Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Today's violence results in at least 11 dead, 30 wounded

**** ADDED SECTION STARRED and added at 7:59 am (9-8-09). Today the US military announced: "A Multi-National Corps – Iraq servicemember was killed today when an improvised explosive device targeting the patrol detonated in southern Baghdad at approximately 10: 30 a.m. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense. The names of servicemembers are announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/ The announcements are made on the Web site no earlier than 24 hours after notification of the servicemember’s primary next of kin. The incident is under investigation." That's one. There are three more deaths of US service members. Sinan Aalaheddin (AP) reports, "Roadside bombs killed four U.S. soldiers in Iraq on Tuesday, the military said, in the deadliest day for American troops in the country in weeks, as a series of bomb attacks along roads claimed eight Iraqi lives." ICCC has been down since Wednesday. It is still down. Sunday the number of US service members killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war should have been 4338. It should now be 4342 unless we've missed a death. We haven't missed any announcements by MNF; however, they don't always remember to announce. If DoD has covered a death that MNF never announced, then our estimate is off. **********

BBC News reports an Amirli roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police chief and four police officers today while one in Baghdad claimed the life of 1 "health ministry employee" with four others left injured. This follows Monday's reports when 26 people were reported dead and 44 injured and the two incidents aren't the only reports of violence.

Reuters notes a Mosul roadside bombing which claimed 1 life, a Mosul bombing which claimed 1 life and left another person injured (police label the two 'insurgents'), a Daquoq roadside bombing which claimed the lives of 2 police officers (three more injured), a Tikrit roadside bombing wounded two bodyguards for Salahuddin Province's Deputy Governor Ahmed Abdul-Jebbar (Abdul-Jebbar was with them but wasn't injured), a Tuz Khurmato roadside bombing which claimed the lives of 4 police officer (three wounded), a second Tuz Khurmato roadside bombing which left one person injured, a Baquba sticky bombing which wounded two people (one a police officer), a Baghdad roadside bombing which wounded eight people (four were police officers), another Baghdad roadside bombing which left two police officers injured, and 1 Iraqi soldier shot dead at a military checkpoint in Mosul.

Bruce Finley's "Iraq-born doctor hopes to help Kurdish women become a force for life" (Denver Post) explores efforts by local Dr. David Kazzaz to do humanitarian work in Iraq:

Kazzaz recently flew from Denver to Irbil, in relatively calm northern Iraq, leading a delegation of 22 women who launched a "World's Women for Life" cultural campaign to help Kurdish women.
His idea: Women in conflict-ridden countries can, by embracing a life-affirming approach to conflict, counterbalance the celebration of martyrdom that terrorists exploit.
"Women are the movers," Kazzaz said. "They can recruit their men."
Kurdish regional government officials hosted Kazzaz and his group. A retired psychiatrist associated with University of Denver's Institute for the Study of Israel in the Middle East, Kazzaz left Iraq in 1950 and, after time in Israel, moved to Denver in 1954.
Last month in northern Iraq, several hundred Kurds showed up at the initial "World's Women For Life" gatherings.
A board was set up that includes Kazzaz and several Christians from Colorado Springs. It plans to open a community center, offer therapy for widows, pursue two-way education exchanges, and advocate "culture of life" ideals of nurturing and regeneration.

Meanwhile there's news regarding the kidnapped British citizens. To recap, May 29, 2007, Alec Maclachlan, Jason Crewswell, Alan McMenemy, Peter Moore and Jason Swindelhurst were kidnapped in Baghdad. Both Jasons are confirmed dead. At the end of July, the British government stated they believed Alec Maclachlan and Alan McMenemy were dead. The families remained hopeful. Last Wednesday a third British corpse was turned over and Thursday it was announced it was Alec's. That leaves Alan McMenemy and Peter Moore unaccounted for. (The three corpses were turned over by the League of Righteous after the US military released the group's leader and the leader's brother -- a deal was made. Not a very good deal obviously.)

Tom Pettifor (Daily Mirror) reports Peter Moore's mother Avril Sweeney feels the kidnapping was an inside job (press reports in England have maintained the same for over a month now) and explains her son "was working on a computer system which could have tracked billions in stolen aid and oil money." She points out the League of Righteous (Asaib al-Haq) sent firty people dressed in police uniforms and driving 19 Land Cruisers to kidnap all five. She states:

The cat's out of the bag. All evidence shows the men who took my son had help from the Iraqi Government. I will leave no stone unturned. I'm a normal working woman but I can't sit quietly waiting any more. I gave Peter life and I'll fight to the end to save that life.

