Saturday, July 02, 2011

Iraq beyond 2011

Ed O'Keefe (Washington Post) reports US Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffery spoke with reporters today about the US mission in Iraq beyond 2011 and stated that "keeping thousands of troops in Iraq" after 2011 is a possibility. O'Keefe also notes that "Iraq's top political leaders" will again review whether or not to ask that US forces stay in Iraq beyond 2011 -- they'll review that in the next few days. Remember Ed O'Keefe has a Twitter feed and is Tweeting there:

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Jane Arraf is also a Twitter feed must if you follow Iraq and we'll highlight her Tweets regarding James Jeffrey's comments to reporters today:

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Jane Arraf reports for, among others, Al Jazeera, PRI's The World and the Christian Science Monitor. And for Tweets from Iraq that are rarely about Iraq, check out Tim Arango's Tweets (current obsession, The Daily Show). Tim on Twitter's like the guy you travel to France with who yawns at the Eiffel Tower but wants to rush back to the hotel because he heard there's a French-dubbed Walker Texas Ranger marathon on TF1. [And I'm pulling a remark before posting with the plan that we'll cover Twitter at Third for Sunday.]

For the New York Times, Arango reports
on the US Special Forces in Iraq and how they're training the Iraqi Special Operations forces to bash in the doors of suspect's homes in the middle of the night ("the sound of glass shattering and screams pierced the nighttime stillness" really doesn't sound like freedom or democracy) and quotes Iraqi Maj Gen Fadhel al-Barwari stating, "The Americans need to stay because we don't have control over our borders."

Aswat al-Iraq reports that Kirkuk's Ahmed Hameed al-Obaidi announced today he doesn't support a Sunni region -- this despite the fact that Osama al-Nujaifi has stated he did not propose that in statements he made while in the US. (Aswat al-Iraq notes he said that in the future Sunnis might feel a need for it if things do not improve and that he made the statements to Al-Hurra TV.) Aswat al-Iraq reports that Iraqiya is pointing out the deliberate misrepresentation of al-Nujaifi's remarks were spread by State Of Law and Iraqiya's Ahmed al-Alwany declares, "The political blocs that criticized recent statements by Parliament's Speaker, Usama al-Nujeify, are better criticize the government's failure after the end of its 100-day period to evaluate the cabinet ministries [. . .] Usama al-Nujeify did not speak about secession, as much as he expressed the wish of some of the areas and provinces, including Anbar Province, to establish their own Region. This is due to the erroneous policies of the government, with regards to the distribution of the financial resources, the security dossier and appointments." The issue, ignored by the US media, resulted in what Al Mada terms a "brawl" in Parliament today -- between Osama al-Nujaifi and a State of Law MP.

Also not covered by the US press in recent weeks has been Nouri al-Maliki's continued war on the Electoral Commission. Many may remember that he has tried to declare that the independent commission is not independent and that it must answer to him. More recently, he's had a fit that they went to the KRG and ordered them to return. (They noted he did not have the power to order them.) Al Rafidayn notes that one of Nouri's State Of Law deputies in Parliament has announced his support for Nouri's plan to "withdraw confidence from the Electoral Commission" and that they have a petition signed by 114 deputies. Imagine how much easier it will be in four years for Nouri to steal the election if he can control the Electoral Commission.



In today's violence, Reuters notes a Mosul car bombing left eight people injured and an attack on a Mosul police checkpoint resulted in the death of 1 police officer while, Friday, two people were wounded in a Kirkuk shooting. Al Sabaah reports 5 people were kidnapped in Anbar Province today (including an Imam and his brother) and they note the Mosul car bombing but inform that 2 of the wounded, Iraqi soldiers, died, Muqdadiya an attack resulted in the death of 1 police officer and the death of 1 assailant with another injured and a Diyala Province shooting which left 1 person dead and two more injured. Fattah Mahmood Fattah and Muhaimen Najm (CNN) add, "Elsewhere, police are investigating the shooting deaths of four relatives in Diyala province, which stretches north and east of Baghdad. It is not known whether the motives involve warfare, sectarian hatreds or domestic issues."


On the Libyan War, we'll note this from William Blum's "Libya: Unedning American Hostility" (Foreign Policy Journal):

If I could publicly ask our beloved president one question, it would be this: "Mr. President, in your short time in office you've waged war against six countries -- Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen and Libya. This makes me wonder something. With all due respect: What is wrong with you?"
The American media has done its best to dismiss or ignore Libyan charges that NATO/US missiles have been killing civilians (the people they’re supposedly protecting), at least up until the recent bombing “error” that was too blatant to be covered up. But who in the mainstream media has questioned the NATO/US charges that Libya was targeting and "massacring" Libyan civilians a few months ago, which, we’ve been told, is the reason for the Western powers attacks? Don't look to Al Jazeera for such questioning. The government of Qatar, which owns the station, has a deep-seated animosity toward Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and was itself a leading purveyor of the Libyan "massacre" stories, as well as playing a military role in the war against Tripoli. Al Jazeera's reporting on the subject has been so disgraceful I've stopped looking at the station.


