The Diplomatic Times Review

October 27, 2005

Iraqi Sunni Groups Views on Elections Highlight Divisions

Buried in an October 27, 2005 Associated Press article announcing that three more U.S. Soldiers have been killed in Iraq is the assertion that on October 26, 2005 "an influential group of hardline Sunni Arab clerics, the Association of Muslim Scholars, denounced the [Iraqi] constitution and said they will not join the political process," which culminates in elections in December.

As the AP notes, on October 26, "three Sunni Arab groups the General Conference for the People of Iraq, the Iraqi Islamic Party and the Iraqi National Dialogue joined forces to field candidates in the election, which was made possible by Iraq's newly ratified constitution."

But Reuters quotes Hussein al-Falluji, "a prominent Sunni who took part in talks on the constitution," as saying:

Our political program will focus more on getting the Americans out of Iraq. Our message to the American administration is clear: get out of Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal or the resistance will keep slaughtering your soldiers until Judgment Day

Such contradictions are to be expected as Iraqis dispute over elections that will result because of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. If another country had pulled such a stunt the Bush Administration would be up in arms.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:39 AM | Comments (0)

Don't Get Too Excited by Sunni Parties' Plan to Contest Iraqi Elections

American supporters of the Bush Administration's attempt to force democracy on Iraq out of the barrels of guns shouldn't get too excited by the announcement that the Iraqi Islamic Party, the National Dialogue Council and the People's Gathering will join forces to contest the December 15, 2005 elections. As Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment notes in an analysis of the announcement, Reuters quoted Hussein al-Falluji, "a prominent Sunni who took part in talks on the constitution," as saying:

Our political program will focus more on getting the Americans out of Iraq. Our message to the American administration is clear: get out of Iraq or set a timetable for withdrawal or the resistance will keep slaughtering your soldiers until Judgment Day.

"How this is good news for the Bush administration I do not understand, but that is the way that Rupert Murdoch will spin it on Fox Cable News," Mr. Cole contends. Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:21 AM | Comments (0)

October 26, 2005

Reuters: 'Iraq Sunnis Seek U.S. Pullout as Deaths Mount'

Reuters reported today that, "Iraqi Sunni leaders said on Wednesday [October 26, 2005] they would focus on pressing U.S. forces to pull out after failing to block a controversial constitution, hoping a U.S. death toll of 2,000 will encourage Washington to withdraw."

How in hell are they going to pressure the U.S. to withdraw when they couldn't prevent the constitutional referendum from passing? Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:33 AM | Comments (0)

Arab News: The Stage is Set for Iraq's Parliamentary Elections

Arab News opined in an October 26, 2005 editorial that:

All interested parties will try to extract the message that most suits them from the overwhelming endorsement of the new Iraqi Constitution which was announced yesterday by the UN officials supervising the vote. However, regardless of any spin, the plain fact is that first the interim parliamentary elections and now the constitutional referendum have taken place, despite dire predictions that the men of violence would sabotage the process.

The publication said, "The stage is now set for final parliamentary elections in early December at which point Iraq will have, on paper at least, completed its rapid transformation from a single-party dictatorship to a pluralist democracy."

We shall see whether a constituion imposed by an occupation force will stick or lead to the long-predicted civil war, which many think is already underway. Here's the entire editorial.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)

October 25, 2005

Among the Dead in Baghdad

Professor Juan Cole of the University of Michigan, USA, noted in Informed Comment that "A set of 3 powerful bombings in Baghdad, along with other attacks and violence, left 37 dead and dozens wounded on Monday," October 24, 2005. "Among the dead in Baghdad, al-Zaman says, was the director of the biggest of the American security companies in Iraq, which is responsible for safeguarding the big personalities and diplomats."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)

Iraq's American Constituion

According to the Associated Press, "Iraq's landmark constitution was adopted by a majority of voters during the country's 15 October referendum, as Sunni Arab opponents failed to muster enough support to defeat it, election officials said today [October 25, 2005].

"Whatever the results of the referendum are ... it is a civilized step that aims to put Iraq on the path of true democracy," the wire service quoted "Farid Ayar, an official with the Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq," as saying "before reading the final results at a news conference."

