Saturday, September 12, 2009

11 reported dead, 27 wounded in Iraq

In the open desert outside Baiji, Iraq, a naked man with a thick black beard crouched in the dust of a railroad culvert at twilight. Hours before, he had been mumbling and praying in Arabic. Now he spoke few words. Army 1st Lt. Michael Behenna stood over him in the grainy darkness, his Glock pistol racked and pointed down at him.
"If you don't talk, I will kill you," Behenna said.


The above is the opening to Joe Mozingo's indepth "A deadly interrogation in Iraq" (Los Angeles Times) exploring how an Iraqi in US custody ended up dead, his body disposed in a gulley or culvert. Before that the man will repeatedly protest his innocence only to end up shot dead while in US custody. The report is part-one and the paper will run part-two tomorrow.

Meanwhile Jordan Shay was buired today. He died last week in Iraq bombing. Kathy McCabe (Boston Globe) reports that among the hundreds at his funeral today included US Senator John Kerry and the state's governor, Deval Patrick. Holly Shay, his mother, is qutoed stating, "I am heartbroken Jordan is no longer on this earth. He was and is everything to his family." Jordan Shay is among 6 US service members who have died in Iraq so far this month. Thomas Lyons was killed in Iraq this week. Jenna Flint, his mother, notifies the Reno Gazette-Journal that he will be buried Tuesday "at noon at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetry, 14 Veterans Way in Fenley" and that the public viewing will be an hour before "at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 155 U.S. 95A in Fenley". His mother is quoted stating, "I have been asked how I would like Thomas to be remembered, and I would like to quote fellow soldier (rank unknown) John Emery, 'He put everyone above himself.' He always bringens up your day with his (presence). Also he did what he thought was right and not what was popular, regardless of who agreed with him." Yesterday, Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' office issued the following statement:

Governor Jim Gibbons has ordered flags at the Capitol Complex to be flown at half staff on Tuesday September 15, 2009 in honor of United States Army Pfc. Thomas Lyons. Lyons was killed when an enemy explosion hit the truck he was riding in. He was participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom when the incident happened in southern Baghdad. Two other U.S. soldiers also died in the attack. Pfc. Lyons was assigned to the 545th Military Police Company, Arctic Military Police Battalion, U.S. Army, Alaska, Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Pfc. Lyons grew up in Carson City and Fernley. His mother and step-father live in Fernley. His funeral and memorial service is scheduled for Tuesday September 15, 2009 in Fernley. Pfc. Lyons will be buried with military honors at the Northern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Fernley. He was 20 years old. Pfc. Lyons was married to Delvin Lyons, also an active duty soldier. The young couple has a 3-month old son.
"My deepest sorrow is with the family and friends of Thomas Lyons," Governor Gibbons said, "We must always remember the sacrifices made by Private First Class Lyons and others who have given up their lives to protect our freedom."


Violence continues today in Iraq.

Bombings?

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing which left two police officers injured, two Baghdad bombings (one after the other) which claimed 3 lives and left fifteen injured, a Baghdad sticky bombing which claimed 1 life and left another person wounded, a second Baghdad sticky bombing which left five people injured, a Muqdadiyah sticky bombing targeting Sahwa leader Ahmed al-Zheri which claimed his life and 3 other adults (two were women), a Mosul roadside bombing which claimed the life of 1 police officer and a Mousl roadside bombing which left two Iraqi service members wounded. Reuters states the attack on Ahmed al-Zheri killed him and two women but maintains it also killed "two children in the car" (and says nothing about another male adult).

Shootings?

Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports an armed clash in Mosul in which two Iraqi security forces were injured and then drops back to Friday to note an attack on a Kirkuk military checkpoint which resulted in 5 soldiers being shot dead (two of which were then burned by assailants).

Turning to Camp Ashraf which is made up of Iranian dissidents belonging to the MEK who were given sanctuary by Saddam Hussein and have remained in Iraq for decades. Following the US invasion, the US military provided security for them and the US government labeled them "protected persons" under Geneva. Though Nouri 'promised' he wouldn't move against Camp Ashraf, but July 28th he launched an assault. Yesterday Amnesty International released the following:

Amnesty International has written to the Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki expressing its deep concern about killings and other abuses committed by Iraqi security forces at Camp Ashraf this summer.
On 28-29 July a large number of Iraqi security personnel seized control of Camp Ashraf in Iraq's Diyala province, north of Baghdad, a settlement that has been home to some 3,400 Iranian exiles for over 20 years. At least nine camp residents were shot dead and others sustained serious injuries during the storming of the camp, during which vehicles were driven into crowds of protesting residents and live ammunition used, apparently without adequate justification. Since July, 36 camp residents have been held without charge or trial.
In response, fears for the thousands of Iranian nationals - many with a long history of political opposition to the government of neighbouring Iran - have been raised by numerous supporters around the world. There have been protests around the world, including a long-running vigil and hunger strike outside the US embassy in London. Protestors say the withdrawal of US forces to military bases in Iraq earlier this year has left Camp Ashraf residents newly vulnerable to Iraqi security forces, a concern shared by Amnesty.
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:
'There are numerous reports - including shocking images - of the Iraq security forces using what appears to be grossly excessive force in their seizure of Camp Ashraf and this must be properly investigated. So must reports that detainees have been abused in detention
'The fear now is that Iraq may force Camp Ashraf residents to return to Iran, where they could face imprisonment or torture. No vulnerable residents of Camp Ashraf must face this fate.'
Amnesty has made clear to both the Iraqi and US governments that it strongly opposes any forcible returns, either of those at Camp Ashraf or of other Iranian nationals who currently reside in Iraq having left Iran for political reasons or to escape persecution. In its letter to prime minister al-Maliki, Amnesty urges him to immediately establish a full and independent investigation into the methods used by Iraqi security forces during the Camp Ashraf operation, making its findings public as soon as possible. Amnesty also urged him to ensure that members of the security forces and other officials found responsible for using excessive force and of committing serious human rights violations are immediately suspended from duty and promptly brought to justice.
Meanwhile Amnesty has expressed particular concern over the fate of the 36 detained men, not least as there are allegations that they have been beaten and otherwise ill-treated. They are currently held at a police station in al-Khalis - a town some 15 miles from Camp Ashraf -- where they are reported to be in poor health and to be maintaining a hunger strike in protest at their detention and ill-treatment.
On 24 August an Iraqi investigative judge ordered the release of the 36 on the grounds that they had no charges to answer, but local police refused to release them, in breach of Iraqi law. A public prosecutor in Baquba, Diyala province, is then reported to have appealed against the investigative judge's release order, apparently as a means of justifying their continued detention, and the appeal is now awaiting determination by the Court of Cassation.
In its letter Amnesty urged the Iraq prime minister to intervene and ensure that the 36 detainees are released immediately and unconditionally unless they are to face recognisably criminal charges and brought to trial fairly and promptly. Amnesty also urged Mr al-Maliki to order an investigation into the failure by police at al-Khalis to comply with the judge's order for the release of the 36 and to ensure that any police officers responsible for unlawful detentions are held to account.

