Freddie Starr ate my hamster!
Euro-hamsters on burrowed time!
YOUR LIVE IN IRAQ? GOODING FOUR EARTH DESERT...CERY THANKS...
http://aazun.blogspot.com/
The US occupation has set off a tsunami of human misery..... and most Americans are oblivious.
Maybe if you keep repeating that your family is trying desperately to LEAVE Iraq some folks will stop believing the nonsense that the surge is "working".
Female bomber strikes Baghdad
A female suicide bomber has killed at least two people and injured 10 others in Karrada district of central Baghdad, security officials say.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/
...7365C7D3A03.htm
Okay, I read the article Zeyad.
You know, I read articles like that and I always ask myself, what do the authors expect? I mean, really? Apparently because Iraq is not perfectly healed and resuming normal functions he assumes the surge is not working. Iraq has went through a horrific amount of bloodletting over the past 5 years and yet authors like that expect everyone to forgive and forget overnight. Good God, our Civil War is still a sensitive topic in some areas of the country.
And what does he expect us to do with all of those people (predominantly Sunni) that tried to use Al-Qaida to get the US to withdraw? Line them up and shoot them? Yes, yes, I know, that is what Saddam would have done. And everyone knows what a neat, orderly country he ran.
No, it's not pleasant having to work with people who have been shooting at you, but if we can do it, why can't Iraqis?
Yes, there is a great deal of work that needs to be done in Iraq. And I don't just mean infrastructure. Getting attitudes to change isn't going to be easy or quick. But trying to get people to work together promotes more chance of healing then does reimposing a dictatorship and further cementing the hatred.
Soooo, Zeyad, what's up with you? You haven't filled us in on what you have been doing lately. Even Anarki has left a note to let us know what he's doing.
Zeyad: It's difficult to imagine how anyone might argue that America's occupation and continuing murder of Iraqis could ever inspire anyone to want to stay.
In recent days America has been killing members of Iraq's 'awakening tribes'(aka survivalists) in greater numbers than Al Quaeda!
Air raids lack discrimination and are typically unintelligent when it comes to differentiating between who's houses are blown up or who is ultimately killed!
Recently the Americans sent a helicopter barrage into the village of Jurf al-Sakher, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south of Baghdad, and, once again, randomly killed people on the ground!
Tribal leader Sabah al-Janabi says he's lost over 19 men after declaring his support for America's military perogative!
Needless to say, Janbi has withdrawn his support for the occupier considering the numbers of his tribe that continue to be slaughtered by Americans!
Consider this comment from a tribal member, Mohammed al-Rariri:
"We have been badly affected and are very angry at this aggression," said Rariri. "Whether it was an error or intentional, it proves that the coalition is not worried about the stability of our area."
al-Janabi went on to accuse the US military of deliberately sowing disorder so that they can stay in Iraq "for as long as possible."
"They ensure that chaos and terrorism continues by all possible means," he charged. "But we remain vigilant against those who want to kill our children and our families."
Clearly the vigilance is as much focused on the liberator as it is on the terrorists! Perhaps they're one and the same!
The following links are to a couple of pieces you may find interesting, Zeyad.
The first is on the Sons of Iraq movement.
The second is on the progress in Iraqi politics. It is actually the third in a series of articles. There are links to the first and second parts in the first paragraph.
Disputes over vacant homes in Iraq often turn violent
About 70% of occupied homes in Adil now have squatters, renters or guards as residents, but the lack of reliable documentation makes it almost impossible to draw lines among those groups, said U.S. Army Capt. Mark Battjes.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nati...ack=2&
cset=true
Public Health Crisis in Iraq: 13 years of sanctions and bombings, an illegal invasion and 5 years of death and destruction
An Open Letter to the Minister of State for International Development : Regarding Public Health in Iraq.
http://globalresearch.ca/index.p...ext=va&
aid=8099
'Dodgy dossier' was 'wrong', its author says
The government official who wrote the first draft of the "dodgy dossier" that helped propel Britain into war in Iraq today admits, "We were wrong."
John Williams, a former Foreign Office aide, said last night that publication of his document would expose how members of Tony Blair's team were locked in a mindset that made military action inevitable.
On Wednesday, ministers will hit a deadline for publishing the 2002 document, after years of resistance.
http://www.independent.co.uk/new...ays-
783374.html
Lynnette in Minnesota | 02.17.08 - 2:38 pm > ... it's not pleasant having to work with people who have been shooting at you, but if we can do it ...
Please Lynnette, tell us everything about all the people who have been shooting at you. I frankly didn't know Minnesota was that bad...
A must watch.... An interview with British director Nick Broomfield about the film "The Battle for Haditha". At the end of part 2 he says:-
"Who is to be blamed for this war? Who are the architects of this war? It is the Blairs, Bushes, Rumsfelds and Cheneys"
He is so right.... They should be tried for war crimes.
On November 19, 2005, US marines killed 24 people, many of them women and children, in Haditha. Nick Broomfield's 'Battle for Haditha' portrays the Haditha killings. The film is due to be released in 2008. DVD release 17th March 2008.
Inside Iraq - Battle for Haditha - Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7...h?v=7P9oEK-
47D0
Inside Iraq - Battle for Haditha - Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R...h?
v=RoJJGcm5SEY
Trailer of the film available at...
http://www.nickbroomfield.com/ha...om/
haditha.html
Lynnette, you seem to be telling Iraqis to suck it up and stop bitching, because the surge is working. It's only working in the narrow sense that the violence has gone down, but the suffering of Iraqis continue. It's shaky at best- the Mehdi cease-fire could end, and the Sunni guerrillas could just be biding their time until the U.S. leaves (they've said so openly). The sectarian divide is as strong as ever and the government's reconciliation is going forward at a snail's pace.
How do you think Iraqis like Bassim feel when they hear John McCain say "we're winning", when his home has been confiscated, he's broke from trying to escape, and he can only work in Sunni areas? There are millions like him, and the we are barely allowing a fraction of them to find asylum in the U.S.
I want the surge to work - but I don't want to proclaim victory when there's still so much misery.
Oh yes, let's all shed a tear for the poor, pathetic Fuzzy Wuzzys.
Of course the worthless piece of subhuman debris "Bassim" wants to go to Sweden. No doubt he would squat in Malmo, where he would terrorize and attack the infidels while living like a king on the jizya extracted from the dhimmis.
He could amuse himself by raping and beating any infidel women that he caught on the street, and could attend a few of the semipublic honor killings in which young women are pitched off the balconies of the free Muslim housing blocks.
These people are murderous savages!
Kill them!
Kill them all!
An extensive analysis of the race for Iraqs oil:
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Mid...t/
JB16Ak05.html
Remember that oil is NOT in any way a factor that was ever considered before the invasion. Remember also that any remaining coalition forces (as stipulated by a probable bipartisan agreement between Iraqs current government and a leading coalition member) will not at all be in any way ralated to the sea of oil Iraq floats on. It will be for humanitarian reasons only. Remember that before you read the article so that you can see all the evil propaganda and detect all the lies.
Lynnette:
"You know, I read articles like that and I always ask myself, what do the authors expect? I mean, really?"
Do you ever watch FOX and ask yourself the same question? Or do you just open your mind and mentally take a big gulp?
"Apparently because Iraq is not perfectly healed and resuming normal functions he assumes the surge is not working."
Apparently because Iraq is just a hellhole these days and not a F*CKING hellhole like a year ago we are wrong to question the surge (or the invasion) by pointing out "flaws" in Iraq.
"No, it's not pleasant having to work with people who have been shooting at you, but if we can do it, why can't Iraqis?"
But they are. They are working with YOU. You are the people who were shooting at them, yet they are working with you. Have you not understood this yet? Do you think THEY find it pleasant?
@Marcus: An extensive analysis of the race for Iraqs oil...
I didn't see much "analysis" -- just bald statements like this:
"Big Oil deals in Iraq form the core of Bush's strategy of creating a legacy for the US in the Middle East that may run for decades. Big Oil needs the assurance of a near-permanent US military presence in Iraq. And Bush is determined to provide that assurance. He is convinced that no serious American politician would defy the wishes of Big Oil. By logic, therefore, Bush is creating a historical legacy of an Iraq that will remain under American control for decades to come. ... What becomes evident is that the Bush administration neither intends to cut and run from Iraq nor is it in search of an exit strategy. On the contrary, it is ensuring that Iraq remains under American control for as long as it takes for the US to evacuate the oil and gas out of that country. Bush sees this as his historical legacy."
To me, "analysis" would be more than just unsupported accusations mixed in with a bunch of other factually inaccurate statements. In fact, it is self-contradictory, saying on the one hand that the US is "evacuating Iraqi oil" and on the other that the US supports the EU, Israel, Turkey and India in evacuating it.
Do you just swallow this stuff whole?
Nope. Not whole. I thought some statements were a bit "bold" as you say.
But overall it paints a pretty clear picture of the importance of Iraqs oil, which is significantly greater than any non-existing canisters of gas or germs and also significantly greater than any real pre-2003 US feelings of imminent need to rescue Iraqis from dictatorship.
I, for one, agree with Alan Greenspan.
Correction: I agree with Alan Greenspan on his opinion that was quoted in the article in question.
But overall it paints a pretty clear picture of the importance of Iraqs oil
It's undoubtedly important... I just think that article paints a wildly (and stupidly) exaggerated picture. Plus, if we're conspiracy-mongering, how come Bush and Big Oil haven't seen the writing on the wall regarding a CERA report from two years ago, the one that says we'll need 112Mb/d of global production by 2015. To get to that level, as well as offsetting the couple of percent average annual decline in output from mature oil fields, we'll need 40Mb/d of new production. That's 16 Iraqs, or 4 new Saudi Arabias. Looked at that way, Iraq is important, yes ... but not the planet's (or even America's) saviour.
If the CERA estimate is correct I would say that we'll soon be in a situation where demand is higher than any possible output no matter what, because those output levels are not feasible in that short time span. 40Mb/d of new production in 7 years is IMO completely impossible.
In such a senario it follows that the oil in Iraq is even more important than if less dramatic estimates are believed.
Why would that discredit the thesis that the war against Iraq was primarily a war to access oil?
"Why would that discredit the thesis that the war against Iraq was primarily a war to access oil?"
As opposed to the previous theory that the war against Iraq was primarily a war to steal oil, you mean?
RobinH,
I frankly didn't know Minnesota was that bad...
Oh, we're not perfect by any means, but we've got a ways to go before we start drilling holes in people and chopping off heads as a matter of policy.
jarn,
Lynnette, you seem to be telling Iraqis to suck it up and stop bitching, because the surge is working.
No, I'm telling Iraqis to suck it up and look at how they can use constructive criticism to help improve matters rather than only looking at one side of events.
...the suffering of Iraqis continue. It's shaky at best- the Mehdi cease-fire could end, and the Sunni guerrillas could just be biding their time until the U.S. leaves...
All very true. Nothing is sure in life except death and taxes (to steal a quote.) And the Mahdi Army could continue to be Iran's ace up their sleeve, to be pulled out and used whenever they feel the most threatened by the United States.
I want the surge to work - but I don't want to proclaim victory when there's still so much misery.
So do I, and nowhere in my comment did I proclaim victory. I said the surge was working. And it is. But it alone will not achieve victory in Iraq, if the definition of victory is a stable and free Iraq. I have said that in the past. Iraqis must learn to work together and come to some kind of accommodation with each other to achieve that. And, yes, they are doing that very slowly.
How do you think Iraqis like Bassim feel when they hear John McCain say "we're winning",...
Nothing will ever replace what some people in Iraq have lost. Even if it became a paradise on earth tomorrow. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to improve the conditions that are on the ground right now. Nor does it mean we should not try to encourage people with some kind of positive reinforcement to continue that effort. I think our military is well aware of the tough road ahead. I doubt very much if someone like Obama is. Sorry, since you mentioned McCain, I had to mention Obama. 
Marcus,
Do you ever watch FOX and ask yourself the same question?
I seldom watch FOX.
...we are wrong to question the surge (or the invasion) by pointing out "flaws" in Iraq.
No, I have no problem with constructive criticism. It is when it becomes biased and one sided that I have difficulty. Or put another way, when it only looks at a narrow focus of events to slant the coverage. You may not like FOX for those very reasons, but then you should feel the same way about places like antiwar.com, no? If that is also truly your concern.
They are working with YOU. Do you think THEY find it pleasant?
