Here is Mark Santora's article in this morning's New York Times, "Sectarian Ties Weaken Duty’s Call for Iraq Forces," in full:
Blah, blah, blah Shi'ites.
Blah, blah, blah Sunnis.
Blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah.
What will Bush doe?
Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah.
How he managed to type the above with one thumb up his ass, I'll never know. But Little Man Marcs churns out another tale in today's paper and it's the usual crap -- Saddam, Saddam, Saddam -- that breaks for a moment to note that a US marine was announced dead by the US military on Wednesday -- and the two soldiers who were also announced? Apparently Little Man Marcs only cares about the marine and can't bother to note the two US soldiers -- nor the Latvian soldiers who died yesterday. But for funniest passage, note this:
Americans handed control of security in Najaf Province to the Iraqis in an elaborate ceremony last week, but local leaders questioned the significance of the transfer if Americans could still direct raids there.
We're apparently all supposed to be stupid -- Najaf (as we noted last week -- even walking visitors through it slowly) was only 'turned over' in an attempt to get Shi'ites to side against al-Sadr. It didn't work. And it wasn't 'turned over' because that's where the US military shot dead Sahib al-Amiri, a member of Sadr's bloc. Marc's telling of it is priceless for all it omits.
Let's leave Little Man Marcs and the New York Times and turn to the land of reality -- Nancy Trejos and Sudarsan Raghavan's "Close Adviser to Sadr Dies in U.S.-Iraqi Raid" (Washington Post) reports on Najaf and manages to include all that Little Man Marcs can't tell and much, much more. For instance this "Iraqi" raid that the US was just providing support for (it was the US that shot the dead), if that's really the case, if Iraqis were in charge of that raid and calling the shots for it, then wouldn't Nouri al-Maliki, if he had any questions at all, be asking them of the Iraqi army which he supposedly commands? From the Post:
On Wednesday, Maliki asked senior U.S. commanders to explain the motive for Wednesday's raid, advisers to the prime minister said. One adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maliki has set up a committee to investigate the incident, underscoring his concern that the raid could trigger further violence and dissuade Sadr from political engagement.
He's asked the US military "to explain the motive for Wednesday's raid". Translation, the Iraqi military was not leading the raid, the US military was. Also from the story:
Amiri's 19-year-old son, Karrar Sahib al-Amiri, said Iraqi and U.S. troops knocked on the family's door at 6 a.m. When he answered it, he asked the soldiers what they wanted, he recalled. They pushed him aside and stormed into the house, he said. His mother shouted at them while his father ran to the roof. Amiri said his father tried jumping to the roof of the next house but could not.
The soldiers followed him upstairs, the son said. He said his mother asked an Iraqi soldier why they were there. "We want to question him," Amiri recalled the soldier saying.
A few minutes later, the son heard four gunshots. He found his father on the roof with a bullet in his head and three bullets in his chest, he said.
Not surprisingly, the Times wasn't able to find a statement from the family -- or at least to run one. Yesterday, the fatality count for US troops who have died in Iraq this month was 94 and today it's 98. The worst month for US troops deaths this year was October with 106. That's eight less than the total for December currently stands at. But you'd never grasp that from the New York Times. Little Man Marcs has now twice mentioned fatalities as an aside in a report and twice undercounted what the US military had announced. More often than not, the deaths don't even get included as an aside in the article and, as anyone who's suffered through the Times this month knows, the deaths aren't cause for an article from the paper of no record.
Today the US military announced: "An improvised explosive device detonated near a dismounted Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol, killing two Soldiers southwest of the Iraqi capital Dec. 27. " And the US military announced: "An improvised explosive device detonated near a Multi-National Division - Baghdad patrol, killing one Soldier in an eastern section of the Iraqi capital Dec. 27." Don't expect to read about that or the mounting toll for US troops this month in the Times anytime soon -- they've got a war to sell. The latest deaths move the total since the start of the illegal war to 2987 -- thirteen short of the 3,000 mark.