Tim Cocks (Reuters) reports that "a six-week-old under strike" continues at Camp Ashraf as a result of the 36 residents who were hauled away and imprisoned by Nouri's forces:

PMOI spokesman Shahriar Kia, speaking by phone from the camp, said the 36 exiles arrested on rioting charges after the clashes were expected to go on trial on Sunday. They were on hunger strike along with "hundreds" of other camp residents.
The PMOI is fighting the Shi'ite-led government's plan to close Ashraf and send the exiles to
Iran or a third country. Iran, Iraq and the United States consider the PMOI a terrorist organization.
Iraqi officials have not said when it might evict them.

Camp resident Mahkrokh Ghaffari, 47, said she had been on hunger strike for 46 days, only drinking water. She had been given intravenous solution, she said.

Actually, some of Nouri's spokesmodels stated in the days after the assault that the MEK would be forced out of Iraq in 30 days. 30 days have come and past but Nouri's never been good at time tables.

Demonstrations continue around the world for the residents of Camp Ashraf. The hunger strikes in London have garnered some attention. Gaelle Faure (Time magazine) covers it and we'll note the conclusion of that article:

In London, the protesters say that if one of them dies, others will replace them. "I will continue my hunger strike until my family and friends are protected," says Khalil Abadi, a middle-aged man speaking breathlessly as he hangs on to a podium to address supporters on his 44th day without food. Someone helps him walk slowly back to his cot, and he lies down again, facing the U.S. embassy. Whether or not the strikers continue to go hungry, Camp Ashraf's fate depends on who has more influence on Iraq: the U.S. or Iran. And that's a contest the U.S. would be loath to lose.

From Cindy Sheehan's website, this is the Delcaration to the International People's Declaration of Peace:


We the undersigned responsible citizens of this planet declare:

We will recognize, first and foremost, the intrinsic value of each and every human being;

We will recognize that even though we are individuals with both unique talents and needs, we are also one in the community of humanity;

We will vigorously proclaim that no
person is better than any other person irrespective of: race, religion, occupation, income level, gender, marital status, age, or national origin;

We will not allow ourselves, or our children, to enlist in, or be forcibly conscripted into our nation’s armed services recognizing this is never an option whether it is for economic reasons or false patriotic fervor.

We will remove ourselves as far as ideologically possible from our governments when war is proposed, or promulgated;

We will actively protest against wars, violence or economic oppression no matter
who, or what, governs our nations;

We will not allow the fruits of our labor to be used by our governments to finance wars;

We will boycott news sources that promote war and not buy into the culture of violence that is promoted by certain movies, video games and other popular culture;

We will boycott products and/or services from companies that profit from war and to the greatest extent as possible, we will not work for companies that profit from war;

We will proclaim to our nations, families, friends, co-workers, neighbors and strangers that using violence to solve problems is infantile and barbaric and we will not use violence in our own lives and we will teach our children peaceful conflict resolution.




Two more things. As Mike noted, Carly Simon and her children Ben and Sally Taylor performed "Let the River Run" (link YouTube video). Caro (MakeThemAccountable) notes Alex Bolton's reporting for The Hill: "Warren Buffett, the renowned investor and the world’s second richest man, told Senate Democrats that wealthy Americans need to pay higher taxes, giving Democrats something to mull as they address healthcare reform and soaring federal deficits."
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.


















Schools, missing persons and strip-searches

Iraqi parents who're fed up with corrupt teachers and neglected public schools are sending their kids to a place that Saddam Hussein banned: private school.
Six years ago, before the U.S.-led invasion ousted Saddam's dictatorship, the country didn't have a single private school. Over the past two years, the number has more than doubled, from 66 to 175.
That trend says as much about diminishing respect for Iraq's public education system as it does about Iraqis' growing enthusiasm for the new schools, which usually open in rented homes.
Parents see corruption on a small scale, such as when teachers nudge families to send their children to after-school classes, for a price.


The above is from Sahar Issa's "Another legacy of war: Iraqis losing faith in public schools" (McClatchy Newspapers) and, as McClatchy has previously reported, the corruption includes government officials demanding their children receive passing grades -- demanding and issuing threats. There are allegations that the Education Ministry isn't exercising appropriate controls over the finances and the country has an school shortage (estimated to be 4,500 schools short of what's needed). Meanwhile McClatchy's Adam Ashton reports on Shadia Abdulbaki who apparently survived the August 19th Foreign Ministry bombing and has now vanished after being led to a police checkpoint immediately after the bombing. Considering what's been reported regarding checkpoints in Iraq, probably taking a dazed woman there wasn't the smartest thing to do. Probably taking her there and leaving her there wasn't a smart thing to do. Or has everyone missed the violence at the checkpoints manned by Iraqis? It's not just the border checkpoints that have led to reports of sexual assaults. First place to start looking would be with the police officer who says he took her to a police chekpoint. Second place would be the homes of those working that checkpoint. A woman or man 'dazed' by a bombing before them needs medical attention. They don't need to be dropped off at a police checkpoint.

And sexual assault is not limited to Iraq by any means. It runs rampant in the US. Jeremy Pawloski (McClatchy's The Olympian) reports, "Three women who were arrested during anti-Iraq War protests at the Port of Olympia in November 2007 have sued the city of Olympia, alleging they were told to disrobe to their underwear during searches at the city jail, exposing their breasts to men."


From Cindy Sheehan's website, this is the Preamble to the International People's Declaration of Peace:

We the undersigned, as responsible citizens of this planet, hereby recognize the immediate universal need for sustained “security through peace” for present and future generations of the human family.

In order that we all may live and prosper in dignity, we recognize the need for a genuine worldwide grassroots commitment by all humans to break the dehumanizing chains of the inherent savagery of militarism, of economic exploitation, of slaveries, of torture, of killing, and of all aspects of the culture of war and brutality that threatens survival of civilization on this planet.

We recognize that the present geo-political paradigm is systemically incapable of delivering us from the merchants of war and exploitation; and void of offering positive, alternative solutions. Thus we come together, as responsible citizens of this planet, to declare peace and work together as brothers and sisters for our collective freedom now.

May this Declaration of Peace be the spark for this manifest of commitment as initially discussed amongst citizens of this planet upon the sailing vessel, the Mass Transit, in Martha's Vineyard, on August 27th, 2009.

Cindy Sheehan's upcoming actions and appearances include the following:

DALLAS, TEXAS

SEPTEMBER 19TH

10 AM: ACTION IN FRONT OF GEORGE BUSH'S DALLAS HOME

(More info TBA)

RATIONAL RADIO FORUM (WITH THOM HARTMANN)

2PM AT LAKEWOOD THEATER

CONTACT RICH HANCOCK FOR MORE INFO

RICH@RATIONALRADIO.ORG

PITTSBURGH

SEPTEMBER 22-26

G20 PROTESTS.

FOR MORE INFO GO TO:

WWW.BAILOUTPEOPLE.ORG

ST. LOUIS

October 2nd

more info TBA


WASHINGTON DC

OCTOBER 4-6

MORE INFO TBA


The following community sites updated since yesterday morning:



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oh boy it never ends

Friday, September 11, 2009

Iraq snapshot

Friday, September 11, 2009.  Chaos and violence continue, a prison riot at Abu Ghraib, Iraqi soldiers are shot dead, a new appeal for Camp Ashraf, can President Obama bypass the Senate on agreements with Iraq, and more.
 