Is a constitution written by foreign occupiers valid? Would the U.S. or Brtain allow foreigners to write a constitution for their citizens? Just asking Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:20 AM | Comments (0)

October 18, 2005

Iraq Rated Most Corrupt Country in the Middle East

Occupied Iraq scored 2.2 marks out of 10 to earn the label of the most corrupt country in the Middle East, according to Transparency International's (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index for 2005.

Weren't we told that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq would end corruption and human rights abuses, among other things?

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:34 PM | Comments (0)

Will Trial Expose How Westen Governments Helped Saddam Thrive?

"Saddam's trial should also expose the foreign powers that helped to set up and sustain his murderous regime, and the banquet of corruption at which scores of politicians, diplomats, intellectuals and businessmen, some from Europe and the United States, supped with the devil," argues Amir Taheri, in guess column analysis in the October 19, 2005 edition of The Times Online. He added:

An Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations has resigned after being charged with receiving illegal kickbacks from Saddam. One of Frances most senior diplomats is in prison on a similar charge. A former French Home Secretary, several members of the Russian parliament and a dozen Arab media figures have also been exposed.

Mr. Taheri said, "In the three decades that Saddam dominated Iraq he had almost $200 billion in oil revenues not only to finance three large-scale wars and kill hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, but also to buy influence in the West. Part of that investment may be bearing fruit as the chorus of his admirers, led by the French, raises its voice." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:21 PM | Comments (0)

The Unusually High Numbers of Yes Votes in 12 Iraqi Provinces

Christian Iraq.Com told its readers today that "Iraqi election officials are investigating what they say are unusually high numbers of yes votes in about 12 provinces from Saturday's [October 15, 2005] referendum on a new constitution." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)

Voting Tallies in Iraq

Informed Comment proprietor Professor Juan Cole comments on voting tallies in Iraq in an October 18, 2005 post. He said, in part:

The Washington spinmeisters who are trying to say that the mere fact of the Sunnis voting [in Iraq for the constitution drafted by the U.S.] is a good thing, even if they voted against the constitution, do no know what they are talking about. Political participation is not always a positive thing. The Nazis after all were elected to the Reichstag. And Serbs consistently voted for Milosevic and other ultra-nationalists. Nobody in Washington thought it positive that Iranian hardliners came out in some numbers to vote for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Mr. Cole said, "Some elections are tragedies for a nation. This constitutional referendum was one of them." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:58 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2005

A Hard Road Still Ahead in Iraq

According to Glenn Kessler at The Washington Post, "For the Bush administration, the apparent approval of Iraq's constitution is less of a victory than yet another chance to possibly fashion a political solution that does not result in the bloody division of Iraq." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)

How Many Turned Out to Vote on Iraqi Constitution?

Christian Iraq. Com reports that, "Election officials in Iraq say as many as 65 percent of eligible voters may have turned out to vote in Saturday's [October 15, 2005] referendum on the country's draft constitution." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)

Free Iraq's Commentary on Iraqi Constitution

Free Iraq has provocative commentary on the Iraqi constitutional referendum. It's worth reading.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)

Bush, Rice and the Iraqi Constitutional Referendum

Helena Cobban at Just World News has a good roundup of some of the things that happened on October 16, 2005 regarding "the Iraqi constitutional referendum."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:44 PM | Comments (0)

Why Weren't Iraqi Expatriates Allowed to Vote on the Constitution?

On October 15, 2005, River Bend at Baghdad Burning made the following observation about Iraqis voting for an American-crafted constitution for Iraq:

American media is trying to make it sound like Sunnis have suddenly been mollified with the changes made in a flurry of covert meetings these last few days, but the reality is that the only Sunni party openly supporting the constitution is the Iraqi Islamic Party which represents a very, very small percentage of Sunnis. Most educated Iraqis want to vote against the constitution. This makes the fact that Iraqis abroad aren't being allowed to vote this time around worrisome. Why was it vital for them to vote for a temporary government back in January but its not necessary for them to contribute to this referendum which will presumably decide a permanent constitution for generations and generations of Iraqis? Could it be that the current Iranian inclined government knew that many Iraqis abroad didn't like the constitution because of federalism, women's rights, and the mention of no laws to be placed which contradict Islam?Iraqis are going to be voting according to religious clerics and, in some areas, tribal sheikhs.

