Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Baghdad slammed with bombings

Somewhere Donald Rumsfeld is muttering, "Freedom is messy."  In the real world, shock as Baghdad is again slammed with bombings leaving many dead and many injured.

Peter Beuamont (Guardian -- link is text and video) reports, "Baghdad was convulsed by a deadly wave of explosions as terrorists detonated up to nine explosions in the course of a few hours on Tuesday morning on the 10th anniversary of the US-led invasion."  AFP offers, "In all, at least 15 car bombs were set off, including two by suicide attackers, along with multiple roadside bombs and gun attacks, officials said."  BBC News says "at least 50" dead and "about 100" wounded.  As with most bombings which leave many injured, the death toll may increase as the day goes on.  RTT lists the targeted as "mainly car bombs, targeted restaurants, bus stations, markets and gatherings of daily laborers in the Shia-dominated Baghdad neighborhoods."  AP, The Voice of Russia and the Telegraph of London all report the death toll has already risen to 56.


Colin Freeman (Telegraph of London) quotes Reuters quoting cab driver Al Radi stating, "I was driving my taxi and suddenly I felt my car rocked.  Smoke was all around.  I saw two bodies on the ground.  People were running and shouting everywhere."  Elena Ralli (New Europe) provides this context, "Last Thursday more than 20 people were killed in a series of bomb and gun attacks in the capital Baghdad. Moreover, on Sunday, a car bomb near the city of Basra in southern Iraq has killed another 10 people and wounded many others."  NINA notes that one of the Baghdad bombs was near the entrance of the Green Zone near Sirwan restaurant and that, as a result, all the roads leading into the Green Zone have been closed and more checkpoints set up to inspect those entering the Green Zone by foot.


Nouri must be thrilled with the violence because it prevents the media from focusing on what Al Mada picks up: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote that the UN was prevented from entering the prisons and detention centers to check on the prisoners -- prevented by by the Ministry of the Interior.  Nouri heads that by way of never nominated a head for it to Parliament -- it was a power-grab and Iraqiya rightly called it that in January 2011.

Another day of violence that most outlets won't notice?  Sure, Nouri will gladly trade another day of violence for people talking about the fact that he refused to allow the United Nations to examine the prisons and detention centers -- prison and detention centers where torture and rape is supposed to take place.

Of course, Baghdad wasn't the only location for violence today.  All Iraq News reports a Mosul home invasion -- the home of local candidate Wajih al-Jihaishi -- and the home invasion left his son injured,  chieftain Nadhim Mahmoud al-Bijari was shot dead outside his Mosul home, a Mosul sticky bombing left two people injured, and a Babel suicide bomber targeted the Iraqi army headquarters killing 2 soldiers and injuring nine more.  Alsumaria reports a Mosul suicide bomber claimed the life of a police commander and three of his bodyguards.  National Iraqi News Agency reports a Ramadi roadside bombing left one police officer injured, two Kirkuk bombings left two police officers injured, Major Ahmed al-Fahdawi was stabbed to death by one of his bodyguards in Khalidiyah City,  an armed attack in Tuz Khurmatu left 2 people dead and four more wounded, and a Tikrit roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 police officer.

In other news, Zhu Ningzhu (Xinhua) reports, "The Iraqi cabinet on Tuesday decided to postpone the provincial elections in the Sunni provinces of Anbar and Nineveh for a maximum period of six months due to deterioration in security across the country, an Iraqi official television reported."  AFP reports it too.  Neither notes reality.

First reality, look at the above and explain why Baghdad Province would have elections?  I'm sorry if Nouri's excuse is too much violence, Baghdad's pretty violent.  This isn't about violence, this is about punishing the protesters.



Second, the Cabinet did not vote.  Alsumaria reports Moqtada al-Sadr has already announced his opposition to cancelling the votes and says that it is not permissable and compares the injustice to the founding of a second tyrant and dictator.  Looks like Nouri's going to have to lose the "Little Saddam" moniker and just be "New Saddam."  NINA adds that the vote was taken in a session that the Kurds and Iraqiya weren't present at.





