Monday, August 19, 2013

3,500 people killed in Iraq so far this year

AFP reports Iraq's Ministry of Justice has announced 17 executions (bringing the total for the year to at least 67).  AFP's Prashant Rao Tweets:

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    Iraq announced today that it has executed 17 people (including 2 women, 1 Egyptian) - :
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That's only part of today's violence.  National Iraqi News Agency reports 3 Shabaks were shot dead in Mosul, a Tuz Khurmato bombing claimed 3 lives and left eight injured, a Mosul home bombing left 1 police officer dead and six members of his family injured, a Baquba roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left another injured, and "Gunmen assassinated, late last night, Haitham al-Abadi, one of the organizers of the demonstrations, in his home in Rifai area west of Mosul."  Iraqi Spring MC notes that he had been threatened.  AFP's WG Dunlop Tweets:


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    violence update: More than 3,500 people killed, over 9,200 wounded so far in 2013 figures
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Through Sunday, Iraq Body Count counts 481 violent deaths so far this month.

Iraqi Spring MC notes rumors that members of Nouri al-Maliki's inner circle, in a panic today, headed to Baghdad International Airport and left for Dubai and Beirut.  They also quote an unnamed Sadrist bloc member stating Nouri and some of his supporters slept outside the Green Zone


As Nouri grows ever more unpopular, a call goes out to Moqtada al-Sadr.  Already Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi has called for cleric and movement leader Moqtada to reconsider his announced decision to step away from politics.  Alsumaria reports that members of his movement are calling for him to reconsider as well.   All Iraq News adds, "A number of prominent figures within Sadr Trend met in Najaf province on Monday and they urged Sadr to resume his political activities because Iraq is in need for him in this current stage."

Moqtada's not the only one facing requests.  Federal News Radio notes Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's Foreign Minister, remarking that Iraq needs more US military weapons and (more) US troops.  The editorial board of the Saudi Gazette also notes this, "Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Friday that Iraqi forces need US help to stem the tide of violence. US assistance package, he suggested, could include a limited number of advisers, intelligence analysis and surveillance assets like lethal drones."  Al Mada reports a formal request has already been made.


 Dropping back to the April 30th Iraq snapshot:
December 6, 2012, the Memorandum of Understanding For Defense Cooperation Between the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Iraq and the Department Defense of the United States of America was signed.  We covered it in the December 10th and December 11th snapshots -- lots of luck finding coverage elsewhere including in media outlets -- apparently there was some unstated agreement that everyone would look the other way.  It was similar to the silence that greeted Tim Arango's September 25th New York Times report which noted, "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 [US] General [Robert L.] Caslen, a unit of Army Special Operations soldiers was recently deployed to Iraq to advise on counterterrorism and help with intelligence."


Has a formal request been made?  Arabic social media is noting rumors that Nouri plans to visit DC next month.

As this takes place, Iraq remains without a president.  Last December,  Iraqi President Jalal Talabani suffered a stroke.   The incident took place late on December 17th (see the December 18th snapshot) and resulted in Jalal being admitted to Baghdad's Medical Center Hospital.    Thursday, December 20th, he was moved to Germany.  He remains in Germany currently.  All Iraq News reports that Jalal's doctors say they are currently treating him for a bladder infection.  Jalal's biggest accomplishment as president may have been getting Nouri to reign in some of the crazy.  With Jalal out of the country, Nouri's let his paranoia run free and the country suffers greatly as a result.

 Alsumaria notes UNAMI today pointed out the increased violence against women, students and children.  UNAMI also issued the following today:

 Baghdad, 19 August 2013 – Wrapping up a two-day visit to Iraq, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman today participated in a ceremony in Baghdad marking the 10th anniversary of the 2003 Canal Hotel bombing, one of the most devastating attacks in the history of the United Nations.

“Ten years ago, 22 cherished United Nations staff members and colleagues perished in a horrific attack that still reverberates in our hearts and in our memory,” said Mr. Feltman.  Yet the United Nations’ resolve was not shaken and its commitment to Iraq remains strong, he added: “Our ongoing work today here in Iraq is the best possible tribute to those who perished ten years ago.”