Yesterday's Democracy Now! (noted here) resulted in at least 87 e-mails complaining that the program didn't address Gerald Ford's role in the Warren Commission and at least 210 questioning Barbara Ehrenreich's judgement (it's quite simple -- she believes anything the Times tells her -- despite stating otherwise, she obviously read the Idiot Bellafonte's hatchet job and common sense didn't dictate to her that she should question that piece as she would any other piece at the hideous paper). Micah e-mailed to note that 'importantly' was mispelled by him in his e-mail "before anyone asks." I didn't notice, I just copied and pasted the line he noted that could be used. I'll go an fix it today. Brandon notes Elaine's post last night and yes, I did tell her that Democracy Now! also couldn't bother to note the US fatalities or, for that matter, the fact that at least 100 deaths were recorded on Tuesday. I had a line about that in the snapshot but pulled it because I was still angry over dime-store wisdom. (Should that read "nickle and dimed-store wisdom"?)
After this posts, the year-in-review goes up. I'm going to do a quick read of it before posting which shouldn't delay it since it takes at least 25 minutes for it to post. For those concerned that independent media won't get the 'attention' it deserves, fear not, those who goofed off are called out.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com. And I'm working all the accounts myself until January (and have been since last week) so expect me to be slow in replying (to members) and please note the topic of your e-mails in the heading (such as "Highlight") to be sure I see it in time. P.S., I'm not interested in Woody's tales from the beyond. Saying something in 2004 -- if it mattered -- needed to be reported in 2004. I also have no interest in noting the week long Ford hysteria.
the new york times
sudarsan raghavan
the washington post
nancy trejos
like maria said paz
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Iraq snapshot
Wednesday, December 27, 2006. Chaos and violence continue in Iraq, the US military announces more deaths of US troops while they call up 3,500 more troops, a British general calls for more war money while lowering expectations, England and the United States face strong backlashes in Iraq and the puppet of the occupation proves unpopular.
As December has become the second deadliest month in 2006 it's easy to see who covers the fatalities (Washington Post -- usually Nancy Trejos) and who doesn't (New York Times). Today the US military announced: "A 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldier died as a result of non-combat related injuries on Logistics Support Area Anaconda Dec 23." And they also announced: "A second Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died of injuries received when a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle rolled over along a dirt canal trail during a combat reconnaissance mission south of the Iraqi capital Dec. 26." And they announced: "One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died today from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." ICCC lists the total for the month of December thus far at 94. October is the month with the highest US fatalities in 2006 (thus far): 106. The total number of US troops who have died in Iraq since the start of the illegal war stands at 2983, 17 away from the 3,000 mark.
Meanwhile the US Defense Department reports that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has
approved John Abizaid's request and 3,500 troops of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team were informed today that at the start of next month they will deploy to Kuwait to replace the 15h MEU who moved to al-Anbar Province last month.
The call up means that 3,500 troops have had to head to Fort Bragg and cut short the holidays. In Iraq, the holiday reflected the illegal war. Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report that, for little girls, crying dolls were the most popular gift and, for little boys, tanks and guns because, as Ahmed Ghazi told the reporters, "Children try to imitate what they see out of their windows." Jamil and Al-Fadhily write:
Social researcher Nuha Khalil from the Iraqi Institute for Childhood Development in Baghdad told IPS that young girls are now expressingtheir repressed sadness often by playing the role of a mother who takes care of her small daughter.
"Looking around, they only see gatherings of mourning ladies who lost their beloved ones," said Khalil. "Our job of comforting these little girls and remedying the damage within them is next to impossible."
[. . .]
"The only things they have on their minds are guns, bullets, death and a fear of the U.S. occupation," Maruan Abdullah, spokesman for the Association of Psychologists of Iraq told reporters at the launch of a study in February this year.
