The Common Ills

Biden calls Iraqiya, State of Law spreads rumors

2012-01-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

In Iraq, the political crisis continues. CNN reports: US Vice President Joe Biden spoke today with Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi and spoke on Friday with Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi:"The two Iraqi leaders described deliberations under way among all Iraqi political factions and parties in the run-up to a proposed national conference led by President Jalal Talabani," the White House

KBR tries to screw veterans again

2012-01-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

AP reports that thousands gathered in downtown St. Louis today for a "welcome-home parade for Iraq War veterans." Of course, some US forces remain in Iraq and many others have been transferred to surrounding areas in the Gulf. Equally true, we should be looking for the state of Texas to follow St. Louis' lead, right?Texas Governor Rick Perry couldn't shut up about how veterans needed a parade.

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-27T18:57:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 27, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, a Baghdad funeral is targeted with a bombing, the media keeps undercounting the dead in Iraq since December 18th, new conditions of a national confrence in Iraq, and more. Today in Baghdad, a funeral procession was attacked by a suicide bomber. Mohammed Tawfeeq and Joe Sterling (CNN) quote Hamit Dardagan, Iraq Body Count, stating, "

Political crisis continues, Barack downplays it

2012-01-27T03:44:00.000-08:00

As violence continues today in Iraq with over 30 dead in an attack on a Baghdad funeral, the political crisis continues as well. The only hope was said to be the national conference that President Jalal Talabani and Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi have been calling for since the end of December. Last week, things appeared promising for a national conference at least being held. One

'Surrounded by the remains of the dead' bombing kills at least 32

2012-01-27T03:35:00.000-08:00

Today in Baghdad, a funeral procession has been attacked by a suicide bomber. The thing is, when you lie, reality slaps you in the face. When you lie, when you try to spin on Iraq, you don't get away with it. US officials should have learned that by 2004. Yet there was James Jeffrey, US Ambassador to Iraq, in an interview Gulf News published spinning like there was no tomorrow as he insisted

I Hate The War

2012-01-26T20:49:00.000-08:00

Iraq War veteran Captain Leroy Torres was exposed to burn pits while serving in Iraq and, like many other Americans exposed in Afghanistan and Iraq, he suffers from the exposure. His wife Rosie Torres has shared what it's like to be a family dealing with the effects of exposure to burn pits.The barriers faced by those affected by toxic exposure stem from the various components that define the

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-26T17:04:00.001-08:00

Thursday January 26, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, police are among the targeted in Iraq, in the US victims of the burn pits continue to suffer, fact checks fail on PBS, and more. The Pentagon's US death toll for the Iraq War stands at 4487. That number doesn't include Staff Sgt Danielle Nienajadlo. Her service in Iraq included Balad Air Base. As Beth Hawkins (Mother Jones)

The crisis, the gender traitor and more

2012-01-26T03:40:00.000-08:00

Iraq is again plagued with bombings. Peter Cave (Australia's ABC) reports a Mussayib home bombing targeting police officers and "brothers Ahmed and Jihad Zuwaiyin" and "killing everyone inside including six children aged under 10" as well as both police officers and their wives. Al Rafidayn notes that four of the children were under ten and two boys who were approximately ten-years-old. DPA

Burn Pits destroy lives, does the government care?

2012-01-26T03:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month, Wyatt Olson (Stars and Stripes) reported, "The Marine Corps is now testing a compact disposal system that turns a barrel full of trash into a handful of ash through gasification, all without harmful air emissions associated with incinerators. Initial testing is at Camp Smith on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, with field testing expected this summer during training exercises."

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-25T16:56:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, January 25, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the political crisis continues, Nouri launches another verbal attack on Turkey's prime minister, Talabani tries to keep the peace from a sickbed, US President Barack Obama gives a speech dubbed State of the Union, and more. Sir Talks A Lot gave his State of the Union speech last night. A more accurate summary of the

Death of a Sahwa, Jalal Talabani's party line and more

2012-01-25T03:51:00.000-08:00

Dan Morse (Washington Post via San Francisco Chronicle) notes "at least 19 people were killed in Iraq" yesterday with at least eighty injured. Peter Cave reported on them for AM (Australia's ABC News -- link is text and audio):"What do they want to achieve?" says this man watching the latest victims being carried away. "What do they want from all these killings? Will this end? What did the

Sir Talks A Lot

2012-01-25T03:49:00.000-08:00

In the news around the world and even in the United States on Tuesday was the anger among Iraqis at the failure of the United States to hold anyone seriously accountable for the 2005 massacre in Haditha. The story was a useful reminder of how the operations of the U.S. military over the past decade have fueled hostility toward our

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-24T17:01:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, January 24, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Baghdad is slammed with bombings, Nouri goes after Turkey (again), the political crisis continues, executions in Iraq continue, and more. Today bombs slammed Baghdad. Aswat al-Iraq states, "These explosions remind the people of the 2006-2007 events." Alsumaria TV quotes an unidentified police source stating of the aftermath

Nouri doesn't want the political crisis called a 'crisis'

