 24, 1979 the Soviet Union invaded Af

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's love for children is by no means limited to their own: The couple has donated $1 million to help kids affected by the war in Iraq, the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict announced Wednesday. The organization will distribute the donation, made through the couple's Jolie-Pitt Foundation, to four organizations working on behalf of children who have lost pa

Kevin Carson has a post on remarks made by Matthew Yglesias, in which Yglesias said:My ideas really are basically the ideas that were at the core of the bipartisan, establishment consensus throughout the Cold War years. And they're ideas that could and should have been the key ideas of center-left think tanks in the post-9/11 world. But that's not what actually happened. Instead, a set of ideas

In the days after US and British troops destroyed the regime of Saddam Hussein, thousands of Iraqis celebrated the new dream of a nation free from oppression and dictatorial rule. Thousands of Iraqis volunteered their talents to assist the invaders because they thought it would lead to creation of a democratic Iraq. Little did they [...]

Families of Iraqis who died in a shooting involving Blackwater Worldwide contractors accused the company Friday of shredding documents and destroying evidence. Lawyers for the families made the accusations in court documents but identified the source of the information only as former employees. They said officials at the company's North Carolina compound shredded documents related to ongoing investigations sometime around March 18. Company lawyers had no immediate comment Friday night, but they are quoted in court documents as saying Blackwater took appropriate steps to make sure documents were not destroyed. Lawyers for the Iraqis do not say what investigation the documents relate to. Blackwater, a major security contractor in Iraq, is under scrutiny in several matters.Most notab

Glenn GreenwaldSalon's Glenn Greenwald uses a recent Charlie Rose interview with Iraqis Sinan Antoon and Ali Fadhil to illustrate just how few Americans are able to hear for themselves on television the true opinions Iraqis have of the US invasion of their country and what the destruction of their society has meant to them. There's a script that American news broadcasters follow that paint the US invasion as a liberation, but those pesky Iraqis apparently have no intention of following it. Antoon and Fadhil pull no punches in their frank observations that the United States has destroyed their country with no foreseeable benefit to the Iraqi people. The interesting parallel here is a partial transcript of a Peter Jennings ABC television news interview during the 2003 invasion in which Dr

How the U.S. can still save Iraq | Salon As the debate over Iraq has raged in America, one group has been conspicuously absent: the Iraqis themselves. Neither war supporters nor opponents seem very interested in the opinions of the people most directly affected by the invasion. This fact reflects the moral confusion and blind spots that have haunted both sides of the debate, ones that stem from the profoundly ambiguous nature of Bush's war.Here's an interesting question. What do the Iraqi's want? I don't think most Americans have ever asked that question, though as the war's popularity has wained, I'm sure more have started to wonder. The article above is long and interesting. It catalogs many of America's failures throughout the Iraq conflict. I'm not sure if I agree with all of it,

Miami Herald - In a war zone, Christmas sometimes is as much about compromise as it is about celebration. Yousif Akhsho Youmara, who owns an auto-body repair shop in Baghdad, remembers the glorious Christmases of his youth, when family members would stay the night read continue Miami Herald - But Koji Endo, [...]

The 2008 newyear was celerbrated this year in a less-violent Baghdad, in what residents said was the first real party they had seen in years. Iraqi locals rang in the new year by firing there automatic rifles in to the sky as firework displays lit up the sky. The security has changed and it took us by surprise. We're very happy. Especially us young people, said al-Azzawi, a 22-year-old student taking a break from dancing to a traditional Iraqi band in the ballroom of the Palestine Hotel. I haven't seen a happy place like this in so long. I wanted to see if I could maybe meet a few girls! he said. I only hope the Iraqi people can enjoy more happy times like this. Salah al-Lami, 27, the singer who performed at the Palestine ballroom continued, This will be the year that

A local militia calling itself the “revolutionaries of Adhamiyah” took over the Sunni district on the east bank of the Tigris on November 10 in a swift and audacious raid that sent Al-Qaeda fleeing from its last stronghold in Baghdad.On Friday, members of the “revolutionaries of Adhamiyah” controlled main roads into the neighbourhood as well the square housing the famous Abu Hanifa mosque where Saddam Hussein made his last public appearance before fleeing Baghdad in 2003 as US-led forces invaded the country…“Our men seized 11 car bombs and discovered several clandestine bomb-making workshops,” said the chief of the “revolutionaries of Adhamiyah”, surrounded by armed bodyguards.More...

