Starting with the topic of yesterday's snapshot, Ellen DeGeneres. A community member e-mailed to note that she had to live with Don't Ask, Don't Tell while she was serving in Iraq. She notes, "I'm not an Obama groupie, but if Ellen went to a football game with Mr. Obama, fine. He was President when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed. Contrast that with the Bully Boy Bush who oversaw eight years of it. And contrast that with do nothing Ellen. She had a high profile and a daily talk show and she didn't do a damn thing to help Don't Ask, Don't Tell get overturned. When it was overturned, she was quick to get her press agent to supply quotes to every outlet. She was quick to play glory hog. She had done nothing to help those of us who served -- gay or straight -- and she has done nothing to help the average American -- gay or straight. Be kind? She has a lot of rules about kindness that allow her to be kind to a War Criminal but none of her 'be kind' rules apply to the average person." That member will be part of this week's roundtable for the gina & krista round-robin and we'll be addressing that topic and others. (Inboxes Friday morning.)
Just Ellen Degeneres hanging out with her buddy George W. Bush who slaughtered over a million human beings by launching an illegal war against #Iraq on a pack of lies. How adorable.
In the most ridiculous (or whorish? maybe she wants to be on Ellen's show?) moments around this, 1% candidate Tulsi Gabbard Tweeted and was Tweeted back.
- Something tells me @mtracey will pretend he didnt see this.
- Wonder how hard @jimmy_dore's stomach hurts.
Fake ass Tulsi continuing her fake ass campaign.
You can ride high atop your pony
I know you won't fall
Cause the whole thing's phoney
You can fly, swingin' from your trapeze
Scaring all the people
But you never scare me
-- "Bella Donna," written by Stevie Nicks, first appears on her album BELLA DONNA
She has so much concern, Tulsi does, for the War Criminals and War Hawks. We see that over and over from her. No 'aloha' for the Iraqi people, none for the ones who have suffered, not even any recognition of that reality. Tulsi has been nothing but hype from day one and the only good thing about her being on stage in this month's debate is that every time she opens her mouth she exposes herself a little more.
In Iraq, protests have taken place for days.
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Zeina Karam and Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) report:
Iraq has been plunged into a new cycle of
instability that potentially could be the most dangerous this
conflict-scarred nation has faced, barely two years after declaring
victory over the Islamic State group in a war that left much of the
country in ruins and displaced tens of thousands.
The
latest bloody confrontations have killed more than 100 people in less
than seven days. But this time, the clashes do not pit security forces
against Islamic extremists, the country’s Sunnis against Shiites, or
insurgents against occupation forces.
Instead,
Iraqi security forces have been shooting at young Iraqis demanding
jobs, electricity and clean water — and an end to corruption.
This morning, REUTERS maintains, "Iraq had its calmest night since anti-government protests began more than a week ago over corruption and unemployment." They fail to note the public condemnation from elected officials in Iraq of the violence the security forces have unleashed on the protesters, but REUTERS does include this:
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the recent violence and urged Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi to “exercise maximum restraint” and “address protesters’ grievances”, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday.
A readout of a call between the two provided by Abdul Mahdi’s office on Monday said Pompeo “expressed confidence in the Iraqi forces.”
It was an embarrassing response from the US government and the Iraqi government has released the read out as a fig leaf cover of their own actions.
Here's a variety of Tweets on the protests:
- #WhoAgainstIraqUnity #IraqProtests ইসরাইলি কারাগারে ফিলিস্তিনিদের ওপর কয় ধরণের নির্যাতন চালানো হয়? দখলদার ইসরাইলের কারাগারগুলোতে ফিলিস্তিনি বন্দীদের ওপর নানা কায়দায় নির্যাতন চালানো হয়। এর মধ্যে ৮০ ধরণের নির্যাতনের বিষয়ে জানতে পেরেছে মানবাধিকার কর্মীরা।
- রাশিয়া বলেছে, সিরিয়ার উত্তরাঞ্চল থেকে মার্কিন সেনা প্রত্যাহার এবং সেখানে তুর্কি সেনা অভিযান সম্পর্কে কোনো তথ্য মস্কোর কাছে নেই। রুশ প্রেসিডেন্টের আবাসিক দপ্তর ক্রেমলিনের মুখপাত্র দিমিত্রি পেসকভ মঙ্গলবার মস্কোয় এক বিবৃতিতে একথা জানান।#WhoAgainstIraqUnity #IraqProtests
- #ICYMI | Unrest in #Basra Signals Growing Crisis Read ACLED's 2018 report on rising demonstration activity in #Iraq for context on the latest wave of protests: https://bit.ly/2IrPiy5 #IraqProtests
- #Iraq: Armed groups raid offices of media outlets covering protests. Attacks on media follow shutdown of Internet as unrest continues in Iraq, reports @AzherRubaie
- Special Committee of #Iraq's CoR suggests monthly grants: 200K IQDs (about 167.60$) to high school graduates 250K IQDs (209.50$) for Bachelor & Deploma graduates 300K IQDs (251.40$) for Master & PhD graduates. #IraqProtests #insm_iq- #IraqJournal
- As the regime in #Iran seeks to quell the anti-mullah protests in #Iraq, people in different cities inside Iran are also rising in protests. #IranProtests
- #Iraqi Health Ministry official: -At least 165 dead in recent protests -More than 5,000 are injured #Iran #Iraq #IraqProtests #IranOutOfIraq #IRGCTerrorists #IRGCOutofIraq
- IRAQ- At least 165 people have now died in the crackdown on Iraq’s anti-government protests, according to a source in the health ministry. @leloveluck #Save_the_Iraqi_people #Baghdad
The following sites updated: