Saturday, September 03, 2011

Nouri's upset -- at least publicly

Al Rafidayn reports Ali al-Moussawi declared Saturday that the Iraqi government is launching an investigation into the 2006 slaughter in Is (a family of ten were killed by US forces, the ten included young children, all were handcuffed, with their hands behind their backs, and then shot in the head). Al Rafidayn notes that it was a family of nine and one adult woman (also killed) was visiting them when US forces attacked the home. Al Mada notes that the March 15, 2006 slaughter culminated with the US forces on the ground calling in air strike which demolished the home in what is seen as an attempt to cover their tracks. In both US and Iraqi accounts, there is "handcuffed" and "tied" used. Most likely, they were handcuffed with the plastic restraints and not metal handcuffs. (That question popped up in an e-mail.) Al Mada points out that while Nouri al-Maliki is now insisting that Iraq will not rest on this issue, it is unclear how Nouri intends to follow up? The incident is over five years old. It's doubtful any of the forces involved remain in Iraq. Past agreements -- it would the UN mandate in this case -- guaranteed US troops immunity from prosecution. What Nouri intends to do other than rage publicly and make it appear that he gives a damn is unclear?

If Nouri gave a damn, he would have done something about it years ago. He comes to power just after the incident takes place. As he comes to power the American government is insisting a review is being conducted. He is prime minister and in charge of the country when, June 2006, the US report is issued clearing US forces of any accusations. Nouri did nothing then. He did nothing for the last five years.

He makes a lot of noise right now but is careful to make sure none of it is by him. He doesn't want to be on video making these statements so he sends out his spokespeople. Video of him promising justice could be used against him if/when he fails to do anything.

Dropping back to Thursday's snapshot:

In Iraq, there's been another prison break, this time in Mosul. Bushra Jhui (AP) reports that 35 people ar said to have "tunneled their way out" with 21 being caught and 14 remaining at large. AFP provides this recent context, "Officials said on August 6 that four prisoners and a guard were killed in clashes at a prison in the central Iraqi city of Hilla, during which eight inmates escaped. Six Iraqi police and 11 inmates were killed in a Baghdad jail mutiny in May, while 12 suspected Al-Qaeda members escaped from prison in the southern city of Basra in mid-January. At least two of the Basra escapees have been recaptured." Alsumaria TV adds, "A similar incident occurred in Nineveh on April 3 as 23 prisoners escaped from Al Ghazalni prison in southern Mosul. On April 9 as well, 5 prisoners escaped a prison in Al Shifaa' region, eastern Mosul." Reuters notes it was "a temporary jail" and that the prisoners are said to have made their way out via "a sewage pipe." Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports, "A senior officer in the Mosul police department said the inmates had used metal plates and iron bars to dig nearly 150 feet out of the jail. He asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to discuss the escape." Aswat al-Iraq cites Abdul-Rahim al-Shimmary as stating the escapees "were charged according to the Iraqi Criminal Law's Article-4 - Terrorism."

14 remained at large. Yesterday Reuters noted that 13 were at large because one more had been captured. Al Rafidayn reports that Mohammad Mahmoud al-Sharabi was the one arrested and he was seen crossing a traffic intersection on foot in Mosul when police moved in to arrest him. Aswat al-Iraq reports that 12 remain at large because the corpse of one, Miqdad Bashir Hanash, was discovered "on one of the bank of Tigris River, with traces of bullet shots in his head and chest". CNN advises that the search for the 12 remaining at large continues and "A curfew had been imposed in Mosul as security forces searched for the prisoners."


Reuters notes today's violence includes 1 Kurdish shepherd killed by Iranian soldiers in Iraq'sHaj Umran, 1 Iraqi soldier shot dead in Baghdad and the assassination of Nasir Saad in Baghdad -- Saad belonged to Nouri's Dawa political party (not to be confused with Nouri's political slate of State Of Law).

Tim Arangon and Yasir Ghazi (New York Times) publish the strongest article in today's news cycle filed from Iraq:

It is hard to say which is a worse indignity to the thousands of Iraqi soldiers and police officers who have suffered crippling injuries fighting alongside the Americans in a war that continues today: receiving subpar medical care from the government they fought to preserve, or a new law that could slash their already paltry benefits.
"We are defending the Iraqi people," said Ali Mohammad Heaal, who was a police trainee when he lost his left arm in a car bomb attack in 2005 and now works at a nongovernmental organization that advocates on behalf of wounded members of Iraq's security forces. "Right now, we feel humiliated."


Meanwhile those predictions that the political blocs are all chummy and ready to move forward? Not so. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani was correct in his assessment. Dar Addustour reports that the back and forth attacks between the blocs continue but that the attacks now thrive and flourish on Facebook.