The F.B.I. investigation into the shootings in Baghdad is still under way, but the findings, which indicate that the company’s employees recklessly used lethal force, are already under review by the Justice Department.read more | digg story

Faik, an Iraqi attorney who processes claims at the Radwaniyah Palace Complex Civil Military Operations Center Government Information Center, discusses a new claim with Capt. Jonathan Gross, from New York City, claims adjudicator with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Kerensa Hardy. Rakkasans Assist Iraqis With Legal Claims => Read more!

Thanks and Praise: I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John’s Church in Baghdad. They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome. I got this from Babalublog who got it from Michael Yon. Check this out: A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Cavalry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope. The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers. (Videotape to

46,030 Iraqi refugees returned to their homes in the month of October. They returned because of the success that we have been having in Iraq since the surge. But even with this success, liberals still want to tuck tail an run. They want defeat when it's clear we are winning."The level of terrorist operations has dropped in most of the capital's neighborhoods, due to the good performance of the armed forces," said General Qassim al-Moussawi, Iraqi spokesman for U.S.-Iraqi military.Democrats continuing to try to end this war just shows that all they are doing is playing politics. Even when it's clear that we are winning and that to leave now would guarantee a terrorist breeding ground for Iran, they choose to do what is better for their votes than what is better for America. I want this war over as well, but we have to leave when we seal victory and not before.Only 26% of Americans want us out of Iraq immediately, according to a RasmussenReports Poll, the most accurate polling fi

President Bush said Friday that U.S. military deaths have fallen to their lowest levels in 19 months and the Iraqi people are slowly “taking back their country” amid the American troop build up there. Bush said corruption remains a problem and unemployment remains high, but that Iraqi forces have now assumed responsibility in security in eight of Iraq’s 18 provinces. Share This

A military panel acquitted Spc. Jorge Sandoval on charges he killed two unarmed Iraqis, but convicted him of planting evidence on the dead bodies in an attempt to cover up the shooting. Sandoval’s lawyer claimed he was only guilty of misplacing government property by planting the detonation wire on the bodies. It is clear both men were unarmed and had their hands in the air after they accidentally stumbled on a secret sniper hideout. Spc. Alexnader Forbes who was with Sandoval said they were told by Sgt. Michael Hensley the suspects were “our guy.” In May, Sgt. Hensley was involved in a case in which Sgt. Vela killed an unarmed Iraqi who had his hands in the air. This is a sickening episode in the history of the American military. How can one be “aquitted” of murder but found guilty of misplacing government property by planting evidence to cover up a murder! If one is covering up an action doesn’t that indicate one knows there has been a mistake? I

Special sniper platoons are operating in Iraq under orders to “bait” Iraqis into picking up materials which might then result in their being shot. The Washington Post originally revealed the bait and shoot policy of the United States army. Soldiers were instructed to drop materials like detonation cords and observe who picked them up. If “suspicious” individuals picked up the material and walked away they were liable to be shot by hidden snipers. Sgt. Evan Vela is one of three snipers from the platoon of Captain Matthew Dider who are charged with murdering Iraqis. Gary Meyers, lawyer for Vela, said: “We believe that our client has done nothing more than he was instructed to do by superiors.” Paul Boyce, a spokesperson for the army refused to discuss the accuracy of what critics are saying about the “bait” program. He did note, “to prevent the enemy from learning about our tactics, techniques, and training procedures, we don&rsquo

Americans, Iraqis interact at historical monument 23 Aug 07 by Master Sgt. Dwayne Gordon 407th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs Photo - Airmen, Soldiers and local Iraqi citizens play soccer during an Aug. 21 visit by 80 Iraqi citizens to the historical Ziggurat located on Ali Air Base, Iraq. The Ali AB First Four Council sponsored the visit. This is the first time in more than 10 years that Iraqi civilians have been allowed to step on the grounds of the historical site, which was built in the ancient city of Ur and includes the house of the biblical prophet Abraham. U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Robert W. Valenca. ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- Approximately 80 Iraqis from the city of An Nasiriyah interacted for the first time with Airmen and Soldiers at the Ziggurat historical monument Aug. 21 at Ali Base. It has been more than 10 years since any Iraqi native has been allowed to visit the Ziggurat of Ur, which is the most dominant landmark on Ali Base, because during the rei

