Justin Thomas (THE NATIONAL) ponders one aspect of the Iraq War:
Around 4,000 years ago, a craftsperson fashioned a black stone to look like a resting duck. The object is beautiful, the duck’s neck curves back towards its tail feathers, and the detail in the eyes and beak speak to real artistry. Beyond aesthetics, this object was also used as some kind of weight, giving it a function in the story of humanity as well. This elegant stone bird went missing 16 years ago this month, along with around 15,000 other artefacts of similar beauty, cultural significance and historical importance.
The looting of the National Museum of Iraq on April 10, 2003, has been described as “cultural genocide” and “one of the worst acts of cultural vandalism in modern times”. If we also add to this the looting of Iraq’s archaeological sites and then add Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan to the equation too, we get a creeping sense of the magnitude of this problem. We might even get the sneaking suspicion that we are losing our memories. For what are antiquities if not tangible representations of who we were and, indeed, who we are?
In the 1950s at McGill University, Dr Ewen Cameron, an eminent psychiatrist, developed a treatment he called “psychic driving”. Central to his procedure was an attempt to erase patients’ memories and start again with a blank slate. Through the use of intensive electric shock therapy and a powerful cocktail of psychiatric drugs, Cameron partially succeeded in wiping away patients’ past recollections. The treatment, however, didn’t work; if anything it made patients’ initial symptoms worse. Memory loss is rarely a good thing, and the loss of antiquities on the scale seen in recent decades is like psychic driving on a national level.
Naomi Klein's "Baghdad Year Zero" (HARPER'S MAGAZINE) noted the shock therapy aspects of the US plan for Iraq in many ways but it did not note the wiping out of the historical achievements and memories. It's worth considering whether or not this was also an intended consequence.
Meanwhile, Mina Aldroubi (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Iraqi populist Shiite cleric Muqtada Al Sadr condemned the Tehran-backed Shiite militias' support towards victims of flash flooding in Iran.
A convoy of 50 vehicles carrying member of the militias, also known as the Hashed Al Shaabi, arrived in western Iranian provinces that were severely affected by the flash flooding, Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Sunday.
"Iraqis come first," Mr Al Sadr said on Twitter, adding that there are many areas in Iraq that are at risk of flooding from torrential rain.
"Since there are those who have provided relief to affected areas in Iran, it is our duty to intensify our efforts to provide relief to our people in Iraq," he said.
The Hashed Al Shaabi was formed in 2014 to assist Iraqi forces defeat ISIS but are accused of exploiting its position and human rights breaches.
Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr is correct on this. Iraq's been flooded as well. The international media has elected to focus solely on Iran but Iraq's been flooded as well creating displaced persons.
Disable the official permanence in the governorate of #sulaymaniyah, and a number of districts of the governorate of #erbil - northern #Iraq-؛ due to the floods.
That's from March 31st. We've been noting this for weeks now. Saturday, Pam Wright (THE WEATHER CHANNEL) reported:
After weeks of heavy rains, historic water levels at Iraq's reservoirs are threatening dams, prompting the evacuation of thousands.
The heavy rain and melting snowcaps from Turkey and Iran have nearly overtopped Iraq's four main reservoirs, while the Tigris and Euphrates rivers continue to rise.
Residents near the Dukan dam in the
northeast were told to leave their homes as water levels reached heights
not seen since 1988.
Hashed Al Shaabi? They're on the Iraqi payroll. The previous prime minister, Hayder al-Abadi, put them on it, made them officially part of the Iraqi forces. If they're being paid by the government of Iraq and the Iraqi people are in need of assistance, as Moqtada points out, the Iraqi people should be their focus.
Moqtada's not the only one calling out the Hashed al-Shaabi. MENAFN reports:
Members of Hashd al-Shaabi must break up, emphasized Iraq's former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi, head of Al-Wataniya coalition, in a statement.
According to the former prime minister, "the mission of the Hashd al-Shaabi has ended after victory against the [ISIS] terrorist group."
Allawi further presented a plan for members of the paramilitary force to become members of the Iraqi police or military forces.
He added "the dissolution of Hashd al-Shaabi is a move to turn Iraq into a civilian state."
@AyadAllawi promised to dissolve#Hashdalshaabi , a militia force commanded by the Quds Force in Iraq. Now, they entered Iran to remain safe from dissolution. Gaddafi also brought in mercenaries from Chad to kill civilians. They're not here to help!!#حشدالشعبى#EndofIRGCterror
IRAQ—
@AyadAllawi calls for disband Popular Mobilization Forces and empower Iraq army.
Still on the topic of the militias, Margaret Griffis (ANTIWAR.COM) reports an event that took place Sunday, "In Mosul, clashes between police and militia members took place, when the police stopped the militiamen from crossing their checkpoint. The police said that the militiamen had no duties in the area. Two policemen were wounded."