2012-01-24T03:47:00.000-08:00

As Baghdad is slammed with bombings today, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) observes, "The latest attacks raised concerns among ordinary people about the ability of Iraqi security forces to ensure security in this country, particularly after the United States withdrew troops by the end of 2011. However, Iraqi people are more concerned now about the political crisis." The ongoing political crisis was

Slammed with bombings at least 14 dead, at least 76 injured

2012-01-24T03:38:00.000-08:00

Today bombs slam Baghdad. Alsumaria TV quotes an unidentified police source stating of the aftermath of a Sadr City car bombing, "Ambulance cars rushed to the incident site and transported wounded to a nearby hospital for treatment and the corpse to the department of forensic medicine." Peter Cave (Australia's ABC News) notes that in addition to the bombing in the Sadr City section of Baghdad,

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-23T18:07:00.001-08:00

Monday, January 23, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, we explore the silence on the political crisis and the connection to the silence on Iraqi women, and more. Actions do have consequences and the decision by the White House to back Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister in 2010 has had very serious consequences for Iraq and that becomes more obvious each day. Along with the ongoing

NYT covers for Nouri

2012-01-23T03:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was to have been a meet-up in Iraq among political blocs to plan a national conference to address the political crisis Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki started and kicked up another notch (after massive arrests starting in October) by declaring Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was a terrorist and demanding Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq be stripped of his post. Last month,

PTSD and sexaul assault

2012-01-23T03:40:00.000-08:00

Starting with PTSD and, for background, we'll quote from a recent federal court ruling (National Organization of Veterans Advocates, Inc. v Secretary of Veterans Affairs),"The rule at issue here concerns PTSD. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ("DSM-IV"), classifies PTSD as an anxiety disorder. A person may develop PTSD after exposure to a stress inducing

Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "State of the Union"

2012-01-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts "State of the Union." Americans watch Barack deliver another speech and react. "What's he saying?" asks one. "I don't know," replies another. "'I think I can. I think I can.'? 'Packers for the Super Bowl win.'?" A third disagrees, "No, no. Something about 'recovery.' Is he going into rehab?" Isaiah archives his comics at The World Today Just

And the war drags on . . .

2012-01-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

Jane Arraf (Al Jazeera -- link is video) reports on the ever-closing society in Iraq.Jane Arraf: These days at Baghdad's Liberation Square, there are more soldiers and police than protesters. Not just these but dozens of riot police waiting just under the grid. But they won't have any trouble from these demonstrators. With the killings and arrests of anti-government protesters, these young men

Crisis continues, Nouri cowers before Iran, Biden gets called out in Iraqi media

2012-01-21T21:58:00.000-08:00

Abeer Mohammed for the "highly compromised" Institute for War & Peace Reporting argues that the plan of the League of Righteous to join the political process in Iraq may end up "further alienating Sunni Arabs while sparking rivalries between competing Shia groups." Mohammed notes that Moqtada al-Sadr has issued a statement decrying the planned inclusion and insistng of the League of Righteous

The White House's favorite terrorist organization

2012-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

BBC News quotes Rose McMenemy, widow of Alan McMenemy, stating, "We have worried about Alan every single minute of each waking day. We now know that we will shortly have Alan home again, this will allow us to properly grieve for him and we will draw some comfort from the fact that we have him home at last."From the June 9, 2009 snapshot:This morning the New York Times' Alissa J. Rubin and

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-20T19:20:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 20, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Grand Ayatollah Sistani is worried about an outbreak of civil war in Iraq, Nouri orders more Iraqiya members arrested, the political crisis continues, and more. Iraq is a young nation. The years of war and sanctions have ensured that. If you never grasped how young it was, understand that it has a CIA estimate of roughly 26

Thug Nouri and Idiot Chris Hill

2012-01-20T03:46:00.000-08:00

As the political crisis continues, Roy Gutman, Sahar Issa and Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) report:Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki's security services have locked up more than 1,000 members of other political parties over the past several months, detaining many of them in secret locations with no access to legal counsel and using "brutal torture" to extract confessions, his chief political

Military suicides and other issues

2012-01-20T03:35:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning, we noted: "Most veterans, whether they suffer from PTSD or not, are not going to harm themselves or others violently. (They may be far more likely to harm themselves via self-medication over the long run if the VA fails to provide the help needed.) And not to dismiss or minimize the concerns or crimes that have taken place recently, but someone harming, at this point,

I Hate The War

2012-01-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Bradley Manning. Josh Gerstein (POLITICO) reports, "Another military officer has formally recommended that Army Pfc. Bradley Manning face a full-scale court martial for allegedly leaking thousands of military reports and diplomatic cables to the online transparency site WikiLeaks."Monday April 5th, WikiLeaks released US military video of a July 12, 2007 assault in Iraq. 12 people were

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 19, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Ayad Allawi talks to Jane Arraf about the political crisis, another pre-national conference meeting gets scheduled, US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta accomplishes a first (to his great credit), the network TV media ignore the first and send a message, US citizens work on starting a citizens burn pit registry, and more.