And just how long, Mrs. Jolie-Pitt or whatever your name is, do you expect us to believe you will be there “visiting refugees” without adopting any of them?? Seriously though, Angelina is still on the doing-good path as she fulfills her role as UN Goodwill Ambassador. Reuters has the dig: Hollywood star Angelina Jolie on Tuesday traveled to Iraq and appealed for more international support for the millions of people uprooted by war and violence. Jolie, who has been to more than 20 countries since becoming a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations refugee agency six years ago, visited a makeshift camp housing 1,200 people in Iraq and spent hours speaking with Iraqis now living in Damascus. “I have come to Syria and Iraq to help draw attention to this humanitarian crisis and to urge governments to increase their support for UNHCR and its partners,” the actress said in a statement released by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. “It is absolutely ess

Simmering in the summer heat, Iraqis now have a dream called electricity. It is a part of the bigger dream of reconstruction that collapsed. On all measurable levels, the infrastructure is worse than under the former regime of Saddam Hussein, even when it was crippled by the harshest economic sanctions in modern history.Iraqis lack security, jobs, potable water, and these days when it really pinches, electricity."Electricity is life," said 45-year-old Zahra Aziz, a schoolteacher and mother of four, using a hand-fan in an attempt to cool herself. "Modern life depends on power, and we do not have that here. Having no electricity means having no water, no light, no air-conditioning, and in other words, no life." Most people IPS spoke to in Baghdad said they get one hour of electricity in 24 hours."June is a very hot month, and this permanent electricity failure is just another way of giving Iraqis slow death," Umayma Salim, a doctor who quit her work at a hospital in Baghdad due to secu

Global Security article link Seven Iraqis Escape Makeshift Prison, 11 Terrorists Detained American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2007 – Seven Iraqi citizens found their way to a coalition patrol base near Khan Ban Sa’ad, Iraq, yesterday after escaping a makeshift prison, military officials reported. The alleged captors were linked to an earlier operation yesterday when attack helicopters patrolling the area observed three individuals moving in a tactical formation through a ditch. Coalition forces positively identified the individuals as hostile enemy forces and fired on their position, killing all three. The escapees identified the remains of the three individuals as their captors and led coalition ground forces to the makeshift prison, officials said. Inside the makeshift prison, coalition forces found eight bodies believed to be of both the Sunni and Shia sects, which the escapees identified as fellow prisoners. Each of the dead prisoners had gunshot wounds to the head

There is growing anger emerging between British officials and the Bush administration regarding the role of British soldiers in the Basra area. Plans had called for the British handing over Basra Palace, their last remaining base, to Iraqi soldiers in August, but this appears doubtful. US General Keane who recently returned from Iraq blamed his [...]

At least 175 people were slaughtered and more than 200 wounded on Tuesday when four suicide truck bombs targeted members of the ancient Yazidi religious sect in northern Iraq. (more…) Asia, International, iraq

All the ’surge’ is doing in Iraq is delaying the inevitable. If and when the US leaves, the country will fall apart. Can there be any doubt about that? So why not try something entirely new. Now. Why not employ the Iraqis to rebuild there shattered country right now. Here’s how. Background The US has spent over $500 billion so far in Iraq. That works out to around $2 billion per week but does not include the costs of all the necessary replacement of capital, like bullets, AK-47s, helicopters, planes, etc. And, of course, medical costs will demand big, big bucks well into the future. Reports indicate that the war’s finally tally will surpass $1 trillion. And there’s the Pottery Barn factor: ‘you broke it, you buy it.’ In Iraq, the US is morally on the hook for the cost of rebuilding what it has destroyed. So here is Plan B Put a sum of money into a ‘pot’, say $200 billion (which is no more than two years on the ground in Iraq). Tripl