They aren't going to be voting according to their convictions or their understanding of what is supposed to be a document that will set the stage for Iraqi laws and regulations," River Bend said. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)

October 11, 2005

U.S. Continues to Tamper With Constitution it Drafted for Iraqis

Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment said October 11, 2005 that, Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to Iraq, "continues to dicker with the big politicians seeking final alterations in the [proposed Iraqi] constitution before it is voted on Saturday October 15, [2005] in hopes of making a breakthrough that would mollify the Sunni Arabs." He added:

The latter, however, according to al-Hayat, are most concerned by provisions allowing the southern Shiite provinces to establish confederacies that would have a special claim on petroleum resources (thus cutting Sunni Arabs out of their fair share, since they currently have none in their area). There is no prospect of this provision being changed, so Khalilzad's negotiations will probably not have a big effect on the referendum. The fact of the talks, however, does discourage many voters, according to Ellen Knickmeyer of the WaPo [The Washington Post].

"They are convinced that if the text can be changed so near the vote, when so few have even seen the original text, it means that the big politicians will do as they please without regard to the country's charter," Mr. Cole wrote. "That is, Khalilzad's last-minute negotiations may be doing more harm than good."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 07, 2005

Mr. Bush's Divine Mission in Iraq

Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nabil Shaath "quoted George W. Bush as saying God told him to invade Iraq, but said he did not take the U.S. president's comment literally and saw it only as a reflection of his faith and commitment," according to Reuters. Other publications are also running similar reports. Some

"The White House dismissed as "absurd" the remarks attributed to Bush" by Mr. Shaath "in a BBC documentary series recounting a June 2003 meeting he attended along with Mahmoud Abbas, now Palestinian president," Reuters noted.

If Mr. Bush did say what Mr. Shaath claims he said, maybe he does see himself as a "crusader." On September 19, 2001, eight days after Al-Qaida's attack on the United States, he told Americans that "this crusade, this war on terrorism, is going to take awhile."

For more, please see "Palestinian: Bush spoke of Iraq as divine mission."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:24 AM | Comments (0)

September 29, 2005

Speaking Out Against U.S. atrocities in Afghanistan and Iraq

Just World News editor and publisher Helena Cobban paid tribute to "Ian Fishback, a captain in the 82d Airborne and a West Point grad," who "has been particularly courageous" in speaking out against atrocities committed by U.S. soldiers.

She wrote September 28, 2005 that, he "was most probably one of the main sources for Human Rights Watch's recent report on torture and abuse being carried out by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan."

For more, please see "Capt. Fishback's stand for humanity."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:25 AM | Comments (0)

Riverbend Looks Back On September 11

Back on September 11, 2005, Riverbend at Baghdad Burning told her readers:

For the 3,000 victims in America, more than 100,000 have died in Iraq. Tens of thousands of others are being detained for interrogation and torture. Our homes have been raided, our cities are constantly being bombed and Iraq has fallen back decades, and for several years to come we will suffer under the influence of the extremism we didn't know prior to the war.

Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:50 AM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2005

'Realism' from U.S. CENTCOM

Today Helena Cobban at Just World News published a comparative post headlined "Realism from the generals (and the ICG)". She takes a look back at suggestions she made in April 2005 regarding Iraq and compares them to suggestions being made by "the generals who head US Centcom (U.S. Central Command). Here's a link.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:46 PM | Comments (0)

A Look at 'De-Baathification Statistics'

Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment has a translation of an Al-Hayat article on "De-Baathification Statistics." According to Al-Hayat:

Ali al-Lami, member of the De-Baathification Commission, told Al-Hayat that the number of Baathists that were affected by De-Baathification does not exceed 100,000 leading members out of 1 million Baathist in Iraq, of whom 80% were members of the first echelon [firqa] and are entitled to get back to their positions as ordinary civil servants without holding leading positions.

According to Mr. Cole, Al-Hayat's article was translated by Gilbert Achcar, who teaches politics and international relations at the University of Paris.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:26 PM | Comments (0)

'Iraqi Tribes in Syria...'