Yes, I do understand this, Marcus. And there are probably some who don't find it pleasant. But they suck it up and do it anyway. Now if they would do it with each other, they might be really accomplishing something. Like the speedier withdrawal of US forces, like they profess to want.
I think you will find it very hard, Brdiget, to quote me ever having said that the US is "stealing" or is planning to "steal" Iraqi oil.
But to answer your question:
"As opposed to the previous theory that the war against Iraq was primarily a war to steal oil, you mean?"
No, as opposed to the theory that the war about sniffing out remaining old WMD:s or to help Iraqis, out of sheer benevolence, to obtain freedom.
You know, the reasons you bought hook, line and sinker and still buy.
"No, I'm telling Iraqis to suck it up and look at how they can use constructive criticism to help improve matters rather than only looking at one side of events." Jesus, Lynnette. If you don't mind a little constructive criticism, that comment makes you look smug and indifferent to Iraqi suffering. Millions of refugees in Iraq have lost everything and are running for their lives, and you tell them to look on the bright side?
The article Zeyad linked to didn't claim the surge wasn't working at all ("The number of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians being killed went down to 39 US soldiers and 599 Iraqi civilians in January"), it just said that things still suck in Iraq while many in the U.S. say we're winning ("The White House is promoting the idea that the United States is finally on the road to success, if not victory, in Iraq"). If you want to get technical, the surge has not achieved it's primary goal of allowing the government to reconcile all factions. It's a work in progress, and only the first step (lowering the violence) has succeeded. That's great, but it's a little early to break out the champaign.
jarn,
"No, I'm telling Iraqis to suck it up and look at how they can use constructive criticism to help improve matters rather than only looking at one side of events." Lynnette
Jesus, Lynnette. If you don't mind a little constructive criticism, that comment makes you look smug and indifferent to Iraqi suffering.
Then I'm sorry that I came across that way. Because I am not indifferent at all. I'm not quite sure how wanting Iraqis to look at how they could improve things gives that impression, but I will take your word for it.
The article Zeyad linked to didn't claim the surge wasn't working at all ("The number of American soldiers and Iraqi civilians being killed went down to 39 US soldiers and 599 Iraqi civilians in January"),
Yes, you're right. There was that sentence tucked in there.
If you want to get technical, the surge has not achieved it's primary goal of allowing the government to reconcile all factions.
The surge has given the Iraqis a chance to reconcile, jarn. If they choose not to do so, there is little we can do.
"The White House is promoting the idea that the United States is finally on the road to success, if not victory, in Iraq".
Which is a little different then declaring we have achieved victory.
Lynnette, the title of Zeyad's post is "Despair", and given his family's struggle for asylum, it's understandable. Your immediate reaction was irritation at writers claiming the surge wasn't working, hence my response.
We should be pushing our government to allow more refugees to come here.
"No, as opposed to the theory that the war about sniffing out remaining old WMD:s or to help Iraqis, out of sheer benevolence, to obtain freedom.
You know, the reasons you bought hook, line and sinker and still buy."
I never thought the war was about sheer benevolence. It was, in part, about democracy though. I still think a real, functioning democracy in the heart of the Arab Middle East would be an incredible achievement, one that would benefit the region and the world and yes, the US, for decades to come.
I know you never said the war was about stealing the oil, but plenty of folks did, and still do, despite the fact that it plainly isn't true. It also plainly isn't true that the war was about access to Iraq's oil either, because access to oil wasn't a problem, isn't a problem, and won't be a problem. As Bruno said, the oil producing states need to sell as badly as we and the rest of the world need to buy. But if you want to believe that we went to war because we thought that someday Iraqi oil wouldn't get to market, be my guest.
@Marcus, 02.18.08 - 8:58 am: 40Mb/d of new production in 7 years is IMO completely impossible.
I agree.
In such a senario it follows that the oil in Iraq is even more important than if less dramatic estimates are believed. Why would that discredit the thesis that the war against Iraq was primarily a war to access oil?
Well, first let's deal with that euphemistic phrase, "to access oil". Just like your linked article's handwaving references to the "evacuation of Iraqi oil", it's a terribly nebulous way of saying "stealing Iraqi oil out of the ground and carting it back home to the US of A" ... that IS what you mean, isn't it? If not, then what? That Saddam was seen as a regional threat, one who could do general harm to Middle East oil supplies? If that's what you mean, then we somewhat agree... and so, by the way, does Alan Greenspan. But then it would be a stretch to say that war against Iraq was PRIMARILY about access to oil because it would be PRIMARILY about removing a threat to regional stability.
So, I'm going to take your most literal meaning and assume you mean fairly straightforward theft. Then the problems with your thesis include:
1) Such theft wasn't especially necessary in 2002, when planning for the Iraq war was at an advanced stage. Oil had fallen to $20/bbl post-9/11, and spare production capacity was high. In fact, within six months of going to war global spare capacity had fallen from 6Md/d to 2Mb/d, so if "access" to oil was the aim of the war it was an immediate failure.
2) US oil imports from Iraq were at 2 Mb/d in 2001. They were at 0.5 Mb/d in 2006. What went so horribly wrong in the grand plan? (Oh, yes I remember: the USA, while unremittingly cruel and scheming, is also profoundly stupid. Therefore, they didn't realise that their criminal invasion would disrupt oil supplies. Oh, hang on -- they did! Well, I guess that five years and however many hundreds of billions of dollars later, the US must still hold out hopes of "accessing" Iraqi oil).
3) It hasn't happened. The theft, I mean. Just when exactly is it going to start?
4) By increasing average car efficiency to the same as that in the EU, the USA could save approximately ten times the amount of oil it imported from Iraq in 2006. (Yeah, yeah, tell me how Americans prefer killing Iraqis to swapping the Hummer for a Corolla).
PeteS
"So, I'm going to take your most literal meaning and assume you mean fairly straightforward theft."
No, I have never said it would be any straightforward theft.
But I also do not agree with you claiming that Greenspan only made the references to oil in the context of the US preventing Saddam from disrupting the oil flow from other countries than Iraq. That's NOT what he said. And Saddam would have had very, very little chance of doing so, even if he wished to try this suicidal enterprise and you damn well know it. Iran could concievably have done / do it for at least a short period but not Saddam. No way. That was never a threat.
He didn't have any WMD:s either. We all know that now.
Sure, there were many who believed he had some stuff left but where did these reports originate? And how discredited have those reports been from then on? I think we can all agree that was mainly propaganda, no?
Democracy then? Why in Iraq? Why not in North Korea where there were proven WMD:s and where the people are suffering more with starvation and authoritarian rule than they were in Iraq? Why not save the Zimbaweans? Why SUPPORT the authoritarian state in Saudi Arabia where women aren't even allowed to drive a car (which they certainly could under Saddam)? Do you really believe it was about democracy?
Terrorism? Al Qaida were pissed off plenty in 91 when the Saudi authorities reneged their offer to wage jihad against the Iraqi occupiers of Kuwait and let the Americans lead the attack instead. They had no love for Saddam and he had no love for them. They were never in bed. His Mukhabarat thugs would have disposed of any AQ wannabes simple because he would not have allowed any other source of power than his own in Iraq. (I know he was a f*cking bastard, you don't need to point that out)
So:
WMD:s - there were none
Democracy - yeah right...
Terrorism - non existent
Oil - 120 bbl
You do the math.
PeteS
As for you 4 points, here's my take on them:
1. Please. You just pointed out yourself that there are numerous estimates pointing to a rapid increase in demand and a stagnation or recession in output from developed sources. A strategic enterprise, such as securing acccess to Iraqi oil, is not a spur of the moment thing based on the oil price of the day.
2. Again, a long term perspective is needed. There's a LOT of oil in Iraq so let's not focus on the exports of a single year. Plus I doubt that the initiators of the invasion thought from the get go that the resistance would be so fierce. At least they didn't say they thought so, right? (Oooh we'll be showered in flowers where ever we go as soon as the eeeeevil Saddam is gone....)
3. Again - I never said it would be an outright theft. I see the "aquiring" as ongoing in the attempt to push the, now infamous, oil law draft into ratification by Iraqi legislators. (Hey! Why not let them hold a referendum on the most important economic aspect in their country? We're talking about a democracy after all. Let them decide what's best for them!)
4. I don't think the average American sees it that way at all. But if they turned in the direction of increased fuel effeciency it would ceartainly be for the benefit of themselves and all others, for several reasons.
PeteS
"Therefore, they didn't realise that their criminal invasion would disrupt oil supplies."
At least you have reached the conclusion that the invasion was "criminal". That's a start!
Bridget:
"I never thought the war was about sheer benevolence. It was, in part, about democracy though."
If it was in part about democracy what was the other reasons do you believe? (Could we get an o.i.l here? Naaaah, let's not hold our breath)
"I still think a real, functioning democracy in the heart of the Arab Middle East would be an incredible achievement, one that would benefit the region and the world and yes, the US, for decades to come."
I agree. It would be very good.
The most promising examples I have seen so far are the smaller Gulf states where this is somewhat approaching through stability and trade/interaction with the western world.
I guess Iraq could be seen as an example of wether it's done faster and easier with bombs.
What's your conclusion so far?
jarn,
Lynnette, the title of Zeyad's ost is "Despair", and given his family's struggle for asylum, it's understandable.
Yes, I understand why that would be Zeyad's focus when looking at the article. But it was not all the article was about. And since Zeyad linked to the article in it's entirety I assumed he would accept comments on the whole piece.
Your immediate reaction was irritation at writers claiming the surge wasn't working, hence my response.
Maybe because I see so many of these types of articles and it just irritated me enough to comment.
We should be pushing our government to allow more refugees to come here.
I agree.
Rocket, mortar attacks kill 4 in Baghdad
BAGHDAD — A string of mortar rounds and rockets slammed into several areas in Baghdad today, including the U.S.-protected Green Zone and an airport housing complex, killing at least four people and wounding nearly 20, officials said.
Six mortar rounds struck a workers' housing complex near Baghdad's international airport, killing two people and wounding 10, a witness who lives at the compound said. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story....ld/
5549845.html
Lynnette
"I seldom watch FOX."
OK, if you say so.
I might have been mistaken because of your several mentionings of their slogan "fair and balanced" (which is utterly laughable coming from FOX) in your commenting.
"No, I have no problem with constructive criticism. It is when it becomes biased and one sided that I have difficulty."
What is biased in Zeyads article? It depicts the fate of one man and his struggles sincce the invasion. Is his life story biased?
"Or put another way, when it only looks at a narrow focus of events to slant the coverage."
It's not only "narrrow focus of events" Lynnette. It's a human being in despair. And we know there are quite a few of them. Do you mean their stories should not be told at all?
"You may not like FOX for those very reasons, but then you should feel the same way about places like antiwar.com, no?"
I have never typed "antiwar.com" into my browser although I have followed some links from here. I try to read the material with an open mind. In this case I know the Independent (and not Antiwar, why did you bring that up?) is a publication which doesn't agree with the invasion. But does that make the fate of the man in despair irrelevant? To you maybe...
"But they suck it up and do it anyway. [awakened ones working with US troops] Now if they would do it with each other, they might be really accomplishing something. Like the speedier withdrawal of US forces, like they profess to want."
I think you got it backwards. They are working with you, the US, for the moment precisely because they were squeezed by other Iraqi factions. You are not encouraging them to settle their disputes, you are embolding them to continue.
Iraqi soldier detects, shoots bomber, but she detonates deadly blast.
The 42-year-old electronics store owner peered outside and saw an Iraqi soldier draw a pistol on a young woman wearing a black robe. The woman raised her arms. "I have nothing on me," she pleaded.
But she did: Ali saw wires protruding from her clothing. The soldier, hands shaking, fired two bullets at the woman as she began to run toward the shops. Then another shop owner shot the woman again with a Kalashnikov assault rifle that he said he keeps in his store for protection.
The young woman fell hard, Ali said, but "managed to press the detonation button with her last breath."
Yesterday's explosion, near the National Theater, killed three people and wounded eight, according to Iraqi police. The death toll would have been higher if the Iraqi soldier had not screamed a warning, said Hamid Khalil, who has a tea shop on the same street.
Hours later, a parked minibus exploded in a Shiite neighborhood of eastern Baghdad, killing two people and wounding two others.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/con...AG.html?
sid=101
Foreign firms seek Iraq oil deals.
More than 70 international firms have registered to compete for tenders to help develop Iraq's oil reserves, the world's third largest, the country's oil ministry says.
Established oil firms such as Royal Dutch Shell and Total have been strategising for years to gain access to these natural resources.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/...BEF4890062FB%
7d
"Could we get an o.i.l here?"