 
On the second hour of NPR's The Diane Rehm Show today, Iraq was discussed.  Steve Roberts filled in for Diane Rehm (who tripped a few Thursdays ago and expects to be back on Monday's program and will be on Saturday's Weekend Edition speaking with Scott Simon) and spoke with panelists Karen DeYoung (Washington Post), Abderrahim Foukara (Al Jazeera) and Susan Glasser (Foreign Policy).
 
Steve Roberts: Karen, next door [to Iran], Iraq continues, almost every week we have to talk about it. This week in Iraq, a blast in the northern provinces, 25 or so people killed.  This is an area of-of a lot of ethnic strife, Kurds, Turkmens, Arabs. What do we know about the security situation in-in Iraq and the potential for widening civil strife there?
 
Karen DeYoung: It's interesting that as these -- as these things have happened and there have been several big explosions, certainly starting from the August 19th suicide attack against the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad, the Americans have gone out of their way in each instance to say, "Gosh this is too bad but we don't think it's a return to sectarian strife. We think things are proceeding as they should, we are leaving on schedule, if not before we are scheduled to leave." And you saw Ambassador Chris Hill, the US ambassador to Baghdad, was on Capital Hill yesterday testifying in the Senate and in the House and saying, "Look, you know" essentially saying, "this is growing pains. The Iraqis have to learn how to deal with these things themselves and they will learn by doing it."
 
Steve Roberts: I'm Steve Roberts and you're listening to The Diane Rehm Show.  But in his (Hill's) testimony, the subtext clearly was drawing a very clear distinction between Iraq and Afghanistan.  They continually say Iraq is-is not vital to national security in just -- in the way that Afghanistan remains.
 
Karen DeYoung: Well he was saying Look we have an ongoing interest in a partnership with Iraq.  Iraq will -- You know we have this Strategic Framework Agreement that-that has levels of economic cooperation, cultural cooperation and some ongoing military cooperation, certainly in terms of training and-and other kinds of assistance. But that we are not -- we think in terms of the insurgency, that's Iraq's problem now and we're leaving it for them to deal with."  Obviously, they still have problems in the north and that is the primary concern both on a military level, an economic level and a governance level  The difficulties between the Kurds in the north and the -- and the Arabs and the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.  
 
Let's use Karen's remarks to jump back to that hearing already covered in yesterday's snapshot.  Last night, Kat shared her thoughts on the hearing and she also noted that I didn't do transcript format to cover as much of the two hearings as possible.  Today we're going to zoom in on a few specific moments from the Senate Foreign Affairs hearing.  First up, a few e-mails wonder if John Kerry was clear that Hill should summarize?  Kerry is the chair of the committee and he was very clear in his instructions and Hill agreed to do what was asked and then went on to ignore what was requested of him.
 
Chris Hill: Thank you very much, uh Chairman Kerry, I would like to uhm -- I have a statement which I would like to --
 
John Kerry: We'll put the full statement in the record as if read in full and if you'd summarize that would give us more time to have a good dialogue.  Thanks.
 
Chris Hill: Very good.
 
Is that not clear?  Does any adult have trouble following what Kerry requested?  Hill responded "Very good" and nodded.  So presumably he understood what he was asked to do.  He was asked to summarize his statement.  The next words out of his mouth were, "Chairman Kerry, Senator Lugar, Members of . . ."  and you can [PDF format warning] click here for the written statement he prepared ahead of time and you will see -- surprise, surprise, as Carol Burnett's Eunice used to say -- it starts the same way.  In fact, 14 pages will be read word for word with the exception of when Hill loses his place.  14 pages.  At which point, he will finally notice Kerry's displeasure and begin summarizing the last five pages.  He will take approximately 11 minutes with the bulk of it (10 minutes) being spent reading word-for-word before he rushes to sum up the last five pages in one minute.
 
John Kerry: Mr. Ambassador, you also talked about the issue of reform in Iraq and, you know, we've been sitting on this committee listening to this talk I mean I can remember Secretary [Condi] Rice down in the lower building, lower room of the Dirksen, testifying to us in January three or four years ago saying the oil law's almost done, we're moving forward on this and that, etc, etc.  We are at least three or four years later now and still those contentious issues remain contentious.  Share with us, I mean, it seems those may be the explosion point also in the absence of an American presence.  Would you lend your view on that and on the prospect of actually resolving these --
 
Chris Hill: Well first of all, I'd like to say that I think getting the economy there operating -- namely getting oil uh starting to-to-to be pumped out of the ground -- is essential to the future of that country and, frankly, we cannot be uh funding uh things that should be funded by the Iraqis and would be funded if they - if they were able to move on the oil sector.  Uh with regard to the hydrocarbons law, I went out there with the expectation that we would move on that but I know -- you know -- it was held up -- it's been held up for three or four years.  I have really worked that issue. We have tried to break it down, find out where the real differences are between the Kurdish government and the uh Iraqi government.  It's a complex piece of legislation actually involving four separate pieces of legislation having to do with revenue sharing, having to do with institution building, uh having to do with uh how the ministry would operate and I think realistically speaking it will probably not get done before the January elections. So our concern has been we cannot have Iraq's future held up or-or simply held hostage to this one piece of legislation.  Therefore we were pleased that the Iraqis did move ahead with the beginning of something they hadn't done for decades and decades and that is begin the process of-of bidding oil fields to foreign concerns.  They didn't do it during Saddam, they didn't even do it pre-Saddam. So they have begun that.  They began it in June.  One of the --
 
John Kerry: That's all well and good but if all those revenues, if all those revenues are piling up in even greater amounts without some distribution mechanism --
 
Chris Hill: Well there is a distribution mechanism the 17% is basically -- is agreed to by all sides. So even when the -- when they -- on the Kurdish Regional Government when they were able to export some oil with an agreement with Baghdad, they did it under the provision of seven -- seventeen percent.  So I think these things can-can be properly distributed.  The issue is in the -- I won't say "long run" but certainly in the medium run they're going to need this law because the issues go to things like infrastructure.  Iraq's oil sector is very much in trouble with very aging infrastructure.  They have to have agreements no how they're going to pay for Is that the responsibility of local authorities?  There are other issues having to do with the uh southern part of-of Iraq and there own regional concerns So I think they can deal with some of the key elements but it would be better if they dealt with the hydrocarbon law. I'm giving you my sense of the situation and I don't think we're going to get there before January. And therefore we really want to focus on getting them to bid out these fields because British-Petroleum in there is a good development.
 
John Kerry: Mr. Ambassador, Syria and Iraq had indicated a willingness to try to cooperate on the borders and deal with the foreign fighter issue which is very much in our interest and we've been pushing that on both sides.  But the bombings on August 19th have now seen, you know sort of an explosion between the two countries, they've pulled their ambassadors and uh traded recriminations so where do we stand on that? What if anything can be done to end that?  Will Turkish mediation make a difference? Is that the thing that we should be advocating at this point?  And what do you think is the process for getting back to the place that we'd hoped to be.
 