Joshua Landis, proprietor of Syria Comment.Com told his readers today that"

Time Magazine has published a devastating article about how America has mishandled the war in Iraq.Their (sic) is a very interesting part "Mishandling the Tribes" which explains Syria's role in welcoming the Sunni tribal leaders of Iraq. I will publish an article by Abdullah Taa'i, who writes that "Because the influence the tribal sheikhs in Iraq used to enjoy has been taken from them," their counter-parts in Syria have now become much more powerful as the Iraqi tribal members look to them for succor. They are appealing to the Syrian government for help for their Iraqi confreres

. "This will move the central block of tribes towards Syria," Abdullah writes, according to Mr. Landis. For more, please see "Iraqi Tribes in Syria: "Saddam's Revenge," by Joe Kline."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)

September 23, 2005

Saud: Iraq Bickering Could Lead to Partition

Samir Al-Saadi reports in Arab News' September 24, 2005 edition that "Saudi Arabia said yesterday [September 23, 2005] it hoped iraq's draft constitution would guarantee unity and warned that confrontational disputes may lead to the partition of the state along sectarian lines."

"Saudi Arabia... hopes that the constitution will meet the aspirations of the Iraqi people in consecrating national unity and maintaining its Arab and Muslim identity, said Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal during a news conference in Jeddah," according to Arab News. Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:59 PM | Comments (0)

Feeding 'Myths" About Foreign Fighters in Iraq

In a September 23, 2005 article headlined "The 'myth' of Iraq's foreign fighters," Tom Regan at csmonitor.com reported that, "The US and Iraqi governments have vastly overstated the number of foreign fighters in Iraq, and most of them don't come from Saudi Arabia, according to a new report from the Washington-based Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS)." he added:

According to a piece in The Guardian, this means the US and Iraq "feed the myth" that foreign fighters are the backbone of the insurgency. While the foreign fighters may stoke the insurgency flames, they only comprise only about 4 to 10 percent of the estimated 30,000 insurgents. The CSIS study also disputes media reports that Saudis comprise the largest group of foreign fighters.

"CSIS says "Algerians are the largest group (20 percent), followed by Syrians (18 percent), Yemenis (17 percent), Sudanese (15 percent), Egyptians (13 percent), Saudis (12 percent) and those from other states (5 percent)," he wrote, nothing that "CSIS gathered the information for its study from intelligence services in the Gulf region."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)

Bush Vows to Continue on Doomed and Costly Course in Iraq

During a September 22, 2005 speech at the U.S. Department of Defense (The Pentagon), President George W. Bush indicated that he will continue on the reckless and costly course he chartered in Iraq despite the fact that billions of dollars will be needed to repair damage to the U.S. Gulf Coast caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

I guess it doesn't bother him to leave trillions of dollars worth of debt for future generations. I certainly wouldn't want that to be my legacy.

Here's a White House transcript of his speech.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:04 AM | Comments (0)

September 21, 2005

Iraq's Jaafari Off to London to Placate Blair

Philippe Naughton of the Times Online reports that, "Ibrahim Jaafari, the Iraqi Prime Minister, will visit London today for urgent talks on the growing unrest facing British forces in southern Iraq."

Why isn't Tony Blair visiting southern Iraq? He's the invader and occupier. Oh, that's right, the weaker partner goes to the stronger, which is Blair, for now. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:21 AM | Comments (0)

British Want to Root Out 'Rogue Elements' in Basra Police Force

Colonel Bill Dunham, "the head of the multi-national force in Basra," has said "Rogue elements" in Iraq's police force must be rooted out, according to the BBC.

That's not going to happen, colonel, at least not anytime soon unless you're planning to replace every Shiite on the police force. If you do that, you will created more guerilla fighters. Maybe that's what you want. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:45 AM | Comments (0)

Blair Under New Pressure to Pull Troops Out of Iraq

Kim Sengupta and Colin Brown of The Independent of Britain reported September 21, 2005 that, "British forces in Iraq face increased "ferocity of terrorism" as the country heads into the most crucial stage in its political process, the Defence Secretary John Reid said."

The paper said Reid's "warning came as [British Prime Minister] Tony Blair was under renewed pressure yesterday to set a deadline for withdrawing troops in the wake of British forces' clashes with Iraqi police in Basra." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:32 AM | Comments (0)

The Blair Spin Machine and the Basra Troop 'Rescue'

The Times Online , in a September 21, 2005 article headlined "Police station raid was diversion as SAS squad rescued comrades," reported that, the two undercover British soldiers British special forces forcibly took from Iraqi policemen in Basra September 20 "are believed to have been investigating a corrupt police unit in Basra who were colluding with Shia militia leaders. Some of the men who later interrogated them are believed to be part of this same unit."