Monday is the Fourth of July in the US. Where will you be? If you're in NYC, Joan Wile has the event for you. The founder of Grandmothers Against the War and author of

Legendary civil liberties attorney, Norman Siegel, will hold his fifth annual July 4 Reading and Discussion of the U.S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in Central Park's Strawberry Fields at noon on Monday, July 4.
Siegel and others will read aloud the Declaration and various articles and amendments in the Constitution and discuss how they are practiced and interpreted today. As in past years, there is bound to be criticism of governmental policies which do not adhere to the principles set forth in the founding documents.
The tradition began way back in 1969 when Siegel started reading the Constitution to himself faithfully every July 4 no matter where he was. Then, in 2007, he invited the Granny Peace Brigade to join him and make it a public event. Each year, the crowds attending the Festival have grown and grown, and, in addition to the Brigade, include Veterans for Peace, Grandmothers Against the War, Peace Action, Raging Grannies, and many other groups and individuals. Local political leaders participate, as well.
Comments Siegel: "Our July 4 event, with New Yorkers reading aloud sections of the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence and embracing its provisions is a terrific way to celebrate this most important American holiday. Fireworks and picnics are fine, but it's also good to have an event which reflects in a substantive way the principles intended by our Founding Framers."
DATE: Monday, July 4
TIME: 12 Noon
PLACE: Strawberry Fields, Central Park -- enter at CPW and W. 72nd St. Follow sign approximately one block




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The fallen and the missing

3 US soldiers serving in Iraq were killed in an attack Wednesday. Today the Defense Dept issued the following release:

The Department of Defense announced today the deaths of three soldiers who were supporting Operation New Dawn.
They died June 29 in Badrah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked their unit with indirect fire. They were assigned to 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Fort Hood, Texas.
Killed were:

Capt. David E. Van Camp, 29, of Wheeling, W.Va.; and

Spc. Robert G. Tenney Jr., 29, Warner Robins, Ga.

More information, including follow-up releases and photos are available at www.FortHoodPressCenter.com. Media representatives can submit queries by emailing query@forthoodpresscenter.com. To speak directly with a public affairs representative, call 254-449-4023.

The Des Moines Register reports the third US soldier killed in that attack was 27-year-old Capt Matthew G. Nielson who is remembered warmly by friends at Fareway store where he worked from 2001 through 2007. Greg Rooney remembers him as a big fan of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and says, "He really wasn't that interested in any other sports team." Shelley Hanson (The Intelligencer and the Wheeling News-Register) reports that David VanCamp's neighbors remember him as the kid who played "hockey and basketball in the streets with his friends." Amy Birch remembers, "We all hung out together. We played kickball and had a good time. He was a good-hearted person. It tore me up when I heard. Him being raised around here makes it harder to accept. He was a neighborhood-street kid. He got along with all the neighbors. . . . I've been in and out all day -- I'll just start crying. He was young, he still had a life to live. But he was doing this to help the rest of us." Earl Ray Tomblin is the Governor of West Virginia, his office issued the following today:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin today issued the following statement after learning Wheeling native and U.S. Army Captain David Edward Van Camp died on June 29, 2011 from injuries he suffered as a result of an indirect fire attack from insurgent forces in Iraq.
"I am deeply saddened by the loss of Captain Van Camp," Gov. Tomblin said. "Van Camp was committed to serving his country and he demonstrated valor, even in the face of danger. Joanne and I offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Captain Van Camp. As our nation prepares to recognize our independence, we extend our sincere gratitude to all our military families, especially those who have lost loved ones. We are forever indebted to those who protect America’s freedoms. I ask that all West Virginians keep the Van Camp family and all our military families in their prayers."
Van Camp had been stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas with the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment.
He is survived by his wife, Chelsea Van Camp, his parents and extended family.

KCEN TV (link has text and video) notes
Wednesday's deaths "brings the number of Fort Hood casualties in Iraq to six just this week alone. In the month of June, eight Fort Hood soldiers total died in that country." 15 soldiers died in the Iraq War last month. One of them was 20-year-old Spc Dylan Jeffrey Johnson. Manny Gamallo (Tulsa World) reports that a memorial service will be held for Dylan Johnson at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian, 2:00 p.m., this Wednesday. Gamallo reports:

His family noted that Johnson "had a big heart and a natural gift for bringing humor and light to everyone, even in difficult times. He was an avid skateboarder who went through many pairs of shoes, jeans and bandages in his quest to perfect his talent. He also loved music and played guitar, often accompanying himself with electronic drum sequences he programmed himself."
One talent that emerged during Johnson's high school years was his penchant for cooking.
"Dylan inherited his ability to put together a great meal from scratch from his mother, using a wide variety of ingredients that he found in the kitchen. He and his mother enjoyed cooking meals together, and they tasted so good he had talked of entering a culinary school after his commitment to the Army was completed," the family wrote in his obituary.

If you read the death notices MNF used to issue or the ones USF now sometimes issues, you're familiar with the statement that the death "is under investigation." David Zucchino (Los Angeles Times) reports on an aspect of that:

Air Force Lt. Col. Laura Regan literally lays hands on remains of the dead. For U.S. troops killed in action, she is among the last service members to touch them as she tries to provide families of the fallen with the full truth about their deaths.
As the military's only active duty forensic anthropologist, Regan unravels mysteries borne of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the most common cause of death is not a bullet but a homemade bomb. She uses DNA, fingerprints, tissue analysis and painstaking observation to make positive identifications. Part of her "noble mission," she says, is making sure the remains survivors receive belong to their loved ones — and no one else.
These are the first wars in which every American battlefield death is autopsied — and, since 2004, the first in which every set of American military remains undergoes a CT scan. In previous wars, autopsies on American combat casualties were rare and CT scans were never done.

From the fallen to the missing, David Feith (Wall St. Journal) observes, "Ahmed Altaie and Bowe Bergdahl—one born 1965 in Baghdad, the other two decades later in Hailey, Idaho—wouldn't seem to have much in common. But this weekend, as Americans take to beaches and barbeques to celebrate our independence, Messrs. Altaie and Bergdahl share a unique, practically unknown bond: They are the only two U.S. soldiers currently held captive as prisoners of war."

The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com, Washington Week, Adam vs. the Man and ACLU -- updated last night and today:




Adam vs. The Man is on the permalinks -- both as its own site and also from RT's show page (Ann had noted the showpage this week on her Facebook page when Adam's site was down) and I've added Michael S. Smith's site as well. We'll close with this from the Feminist Majority Foundation:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2011
Contact: Annie Shields
Phone: 310.556.2500
Email: ashields@msmagazine.com

Anti-abortion Extremist Convicted of Stalking Doctor

Today, 12 jurors in Charlotte, N.C., found anti-abortion extremist leader Flip Benham guilty of criminally stalking a Charlotte-area physician who performs abortions. This is the second time Benham, who is director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America, was convicted for conduct that caused a person to fear for their safety or the safety of their family.