On the subject of Iraqi government involvement, press reports have linked the League of Righteous to both Nouri al-Malik and Ahmed Chalabi. Last week, Hannah Allem's "Chalabi aide: I went from White House to secret U.S. prisoner" (McClatchy Newspapers) backed up Eli Lake's earlier "EXCLUSIVE: Iraqi official's top aide linked to Shi'ite terrorists" (Washington Times) which reported that Ahmed Chalabi's secretary Ali Feisal al Lami had ties to the League of Rightous. While briefly imprisoned, Lami brags in Allem's article, he encountered his old friend, leader of the League of Righteous, "I asked him, 'So, Sheikh Qais, which is better: your military way or my political way?' He said, 'It's all the same. We're both in prison.' He was right and I was wrong."

BBC News reports that Alec Maclachlan's body arrived in the United King yesterday.

We'll close with this from Nadeem Majeed "Iraq's once-vibrant arts scene looks for revival" (USA Today):

Despite harsh sanctions against the Iraqi government and the despotic rule of Saddam Hussein, Iraq had a vibrant arts scene in the years leading up to the war. Private galleries along the Tigris River regularly displayed artists' works, and the famous Mutanabi Street filled with booksellers did brisk business.
But with the U.S. invasion in March 2003, Iraq's cultural identity also came under fierce attack. After the fall of Saddam, looters raided the Iraqi National Museum, stealing thousands of precious artifacts -- some dating back thousands of years.
By the end of 2006, most of the galleries along the Tigris were shuttered, and gallery owners put their most valuable work in storage. And in March 2007, the stretch of bookstores on Mutanabi Street was destroyed by a massive truck bomb that killed 38 people. It took nearly two years to rebuild the shops.
Qasim Sabti, a well-regarded Iraqi painter, says the situation has improved, but Iraq's arts scene remains in disarray. Many of his colleagues fled to Europe and elsewhere in the Middle East during the worst of the fighting. Few have returned.
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has urged Iraqi refugees to return home, but Sabti says there is little reason to come back to Baghdad.
"I wonder what it is the artists would be coming back for," Sabti says in an interview at Hiwar Gallery in Baghdad. "Will they come back for the unemployment? Or death? Or for the lack … of general services, such as electricity and water?"

Kat's "Kat's Korner: Cass Elliot's buried classic surfaces" went up yesterday and
Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Barack Prepares To Talk To The Kids" went up Sunday. Mike posted yesterday at his site with "Labor Day post."



This is Not Human Nature from Displaced Films on Vimeo<

On the video above, we noted this yesterday David Zeiger, Director of Sir! No Sir! and Bestor Cram, Director of Unfinished Symphony note:

Episode Five: This is Not Human Nature available now. Click here
This Is Where We Take Our Stand discussed in a New York Times piece on the antiwar movement and Afghanistan. Click here
Episode Five of the ground breaking web series, This is Where We Take Our Stand, is now live at http://www. thisiswherewetakeourstand.com.
"This is Not Human Nature" tells the story of the Iraq Veterans Against the War members' struggle to bring hundreds of veterans to Washington, DC, to tell their stories and reveal the true nature of these occupations. If you've watched the first four episodes, you won't want to miss this one.
And if you haven't, WATCH THEM.
This is Where We Take Our Stand is a series that can and should help push the debate about these wars back on to the table. Experience the series, send this email to everyone you know, and spread the word!
This is Not Human Nature: For the first time in history, women have combat and other front-line roles in the U.S. military, yet the military today is rife with sexual harassment, as Wendy Barranco reveals. Is this progress? Is it inevitable? Human nature? Or perhaps it's the sign of a deeper malignancy. For Wendy, her treatment was "the last thing I would have imagined from my own peers and comrades."
This is Where We Take Our Stand, the series that tells the riveting and timely story of the hundreds of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who testified at last year's Winter Soldier investigation, continues today. Watch episode five, tell friends, forward this email, spread the word and fan the debate. These stories must be heard.
Stay tuned for the final episode:
Episode Six: No Longer a Monster will launch September 20, 2009.
Spread the link and mark your calendar!


The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.













the washington times
eli lake


Posted by at