Yes. Saddam invaded Iran. Then he invaded Kuwait. A lot of people, including me, thought he had designs on Saudi Arabia. The threat he posed to the stability of the world supply of oil had been contained through most of the 90s by the now infamous sanctions, and by US military power. (you're welcome ) He was, however, getting close to slipping the noose, having persuaded Russia and much of Europe to ease up.
So, yes, the war was partly about o.i.l. in the sense that PeteS and Greenspan referred to.
"I guess Iraq could be seen as an example of wether it's done faster and easier with bombs. "
Do you think Uday was the next Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum?
"Established oil firms such as Royal Dutch Shell and Total have been strategising for years to gain access to these natural resources."
Dutch and French oil firms, may I add. 
"You are not encouraging them to settle their disputes, you are embolding them to continue."
Or saving them from extinction.
From Michael Rivero's blog http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/
What A Nice Way Of Saying "Genocide".
13129 malformed children have been born in Iraq in the last five years. Their deformities have been caused by American Depleted Uranium munitions used in the American led 1991 "Desert Storm" war with Irak launched after Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. The war saw heavy use of depleted uranium rounds by American and British forces and was followed by a punitive sanctions regime enforced by the United Nations primarily at America’s behest. The sanctions included preventing Irak from importing drugs for the treatment of cancers and birth defects.
Warning: horrifically graphic pictures.
But please don't let them stop you from reading about your tax dollars at work, folks.
This is what we have done in Viet Nam, and in Iraq, funded by every person who pays their taxes..
Please just imagine for one second that one of these kids was your kid.
People around the world do not "hate us because we are free"; they hate us for our military having created the situations, through chemical exposure,which leads to the birth of severely malformed infants.
And by the way; the deformities hitting kids in Iraq are also hitting the kids of US vets who have been exposed to depleted uranium.
This should be on our nightly news, because this is the result of the US's military campaigns, past and present.
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m41259&...&hd=&size=1&
l=e
Latest post at Zeyad's brother-in-law's blog. Disturbing happenings at the Dentistry College.
Dentistry College Ordeal
http://last-of-iraqis.blogspot.c...ege-
ordeal.html
@Marcus 4:25 pm: I also do not agree with you claiming that Greenspan only made the references to oil in the context of the US preventing Saddam from disrupting the oil flow from other countries than Iraq. That's NOT what he said.
Well, The Times appear to agree with me, and not you -- it reported that "Greenspan, 81, is understood to believe that Saddam Hussein posed a threat to the security of oil supplies in the Middle East". Ironically, a comment piece in the same edition seems to disagree with even the less pointed interpretation of Greenspan's remarks.
@Marcus, 4:41pm:
[Me]: 1) Such theft wasn't especially necessary in 2002, when planning for the Iraq war...
[Marcus]: 1. Please. You just pointed out yourself that there are numerous estimates pointing to a rapid increase in demand and a stagnation or recession in output...
Yes, although that would have required a great deal more foresight than the US government has tended to show about the future of oil. If I remember right, the DOE would have been forecasting oil supply nirvana out to 2040 back in 2002.
[Me]: 2) US oil imports from Iraq were at 2 Mb/d in 2001. They were at 0.5 Mb/d in 2006. What went so horribly wrong in the grand plan?
[Marcus]: 2. Again, a long term perspective is needed. There's a LOT of oil in Iraq so let's not focus on the exports of a single year. Plus I doubt that the initiators of the invasion thought from the get go that the resistance would be so fierce.
Ah yes, that theory of the scheming (but, at bottom, thoroughly stupid) USA again. You had the peak oilers throwing their toys out of the pram because nobody was listening to them, meanwhile the US administration not only had its finger on the pulse of future oil supplies (contrary to the published forecasts of its own DOE and the USGS) but it fooled the peak oilers and the anti-war crowd about the state of its knowledge. (And yet it thought it would be "showered with flowers" in Iraq according to you -- crafty, super-visionary retard that it is).
[Me]: 3) It hasn't happened. The theft, I mean. Just when exactly is it going to start?
[Marcus]: 3. Again - I never said it would be an outright theft. I see the "aquiring" as ongoing in the attempt to push the, now infamous, oil law ...
Mmmkayyy. So we have to wait a while to see if suddenly cartloads of Iraqi oil is being ferried back to the USA after the oil law is passed. And if it that doesn't happen, you'll admit it wasn't all about oil? Or will you still maintain it was, but the stupid Americanos' smash and grab efforts were foiled?
[Me]: 4) By increasing average car efficiency to the same as that in the EU, the USA could save approximately ten times the amount of oil it imported from Iraq in 2006...
[Marcus]: 4. I don't think the average American sees it that way at all...
Ok, that last one was a bit of a stretch on my part. Americans do seem to be very shortsighted when it comes to conservation. I suspect it is just that they have become accustomed to super-cheap petrol. It's puzzling as a European to see Americans complaining bitterly about $3 petrol. My fill-up today (in a quite fuel efficient car) cost the equivalent of over 100 USD. I get the impression that a US president suggesting that level of taxation would be lynched.
@Marcus, 4:47 pm: At least you have reached the conclusion that the invasion was "criminal". That's a start!
If that's how you want to interpret my sarcasm...
@"PcometeS", 7:10 pm:
But what do *I* know... I can't even spell my name anymore
"Iraqi soldier detects, shoots bomber, but she detonates deadly blast."
God bless that brave Iraqi soldier.
_
Hey Bruno, lemme save you some time today.
Progress in Iraq reshapes debate over war
WASHINGTON — When President Bush proposed increasing U.S. troop levels to quell rising violence in Iraq more than a year ago, several Republicans in Congress were skeptical. Democrats almost uniformly predicted failure.
[...]
Last week, asked whether she was wrong to oppose the surge, Pelosi replied: "God knows, anytime our military men and women go into a military exercise, we want them to succeed, and they did. The politics did not follow. So they can paint whatever picture they want on it; the goal has not been accomplished...
Oh. "Violence is down, but there's been no political progress so it's a failure".
Political surge in Iraq
It has taken nine bloody and difficult months, but the deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops appears at last to have brought not just a lull in the sectarian fighting in Iraq, but the first tangible steps toward genuine political reconciliation.
Last week, the parliament passed a crucial package of legislation that reflects real compromise among the many factions on three of the thorniest issues that have bedeviled Iraq...
and
Measurable improvements in Iraq
In fits and starts, political progress in Iraq is not only possible, but in small steps it is happening. That's the simplest lesson of the Iraqi Parliament's three notable moves on Wednesday. The parliament set Oct. 1 provincial elections, passed a $48 billion budget and also passed a limited amnesty for thousands of prisoners, including former insurgents — potentially significant steps toward reconciliation. Even New York Times editorial headlines are acknowledging the unexpected: "Making (Some) Progress in Iraq." This does not at all fit the unrelenting "Iraq is a failure" narrative favored by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Out of Iraq caucus.
_
News:
Turkey Plans To Invade Northern Iraq : The Turkish military said it is setting the ground work for a large-scale ground invasion into northern Iraq targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party.
http://www.postchronicle.com/
new...212131225.shtml
"Two US soldiers were killed Sunday by small-arms fire northeast of Baghdad, the military said. Another soldier was wounded in the attack in the volatile Diyala province, according to a brief statement that provided no more details"
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Sat...icle%
2FShowFull
"The Iraq war has strained the US military to the extent that America could not fight another large-scale war today, according to a new survey of military officers. Nine in 10 officers said the war had stretched the military “dangerously thin”.""
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eb734b...?
nclick_check=1
Paying insurgents not to fight:
http://www.antiwar.com/roberts/?
...articleid=12385
Britain's "dodgy dossier" published:
http://www.afterdowningstreet.or...g/?q=node/
31149
Iraqis in Sweden:
http://www.thelocal.se/10014/20080217/
Afghan news:
"A suicide car bomber killed 38 Afghans at a crowded market Monday, pushing the death toll from two days of militant bombings to about 140."
http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=49856
Bruno, how do you feel about that Afghanistan bombing?
_
Our differences with each other don't matter very much in the big picture. All 7 billion of us, muslim and non-muslim, should first work together to wipe out all the Takfiri. We can discuss our other differences later.
Eliminating the Takfiri is job 1. Bruno, do you agree that it is time for the African Union troops, South African Army, US military, Chinese military, ANA, IA, and all the other major militaries in the world to come together and smash AQ and all its allies?
What can be more important than eliminating the people who just slaughtered so many Afghan civilians? The Tafkiri threat is by far the largest security threat in the world today (for all the world’s 7 billion people since the Takfiri threat doesn’t discriminate.)
I think everyone here would agree that the vast majority of Afghans and Iraqis hate AQ more than anything else.
Bruno, are we on the same page regarding the global Takfiri menace? Ayad’a Mom, Marcus, everyone else?
Certainly anand.
I read a while back that they had spotted a takfiri on Iceland. I suggest we surround the island from all directions. If the British navy can move in from south east and the US navy from the west then perhaps the Russians could come in from the north. So that we make sure to cover all directions and the takfiri is trapped. Then we shell the island from every available gunboat and send in arial bombardment anything resembling human settlements from the carriers so that we make sure the dangerous takfiri is well killed. How 'bout that?
I mean, I know it's just a small step but surely we must all work together to save Iceland from the takfiri menace threatening us all. Does everyone agree? Anand, I know you agree but what about everyone else? RhusLancia, do you agree? PeteS, are you in agreement with me that the Icelandic takfiri plague must be eliminated? Bridget, are you on board?
Sweden can sell the Icelandic takfiri iron.
_
Marcus,
That was very funny. Ha Ha Ha.
More seriously though, do you agree that the Takfiri represent the greatest "security" threat in the world today (I think that many non-security threats are more important such as the human values around the world, global warming, communicable diseases, AIDs, fighting global poverty), and that the world needs to come together to fight it. The Takfiri terrorists have killed tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians through their suicide attacks against Iraqi population centers. It is, in my view, about time the world stop underestimating the substantial capabilities that global Tafkiri Jihadis possess.
Marcus, you always struck me as a reasonable and serious sort, so I think your answer might be yes. Therefore, this question is more directed at others.
Marcus ....
No use asking me, anand. I didn't know what a Takfiri was until I looked it up on Wikipedia. Apparently they're some kinda fanatical Islamic extremists bent on world domination, have I got that right? Also, their tactics involve 'blending in' to societies before launching their fiendish nihilistic attacks on them? The ultimate bogeymen!
Marcus has certainly got it right with his Icelandic example. The only possible response to this appalling threat is clearly to bomb to buggery anywhere that some of them are suspected of blending into.
May be a little collateral damage, of course, but it'll be worth it in the end.
Presumably anand's vision is that the USA, with its vast bombing experience, will lead the charge, and the rest of the world will follow.
Anand, do you mind if we sit this one out? We haven't got any bombs down here, because we don't really have an Air Force any more.
We will of course notify you immediately if we spot any swarthy bearded gentlemen with Kalashnikovs in their trousers approaching our shores. Feel free to bomb us then.
[rhus] "Bruno, how do you feel about that Afghanistan bombing?"
The same way I feel when a US airstrike flattens a village.
[anand] "Bruno, do you agree that it is time for the African Union troops, South African Army, US military, Chinese military, ANA, IA, and all the other major militaries in the world to come together and smash AQ and all its allies?"
Here we go again on Anand's flights of fancy.
( Do I dignify this with a reply? Is there a point? )
Anand, do you agree that the major militaries of the world should get together and fight the uber-evil Underpants Gnome threat? State immediately and unambiguously whether or not you support the underpants gnomes. Note: if you do you will be defeated.
[anand] "More seriously though, do you agree that the Takfiri represent the greatest "security" threat in the world today"
Seriously, I think that rogue superpowers with billion dollar "defense" budgets and a penchant for invading seemingly defenceless third world countries on the basis of lies and deceit are the "greatest security threat" in the world today.
The "takfiri threat" derives its support and its casus belli precisely from the actions of the said north American rogue superpower.
@ Marcus & johninnz -
Your reply to Anand was on target and appropriate. Thanks for lightening up my day.
@ Italian -
Did you finally get my email? Your usual server keeps bouncing stuff back to me.
Anand might want to consider and digest this study:
"The report finds that large-scale U.S. military intervention and occupation in the Muslim world is at best inadequate, at worst counter-productive, and, on the whole, infeasible.
[...]