"For too long, Benham and his organization have been able to stalk and terrorize abortion providers and their families with impunity," said duVergne Gaines, legal coordinator for the Feminist Majority Foundation, who attended the 5-day trial. "They have distributed WANTED posters and engaged in other outrageous conduct in an attempt to intimidate doctors out of providing safe, legal abortions for women here in Charlotte," continued Gaines.

"This trial and its outcome are important," said Katherine Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. "We hope this verdict will encourage other district attorneys and the Department of Justice to prosecute extremists who, like Benham, are terrorizing abortion doctors across the country," continued Spillar.

The Feminist Majority Foundation has been working with Charlotte-area clinics and doctors to stop anti-abortion extremist harassment. "We have been alarmed by the extremists' brazen use of old-West-style WANTED posters to target doctors at their homes and offices," explained Spillar.

Indeed, in key testimony for the prosecution, Charlotte Police Detective Harris presented compelling details of how abortion extremists have murdered doctors who were initially featured on WANTED posters, just as is happening in Charlotte today. "Harris' statements underscore the importance of prosecuting extremists to the full extent of the law in order to prevent threats from escalating to violence," observed Gaines.

In addition to the guilty verdict, the Judge entered an extensive protective order preventing Benham from entering the residential community where the doctor lives, and from coming within 500 feet of the doctor's office and the two women's health clinics where he performs abortions. Additionally, Benham is prevented from contacting in any manner the doctor and his family, and from publishing WANTED posters or other materials, including on his website or online, that reference the doctor or his home or office address. Benham has entered a notice of appeal of the verdict. However the protective order will remain in force until the appeal is heard.

The Feminist Majority Foundation runs the National Clinic Access Project, which is the oldest and largest clinic defense project in the nation - researching and tracking extremist groups, organizing community support for clinics, providing safety assessments, sponsoring litigation to defend clinics, and working with law enforcement to stop violence against abortion providers.

Interviews with duVergne Gaines and Katherine Spillar can be arranged by calling 310 556 2500.

###

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Anti-abortion Extremist Convicted of Stalking Doctor

From the Feminist Majority Foundation:



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 1, 2011
Contact: Annie Shields
Phone: 310.556.2500
Email: ashields@msmagazine.com

Anti-abortion Extremist Convicted of Stalking Doctor

Today, 12 jurors in Charlotte, N.C., found anti-abortion extremist leader Flip Benham guilty of criminally stalking a Charlotte-area physician who performs abortions. This is the second time Benham, who is director of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America, was convicted for conduct that caused a person to fear for their safety or the safety of their family.

"For too long, Benham and his organization have been able to stalk and terrorize abortion providers and their families with impunity," said duVergne Gaines, legal coordinator for the Feminist Majority Foundation, who attended the 5-day trial. "They have distributed WANTED posters and engaged in other outrageous conduct in an attempt to intimidate doctors out of providing safe, legal abortions for women here in Charlotte," continued Gaines.

"This trial and its outcome are important," said Katherine Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation. "We hope this verdict will encourage other district attorneys and the Department of Justice to prosecute extremists who, like Benham, are terrorizing abortion doctors across the country," continued Spillar.

The Feminist Majority Foundation has been working with Charlotte-area clinics and doctors to stop anti-abortion extremist harassment. "We have been alarmed by the extremists' brazen use of old-West-style WANTED posters to target doctors at their homes and offices," explained Spillar.

Indeed, in key testimony for the prosecution, Charlotte Police Detective Harris presented compelling details of how abortion extremists have murdered doctors who were initially featured on WANTED posters, just as is happening in Charlotte today. "Harris' statements underscore the importance of prosecuting extremists to the full extent of the law in order to prevent threats from escalating to violence," observed Gaines.

In addition to the guilty verdict, the Judge entered an extensive protective order preventing Benham from entering the residential community where the doctor lives, and from coming within 500 feet of the doctor's office and the two women's health clinics where he performs abortions. Additionally, Benham is prevented from contacting in any manner the doctor and his family, and from publishing WANTED posters or other materials, including on his website or online, that reference the doctor or his home or office address. Benham has entered a notice of appeal of the verdict. However the protective order will remain in force until the appeal is heard.

The Feminist Majority Foundation runs the National Clinic Access Project, which is the oldest and largest clinic defense project in the nation - researching and tracking extremist groups, organizing community support for clinics, providing safety assessments, sponsoring litigation to defend clinics, and working with law enforcement to stop violence against abortion providers.

Interviews with duVergne Gaines and Katherine Spillar can be arranged by calling 310 556 2500.

###

1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801, Arlington, VA, 22209 | 703.522.2214 | webmaster@feminist.org

You have received this e-mail because of your interest in women's issues. To unsubscribe, please go to: https://feminist.org/email/unsubDIA.asp.

Friday, July 01, 2011

Iraq snapshot

Friday, July 1, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, protests continue in Baghdad, the US government continues to target an Iraq War veteran, Iraq scores poorly on the State Dept's report of human trafficking, and more.
 
