The US, UN & Iraq II

SITUATION REPORTS - March 21 2003
1526 GMT - The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) -- also known as the Supreme Assembly of the Islamic Revolution of Iraq (SAIRI) -- announced March 21 that it is prepared to undertake combat operations in Iraq. The Tehran-based and Iranian-backed group, allied with the Kurds opposing the Saddam Hussein regime, already has placed forces in northern, southern and central regions of Iraq, including Baghdad, and are ready to "follow orders." However, no decision has been made regarding entry into the conflict in Iraq, said Seyed Abdulaziz Hakim, head of SCIRI's "Jihad Bureau," in an interview with the Islamic Republic News Agency.

1524 GMT - Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf said March 21 Baghad will not apply international conventions on prisoners of war and that coalition troops are not soldiers. The minister instead referred to the troops as mercenaries to whom international law does not apply.

Back in mid-February, 2001, the US launched a large bombing raid on Iraq, outside of the internationally disputed "no-fly-zones." It was Bush Jr's first massive bombing of Iraq since taking office. Knowing my group would protest this bombing one of the local TV stations called us for an interview. In the studio hours later, a spokesperson for our group, Rev. Bob Kinsey, was asked by one of the station's veteran reporters, what he thought were the main reasons for the troubles in the middle east. Rev. Kinsey spoke of the massive US military aid to Israel and the resulting instability it caused. The reporter's stunning reply, "While I agree with you, if I say anything about US geopolitical interests with Israel, I might as well clean off my desk." Of course this interview was never aired.

Months later I talked to this reporter and asked why he continued to work in this censored atmosphere. "For every five or ten stories I do on the Broncos or dog grooming," he said, "there's one meaningful story I get away with. In the independent or alternative media I can do stories on whatever I want but hardly anyone is listening beyond the choir." When he told me he would love to go to Palestine as a TV reporter but it wouldn't happen anytime soon, he explained, "The corporations that own the TV stations and their corporate attitudes don't care about doing investigative journalism or covering international news. Any why should they? They're quite profitable without doing it." At best, he told me, they may do some real journalism for the prestige and awards but not to provide the public with good reporting.

Last December, as I was preparing to go to Palestine to partake with internationals in nonviolent direct action to end Israel's illegal occupation, my group had arranged an interview with the local Fox news station. The reporter was excited because he saw, like we did, our story as a local connection to an international issue. Though the interview was scheduled days in advance and cleared by appropriate news directors, just an hour before my 15 seconds of air-time, the interview was abruptly canceled. "I'm a soldier, not a general," the reporter told us when we asked why.

A letter to the London Observer newspaper from Terry Jones (of
Monty Python fame).
The Observer
I'm really excited by George Bush's latest reason for bombing Iraq: he's
running out of patience. And so am I! For some time now I've been really
pissed off with Mr Johnson, who lives a couple of doors down the street.
Well, him and Mr Patel, who runs the health food shop. They both give me
queer looks, and I'm sure Mr Johnson is planning something nasty for me,
but so far I haven't been able to discover what.
I've been round to his place a few times to see what he's up to, but
he's got everything well hidden. That's how devious he is. As for Mr
Patel,don't ask me how I know, I just know - from very good sources -
that he is, in reality, a Mass Murderer. I have leafleted the street
telling them that if we don't act first, he'll pick us off one by one.
Some of my neighbours say, if I've got proof, why don't I go to the
police? But that's simply ridiculous. The police will say that they need
evidence of a crime with which to charge my neighbours. They'll come up
with endless red tape and quibbling about the rights and wrongs of a
pre-emptive strike and all the while Mr Johnson will be finalising his
plans to do terrible things to me, while Mr Patel will be secretly
murdering people. Since I'm the only one in the street with a decent
range of automatic firearms, I reckon it's up to me to keep the peace.
But until recently that's been a little difficult. Now, however, George
W. Bush has made it clear that all I need to do is run out of patience,
and then I can wade in and do whatever I want!
And let's face it, Mr Bush's carefully thought-out policy towards Iraq
is the only way to bring about international peace and security. The one
certain way to stop Muslim fundamentalist suicide bombers targeting the
US or the UK is to bomb a few Muslim countries that have never
threatened us.
That's why I want to blow up Mr Johnson's garage and kill his wife and
children. Strike first! That'll teach him a lesson. Then he'll leave us
in peace and stop peering at me in that totally unacceptable way.
Mr Bush makes it clear that all he needs to know before bombing Iraq is
that Saddam is a really nasty man and that he has weapons of mass
destruction - even if no one can find them. I'm certain I've just as
much justification for killing Mr Johnson's wife and children as Mr Bush
has for bombing Iraq. Mr Bush's long-term aim is to make the world a
safer place by eliminating 'rogue states' and 'terrorism'. It's such a
clever long-term aim because how can you ever know when you've achieved
it?
How will Mr Bush know when he's wiped out all terrorists? When every
single terrorist is dead? But then a terrorist is only a terrorist once
he's committed an act of terror. What about would-be terrorists? These
are the ones you really want to eliminate, since most of the known
terrorists, being suicide bombers, have already eliminated themselves.
Perhaps Mr Bush needs to wipe out everyone who could possibly be a
future terrorist? Maybe he can't be sure he's achieved his objective
until every Muslim fundamentalist is dead? But then some moderate
Muslims might convert to fundamentalism. Maybe the only really safe
thing to do would be for Mr Bush to eliminate all Muslims?
It's the same in my street. Mr Johnson and Mr Patel are just the tip of
the iceberg. There are dozens of other people in the street who I don't
like and who - quite frankly - look at me in odd ways. No one will be
really safe until I've wiped them all out. My wife says I might be going
too far but I tell her I'm simply using the same logic as the President
of the United States. That shuts her up.
Like Mr Bush, I've run out of patience, and if that's a good enough
reason for the President, it's good enough for me. I'm going to give the
whole street two weeks - no, 10 days - to come out in the open and hand
over all aliens and interplanetary hijackers, galactic outlaws and
interstellar terrorist masterminds, and if they don't hand them over
nicely and say 'Thank you', I'm going to bomb the entire street to
kingdom come.
It's just as sane as what George W. Bush is proposing - and, in contrast
to what he's intending, my policy will destroy only one street.
Sincerely,
Terry Jones

Blatham

Re: Your comment about wanting to see High-tech toys go "kerblooey". The notification that 4 American Marines and several British Marines were killed when their Chopper crashed accidentally, must have brought a burst of glee and joyful handclapping.

The difference in our perspective while watching this thing unfold on TV. While I look for Iraqi soldiers surrendering---you watch for awful accidents that will somehow vindicate your lust for failure of any American venture.