Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Nouri and State of Law smear Anbar, Ramadi protesters poisoned

Friday, the Iraqi military opened fire on protesters killing 7 people and injuring at least sixty (including on Alsumaria journalist).  Today Alsumaria reports that Iraqiya is demanding Nouri al-Malik (prime minister and head of the Minister of Defense due to his failure to ever nominate someone to that post) and his puppet 'acting' Minister of Defense Saadoun al-Dulaimi hand over the military members who opened fire.  Iraqiya also rejects efforts to conflate the death of 2 soldiers with the protest.  The massacre took place first.  This dispersed some of the crowd.  A tiny portion remained and others joined it over a two hour period.  Only after that took place were two soldiers harmed -- harmed five kilometers (roughly 3 miles) from where the protest earlier that day was held.  Nouri and company have repeatedly attempted to rewrite events and pretend that 2 soldiers were killed and then the military opened fire.  That is not what happened.  In related smears, All Iraq News notes State of Law MPs are insisting that Anbar Province is under control of al Qaeda in Mesopotamia. 

Mohammad Sabah (Al Mada) reports all killed during the protest were civilians and that Iraqiya is fighting back against the baseless charges (predominately spread by Nouri's puppet Hussein al-Shahristani) that the seven dead includes 2 members of al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and 2 Ba'athists. 

All Iraq News notes that Martin Kolber, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq, visited Mosul today to speak with the protesters.  Alsumaria adds that he also met with the Nineveh Provincial Council and Governor Atheel al-Nujaifi, tribal leaders and clerics.  The meeting was closed door.   Dar Addustour explains that the Parliament Sunday read an initial report from the Parliamentary Committee formed to investigate what took place in Falluja.  Initial recommendations include keeping the military and federal police (Nouri controls both) away from protesters and allowing local forces to provide any protection needed.

An investigative committee needs to be formed to explain how 7 protesters staging a sit-in in Ramadi ended up with food poisoning.  All Iraq News reports its believed it came from candy that was handed to them by children.  Protests continue today in Anbar Province, Kirkuk Province, Diyala Province, Ninewa Province and Salahuddin Province.  Wael Grace (Al Mada) notes that in Mosul Friday there were actually three protest sistes.  Grace speaks to various citizens and notes that 70% of the vendors are took part in civil disobedience on Friday to show their support for the demonstrators. 



 

Through Monday, Iraq Body Count counts 333 violent deaths in Iraq this month.  The month ends on Thursday.  For reference, we'll note 272 was the number of violent deaths Iraq Body Count tabulated for December.   Today  All Iraq News reports a police captain was shot dead while driving his car in Baghdad.  Alsumaria notes the bombing of the home of a Sahwa in Kirkuk and a Kirkuk bombing which left four security forces injured and police shot dead 1 suspect and arrested another in Mosul.


Iraq is also a victim of the weather -- mainly due to Nouri's years of refusing to put any of the billions and billions of oil dollars into repairing the public infrastructure.  When it rains, the lack of adequate drainage and functioning sewers means the rain quickly floods the streets of Baghdad. Dar Addustour notes that yesterday saw steady rainfall in Baghdad (check out the photo).
The rains continue today and streets are flooded and electricity is out in many areas.  Nouri's Iraq, how proud he must be.  All Iraq News also notes a home in Karbala has collapsed due to the rains.


Turning to the US,  Iraq Veterans Against the War notes a campaign planning session at the start of March:

The SF Bay crew wants to show you a good time in their neighborhood. And there is really so much to talk about and think on regarding our work this year: 
-The Appeal for Redress
-Our request for a hearing before The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on the international human RIght to Heal, 
which we are developing with Iraqi Civil society groups Iraqi Women's Freedom Organization and Iraqi Oil Federation, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Harvard Human Rights Clinic.for example.
-The National Nurses United/VA work  coming out of Chicago
- and more....what have you got that we need to cover?
 How can we build this exciting work into our local chapter work?
 
MARCH !st, 2nd and 3rd at The Veterans War Memorial Building
401 Van Ness Avenue Sf, Ca



 
PLEASE sign up ASAP! 
We are going to find you a place to stay! but we need to know what you need by way of accommodations... are you part of a couple?Need private space? Gotta have a bed? A hotel room?
We are going to feed you well, but we need to know? Vegan? Vegetarian? Gluten free? Can't eat anything green? gotta tell us asap.
Do you need childcare?
A ride from the airport?
And what  do you want to do in the few bits of spare FREE time we can conjure up?
 
PLEASE get planning now! Get your tickets! Contact Maggie (maggiemartin@ivaw.org) about the (limited) travel stipends available. 
c'mon, Reply to Siri:  sirism@mac.com  or Jason: noscepter@gmail.com with questions and concerns


The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.





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