Starting with Libya.  Yesterday on Flashpoints (KPFA, Pacifica), guest host Kevin Pina spoke with Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya who has left Canada to report from Libya on the illegal war. Michael Birnbaum (Washington Post) reported, "French officials announced Wednesday that they had armed rebels in Libya, marking the first time a NATO country has said it was providing direct military aid to opponents of the government in a conflict that has lasted longer than many policymakers expected." Actually, they didn't just 'announce' it was taking place.  Philippe Gelie (Le Figaro) reported that France was dropping weapons to the 'rebels.'  Only after Gelie's report got traction and the pressure was on the French government to answer the charge did they 'announce' -- which most of us would call "admit" -- that this had happened.  Nick Hopkins (Guardian) explained, "The revelation surprised officials in Nato's headquarters in Brussels and raised awkward questions about whether the French had broken international law -- UN resolution 1973 specifically allows Nato nations to protect civilians in Libya, but appears to stop short of permitting the provision weapons."  This is the topic Kevin Pina and Madhi Nazemoroaya are discussing at the start of the excerpt.
 
Kevin Pina: So let's talk about this. Has the word reached there in Libya that France has openly flaunted the UN resolution?
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: Yes, yes, it has.  And it's no surprise in Tripoli that the French have been involved with this breach of the United Nations resolution.
 
Kevin Pina: And so what has the reaction been? Has there been any official reaction from the Gaddafi government?
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: I was at the Rixos Hotel which as your listeners might know is the media center where the government spokesman is.  There's been no official statements yet but speaking to the people there at the media center, as I said, they're not surprised.  But they are outraged. I'm sure that tomorrow the manifestation of this outrage will appear in Triopli because there is a major protest -- a major protest that is going to take place.
 
Kevin Pina: And you're listening to Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio and that's the voice of Madhi Nazemroaya coming to us direct from Tripoli in Libya.  Madhi, have there been any other sorties of NATO bombers within the last 24 hours?
 
 
Madhi Nazemroaya:  Well in Tripoli there have been no bombings that I know of but I can tell you that NATO jets have been flying robustly over Tripoli and there noises can be heard to the point where at some points I think I've been woken up to this very moment by them.  They've been flying a lot during the day.  Most likely going south towards Fezzan bombing God knows what because there are no military sites south of here.  But there have been robust flights, that's for sure.
 
Kevin Pina: And what about actual battles between the so-called rebels and the forces of the Libyan Army?
 
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: Well I could tell you this in regards to the front between -- between both sides, between the Benghazi based Transitional Council forces and the military of -- the Libyan miltary of Col Gaddafi . In regards to the front, it was announced yesterday that one city fell.  Now I know this because I was witness to the official government spokesperson, Dr. Moussa Ibrahim --
 
Kevin Pina:  This is a city that fell back to Gaddafi forces?
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: No, it was said to have fallen to the rebel forces.  Now this is reported by the rebels and by the mainstream media but Dr. Moussa Ibrahim and the Libyan government, the Libyan regime, have contradicted it and denied it.  And what they have dones is actually taken international press with them to this city to prove that it did not fall as was reported.  Now I bared witness to them leaving on a shuttle towards the city and they returned this morning. I actually talked to some of the reporters before they left. They came from places such as France, Britian and Hong Kong.  So we have misinformation being given about the front when one city's been reported to have fallen when, reality, it hasn't.  So this I can tell you right now about the front.
 
 
Kevin Pina: Now you've also spoken about the psychological warfare that's been used by NATO and its allies against the people of Libya.  Give us a sense of where that's at now.  You said there were still fly-bys and they were making a lot of noise over the capitol. Obviously, that's got to make the people very nervous.
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: Yes, these flights -- these flights are a daily event here in Tripoli and in the districts around Tripoli.  And it does make them -- it does make the citizens here think of NATO on a constant basis. This has become a part of their lives.  Now I said before too that they're trying to live normal lives and I'm actually very impressed with their efforts to live normal lives here in Tripoli and the districts around Tripoli.  But the facts are that these flights make one really nervous and especially at night.  Even I myself have trouble sometimes sleeping at night because sometimes these noises wake you up and you might have a problem, like a fear and mistake even a car noise for these flights over Tripoli. It's very disturbing and I have to point out that I've come at a time where the bombings in this area have been reduced compared to what they were.  The war is nothing like it was -- the bombings are nothing like it was prior to my arrival.  Still, it's a very scary thing, Kevin, it's a very scary thing.
 
Kevin Pina:  It seems like the bombings really fell off after it became clear that NATO was responsible for killing civilians -- that they were claiming they were bombing military targets but civilians were being killed at the same time.  And there was an incident that happened about a week ago, right, where it was really clear and they could no longer deny it and it seems that they have fallen off since then.  Right?
Madhi Nazemroaya: Well in Tripoli, like I've said, the bombings have been reduced, they're far less [unknown word] to the citizens than before but other places are being bombed.  Like these planes are flying south of Tripoli.  God knows where they are bombing because there's nothing of military value in Fezzan.  And south of Tripoli, I can't imagine what they're bombing down there except for small cities and villages and the desert. But they are bombing south of here, they're bombing places.  And we have reports of them bombing the areas in [. . .] south of here.  These things are of no military value at all which actually is an indicator that this war is wrong and that NATO is involved in War Crimes, bombing civilian structures.
 
Kevin Pina: Now you had also said in a previous interview that there was evidence of depleted uranium in bombing -- in the bomb casings that were being dropped on the population.  Where's that at now? I understand there's some evidence that's going to be released soon.
 
 
Madhi Nazemroaya: That evidence will come forward. It's something that's being waited on.  The machinery here -- There is machinery here that's been ordered that will detect radioactivity levels. It's only a matter of time before it comes.  I don't know exactly when it will come up but the machinery is here and there would have actually been more machinery had it not been for the disaster in east Asia, in Japan specifically, because a lot of this machinery ended up going there.  But I spoke to an American gentlemen the other day about it and they will be using this machinery to prove to the world that depleted uranium has been used here. And not only have I mentioned this but so have others and so has the Stop the War coalition in the United Kingdom.
 
Kevin Pina: Well Madhi, this is the voice of Madhi Nazemroaya our special correspondent on the ground in Tripoli, Libya.  This is Flashpoints on Pacifica Radio.
 