Meanwhile, Sam Knight (Times of London) reports that Major General Richard Shirreff ("commander of British troops in southern Iraq") is stating that the British Army is underfunded and lowering expectations for 'democracy' and/or 'liberation' in Iraq -- Shirref stated: "When I set up, came up here and initiated the operations we have been conducting, I was looking for a 100% solution. But this is Iraq, this is Arabia and this is reality, so a 60% solution is good enough for me." This as Steve Negus (Financial Times of London) reports that Monday's raid and destruction, by British forces, on a police station in Basra is resulting in a backlash: " Several local leaders, including the head of the city council and a Basra police commander, have condemned Monday's raid. Mohammed al-Ibadi, provincial council chairman, said the council had decided to cut off ties with British forces pending an explanation of why they destroyed an 'Iraq government building flying the Iraqi flag' and removed detainees he described as suspected terrorists'."
This as the US faces their own backlash over a death in Najaf. Earlier today, Reuters reported that, despite earlier denails by the US military, a US soldier was the one who shot an official of Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc. Khaled Farhan (Reuters) reports: "Thousands of supporters of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched through the holy Iraqi city of Najaf in an angry funeral procession after a senior Sadr aide was killed by a U.S. soldier on Wednesday. Chanting 'No to America' and carrying placards decrying U.S. occupation, mourners, including black-robed clerics, carried the coffin of Saheb al-Amiri through the streets." Supporters maintain that Saheb al-Amiri was shot dead "in front of his wife and children" and that he was a charity lawyer, not a 'terrorist.' The attack on the member of al-Sadr's bloc follows last week's (unsuccessful) efforts by the US to isolate Moqtada al-Sadr as outlined by Hannah Allam (McClatchy Newspapers) Friday.
While England and the United States face backlashes, Reuters reports that a bomb has killed two Latvian soldiers and left three more wounded. In other violence today . . .
Bombings?
The BBC reports a car bombing in east Baghdad that has claimed 8 lives and left 10 more wounded. The Press Association reports that seven British troops were wounded by a roadside bomb in Basra. Reuters notes a roadside bomb in Baghdad that left five people wounded and a roadisde bomb in Suwayra that killed three Iraqi soldiers.
Shootings?
Reuters notes an attack on "a bus carrying employees of the Ministry of Higher Education" that left two wounded.
In peace news, Dana Hull (San Jose Mercury News) reports that Nadia McCaffrey, mother of Patrick Ryan McCaffrey who was killed in Iraq by Iraqi security forces he was training, is planning to build a retreat for returning troops -- Nadia McCaffrey: "Patrick isn't dead. His spirit is very much alive, in me and all around us. The rest of my life is going to be dedicated to peace and justice, and to helping the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.''
Finally, Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report that the support for puppet of the occupation Nouri al-Maliki continues to nose dive among Iraqis (some polls noting 90% of Iraqis are displeased with al-Maliki's 'governing') and notes that Tariq al-Hashimi ("leader of the Islamic Party") feels that many have been shut out in al-Maliki's so-called unity coalition while Dr. Salih al-Mutlaq tells the reporters, "This government will definitely lead the country into a disaster."
iraq
the washington post
nancy trejos
dahr jamail
ali al-fadhily
As December has become the second deadliest month in 2006 it's easy to see who covers the fatalities (Washington Post -- usually Nancy Trejos) and who doesn't (New York Times). Today the US military announced: "A 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) Soldier died as a result of non-combat related injuries on Logistics Support Area Anaconda Dec 23." And they also announced: "A second Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died of injuries received when a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle rolled over along a dirt canal trail during a combat reconnaissance mission south of the Iraqi capital Dec. 26." And they announced: "One Marine assigned to Regimental Combat Team 5 died today from wounds sustained due to enemy action while operating in Al Anbar Province." ICCC lists the total for the month of December thus far at 94. October is the month with the highest US fatalities in 2006 (thus far): 106. The total number of US troops who have died in Iraq since the start of the illegal war stands at 2983, 17 away from the 3,000 mark.
