The reporting had a few tiny bright spots. By bright spots, I'm not talking about "good news from Iraq!" I'm talking about realistic moments. There are a few where Kobler is realistic. Here's one example:
The demonstrations have entered their seventh month without an immediate solution in sight. The demonstrators and their demands have been highly politicized by some Sunni political leaders and parties. Central to many of these demands are calls for the amendment of the Anti-Terrorism Law (No. 13 of 2005), the release of detainees held without charge or trial, the release of female detainees or their transfer to detention facilities in their home governorates, the amendment of the Accountability and Justice Law (No. 10 of 2008) and the enactment of a general amnesty law. 4. While the Government has been engaged in responding positively to several demands, the growing fragmentation within political coalitions, both close to and opposed to the Government, is contributing to the complexity and duration of the crisis.
That was pretty factual. Sadly, that was one of the few moments. And, yes, protests have been ongoing since December 21st.
Elsewhere, the report is so off the mark. For example, the April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija resulted from Nouri's federal forces storming in. Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk) announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. AFP has been reporting 53 dead for several days now -- indicating that some of the wounded did not recover. UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).
Here's Kobler:
During a rally following the Friday sermon on 19 April, a group of protesters clashed with Iraqi security forces in Hawija, Kirkuk Governorate, during which a member of the Iraqi security fo rces and a demonstrator were killed. Following the incident, a curfew was imposed in the district, the site cordoned off and the demonstrators ordered to hand over any seized weapons and the perpetrators of the attack. Negotiations between the demonstrators and a government delegation led by the Minister of Education proved unsuccessful. In the early hours of 23 April, the Iraqi security forces attempted to disperse the crowd and arrest the perpetrators. Consequently, 45 people were killed (44 civilia ns and 1 member of the Iraqi security forces) and 110 others wounded, accordi ng to UNAMI estimates. In protest, the Minister of Education immediately tendered his resignation, which was rejected by the Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki. Politicians from all blocs condemned the disproportionate use of force by Iraqi secu rity forces and called for self-restraint. 6. On 23 April, a ministerial committee was formed by the Prime Minister to investigate the Hawija incident. The committee is headed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Saleh al-Mutlaq. Other members include the Deputy Prime Minister, Hussain al-Shahristani, the acting Minister of Defence, Sadoun al-Dulaimi, the Minister of Human Rights, Mohammed al-S udani, and the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Safa al-Din al-Saf i. On 24 April, the committee issued an official apology to the victims of the in cident, entitling them or their families to compensation, but has yet to announce the outcome of its investigation. A judicial committee was also formed to follow up on the incident and to substantiate the Government’s assertion that its interventi on and use of force we re justified because the demonstrators were heavily armed. My Special Representative, Martin Kobler, raised the matter with the Prime Minister and indicate d that the United Nations expected the Government to undertake a tr ansparent and independent inquiry into the incident.
That's one way to tell it. Not a factual way, but it's one way to tell it. Fortunately, we can go into the archives and note, for example, that protesters were killed and harmed. It's a detail that Kobler doesn't find important. From the Friday, April 19th snapshot:
They include harsh restrictions and targeting of the protesters. Iraqi Spring MC notes that travel into Baghdad was cut off by government forces, the same was true in Hawija and in Samarra (where forces also shot at people trying to enter and they confiscated banners) and that protesters in Falluja are demanding the release of those Nouri's forces arrested for trying to enter the city. In Baiji, Nouri's forces lied about a bombing to clear the area. Iraqi Spring MC reports that Sheikh Saad ami al-Assi has been arrested by security forces. Iraqi Spring MC also reports that activists at the Hawija sit-in were targeted by Nouri's forces and three were injured. National Iraqi News Agency adds that in addition to the three injured, 1 of the protestors was shot dead.
As the protesters were attacked and harassed by protesters violence took place. Alsumaria notes 1 of Nouri's Tigris Operation Forces is dead in Hawija. The forces attacked the protesters and some man (who may or may not have been part of the protests) darted into a home under construction, emerged with a gun and shot dead one of Nouri's forces as the protesters staging the sit-in were being attacked. Again, the person may or may not have been part of the protests. He may not have been and may have been a bystander, a criminal or a plant by the forces to create violence.
And here's Jane Arraf Tweeting on the protester killed:
jane arraf
Protestor killed in clashes with #Iraq army in Huwaijah near Kirkuk. Army says it was defending position. Witnesses say soldiers opened fire
From Sunday, April 21st:
Nouri's forces are out of control in Hawija and people are appalled. National Iraqi News Agency reports it is has been occupied by Nouri's forces since Friday. As Nouri's forces harass and intimidate the protesters, there are rumors that KRG is thinking of sending the Peshmerga in. The US State Dept hopes that doesn't happen because, a State Dept official tells me on the phone, "things are already raw enough and the two sides" Baghdad and Erbil "were supposed to be working on reconciliation." Hawija is in Kirkuk, disputed province. Nouri's forces should have left some time ago. If the KRG sends in the Peshmerga to protect the people, it may not please the US government but it will be understandable.
All Iraq News quotes Iraqiya MP Wisal Saleem declaring, "The Government is adopting injustice and oppression as if we are in an occupied land rather than in a country that granted us the freedom of expression. End the military siege imposed on Hawija and let the medial and food supply be brought inside the district. This is the duty of the Government rather than a gift from it." Alsumaria reports Nouri's forces are doing tent to tent searches and insisting they have 'only' arrested 8 people. All Iraq News also quotes Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi calling for the military siege of Hawija to end and for the security forces to leave the people alone.
[. . .]
We're going to leave it with that. I had thought we'd go over the violence and any election commentary but we only finished at Third about 30 minutes ago and I had a friend at the State Dept who had called repeatedly, I didn't know, the cell phone was off. He informed me that the US was "closely following" developments in Hawija and figured I was as well. No, I'd been working on Third forever and a day. I told him give me 15 minutes to search Arabic social media and I'd call him back with what was being said. This will be big in Arabic social media but it's not yet. Most are unaware of what's going on and -- as usual -- you can't count on the western press to tell you a damn thing. Hawija is a hot spot right now. And we're not going to distract from that with other things -- including the Falluja bombing that we can cover tomorrow.
From the April 22nd snapshot:
Members of the national Parliament are also weighing in. National Iraqi News Agency reports that members of Parliament were prevented today from entering and providing aid to the protestors. Sunday, All Iraq News quoted Iraqiya MP Wisal Saleem declaring, "The Government is adopting injustice and oppression as if we are in an occupied land rather than in a country that granted us the freedom of expression. End the military siege imposed on Hawija and let the medial and food supply be brought inside the district. This is the duty of the Government rather than a gift from it." And All Iraq News also quoted Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi calling for the military siege of Hawija to end and for the security forces to leave the people alone. Today they report that Iraqiya head Ayad Allawi has "sent a delegation [. . .] to inspect the situation of the citizens in Hawija" and he is calling for the rights of the demonstrators to be respected. National Iraqi News Agency adds that Allawi's calling for the UN to intervene. All Iraq News notes Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi has declared that "preventing the entry of food and drinks to Hawija is inhumane and completely unacceptable" and that the United Nations needs to step in to protect the protesters from the security forces. Alsumaria notes he met with the special envoy of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today and stressed that inhumanity of refusing to allow humanitarian aid in to those participating in the sit-in despite harassment by Nouri's security forces. Tomorrow, protesters around Iraq are protesting under "Hands Off Hawija."
Again, Kobler tells it one way. It's not an accurate way. Accuracy is what Kobler's been accused of lacking throughout his time at UNAMI.
He did note women and children briefly:
Violence against women, including honour-related crimes, continued to be reported. Of particular concern are cl aims documented by UNAMI that women who are the victims of trafficking and enforced prostitution continue to be punished by imprisonment, notwithstanding the provisions of the Anti-Trafficking Law (No. 111 of 2012) that are intended to protect them. The Family Protection Law, aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence, remains stalled in the Council of Representatives. 33. Grave violations against children continued to be documented. The country task force on monitoring and reporting, co-chaired by UNAMI and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), received 177 reports of child casualties since my previous report, mostly resulting from armed violence and terrorist attacks. As at the end of June, 308 children, including 13 girls, were being held in detention facilities under article 4 of the Anti-Terro rism Law. The Government has yet to establish a formal mechanism for child pr otection and information-sharing with the country task force.
It's good that he noted women and children. But we do remember, don't we, that this time last year, he avoided the attacks on Iraq's LGBT community in his oral remarks to the Security Council and in his written remarks brushed them aside saying data was still being obtained but it would be addressed in the next report.
It was never addressed.
Martin Kobler failed Iraq's LGBT community. That is not debatable. That is a mark against his record that he will not escape and the outrage over it will grow in time.
He failed Iraq's LGBT community and did so at a time when the United Nations was supposedly, judged by Ban Ki-Moon's remarks, recognizing that LGBT rights are human rights.
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