The study finds that when infected by religious extremism, local insurgencies become more violent, resistant to settlement, difficult to defeat and likely to spread. The jihadist appeal to local insurgents is the message that their faith and homelands are under attack by the West and they should join the larger cause of defending Islam. This makes U.S. military intervention not only costly, but risky."
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/
...ld130015049.php
@ Marcus & John-in-NZ,
You truly showed this nauseating American snake, 'anand', for the imbecile he is !!!
@ Bruno, 02.19.08 - 7:21 am.
No, up to now I did not receive anything 
.
Bruno:
"The "takfiri threat" derives its support and its casus belli precisely from the actions of the said north American rogue superpower."
Canada? Is it Canada?
It is, isn't it?
Those bastards!
@ Bruno, 02.19.08 - 7:21 am.
"Hi Italian, seems like your server bounced my mail. I hope this one gets
through.
Bruno".
This is all that arrived, up to now.
@ Bruno, 02.19.08 - 7:21 am.
No, sorry, as an attachment, there was the one about the links !
Thank you!
Marcus, I say we blockade Iceland so the takfiri are trapped there and just wait it out until they freeze their asses off.
"The "takfiri threat" derives its support and its casus belli precisely from the actions of the said north American rogue superpower."
[marcus] Canada? Is it Canada? It is, isn't it? Those bastards!"
It isn't Canada then?
F*cking Mexicans! I KNEW it!
Marcus,
I might have been mistaken because of your several mentionings of their slogan "fair and balanced" (which is utterly laughable coming from FOX) in your commenting.
I hadn't realized that FOX had cornered the market on the phrase "fair and balanced". I would assume that most MSM like to think they are. *shrug*
What is biased in Zeyads article?< It depicts the fate of one man and his struggles sincce the invasion. Is his life story biased?
Technically speaking I would say that anyone's life story is biased, wouldn't you say? It is, after all, only one person's experience. That's not to say that there are not many other Iraqis who are in the same boat as the man in Zeyad's article.
Do you mean their stories should not be told at all?
Of course not, Marcus. But just like the article I read about children receiving wheelchairs for the first time, it depicts only one portion of the puzzle that is Iraq.
I try to read the material with an open mind.
So do I.
In this case I know the Independent (and not Antiwar, why did you bring that up?) is a publication which doesn't agree with the invasion.
Yes, even if I hadn't known that, I could tell. This was the title of the article:
Is the US really bringing stability to Baghdad?
Why use this title if the main focus of the article was only one man's story? I have no problem with an article depicting the refugee story. This is a very important issue. But this title implies an article that should cover more than just this facet of the story. And put simply there are more players involved in "bringing stability" to Baghdad than the US.
And I just picked antiwar.com because it was the first thing that came to me that seemed to be the opposite side of the coin to FOX.
But does that make the fate of the man in despair irrelevant? To you maybe...
No, not to me.
They are working with you, the US, for the moment precisely because they were squeezed by other Iraqi factions.
Actually, I think they were squeezed more by Al-Qaida. Not that the Mahdi Army was a pushover to deal with, mind. It's just that I think Al-Qaida was more like a Trojan horse. It's threat came from within.
You are not encouraging them to settle their disputes, you are embolding them to continue.
Why do you say that?
@Bridget: Marcus, I say we blockade Iceland so the takfiri are trapped there and just wait it out until they freeze their asses off.
You are forgetting Iceland's famous hot springs. The takfiris will be laughing at you from their baths.
I think we could leverage Iceland's famous genetic homogeneity -- by developing a biological weapon that targets anybody without Scandinavian nuclear DNA or Celtic mitochondrial DNA, since it is well known that Iceland was founded by Marcus's marauding forebears mating with unwilling Irish brides on their way past the Emerald Isle. I'm sure it is within our capabilities to develop something with no, er, "undesirable side-effects" in the native population.
Just kill anyone who doesn't drink.
What is an "unwilling Irish bride?"
Let us hope this ancient temple discovered near Amara will not be looted, like so many other relics from ancient Mesopotamia the "Cradle of civilization".
Babylonian temple discovered in Missan.
Amara, Feb 19, (VOI) - A temple dating back to the Babylonian age was discovered on Tuesday east of Amara, the director of the Missan museum said.
"A joint committee of the Missan museum department and the general authority for antiquities and heritage in Baghdad discovered a Babylon age temple dated back to around 300 B.C. in al-Tayyib region, 80 km east of Amara," Seham Jawad told Aswat al-Iraq
"The temple is oval shaped and surrounded by an oval wall with four gates and contains a number of rooms used by the ministers," she explained.
"A number of graves were found near the wall, one of them believed to belong to an important man," the official also said.
"They also found some pottery and a rare 75-cm statue made from white stone with some cuneiform writings," Jawad highlighted.
Amara, the capital of Missan, is 390 km south of Baghdad.
http://www.aswataliraq.info/look...=2&
NrSection=10
"You are forgetting Iceland's famous hot springs."
Oh yeah, how could I forget about Iceland's famous hot springs.
"Just kill anyone who doesn't drink."
That would work.
"What is an "unwilling Irish bride?"
Isolde?
"Just kill anyone who doesn't drink."
Yipe!!
Me: "Bruno, how do you feel about that Afghanistan bombing?"
Bruno: "The same way I feel when a US airstrike flattens a village."
So you're like, "Hooray! I need to post a link to that at Zeyad's!!"
_
Bride(of D.): "Oh yeah, how could I forget about Iceland's famous hot springs".
I'd guess your forgetfulness is consistent with your sudden realization that 'only Northern Ireland was part of the UK'. Why would anyone expect you to know that Iceland is a volcanic island given that you were unaware of the fact that Ireland ever became a Rebulic or that Scotland didn't.
I'd guess they probably have a few hundred hotter hot springs in Iceland than say, perhaps, even Texas does. Though I'd guess Texas has a few head of beef cattle with a more advanced world knowledge than whatever herd you'd lay claim to!
I was thinking some of your offspring must have migrated to help populate Lyingette's tribe in Minnesota.
Now she'd likely be able to show you a hot spring or two in St. Paul? Though that was probably back in her younger days when sex was as recreational as her war lust is now!
Oh yeah, how could I forget about Iceland's famous hot springs.
Hey, don't knock it! They've got the highest flow rate hot spring in Europe, and they harness them for electricity and heating. Those guys have HEATED PAVEMENTS in some streets! The most famous is probably this one
"Just kill anyone who doesn't drink."
Yep. That'll get 'em. Either takfiri or poor.
http://icelandtravel.wordpress.c...olic-beverages/
"Isolde?"
Hey, that's a neat search! Chapelizod (Irish: Séipéal Iosóid = Iseult/Isolde), near where I work, is supposed to be her burial place and yes, she's the original "unwilling Irish bride".
@johninnz: What's an "unwilling Irish bride"
It's what, in New Zealand, is replaced by "sheep".
Ahh, I see Canadian John posted too, with characteristic graciousness. Maybe you should try some sheep-lovin' too, Canadian John.
Are Shiite militia firing rockets at US military encampments in Baghdad? And if so, why are Iraqi policemen allowing themselves to be blown up in their efforts to diffuse the rocket launchers?
One of the many ironies of America's war against Iraq and their subsequent occupation is that the malaise they have created is so profound that their mere prescence has directly resulted in dozens of Iraqi deaths, either collaborator or resistance or civilian, on a daily basis.
IBC has a nice synopsis of the carnage America has caused. For all those stalwart individuals with iron clad stomachs that can manage to wade through the stench and cesspool of misinformation encompassing the sad statistical reality of America's criminal war, take a look.
Considering that once again February is on target to extinguish another forty of the 'Coalition of One's' troop, seemingly, there still remains the ongoing opportunity for a never served marine to finally get his chance to fufill a lifelong unrealized ambition of shooting at some of America's perceived enemies!
"It's what, in New Zealand, is replaced by "sheep"."
Ummm, John. I know your autism interferes with your ability to perceive when other people are having a bit of fun, so just to be sure it doesn't go entirely over your head, I'll spell it out for you...WE'RE HAVING A BIT OF FUN.
Fun is for losers.
Bride(of D), leaving my autism aside for the moment, I'm pretty sure we don't share any common allusions as to what you might, in your imaginings, construe as being 'fun'?
Although I'd agree that your impressions of what 'sun still sets' on the British Empire is, at the very least, 'funny'? I'm reasonably sure that Seamous would, at the very least, agree on that minor point!
And yet another country decides to withdraw from America's debacle in Iraq. Always alert to the fact that you should never make it appear that any of your country's military deaths were for naught, the defence chief said:
"Australia's 550 combat troops based in southern Iraq have helped to make the area more secure and should now be withdrawn"!
No mention of redeploying to areas that might be less secure? Why would they? After all, its America's war, their tragedy. Who would want to share in viewing the day to day slaughter of an innocent population under the guidance of American democratizers!
Don't fret Canadian John... the sun will never set while you keep waving yer Union Jack on those royal visits. Think of little ol' ex-Commonwealth Ireland as a puny patch of space mirror over the endless imperial daylight.
Seamous, by the way, thanks for your info on 'Portobello College Dublin'. Were you able to obtain any input on your co-workers attendance in their law program?
Personal testimonial is always the most valued information!
Yes, Canadian J., my colleague reported that the general feeling was that the place was "disorganised" (with the exception of the law faculty because of its relationship to the University of Wales, and audits by the QAA). The rest of the HETAC qualifications are less well regarded. (That's just what I heard -- I have no good way of forming an opinion myself).
(On the other hand, if the prospective student is planning to work in Ireland, they'd probably have to have no detectable pulse before it would be difficult to get a job... until our economic meltdown happens, at least).
Hmm, well it's all about the Law. I know its a lower tuition college for a 'foreign birth citizen of the republic' without the mandatory 2/3 years residency! But I was thinking Trinity was worth the extra cash strictly based on post graduate consideration?
Mind you it's not always about where you came from or who your parents were! I mean, look at Obama?
Trinity is a good college ok, me not being biased as an alumnus or anything. (Yeah, they do let Catholic riff-raff in these days)
Trinity sounds like just the place for you, John.
Graduation Ceremony of the first class of students of TCD course for people with intellectual disabilities – the only course of its kind in Ireland
Seamous:Well clearly, why would an alumnus of Trinity ever show any bias? I'd tend to agree with the no pulse comment. Maybe if she migrates again the Trinity recognition might have a better play in North America but Law's, Law and requires recredential regardless of country.
Credentials are credentials. I appreciate your input, I'd consider sharing a pint in a couple of months but you'd have to respect my/our repulsion for America's wars!
Actually Seamous, just messing, I haven't talked to anyone in recent years that hasn't shared that same repulsion, so your view might likely inspire a discussion with at least a semblance of semi-incoherent bullshit looked upon as an oddity.
Given the fairly predictable, yet strikingly odd population of impaired war proponent pissants that post here, such as Bride et al, there's really become a demonstrable attrition of any hope for or semblance of relevance.
You'd have to look no further than the tragic tale of Rhus' unfilled 'never served' Marine-like fantasies to guage the credibility of their 'feeding frenzy' sort of gratification!
Or the impaired IBC clone Jeffrey Shuster who writes volumes on Middle Eastern inferiority under the flavor of 'some of my best americanized friends', such as House Iraqi, are shining examples of how Iraq might someday aspire to greatness! Yet every one knows they'd never have the courage to ever go back!
They'd be tried as traitors of whatever State Iraq transforms into once freed from the stranglehold of occupation. Its inevitable America will once again be reigned in by their new democratic governate and all the pro-invasionists will scurry back to their sexually dysfunctional lives!
Whoa, there Canadian John!!! Go back to "a semblance of semi-incoherent bullshit"... and take it from there. Take deep breaths between sentences. I'm sure it'll be intelligible next time.
Take deep breaths between sentences.
Sorry. I guess in your case I should have said "take a deep breath every ten words".
News:
"A Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 61% of Americans would like to see U.S. troops brought home from Iraq within a year."