Chris Hill: Well, I uh think we would like to see Iraq and uh Syria have a good relationship and it was rather ironic that on August 18th -- that is one day before the bombing --  Prime Minister [Nouri al-] Maliki was in Damascus and they signed a number of economic agreements.  Uh, obviously, things are -- things are in a difficult state and things are frankly on hold right now through this uh, through this uh down turn n the relationship.  The Iraqis are very concerned about the fact that some senior Ba'athist leaders went and found refuge in Syria and remain in Syria. And the Iraqis have understandably called for their return to-to Iraq. That issue needs to be, frankly, needs to be worked through.
 
We'll stop on that section -- and note British Petroleum is not "in there" on its own, it formed a partnership with China National Petroleum Corporation.  On the subject of Iraq and Syria, Muhanad Mohammed, Khalid al-Ansary, Tim Cocks and Elizabeth Fullerton (Reuters) report Nouri's spokesmodel Ali al-Dabbagh declared today, "It is premature to talk about the return of the ambassadors before Iraq sees seriousness from the Syrian side and the political will to implement the demands of Iraqis."  Today's exchange is only the latest volley. Syria continues to demand proof before extraditing anyone.
 
 
We'll pick back up on yesterday's Senate Foreign Affairs Committee with Senator Russ Feingold.
 
Senator Russ Feingold: I'm extremely pleased that we finally have a time table for ending our involvement in the war in Iraq.  While I'm concerned that the redeployment is not being done as promptly as it should be, this will allow us to refocus on the global threat posed by al Qaeda.  I remain convinced that foreign occupations are usually not a good strategy for combatting a global terrorist network.  We need to find ways to relentlessly pursue al Qaeda while simelutaneously developing longterm partnerships with legitimate local actors and doing so through civilian diplomatic and development efforts that do not involve a massive military footprint. And now as we transition out of Iraq it is extremely important that we focus on making this an orderly withdraw and doing everything we can through diplomatic means to help promote the political reconciliation needed to bring lasting peace to Iraq. As to some questions, Ambassador, how do the Iraqi people feel about the redeployment of all US troops by the end of 2011 as required by the bi-lateral agreement?  Is there any danger that any indication that we're backing away from that committment strong opposition.

Chris Hill: I think the-the dates of uh December 2011, uh August 2010, these were agreed with the Iraqi government and uh at the end of 2008.  Uh I think any uh any uh indication that we were not prepared to live with these dates would be very poorly received  by the -- by the Iraqi people. And indeed we saw this in the uh in the movement out of the cities June 30, 2009.  Rememer we tried to discuss that in terms of nuances and the uh Iraqi media, the Iraqi public got concerned that somehow we were looking for ways not to accomplish that and we did exactly what we said we would do which is we pulled our people from the cities and I think it really has established a resevoir of trust that when you uh have an agreement with the -- with the Americans, you can take it to the bank. So I think uh it's very important to-to live up to these agreements and I think the Iraqi people, even though they do have great concerns about the security, I think they-they want to be responsible for their -- see their country responsible for their own security.  As I said earlier, this will be -- these will be difficult moments ahead but uh these are -- these will be nonetheless Iraqi moments to handle and I think they will -- they will deal with this.  We are dealing with uh very -- some very competent people, very intelligent people and they will know what to do.
 
Russ Feingold: Thank you for that answer.  The Iraqi government intends to hold a nation-wide referendum on the bi-lateral Status Of Forces Agreement and while there's been a lot of speculation about how this could impact a redeployment timetable, I'd like to also point out that both the Iraqi Parliament and the Iraqi people will have had a chance to vote on the agreement even though the US Senate has not.  Can you assure us that any potential modifications to the Security Agreement will be submitted to the Senate for ratification?
 
Chris Hill: Uh, the issue of Senate ratification goes beyond my write but I will certainly take that question to the State Department and get you an official answer on that.  I can give you my personal opinion on that.
 
Russ Feingold: Would you please?
 
Chris Hill: -- that you would not want to be changing this uh we would not engage in changing this security agreement without uh considerable consultation but as for the actual relationship between the Senate and the executive [branch] on this, I'd like to defer to our lawyers at the State Department. 
 
First, Omar Fadhil al-Nidawi and Austin Bay (Wall St. Journal) report, "It's clear that Iraqi air defense forces will not be ready to handle the mission by 2011. Currently, the Iraqi Air Force is a creature of turbo-prop planes and helicopters.  A squadron of high performance aircraft flown by Iraqi crack pilots is an expensive goal that might sortie over Baghdad by 2016 at best, though the Iraqi Ministry of Defense quietly estimates that 2018, or 2020, is more probable." 
 
Could the White House extend the US presence beyong 2011 and would it require Senate approval to do so?  "Yes" to the first and "no" to the second.  Russ Feingold isn't suddenly interested in this issue.  He was among those vocally decrying attempts to circumvent the Constitution by bypassing the Senate to form a treaty with Iraq.  That was the Bush White House.  Let's drop back to the April 10, 2008 snapshot where another Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing was covered:
 
Senator Russ Feingold wanted to know if there were "any conditions that the Iraq government must meet?"  No, that thought never occurred to the White House.  "Given the fact that the Maliki government doesn't represent a true colation," Feingold asked, "won't this agreement [make it appear] we are taking sides in the civil war especially when most Iraqi Parliamentarians have called for the withdrawal of troops?"  The two witnesses [David Satterfield (US State Department) and Mary Beth Long (US Defense Dept)] didn't appear to have heard that fact before.  Feingold repeated and asked, "Are you not concerned at all that the majority of the Iraqi Parliament has called for withdrawal"  Satterfield feels the US and the agreement "will enjoy broad popular support" in Iraq.  Satterfield kept saying the agreement wasn't binding.  And Feingold pointed out, "The  agreement will not bind the Congress either, if the Congress were to" pass a law overriding it which seemed to confuse Satterfield requiring that Feingold again point that out and ask him if "Congress passed a clear law overriding the agreement, would the law override the agreement."  Satterfield felt the White House "would have to look carefully at it at the time" because "it would propose difficult questions for us."
 
"I would suggest," Feingold responded, "your difficulties are with the nature of our Constitution.  If we pass a law overiding it . . . that's the law."  The treaty and the efforts to bypass the Senate's advise & consent role was something that bothered senators on both sides of the aisle. 
 
Feingold objected as did many Dems and, in the Senate, several Republicans.  Barack Obama objected as well.  Until he won the election.  Then objections began vanishing.  Now he operates under Bush's SOFA as opposed to doing any of the things he promised on the campaign trail.  Can the White House extend US involvement in Iraq? 
 
Yes.
 
It was one of the two signers of the document.  It can put forward a new agreement or can add years to the same agreement.
 
Yes.
 
Does it need Senate approval to do so?
 