'It's just a mess'

2012-01-19T03:46:00.000-08:00

On Morning Edition (NPR -- link will be audio shortly -- it will also be transcript later today), Sean Carberry reported on Aseel Albanna visit back to Iraq after 20 years of living in the US. It starts with the high of her exclaiming, "I can't believe I'm here, I just have sheer joy inside me." It descends rather quickly as she expresses dismay at what has happened to Baghdad, how her

The singing veteran, PTSD and more

2012-01-19T03:38:00.000-08:00

Brent Frazier (Nashville's News Channel 5, link has text and video) reports on Iraq War veteran Sal Gonzalez. Excerpt.Brent Frazier: 26-year-old Sal Gonzalez will tell you he came to the CMA Music Fest back in 2006 and never left. Tonight the Los Angeles native played to a packed Exit/In and he hopes somebody in the crowd liked what they heard.Sal Gonzalez: I'm an American. That's -- that's the

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-18T18:55:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, is Nouri going after the Camp Ashraf residents, the Turkish Embassy in Baghdad comes under attack, Reider Visser has no legal background and should learn to stop trying to offer legal analysis unless he just enjoys looking like an idiot, and more. Nouri al-Maliki is a liar. He cannot be trusted. He proves that with each passing

The gold rush and Saddam's ass

2012-01-18T03:54:00.000-08:00

Let's start with the most ridiculous news out of Iraq. Al Mada reports that Baghdad is demanding the bronzed butt of Saddam Hussein. What has them singing Michael Jackson's "Bad" ("Your butt is mine . . ..")? Probably the (minor) worth of bronze. The butt is from the statue of Saddam Hussein that was in Baghdad and, as part of a US Psyops operation, was brought down by US forces. BBC News

Pelosi ridicules others for acting on their beliefs

2012-01-18T03:49:00.000-08:00

Plastic surgery victim and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi decided to weigh in on Mitt Romney's chances at the White House if he should receive the GOP's presidential nomination. It wasn't pretty and anything they say back, she has coming. I'm at a loss to think of someone in a similar position feeling the need to attack someone in those terms before they've even won a nomination. As usual,

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-17T16:16:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, January 17, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Iraqiya talks withdrawing support for the current government, Nouri gears up to air a second series of 'confessions' about Tareq al-Hashemi on TV, the Turkish government is not please with Nouri's attacks on their leadership, and more. If you see someone shot dead in front of you on a city block and you turn that into "Person falls,"

Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Newsweak"

2012-01-17T03:53:00.000-08:00

Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts "Newsweak." The cover features crackpot Andrew Sullivan and headlines read "Crackpot Andy's latest 'confession': 'I breastfed Trig. My nipples are still sore!"; "Why magazine ridicule Obama birthers but put Sarah Palin birthers on the cover"; "How Andrew increased circulation for The New Republic via underwear ads in the 90s"; "Bareback Andy perfect

Iraq's expanding political crisis

2012-01-17T03:43:00.000-08:00

Al Mannarah's Talk interviews Iraqi Vice President Tareqq al-Hashemi and the first question is, if you're innocent why did you flee arrest? al-Hashemi explains he did not run away (he went to the KRG for meetings, after he was in the KRG, the arrest warrant was issued, he's remained in the KRG since). On holding a trial in Baghdad, he states he doesn't trust the Baghdad judiciary. He is asked

Veterans issues

2012-01-17T03:24:00.000-08:00

Sameer N. Yacoub (AP) reports an attack on a Rutba police checkpoint has resulted in the deaths of 5 police officers.Meanwhile in the US, many veterans are returning from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Chuck N. Baker (Las Vegas Review-Journal) explains:It was pointed out to the secretary that with the troop withdrawals in the Middle East, there will be thousands of veterans coming home not only

Drama queen Nouri

2012-01-16T13:49:00.000-08:00

Today Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following:Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Muhammad Jawad al Dorki Summoned the Turkish Ambassador in Baghdad, Younis Demirar .Mr. al Dorki transferred the Iraqi government's concern of the recent statements made by the Turks officials related to the internal affairs of Iraq which would impact negatively on relations between the two countries,

No one bombs bigger than the media

2012-01-16T13:48:00.000-08:00

Tom A. Peter (Christian Science Monitor) notes 8 dead in a bombing targeting housing for displaced Iraqis outside of Mosul. This is the region of northern Iraq that various religious minorities have relocated to due to safety concerns. Peter reports the targets were the Shabaks. He then notes they share traits with Islam, he forgets to note the same is true of Christianity. Unlike the

And the war drags on . . .

2012-01-15T23:11:00.000-08:00

Today's major attack in Iraq took place in Ramadi. The Irish Times notes, "Gunmen wearing explosive belts stormed an anti-terrorism police building in the Iraqi city of Ramadi today and at least ten people died in the attack, police and provincial officials said." Citing local officials and the Ministry of Interior, Sam Dagher and Jabbar http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifYaseen (Wall St.

