I'm not minimizing that, I am dealing with what is known other than speculated. A conflict is known. Over public decorations. In Bartela.
And on the known issue, a few e-mails this week came in asking about the protests against Iran in scattered parts of Iraq. Some press reports had small groups of Iraqis protesting Iran over the alleged seizure of an Iraqi oil field by Iran. First, the seizure has still not been established. Second, who are these people protesting? They're people that have little information. If it's a sign of Iraqi national spirit some might see that as a good thing (that's not the angle the press reports took). But who are these people? I don't know. I know the US occupies Iraq. I know the US wants war with Iran. I know there are many collaborators with the US in Iraq. Were those demonstrations genuine or staged for the occupying power (the US)? I have no idea. I wasn't interested in the story for that reason and because it's still not known what happened with the oil field.
Here's what else is known, the Iraq War continues.
That's Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "A Bully Boy and Pelosi Christmas" from December 16, 2007. Democrats controlled both houses of Congress. They got control by promising to end the Iraq War. And they didn't. The Iraq War continues because of 'bi-partisanship'. Don't forget it. Don't forget that it's been one lie after another from the Democratic leadership of 'give us this and we will end the war.' America's given them control of both house of Congress. America's given them even more control in the 2008 elections and they gave the White House to the Democrats as well. And yet the Iraq War continues. Once upon a time, 2005 and 2006, alleged 'leaders' of the peace movement insisted the Iraq War had to end now. Then they got Barry O in the White House and didn't give a damn anymore.
The Iraq War continues. Reuters notes a Rabia suicide bomber took his/her own life and claimed the life of 1 Peshmerga soldier (fourteen more injured), a Mosul bombing claimed the life of 1 person and left another injured, 1 woman's corpse was discovered in Mosul, a Mosul clash between Iraqi police and Shabaks resulted in four people being wounded when the police opened fire, and, dropping back to yesterday for all that follows, 3 census takers were shot dead in Mosul, 1 Sahwa was shot dead in Shirqat (two more injured), 1 employee of the Ministry of Electricity was shot dead in Kirkuk and 1 Kerbala roadside bombing left four people injured.
Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan is not slowly waking up to realities about Barack. At Third we do a thing each week where we pick at least one "Truest statement of the week." Cindy's had more than anyone else this year because she has repeatedly and consistently spoken truthfully. When others crawled, Cindy stood. Mike Whitney has an interview with her at Information Clearing House:
MW---Here's a poem by an Iraqi blogger named Layla Anwar, which pretty well sums up the anger and anguish felt by many Iraqis:
"Come and see our overflowing morgues and find our little ones for us...
You may find them in this corner or the other, a little hand poking out, pointing out at you...
Come and search for them in the rubble of your 'surgical' air raids, you may find a little leg or a little head...
pleading for your attention.
Come and see them amassed in the garbage dumps, scavenging morsels of food...
Come and see, come..."
("Flying Kites" Layla Anwar)
How important to you is it that the people who are responsible for the destruction of Iraq and the slaughtering of over 1 million Iraqis be brought to justice?
Cindy Sheehan---In my opinion, accountability for war crimes committed on the people of Iraq/Afghanistan and, now Pakistan, is imperative.The US has been committing war crimes for at least the last 100 years (off the continent) and none of our leaders have ever been held accountable and that's one of the reasons that the empire is able to keep rolling. I also believe that the way to the rest of the world's heart is for American leaders to be held accountable.
MW--- The senate just passed the $636 billion Pentagon budget on Friday which extends the controversial US Patriot Act. Obama is expected to sign the bill sometime this week. Why is America trying to trying to "liberate" Iraq and Afghanistan, when it is spying on its people at home?
Cindy Sheehan---First of all, "liberation" was not a goal of the invasions. We, the gullible, were told that we were going into Afghanistan to get Osama and Iraq because Saddam had WMD and a connection to al Qaeda. When those rationales were proven false, we were then told that it was to liberate the people. Now in Afghanistan, we are told we are "protecting the women."The phony war on terror has been used to steal our liberties in a full-frontal assault since 9-11 and Obama voted to reauthorize the USA PATRIOT ACT when he was a Senator, and voted for the FISA modernization act, which gave broad authority to the government to spy on our electronic communications and gave telecom companies immunity.I not only see this as passive stealing of our liberties, but the United Police States of America is increasing in physical oppression, also. I'll be interested to see how the Police State will handle my new action: Peace of the Action.
MW---You know a lot of people across the country. What's the mood among Obama supporters? Have they thrown in the towel already or do they still think he'll turn out to be the leader they hoped he would be?
Cindy Sheehan---I lost a lot of friends when B.O. became president and it was a lonely 6 months after he was elected. I wrote a new book called Myth America (short title) and I started to travel around the country in April doing book events. For the first time since my activism started, people walked out on my presentations because I was telling them that it was the system--not the person who infests the White House. However, by the end of my book tour in August, the crowds were growing and more enthusiastic and less gaga-eyed over Obama.Then I started touring again in September and the discontent is growing. I am happy about that.The ones that upset me the most are the so-called leaders of the "progressive" movement like Tom Hayden, CODEPINK and Michael Moore who very enthusiastically endorsed, worked for, voted for, and raised money for Obama, and NOW are beginning to speak out against his carnage, when in fact, Obama has always been very pro-war. Once the horse is out of the barn, it's hard to get him back in. The movement should never have given him a "chance." Things are so much worse in foreign policy almost a year into his regime.
Our own Mike will be posting today (he hopes to do a post this morning and one in the evening). Ruth is planning to do a post here tonight. If the news out of Iraq picks up (there's little right now) and necessitates a snapshot, I'll do one. If do one, all the community sites that normally post on Fridays are planning to post.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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