"No" would now appear to be the answer.  Precedent would most likely apply here were the matter to go before the Supreme Court.  The Court will sometimes provide a check on the Executive Branch; however, it generally looks for any way out of such a ruling.  (The Court has no officers that enforce decisions -- among the reasons it tends to avoid stand-offs with the Executive Branch.)  Allowing George W. Bush to put forward a treaty and refusing to overturn it when Barack was sworn in as president would most likely allow a wary Court to say a limited and limiting precedent --- applying solely to this SOFA document with Iraq -- was set by Bush's objections and the continuation of them under President Barack Obama.  So Barack could bypass the Senate -- as Bush did -- in creating a new agreement or extending the current one.  It's an issue Feingold always takes seriously.  You'll note his chief online cheerleader, The Progressive's Matthew Rothschild, 'forgets' to document Feingold's line of questioning yesterday. 
 
 Meanwhile Fadhel al-Badrani, Suadad al-Salhy, Missy Ryan and Philippa Fletcher (Reuters) reported this morning that a riot has broken out at Abu Ghraib prison and someone has started a fire.  BBC News adds that US helicopters and Iraqi troops were sent to the prison and: "Some Iraqi media said there had been fatalities, but [US] Master Sgt [Nicholas] Conner said the Iraqi authorities reported that three guards and three inmates had been injured."  AFP quotes an unnamed prison officer stating, "A fire was declared on Friday afternoon following clashes between prisoners and wardens carrying out a search for banned substances and weapons." AP reports that a group of lawmakers met with prisoners to negotiate and cite Zeinab alKinani stating the bulk of the prisoners returned to the cells after given a promise that a committee would be created to explore prisoner amnesty.  RTT states, 'One prisoner was killed and many others injured". Elsewhere, Wathiq Ibrahim and Tim Cocks (Reuters) report, were attacked at a Safara military checkpoint with 5 being shot dead.
 
In other reported violence . . .
 
Bombings?
 
Reuters notes a Riyadh bombing which claimed 2 lives.
 
Shootings?
 
Reuters notes a Kirkuk shooting that injured one person, 1 person shot dead in Hawija and, dropping back to yesterday, six people were left wounded in a Kirkuk shooting.
 
The violence has immediate effects in terms of deaths and wounded.  It also has impacts that often aren't noted.  Jane Arraf (Christian Science Montior) reports that Black Wednesday (the August 19th bombings targeting the Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry primarily) also did damage to the Iraq Museum:

"Showcases, windows, even the office of the director of excavations was damaged," says museum director Amira Eidan, interviewed on the sidelines of a Tourism Ministry conference on antiquities.                
She says it could be several years before the renowned institution can be opened to the public.            
"Is it the time to reopen the museum and show these treasures?" she asks. "After improving the security situation, then we can think about reopening."

You may be thinking, "Reopen? I thought the museum opened in Februrary." They certainly did try to spin it that way but, check Feb. 23rd snapshot, it wasn't an opening, it was a ceremony for Nouri, dignitaries and, most of all, reporters. Back then, the Los Angeles Times' Babylon & Beyond blog was one of the few to offer reality, "As for when the rest of Iraq will be able to see the museum, that's unclear. Iraqi guards Monday afternoon told journalists it would be a couple of months." And it never opened.
 
Attempts are being made to close a camp in Iraq. Camp Ashraf is made up of Iranian dissidents belonging to the MEK who were given sanctuary by Saddam Hussein and have remained in Iraq for decades. Following the US invasion, the US military provided security for them and the US government labeled them "protected persons" under Geneva. Though Nouri 'promised' he wouldn't move against Camp Ashraf, but July 28th he launched an assault.  Bill Bowder (UK's Church Times) reports, "The Archbishop of Canterbury has written to the United States Ambassador in London to add his voice to protests outside the US embassy."  Today Amnesty International released the following:
 
Amnesty International has written to the Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki expressing its deep concern about killings and other abuses committed by Iraqi security forces at Camp Ashraf this summer. 
On 28-29 July a large number of Iraqi security personnel seized control of Camp Ashraf in Iraq's Diyala province, north of Baghdad, a settlement that has been home to some 3,400 Iranian exiles for over 20 years. At least nine camp residents were shot dead and others sustained serious injuries during the storming of the camp, during which vehicles were driven into crowds of protesting residents and live ammunition used, apparently without adequate justification. Since July, 36 camp residents have been held without charge or trial.  
In response, fears for the thousands of Iranian nationals - many with a long history of political opposition to the government of neighbouring Iran - have been raised by numerous supporters around the world. There have been protests around the world, including a long-running vigil and hunger strike outside the US embassy in London. Protestors say the withdrawal of US forces to military bases in Iraq earlier this year has left Camp Ashraf residents newly vulnerable to Iraqi security forces, a concern shared by Amnesty.        
Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:                          
'There are numerous reports - including shocking images - of the Iraq security forces using what appears to be grossly excessive force in their seizure of Camp Ashraf and this must be properly investigated. So must reports that detainees have been abused in detention            
'The fear now is that Iraq may force Camp Ashraf residents to return to Iran, where they could face imprisonment or torture. No vulnerable residents of Camp Ashraf must face this fate.'                  
Amnesty has made clear to both the Iraqi and US governments that it strongly opposes any forcible returns, either of those at Camp Ashraf or of other Iranian nationals who currently reside in Iraq having left Iran for political reasons or to escape persecution. In its letter to prime minister al-Maliki, Amnesty urges him to immediately establish a full and independent investigation into the methods used by Iraqi security forces during the Camp Ashraf operation, making its findings public as soon as possible. Amnesty also urged him to ensure that members of the security forces and other officials found responsible for using excessive force and of committing serious human rights violations are immediately suspended from duty and promptly brought to justice.             
Meanwhile Amnesty has expressed particular concern over the fate of the 36 detained men, not least as there are allegations that they have been beaten and otherwise ill-treated. They are currently held at a police station in al-Khalis - a town some 15 miles from Camp Ashraf -- where they are reported to be in poor health and to be maintaining a hunger strike in protest at their detention and ill-treatment.      
On 24 August an Iraqi investigative judge ordered the release of the 36 on the grounds that they had no charges to answer, but local police refused to release them, in breach of Iraqi law. A public prosecutor in Baquba, Diyala province, is then reported to have appealed against the investigative judge's release order, apparently as a means of justifying their continued detention, and the appeal is now awaiting determination by the Court of Cassation.              
In its letter Amnesty urged the Iraq prime minister to intervene and ensure that the 36 detainees are released immediately and unconditionally unless they are to face recognisably criminal charges and brought to trial fairly and promptly. Amnesty also urged Mr al-Maliki to order an investigation into the failure by police at al-Khalis to comply with the judge's order for the release of the 36 and to ensure that any police officers responsible for unlawful detentions are held to account.
 
 
John Hughes (Deseret News) adds, "An Iraqi judge ruled that the 36 dissidents, who went on a hunger strike in captivity, should be released.  But Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, using new tactics, have argued that the dissidents entered the country illegally and should be expelled -- obviously to Iran.  If this tactic is successful, it could be applied to the 3,400 or so PMOI members remaining in Camp Ashraf."  So the Iraqi court rules that prisoners should be released and the Iraqi government decides they don't have to listen. Maybe from the US. After all the US military grabbed Reuters reporter Ibrahim Jassim in September 2008 and refuse to release him. In November 2008, Iraqi courts decided Ibrahim should be set free but the US ignored the court order and has continued to imprison Ibrahim.
 