In related news, AFP reported this week that the 'rebels' (National Transitional Council) has received the equivalent of $100 million in "international donations" according to England's Foreign Secretary William Hague who was speaking to the House of Commons.
 
Former US house Rep Cynthia McKinney is attempting to raise awareness of the illegal war and this is from her "What America Stands For In Libya" (Information Clearing House):
At a time when the American people have been asked to tighten their belts, teachers are receiving pink slips, the vital statistics of the American people reveal a health care crisis in the making, and the U.S. government is in serious threat of default, our President and Congress have decided that a new war, this time against the people of Libya, is appropriate. This comes at a time when the U.S., by one estimate, spends approximately $3 billion per week for war against Iraq and Afghanistan.
 
Today protests continued in Iraq.  This was "Grandchildren of the 1920 Rebels" -- a not to the Iraq Revolution of 1920 in which the Iraqis -- Shia and Sunni -- protested the British occupation and the policies put in place by British Bwana Arnold Wilson. It kicked off in May 1920 and saw 6,000 Iraqis and 500 British and Indian forces killed from May to October. To avoid further risk, the British handed control over to Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi who ruled as the King of Iraq from August 1921 to September 1933. Revolution of Iraq features videos of the Baghdad protests filmed by Rami Hayali.  During the demonstration, they burned to the United States flag to show their rejection of the occupation.  A characteristic of the Baghdad protests are the women with photos of their loved ones who are missing -- some lost in the Iraqi 'justice' system and there are least two such women (plus other women as well) in this video.  Families have no idea where their loved ones are.  They just disappear one day.  Maybe they're seen being hauled away by Iraqi forces, maybe that's not seen.  But they disappear and the government is of no use to them, provides no assistance to find them.  Southern Iraq protests in the last months have also noted the difficulties in visiting imprisoned/detained Iraqis that the system seems to practice intentionally by repeatedly swapping prisons and by keeping them far from their home base where family would be closer. In this video, the protesters wash their hands of Ayad Allawi and Nouri al-Maliki stating that both men are useless and two-of-a-kind, thieves unwilling to help Iraq.  Alsumaria TV reports that they called for Nouri's government to be toppled and to end corruption and that they were joined by "employees from the branch centers of the Independent High Electoral Commission rallied for the second time in Tahrir Square calling to be employed as fixed term employees."
 
Protests have continued every Friday despite the attacks on the peaceful protesters. Dan Murphy (Christian Science Monitor) reports:

Human Rights Watch charges today that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appears to have ordered the beating, stabbing, and sexual assault of protesters earlier this month.
"It's pretty worrying," says Joe Stork, the head of the Middle East department at Human Rights Watch. "There are a few things that we hadn't seen before, like the sexual molesting, that kind of thing. The pattern of using plain clothes people who to all appearances were working with the connivance of the security people, that's certainly not new … we saw that when the so-called Arab spring protests started in Baghdad in February. This use of 'thugs' who may or may not be security is itself not unique to Iraq; in fact, it seems to be right out of the Egyptian playbook."

In other news out of Iraq, Alaa Fadel (Dar Addustour) reports that Nouri's spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, announced that the increase in oil prices (meaning more income for Iraq) will be used to increase the payment for wheat and barley to Iraqi farmers. The government is planning to spend trillions of dinars on these crops. While that takes place, Al Mada reports UNICEF is calling on Iraq's government to invest some of the money into a one billion a year fund to assist Iraq's disadvantaged children. There are an estimated 4 million severely disadvantaged children thought the number could be much higher and Iraq's estimated to have 15 million children. 15 million children is a large number by itself but especially when you consider that population estimates for Iraq are generally somewhere between 25 million and 30 million. Iraq is a young country, a country of widows and orphans thanks to the illegal war.

And the protests that take place in Iraq are about these issues, the war, the effects of the war, the occupied government's refusal to provide basic services such as potable water, the lack of jobs and much more. Iaq needs housing and every six months or so Nouri shows up at a newly built housing project for a photo-op. Iraq needs many things. So there should be more than enough jobs to go around. Somehow that's not the case. (Also true, a lot of the government funded projects never see the funds because someone uses the money to line their own pockets.)

Al Mada reports on the Iraqi government's reaction to the US State Dept's annual human rights report on human trafficking which finds being put on the "watchlist" good news. Hassan Rashed explains it's so much better to be on the watchlist than on the blacklist. They have no reason to be proud, the report notes:
 
Protection
The Iraqi government demonstrated minimal efforts to protect victims of trafficking during the reporting period. Government authorities continued to lack a formal procedure to identify victims of trafficking among vulnerable groups, such as women arrested for prostitution or foreign workers, and did not recognize that women in prostitution may be coerced. As a result, some victims of trafficking were incarcerated, fined, or otherwise penalized for acts committed as a direct result of being trafficked, such as prostitution. Some victims of forced labor, however, were reportedly not detained, fined, or jailed for immigration violations, but they were generally not provided protection services by the government. Some Iraqi police centers have specialists to assist women and children who are victims of trafficking and abuse; the number of victims assisted and the type of assistance provided is unclear. The government neither provided protection services to victims of trafficking nor funded or provided in-kind assistance to NGOs providing victim protection services. All available care was administered by NGOs, which ran victim-care facilities and shelters accessible to victims of trafficking. However, there were no signs that the government developed or implemented procedures by which government officials systematically referred victims to organizations providing legal, medical, or psychological services. Upon release from prison, female victims of forced prostitution had difficulty finding assistance, especially in cases where the victim's family had sold her into prostitution, thereby increasing their chances of being re-trafficked. Some child trafficking victims were placed in protective facilities, orphanages, and foster care, while others were placed in juvenile detention centers. Since trafficking is not established as a crime in Iraq, the government did not encourage victims to assist in investigations or prosecutions or provide legal assistance or legal alternatives to removal to countries in which they may face hardship or retribution for foreign victims of trafficking into Iraq.
Prevention
The Government of Iraq did not report efforts to prevent trafficking in persons. The government has not conducted any public awareness or education campaigns to educate migrant workers, labor brokers, and employers of workers' rights against forced labor. There were also no reported efforts to reduce the demand for commercial sex acts beyond enforcing anti-prostitution laws. The Iraqi government does not consistently monitor immigration and emigration patterns for evidence of trafficking, but there are reports of isolated instances in which Iraqi border security forces prevented older men and young girls traveling together from leaving Iraq using fake documents.
 
