While so many outlets have forgotten Iraq, RT has actually increased their coverage of late. Today, they speak with Nicholas J.S. Davies. Excerpt:
RT: This year has proved to be most deadliest in Iraq
for the last five years. Why is the situation on the ground
getting worse?
ND: Well, because Iraq is still suffering from the
destruction of its regime and its government and its society by
the United States. The United States employed a classic
divide-and-rule strategy, pitting people of different sects
against each other, inciting violence that is completely
unprecedented in that country. And now has instilled a
sectarian-based government that only represents people of only
one sect. It is still receiving huge amounts of so-called
security assistance from the United States.
The United States built powerful organs of state terrorism in
Iraq. The CIA sent a retired colonel by the name of James Steele
to Iraq in 2004. He eventually recruited 27 brigades of special
police commandos who then waged a reign of terror that killed
tens of thousands of mostly Sunni men and boys in Baghdad and
around the country. They have since been rebranded, first as the
National Police, when one of their torture centers was discovered
back during that period, and now as the Federal Police. They are
still effectively run by Adnan Al-Asadi, who has been the deputy
interior minister there since 2005.
So that regime of state repression and terror that the United
States installed in Iraq is still functioning, and still
conducting extrajudicial executions, in addition to one of the
largest numbers of supposedly legal executions in the world.
You know, in Iraq, you can be sentenced to death for property
crimes; you can be sentenced to death on accusations of
terrorism, in trials that only last, at best, an hour or two,
with very little legal representation. Human rights officials
from the UN have absolutely condemned the justice system –
so-called justice system – that the US has established in Iraq,
and have demanded – the UN Human Rights Council has demanded –
that Iraq immediately cease these hangings.
Sometimes they hang more than 40 people in one day, including
women as well. This is just a reign of terror. And in that sense,
some of the worst aspects of the US occupation are still
continuing today.
An e-mail informs me I forgot to note we were on holiday schedule. My apologies. The community is on holiday schedule.
Another e-mail explains I've forgotten to cover the latest on the Jewish archives.
Nope, just didn't have time and wasn't in the mood to make time. Won't be covering it today either.
The Iraq Inquiry? Even less interested. In fact, it's past time for the report. Chilcot needs to quit issuing press releases and issue the damn report. Unable to tell what happened because this or that body won't let you? Put in the report.
On the issue of violence, this week I didn't always note it in the morning -- two e-mails point that out. It was noted in the snapshots later both days.
Violence is a story of Iraq. It's not the only story. Equally true, some days I'm really not up to going over violence. Especially when I know I can grab it in the snapshot. Violence will go into this entry because I found something interesting topic wise for the next entry and I'd rather include the violence here.
189 violent deaths this month so far, through yesterday according to Iraq Body Count. And you know the violence continued today. National Iraqi News Agency reports a Baquba armed attack left two people injured, a Falluja armed clash left three Sahwa injured, a Falluja bombing left two police members injured, 1 person was shot dead in Baghdad, a Baghdad bombing left 1 person dead and four more injured, a Jorfissak bombing claimed the lives of 3 Iraqi soldiers, 1 farmer was shot dead near Baquba, Sheikh Khalid Lahibi was shot dead in Khalis, 1 man was found stabbed to death in Nasiriyah and 1 police officer was kidnapped in Anbar Province.
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] 4489.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
iraq
i hate the war
the ballet