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/
...roop_withdrawal
"The heck with Congress' big stimulus bill. The way to get the country out of recession — and most people think we're in one — is to get the country out of Iraq, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll."
http://ap.google.com/article/
ALe...MgRXTwD8UMCQAO1
But:
"Americans may not have noticed, but the policy that a large majority of them want is no longer part of polite discussion in Washington or on the campaign trail."
http://www.antiwar.com/
engelhard...articleid=12388
"Australia's 550 combat troops based in southern Iraq have helped to make the area more secure and should now be withdrawn, the defense chief said Wednesday."
http://www.mndaily.com/articles/.../02/20/
72165663
""We are continuing to work with the Turkish government and Turkish military to provide the best possible intelligence so that the terrorist group, PKK, operating in Iraqi territory can be dealt with," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "Ultimately, what we're looking for is cooperation between Turkey and Iraq in fighting this terrorist threat."
http://mathaba.net/rss/?x=582465
"An ex-Army paratrooper who served two tours in Iraq has been ordered tried on charges of raping and critically injuring a 3-month-old girl in Jackson County.[...] The girl sustained brain damage and 17 broken bones."
http://www.wlns.com/Global/story...896831&
nav=5D7v
"Bobby Elsworth was hoping that returning to his home camp in southern Japan would mean an easier life. But he and several hundred other U.S. Marines preparing to return to Okinawa were warned Tuesday to think again. With anger rising over the alleged rape of an Okinawan teenager by a 38-year-old Marine staff sergeant, the Marines here were told that they can count on tough measures aimed at keeping them on base and out of trouble."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/
sto...EMPLATE=DEFAULT
"A soldier testified Tuesday that a colleague accused of killing an unarmed Iraqi didn't know whether he had even shot the victim. [...] Shore, of Winder, Ga., is charged with third-degree murder in the June 23 death of an Iraqi man whom authorities say they haven't been able to identify by name. The killing occurred near Kirkuk."
http://www.newspress.com/Top/
Art...248006006637225
Rewards of the "liberation" ... for the "liberators":
"Iraq will place an order for 40 Boeing aircraft and for a smaller number from Canada's Bombardier, an Iraqi official said on Tuesday."
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/
sto...EMPLATE=DEFAULT
Fort Hood soliders breaking the silence in war in Iraq
A growing number of active duty soldiers or recent Iraq war veterans are speaking up about the war in Iraq.
And with the number of soldiers speaking up about their experiences in Iraq via online forums, blogs and pamphlets, some vets feel it's their duty to let the American public know the truth.
http://www.news8austin.com/conte...asp?
ArID=200673
Um Ayad, that's a very good article.
Thanks for posting it.
The soldiers complain about their views not affecting the public perception in America, and maybe that's true, but fact is that 60% of Americans want a withdrawal from Iraq.
It appears that that 60% is being blanked out by the politicians, which poses uneasy questions about the state of American democracy.
"Three U.S. soldiers were killed Tuesday night in northwestern Baghdad when their vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device, the military said in a statement Wednesday."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23251015/
"The Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has threatened to end a six-month ceasefire by his private militia due to US-Iraqi raids in the south of the country. The ceasefire has been credited with helping to reduce violence in Iraq in recent months. However, a spokesman has suggested that the truce may not be extended when it expires on Saturday."
http://www.independent.ie/breaki...aq-
1294415.html
As proof of my power, I will make the moon go dark tonight. Cower before me!
Thanks Dubya!!! I completely forgot about it, and now will get to see it, albeit at 02:01am GMT, and stuck in city lights. But I noticed during one last year that the city light pollution is almost an advantage for casual watching of lunar eclipses -- sodium light haze reduces the contrast (compared to a black sky) with the lit areas of the moon as totality approaches and reduces its glare.
Dubya, Christopher Columbus beat you to that trick.
BAGHDAD - The U.S. military said
US: Bombers didn't have Down syndrome.
Wednesday that two women used as suicide bombers in attacks earlier this month had undergone psychiatric treatment but there is no indication they had Down syndrome as Iraqi and U.S. officials initially had claimed.
Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a military spokesman, said the women used in the Feb. 1 pet market bombings had been identified as residents from the northeastern outskirts of Baghdad who were in their late 20s or early 30s.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
20080...vEE.KB7O65X6GMA
Promises to Iraqi widows go unmet
The central government is sporadic with pension payments to the ever-increasing number of women who have lost their husbands. Without the money, these women are stranded in a patriarchal society.
Even when the pension payments are made, they are pitifully small: For example, a widow without children is supposed to get about $34 a month; and a widow with five or more children, about $81 a month.
http://www.uruknet.de/?p=m41306&...&hd=&size=1&
l=e
Actually, intelljins tells me that terrorists plan to attack the moon using WMD (wahabi moon darkness). If that happens, I'll order an invasion of Sweden.
Dubya - you'll be passing Iceland on the way. Could you take care of that too? If you do, could you please send back our women.
Bruno,
"It appears that that 60% is being blanked out by the politicians, which poses uneasy questions about the state of American democracy."
Sometimes I watch US television news programmes. I am shocked at US politicians and their comments on the situation in Iraq and their blatant lies. But then it leaves me thinking they cannot be that ignorant and stupid .....so it must be deliberate. Yes, it does "pose uneasy questions about the state of American democracy".
Crusade of Surge and Siege: Part Two: Cages of Conquest.
Hear No Evil, See No Evil
Americans’ ever-enduring, catatonic sleepwalk through the Empire’s vast array of bread and circus, as always produced by the Ministry of Truth and the Department of Propaganda, better known as the corporatist media, has succeeded in the creation of an ignorant, incurious and dumbed down populace completely bereft of knowledge of what is done in its name. With no concern for or understanding of geography, cultures, history, alien societies, the outside world and of the imperial aspirations of the Empire, Americans have proved easy targets to the manipulations and deceptions of the corporatist world. Seemingly unwilling to gain knowledge of anything outside American Idol or the weekly NASCAR rat race, the soldier ants and worker bees of the Empire are content to circumvent the horrors of war and the myriad crimes against humanity committed in their name in order to maintain their beautiful minds at peace....
This propaganda by omission, this “out of sight, out of mind” machination has virtually erased from American reality the disasters unfolding in Iraq and Afghanistan, thus guaranteeing in the public mind a complete ignorance in or understanding of a barbaric continuation to occupations stuck in the quicksand of fierce resistance and never-ending guerilla warfare. Thus, America’s aggressive wars, its imperial occupations, its crusade of surge and siege that has done so much harm to millions of people, not to mention to the moral standing of the nation, have become non-existent memories under cover of fog and haze.
http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.co...f-
conquest.html
Bridget,
"Dubya, Christopher Columbus beat you to that trick."
The astronomers of ancient Mesopotamia beat Christopher Columbus to that trick.
The astronomers of Babylon
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/ast...r/
home_set.html
[Bruno]: "It appears that that 60% is being blanked out by the politicians, which poses uneasy questions about the state of American democracy."
[Um Ayad]: Sometimes I watch US television news programmes. I am shocked at US politicians... Yes, it does "pose uneasy questions about the state of American democracy".
Let me try and explain it. At regular intervals the people elect the politicians, who then form a government. The government implements a "program", often one sold to the people during their electoral campaign, sometimes not. At any rate, the government inevitably has to make certain unpopular moves, such as raising taxes and other unsavoury decisions, which the people often grumble about because they tend to only look at the downside to themselves, rather than the fruits of government spending programs. The "opposition" (those politicians who didn't form the government) grumble too, because it is the function of an opposition to grumble and make the government look bad, and themselves good by contrast. After the allotted term of government is over, the people get another chance to make their opinion known through the ballot box, and if they so choose they may give the opposition a crack of the whip. The whole system is called "parliamentary democracy".
Hope this helps.
[Um Ayad]: Americans’ ever-enduring, catatonic sleepwalk through the Empire’s vast array of bread and circus, as always produced by the Ministry of Truth and the Department of Propaganda, better known as the corporatist media, has succeeded in the creation of an ignorant, incurious and dumbed down populace completely bereft of knowledge of what is done in its name.
Well, you see, that's funny because when Iraq was all over the news headlines a couple of years back, leftwing hysteria-mongers accused the bought-and-paid-for corporate media of using it to disguise all the problems back home. Which just goes to show that the leftwing hysteria-mongers will happily speak out of both sides of their mouth to advance their agenda. Hypocrites!
"The astronomers of ancient Mesopotamia beat Christopher Columbus to that trick."
Not exactly. The trick to which I referred was not the prediction of the lunar eclipse, it was the use of the ability to predict the lunar eclipse to fool somebody else into thinking the trickster actually controlled the phenomenon.
"Yes, it does "pose uneasy questions about the state of American democracy"."
Does it now? Let me 'splain it to you. We are about to choose 2 nominees between 3 candidates, a woman, a black man, and an old white guy. The black man, incidentally, is the son of a Kenyan.
The voters of the US...the actual people, will both nominate and then elect, their president. Um Ayad, do you directly nominate or elect your Prime Minister????
Zeyad,
McCain doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Bagdad in the US election.
Obama will bring the US troops home.
Then what?
Brrrrrrrrrr. Eclipse-watching is chilly business. Dubya better have his winter woollies on if he's gonna do Sweden tonight. 
About 2/3 gone...Marcus must be getting anxious...
Heading out for the onset of totality with my ciggies, my woollies, and my wahabi spotter scope.
Bah! Irish celestial event of the month -- thickening cloud and freezing rain. Nice light pollution. Plus ça change...
I've believe I've cracked the mystery of why the Celtic Druids built Stonehenge as a circle. The ancient astronomical observatory theory is true!!! ... it points to unbroken cloud in all directions.
Cloudy here too. But warm, not cold.
@ All.
Funny post, and funny debate following, at 'Abbas Hawazin' (i.e., the former Konfused Kid):
http://ejectiraqikkk.blogspot.co...c-
comments.html
Thunderstorm here. Rare and entertaining enough in its own right. Good backdrop for the former Konfused Kid's post & comments.
_
Don't meteorologists forecast the individual water molecules in AZ?
When they can find 'em ! Actually our two monsoon seasons per year are very cool (albeit total precip. is like 8"/yr).
Funny true story though:
a few weeks ago I was listening to a progressive talk radio show (Stephanie Miller) on the way to work. They broke for local news and weather. The weather guy said, "right now- partly cloudy and fifty (whatever- I forget) degrees". I looked around, and not a cloud in the sky anywhere. I could see clearly into downtown where the station was, too. Clear as a bell. I thought, "What a great metaphor for this station's accuracy!"
_
News:
"With the Sunni insurgents now on Uncle Sam’s payroll, with neighborhoods segregated, and with al Sadr’s militia standing down, it is unclear who is still responsible for ongoing violence other than US troops themselves. Somebody must still be fighting, however, because the US is still conducting air strikes and is still unable to tell friend from foe."
http://onlinejournal.com/artman/
...icle_2978.shtml
"US military occupation forces in Iraq suffered at least 77 combat casualties in the eight days ending Feb.20, as the official casualty total reached at least 63,707."
http://www.afterdowningstreet.or...g/?q=node/
31206
"An Iraqi government minister and two of his bodyguards have been wounded in a roadside bomb explosion in Baghdad. Samir al-Attar, deputy Minister of Science and Technology, was driving through the eastern neighborhood of Zayouna when an explosion occurred near his two-vehicle convoy"
http://www.postchronicle.com/
new...212131628.shtml
Haditha trial farce drags on:
http://www.syracuse.com/
newsflas...rylist=national
Possible assassination attempt on Muqtada al Sadr:
http://www.roadstoiraq.com/2008/...uqtada-al-sadr/
Unemployment in Iraq:
http://www.antiwar.com/ips/
aali....articleid=12398
"Psychiatric case files of two female suicide bombers who killed nearly 100 people in Baghdad this month show that they suffered from depression and schizophrenia but do not contain information indicating they had Down syndrome, American officials said Wednesday."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/2...rss&
oref=slogin
Hypocrites:
"The United States on Wednesday rejected comparisons between the Palestinian situation and Kosovo, after a senior Palestinian official called for a Kosovo-like declaration of independence. Kosovo is a "unique" situation, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "It is not a precedent for any other situation around the world.""
http://afp.google.com/article/
AL...jnLZxkIGBdmEqnA
"Um Ayad, do you directly nominate or elect your Prime Minister????"
Bit of Pete-style lesson in elementary politics here, Bridget.
In Westminister type democracies, voters do not elect a Prime Minister in the way that you elect your president in the USA. They simply vote for their local representative, who usually but not necessarily always belongs to one of the major parties. The party that gains a majority of seats in Parliament becomes the Government, and normally the leader of that party becomes the Prime Minister. But their name appears on no ballot paper, and they are essentially just the First Minister, among all the ministers who make up the Cabinet. There have been instances of a Prime Minister losing the confidence of their Party, and being replaced by the Party Caucus, (i.e. all the sitting MPs of the Party) without the Party actually leaving power, i.e. losing its majority in Parliament.