At On The Wilderside, Ian Wilder calls out United for Pathetic and Juvenile and CodeStink for "trotting out Tom Hayden as an anti-war spoeksperson.  Hello?  Everyone forget that Hayden told everyone to vote for the pro-war Obama. [. . .] How about Hayden sign a petition saying he will never vote for (or promote) a pro-war candidate?"  It's actually worse than Ian writes.  Tom-Tom didn't just tell people to vote for Barack, Tom-Tom ridiculed those who didn't.  For example, Tom-Tom gave an interview to the Rocky Mountain News where he mocked and sneered at Chris Hedges because Hedges would not support Barack (Chris Hedges supported Ralph Nader).  It wasn't just Tom Hayden telling people to vote for Barack, he also attacked those who voted for Ralph or Cynthia McKinney.  Tom's a total tool and that's why he has the blood of Palestinians on his hands. (His one late-in-life column admitting guilt did not absolve him.)  Ian Wilder's point is very clear: He's a Green and he's stating that the two organizations asking for Green support picked the wrong person to 'reach out' with due to Tom's behaivor.  As always Carl Davidson shows up and Kimberly Wilder attempts to explain what Ian was doing.  Kimberly's wasting her time.  Carl knew what Ian was doing, Carl didn't care.  It's the same crap Carl pulls with Paul Street.  Carl insists that UPFJ endorses no candidates -- he apparently missed the UPFJ homepage in November.  Or, more likely, it didn't register because The Old Whore Carl was a Barack supporter -- he was, in fact, sending out e-mails in 2007 stating "we" need to support Barack because of Barack's 'radical' roots.  (Carl was among those whispering Barack was a Socialist or a Communist to drum up support for Barack in the very juvenile game of telephone that had the fringes rooting for Barry O early on.) [As I have stated here repeatedly beginning in 2007 when Carl and others spread those false rumors, Barack is a Corporatist War Hawk, he is not a Socialist, he is not a Communist.]  We'll note Ian's response to Carl in full:
 
I am speaking for myself as an individual Green, and as a peace activist who was [. . .] against the Afghan War since the first day we started bombing.  
I am tired of supporting organizations that don't support me.  How about supposed anti-war organizations stop sending messages out from Democrats who support a pro-war President?  How about they stop going underground every time a Democrat runs for President? 
UPFJ and Code Pink have not been friends.  They have wanted Green Party bodies and dollars, but not our voices.  We will not stop these wars until the peace movement is ready to directly confront the politicians, Democrat and Republican.  And that includes confronting them on the campaign trail and in the voting booth.
 
Caro of Make Them Accountable notes the analysis of ObamaInsuranceCompanyCare by Chris Floyd (Empire Burlesque): "But of course there will be no reform, and there was never going to be.  Obama is going to 'reform' America's broken health care system the same way he has 'reformed' the War on Terror and 'reformed' Wall Street: by taking the existing policies and making them even worse." 
 
Today is the anniversary of 9-11.  We'll note it by including this from international law professor Francis A. Boyle "O'Reilly and the Law of the Jungle" (ZNet):
 
On the morning of 13 September 2001, that is 48 hours after the terrible tragedies in New York and Washington , D.C. on September 11th, I received  telephone call from a producer at Fox Television Network News in New York City . He asked me to go onto The O'Reilly Factor TV program live that evening in order to debate Bill O'Reilly on the question of war versus peace. O'Reilly would argue for the United States going to war in reaction to the terrorist attacks on 11 September, and I would argue for a peaceful resolution of this matter.

Up until then I had deliberately declined numerous requests for interviews about the terrible events of September 11 and what should be done about them because it was not clear to me precisely what was going on. But unfortunately The O'Reilly Factor had the Number One ranking in TV viewership for any news media talk program in America . I felt very strongly as a matter of principle that at least one person from the American Peace Movement had to go onto that program and argue the case directly to the American people that the United States of America must not go to war despite the terrible tragedy that had been inflicted upon us all.

 

I had debated O'Reilly before so I was fully aware of the type of abuse to expect from him. So for the next few hours I negotiated with O'Reilly through his producer as to the terms and conditions of my appearance and our debate, which they agreed to. At the time I did not realize that O'Reilly was setting me up to be fired as he would next successfully do to Professor Sami Al-Arian soon after debating me.

 

After our debate had concluded, I returned from the campus television studio to my office in order to shut the computer down, and then go home for what little remained of the evening. When I arrived in my office, I found that my voice mail message system had been flooded with mean, nasty, vicious complaints and threats. The same was true for my e-mail in-box. I deleted all these messages as best I could, and then finally went home to watch the rest of O'Reilly's 9/11 coverage that evening on Fox with my wife. By then he was replaying selected segments of our debate and asking for hostile commentaries from Newt Gingrich and Jeane Kirkpatrick. We turned off the TV in disgust when O'Reilly publicly accused me of being an Al Qaeda supporter. My understanding was that Fox then continued to rebroadcast a tape of this outright character assassination upon me for the rest of the night.

 
Click here to read the rest.  Music notes, Tuesday, October 27th, Carly Simon's latest album, Never Been Gone, is released.  Carly's recording two new compositions and doing new arrangements (mainly acoustic) of previous songs including her Academy Award winning, Golden Globe winning and Grammy winning "Let The River Run" -- she's made the new version available as a free download currently.   TV notes. NOW on PBS begins airing on most PBS stations tonight:

In rural Rwanda, the simple and time-tested idea of medical house calls is not only improving the health of the community, but stimulating its economy as well.
This week, NOW travels to the village of Rwinkwavu to meet the Rwandan doctors, nurses and villagers who are teaming up with Boston-based Partners in Health and the Rwandan government to deliver medicine and medical counseling door-to-door. Would such an innovation work in America?
In the capital of Kigali, NOW's David Brancaccio sits down with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to talk about international aid and Kagame's ultimate vision for a healthy, financially-independent Rwanda.

Washington Week also begins airing tonight on many PBS stations and sitting around the table with Gwen tonight are Charlie Babington (AP), Peter Baker (New York Times), Joan Biskupic (USA Today) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times). Remember that there is a web bonus each week that you can grab on podcast (video -- they also have audio podcast but it doesn't include the bonus) or wait for Monday morning when the bonus is available at the website. Also, a PBS friend asks that I note that they didn't just redesign their website at Washington Week, they added many new elements. One sidebar is on the right and it contains links to the latest writing by Washington Week regulars such as CBS and Slate's John Dickerson's article on health care at Slate. Meanwhile Bonnie Erbe will sit down with four women to discuss the week's events on PBS' To The Contrary. Check local listings, on many stations, it begins airing tonight. Online, they address the announcement that Diane Sawyer will begin anchoring ABC's World News Tonight next year. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:

President Obama
Steve Kroft interviews the president at an important time in his presidency.

Big Teddy
His son, Ted Kennedy, Jr., and the editor/publisher he collaborated closely with on his memoir, Jonathan Karp, reflect on the life and legacy of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Lesley Stahl reports.