What do people in Iraq think of the suicide bombers who explode in their midst every day? How do they view this phenomenon that, until a few years ago, had not previously existed in their country? There are a number of different reactions, summarized as follows: 1) the suicide bombers are strange foreigners, 2) they are brainwashed simpletons, 3) they are extremist religionists, and 4) they are "misinterpreting" the holy texts in the Koran. Clearly, the Iraqis are in grave need of some reeducation about their own religion from Western apologists: Many Iraqis of all classes say extreme religious views are responsible for creating suicide bombers and for spreading the suicide culture in Iraqi society. But people differ over who to blame. There are those, such as Ass'ad, a civil engineer, who lay the blame exclusively on clerics. "This is the ultimate crime," says Ass'ad. "You know those who call for jihad and so on? This is brainwashing. The sheikhs and the Islamists who are brainwas

Once long ago I heard the expression “Winning the war with Winnebago’s”. And that doesn’t mean we are at war with Winnebago’s of course it means we “infect” our adversaries with the desire for American goods and American prosperity. Another saying is that nobody ever goes to war against a good trading partner. I suspect that is the thinking of our government in allowing such a massive trade imbalance with China. It’s an interesting dichotomy that the insurgents in Iraq hate Americans so much yet accept our goods. Any anti-American sentiment does not extend to commerce, the shop owners said.Although militants target U.S. soldiers and Iraqis who work with U.S. officials or Americans based in Iraq, store owners feel safe selling Maxwell House coffee and Speed Stick deodorant."It's not a big problem," al-Jabir said, "because you can find American goods everywhere."Winning the hearts and minds of the people with Pringles, Marlboros, micro waves and motor homes.

Confgratulations to the Iraqi Soccer Team on winning the Asian Cup. I know this will unite the Iraqi country at least for a little bit. Even though the terrorists are targeting the celebrations in the streets of Iraq, the Iraqis...

From The Blotter:The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico. An FBI intelligence report distributed by the Washington, D.C. Joint Terrorism Task Force, obtained by the Blotter on ABCNews.com, says the illegal ring has been bringing Iraqis across the border illegally for more than a year. Border Patrol officials in the area said they were unaware of the specifics of the FBI's report, and federal prosecutors in New Mexico told ABCNews.com they had no current cases involving the illegal smuggling of Iraqis. The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report. moreHey, wasn't that one of the reason's the 9/11 comm

The FBI is investigating an alleged human smuggling operation based in Chaparral, N.M., that agents say is bringing "Iraqis and other Middle Eastern" individuals across the Rio Grande from Mexico. The FBI report, issued last week, says the smuggling organization "used to smuggle Mexicans, but decided to smuggle Iraqi or other Middle Eastern individuals because it was more lucrative." Each individual would be charged a fee of $20,000 to $25,000, according to the report. The people to be smuggled would "gather at a house on the Mexican side of the border" and then cross the Rio Grande into the U.S., the report says. "Unidentified individuals would then transport them to train stations in El Paso, Texas or Belen, New Mexico".Until recently, the United States has kept its doors all but shut to the estimated two million refugees fleeing the violence in Iraq. More...

Simmering in the summer heat, Iraqis now have a dream called electricity. It is a part of the bigger dream of reconstruction that collapsed. On all measurable levels, the infrastructure is worse than under the former regime of Saddam Hussein, even when it was crippled by the harshest economic sanctions in modern history.Iraqis lack security, jobs, potable water, and these days when it really pinches, electricity. "Electricity is life," said 45-year-old Zahra Aziz, a schoolteacher and mother of four, using a hand-fan in an attempt to cool herself. "Modern life depends on power, and we do not have that here. Having no electricity means having no water, no light, no air-conditioning, and in other words, no life."Most people IPS spoke to in Baghdad said they get one hour of electricity in 24 hours. "June is a very hot month, and this permanent electricity failure is just another way of giving Iraqis slow death," Umayma Salim, a doctor who quit her work at a hospital in Baghdad due to secur

Simmering in the summer heat, Iraqis now have a dream called electricity. It is a part of the bigger dream of reconstruction that collapsed. On all measurable levels, the infrastructure is worse than under the former regime of Saddam Hussein, even when it was crippled by the harshest economic sanctions in modern history.Iraqis lack security, jobs, potable water, and these days when it really pinches, electricity. "Electricity is life," said 45-year-old Zahra Aziz, a schoolteacher and mother of four, using a hand-fan in an attempt to cool herself. "Modern life depends on power, and we do not have that here. Having no electricity means having no water, no light, no air-conditioning, and in other words, no life."Most people IPS spoke to in Baghdad said they get one hour of electricity in 24 hours. "June is a very hot month, and this permanent electricity failure is just another way of giving Iraqis slow death," Umayma Salim, a doctor who quit her work at a hospital in Baghdad due to secur

