Monday, May 10, 2010

At least 69 dead as Iraq slammed with violence

Sarah Garrod (In The News) notes a wave of attacks in Baghdad today. And outside of Baghdad. Lin Zhi (Xinhua) reports, "A bomb exploded at a crowded popular market close to a Shiite mosque in the town of Suwayra, some 60 km southest of Baghdad, the source with Wasit police told Xinhua on condition of anonymity." England's Channel 4 counts 8 dead and seventy-one injured in the Suwayrah bombing. Albawaba reports 2 Hillah car bombings which claimed at least 25 lives. Reuters notes that the death toll for the Hilla bombings has now climbed to 35 with the injured being one-hundred and thirty-six. CNN adds, "And in the city of Falluja, at least 10 civilians were wounded when four roadside bombs were detonated outside the homes of four police officers." Omar Ghraieb (Palestine Telegraph) reports, "In Sulaiman Bek, a town 160 km north of Baghdad, police said a bomb exploded outside the house of a government official in the region, killing his mother and one of his bodyguards and wounding two others." And, back to Baghdad, Alsumaria TV reports, "At least 24 people were killed in a series of attacks targeting a number of security checkpoints and other targets in Baghdad. Gunmen using mute weapons attacked six checkpoints in Baghdad on Monday killing a number of soldiers and policemen, a source from the Interior Ministry reported." BBC News notes, "The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse in Baghdad says smaller scale shooting attacks are becoming a more frequent tactic by insurgents as security forces try to prevent the kind of large suicide car bombs that have killed hundreds in the past year." Adam Arnold (Sky News -- link has text and video) adds, "An Interior Ministry source said of the co-ordinated raids: "This was a message to us that they can attack us in different parts of the city at the same time because they have cells everywhere." Reuters makes an idiot of themselves with the following, "The attacks in different parts of Baghdad and in towns to the south, north and west of the capital appeared aimed at showing Iraqis that al Qaeda in Iraq was still a potent force despite suffering battlefield defeats in recent weeks."

Do we all get how offensive that is? Especially coming from Reuters? They've had how many reporters detained by the US military and insisted (rightly) that there was no trial,just assertions of guilt. Yet before any investigations are started, with on group issuing claims of responsibility, Reuters -- a NEWS agency -- wants to tell the world who is responsible for the violence? Really? Shameful. They need to learn to stick to the facts and, if they can't, they need to act less surprised when others don't.

Al Jazeera observes, "The attacks come just two days after reports that the Iraqi defence ministry was considering building a "security fence"around the capital as a way of curbing violence and controlling the movements of anti-government fighters.Access to the city would be controlled by eight checkpoints, and construction could be completed by mid-2011, reports from local broadcaster Al Iraqiyya Television said." Counting 52 dead, Abbas al-Ani (AFP) states, "Monday's death toll was the highest since April 23, when 58 people were killed in series of bombings in Baghdad and western Iraq, days after the government said Al-Qaeda was on the run." Steven Lee Meyers (New York Times) notes, "The attacks, which began as the sun rose on a hot and hazy morning, followed a recent series of arrests and killings of members of Al Qaeda in Iraq and other extremist groups."

If you add all the above together, that's 69 reported dead. Wounded? 219. Both figures may rise throughout the day.


Alex Spillius (Telegraph of London) reports that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has declared "that the US cannot afford to enter into another Afghanistan or Iraq." I'm sorry, when could the US have afforded to enter into either? Gates is just speaking of financial costs -- how typical -- but even so, when could the US afford it? My understanding is that it's being paid for by going into debt. Which means the US can't afford it. At the Star Press, Bob Anderson of Munice shares:

Regarding Iraq's nuclear and biological weapons: After starting a war that was expected to last about 54 days, no WMDs have ever been found. But what can be found in Iraq now: 133 new health-care clinics, cost, $345 million; new sewage plants, cost, $254 million; new security forces, cost, $8.1 billion; new drinking water facilities, cost, $1.6 billion; new electrical grid, cost, $4.9 billion; new oil industry equipment, cost, $1.9 billion.
Every day, schools close and our infrastructure is crumbling, yet the U.S. has made $54 billion available for Iraq's reconstruction.

Again, when, Robert Gates, could the US ever have afforded the Iraq War or the Afghanistan War? When?

Bonnie notes Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "To Clarify Any Confusion" went up last night. We'll note this from Debra Sweet's "Voices of Conscience and Voices of Youth" (World Can't Wait):


Our statement has been published in the New York Review of Books, and email and calls are coming in. Thanks to Anthony: "i don't know if i say this enough but ... World Can't Wait ROCKS!!!!!!!" and to Gene: "The ad arrived in my mailbox. It looks awesome and reads awesome... It's a great piece of work. Let's do some more!"
The statement, Crimes Are Crimes - No Matter Who Does Them, for which you donated almost $12,000, began appearing in mailboxes in The New York Review of Books on May 5. We are posting comments from people whose names appear in the ad:

Use the link to continue reading "Voices of Conscience and Voices of Youth" and we'll note this from Salem-News:

Gaza's Version of the World Cup Soccer Tourney Tim King Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may092010/gaza-cup-tk.php

Nadia Sindi for Eugene City Council Tim King Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may082010/nadia-campaign-tk.php

Palestine's Popular Resistance Continues Mazin Qumsiyeh for Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may082010/palestine-update-mq.php

For Those Who Don't Believe Israel Shoots Innocent Farmers Tim King Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may082010/death-farmer.php

Palestinian Leaders Will Re-Enter Peace Talks With Israel Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may082010/plo-israel.php

Getting to the Hart of the Matter with One of the World's Most Experienced Reporters Tim King Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/alan-visit.php

Why I Appreciate Press TV Kourosh Ziabari Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/press-tv-kz.php

Why Don't They Publish Us? Kourosh Ziabari Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/msm-denial-kz.php

A Light is Cast Upon pro-Israel Groups Rami Khouri Special to Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/israeli-groups-rk.php

Is An Israeli - Palestinian Peace Possible?Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/alan-hart.php

General 'Tried to Cover up Truth about Death of Rachel Corrie' By Ben Lynfield Special to Salem-News.com
http://salem-news.com/articles/may072010/rachel-corrie.php


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