Kat's Korner: Ani DiFranco's embarrassing odor

2012-01-15T18:25:00.000-08:00

Kat: "And you can smell me coming from half way down the street." Oh, Ani.One-time punk 'rocker,' one-time 'lesbian,' one-time 'angry girl,' one-time 'artist' Ani DiFranco is back with another collection certain to prompt the question: Why?DiFranco's talent once included inventive guitar work (her original manner of playing is no more due to injuries) and brave vocals but it never included good

Kat's Korner: Adam Levine itches for one on the flip side

2012-01-14T23:01:00.000-08:00

Kat: If Adam Levin wants to have anal sex, who am I to look askance? I mean, in the second half of eleventh grade, that's all I had. Ronnie was worried about pregnancies and would only have anal sex. He went off to college and ended up a father-to-be in his first semester so obviously he had more than anal with other women --But I'm getting ahead of myself. "Kat's Korner: 2011 in music" went

The never-ending Political Crisis in Iraq

2012-01-14T22:59:00.000-08:00

Al Mada reports that Moqtada al-Sadr has stated some politicians are grand-standing on violence and the dead, that they "see the blood coming and fight one another for chairs," that they attempt to "increase their own popularity" by standing on the dead and the blood, using the violence to make themselves look tougher. Though Moqtada doesn't name who is referring to, it is true that in both the

Iraq slammed with bombing, over 50 dead

2012-01-14T20:55:00.000-08:00

Southern Iraq was slammed with a major bombing today, the last day of Arbaeen. Anne Barker (Australia's ABC News) reports it was a suicide bomber, in a police uniform, who detonated in Basra, taking his own life and over fifty others with over one hundred people left injured. The Telegraph of London notes, "The attack happened on the last of the 40 days of Arbain, when hundreds of thousands of

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-13T20:07:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 13, 2012, Chaos and violence continue, Iraq arrests 4 American citizens, Nouri unleashes the crazy on the Turkish Prime Minister, Joe Biden and Barack Obama both speak to the Turkish Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) like embarrassed parents attempting to smooth things over, Nouri finally decides that the pilgrimage that's been going on for a week now might need extra

Moqtada continues to offer leadership during Nouri's political crisis

2012-01-13T03:30:00.000-08:00

In Iraq, the political crisis continues. Al Mada reports that the expanded meeting (not the national conference) is set for this Sunday. This follows the meet-up Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had this week. The three are scheduled to attend the Sunday meet-up along with heads of the main political blocs. Whether a

Baghdad governor says 4 Americans arrested

2012-01-13T03:29:00.000-08:00

Al Mada is reporting today that 4 Americans -- 2 men, 2 women -- have been arrested in Iraq. They were carrying weapons according to the governor of Baghad, Salah Abdul Razak. They were in a BMW which was stopped at a checkpoint and they were discovered with weapons. They displayed some form of identity badges but they were arrested and our in police custody with the Sixth Brigade conducting

I Hate The War

2012-01-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

As promised, we're picking up on the presidential candidates thread tonight. (Started in Wednesday's snapshot.) And then we're done with this topic (endorsements) for 2012.Recapping, I did not endorse in 2008, I am not endorsing this year. E-mails from visitors are so sure that I'm working the coverage to help (a) Rick Perry, (b) candidate John McCain (no, he's not running for the GOP

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-12T17:31:00.000-08:00

Thursday, January 12, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Marc Lynch abuses the factual record, State of Law plays Don Rickles, Erdogan continues to warn about a possible civil war in Iraq, and more. Marc Lynch (Foreign Policy) decides to play Columbus and 'discover' Iraq today. It wasn't pretty. If the "last American troops officially left Iraq before Christmas," who's guarding the US

State of Law gets snippy about Erdogan, political crisis continues

2012-01-12T03:53:00.000-08:00

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spent the last few days noting the dangerous political crisis in Iraq and calling on efforts to address it. The response from Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law political slate? Aswat al-Iraq notes National Alliance MP Ali al-Shalah declared, "Iraq is not an Ottoman province, and never will be." Of course, factually, Iraq was once part of the

Veterans issues: PTSD, MST, burn pits

2012-01-12T03:38:00.000-08:00

Glenn Kessler (Washington Post) awards Barack Obama One Pinocchio for his claims about the military budget. Well good. He's deserved several Pinocchios since day one. Back on March 4, 208, Isaiah found 3 Pinocchios in "Pinocchio Obama."Meanwhile TBI and PTSD are signature wounds of the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War. Not all veterans have either (or both) but some do. For those who do,

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-11T18:14:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, January 11, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, the Kurds say "no" to Nouri, the political crisis continues, the US comes off disinterested, a mayor is assassinated in Iraq, and more. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, burn pits have been used. This means all the waste -- including medical -- is burned in an open area. Many US service members and contractors were exposed to these

Turkey continues to note the Iraqi political crisis

2012-01-11T03:45:00.000-08:00

Thomas Seiberg (The National) reports, "Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime miniser has started a bid to end the power struggle in Iraq, warning that religious strife had turned the neighbouring country into a 'sea of blood'. Mr Erdogan was scheduled to talk to Nouri Al Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, by telephone yesterday. There was no word on whether a statement would be released

