THE US, THE UN AND IRAQ VI

I used to think Saddam had some wmd.
I used to think we were doing it for democracy.
I used to think it was to liberate the Iraqis.
I used to think Saddam was so bad he had to go.
I used to think it had something to do with freedom.
I used to think a new Iraq could set an example.

Now I know better. It was just a powerful state with some allies re arranging things to suit itself. Otherwise known as imperialism.

Well said!

Baghdad Burning

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...
Wednesday, April 07, 2004

Teapots and Kettles...
Now it seems we are almost literally reliving the first few days of occupation… I woke up to the sound of explosions and gunfire last night and for one terrible moment I thought someone had warped me back a whole year and we would have to relive this last year of our life over and over again…

We haven't sent the kids to school for 3 days. The atmosphere is charged and the day before yesterday, Baghdad was quiet and empty, almost… the calm before the storm. The area of A'adhamiya in Baghdad is seeing street fighting: the resistance and Americans are fighting out in the streets and Al-Sadr city was bombed by the troops. They say that dozens were killed and others wounded. They're bringing them in to hospitals in the center of the city.

Falloojeh has been cut off from the rest of Iraq for the last three days. It's terrible. They've been bombing it constantly and there are dozens dead. Yesterday they said that the only functioning hospital in the city was hit by the Americans and there's no where to take the wounded except a meager clinic that can hold up to 10 patients at a time. There are over a hundred wounded and dying and there's nowhere to bury the dead because the Americans control the area surrounding the only graveyard in Falloojeh; the bodies are beginning to decompose in the April heat. The troops won't let anyone out of Falloojeh and they won't let anyone into it either- the people are going to go hungry in a matter of days because most of the fresh produce is brought from outside of the city. We've been trying to call a friend who lives there for three days and we can't contact him.

This is supposed to be 'retaliation' for what happened last week with the American contractors- if they were indeed contractors. Whoever they were, it was gruesome and wrong… I feel for their families. Was I surprised? Hardly. This is an occupation and for those of you naïve enough to actually believe Chalabi and the Bush administration when they said the troops were going to be 'greeted with flowers and candy' then I can only wish that God will, in the future, grant you wisdom.

This is crazy. This is supposed to be punishment for violence but it's only going to result in more bloodshed on both sides… people are outraged everywhere- Sunnis and Shi'a alike. This constant bombing is only going to make things worse for everyone. Why do Americans think that people in Baghdad or the south or north aren't going care what happens in Falloojeh or Ramadi or Nassriyah or Najaf? Would Americans in New York disregard bombing and killing in California?

And now Muqtada Al-Sadr's people are also fighting it out in parts of Baghdad and the south. If the situation weren't so frightening, it would almost be amusing to see Al-Hakeem and Bahr Ul Iloom describe Al-Sadr as an 'extremist' and a 'threat'. Muqtada Al-Sadr is no better and no worse than several extremists we have sitting on the Governing Council. He's just as willing to ingratiate himself to Bremer as Al-Hakeem and Bahr Ul Iloom. The only difference is that he wasn't given the opportunity, so now he's a revolutionary. Apparently, someone didn't give Bremer the memo about how when you pander to one extremist, you have to pander to them all. Hearing Abdul Aziz Al-Hakeem and Bahr Ul Iloom claim that Al-Sadr is a threat to security and stability brings about visions of the teapot and the kettle…

Then Bremer makes an appearance on tv and says that armed militias will *not* be a part of the New Iraq… where has that declaration been the last 12 months while Badir's Brigade has been wreaking havoc all over the country? Why not just solve the problem of Al-Sadr's armed militia by having them join the police force and army, like the Bayshmarga and Badir's Brigade?! Al-Sadr's militia is old news. No one was bothering them while they were terrorizing civilians in the south. They wore badges, carried Klashnikovs and roamed the streets freely… now that they've become a threat to the 'Coalition', they suddenly become 'terrorists' and 'agitators'.

Now there's an arrest warrant with his name on it, although the Minister of Justice was on tv claiming he knew nothing about the arrest warrant, etc. He basically said that he was washing his hands of any move against Muqtada Al-Sadr. Don't get me wrong- I'd love to see Muqtada behind bars, but it will only cause more chaos and rage. It's much too late for that... he has been cultivating support for too long. It's like a contest now between the prominent Shi'a clerics. The people are dissatisfied- especially in the south. The clerics who weren't given due consideration and a position on the Governing Council, are now looking for influence and support through the people. You can either be a good little cleric and get along with Bremer (but have a lot of dissatisfied people *not* supporting you) or you can be a firebrand cleric and rally the masses...