 

Their fallback position was to do nothing.  When pressed, they did the "minimal."   The report also notes:
 
 
 
 
Iraq is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to sex trafficking and forced labor. Iraqi women and girls are subjected to conditions of trafficking within the country and in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Iran, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia for forced prostitution and sexual exploitation within households. Women are lured into forced prostitution through false promises of work. Women are also subjected to involuntary servitude through forced marriages, often as payment of a debt, and women who flee such marriages are often more vulnerable to being subjected to further forced labor or sexual servitude. One NGO reports that recruiters rape women and girls on film and blackmail them into prostitution or recruit them in prisons by posting bail and then holding them in situations of debt bondage in prostitution. Some women and children are forced by family members into prostitution to escape desperate economic circumstances, to pay debts, or to resolve disputes between families. NGOs report that these women are often prostituted in private residences, brothels, restaurants, and places of entertainment. Some women and girls are trafficked within Iraq for the purpose of sexual exploitation through the use of temporary marriages (muta'a), by which the family of the girl receives money in the form of a dowry in exchange for permission to marry the girl for a limited period of time. Some Iraqi parents have reportedly collaborated with traffickers to leave children at the Iraqi side of the border with Syria with the expectation that traffickers will arrange for them forged documents to enter Syria and employment in a nightclub. The large population of internally displaced persons and refugees moving within Iraq and across its borders are particularly at risk of being trafficked. Women from Iran, China, and the Philippines reportedly may be trafficked to or through Iraq for commercial sexual exploitation.
Iraq is also a destination country for men and women who migrate from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Pakistan, Georgia, Jordan, and Uganda and are subsequently subjected to involuntary servitude as construction workers, security guards, cleaners, handymen, and domestic workers. Such men and women face practices such as confiscation of passports and official documents, nonpayment of wages, long working hours, threats of deportation, and physical and sexual abuse as a means to keep them in a situation of forced labor. Some of these foreign migrants were recruited for work in other countries such as Jordan or the Gulf States, but were forced, coerced, or deceived into traveling to Iraq, where their passports were confiscated and their wages withheld, ostensibly to repay labor brokers for the costs of recruitment, transport, and food and lodging. Other foreign migrants were aware they were destined for Iraq, but once in-country, found the terms of employment were not what they expected or the jobs they were promised did not exist, and they faced coercion and serious harm, financial or otherwise, if they attempted to leave. In addition, some Iraqi boys from poor families are reportedly subjected to forced street begging and other nonconsensual labor exploitation and commercial sexual exploitation. Some women from Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines who migrated to the area under the jurisdiction of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) experienced conditions of domestic servitude after being recruited with offers of different jobs. An Iraqi official revealed networks of women have been involved in the trafficking and sale of male and female children for the purposes of sex trafficking.
The Government of Iraq does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, but is making significant efforts to do so. The government did not demonstrate evidence of significant efforts to punish traffickers or proactively identify victims; therefore, Iraq is placed on Tier 2 Watch List for a third consecutive year. Iraq was not placed on Tier 3 per Section 107 of the 2008 Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, however, as the government has a written plan that, if implemented, would constitute making significant efforts to bring itself into compliance with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is devoting sufficient resources to implement that plan. Nonetheless, the government did not enact its draft anti-trafficking legislation and has reported no other efforts to prosecute or punish traffickers. The Government of Iraq continues to lack proactive victim identification procedures, persists in punishing victims of forced prostitution, and provides no systematic protection services to victims of trafficking.
 
 
 
 
Violence has increased in the last months in Iraq.  Aswat al-Iraq reports that MP Hakim al-Zamili has declared, "The premier [Nouri al-Maliki] is the first responsible for the deterioration in the security situation. He has to solve this question by appointing the security miniters who should be specialized and knowledgeable."
 
Turning to some of today's reported violence, Reuters notes 2 police officers "and a Kurdish security force member" were shot dead in Mosul last night, that 1 "Iraqi oil police" killed a suspected smuggler last night outside Mosul and that, today, 1 Sahwa was shot dead in Khaldiya.On the Mosul attack, Aswat al-Iraq noted that the assailants wore military uniforms. They also note that a Baghdad attack led to the death last night of a police officer and an Iraqi officer.
 
Meanwhile the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has issued a statement.  Irina Bokova has called out the recent deaths of journalists in Iraq, Congo and Mexico.  We'll note the Iraq aspect.
 
Ms. Bokova also deplored the death on 21 June of cameraman Alwan al-Ghorabi, who died in a car bomb explosion in the southern Iraqi city of Diwaniyya, becoming the fourth journalist to be killed in that country this year.
Mr. al-Ghorabi, who worked for the Afaq satellite television channel, was reportedly with several other journalists at the entrance of a Government building when the bomb exploded.
Ms. Bokova said this latest death is a reminder of how precarious the security situation still is in Iraq.
"Media professionals, working to keep citizens informed, are particularly exposed," she noted.
 
In other news of violence, Ed O'Keefe and Tim Craig (Washington Post via Boston Globe) note the US officials and military 'chatter' that Iran is behind June's deadly attacks on US soldiers: "Those weapons include powerful rockets, armor-piercing grenades, and jamming-resistant roadside bombs, military officials say. Officials caution that they do not have evidence that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran or his government is ordering Shi'ite militias to strike US forces in Iraq."  Michael S. Schmidt (New York Times) reports the US military is happy that Nouri al-Maliki has "unleashed a sweeping crackdown on Iranian-based Shiite militias" and that they feared this wouldn't happen due to the fact that "[m]any of the militant groups have ties to the radical cleric Moktada al-Sadr" so it's relief to them that Nouri's sent soldiers and police officers into Maysan Province.  Really?  Moqtada didn't have a stronghold in the Maysan Province.  The closest he is supposed to have had was a toe-hold in Amarah and that toe-hold fell apart during Basha'ar al-Salam in 2008 when Sadr's sole office in the province, in Amarah, was shut down. Now that's 2008. Two years prior to that, Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi milita was supposed to have seized control of the city of Amarah briefly (for one day in October).  Where they do have control, Sadr supporters (militia or not) is in the province's government and that's due to Nouri al-Maliki who handed the province over to Moqtada to garner al-Sadr's support for his 2010 prime minister bid.  Since Sadrists control the government in the province (including the post of governor) and since there were other militias in the province (going back for years and years) what might be taking place is that Moqtada al-Sadr is using his sway with Nouri to have Nouri take out rivals -- militia and political? -- in the province.  Moqtada and his followers did't win control of the province via elections, they won it via a graft with Nouri.  This may be an attempt at taking out enemies and 'purifying' the region.  In which case, Nouri would be doing Moqtada's bidding and the US military brass would have jumped the gun in its praise for Nouri.  If you're wondering what the other 'name' militia in the province is, it's the Badr Organization.  If Moqtada was able to knock them out, he might neverhave to worry about control of the province or having to wrestle with Ammar al-Hakim over who's going to run it.  He had to repeatedly wrestle with Ammar's father, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, over just that until Abdul Aziz al-Hakim passed away in 2009.  Ammar al-Hakim being rather popular with US government officials, now would be the perfect time for Moqtada to work on weakening al-Hakim's support since a number of foreigners think, should Nouri be recalled or forced out, Ammar al-Hakim would be the perfect choice for prime minister. 
 
 
15 US soldiers have died in the Iraq War during the month of June.  Wednesday was the most recent deaths when a missile hit a US military vehicle killing three soldiers.  The Intelligencer reports one of them was 29-year-old David VanCamp whose survivors include his wife Chelsea, his parents and his three brothers.  David VanCamp first deployed to Iraq in the fall of 2005 and was awarded "the Purple Heart and Bronze Star after being injured in 2006 by a suicide bomber."  The State Journal notes his passing and has a photo of him here.
 
 
Another of the 15 fallen for the month of June is Dylan Johnson. KJRH (link has text and video) speaks to his father Jeff Johnson who explains his son was known for his sense of humor, "I got a recent message from one of his buddies there and they're still finding remnants of practical jokes that he played on them, that was just the type of guy he was, he enjoyed life to it's fullest." Dylan Johnson was 20-years-old and on his 25th day in Iraq when he died in a bombing.

Staying with the United States, Elisha Dawkins is an Iraq War veteran.  He remains a member of the military who was serving until the government recently decided that he had falsified a passport application by saying he'd never applied for one before when, a few years prior, he'd started an application but not finished it.  On the basis of that, they have threatened and bullied Elisha.  US Senator Bill Nelson has called the treatment outrageous. He's been offered the option of taking probation and the charges against him would be dropped.  Probation would not be a felony conviction which would allow him to apply for citizenship. (There's confusion on citizenship.  Elisha was raised believing he was a US citizen.  He has a birth certificate from the state of Florida.  But there's a deportation order from when he was a small child for him and for his mother.)  Carol Rosenberg (Miami Herald) reports that his case has now caught US House Rep Federica Wilson's attention and that Wilson has written Janet Napolitano, US Homeland Security Secretary, asking for assistance and noting, "Mr. Dawkins is not someone who should find imself in a detention center.  His situation is more than unfortunate, it is inexplicable. I am asking, earnestly, for your help.  I am asking that Mr. Dawkins be allowed to continue to be the type of role model he has always been -- here, on American soil."  US House Rep Federica Wilson's office has released the following statement:
 
Washington, DC -- Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-17) today sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to request a removal of detainer on former Petty Officer 2nd Class, Elisha Leo Dawkins, who has been held for the past month in a Miami federal detention facility. Officer Dawkins was originally detained for an alleged passport violation. Even if he is released from detention, he is still at risk of deportation based on an order issued in 1992.
Mr. Dawkins was brought to the U.S. as a baby from The Bahamas and was raised believing he was a U.S. citizen, eventually rising to serve in our military with distinction. He grew up in the heart of Florida's 17th District, attending Poinciana Park Elementary and Miami Central Senior High School.
"This is a man we should be celebrating, not deporting," said Congresswoman Wilson. "He has bravely and heroically fought for our country and deserves our utmost gratitude. His situation is more than unfortunate; it is inexplicable. I am asking that Mr. Dawkins be allowed to continue to be the type of role model he has always been -- here, on American soil.
"This is precisely why we need to pass the DREAM Act. We need comprehensive immigration reform to fix our broken immigration system and ensure that incidents like this never happen again to our brave men and women who served in uniform."
In addition to awaiting a response from Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano, Congresswoman Wilson's district office is working closely with all relevant authorities to resolve the case.
 
 
Free Elisha Dawkins is a Facebook page which has been started by friends of Elisha who goes by "Leo" his friend and Jake Birchfield reveals to Ted Hall (11 Alive -- link has video and text) and.Birchfield explains of the friend he served with, "He has done more for this country than most people will in their lifetimes and he's a young man.  The fact that he has gone to the front lines to fight for our country.  The government needs to say this is a mistake."
 
 

Protests continue in Iraq (and why they do)

It's Friday, protests continue in Baghdad. Iraqi Revolution offers video of today's protest and the screen snap (below) is from that video.


july1st


Protests have continued every Friday despite the attacks on the peaceful protesters. Dan Murphy (Christian Science Monitor) reports:

Human Rights Watch charges today that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appears to have ordered the beating, stabbing, and sexual assault of protesters earlier this month.
"It’s pretty worrying," says Joe Stork, the head of the Middle East department at Human Rights Watch. "There are a few things that we hadn’t seen before, like the sexual molesting, that kind of thing. The pattern of using plain clothes people who to all appearances were working with the connivance of the security people, that’s certainly not new … we saw that when the so-called Arab spring protests started in Baghdad in February. This use of 'thugs' who may or may not be security is itself not unique to Iraq; in fact, it seems to be right out of the Egyptian playbook."

In other news out of Iraq, Alaa Fadel (Dar Addustour) reports that Nouri's spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, announced that the increase in oil prices (meaning more income for Iraq) will be used to increase the payment for wheat and barley to Iraqi farmers. The government is planning to spend trillions of dinars on these crops. While that takes place, Al Mada reports UNICEF is calling on Iraq's government to invest some of the money into a one billion a year fund to assist Iraq's disadvantaged children. There are an estimated 4 million severely disadvantaged children thought the number could be much higher and Iraq's estimated to have 15 million children. 15 million children is a large number by itself but especially when you consider that population estimates for Iraq are generally somewhere between 25 million and 30 million. Iraq is a young country, a country of widows and orphans thanks to the illegal war.

And the protests that take place in Iraq are about these issues, the war, the effects of the war, the occupied government's refusal to provide basic services such as potable water, the lack of jobs and much more. Iaq needs housing and every six months or so Nouri shows up at a newly built housing project for a photo-op. Iraq needs many things. So there should be more than enough jobs to go around. Somehow that's not the case. (Also true, a lot of the government funded projects never see the funds because someone uses the money to line their own pockets.)

Al Mada reports on the Iraqi government's reaction to the US State Dept's annual human rights report on human trafficking which finds being put on the "watchlist" good news. Hassan Rashed explains it's so much better to be on the watchlist than on the blacklist.

The report can be found here. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State, held a briefing earlier this week on the report (link is text and video) and her remarks included:

And I know it’s not just our State Department and not just our Congress, but many of you in this room, many of you from other governments who have taken on this issue, many of you from the NGO community that have been on the frontlines standing up for millions of victims. Last year, I visited in Cambodia a place of healing and support, a shelter for survivors. I met with dozens of girls, most of them very young, who had been sexually exploited and abused. They had been given refuge at the shelter and they were learning valuable skills to help them reenter society. These girls wanted the same thing that every child wants – the opportunity to live, to learn, a safe place, people who cared about them. And not too long ago, a shelter like this would not have been available. The idea of trafficking in persons was as old as time. And it wasn’t particularly high on the list of important international issues. And certainly, speaking for my country until relatively recently, we were not investing the resources or raising the visibility of these issues, of these stories, of these young girls. There were so many attractive children at that shelter; lots of liveliness. There were some very withdrawn and set apart from the others.
And there was one little girl who had the biggest grin on her face, and then when I looked into that face, I saw that one of her eyes was badly disfigured. She had glasses on. And I asked one of the women running the shelters, I said, “What happened to her?” And she said, “Well, when she was sold into a brothel, she was even younger than she is now, and she basically fought back to protect herself against what was expected. So the brothel owner stabbed her in the eye with a large nail.” And there was this child whose spirit did not look as though it had been broken, who was determined to interact with people, but whose life had only been saved because of a concerted effort to rescue girls like her from the slavery they were experiencing.
The world began to change a little over 10 years ago, and certainly, I’m grateful for the work that my country has done, but I’m also very grateful for the work that so many of our partners have done as well. When my husband signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, we did have tools – we had tools to bring traffickers to justice and tools to provide victims with legal services and other support. Today, police officers, activists, and governments are coordinating their efforts so much more effectively. Thousands of victims have been liberated around the world, and thanks to special temporary visas, many of them are able to come to our country to have protection to testify against their perpetrators.


Former US House Rep Cynthia McKinney is attempting to raise awareness of the Libyan War and this is from her "What America Stands For In Libya" (Information Clearing House):

At a time when the American people have been asked to tighten their belts, teachers are receiving pink slips, the vital statistics of the American people reveal a health care crisis in the making, and the U.S. government is in serious threat of default, our President and Congress have decided that a new war, this time against the people of Libya, is appropriate. This comes at a time when the U.S., by one estimate, spends approximately $3 billion per week for war against Iraq and Afghanistan. The President and Congress continue to fund the war against Libya despite the fact that Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced that the U.S. had no strategic interest in Libya; and despite the fact that the Senate Chairwoman of the Select Committee on Intelligence admits that the U.S. really does not know who the “rebels” are; while the rebels themselves, according to a Telegraph report of 25 March 2011, admit that Al Qaeda elements are among their ranks. So while the apparatus of our government has been used for over ten years to inform the American people and the global community that Al Qaeda is an enemy of freedom-loving people all over the world, our President chooses to ally our military with none other than Al Qaeda elements in Libya and other people whom U.S. intelligence say they do not know.

Additionally, U.S. Admiral Locklear admitted to a Member of Congress that one of NATO’s missions was to assassinate Muammar Qaddafi. And, indeed, NATO bombs have killed Qaddafi’s son and three grandchildren, just as US bombs in 1986 killed his daughter. NATO bombs just recently killed the grandchildren of one of Qaddafi’s associates in a targeted assassination attempt. Targeted assassination is not within the scope of the United Nations Security Council Resolution and targeted assassination is against U.S. law, international law, international humanitarian law, and international human rights law. Targeted assassination is also a crime. We certainly cannot encourage others to abide by the law when we so openly break it.



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