The future discussions of Iraq in the US

2012-01-11T03:28:00.000-08:00

The editorial board of the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal weighs in today on the Iraq War arguing that why the war started is not a concern, the concern is how the US left Iraq and that is what history and the world will judge. From the editorial:Did we leave Iraq better than we found it?That remains to be seen. There's no question Iraqis are better off sans Saddam, as are Libyans in the absence of

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-10T18:18:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, January 10, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, if the media doesn't cover realities for Iraqis why would you blame the American people for not knowing about them, the State Dept continues their public lackadaisical presentation, and more. To put a face on war, Susie Day pens the essay "Dead Iraqis Occupy Wall Street" (Monthly Review):With the war in Iraq now officially

The crisis and the disinterested US reaction

2012-01-10T04:00:00.000-08:00

Vestnik Kavkaza reports, "The US has made a big mistake by withdrawing from Iraq, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, 1news.az reports. Erdogan met his Norwegian counterpart Jens Stoltenberg and reminded him that he had warned US president and vice-president about repercussions from such step. The Turkish premier noted that the situation in Iraq remains tense and

No free press (in Iraq or the US)

2012-01-10T03:45:00.000-08:00

Dahr Jamail explains "No free press in Iraq" (Al Jazeera):On September 8, 2011, Iraqi journalist Hadi al-Mahdi was shot in his Baghdad home by assailants using pistols with silencers. Mahdi had hosted a thrice-weekly radio show covering social and political issues, including government corruption, bribery and sectarianism.On his Facebook page, Mahdi had regularly organised pro-democracy

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-09T17:50:00.001-08:00

Monday, January 9, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, the prison at Guantanamo Bay hits the 10 year mark, Iraq is slammed with bombings again, the KRG judiciary makes clear that Baghad doesn't order them to do anything, more Iraqis report they are suffering, Iraqi refugees continue to be stuck in limbo, and more. Before we get to Iraq, an anniversary. On this week's Law and Disorder

Who blinks first -- Baghdad or KRG?

2012-01-09T03:55:00.000-08:00

AFP reports that bombings today targeting pilgrims in Iraq have resulted in one death and twenty-four people being left injured -- 1 dead and nine injured in Owairij and fiften injured in Hilla. Reuters notes the Hilla bombing was yesterday and the injured were Afghanistan pilgrimas, they count 2 dead in a Baghdad roadside bombing with twelve more pilgrims injured, they also note the following

Iraqis say suffering has increased, refugees and more

2012-01-09T03:40:00.000-08:00

Gallup has a new poll out today. It's a survey of Iraqis. Stafford Nichols explains, "The percentage of Iraqis who rate their lives poorly enough to be considered 'suffering' rose from 14% in in October 2010 to 25% in September 2011." So isn't great that NPR and others shut down their Iraq offices and went home? 'We don't really care about Iraqis,' their actions say. 'We were just here as

Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Here's Nouri"

2012-01-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

Isaiah's latest The World Today Just Nuts "Here's Nouri." Nouri whines, "Wah! They made me go after Tareq al-Hashemi!" In the background, Moqtada al-Sadr utters a disapproving, "Nouri!" And Isaiah notes, yes, it is nod to I Love Lucy but he's not comfortable calling the cartoon I Love Nouri due to possible misinterpretations. Isaiah archives his comics at The World Today Just Nuts.

And the war drags on . . .

2012-01-08T23:26:00.000-08:00

On today's Face The Nation (CBS News), Bob Schieffer hosted Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Senator John McCain (among others). The two spoke -- in different segments -- about Iraq. We'll note McCain tonight (and in a snapshot this week) and grab Panetta in a snapshot this week. Senator John McCain: Secretary Panetta mentioned in Iraq. In all due respect, Iraq is unraveling. It's

Nouri's insane, Moqtada's playing statesman and more

2012-01-07T20:27:00.000-08:00

Nouri al-Maliki, if the US press didn't work so hard to shelter him, he'd be the laugh of all of America. In his latest bit of spin, Al Mada reports, Nouri took to the TV airwaves to proclaim he didn't want Tareq al-Hashemi to be arrested. But the Iraqi judiciary threatened him (Nouri) with arrest! This fantasy ignores the fact that Nouri was publicly attacking Tareq al-Hashemi (and Saleh

3-year-old (mentally) David finds his way home

2012-01-07T18:52:00.000-08:00

They say politics is show biz for ugly people so David Shorr should have a large lead; however, that's just not the case.Yesterday's snapshot noted David Shorr's dishonesty and spin. It's now been posted at TPM, an e-mail advises. Good. That's where it belongs. Stick in pin it that, we'll come back to it.Why does Barack own the Iraq War as well as Bush?David Shorr wants to be walked through