It's like the first few days of occupation again… it's a nightmare and everyone is tense. My cousin and his family are staying with us for a few days because his wife hates to be alone at home with the kids. It's a relief to have them with us. We all sit glued to the television- flipping between Al-Jazeera, Al-Arabia, CNN, BBC and LBC, trying to figure out what is going on. The foreign news channels are hardly showing anything. They punctuate dazzling reportages on football games and family pets with a couple of minutes worth of footage from Iraq showing the same faces running around in a frenzy of bombing and gunfire and then talk about 'Al-Sadr the firebrand cleric', not mentioning the attacks by the troops in Ramadi, Falloojeh, Nassriyah, Baghdad, Koufa, etc.

Over the last three days, over 150 Iraqis have been killed by troops all over Iraq and it's maddening. At times I feel like a caged animal- there's so much frustration and anger. The only people still raving about 'liberation' are the Iraqis affiliated with the Governing Council and the Puppets, and even they are getting impatient with the mess.

Our foreign minister Hoshyar Zibari was being interviewed by some British journalist yesterday, making excuses for Tony Blair and commending him on the war. At one point someone asked him about the current situation in Iraq. He mumbled something about how there were 'problems' but it wasn't a big deal because Iraq was 'stable'… what Iraq is he living in?

And as I blog this, all the mosques, Sunni and Shi'a alike, are calling for Jihad...


So now, with no other place to go, Jihad.
I only hope Setani has enough control to stop it.

From what I understand, ge, "this guy" is either in a power play with Sistani, or is a little "touched in the head" and is being manipulated by those around him. Whatever....it has become clear in the last week that he is a threat to security as he calls for violence. And despite the statement at the link, "a charismatic Iraqi cleric who comes from a powerful clerical dynasty" I read somewhere that he is anything but charismatic. But the young men love him - probably because they get to carry a gun and have an "actionable" goal - killing Americans.

So many mistakes have been made by the US powers that be, either in Iraq, the WH, the Pentagon, most likely, all of them. Sadr's militia never should have been allowed to stand. Way too late now.

Nah... we've got lots and lots of ammo.

If I'm not mistaken Sistani earlier advised us that we shouldn't pay too much attention to Sadr, that he was isignificant.

If that is the case things are definitely not good between them, or Sistani was lying...

I can see it all now .. the setting sun highlights the last one left standing, bandoliers across both shoulders, brandishing a 50mm in each hand, as the creature turns the first thing noticed is the still beating heart clinched in its teeth ..... spitting the heart to the ground it turns it's face to the blood red skyand unleashes a blood curdling wail to the heavens ....... scrat scrat scrat .... scrat scrat scrat. .... scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaat

ROFLMAO!

Thank you, Gelis, for a very nice laugh. I liked that very much!

I like it when we play nice! :wink:

There goes my image

From what I understand, Sadr was insignificant, until relatively recently. And to Sistani, he might still be seen as insignificant - a mere annoyance in the lofty world of esteemed clerics.

V :: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 ::

Remember the days when every time you hear an Iraqi talk on TV you had to remember that they are talking with a Mukhabarat minder looking at them noting every word? We are back to that place.

You have to be careful about what you say about al-Sadir. Their hands reach every where and you don't want to be on their **** list. Every body, even the GC is very careful how they formulate their sentences and how they describe Sadir's Militias. They are thugs, thugs thugs. There you have it.

I was listening to a representative of al-sadir on TV saying that the officers at police stations come to offer their help and swear allegiance. Habibi, if they don't they will get killed and their police station "liberated". Have we forgotten the threat al-Sadir issued that Iraqi security forces should not attack their revolutionary brothers, or they will have to suffer the consequences.

Dear US administration,
Welcome to the next level. Please don't act surprised and what sort of timing is that it: planning to go on a huge attack on the west of Iraq and provoking a group you know very well (I pray to god you knew) that they are trouble makers.
:: salam 4:04 PM [+] ::
...

Salam

"Dear US administration,
Welcome to the next level. Please don't act surprised and what sort of timing is that it: planning to go on a huge attack on the west of Iraq and provoking a group you know very well (I pray to god you knew) that they are trouble makers."

I wonder what (or who) is meant here.

The remnants that are causing most of the trouble currently amount to less than 5% of Iraqi's, so the wheels are hardly coming off of the cart at this point.

A song from "Up with People"

... and control two important Central-Iraqi cities.

Ican, al Jazeera has some pretty pictures from Falluja, to go along with your little song.

http://english.aljazeera.net/HomePage

If you sing loud enough, you might be able to block out the horror of what you see there.

A year after the fall of Saddam's regime, I have a few questions for Mr Bush.