Meanwhile the US Defense Department reports that US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has
approved John Abizaid's request and 3,500 troops of the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team were informed today that at the start of next month they will deploy to Kuwait to replace the 15h MEU who moved to al-Anbar Province last month.
The call up means that 3,500 troops have had to head to Fort Bragg and cut short the holidays. In Iraq, the holiday reflected the illegal war. Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report that, for little girls, crying dolls were the most popular gift and, for little boys, tanks and guns because, as Ahmed Ghazi told the reporters, "Children try to imitate what they see out of their windows." Jamil and Al-Fadhily write:
Social researcher Nuha Khalil from the Iraqi Institute for Childhood Development in Baghdad told IPS that young girls are now expressingtheir repressed sadness often by playing the role of a mother who takes care of her small daughter.
"Looking around, they only see gatherings of mourning ladies who lost their beloved ones," said Khalil. "Our job of comforting these little girls and remedying the damage within them is next to impossible."
[. . .]
"The only things they have on their minds are guns, bullets, death and a fear of the U.S. occupation," Maruan Abdullah, spokesman for the Association of Psychologists of Iraq told reporters at the launch of a study in February this year.
Meanwhile, Sam Knight (Times of London) reports that Major General Richard Shirreff ("commander of British troops in southern Iraq") is stating that the British Army is underfunded and lowering expectations for 'democracy' and/or 'liberation' in Iraq -- Shirref stated: "When I set up, came up here and initiated the operations we have been conducting, I was looking for a 100% solution. But this is Iraq, this is Arabia and this is reality, so a 60% solution is good enough for me." This as Steve Negus (Financial Times of London) reports that Monday's raid and destruction, by British forces, on a police station in Basra is resulting in a backlash: " Several local leaders, including the head of the city council and a Basra police commander, have condemned Monday's raid. Mohammed al-Ibadi, provincial council chairman, said the council had decided to cut off ties with British forces pending an explanation of why they destroyed an 'Iraq government building flying the Iraqi flag' and removed detainees he described as suspected terrorists'."
This as the US faces their own backlash over a death in Najaf. Earlier today, Reuters reported that, despite earlier denails by the US military, a US soldier was the one who shot an official of Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc. Khaled Farhan (Reuters) reports: "Thousands of supporters of anti-American Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr marched through the holy Iraqi city of Najaf in an angry funeral procession after a senior Sadr aide was killed by a U.S. soldier on Wednesday. Chanting 'No to America' and carrying placards decrying U.S. occupation, mourners, including black-robed clerics, carried the coffin of Saheb al-Amiri through the streets." Supporters maintain that Saheb al-Amiri was shot dead "in front of his wife and children" and that he was a charity lawyer, not a 'terrorist.' The attack on the member of al-Sadr's bloc follows last week's (unsuccessful) efforts by the US to isolate Moqtada al-Sadr as outlined by Hannah Allam (McClatchy Newspapers) Friday.
While England and the United States face backlashes, Reuters reports that a bomb has killed two Latvian soldiers and left three more wounded. In other violence today . . .
Bombings?
The BBC reports a car bombing in east Baghdad that has claimed 8 lives and left 10 more wounded. The Press Association reports that seven British troops were wounded by a roadside bomb in Basra. Reuters notes a roadside bomb in Baghdad that left five people wounded and a roadisde bomb in Suwayra that killed three Iraqi soldiers.
Shootings?
Reuters notes an attack on "a bus carrying employees of the Ministry of Higher Education" that left two wounded.
In peace news, Dana Hull (San Jose Mercury News) reports that Nadia McCaffrey, mother of Patrick Ryan McCaffrey who was killed in Iraq by Iraqi security forces he was training, is planning to build a retreat for returning troops -- Nadia McCaffrey: "Patrick isn't dead. His spirit is very much alive, in me and all around us. The rest of my life is going to be dedicated to peace and justice, and to helping the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.''