9-11's approaching. With regards to the 9-11 Truth movement, our position has been and remains that we do not attack them, we do not mock them. They're citizen-scholars engaged in the pursuit of truth and they've dedicated themselves to something larger than tracking a celebrity's 'belly bump' or reality TV. So good for them.

Just as the JFK assassination researchers unearthed important findings, so will these citizen-scholars.

In the public account, ____ shows up wanting his piece on 9-11 noted. I'm not interested and ___ can go f___ himself. First off, the piece wants to express disbelief in the official 9-11 story. That's fine. But it then wants to attack the 9-11 Truth movement. So basically, it's saying, "I'm respectable, they aren't." I'm not interested in that garbage. Second, this stupid man who supposedly is so smart was among the loudest members of the Cult of St. Barack. He apparently thinks laying low for a bit meant the world would forget. I haven't and I won't. Until he renounces all those fantastical claims he made of witnessed miracles performed by St. Barack and future miracles to come from St. Barack, I'm not interested.

If a community member sees something they want highlighted on or from the Truth movement between now and 9-11, e-mail it and it will be. If a visitor wants to do the same, you'll need to e-mail the public account (address at the end of the entry) and it may or may not be noted. That will depend mainly on time (my time and I'm always rushing in the mornings). While I'm not noting what was sent in today to the public account, friends who support or are part of 9-11 Truth speak highly of Dr. David Ray Griffin and Kevin Barrett. I see nothing at Griffin's website (I hope I went to the right one) that's new but Kevin Barrett's website features an open letter to journalists that he posted September 1st:


Dear (name of journalist),

One of the approximately 50% of 9/11 family members who rejects the official story of 9/11 informs me that you are a journalist who is covering the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

You and other journalists preparing stories on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 will be guilty of crimes against humanity, specifically the crime of incitement to genocide, if you do not, in your stories, prominently mention two very important facts:

(1) The vast majority of scholarly literature devoted to critically examining the question of what actually happened on 9/11 has concluded, or tentatively concluded, that the official story that al-Qaeda and 19 hijackers did it is a lie; therefore the event was probably a false-flag attack designed and executed by the enemies of Muslims, for the purpose of launching an anti-Muslim genocide (and consolidating power for the perpetrators). If you contact me, I will be happy to provide you with a bibliography of the scholarship on this question, proving that in fact there is a scholarly consensus that 9/11 was almost certainly a false-flag attack.

(2) More than three-quarters of the world's Muslims, and around two-thirds of American Muslims, agree that the official story is a lie, and that the event was probably a false-flag attack designed and executed by the enemies of Muslims, for the purpose of launching an anti-Muslim genocide or "war on Islam." In Pakistan - the nation best-informed about "al-Qaeda" - only 3% of the population believes al-Qaeda did 9/11. Poll data:
http://m911t.blogspot.com/2009/09/only-3-of-pakistanis-say-al-qaeda-did.html .

Only about 10% of Germans believe the official story of 9/11: http://911truthnews.com/german-poll-89-question-911/

36% of all Americans - over 100 million people - think 9/11 a likely inside job designed to launch wars of aggression. http://www.scrippsnews.com/911poll

Given the poll data, it is clear that a majority of the world's population rejects the official story of 9/11.

Please take this opportunity to educate yourself about this issue, and to avoid complicity in one of the worst crimes against humanity in history.

I am at your disposal in this matter; please feel free to call me at (phone number) between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. US Central Time.

Also, please consider interviewing 9/11's biggest first-responder hero, William Rodriguez, a Muslim convert who is fluent in Spanish, who works incessantly with family members, and who is an eyewitness to the controlled demolition of the North Tower. William may be reached at (phone number deleted) www.william911.com .

Sincerely

Dr. Kevin Barrett


Some friends of mine are ticked at an NPR show this week that practiced everything but fairness. Their complaints had me thinking of the 'celebration of mourning' (my term) that the media is preparing to wallow in next week. I can think of nothing more pathetic or useless. We were just going to ignore it here (hopefully, we'll work on a piece at Third tonight) but if the media wants to preach wallow and lies ("unity" is not a good thing in and of itself), then we'll counter it here with people who refuse to wallow or take easy answers. If that's not clear, the media's going to make us all feel sad and special. Rob us of our strength -- tomorrow morning that will be especially when a new host takes over a radio program. I'm not a big fan of passivity or encouraging victimazation or mistaking it for 'strength.' So we won't take part in that pity party. Instead, what better way to celebrate America than to note those who go against convention, who show strength to survive and endure countless attacks as they attempt to pursue the truth. Good for them, good for the 9-11 Truth movement. The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.




































at