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-06T18:53:00.001-08:00

Friday, January 6, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, denial that Barack has responsibility continues, the US is not going to support Tareq al-Hashemi, who got punished for Iraq coverage (and who didn't), and more. Let's start with David Shorr. He's not interested in honesty, he's not interested in facts. If you can hold your nose, click on the link and sink into the spin and ignorance

Many meet-ups, no national conference

2012-01-06T03:54:00.000-08:00

After yesterday's string of bombings across Iraq, today would have to be (comparatively) more peaceful. This being Iraq, that doesn't mean the violence stopped. Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) reports, "At least three explosions struck Friday near Baghdad's Green Zone, where a parade to make Iraq's Army Day was taking place, according to witnesses." Of yesterday's violence, Dan Morse (Washington Post)

NYT unravels

2012-01-06T03:38:00.000-08:00

We tried to be nice in yesterday's snapshot. For all the good it does.Via CNN, the five Americans killed in a January 2007 attack by the League of Righteous:Capt. Brian S. Freeman, 31, of Temecula, California; 1st Lt. Jacob N. Fritz, 25, of Verdon, Nebraska; Spc. Johnathan B. Chism, 22, of Gonzales, Louisiana; Pfc. Shawn P. Falter, 25, of Cortland, New York; and Pfc. Johnathon M. Millican, 20,

I Hate The War

2012-01-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

Michael V. Hayden was a CIA director under Bush (2006 - 2009). He has a piece at CNN that a visitor e-mailed to the public account and asked if I'd link to it? Yes. It almost made the snapshot but (a) I didn't have time to read it and (b) there was too much to include in the snapshot already.The column can be found here and this is what I feel the strongest section is:With that agreement

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-05T17:08:00.001-08:00

Thursday, January 5, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, bombs slam Iraq, the League of Righteous is "honestly sorry" for killing a British citizen several years ago (and for lying this summer that he was still alive?), the political crisis continues, Nouri saw 'terrorists' trying to overthrow the government but now they're being released, and more. On this week's. Black Agenda

Weeks ago, Nouri loudly insisted coup attempt -- now the arrested are released

2012-01-05T03:42:00.000-08:00

It was with great drama (and melodrama) that Nouri repeatedly commented on the "terrorists" and "Ba'athists" that he was 'forced' to arrest because they were plotting an overthrow of the government. His spokesperson insisted the information was solid and had come from the newly installed Libyan government. Dropping back to the October 27th snapshot:But back to those eyes and ears al-Asadi was

Over 50 dead as bombings slam Iraq

2012-01-05T03:35:00.000-08:00

Baghdad is again slammed with bombings today. Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) explains, "A series of bombings in Baghdad left 24 dead and dozens wounded Thursday, intensifying fears of an increase in sectarian violence in the midst of a political crisis." BBC News (link has text and video) adds, "The ministry told the BBC that at least 66 people were wounded in the blasts, which occurred in the

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Barack pretends he cares about oversight and accountability and the uniformed American press doesn't know what's going on (as usual) or which four oversight positions are, as of today, empty, Nouri's breaking the Iraqi Constitution again but no one's supposed to notice, and more. Nouri al-Maliki has an affinity for breaking the

8 reported dead and 15 wounded overnight and today

2012-01-04T03:42:00.000-08:00

In Iraq today, AGI reports a 6-year-old girl is dead from a series of Baquba bombings which left eight more people dead. AFP notes there were five bombs which went off "at short intervals." While AGI and AFP report the girl was a 6-year-old, Jomana Karadsheh (CNN) reports the girl was nine. Reuters ups the wounded count to twelve (also states the girl was 6-years-old) and notes a Samarra

Abbas J. Ali loves Nouri al-Maliki

2012-01-04T03:32:00.000-08:00

Abbas J. Ali is a professor, apparently one with a doctorate in deceit. At Middle East Online, he serves up a high fantasy, low-fact mixture.Noting calls for his beloved beloved Nouri al-Maliki to step down, Ali states, "Indeed, there are some who claim that once Maliki leaves the political scene, Iraq's ills will be significantly eliminated." There probably are some -- in the many calling for

Iraq snapshot

2012-01-03T17:12:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, January 3, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, the political crisis continues, Jalal Talabani is called a "terrorist" by State of Law, Moqtada al-Sadr reportedly will not attend a national conference, the Iranian government expresses displeasure over the MEK, and more. "Recently the media has been filled with announcements that the war in Iraq has finally ended. But in a war

The ongoing political crisis

2012-01-03T03:37:00.000-08:00

Al Mada reports Osama al-Nujaifi, Speaker of the Iraqi Parliament, has called for the Iraqi military to promote national unity and not suppress the people, noting that human rights abuses by the military are threatening the country. He also called on the military to stay out of political disputes. Dar Addustour adds that he declared public freedoms to be among the most important accomplishments