The Iraqi soldiers and units working with the Multinational Division North are "holding firm," the director of operations for the division said today from his headquarters in Tikrit. (Video)"They are in the fight. They're doing what they're told. They're following their leaders," Army Brig. Gen. John Bednarek said."But more importantly, as we've known for years that they have that direct link and rapport with the citizens that the coalition forces do not have, they can get that immediate link, ... the human dimension, that information potentially leading to intelligence." Bednarek, the 25th Infantry Division's assistant division commander for operations, told reporters in Baghdad that the division's soldiers "have killed a heck of a lot of al Qaeda" in operations in western Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province. He said the division also has detained almost 100 al Qaeda members. U.S. and Iraqi forces are participating in Operation Arrowhead Ripper, designed to kill or capture a

Photo - Lt. Col. Joeseph Birchmeier (standing) commander 4-1 Brigade Special Troops Battalion, gives a briefing on the ongoing service projects in the Rashid District of Baghdad. One of the key aspects of fighting an insurgency is winning "hearts and minds." It works, if you study the history of such things. The alternative, brutal repression, Soviet or Saddam Hussein style is not the style of Americans despite what Michael Moore insists. I'll give references later. Reconstruction Advisory Team working with Iraqis in Baghdad Thursday, 14 June 2007 By Sgt. 1st Class Robert Timmons 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Public Affairs BAGHDAD — When President George W. Bush ordered troops to “surge” into Baghdad he was not just sending Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines, he was also sending little-known teams of reconstruction experts as well. One of those teams operates out of Forward Operating Base Falcon with the 4th “Dragon” Brigade

Coalition forces freed five captive Iraqis and detained six suspected terrorists during operations throughout Iraq today. Coalition forces freed five Iraqis who had been held captive and tortured by terrorists, targeting the building where the captives were held northeast of Karmah during continued operations to disrupt the al Qaeda network operating in the area. After a thorough search of the building, ground forces found a padlocked room. Inside were a boy who had been kidnapped and severely beaten with chains, cables and hoses, and four men who also showed signs of torture. The boy said the terrorists had hooked electrical wires to his tongue and shocked him. Coalition forces evacuated the five individuals and treated their injuries. The hostages indicated their captors were foreign fighters who spoke with different accents. The hostages will be turned over to their respective tribal leaders for repatriation. "The brutality and viciousness of these acts demonstrate the complete disr

Iraqis taking the lead in Basrah 21 May 2007 MNF-I Press Release BASRAH — In an upbeat assessment General Ali Hamadi, Head of the Basrah Emergency Security Committee, has voiced his growing confidence in the Province's security situation and the capability of the Iraqi Security Forces as they assume greater security responsibility and moves towards Provincial Iraqi Control. At a press conference held jointly with Brigadier Tim Evans MBE, Commander 19 Light Brigade, at General Hamadi's headquarters, the Provincial Joint Coordination Centre, in the centre of Basra City, General Hamadi praised the significant progress made to date, but admitted more needed to be done. "I will not say to you there is no corruption in the police. This depends on every individual within the Iraqi Police Service deciding he wants to do good,” said General Hamadi. “It is our duty to ensure we fight all the bad elements in society. We will see this matter continue to improve." The

ABU GHARIB PRISON PHOTOS [EXCLUSIVE]CAUTION: THESE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE NOT MEANT FOR CHILDREN.PARENTS ARE ADVISED TO KEEP THEIR WARDS AWAY FROM THIS VIEW.DAMASCUS, Syria: In the early hours of Jan. 6, Laith al-Ani stood in a jail near the Baghdad airport waiting to be released by the American military after two years and three months in captivity.He struggled to quell his hope. Other prisoners had gotten as far as the gate only to be brought back inside, he said, and he feared that would happen to him as punishment for letting his family discuss his case with a reporter.But as the morning light grew, the American guards moved Mr. Ani, a 31- year-old father of two young children, methodically toward freedom. They swapped his yellow prison suit for street clothes, he said. They snipped off his white plastic identification bracelet. They scanned his irises into their database.Then, shortly before 9 a.m., Mr. Ani said, he was brought to a table for one last step. He was handed a form and asked