The attack on the Iraqi jail in Basra was just a diversion.

If British Prime Minister Tony Blair would call his troops home he wouldn't have to worry about them being captured for spying. You are occupying a foreign country, Tony. And you are doing so under false pretenses and as a favor to U.S. President George W. Bush. I suspect your troops will have more trouble in Basra as result of your hubris. In fact, you should expect as nationalist and religious forces in Iraq continue to flex their muscles.

For a look at the Blair Administration's propaganda ploy, to cover the actions of British troops, see "SAS stormed prison to save soldiers from execution." It must be wonderful to be European and think you have a right to do anything you want in a foreign country, especially a predominantly Muslim country.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:25 AM | Comments (0)

September 15, 2005

Iraq's Justice Minister Condemns U.S. Detention of Iraqis

iraq's justice minister, Abdul Hussein Shandal, "has condemned the US military for detaining thousands of Iraqis for long periods without charge and wants to change a UN resolution that gives foreign troops immunity from Iraqi law," reports the Reuters wire service.

The news agency said the justice minister told "also criticized US detentions of Iraqi journalists and said the media, contrary to US policy in Iraq, must have special legal protection to report on all sides in the conflict." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:36 AM | Comments (0)

Juan Cole: Sistani Says There'll Be No Reprisals Against Sunnis

Professor Juan Cole at Informed Comment noted today, September 15, 2005, that, "Sunni Iraqi religious leaders condemned the attacks [on September 14, 2005 on Shiites in Baghdad that resulted in about 160 dead and hundreds wounded] though often in ways that struck me as a little self-indulgent." He added:

The head of the Sunni Pious Endowments Board, Ahmad Abd al-Ghafur al-Samarra'i, said that it was horrible what happened to the Shiites, but said that Sunnis were also being killed, by persons in police uniforms, and he hoped it wouldn't be Sunni mosques that suffered for it. The Association of Muslim Scholars blamed the bombings on the presence of US troops in Iraq. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani strictly forbade reprisals by Shiites, saying, "If half of Iraq's Shiites were killed, it would not lead to a sectarian war."

Mr. Cole said, "Sistani is keenly aware that the guerrilla strategy is to sucker the Shiites into attacking Sunni Arabs on a large scale, producing a civil war that would destabilize Iraq and give the Sunni guerrillas an open for making a coup and taking over." Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:23 AM | Comments (0)

September 14, 2005

Why Would Al-Qaida Add Shiites to its Enemies List?

In a September 14, 2005 report on the "ambushes and at least 11 suicide car bombings Wednesday [September 14, 2005]" in Iraq that "killed about 150 people and wounded hundreds," The New York Times said "Al Qaeda's leader in Iraq purportedly declared all-out war on Shiite Muslims, Iraqi troops and the government in an audiotape released Wednesday on an Internet site known for carrying extremist Islamist content, The Associated Press reported from Cairo.

Question: Why would Al-Qaida in Iraq seek a war with Shiites while fighting U.S. occupation forces and their Western and Iraqi allies? This doesn't make sense.

Is the information accurate? Did Al-Qaida make the announcement or Is it part of a Psy-Ops campaign? Just asking.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:47 PM | Comments (0)

September 13, 2005

What's Really Going on at Tal Afar?

Professor Juan Cole at the influential Informed Comment sees the ballyhooed Tal Afar campaign in Iraq as an "Ethnic Civil War," while "much of the American press has reported the Tal Afar campaign as a strike by the new Iraqi Army, supported by US troops, against foreign infiltrators in the largely Turkmen city of 200,000." He wrote in a September 13, 2005 post:

As Jonathan Finer makes clear in the Washington Post, however, the operation looks different if we know some details. The "Iraqi Army" leading the assault turns out to be mainly the Peshmerga or Kurdish ethnic militia. Along for the ride are local Turkmen Shiites who are being used as informers and for the purpose of identifying Sunni Turkmen they think are involved in the guerrilla movement (apparently they sometimes make false charge to settle scores). Tal Afar was 70 percent Sunni Turkmen and 30 percent Shiite Turkmen. The Sunni Turkmen had thrown in with Saddam, and some more recently had turned to radical Islam.

