Monday, May 09, 2011

The 'withdrawal'

Dahlia Wasfi talks to Press TV (link has video) about the 'withdrawal' and notes, "We've heard time and again that when we reach a certain benchmark, US forces will withdraw from Iraq, but as most things that have come out of the mouth of the United States' government, it's dishonest." Al Rafidayn notes that Kirkuk officials continue to advocate for the US to remain in Iraq past 2011 citing safety concerns. Saturday, US House Rep Nancy Pelosi led a US delegation to Iraq (and reportedly pressed for US troops to remain on the ground in Iraq beyond 2011) and yesterday saw Senator John McCain lead a delegation (and, yes, he did press for US troops to remain in Iraq).

Meanwhile Dar Addustour reports that Iraqiya is threatening to withdraw from the process as a result of Nouri's nominees for the security posts. Various blocs are opposed to Nouri's nominees which were made without input from Iraqiya or, for that matter, Nouri's co-horts in the National Alliance. If Nouri's serious about these nominess, this may be an indicator of what he would like to do after June 1st if he is successful in demanding new elections.

Violence continues, Reuters notes a Baghdad roadside bombing which injured six people, another Baghdad roadside bombing which injured seven people, a third Baghdad roadside bombing which injured two people, a Baghdad sticky bombing which claimed ISCI's Hassan Jasim, and, dropping back to Sunday for the rest, Baghdad bombing by an alcohol store injured the store's owner, a Mosul clash in which 1 police officer was killed and 1 person shot dead in Talafar.

Bonnie notes that Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Family Affair" and Kat's "Kat's Korner: The vision and authenticity of Stevie Nicks" went up yesterday. Today on Law and Disorder Radio (begins broadcasting at 9:00 am EST on WBAI and around the country throughout the week), Michael Ratner, Heidi Boghosian and Michael S. Smith explore with attorney Shane Kadidal the issue of Guantanamo -- the never ending hell -- and what was done to children, the mentally ill and the elderly; and with journalist Will Potter they explore the efforts to demonize eco-activists.

Most know Dalia Hashad as a former host of Law & Disorder Radio (and for her work with the ACLU and Amnesty). This is from Dalia's "Bin Laden's Gone, the Problem Remains" (The Scoop):

The world was not a better place with Osama bin Laden in it. But the rejoicing that has followed his death—and the largely uncritical coverage of that bloodlust in the mainstream press—demands careful consideration. It shows that after a decade of hard lessons, a significant portion of the U.S. population is still mired in the Why-do-they-hate-us? mentality, unable to critically reflect on America's role in the world, let alone understand the consequences of American military and economic policy.
Here's what we should remember: The U.S. is engaged militarily in four countries (let's not overlook Colombia) and has operatives and "advisers" in uncounted others. By the most conservative estimates, hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians—including thousands of children—have died in U.S. military operations since 9/11. Drone strikes in impoverished Pakistani villages stoke resentment against our imperiousness. And as if to prove the point, people who can't find Pakistan on a map—and who are happy to remain blissfully unaware of the names of the dead or the consequences that follow—take to the streets to cheer the murder of a ruthless giant-killer whom we ourselves had a hand in creating.
How does the press figure into all of this? Better to ask, How doesn't the press figure into all of this? As scary as it might be to report facts that fickle news consumers don't want to hear, catering to willful ignorance isn't journalism. It's propaganda.



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