Sunday, December 22, 2013

Hejira

Friday, the ongoing protests in Iraq hit the one-year mark.  Nouri's preparing to attack the protesters.  W.G. Dunlop (AFP) reports Nouri has declared the sit-in in Ramadi is a 'terrorist' cell:


 The protest site is located in the Anbar city of Ramadi, but is nowhere near where the clashes took place.
"I say clearly and honestly that the sit-in site in Anbar has turned into a headquarters for the leadership of Al-Qaeda," Maliki, a Shiite, said in remarks broadcast Sunday on Iraqiya state TV.


So Nouri's going to assault the protesters.

That's what the statements are about.

He's seeing if he can get away with it.

For example, he launched a series of attacks prior to April.  January 7th, Nouri's forces assaulted four protesters in Mosul,  January 24th,  Nouri's forces sent two protesters (and one reporter) to the hospital,  and March 8th, Nouri's force fired on protesters in Mosul killing three.


And in April?  There was the April 23rd massacre of a peaceful sit-in in Hawija which 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 reported the death toll rose to 53 dead.  UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).


Had he been called out for the previous attacks, the Hawija slaughter might not have taken place.

Now he's floating an attack on the peaceful protesters in Ramadi.

And the response or non-response will determine whether he attacks or not.


As he works to incite more violence in Iraq, the cycle continues.  National Iraqi News Agency reports a Falluja armed attack left three police officers injured, a Kirkuk armed attack left 3 Iraqi soldiers dead and a fourth injured, a Baghdadi armed attack left 1 Iraqi soldier and 2 rebels dead and another Iraqi soldier injured, 2 Tuz Khormato bombings left 5 Iraqi soldiers dead and four more injured, 1 nursing student was shot dead in Mosul, Sahwa commander Shaker al-Mobarack was shot dead in Dour, a Falluja armed attack left two police members injured,  1 police officer was shot dead in Mosul, 1 Mosul roadside bombing left 1 police officer dead and two more injured, 2 Baghdad bombings left 2 people dead and sixteen more injured, and 1 corpse was discovered dumped in the streets of Kirkuk.

Iraq Body Count notes 22 deaths today, 738 for the month so far and 9,200 for the year so far.


Today, the US State Dept issued the following:



Press Statement

Jen Psaki
Washington, DC
December 22, 2013

The United States condemns the recent attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) against Iraqi soldiers, elected officials, civilians, and military commanders. ISIL, a branch of al-Qa'ida, is a common enemy of the United States and the Republic of Iraq, and a threat to the greater Middle East region.
The Strategic Framework Agreement between our two countries provides the basis for long-term security cooperation, and we remain committed to helping strengthen Iraqi forces in their ongoing fight against ISIL. We also note the unanimous condemnation of the attacks yesterday by Iraqi officials, including the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, as well as the detention in recent days of al-Qa'ida affiliated militants in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.
We will continue to work with all Iraqi leaders to promote political progress and isolate violent extremist networks. We further call on regional leaders to take active measures to police the funding and recruitment for these groups, including ISIL and the al-Nusrah front, and deter the flow of foreign fighters into Syria, many of whom later conduct suicide bombings against innocent civilians in Iraq.
The United States mourns the loss of life in recent days, and we wish a speedy recovery to the wounded. We also stand with the Iraqi Security Forces, civilian leaders, tribes, and local councils, in their fight against terrorists who are seeking to gain control of territory inside the borders of Iraq. By working together, we will ensure these terrorists cannot succeed

Nouri threatens the people of Ramadi and the US government can't say a word.

Of course not.  He's their puppet.  Bully Boy Bush installed Nouri in 2006 and Barack demanded that Nouri get a second term in 2010 (despite Nouri losing those elections to Iraqiya).

The US government did nothing as Nouri prepared to assault the people of Hawija.

The US government does nothing as Nouri gears up to attack Ramadi.


I'm traveling in some vehicle
I'm sitting in some cafe
A defector from the petty wars
That shell shock love away
-- "Hejira," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her album of the same name

 The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4489.


The latest from Third:


Isaiah's off today.  He's doing a Christmas Day comic so I asked him to take today off.

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