Mr. Cole said, "The Shiite Turkmen lived in fear of their lives. So Kurds and Shiites are beating up on Sunni Turkmen allies of Sunni Arabs. That is what is really going on."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:10 AM | Comments (0)

September 01, 2005

CSM: 'Panic of war sparks human tragedy in Iraq'

Christian Science Monitor corresponder Dan Murphy reported September 1, 2005 from Baghdad that, "What began as a tense yet joyful day for Iraq's Shiites, with about a million people chanting prayers and streaming toward a gold-domed shrine, unraveled into the single worst human tragedy since the beginning of the war." Here's his account of the tragic event

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:40 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2005

Facts Getting in the Way of Desire to Celebrate Iraq's Constitution

In a special to washingtonpost.com, journalist Dan Froomkin wrote August 29, 2005 that "President Bush is trying to turn the completion of a divisive and disappointing draft constitution for Iraq into a cause for celebration."

"But the facts keep getting in the way," he wrote. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:18 PM | Comments (0)

August 28, 2005

Is Iraq Moving Closer to Civil War?

An August 28, 2005 report on Iraq in The Observer of London by correspondents Rory Carroll in Baghdad, Peter Beaumont in London and Paul Harris in Washington offers a vivid account of the political and military crisis in Iraq. They suggest that the country is on the brink of civil war.

See "Iraq takes yet another step closer to civil war."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2005

Is Bush Preparing Americans for Many Years of War in Iraq?

During his August 27, 2005 radio address, U.S. President George W. Bush told his listeners"

Our strategy is straightforward: As Iraqis stand up, Americans will stand down. And when Iraqi forces can defend their freedom by taking more and more of the fight to the enemy, our troops will come home with the honor they have earned.

Our efforts in Iraq and the broader Middle East will require more time, more sacrifice and continued resolve. Yet people across the Middle East are choosing a future of freedom and prosperity and hope. And as they take these brave steps, Americans will continue to stand with them because we know that free and democratic nations are peaceful nations.Mr. Bush said, "By advancing the cause of liberty in the Middle East, we will bring hope to millions and security to our own citizens. And we will lay the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren."

If Mr. Bush is waiting for these conditions to occur before the U.S. withdraws from Iraq, Americans should prepare for many years of seeing their children off to war unless an antiwar movement in the U.S. combined with the resistance or a civil war in Iraq force U.S. troops to leave.

Here is a White House transcript of Mr. Bush's August 27 radio address

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2005

Bush Goes Back to the They Want to Destroy Our Way of Life Theme

Today U.S. President George W. Bush told a friendly audience in Nampa. Idaho, USA that, "Our nation is engaged in a global war on terror that affects the safety and security of every American. In Iraq," he added, "Afghanistan and across the world, we face dangerous enemies who want to harm our people, folks who want to destroy our way of life."

Has Osama bin Ladin and his allies ever said they wanted to destroy the American way of life, something they know they can't do?

Michael Scheuer, who once headed the CIA's bin Ladin unit, adequately addresses the "they want to destroy our way of life" issue in his book Imperial Hubris: Why The West Is Losing The War On Terror. According to the book, whose points are also outlined in Wikipedia, bin Ladin and his allies' attack U.S. interest because::

(1) The U.S. government supports Israel and is indifferent to the Palestinians
(2) To force U.S. and western troops out of the Arabian Peninsula
(3) To end U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan
(4) To end U.S. support of countries that oppress Muslims such as Russia, India and China
(5) To end U.S. pressure on Arabs to keep oil prices low; and
(6) To end U.S. support for tyrannical governments

These same reasons are outlined in Mr. Scheuer's book Through Our Enemies' Eyes: Osama Bin Laden, Radical Islam & the Future of America, which was initially a CIA training manual on bin Ladin.

Here is a White House transcript of Mr. Bush's Idaho speech.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:35 PM | Comments (0)

Is there really an Iraqi nation?

USNews.Com's Kevin Whitelaw ask in the publication's National Security Watch column: Is there really an Iraqi nation? His answer is here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:51 AM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2005

Is Bush Preaching to the Choir on Afghanistan and Iraq?