I have already posted on this issue several times. It would infuriate me to think the Iraqi Parliament was going on a two month vacation while our kids are fighting and dying to buy them time to get their government up and running. I think this is one of the few times the Bush administration is actually ahead of the curve by taking pro-active action rather than just reacting as they usually do to the political SNAFU of the week. Hopefully they will heed Dick Cheneys words. ~RJHWashington Post story link Cheney Pushes Iraqis for Quick ActionOn a day when a massive suicide truck bomb attack killed at least 14 people in the generally peaceful city of Irbil, in Iraq's Kurdish north, Cheney pressed for movement on key political issues such as revising the constitution, passing legislation to manage oil revenue and fostering cooperation between Sunnis and Shiites, according to Iraqi officials."His message was really one of support for the government and also underlining the significanc

A new humanitarian crisis looms in the Middle East unless urgent measures are taken to assist four million Iraqis uprooted by the escalating violence, Amnesty International warned today.Already two million have fled to Syria and Jordan, another 1.9 million is displaced inside Iraq. (Full article)One month ago, WFP already raised the alarm flag in this appeal.Four million people is about same as the total population of Norway.The latest humanitarian news, you can find in the "News from the Other World" aggregator.Picture credit: IRINnews.

Iranian intelligence operatives have been training Iraqi fighters inside Iran on how to use and assemble deadly roadside bombs known as EFPs, the U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday. Commanders of a splinter group inside the Shiite Mahdi Army militia have told The Associated Press that there are as many as 4,000 members of their organization that were trained in Iran and that they have stockpiles of EFPs, a weapon that causes great uneasiness among U.S. forces here because they penetrate heavily armored vehicles. U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell would not say how many militia fighters had been trained in Iran but said that questioning of fighters captured as recently as this month confirmed many had been in Iranian training camps. "We know that they are being in fact manufactured and smuggled into this country, and we know that training does go on in Iran for people to learn how to assemble them and how to employ them. We know that training has gone on as recently

I regularly read Iraqi blogs and the opinions of Al-Sadr seem fairly uniform. His father was a very powerful cleric in Iraq and he has inherirted his power from the father rather than earning it on his own. Sounds rather like the Kennedys and Bush's doesn't? The Maliki government had given Al-Sadr control of the nations health ministry in exchange for supporting Maliki'a government. There have been numerous reports of ambulances being used to move and  deliver weapons, ammunition and militia throughout Iraq and hospitals being used as storage depots. Mahdi army death squads are said to roam freely in the hospitals and morgues and will torture and execute patients with impunity. At the start of the "Surge" Al Sadr is said to have fled to Iran to eascape capture. He has said through his followers that eh was consulting with supporters in Iran and has since returned to Iraq. That said he has however not been seen in public since leaving to Iran. Many Iraqi bloggers regard

The following is an except from a recent Reuters news service article.Sun Apr 8, 4:04 PM ET NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqis streamed to the holy southern city of Najaf on Sunday in response to a call by fiery Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr for a big anti-American protest on Monday.Sadr, who blames the U.S.-led invasion for Iraq's unrelenting violence, has urged Iraqis to protest on the fourth anniversary of the day American forces swept into central Baghdad. "In order to end the occupation, you will go out and demonstrate," Sadr, who accuses U.S. forces of deliberately fomenting civil strife in Iraq.Sadr, who has been keeping a low profile, called on his Mehdi Army militia and Iraqi security forces to stop fighting in the volatile city of Diwaniya and stop playing into the hands of U.S. forces who he said had stirred up civil strife. What largely began as a Sunni Arab insurgency against U.S. and Iraqi forces following the 2003 invasion of Iraq has since been tr

Those wacky Iraqis! So let's see...there was a magnet wrapped in bubble gum, a napkin and wires plus a polished rock? This guy had an odd assortment of objects shoved up his rectum (thats ass for you at Democratic Underground) and some wires dangling from his pants.  I wonder what his DU name is? ~RJH Daily Breeze news story link Iraqi national questioned over suspicious object at LAX Updated, 4 p.m.: A man with a half-inch magnet coiled in wire hidden inside his body draws a bomb-squad response and a terrorism investigation.By Doug IrvingStaff writerAn Iraqi national with a half-inch magnet coiled in wire hidden inside his body drew a bomb-squad response and a terrorism investigation Tuesday when he tried to pass through security at Los Angeles International Airport.Federal investigators later said the man, identified as 35-year-old Fadhel al-Maliki of New Jersey, appeared to pose no threat. He was being held and questioned by immigration officials because his green card may have ex