When you add in an element of Proportional Representation, as in NZ, it becomes quite complicated, with a Prime Minister having to not only retain the confidence of their own party, but rely on deals with minor parties to maintain a majority in Parliament. (By convention, the Party in power has to be able at all times to withstand a Vote of Confidence challenge in the House - lose one, and usually it's a new election.)
Some might claim that such a process is actually more representative than simply choosing between "a woman, a black man, and an old white guy" for four interminable years.
But hey, what would we know about democracy?
[rhuslancia] "Funny true story though: a few weeks ago I was listening to a progressive talk radio show"
Actually, HERE is a funny true story, about a warmonger named Rhuslancia, who couldn't bring himself to decide whether Iraqis in the process of getting murdered by Americans have the right to defend themselves or not:
http://
twentyfourstepstoliberty....935017926552125
Wallah, it truly IS an ironic story, since said Rhus went around for a week on end trolling various forums to get me there, and now that he has my attention, he's squirming all over the place to try and avoid discussion.
I mean, the subject is real difficult.
An Iraqi civilian gets stopped by an American roadblock, and he is about to be put to death.
DOES HE LEGITIMATELY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND HIMSELF FROM BEING KILLED OR NOT?
That's a real stumper, alright.
It's been stumping Rhus for weeks, now.
[petes] "I've believe I've cracked the mystery of why the Celtic Druids built Stonehenge as a circle. The ancient astronomical observatory theory is true!!! ... it points to unbroken cloud in all directions."
That's pretty funny. I've got family in Britain, and they complain all the time about the lousy weather.
A Turkish think tank said on Thursday that a ground operation against the banned Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) in north of Iraq will take place with cooperation of the United States, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/
englis...ent_7644066.htm
Four British soldiers were wounded near their base outside the southern city of Basra, an attack the Iraqi police described Thursday as a roadside bomb explosion that targeted a British patrol. The Wednesday night attack was followed by a clash between the troops and unidentified gunmen, Basra police Col. Kareem al-Zaidi said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/
20080...ritish_attacked
"In Westminister type democracies, voters do not elect a Prime Minister in the way that you elect your president in the USA."
No shit, john. Israel is the only parliamentary democracy to date that has allowed the voters to directly elect the head of state. What's the matter, you people don't trust your own judgement?
"But hey, what would we know about democracy?"
Well, hey, maybe you and Um Ayad ought to quit taking cheap shots at mine.
"
"Some might claim that such a process is actually more representative than simply choosing between "a woman, a black man, and an old white guy" for four interminable years."
Your head of state is the choice of the party establishment. That old white guy? He would have been the last choice of his party's establishment. He's going to get the nomination pretty much over their dead bodies.
As to four interminable years, perhaps An Italian can tell us how he feels about the spectre of Silvio Berslusconi looming over Italy again so soon. At least jarn can rest easy that George Bush will never again return to the presidency.
[bridget] "At least jarn can rest easy that George Bush will never again return to the presidency."
But there's still people like Ledeen, Wolfowitz, Bolton et al running around free. They're even worse than Bush.
Bruno, those guys are talking heads. I don't think any of them currently holds any government position, much less an elected one. We do have this little thing called freedom of speech you know. They get to advocate any position they want to.
There are many people whose viewpoints and priorities are diametrically opposed to Um Ayad's who express the same silly notion that there is a corporatist media conspiracy to prevent the American people from hearing "the truth". What they mean is, they don't think their message, their point of view, their priorities are getting the attention they deserve.
I suppose I could google up the information to be sure, but would you care to lay any bets as to which country has the most widespread internet access in the world? I'd say that more Americans have more access than more people to more infomration than ever in the history in the world. If they don't happen to share Um Ayad's priorities or point of view, it's not because of our democracy or some vast corporatist media conspiracy. It's because they don't agree with her.
McCain doesn't stand a snowball's chance in Bagdad in the US election. Anonymous
Don't count the old guy out, yet.
I think 3/4's of the country will rest easy when Bush is gone if his approval rating is any indication. Remember the bumper sticker right after he got reelected: "Has it been four years yet?"
Bridget
Not that I'm an expert, or really care that much, but I think you're confusing 'head of state' with 'head of government.'
Constitutional monarchies may in some senses be quaint throwbacks to to bygone days, but there's actually quite a lot of them that seem to work rather well for their citizens. The monarch, often hereditary, has little or no actual power, but does represent their country as 'head of state.' The Prime Minister is 'head of government' as leader of the Party elected to power, and exercises executive power, but does not, strictly speaking, embody the identity of their country. Thus CHOGM is the 'Commonwealth Heads of Government' meeting, not an alliance of states.
As I understand it, many Republican systems are quite similar, with an elected (or sometimes appointed) President as Head of State with strictly limited or symbolic or 'reserve' powers but no executive function, which is vested in the Prime Minister. (That place in the Middle East comes to mind: Eye-Rack, I think it's called.)
Surely there must be something to the idea, or so many places wouldn't be doing it?
Is it necessarily the best possible idea to repose executive power in the hands of the 'Head of State,' just because one large country does so?
"Is it necessarily the best possible idea to repose executive power in the hands of the 'Head of State,' just because one large country does so?"
I never said it was. And please don't misinterpret my defense of my system as meaning that I think everyone else should have one just like it. Ours works for us, yours works for you, Italy's....well, it's very Italian, isn't it?
That being said, I do think that the American system of federal government, with a lot of power and authority residing in each of the 50 states is a good way to try to stitch together a large and very diverse country. I hope very much that, as the Iraqis begin to stand up their provincial governments, it begins to work for them as well as it has worked for us.
"Remember the bumper sticker right after he got reelected: "Has it been four years yet?"
Not many of those bumper stickers down here in Texas, jarn.
Bridget
This is indeed a side topic, not that relevant to the discussion where you brought it up but anyway:
Bridget:
"I suppose I could google up the information to be sure, but would you care to lay any bets as to which country has the most widespread internet access in the world?"
Well, I could have named South Korea straight away, since they took the throne from Sweden a few years back and many have passed us since (Sweden claiming the throne at one point was due to a social, and therefor possibly eeeeevil, project where people were subsidised to buy computers and get online). South Korea is widely known to have the best networks and most users in the world, to the point that many of the Big IT businesses do market researh there. However, I have also read that they do precious little development and seem content to utilize technology developed by others.
I googled "internet access per capita" since you probably wont take my word for it and this was the result of the first hit:
#1 Korea, South: 2.466 per 10 people
#2 Hong Kong: 2.335 per 10 people
#3 Netherlands: 2.334 per 10 people
#4 Denmark: 2.255 per 10 people
#5 Switzerland: 2.07 per 10 people
#6 Canada: 1.93 per 10 people
#7 Norway: 1.925 per 10 people
#8 Finland: 1.92 per 10 people
#9 Sweden: 1.868 per 10 people
#10 Taiwan: 1.841 per 10 people
#11 Israel: 1.824 per 10 people
#12 Belgium: 1.792 per 10 people
#13 Japan: 1.641 per 10 people
#14 France: 1.472 per 10 people
#15 United Kingdom: 1.466 per 10 people
#16 United States: 1.382 per 10 people
Of course this is not just "internet access" but "broadband access" but I think you agree that it's probably quite proportional.
I can comfort you with the fact that the US still seems to holds the no1 position on most internet hosts per capita. You host it, we read it.
"Not many of those bumper stickers down here in Texas, jarn." What a surprise.
Well, Marcus, we STILL have the most 'Merkins per capita! USA USA USA!
"Of course this is not just "internet access" but "broadband access" but I think you agree that it's probably quite proportional."
The US has lots of wide open space with dial-up access only, so broadband access is not the measure I would use.
world internet access
Bush's ratings (not to rub it in or anything):
http://americanresearchgroup.com/
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/a.../21/
232361.aspx
http://www.pollingreport.com/BushJob.htm
Still think we're brainwashed, Um Ayad?
Italy's....well, it's very Italian, isn't it?
I wonder how that "surge" in Naples is going!
@ Bridget, 02.21.08 - 9:01 am & 4:46 pm.
Dear Apette, as johninnz (02.21.08 - 4:14 pm) correctly remarked, you mixed up the 'head of State' with the 'head of Government'. In your system (a 'presidential republic', according to political science) the two offices coexist in the same person, like, ironically, in absolute monarchies; in most other democratic systems (either 'parliamentary democracies' -it does not matter whether they are constitutional monarchies or republics - or 'semi-presidential republics' - the example of this being France) they do NOT.
Italy (a 'parliamentary democratic republic') is indeed a bad example, being the least functional system of all nowadays (&, ironically, the most similar to the US).
Like the US, we are ruled by a political/business caste linked to all lobbies, guilds and corporations; and, just like in the States, in the last 15 years or so such gang has managed to push in a (fake) two-party system, to make the most gullible believe that they are somewhat 'ideologically divided'. But, being precisely a 'parliamentary republic' with proportional representation, the present electoral law has just the parties deciding from above blocked lists of candidates (like in Iraq, 2005!), with no preferences, so that no 'surprises' are ever possible (differently from the US), and the voters have very little say.
The only difference between the so-called 'centre-right' and the so-called 'centre-left' being the fact that the first is led by Berlusconi, which is even too patently what most of our political class are (i.e., crooks).
In Italy, out of less than sixty million people, one million and a half directly live out of politics (including the politicians themselves in all layers of government and their dependents, but excluding those living out of political patronage); besides, we have nearly four millions of civil servants, .
Personally, on the 13th of April (elections day) I'll spoil the ballot.
Yes, dear Bridget, Italy is unfortunately very ... Italian, I'm sorry to say.
Gimme back please our fatherly Austrian Emperor, any day !!!
As for Naples, where the politicians of both nominal gangs (which are actually one and the same) are in league with the camorra (the Campanian mafia, one of the three historical ones) and unfortunately with most of the population in an extended and complex system of patronage and corruption, there are 20,000 garbage-men (who are civil servants, paid by the taxpayers, and who are proportionally 25 times more than the garbage-men in Milan); but unfortunately, having got their - permanent - jobs through patronage & corruption, they do not think that being a civil servant means that you have to 'serve'; so they quite simply refuse to have anything to do with garbage ... and the (central) government has sent the soldiers to collect the mountains of rubbish !!!
But since this blog is NOT 'Healing Italy', I've better stop here ...
"...please don't misinterpret my defense of my system as meaning that I think everyone else should have one just like it ..."
Ah, making nice now are we Bridgy?
It was the sneering tone of your original remark to Um Ayad that prompted me to intervene. Remember the good old "purple finger" days, when as a representative of the home and inventor of 'mocracy you used to tell the poor ignorant Eye-Rakis how it was all going to come right now that you had shown them the way?
My point is that as an example of the wonders of 'mocracy, your great country often seems not much better than Italian's. I can't see much difference between his garbage men and your garbage Republican "attack" politics, which got you into this mess in the first place, putting so much power in the hands of a shabby and ignorant little frat-boy.
Bit less of a preachy tone on the subject is what I'm suggesting. Like I tried to say above, lots of other places do it pretty well without having to follow your supposed example, and to some of us it feels a bit like being lectured about virginity by the madame of a whore-house.
Bridget
"The US has lots of wide open space with dial-up access only, so broadband access is not the measure I would use."
OK then. I noticed that the wiki article you linked to nevertheless puts Sweden, South Korea, Norway and Holland higher than the US in "internet access". So your bet would still have been lost. But, as I said, a side topic...
And Australia and New Zeeland. Sorry Johninnz, didn't mean to overlook you guys.
News:
"Powerful Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada Al Sadr is expected to extend a six-month ceasefire by his Mehdi Army militia, two senior officials in his movement confirmed for the first time yesterday."
http://
www.thepeninsulaqatar.com...20080222862.xml
Divide and conquer:
"Both the Sunni and Shiite guards are helping the U.S. military defend Muqdadiya's Matar district from Sunni extremists who forced the city into a self-styled Islamic caliphate for more than a year. But though the two groups run checkpoints around the corner from each other, each takes every opportunity to convince the Americans that the other is not to be trusted.
[...]
But the Iraqi government has resisted U.S. attempts to recruit Sunni allies in Baghdad, Diyala and other areas that include large numbers of Shiites, because it fears the Shiites could become targets once U.S. forces are no longer there."
http://www.latimes.com/news/
nati...0,1767548.story
There's nothing quite like organising and arming organisations on a sectarian basis, and then acting surprised when those organisations act as sectarian organs, is there?