How All Things Media Big & Small enable war

2012-01-03T03:32:00.000-08:00

Oh the dawn of man comes slowThousands of yearsAnd here we are . . .Still worshipingOur own ego-- "Strong and Wrong," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her Shine.As you look out on the landscape of published opinion in the US, "strong and wrong" really says it all. Well -- and stupid. Strong and wrong and stupid.Where to start? How about the attitude that the Iraq War is a drug deal

al-Essawi targeted with bombing, Talabani called terrorist

2012-01-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

Press TV reports Rafe al-Essawi, Iraq's Finance Minister, was the target of a roadside bombing yesterday which left "three of Essawi's bodyguards, two officers and one soldier" wounded. Dan Morse (Washington Post) reports Essawi is calling for an investigation and Morse writes, "Essawi is widely regarded in Iraq as a moderate official. He is part of the Iraqiya political bloc, which is supported

Leslie Gelb's misdiagnosis

2012-01-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

War Cheerleader Leslie Gelb is back with another ahistorical column in which he hears Iraq sneeze and diagnoses cancer. "How To Save Iraq" brags the headline of Gelb's column, no doubt reminding many of how Leslie's last attempt to 'save' Iraq was to cheerlead the impending illegal war. He wants to insist, "Today federalism remains Iraq's only hope for peace." Really? Only?There's nothing else

And the war drags on . . .

2012-01-01T23:22:00.000-08:00

Asli Aydintasbas (Newsweek) interviews Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi and, despite that, still can't get the facts straight in her introduction (the arrest warrant was Monday the 19th after he left Baghdad -- we've done the walk through on that already, if you're late to the party refer to this Al Mada report from today) . Hopefully, she at least quoted al-Hashemi correctly including

2011: The Year of the Slow Reveal

2011-12-31T20:13:00.000-08:00

Whether it was learning George W. Bush was a 'man of peace' or that media fakery only goes so far for so long, 2011 was not only full of surprises, it was the year of the slow reveal.Take Bully Boy Bush. 'The Iraq War ended,' media wanted you to know. And withdrawals took place not because of Barack Obama but due to Bush. In November 2008, Bush rammed through the Status Of Forces Agreement

Ruth's Radio Report 2011

2011-12-31T18:40:00.000-08:00

Ruth: If radio got behind one story in 2011, it was the Occupy story. Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Boston, etc. And if one report stands out in all the reports it would be the one on the homeless man dying at Occupy Denton.Throughout the Occupy movements or 'movements' the homeless were used and never was it more clear than in the radio report on the homeless man dying featuring college kids (

Smartest political move of 2011

2011-12-31T17:59:00.000-08:00

Cedric and Wally today selected the smartest political move of the year. We're cross-posting it here and their linked names goes to the joint-post at each of their sites. BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLECELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O DID NOT HAVE A GOOD YEAR AS VOTERS GREW EVER TIRED OF HIS INABILITY TO ADDRESS THE ECONOMY.IN ADDITION, HE REPEATEDLY BLAMED CONGRESS FOR HIS

2011: The year in films

2011-12-31T17:26:00.000-08:00

Ann ["2011 best in film (Ann and Stan)"] and Stan ["2011 in films (Ann and Stan)"] have done a year-end piece on movies and, as we always do, we're cross-posting it here. Ann and Stan with our annual look at the year's ten best DVDs/Blue-ray/Streaming/Astral Projections.1) "Bad Teacher." The most surprising and entertaining film of 2011. Cameron Diaz turned an iffy-film into reality yet

2011 in books (Martha & Shirley)

2011-12-31T12:16:00.000-08:00

Martha & Shirley here again with our look at the year in books. This was a very tight race, both within the top ten and to make the top ten. We'll run the top thirty in Thursday's gina & krista round-robin. But these are the ten books that spoke the most to this community in 2011.One thing that really stands out is that books need to be talked about and blogged about. Nine of the books

New Year's Parties (Trina)

2011-12-31T09:26:00.001-08:00

Trina's done a public service post. We're cross-posting it here.New Year's Parties I got back from the store this morning, put the groceries away, logged on and checked my e-mail. If you wanted New Year's tips, New Year's Eve, how about some heads up? Drinks? Beer and wine are staples. If you're planning on making margaritas, remember you need a lot of ice for that. And tequila as well

best of fall tv 2011 (rebecca)

2011-12-31T07:22:00.001-08:00

rebecca here. c.i. said i should cross-post my post from last night ('minus the snapshot,' c.i. said) here and that not only was she suggesting that but that community members amanda and joan had e-mailed to recommend it be cross-posted. you'll see other cross-posts here today - 1 on movies and 1 on politics. so this is my post on tv with, at the end, my picks for the best performance, best

Kat's Korner: 2011 in music

2011-12-30T23:00:00.000-08:00

Kat: As I reflect on the year in music, the first thought I have is that no matter what else I do, I will not be offering the stupidest critique of the year in music. No, NPR's most worthless show -- sparse on journalistic standards, heavy on 'hip' from two decades ago -- Tell Me More captured that honor with their broadcast segment "It Was A Good Year For Women In Music." Now, in some ways,