The memorial service in Baghdad, which included a tree planting and a minute of silence,  is one of many events marking World Humanitarian Day, in remembrance of the aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.  In New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presides over a memorial ceremony, while UN colleagues around the world engage in various campaigns.
In Iraq, USG Feltman noted that, 10 years after the Baghdad bombings, the country is at another crossroads.  Pointing to the daily acts of terrorism and the sectarian violence the country is facing, he condemned the recent attacks that struck the country and expressed the solidarity of the United Nations with the Iraqi people. He added that “Iraq’s political leaders have a clear responsibility to leave no space to those who seek to exploit the political stalemate through violence and terror, and undermine a democratic Iraq.”  
That was one of Mr. Feltman’s key messages in his meetings with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Speaker Osama Al-Nujaifi, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak, Foreign Affairs Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and other members of the Iraqi leadership. Mr. Feltman also took the opportunity to discuss with his Iraqi interlocutors regional developments.


Prashant Rao re-Tweeted the following:

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    AFP’s revisits the Baghdad blast that killed the UN’s Sergio Vieira de Mello, 10 years ago today
    Retweeted by
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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued the following statement:


19 August 2013 - Every year on August 19th, we mark World Humanitarian Day in honour of aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
We commemorate their sacrifice and reaffirm our commitment to the life-saving work that humanitarians carry out around the world, every day, often in difficult and dangerous circumstances where others cannot or do not want to go.

This year’s commemoration marks the 10th anniversary of the attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad that killed Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 other United Nations colleagues and partners.  That tragedy was among the inspirations for this Day.


Sergio was a vocal advocate of the values and mission of the United Nations.  He touched the lives of all who met him, and helped millions of poor and vulnerable people in a life of service on several continents.  His death was a great loss to the United Nations, but his legacy has motivated many people to pursue humanitarian work.
This year, our World Humanitarian Day campaign is calling on people to answer a question: What do you think the world needs more of?  I urge people everywhere to go to www.worldhumanitarianday.org and tell us, in one word, what you think.
My word is “teamwork.”  In a time of global challenges, people and countries need to work together in common cause for peace, justice, dignity and development.  That is the humanitarian spirit.  That is the humanitarian imperative of the United Nations.


Lastly, Justin Raimondo (Antiwar.com) has a strong column calling out what was done to David Miranda and calling out the targeting of his partner journalist and attorney Glenn Greenwald.  It includes:


 Although Greenwald is increasingly the target of a concerted attack on his character and journalistic credentials, the authorities have so far left the dirty work to their journalistic Praetorian Guard, the David Gregorys, the Walter Pincus types, and the Mike Grunwalds of this world. This action by the British government – and does it make me a "conspiracy theorist" to think this was carried out at the direction of their Washington overseers? – crosses a very distinct line, the boundary between a free society that recognizes the rule of law and an authoritarian state that manipulates the law to serve its own purposes.

Which brings up the issue of Walter Pincus who many wrongly trusted because of his (minor) work on Iraq.  Walter's only a by-the-book reporter when Republicans control the White House.  Socialist Walter Pincus (children, grow up, reporters that hang out with Janet Coleman are never centrists) is like many of the US Socialist represented by US Socialist Worker -- unable to call out Barack and willing to lie, smear and target for him.  (There are many strands of Socialism in the US.  For every whorish Democratic Socialist, for instance, there are the WSWS Socialists who have spines and backbones and can speak their minds honestly.)

When you find yourself confused by 'today's' Walter Pincus, you need to remember he's a Socialist who sees his role as cheerleading the administration.   Walter, come out of your political closet,  at 80-years-old, you should be able to admit publicly that you're a Socialist.  The world didn't end (nor did his career) when Lawrence O'Donnell admitted it.

And, yeah, let's remember that when O'Donnell finally got honest it was in a discussion/argument with Glenn Greenwald on MSNBC's Morning Joe.  The strand Walter and Lawrence practice revolves around trickery and deceit -- which is why Walter whores for the administration, why Lawrence refuses to advocate for the left and instead pimps Blue Dogs, etc.  It's a desire to win by fooling people -- which really has been the platform of the Democratic Socialists since day one.


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