Guiding Light
Morley Safer interviews the actors and writers behind broadcasting's longest running drama, "Guiding Light," as they celebrate the soap opera's incredible run and discuss its cancellation after 72 years.

60 Minutes Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
 
 

Iraq's Air Force, Museum and prison riot

It's clear that Iraqi air defense forces will not be ready to handle the mission by 2011. Currently, the Iraqi Air Force is a creature of turbo-prop planes and helicopters. A squadron of high performance aircraft flown by Iraqi crack pilots is an expensive goal that might sortie over Baghdad by 2016 at best, though the Iraqi Ministry of Defense quietly estimates that 2018, or 2020, is more probable.
Waging a complex counterinsurgency war is Iraq's first priority, so it's understandable that the country has made the decision to proceed slowly with the creation and funding of front-line air defense forces. But integrating sophisticated technology and skilled personnel into air force and air defense formations requires a long lead time. Thus the Iraqi government must make several immediate decisions regarding air space defense.

The above is from Omar Fadhil al-Nidawi and Austin Bay's "Iraq Needs a Real Air Force" (Wall St. Journal) and, no, the "country" did not make counter-insurgency its first priority, the puppet government of Nouri al-Maliki made that decision and it's damn insulting to refer to this installed government of exiles as "the country" -- damn insulting.

Second of all, first sentence states, "The U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement says American combat units will depart by December 2011." No, it doesn't say that and that was exactly the point we were making about Robert Gates, US Secretary of Defense, being interviewed on Al Jazeera where people can hear that as opposed to US outlets which repeatedly LIE that the SOFA says that.

It's a LIE at this point. When we were doing the slow walk through on the SOFA back in November, okay, some people don't know contracts, fine. It's nearly a year later and the legal analysis here not only stands up it's the same analysis that the current White House has, that Gates and the Pentagon operate under. So isn't about damn time reporters for US outlets started getting it right?

A contract can be renewed. It can be replaced with a new contract. Those are basics and if the general studies majors that the J-school programs have churned out can't grasp that then the J-schools are nothing but a diploma mill and we need to return to a time when a journalism degree is viewed with raised eyebrows. ("General studies major," before a drive-by e-mail comes in, refers to undergraduates who do not declare a major, they declare a major in "general studies" which means everyone else went for Thai but they needed a buffet because they couldn't make up their minds.)

Jane Arraf (Christian Science Montior) reports that Black Wednesday (the August 19th bombings targeting the Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry primarily) also did damage to the Iraq Museum:

"Showcases, windows, even the office of the director of excavations was damaged," says museum director Amira Eidan, interviewed on the sidelines of a Tourism Ministry conference on antiquities.
She says it could be several years before the renowned institution can be opened to the public.
"Is it the time to reopen the museum and show these treasures?" she asks. "After improving the security situation, then we can think about reopening."

You may be thinking, "Reopen? I thought the museum opened in Februrary." They certainly did try to spin it that way but, check Feb. 23rd snapshot, it wasn't an opening, it was a ceremony for Nouri, dignitaries and, most of all, reporters. Back then, the Los Angeles Times' Babylon & Beyond blog was one of the few to offer reality, "As for when the rest of Iraq will be able to see the museum, that's unclear. Iraqi guards Monday afternoon told journalists it would be a couple of months." And it never opened.

Meanwhile Fadhel al-Badrani, Suadad al-Salhy, Missy Ryan and Philippa Fletcher (Reuters) report that a riot has broken out at Abu Ghraib prison and someone has started a fire. In other violence, Reuters notes 1 person was shot dead in Hawija, 1 person wounded in a Kirkuk shooting, two people dead in Riyadh bombing and, dropping back to yesterday, six people injured in a Kirkuk shooting.

Today, Mark Corcoran (Australia's ABC) remembers the murder of Paul Moran:

I've learned to dread late night phone calls -- and this one was the worst. It was March 2003, during the opening phase of the Iraq war. Just after midnight I took the call from an anguished Michael Ware -- an Australian journalist and close colleague of mine, then working for Time Magazine.
Coming down the satellite phone line was a mix of static, screaming and sirens. Amid the cacophony, Michael managed to spell out that he was at a roadblock in Kurdish northern Iraq that had just been hit by a suicide bomber in a taxi. He was on the scene giving assistance to ABC journalist Eric Campbell, dazed and bloodied after being hit by shrapnel, but alive. However there was the body of another westerner among the victims -- possibly an Australian - who was he?
The tragic details soon became clear. He was 39-year-old Paul Moran, a freelance cameraman originally from Adelaide. He had teamed up with Eric Campbell on the Iraq assignment for ABC News. Paul left behind a young widow Ivana and a seven-week-old daughter Tara.
The suicide attack had been carried out by a Saudi Arabian member of Ansar al Islam, an extremist group fighting for the creation of a radical Islamic state in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. The bomber died but his commander is alive and well and living in Norway, his home in exile since being granted asylum in the early 90s.

SourceWatch notes of Paul Moran:

Paul William Moran (born May 30, 1963) was a freelance television camerman. On March 22, 2003, while on contract with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Moran was killed by a suicide bomber in northern Iraq.
After his death, the Adelaide Advertiser reported that Moran also worked for the Rendon Group, a secretive public relations firm that works with the Pentagon. Now additional information has come to light showing that Moran played an important role with the Iraqi National Congress (INC), a PR front created by Rendon, in feeding stories to the press about Iraq's alleged weapons programs from Iraqi defector Adnan Ihsan Saeed al Haideri.
"The man who helped orchestrate publicity for al-Haideri was Zaab Sethna, media spokesman for the INC," reports John Hosking. "Sethna spent more than a decade working in and around Iraq. Much of it with his Australian mate Paul Moran. After the INC helped al Haideri escape from Iraq, it was Paul Moran who was called in to do the one television interview that would go around the world."
In October 2003 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation aired a tribute to Moran. "It's true that he was unwittingly involved in, I guess what could be called a propaganda operation in the early 90's, but people must remember he didn't know that," says Zaab Sethna, Moran's colleague at the Iraqi National Congress. [1]




Tuesday, October 27th, Carly Simon's latest album, Never Been Gone, is released:


Free MP3 from new CD

http://www.carlysimon.com/

DOWNLOAD MP3


Carly's new CD, Never Been Gone, will be released on October 27th. The CD features reworked versions of 10 of her greatest hits - as well as two new songs.

You can download the new version of Let The River Run now.

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Carly to perform at 9/11 Ceremony

Carly will be performing her inspiring anthem, Let The River Run, this Friday at the 9/11 ceremony being held at Ground Zero. Joining her will be her son and daughter (Ben & Sally Taylor) along with musician Peter Calo.

While all of the national TV networks will be airing portions of the ceremony, we don't have any information on which exact networks will be covering the event at the time of Carly's performance.