Those wacky Iraqis! This guy had an odd assortment of objects shoved up his rectum (thats ass for you at Democratic Underground) and some wires dangling from his pants. Well, I imagine that half of the lefty male audience in the blogosphere right now has similar items shoved up their rectums. I wonder what his DU name is? ~RJH Daily Breeze news story link Iraqi national questioned over suspicious object at LAX Updated, 4 p.m.: A man with a half-inch magnet coiled in wire hidden inside his body draws a bomb-squad response and a terrorism investigation.By Doug IrvingStaff writerAn Iraqi national with a half-inch magnet coiled in wire hidden inside his body drew a bomb-squad response and a terrorism investigation Tuesday when he tried to pass through security at Los Angeles International Airport.Federal investigators later said the man, identified as 35-year-old Fadhel al-Maliki of New Jersey, appeared to pose no threat. He was being held and questioned by immigration officials because hi

Having the Iraqi police trained properly is a major factor in helping stabilize Iraq, but couple of members from the Iraq Study Groups says the United States assigned the wrong agencies to do the training.  Lee Hamilton, former Rep. who co-chaired in the bipartisan commission, said “The police training system has not gone well,” and was joined in agreement by Edwin Meese III, also a member of the Iraq Study Group. The first agency assigned to training the police was the State Department, along with some private contractors, who, according to Hamilton and Meese, “did not have the expertise or the manpower to get the job done.”  Then in 2004 the Defense Department was assigned the task, but proved to be inadequately trained to do the task! Due to the lack of training, Iraq has hardly any street law enforcement and is drastically affecting the ability for Iraq to become a stabilized country.  Hamilton and Meese told the panel that “Long-term security depe

bush says iraqis fumbled saddam hangingbest fuckin' headline of of 07'. I don't care if we are just 5 minutes into the new year. it's absolutely genius. the only headline that could top that is, bush has been impeached (and) upon hearing the news, cheney emptied his bank accounts and fled to switzerland."WASHINGTON (Jan. 17) - President Bush said Tuesday the unruly execution of Saddam Hussein "looked like it was kind of a revenge killing," making it harder to persuade a skeptical U.S. public that Iraq 's government will keep promises central to Bush's plan for a troop increase.In his toughest assessment yet, Bush criticized the circumstances of Saddam's hanging last month, as well as Monday's execution of two top aides, including Saddam's half brother.I was disappointed and felt like they fumbled the -- particularly the Saddam Hussein execution, the president said in an interview with PBS' Jim Lehrer."I spose' it would've been less feeble if bush stripped sahdy and hired a

BUSH: “Iraqi People Owe Americans Huge Debt Of Gratitude” So when someone beats you until you can’t take anymore, kicks you a few more times, offers you a band-aid, and punches you a few more times, you should thank them for the band-aid?

The Video below is from January 30, 2005. It gives an excellent account of what went wrong in Iraq since the voting and the elections. It is by Iraqis about Iraqis. The idealism then. The hopes and fears. The reality. Its not propaganda. Its not government. It describes it all. (Video length about two (2) hours.)*Iraq Election News - Video*How It Was Iraq Elections 2005 Headlines

GENEVA - More than 4 million Iraqis have now been displaced by violence in the country, the U.N. refugee agency said Tuesday, warning that the figure will continue to rise.China exporter gsm alarm Export agent in yiwu The number of Iraqis who have fled the country as refugees has risen to 2.2 million, said Jennifer Pagonis, spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. A further 2 million have been driven from their homes but remain within the country, increasingly in “impoverished shanty towns,” she said. Pagonis said UNHCR is receiving “disturbing reports” of regional authorities doing little to provide displaced people with food, shelter and other basic services. “Individual governorates inside Iraq are becoming overwhelmed by the needs of the displaced,” Pagonis told reporters in Geneva, where UNHCR has its headquarters. More than half of Iraq’s 18 governorates are preventing displaced people from entering their territories, eit