Al Mada reports that the US military has entered Baghdad International Airport and taken over the inspection of all Iranian planes en route to Syria. In addition, the US is monitoring the Iraqi Centeral Bank (allegedly out of concern that funds are being diverted to Syria). Dar Addustour notes the International Herald Tribune is reporting that the US plans to keep troops in Iraq to oversee Iraqi forces and this despite Congress not funding it. It states that US President Barack Obama approved 7.1 million dollars for these US forces in Iraq.
Last week, Tim Arango (New York Times) reported,
"Iraq and the United States are negotiating an agreement that could
result in the return of small units of American soldiers to Iraq on
training missions. At the request of the Iraqi government, according to
General Caslen, a unit of Army Special Operations soldiers was recently
deployed to Iraq to advise on counterterrorism and help with
intelligence." It's amazing how few news outlets care.
It's amazing how few so-called activists care. A.N.S.W.E.R. had demonstrations today and will have them tomorrow but they're not even alarmed or bothered by the White House sending more troops into Iraq (that's what Arango reported) and negotiating to send even more back.
That's not news and it's nothing for activists to be bothered about.
Did February 2003 not happen? Am I in a dream here? I seem to remember being one of millions around the world protesting the impending Iraq War. I remember being one of the many in the United States taking part in one of the largest protest the US has ever seen.
I must be Pam Ewing and have dreamed the last years.
That must be the only explanation. How could it have mattered in 2003 and not in 2012?
Maybe the same way that, in 2003, there were groups around posing as peace groups. They've since dropped their pose and many have closed up shop. But in 2003, they really tricked the American people into believing they gave a damn -- MoveOn, United for Peace and Justice, Not In Our Name and the rest.
In the last four years, not only has the Iraq War continued, so has the Afghanistan War, the Drone War, the war on Libya and so much more.
Yet where have all the peace groups gone?
Remember when the hygene challenged Ani DiFranco dencouned a war on Iraq? These days the still unwashed banal artiste does whole albums telling you to vote for a man responsible for these wars. How do you spell "whore"? Many of the holdouts who still believe in peace spell it A-n-i D-i-f-r-a-n-c-o.
A.N.S.W.E.R. needs to be a lot stronger. It could take lessons on strengthening its core to build up spinal support from World Can't Wait which is the premiere anti-war organization.
It's over, I'm done writing songs about love
There's a war going on
So I'm holding my gun with a strap and a glove
And I'm writing a song about war
And it goes
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Na na na na na na na
I hate the war
Oh oh oh oh
-- "I Hate The War" (written by Greg Goldberg, on The Ballet's Mattachine!)
The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4488.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
i hate the war
the ballet