The following community sites -- plus Antiwar.com, C-SPAN, On the Wilder Side, Pacifica Evening News, Ms. magazine blog, and Black Agenda Report --  updated last night and this morning:





  • Cedric's Big Mix
    Basic cable again calls
    42 minutes ago
  • The Daily Jot
    THIS JUST IN! HE BOOKS ANOTHER JOB!
    42 minutes ago 



  •  News From Antiwar.com
    Egypt Justice Minister: Growing Lynchings Mean ‘Death of the State’
    10 hours ago
  • Thomas Friedman is a Great Man
    Office drama
    11 hours ago
  • Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude
    revenge
    11 hours ago
  • Like Maria Said Paz
    Smash
    11 hours ago
  • Mikey Likes It!
    Nikita: The Life We've Chosen
    11 hours ago
  • SICKOFITRADLZ
    If only Schechter would pay attention
    11 hours ago
  • Ruth's Report
    The Client List
    11 hours ago
  • C-SPAN Recent Events
    Washington Journal for Tuesday, March 19
    11 hours ago
  • Ann's Mega Dub
    Hillary?
    11 hours ago
  • Trina's Kitchen
    John Stauber's return
    11 hours ago
  • Oh Boy It Never Ends
    The Good Wife
    11 hours ago
  • Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills)
    A news story with sex, scandal and, yes, s and the m
    11 hours ago
  • OntheWilderSide
    Who should replace Ed DeMarco?
    11 hours ago
  • Black Agenda Report
    Listen to Black Agenda Radio on the Progressive Radio Network, with Glen Ford and Nellie Bailey – Week of 3/18/13
    11 hours ago
  • The Pacifica Evening News
    State Drinking Water Program Up for Review
    12 hours ago
  • Ms Magazine Blog
    After the Steubenville Trial: Pity the Poor Victimizers
    13 hours ago 



    • We'll close with this from the Feminist Majority Foundation:



    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    March 18, 2013
    Contact: Kari Ross, 703-522-2214, kross@feminist.org
    Jacqui Logan, 310-556-2500, jlogan@feminist.org
    The Feminist Factor: More than Half of 2012 Women Voters Identify Themselves as Feminists
    A newly released voter poll finds that feminists – not just women in general – were key to the 2012 election results: fully 55 percent of women voters self-identified as feminists.
    Political pundits declared the day after the vote that women voters and the gender gap had decided the outcome. A poll of those women voters, conducted by Lake Research Partners for Ms. Magazine, the Feminist Majority Foundation and CCMC, documents the existence of a strong "The Feminist Factor."
    That’s the title of an article in the current issue of Ms. Magazine by Ms. publisher Eleanor Smeal as part of the magazine’s observance of Women’s History Month.
    “As we move forward after the elections of 2012, it’s time to acknowledge that it wasn't just women who made a critical different in reelecting President Barack Obama, but feminists,” Smeal wrote. She continued, “Now it’s time to add another metric beyond the gender gap to our post-election analysis: ‘the feminist factor.’”
    The Feminist Factor, as outlined in the magazine, is the proportion of voters who self-identify as feminists across various demographics - by race, age, religion, region of the country and more – and their subsequent voting behavior.
    Ms. Magazine has asked this question on voter polls since 2006.
    Facts about the Feminist Factor in 2012:
    1. A majority of women voters, 55 percent, self-identified as feminists in 2012 when asked “Do you consider yourself to be a strong feminist, feminist, not a feminist or anti-feminist? When given the dictionary definition on a follow-up question, a super-majority of 68 percent said YES. The dictionary definition of a feminist is: “someone who supports political, economic and social equality for women.”

    2. The Feminist Factor is at an all-time high and has increased by 9 points since 2008. Charts on the Ms. website show trends over the years.
      3. Feminist Factor
    3. The Feminist Factor is especially strong among women in the emerging and expanding electorate of young women under 30, African-American women and Latinas.
    Women under age 30
    Self-described: 59% identify as feminist, 24% strongly
    With definition: 73% identify as feminist, 31% strongly
    African American women
    Self-described: 66% identify as feminist, 33% strongly
    With definition: 75% identify as feminist, 48% strongly
    Latinas
    Self-described: 71% identify as feminist, 27% strongly
    With definition, 86% identify as feminist, 29% strongly
    White women
    Self-described: 52% identify as feminist, 15% strongly
    With definition, 63% identify as feminist, 23% strongly
    Feminist Factor
    ###
    Eleanor Smeal, Publisher of Ms. and President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, and Kathy Spillar, Executive Editor of Ms. and Executive Vice President of the Feminist Majority Foundation are available for further interviews.
    For more information about the voter poll, about men who consider themselves feminists and other break-outs from the results, contact: CCMC, Kathy Bonk kbonk@ccmc.org 202-258-6767 or Andrea Camp,acamp@ccmc.org (443) 851-1462.
    You have received this e-mail because of your interest in promotions and Ms. magazine. To unsubscribe, please click here.
    1600 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 801, Arlington, VA 22209 | 703.522.2214 | webmaster@feminist.org




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





    iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq iraq

    Posted by at