1 US soldier 38 Iraqis killed:
http://antiwar.com/updates/?
arti...articleid=12399
Interesting Raimondo article on American politics and how left and right wingers are trying to find the best antiwar candidate:
http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?
a...articleid=12403
This is not quite Iraq, but important, as tensions rise in the Balkans: 200000 Serbs loot US and Croat embassies; stone Western ones over Kosovo independence:
http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=54760
Afghan news:
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/
2...s_pack_mo.shtml
Here you are Bruno, bonus for you. Juan Cole is in good form today:
http://www.juancole.com/
"So to review, 5 US troops were killed within 24 hours; there was a market bombing in Diyala and a drive by shooting in Mosul; Turkey bombarded Iraq; and now the Mahdi Army may get reactivated.
Earth to McCain: Everything is not in fact hunky dory in Iraq."
Ah, but it will be if the US just hangs in there for 100 years. By then it will of course be the great-grandsons of the present contestants going at it in the rubble.
Presumably that makes sense in Texas.
@ johninnz, 02.21.08 - 9:19 pm & Marcus, 02.22.08 - 1:15 am.
, mates !
You have our poor Texan Apette on the run ...
Breaking news:
" Turkish troops have launched a ground incursion across the border into Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish rebels, the military said Friday. [...] Private NTV television said 10,000 troops were taking part in the cross-border offensive, which follows periodic air raids on suspected hideouts of the PKK rebel group in Iraq. The Kurdish militants are fighting for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in northern Iraq. "
http://www.usatoday.com/news/wor...rkey-
iraq_N.htm
America will stop them! Oh, not, wait ... it won't. Turkey holds a license to kill Kurds, issued by Bush himself.
Thanks johninnz.
There's a lot of news in Iraq that I don't manage to cover. I'll take a look now.
In other news Rhuslancia still struggles with deciding whether or not Iraqis under attack by American forces are allowed to legitimately defend themselves.
So far, Iraqis attacked by Americans are either legitimate targets or tragic accidents, with no room for self-defence, in his opinion. But yet, he won't actually come out any say that Iraqis have no right to defend themselves.
Funny, after weeks of trolling to get me to 24's comments, he's now trying to evade for all he's worth:
http://
twentyfourstepstoliberty....211055767738440
now you what it's like to flee from country to country when no-one wants you... although europe has taken in millions of you. the difference to the situation of the jews in the 1930s and 40s is that your predicament is the making of your own people/leaders. furthermore, in how many countries is the language and culture arabic? you could go there, but instead you choose to leach of "the great satan"/"evil west". i don't have much sympathy for you. my only sympathy is for your kids.
Piss off and die, sol
Yet another embarrassing occasion for Maliki to show what a powerless sock puppet he is:
""Maliki asked Erdogan to respect the sovereignty of Iraq's borders and inviolability of its lands... and stressed the importance of avoiding a military solution," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement."
http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=55064
while the US is saying:
"Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. spokesman in Iraq, said the military had received assurances from its NATO ally Turkey that it would do everything possible to avoid "collateral damage" to innocent civilians or infrastructure.
"Multi-National Forces-Iraq is aware Turkish ground forces have entered into northern Iraq, for what we understand is an operation of limited duration to specifically target PKK terrorists in that region," Smith said in a statement.
"The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the Government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," he added."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/wor...rkey-
iraq_N.htm
God, they just don't tell Maliki ANYTHING, do they?
In case anybody needs more proof of the powerless and useless 'government' that Iraq has:
""Maliki asked Erdogan to respect the sovereignty of Iraq's borders and inviolability of its lands... and stressed the importance of avoiding a military solution," Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said in a statement."
http://wiredispatch.com/news/?id=55064
Unfortunately, Maliki's bosses, the American military, have different ideas:
"Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. spokesman in Iraq, said [...] "Multi-National Forces-Iraq is aware Turkish ground forces have entered into northern Iraq, for what we understand is an operation of limited duration to specifically target PKK terrorists in that region," Smith said in a statement.
"The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the Government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," he added."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/wor...rkey-
iraq_N.htm
@Bruno, 4:48 am: There's a lot of news in Iraq that I don't manage to cover.
Yeah -- everything that's good, and quite a bit of what's true.
@johninnz, 2:48 am: Here you are Bruno, bonus for you... 5 US troops were killed within 24 hours; there was a market bombing in Diyala and a drive by shooting in Mosul; Turkey bombarded Iraq; and now the Mahdi Army may get reactivated.
So everything bad is a "bonus"? Figures.
@[johninnz to Bridget]: It was the sneering tone of your original remark to Um Ayad that prompted me to intervene.
Yeah, let's hear it for poor little Um Ayad and her oh so reasonable articles. (At first I thought Canadian John had written that one).
"So your bet would still have been lost."
Depends on whether you're talking total numbers or per capita, Marcus.
Head of State, Head of Government. Still doesn't change the fact that the president of the US is the most democratically elected head in the world.
"Like the US, we are ruled by a political/business caste linked to all lobbies, guilds and corporations; and, just like in the States, in the last 15 years or so such gang has managed to push in a (fake) two-party system, to make the most gullible believe that they are somewhat 'ideologically divided'. "
You have absolutely no clue what you are talking about. At the national level, I participate in the nomination and election of my president. I also participate in the election of my senator and house member. I also vote for my governor, lt. governor, supreme and appellate court members, treasurer, comptroller. I vote for my county commissioner, sheriff, justice of the peace, district attorney, county attornies, district judges county court at law judges, and constables. Plus numerous constitutional amendments. Oh yeah, and school board members. I am personally acquainted with most of my local elected representatives, and I can assure you that they would be very amused to hear that they are part of a policial/business caste.
"I'd say that more Americans have more access than more people to more infomration than ever in the history in the world."
Marcus, that statement is correct unless we get back to....the EU is a country. So, I'd win my bet.
Bridget
"Depends on whether you're talking total numbers or per capita, Marcus."
Oh, no. This side topic came up as you challenged Johnninz to "bet" what country had the most "widspread internet access" (implying the answer would be America) to defend that Americans have every opportunity to seek out information and not be force-fed mainstream media news only. More or less that was the discussion.
In such a case absolute numbers are not applicable at all, the quota of the population is however. I think China would beat many western nations hands down in the NUMBER of internet accesses and they will inevitably surpass the US in just a few years but this does not mean their populace is generally in a better position to inform themselves.
I have proved that many nations have a larger percentage of people online than the US. We have also concluded that if we look at broadband connections the US falls further behind still.
That was the bet you threw out there and I would like you to acknowledge that you would have lost it, but I'm not going to hold my breath for that to happen...
johninnz, a whorehouse madame could probably tell you a lot more about sex than you could ever learn from all those sheep.
Marcus, I'm just playing with you.
Perhaps johninnz would enjoy a lecture on virginity from one of those unwilling Irish brides.
"and now the Mahdi Army may get reactivated."
Sadr Prolongs Ceasefire
"Presumably that makes sense in Texas."
I take it that it makes sense in New Zealand to call market bombings and drive by shootings in Iraq a bonus??????
Aw, was that a bit too "preachy" for you, john?
now you what it's like to flee from country to country when no-one wants you... although europe has taken in millions of you. the difference to the situation of the jews in the 1930s and 40s is that your predicament is the making of your own people/leaders. furthermore, in how many countries is the language and culture arabic? you could go there, but instead you choose to leach of "the great satan"/"evil west".
No shit, sol. It's like how Russians, Poles and Khazars came all the way to Palestine to butcher its people and rob its land. I guess the cultures are very similar too. We could always follow your example.
"Head of State, Head of Government. Still doesn't change the fact that the president of the US is the most democratically elected head in the world" (Bridget)
Actually, for what its worth, according to The Economist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Dem...Democracy_Index
the USA only comes in 17th in the 'democracy' stakes, just ahead of Spain.
New Zealand comes in 11th place, in a tie with
... wait for it ...
bloody Ireland!
Stoopid Economist.
Uh huh. Still doesn't change the fact the that the president of the US is the most democratically elected head in the world.
hey john, looks to me like Iraq is moving on up that scale.
Let's see, Iraq is above Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Kuwait, the UAE.....
Bahrain, Qatar......
"... the most democratically elected head in the world ..."
Also depends on what's inside that head, of course.
Clearly what we need is a ranking of 'democratically elected heads' according to IQ.
Perhaps 'Psychology Today' could oblige. In certain difficult cases, such as those of verbally challenged ex-alcoholics, the 'Journal of Abnormal Psychology' might be more appropriate.
"The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the Government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," he added." Excerpted by Bruno
Oh, Bruno, this is so classic...you! Bold everything but the section that states we would like to see diplomacy and coordinaton with the GOI.
I, for one, fail to see why a democratically elected president should necessarily be better than a democratically elected government without personae focus.
I believe that you should first and foremost vote for the political program, as represented by a political party, you feel is the better one to lead your country.
If this political program is tied to a specific individual it might make a society vote for his/her charisma or against his/her percieved shortcomings and disregard the political platform the indivudual stands on. (Examples: I agree with Obama but... he's black! I agree with mr-whatshisname but it's time for a woman! I agree with the Democrats but I hate Hillary! etc.)
So, I'm not so sure the idea of person-election is prefferable to an array of parties who each stand for a specific agenda.
Just my opinion though...
A huge solar plant is being built in Arizona...by a Spanish company, while our government remains obsessed with oil.
"I, for one, fail to see why a democratically elected president should necessarily be better than a democratically elected government without personae focus"
I didn't say it was better, now did I? Just more democratic.
Another thought about electing a person rather than a party...presidential candidates routinely tell voters whatever they want to hear, and then "change" their mind once in office. Voters have to look at a candidate's history to decide how likely it will be that they keep their promises, because you can't really trust what they say. Perhaps the combined history of several party leaders would be a better indication. Suppose the voters had been looking at Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, and Fieth a little more closely before the election.
Of course, had I known about johninnz's democracy index when Bruno and Um Ayad were posing uneasy questions about the state of American democracy, I could have smugly informed them that we are higher on the scale than South Africa or the UK.
Jarn: "A huge solar plant is being built in Arizona...by a Spanish company, while our government remains obsessed with oil."
INVADERS! OCCUPIERS! INQUISITIONISTAS! THEY ARE HERE TO STEAL MY SUN! WITH MY LIFE WITH MY BLOOD I'LL SACRIFICE FOR YOU JANET NAPOLITANO TO STOP IT!!!
(ok, well, I won't actually sacrifice to stop it, but if there are any opeds available against it, I will link them here with extreme enthusiasm)
_
Just don't get any ideas about owning the sunshine falling on your state.
AP: "A judge on Friday tossed a subpoena for unaired "60 Minutes" footage that the military says is vital in its effort to prosecute a Marine sergeant in an attack that killed 24 Iraqi civilians".
Keep in mind that this Marine Sergeant Wuterich and a squad member murdered five civilians and then ordered and supervised the murder of several Iraqis (including infants) who happened to be the hapless occupants of houses subjected to this Marine patrol's cleansing operations?
Never imagine that this particular type of sordid crime hasn't played itself out by American democratizers dozens of times in Iraq over the last several years.
What makes this situation unique is the fact that someone is actually being held accountable for the criminality of the act!
The fact that it's being prosecuted at all is amazing; On the basis of voluntary manslaughter charges, entirely predictable. Occupiers who patrol civilian streets and invade homes are rarely, if ever, charged with murder, unless a fellow marine is so repulsed by the act, that they decide to file an official complaint. (Such as in the case of Calley's slaughter of dozens of civilians in Mi Lai).
Wuterich, as a man who consciously made a decision to slaughter unarmed civilians will likely be admonished and given house arrest; after all Calley only got house arrest. Why would anyone expect any higher standard of conduct amongst programmed soldiers in a 'war zone'?
Thanks for the post and link, Zeyad. I heard Mr. Cockburn on NPR a few days ago (All Things Considered?), relating the story of Bassim and talking about the current state of Iraq. He has written a book about Moqtada as-Sadr which is scheduled to come out this April.
Oh, goodness me! Seems I started some discussion here. Was away for a couple of days, I have not read everyone's comments but I note I upset Bridget.
"I note I upset Bridget."
Do you really think so? How odd.
Cool. It's really cool.