Why did you think 120,000 or so troops could successfully occupy and hold territory the size of Iraq?

Why, if your intentions towards that country were honourable (wasnt it called Operation Iraqi Freedom?) did you not act with honour to help the people and ensure their welfare after the defeat of Saddam's regular forces?

Why have American generals so mishandled the occupation that Ba'athist, Sunni, Shia, secular Iraqi nationalists, al Qaida and foreign fighters are coming together to form a united front for the liberation of Iraq?

Is it not the case that American intentions towards Iraq were never honourable? That all you were ever interested in was securing control over the oil fields and the energy infrastructure, and using Iraqi territory as a base for American force projection?

And haven't the events over the last year just proved your administration to be both malevolent and incompetent?

Losing hearts and minds ....

Baghdad Burning

... I'll meet you 'round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend...
Friday, April 09, 2004

One Year Later - April 9, 2004
April 9, 2004

Today, the day the Iraqi Puppets hail "National Day", will mark the day of the "Falloojeh Massacre"… Bremer has called for a truce and ceasefire in Falloojeh very recently and claimed that the bombing will stop, but the bombing continues as I write this. Over 300 are dead in Falloojeh and they have taken to burying the dead in the town football field because they aren't allowed near the cemetery. The bodies are decomposing in the heat and the people are struggling to bury them as quickly as they arrive. The football field that once supported running, youthful feet and cheering fans has turned into a mass grave holding men, women and children.

The people in Falloojeh have been trying to get the women and children out of the town for the last 48 hours but all the roads out of the city are closed by the Americans and refugees are being shot at and bombed on a regular basis… we're watching the television and crying. The hospital is overflowing with victims… those who have lost arms and legs… those who have lost loved ones. There isn't enough medicine or bandages… what are the Americans doing?! This is collective punishment … is this the solution to the chaos we're living in? Is this the 'hearts and minds' part of the campaign?

A convoy carrying food, medication, blood and doctors left for Falloojeh yesterday, hoping to get in and help the people in there. Some people from our neighborhood were gathering bags of flour and rice to take into the town. E. and I rummaged the house from top to bottom and came up with a big sack of flour, a couple of smaller bags of rice, a few kilos of assorted dry lentil, chickpeas, etc. We were really hoping the trucks could get through to help out in the city. Unfortunately, I just spoke with an Iraqi doctor who told me that the whole convoy was denied entry... it seems that now they are trying to get the women and children out or at least the very sick and wounded.

The south isn't much better… the casualties are rising and there's looting and chaos. There's an almost palpable anger in Baghdad. The faces are grim and sad all at once and there's a feeling of helplessness that can't be described in words. It's like being held under water and struggling for the unattainable surface- seeing all this destruction and devastation.

Firdaws Square, the place where the statue was brought down, is off-limits because the Americans fear angry mobs and demonstrations… but it doesn't matter because people are sticking to their homes. The kids haven't been to school for several days now and even the universities are empty. The situation in Baghdad feels very unstable and the men in the neighborhood are talking of a neighborhood watch again- just like the early days of occupation.

Where are the useless Governing Council? Why isn't anyone condemning the killings in the south and in Falloojeh?! Why aren't they sitting down that fool Bremer and telling him that this is wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong??? If one of them were half a man or even half a human, they would threaten to resign their posts if there isn't an immediate ceasefire… the people are enraged. This latest situation proves that they aren't Iraqi- they aren't here for the welfare of the Iraqi people.

The American and European news stations don't show the dying Iraqis… they don't show the women and children bandaged and bleeding- the mother looking for some sign of her son in the middle of a puddle of blood and dismembered arms and legs… they don't show you the hospitals overflowing with the dead and dying because they don't want to hurt American feelings… but people *should* see it. You should see the price of your war and occupation- it's unfair that the Americans are fighting a war thousands of kilometers from home. They get their dead in neat, tidy caskets draped with a flag and we have to gather and scrape our dead off of the floors and hope the American shrapnel and bullets left enough to make a definite identification…

One year later, and Bush has achieved what he wanted- this day will go down in history and in the memory of all Iraqis as one of the bloodiest days ever...


- posted by river @ 4:32 PM

Such a goddam mess!

My heart goes out to you, Ge -- and to your family. To all the people of Iraq. To all the people of the world.

We are witnessing a tragedy made all the more tragic since it is represented as an humanitarian effort.

All I can hope is that the American public finally comes to its senses and throws this bunch of retards out.

Until then, the best any of us can offer is sympathy. The dark forces have the reins of power at the moment.

Yitzhak Nakash is a professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University and the author of "The Shi'is of Iraq."


Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company