Meanwhile, publisher Julian Assange remains under attack.
- This war on wikileaks initiated by democrats to defend actions of past republican government. If you arrest
#JulianAssange you have to arrest#bush +#blair how ru trying to get him on Iraq and Afghanistan leaks involving manning? What's worse? A war based on lies or leaking info? #GiletsJaunes Julian Assange "s struggle is yours too! This video from Iraq , revealed by WikiLeaks, shows the killing of civilians and journalists. Let's Stop the extension of Julian Assange to USA.
Nick Gillespi (REASON) offers:
Regardless of how you feel about Assange as a person, there’s no question that WikiLeaks, founded in 2006, has been central to starting a salutary era of forced transparency, a time when state and corporate actors have much more trouble keeping secrets. Forced transparency is bigger than WikiLeaks, of course. It’s one of the defining dynamics of our time, riding the same technological wave that gave us Napster and other innovations that disperse power and information in all sorts of unauthorized ways. But let’s give credit and praise where it’s due. The world is better for the fact that it’s harder than ever for governments to keep their own secrets.
Early exposés by the organization included documents from the Church of Scientology and East Anglia University’s Climate Research Unit. In 2010, the organization came into its own by publishing a trove of documents given to it by Chelsea Manning, then an Army intelligence analyst. Among the things that came to light:
- graphic video of a U.S. Apache helicopter killing Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists;
- 90,000-plus pages of military memos, now known as the Afghan War Diaries, that showed that the Taliban and the Pakistani government were in regular contact and that civilian casualties were far greater than the U.S. officially acknowledged;
- 400,000 pages of documents about the war in Iraq, including revelation of 15,000 unreported civilian deaths and brutal reprisals by Iraqi forces;
- diplomatic cables that showed a wide gulf between the U.S.’s public positions and private analysis.
In the US, US House Rep Tulsi Gabbard has defended Assange. She is seeking the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
Pinned Tweet
Trump’s criticism of Rep #IlhanOmar is complete hypocrisy. Trump says “WE WILL NEVER FORGET (9/11)!” Yet it is Trump who’s been acting as al-Qaeda’s big brother and protector in Syria, and turned America into the prostitute of AQ's biggest supporter—the Saudis #WeWillNeverForget
My flight delayed from LAX for hours because Chicago is covered in snow. Winter is coming. In April. Are you ready? #GameofThrones
– at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
– at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
What a historic comeback! Congratulations, Tiger. #TheMasters
Trump is shamelessly trying to foment religious bigotry against #IlhanOmar & all Muslims, based on the horrendous actions of a few individuals claiming to be Muslim. This is the very definition of religious bigotry & Trump is fomenting it for political gain. Dangerous & sad
Insulin is overpriced and it’s killing Americans. Between 1997 and 2017, Big Pharma increased the price of insulin over 1,000%. People are dying because they can’t afford insulin. #PeopleBeforeProfits
The purpose of arresting #JulianAssange is to send a message to the people, especially journalists, to be quiet and don’t get out of line. If we, the people, allow the government to control us through fear, we are no longer free, we are no longer America.
The arrest of #JulianAssange is meant to send a message to all Americans and journalists: be quiet, behave, toe the line. Or you will pay the price.
She is one of six women seeking the party's presidential nomination.
“Economic good does not come from corporate moguls dropping crumbs; it comes from every single American unleashing our dreams.” Marianne live on CNN Town Hall. #williamsontownhall #Marianne2020
Happy Patriots’ Day, Massachusetts – and good luck to everyone running in the #BostonMarathon! Our Commonwealth & our country are cheering for you today.
My bill would let millions of Americans simply sign and return a pre-filled tax form, and require the IRS to create a free online tax preparation and filing service – making #TaxDay easier and cheaper for everyone.
Every year, taxpayers waste too much time and money on tax preparation. And low-income and minority taxpayers are hit the hardest, according to a new report that @SenDuckworth and I requested:
Filing your taxes is complicated and expensive. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Congress should pass my Tax Filing Simplification Act, which I’m re-introducing today.
- As a Senator who represents 9/11 victims, I can't accept any minimizing of that pain. But Trump's dangerous rhetoric against
@IlhanMN is disgusting. It’s a false choice to suggest we can’t fight terrorism and reject Islamophobic hate at once—a president should do both.
- Donald Trump is coming to Minnesota tomorrow — tune in now to Amy’s press conference: https://www.facebook.com/amyklobuchar/videos/819464765099184?sfns=xmo …
- Amy Klobuchar RetweetedThank you to
@CWABoulder for a great conversation this evening....climate change, democracy, infrastructure, student loans...we covered it all. Great crowd and a warm welcome in Colorado. Be back soon!