TV notes. NOW on PBS begins airing on most PBS stations tonight:

In rural Rwanda, the simple and time-tested idea of medical house calls is not only improving the health of the community, but stimulating its economy as well.
This week, NOW travels to the village of Rwinkwavu to meet the Rwandan doctors, nurses and villagers who are teaming up with Boston-based Partners in Health and the Rwandan government to deliver medicine and medical counseling door-to-door. Would such an innovation work in America?
In the capital of Kigali, NOW's David Brancaccio sits down with Rwandan President Paul Kagame to talk about international aid and Kagame's ultimate vision for a healthy, financially-independent Rwanda.

Washington Week also begins airing tonight on many PBS stations and sitting around the table with Gwen tonight are Charlie Babington (AP), Peter Baker (New York Times), Joan Biskupic (USA Today) and Doyle McManus (Los Angeles Times). Remember that there is a web bonus each week that you can grab on podcast (video -- they also have audio podcast but it doesn't include the bonus) or wait for Monday morning when the bonus is available at the website. Also, a PBS friend asks that I note that they didn't just redesign their website at Washington Week, they added many new elements. One sidebar is on the right and it contains links to the latest writing by Washington Week regulars such as CBS and Slate's John Dickerson's article on health care at Slate. Meanwhile Bonnie Erbe will sit down with four women to discuss the week's events on PBS' To The Contrary. Check local listings, on many stations, it begins airing tonight. Online, they address the announcement that Diane Sawyer will begin anchoring ABC's World News Tonight next year. And turning to broadcast TV, Sunday CBS' 60 Minutes offers:

President Obama
Steve Kroft interviews the president at an important time in his presidency.


Big Teddy
His son, Ted Kennedy, Jr., and the editor/publisher he collaborated closely with on his memoir, Jonathan Karp, reflect on the life and legacy of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Lesley Stahl reports.


Guiding Light
Morley Safer interviews the actors and writers behind broadcasting's longest running drama, "Guiding Light," as they celebrate the soap opera's incredible run and discuss its cancellation after 72 years.


60 Minutes Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.




Turning to public radio, this morning on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show, Steve Roberts fills in for Diane and for the first hour (domestic) the panel is made up of Jackie Calmes (New York Times), E.J. Dionne (Washington Post) and Byron York (Washington Examiner) while the second hour (international) panel is composed of Karen DeYoung (Washington Post), Abderrahim Foukara (Al Jazeera) and Susan Glasser (Foreign Policy). The Diane Rehm Show begins airing on most NPR stations at 10:00 a.m. EST and it also begins streaming live at that time as well.


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Camp Ashraf

THE Archbishop of Canterbury has written to the United States Ambassador in London to add his voice to protests outside the US embassy.
Iranian and British Iranian pro­testers are on hunger strike, in an effort to persuade the US to protect their relatives and friends in Camp Ashraf, a "protected persons" camp in Iraq, after they were attacked by the Iraq army in July (News, 14, 21 August). A spokeswoman confirmed the sending of the letter on Wednesday. "The Archbishop takes the pastoral care of the families involved in the protest very seriously. He is also concerned for the well-being of Iranians and Iranian Christians living in England." A letter has also been sent to Canon Mark Oakley, Priest-in-Charge of Grosvenor Chapel, Mayfair, where the pro­testers have attended prayer services on Saturdays during their protest. Canon Oakley said on Wednes­day that he had not yet received the letter. The beds lined up outside the embassy looked like a "morgue", he said. One hunger striker had suffered a heart attack. "When the hunger strikers get really sick, they are taken off by ambulance and given fluids."

The above is from Bill Bowder's "Williams expresses Ashraf concerns" (UK's Church Times). Camp Ashraf has been under attack since July 28th. Camp Ashraf is made up of Iranian dissidents belonging to the MEK who were given sanctuary by Saddam Hussein and have remained in Iraq for decades. Following the US invasion, the US military provided security for them and the US government labeled them "protected persons" under Geneva. Though Nouri 'promised' he wouldn't move against Camp Ashraf, in July he did just that. The issue popped up yesterday during US Ambassador to Iraq Chris Hill's Congressional appearances. John Hughes offers "U.S. decision on dissidents will affect relationship with Iran" (Deseret News):

An Iraqi judge ruled that the 36 dissidents, who went on a hunger strike in captivity, should be released. But Iraqi Interior Ministry officials, using new tactics, have argued that the dissidents entered the country illegally and should be expelled -- obviously to Iran. If this tactic is successful, it could be applied to the 3,400 or so PMOI members remaining in Camp Ashraf.

So the Iraqi court rules that prisoners should be released and the Iraqi government decides they don't have to listen. Maybe from the US. After all the US military grabbed Reuters reporter Ibrahim Jassim in September 2008 and refuse to release him. In November 2008, Iraqi courts decided Ibrahim should be set free but the US ignored the court order and has continued to imprison Ibrahim.

Six US service members have died in Iraq so far this month. Steve Timko (Reno Gazette-Journal) reports Jeanne Flint's son Thomas F. Lyons died in Iraq Tuesday in the rocket attack in Baji and that his survivors also include a wife Devlin who is currently serving and their four-month-old son. His mother states, "He was just trying to find his niche. And I think he found it as an M.P. He wanted to be a police officer. He finally had a goal in his life." Along with Lyons, Shannon M. Smith and Zachary T. Myers were killed in the attack. James Halpin (McClatchy Newspapers' Anchorage Daily News) reports: " The soldiers were part of a deployment of about 175 soldiers from the 545th Military Police Company who went to Iraq for a year in May. Their job is to provide security as well as police training to the Iraqi army. According to Army officials, Smith joined the service in September 1997. He served at Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.; and in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia before arriving in Alaska in April 2008. Myers joined the Army in February 2008 and arrived in Alaska in August 2008. Their families asked for privacy Thursday." Also Tuesday, a Baghdad bombing claimed the life of Joseph D. Helton. Roger Nielsen (Athens Banner-Herald)notes Helton was the 11th graduate from the US Air Force Academy to die in Iraq and "the first Athens-area serviceman killed in fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan in more than a year. Army Staff Sgt. Shaun Whitehead, 24, a Commerce was killed April 24, 2008, by an IED while he was on foot patrol in Iskandariyah, south of Baghdad."

Jordan Shay died last week in Iraq (his passing is noted at the start of last Friday's snapshot) Michaela Stanelun (Boston Globe) reports this morning, "Calling hours will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today at Twomey Leblanc and Conte Funeral Home, located in Newburyport. A funeral Mass will be held tomorrow at Holy Family Parish in Amesbury." Laura Crimaldi (Boston Herald) also reports on the calling hours and the funeral. (And thanks to Mike's Dad -- Trina's husband -- for catching both Boston items.)

Meanwhile Carol Ann Alaimo (Arizona Daily Star) reports on Nathan Spangenberg, who returned earlier this year from Iraq where he served a 15-month tour, was discovered "in his room at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii on Tuesday," dead at the age of 21. His death is under investigation. Aleisa Krug, his girlfriend, states, "You worry so much while they're gone and then he comes home and you think you can stop worrying. And now this." And Mike Gonzalez (The Monitor) reports that the Texas Army National Guard sent 500 soldiers to Fort Hood yesterday for training before their deployment (October 4th) to Iraq.

The following community sites updated last night:


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thomas friedman is a great man






oh boy it never ends