A new discovery about freedom in Iraq
The Iraqi people are hungry for democratic freedom and willing to die for it. Many Americans however are voting for the opposite contrast of freedom called socialism this year. Annalists are already predicting a huge sweep of leftists coming into both the U.S. house and senate on the coat tails of the white house this fall. These leftists openly consider christian patriots the enemy of their state even above the terrorists. These people are itching to pass the fairness doctrine to put an end to conservative talk radio. They are already targeting hate legislation aimed directly against all American patriots. They plan a massive overhaul of the judicial system to impose legislation against 1st and 2nd amendment rights.
McCain will make the Iraq war the central issue of this campaign because Obama promises to withdraw our troops regardless if the terrorists declare victory. Christians may have one last chance to grandstand against another Vietnam and the establishment of an anti christian socialistic state in America. But there is now a new hope!
A new biblical discovery has just been released into the market bringing a miraculous prophecy about Iraq. There are a large number of biblical scriptures which have passed silently under the radar until now.
Iraq is to be freed by a great eagle wings in the latter day prophecy! This is welcome news coming straight from the Bible just before the election. Most Americans still believe in Bible prophecy above political persuasions.
If the war in Iraq represents Gods will actually predicted in Bible prophecy, this may be our chance to unify christians and patriots before this critical election takes place. Obama claims to be a good christian. Could he now become exposed publically for apposing "the great eagle" freeing Iraq in Bible prophecy?
A Salem christian group published an important press release concerning this true Biblical discovery! This stunning declaration comes from one of the most reputable christian publishers in America... www.eternaltruth.net
One critic asked the author how he could possibly announce a discovery about 9/11 and Iraq in Bible prophecy?
"Aren't you exploiting thousands of American deaths within this current war and 9/11 just to sell a book?"
Author.." "That is my greatest consulation! Many people including veterans are purchasing this book witnessing biblical references which prove my research has a foundation in true prophecy. People are witnessing biblical prophecies unfold before their eyes concerning Iraq being freed by modern eagle.
Amazon.com announces on their web sight they have sold out this book and are now ordering more!"
"There are no unsatisfied customers complaining of not receiving any thing less than promised from the author." "There are steady reports of people finding far more than what they ever expected possible.
It would be unforgivable for any author to promise something like this to exploit a national tragedy for book sales." Many lives have been lost including families with children having lost their parents. This author is not letting people down who purchase this book in good faith. We are delivering a true message taken from biblical prophets directed for our time. "I have four children of my own, if my book were to become exposed as a manipulation of biblical text such would forever mark my children's name as well as my own." I actually
found this message in which I am claiming.
I have been blessed to have discovered such a wonderful message deliberately placed into the Bible which
might unite believers together before this election. I need your help because the media ignores everything concerning this discovery. It is very hard to believe this yourself until you witness it first hand.
Author of this book,
Paul Gregersen
Listen now to an educated critic and his expert opinion regarding this miraclulous book.
"Reading this particular book has made me aware of how christians have come to accept biblical spin and less than honest interpretations when reading books on Bible prophecy." When I started reading "Bible prophecies of 9 - 11" the whole idea of 9 - 11 and Iraq being in Bible prophecy admittedly was quite appealing to me.
But it seemed very far fetched and I fully expected to discover another fiction story cleverly masked behind a another "new" biblical declaration. I fully expected to see the familiar hand picking of quotes deliberately coming from the authors’ selection of unrelated texts to manipulate the meaning of Bible text. I've learned that it is a common trick to cleverly combine unrelated verses from separated biblical context in order to stretch readers’ perception beyond the original focus toward the authors’ conclusions, creating the appearance that authors conclusions are also supported by the Bible.
My first surprise while reading this book was to see this author approach things quite differently by laying a biblical foundation from Adam and Eve with the tree of life story, establishing common threads for his entire biblical claim. As the first chapters began to build solidly on biblical themes I quickly realized this particular author was either seriously attempting to link legitimate patterns of bible prophecy, or he was using an even more clever deception to mislead me. This author surprisingly understood the procedure to outline proper types and shadows and stay within one context while linking proper biblical themes. Since the author was not spinning I suspected that he would postpone taking of his liberties until he would be forced into a corner having to demonstrate 9 - 11 towers falling and eagle's wings into modern Iraq.
To my surprise the transition was smooth and never broke context or prophetic flow. Not only was 9 - 11 coming straight from the Bible but almost every highly specific detail, including the number of planes that hit each target, was referenced in the Bible with numerous exact details specifically related to 9 - 11. This book does not just stop there, but continued to unwind the scenario of America going to Iraq spelling out the exact manner of Saddam’s capture and execution. This was a highly unusual book! This book was based on what was written in the Bible and relied solely upon that premise. How do I react to this other than try to convince someone to read it and find out? I feel concerned that christians are so used to being tricked by each cry of wolf that when the real thing appears there will be a little comprehension that something amazing has occurred. I have wracked my mind as to how this could have possibly been fixed and there is no possible way other than Gods prophets deliberately sent us this intentional message about Iraq and 9 - 11. Ross David www.eternaltruth.net
Whatever history brought in, Iraq deserves to be healed.
I want to have my DNA taken to the far ends of the Milkyway. Someone should order small plastic vials from the manufacturer using the green Thomas industrial catolog at the public library, look up vials /plastic. Next have someone make a kids rubber helium party baloon that is 1 inch bigger when its inflated so it goes higher in the sky. Have it made with glow in the dark stuff that shines at night. It will take two rubber baloons tied together to carry up the plastic vial taped to one of the baloons. Proceed to get poke-em lancets from the drug store to prick your finger. Now Space-Aliens flying in invisible craft in Earths skies could retrieve a drop of your blood when you release the baloons over the desert or nature park. Go ahead and dab a drop of blood onto the surface of the baloon instead if you want, then only one baloon is needed. Your baloon might be recognized by the Aliens up there. Or you might find the whole idea a bad thing. Should people who believe there is Aliens visiting our solor system send out a spacecraft way past Pluto that has a supply of fruit tree, vegetable and berry seeds so the Extra-terrestial star travellers can take it home?
I lived with adopting family in Yekaterinburg in the place of killing Royal Romanov family. Why? Who from my own family is a queen? My own grandmother? Or what does it means? Address was Moskowskaya street 9-31. In Moskovskaya street 9-20 lives Hussein family with daughter Aleksandra. My real name is Anna-Kristina-Aleksandra. What does it means? Who really have aggression against Muslims countries and against Iraq and Hussein? I know that my own grandfather Naum was Muslims friend. And when he invest his money in Russia he took gold as financial guarantee. May be in Iraq and near Hussein my enemies searching that gold? I am the daughter of the man, who had a symbol in Vatican and whose face is identical to Joann Paul II. In Italy he is known as Tata Giovanni (Father Giovanni) .He lived in Rome and worked in the USA. I know that everything my relatives had they left as inheritage to me. I need to find, who has management of it in his hands, and which is the state of property and assets. I don,t know how my identity could be hidden, because I have unique right leg, which was disfigured from birth. This is my unique sign, nobody could be mistaken normally in my identification. Business of my own grandfather was oil and gas, casino and hotels of Las-Vegas. Own father too. During 10 years I was under strong financial pressing. And lived with my younger son for 60 dollars per month. Who became a manager and do that? Since October of 2001 till 2007 all the force of repressing machine was put on us. I have savage fascism in Lithuania in my own flat and in my own life and life of my son. We came out of there on our four. We have total control. Causes - multi billion assets in-heritage from my own relatives. Since 1993 year I was pressed financially at first, I lives with my son and we have 60-100$ for month. And even it is well known that a person is dead without money, my attackers didn’t stop - since 2001 year I had seven savage attacks on me on a territory of Lithuania - was poisoned with HCl, toxicoids,I was systematically trivially beaten, I had a traffic accident - was hit by a car on the pedestrians on green light for me, poisoned with hallucinogens and with my son pushed out to bogs in winter, where we have spent 3 nights. Those attacks started 3 weeks after twin-towers in the USA were ruined. They were ruined in 11.09.2001. I was born in 11.06 - month of twins-Gemini. More, the only citizen of Lithuania died in that crush, who was constantly living and working in the USA in twin-towers Jelena-Helen Gavriushina-Melnichenko - her mother was director of the school my children got education. Director of the school Gavriushina was born 6th of June. I have a friend in my childhood. Vladimir Vladimirovich Gaper. He was born 6th of June. Who is that friend? Everybody knows one Vladimir Vladimirovich, but he wasn’t born at the 6th of June. Who is that my friend born 6th of June? I found that one. In the USA in Las Vegas. Kerkor Kerkorian. After reading his biography I saw that his owned MGM hotel, casino blown 21.11.1980. Interesting, that all those digits are digits of mine and my children’s dates of birth. More, even ID’s are the same. That friend was my own father’s and own grandfather’s manager? Why then the property wasn’t returned to me? Interesting that Bill Clinton had a nickname fly. After exact translating to Russian this mean to fly - as a pilot, a flyer. Manager was a pilot, a flyer. Why Bill Clinton, you ask?If bill - is billion, who clean’t billions then? Do you remember what is Bill Clinton wife’s name? Hillary Clinton. What is hillary clinton? Hi-Larry-Cleaner. Hello, Larisa who got in fly and cleaned… understand, yes? Monica Lewinski came into cabinet in White House at 28 of february 1997. Adopting family’s son was born 28 of February. Who knows what does it mean? In 10 June of 2006 in Diana,s Spencer family house resident of Russian special services Aleksandr Lebedev organized a meeting to memorize death of Raisa Gorbacheva. Michail,s Gorbachev wife died 20 09 1999. But 11.06.2006 I celebrated my 50 anniversary. It means all the strange recollecting organized just before my birthday. Why? How it is connected with the fact that 9 months before Raisa Gorbacheva died, 20.12.1998 died Jevgenij Bondarenko-son of Natalia Bondarenko who became also Lopatinska,ja after getting married with my adopting brother. It is she who is used to get my money without me to agree nor accept. Who helped her? Bush, Primakov visiting Lithuania they organized “accidental” meetings with me and my son. First used his security officers, second by himself. 11.03.2008 Poland visited Hosni Said Mubarak. 14.03.2008 we were proposed to leave Poland. We were getting by auto-stop in Italy. As well as we arrived to Italy, to Italy came Putin, who visited Poland and came to Berlusconi. What does it means? They have my money and business? They robbed me? They were so poor that needed my finances and my incomes? We live with son at street wearing some floor clothes. Was my father such a bad person? Is he blackmailed in such a way? Where is he now? Multiple applying to Silvio Berlusconi does nothing. What could be this person whom in my childhood I know as Silvia in Italy - my “mother” with wig and with man,s cigarettes, and which I must find if I need a defense and help? I know that part of finances former soviet agents transferred to someone in England. After queen Elizabeth and his husband,s visit to Lithuania (16.10.2006-18.10.2006) 21.10.2006 Hubertas Grusnys was killed, he was owner of radio stations and Lithuanian millionaire, whose radio Lietus a week before told about poisoning with toxicoids me and my son in our flat. In Lithuania for my financing and living my own father gave 10% shares of AO LUKOIL company to the oil company AB MAZEIKU NAFTA. For my financing in Lithuania responsible A.Brazauskas, B.Lubys (as everybody know Mr. Lubys is a friend of Mr. Nazarbajev), G.Chapanidze, V.Shkil. Mr. G.Chapanidze is in jail since 1996-1997. I was not financed at all. And didn,t ask nobody to sale or to present my finances or shares to anybody. I know that there are most of assets, which didn’t get in hands of those who robbed me. May be Mr. Alekperov knows what does it mean? In 19.8.1995 in Omsk died someone Ivan (Jan,Giovanni, Ioann) Lickevich. Do you know what does Lickevich means in polish? This is translated as calculate. What and whom calculated Lickevich?Ivan Lickevich was the director of the Omsk oil rafinery. In 3.7.2000 died with his son Gediminas Kesus.They are killed both. Gediminas Kesus was the director of the Mazeiku oil rafinery.When he was killed in Lithuanian newspapers was published information – some documents Gediminas Kesus put into some England bank. What the documents it was? Who started to kill the directors of oil rafineries and started putting the money into his own pockets? My money. In such way oil company LUKOIL go for another hands. Rats hands.
Another savage attack against me began 20.10.2002 – 23.10.2002. In 23.10.2002 - 26.10.2002 there was Nord-Ost in Moscow. My son and I had the same diagnosis as victims of Nord-Ost. Who do it? I have personal individual characteristic by which I can be easily identified - my right leg was disfigured while my mother was pregnant, and I was born with unique diagnosis. After many specific medical operations, my leg became passport, which couldn,t be forged. I demand to change my managers and carers, and I look for a country which could accept me and defend me.
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