Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Activists gear up for Friday's protest in Iraq

The Great Iraqi Revolution notes, "Help us encourage people for next Friday's Demonstration by sending at least 10 SMS messages per person saying the following: "YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR PEOPLE NEED YOU. PARTICIPATE IN OUR REVOLUTION IN TAHRIR SQUARE NEXT FRIDAY." They are gearing up for protests this Friday -- protests which will take place despite Nouri's attempt to stop the Baghdad protests. The Great Iraqi Revolution offers a poem by Issra Abd which includes:

Why are you silent for this is our Iraq and these are our sons and those are our mothers and those are our children and our brothers ..... and you are remaining silent, Why?
Don't you see, Don't you hear, or have your eyes become blind and your ears deaf
Look at them
Youth who have been detained and women who have been widowed, children orphaned and mothers traumatized by the death of their sons and houses destroyed and
You are still silent; Why all this awful silence from those you fear.... what are you frightened of....
Are you frightened of speaking Speak Up and Don't be Silent
As God Is Your Witness What are you doing Come Along Speak Up And Don't Be Silent It is time you spoke up Come on Rise Up
Altogether with a loud voice
No to Corruption.... No to Occupation..... No to the Plunder of the People...... No to Tyrany ..... No to Dictatorship

In preparation for the end of 100 Days, Nouri upped the crackdown on protesters. This included, on May 27th, arresting four activists on trumped up charges. The Great Iraqi Revolution noted the four arrested: "THE 4 YOUNG ACTIVISTS WHO WERE ARRESTED TODAY BY QASSIM ATTA AND TAKEN TO A PLACE UNKNOWN - 27.5.2011 - THEIR NAMES ARE: JIHAD JALEEL, ALI ABDUL KHALIQ, MOUAYED AL TAYEB AND AHMED AL BAGHDADI. We pray God to have them released very soon."

New Sabah reports the 4 were finally released yesterday. Nouri's officials had claimed the 4 were arrested for false IDs. New Sabah reports that when the four appeared before the judge, the government supplied four fake IDs as evidence.

The IDs were indeed of the four men. The photos clearly showed their faces. It was the four men. And it was even easier to tell it was them by their clothes. They were wearing prison uniforms issued by the government.

In case you're waking up slowly this morning, the government presented FAKE evidence. The fake IDs were clearly made after the four men were arrested and Nouri and his goons weren't even smart enough to pull off a frame up.

David Ali (Al Mada) reminds the four were abudcted while taking part in a participation. He reports how he repeatedly attempted to interview the four after the arrest but the government denied him access. A spokesperson for the four states they were tortured. They also state they were repeatedly told ("told" is probably too mild a word) to sign a document claiming they had been treated fairly but that they refused to sign it. Their torture while imprisoned is said to have included beatings, electrical shocks and more.

The 100 Days ended Tuesday. Al Sabaah notes that Nouri is asking for patience and claiming that "the concept of partnership is a beautiful one," however, it might not be practical. Fakhri Karim (Al Mada) dubs "100 Days of humiliation" and notes Nouri wanted the "reset" and now refuses to admit any failure. Reset? Alsumaria TV reports, "Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki said he is set to implement a new plan during the next 100 day deadline in order to improve the government’s performance and endorse the previous deadline, a source told Alsumaria." If true, Nouri seems to think he can just declare "100 More Days!" at any time. Alsumaria also reports, "Iraqiya leader Iyad Allawi noted that the failure of national partnership in Iraq requires holding early elections.
Holding early elections is well accepted by Iraqis, Allawi said."

The Great Iraqi Revolution informs, "SWAT troops under Maliki's direct command at a checkpoint in Baghdad I(Al Mansour, Dawoodi) armed with M4 rifles fitted with silencers, bearing in mind that a few days ago officials stated that silence rs were being manufactgured locally and that there are no imported silencers whatsoever! So belive it when it is said that policemen and thieves wore similar clothing!" Fridays protests should be very interesting.

We'll close with this from Senator Patty Murray's office:
(Washington, D.C.) -- Tomorrow, Wednesday, June 8th, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, will hold a hearing on pending legislation. During the hearing, Chairman Murray will discuss the next steps for her Hiring Heroes Act, and will hear from the Administration and veterans service organizations regarding their views on this critical veterans employment legislation.

WHO: U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee

Michael Cardarelli, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Benefits, Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Robert L. Jesse, MD, PhD, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs

Jeff Steele, Assistant Legislative Director, The American Legion

Joseph A. Violante, National Legislative Director, Disabled American Veterans

Raymond Kelley, Director, National Legislative Service, Veterans of Foreign Wars

Jerry Ensminger, MSgt USMC (Ret.)

J. David Cox, RN, National Secretary-Treasurer, American Federation of Government Employees

WHAT: Steps forward for the Hiring Heroes Act and other pending legislation.

WHEN: TOMORROW - Wednesday, June 8th, 2011

9:30 AM ET

WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building
Room 418

Washington, D.C.

###

Evan Miller

Specialty Media Director

U.S. Senator Patty Murray

202-224-2834



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