Iraq snapshot

2011-12-30T19:27:00.001-08:00

Friday, December 30, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, protests take place in Turkey and Iraq over the Turkish military killing 35 Kurds, Nouri's forces attack protesters in Baghdad and seize journalists' equipment, Ayad Allawi reminds everyone of the Erbil Agreement, McClatchy closes its Baghdad Bureau, the political crisis continues, the issue of the families of service members being

al-Nujaifi issues a list of denials

2011-12-30T05:53:00.000-08:00

In the latest embarrassment for Nouri al-Maliki, Alsumaria TV reports that State of Law MP Adnan Mayahi, who serves on Parliament's Security and Defense Commission, has declared that the bulk of Iraq's security services have been infiltrated and that a great many working in prisons practice torture. Meanwhile it may be the day of denials from Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi. Ammar Karim

Turkey's insincere regret pose

2011-12-30T05:46:00.000-08:00

CNN reports, "Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that he regrets the deaths of 35 civilians in a military airstrike in a Kurdish area on the border with Iraq." Well I guess that makes everything all right then. Erdogan regrets it. Not enough to stop using drones. Not enough to announce a new plan for addressing the needs of Kurds in Turkey (needs that do include safety

Iraq snapshot

2011-12-29T19:00:00.001-08:00

Thursday, December 29, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Nouri wants the US to fork over weapons to him quickly, an anonymous State Dept worker ridiculously claims they can protect human rights in Iraq, the State Dept looks like a national idiot in a press briefing today, the Turkish military bombs the border and kills 35, and more. Well start with Paul Bremer who ran the immediate

Turkey's continued Elmer Fudd approach to the PKK

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

As if Iraq didn't have enough to deal with already . . . the Turkish military continues to attack northern Iraq.BBC News (link has text and video) reports on last night's bombing, "An air strike by Turkish warplanes near a Kurdish village close to the border with Iraq has left 35 people dead, officials say. One report said that smugglers had been spotted by unmanned drones and were mistaken for

'We want to normalize a government that really doesn't exist'

2011-12-29T05:58:00.000-08:00

UPI reports, "The United States plans to go ahead with a nearly $11 billion sale of arms and training to Iraq despite concerns about the country's future, officials said." And that thinking goes towards how the Barack Obama administration is responsible for the current state of affairs in Iraq.The Council on Foreign Relations' Bernard Gwertzman interviewed Ned Parker (Los Angeles Times) about

Iraq snapshot

2011-12-28T18:03:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, December 28, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Rick Perry grandstands on Iraq and finds the ground beneath him shaky, more calls for new elections in Iraq, Camp Ashraf repeatedly targeted with rockets, 2 Americans held by Iraqis are released, and more. Starting in the US with Rick Perry, who is running for the GOP's presidential nomination is whining about parades.

The continued political crisis

2011-12-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

November 28th, there was a bombing in the Green Zone, presumably targeting the Parliament. Al Mada reports that Parliament's Security and Defense Committee has stated it will be making an announcement today on the bombing and releasing preliminary results of their investigation. Meanwhile, the political crisis continues in Iraq. Tarqi Alhomayed (Al Arabiya) feels there may be a bright spot in

Iraq releases 2 American contractors

2011-12-28T04:03:00.000-08:00

Iraqi journalist Ghassan Adnan reflected on the last eight years on NPR's All Things Considered (link has audio and text) yesterday:I'm not sure if life will get better or worse. Everyone says something different. I have lost many friends. I'm not sure if I will lose more friends. What I am sure of is that my life will be completely changed with no American boots in Iraq, as it was changed when

Iraq snapshot

2011-12-27T17:02:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, December 27, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's political crisis continues, did someone "close" to Nouri murder a journalist, Barack may not be the new Jimmy Carter (but he may be a new version of another recent one-term president), and more. How bad are things in Iraq right now? The editorial board of the Hindu Times insists, "It has also exposed the hollowness of

Political crisis leads to?

2011-12-27T04:17:00.000-08:00

Wolf Blitzer (anchor of CNN's Situation Room) sees Iraq going the way of Yugoslavia, "But with U.S. troops now out of the country, I suspect we could be on the verge of seeing Iraq spiral into civil war. We already have seen a series of terrorist attacks in recent days. My fear is that this will only get worse. The Sunnis clearly don't trust the Shiites, especially Shiite Prime Minister Nuri

Iraq and its neighbors

2011-12-27T04:11:00.000-08:00

"It's their job now, as Martha says," declared Terry Moran on Monday's Nightline (ABC). And you could tell how quick he was to dispense with it as ABC rushed to file another Spiderman on Broadway story, this one even longer than Martha Raddatz's Iraq report.If it is "their job now" -- Iraq as a game of hot potato-- a broken hot potato? -- it's surprising how many phone calls the White House has

Moqtada tries to solve the political crisis?

2011-12-26T15:00:00.001-08:00

Iraq is in the midst of a political crisis. Background on the crisis via Omer Taspinar (Today's Zaman):Prime Minister Nur al-Maliki, the Shiite leader of the government, issued an arrest warrant for Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi, a leading Sunni politician, accusing him of running a death squad. After denying these charges, Hashimi fled to the semiautonomous region of Kurdistan to avoid arrest