Finally, Dahr Jamail and Ali Al-Fadhily (IPS) report that the support for puppet of the occupation Nouri al-Maliki continues to nose dive among Iraqis (some polls noting 90% of Iraqis are displeased with al-Maliki's 'governing') and notes that Tariq al-Hashimi ("leader of the Islamic Party") feels that many have been shut out in al-Maliki's so-called unity coalition while Dr. Salih al-Mutlaq tells the reporters, "This government will definitely lead the country into a disaster."
iraq
the washington post
nancy trejos
dahr jamail
ali al-fadhily
Correction to Barbara Ehrenreich on Democracy Now! today
Re: Gala speech by Barbara Ehrenreich broadcast at the end of Democracy Now! today:
And then, you know here's a real stab. We get Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda coming along and starting a radio station for women which won't have arguments on it, won't have debate on it. Because they . . . are saying as they start this new station that women don't like to argue and debate. We're too sweet, too nice. Gloria and Jane, have you heard of Katha Pollitt!
[Silence from the audience -- it wasn't a laugh getter.]
Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem did not state that women do not like debate. GreenStone Media was created to serve a segment of the population that has stopped listening to radio because they feel that there is too much yelling.
They've not started "a radio station" and there HAS BEEN DEBATE on the progams as anyone who had ever bothered to listen to it would know. (Start with The Radio Ritas.) It's a real shame Ehrenreich felt she knew enough to speak on the topic when she didn't and it's a greater shame that Amy Goodman & co. felt veracity didn't matter when choosing the segment of Ehrenreich's speech to broadcast.
Why Ehrenreich stated what she did is beyond me but she was inaccurate. Why that section was broadcast by Goodman and company WHEN IT IS INACCURATE is also beyond me.
If you're looking for "real stabs" possibly Ehrenreich's uninformed comments and Goodman's decision to broadcast them were the real stabs.
Re: Ford.
Micah's already written to share that one guest "needed to organize his thoughts and stop rambling. [Victor] Navasky had one point to make so why couldn't he make it quickly and precisely. Most imporantly, why was there no discussion of the Warren Commission?"
Zach, Rachel and Jonah have also e-mailed asking how you do a look back at Gerald Ford without ever mentioning the Warren Commission?
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
greenstone media
democracy now
barbara ehrenreich
the radio ritas
And then, you know here's a real stab. We get Gloria Steinem and Jane Fonda coming along and starting a radio station for women which won't have arguments on it, won't have debate on it. Because they . . . are saying as they start this new station that women don't like to argue and debate. We're too sweet, too nice. Gloria and Jane, have you heard of Katha Pollitt!
[Silence from the audience -- it wasn't a laugh getter.]
Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem did not state that women do not like debate. GreenStone Media was created to serve a segment of the population that has stopped listening to radio because they feel that there is too much yelling.
They've not started "a radio station" and there HAS BEEN DEBATE on the progams as anyone who had ever bothered to listen to it would know. (Start with The Radio Ritas.) It's a real shame Ehrenreich felt she knew enough to speak on the topic when she didn't and it's a greater shame that Amy Goodman & co. felt veracity didn't matter when choosing the segment of Ehrenreich's speech to broadcast.
Why Ehrenreich stated what she did is beyond me but she was inaccurate. Why that section was broadcast by Goodman and company WHEN IT IS INACCURATE is also beyond me.
If you're looking for "real stabs" possibly Ehrenreich's uninformed comments and Goodman's decision to broadcast them were the real stabs.
Re: Ford.
Micah's already written to share that one guest "needed to organize his thoughts and stop rambling. [Victor] Navasky had one point to make so why couldn't he make it quickly and precisely. Most imporantly, why was there no discussion of the Warren Commission?"
Zach, Rachel and Jonah have also e-mailed asking how you do a look back at Gerald Ford without ever mentioning the Warren Commission?
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
greenstone media
democracy now
barbara ehrenreich
the radio ritas
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