As opposition to the war in Iraq becomes more visible, U.S. President George W. Bush has embarked on a public relations campaign to ensure that his support base continues to accept that their loved ones dying in far off places such as Iraq and Afghanistan is for a "noble cause. For example, on August 22, 2005, he told the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention underway at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah:

Vast oceans and friendly neighbors are not enough to protect us. A policy of retreat and isolation will not bring us safety. The only way to defend our citizens where we live is to go after the terrorists where they live. (Applause.)

So the second part of our strategy is to take the fight to the terrorists abroad before they can attack us here at home. This is the most difficult and dangerous mission in the war on terror. And like generations before them, our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines have stepped forward to accept the mission. They've damaged the al Qaeda network across the world and we're going to keep the terrorists on the run. From Afghanistan to Iraq, to the Horn of Africa, our men and women in uniform are bringing our enemies to justice and bringing justice to our enemies.
He added: Our goal is clear: to secure a more peaceful world for our children and grandchildren. We will accept nothing less than total victory over the terrorists and their hateful ideology. (Applause.)

While such statements make an audience feel good, reality suggests that there will be no total victory and the world will not be safer. It will become more dangerous as more Muslims join what many perceive as a "defensive jihad" against the U.S. and its allies, who are establishing more military bases in Muslim countries and helping their Muslim allies all over the world arrest or kill Muslims who challenge local authority and repressive, pro-West policies. This includes using Muslim resources more for the benefit of the West than Muslims.

For total victory over Muslim fighters, the U.S. and the West would have to destroy the global Islamic community. And that is not going to happen without a global fight. Many Muslims born in the West would even join this fight on the side of the Ummah, while others will back the West. This could conceivably lead to a Muslim civl war in the West.

By the way, Mr. Bush was right when he said the current struggle between the U.S. and the global "defensive Jihad" movement has World War proportions. This is explained very well by Michael Scheuer in his excellent book Imperial Hubris: Why The West Is Losing The War On Terror.

Here is the White House transcript of Mr. Bush's August 22, 2005 address.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)

August 20, 2005

Is MSM Suffering Collateral Damage From Iraq War?

Ron Hutcheson of Knight Ridder Newspapers asserted August 18, 2005 that, "As the battle for Iraq's future plays out half a world away, the American news media are caught in the crossfire at home."

For more, see "Mainstream news media suffer collateral damage from Iraq war."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:07 PM | Comments (0)

CNN Presents 'Dead Wrong: Inside an Intelligence Meltdown'

The CNN Presents documentary "Dead Wrong -- Inside an Intelligence Meltdown"airs August 21, 2005 at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States. According to CNN, it "pieces together the events leading up to the mistaken WMD intelligence that was presented to the public" by former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

"A presidential commission that investigated the pre-war WMD intelligence found much of it to be "dead wrong," CNN said.

Note: This item is cross-posted at The Opinion Gazette and The National Political Observer, my other blogs.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:27 AM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2005

Cheney Delivers Same Old Message to a Pro-war Audience

U.S. Vice-President Richard Cheney spoke August 18, 2005 at the 73rd National Convention of the Military Order of the Purple Heart in Springfield, Missouri. Amid a growing anti-war movement in the U.S. that has many Republicans worried about re-election in 2006, Mr. Cheney delivered the predictable mantra about the War in Iraq and the so-called war on terror. For example, he said:

Iraq is a critical front in the war on terror, and victory there is critical to the future security of the U.S. and other free nations. We know this, and the terrorists know it as well. Osama bin Laden has said the "Third World War is raging" in Iraq. "The whole world," he said, "is watching this war." He says it will end in "victory and glory -- or misery and humiliation."

Mr. Cheney reminded his friendly audience: "Our mission in Iraq is clear. On the military side, we are hunting down the terrorists, and training Iraqi security forces so they can take over responsibility for defending their own country. And over time, as Iraqi forces stand up, American forces will stand down. On the political side, we're helping Iraqis build a vital, peaceful, self-governing nation that can be an ally in the war on terror."

If American forces are going to stand down when, and if, Iraqi forces can provide security, why is the Administration building 14 so-called "enduring bases" in Iraq? This suggests that the plan is to stay in Iraq for years. If this occurs, Iraq will be a magnet for Mujahiddin for as long as the country is occupied. Here's Mr. Cheney's entire speech.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:07 AM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2005

Sending Them Back to Hell

The British "Home Office has defended its decision to begin forcibly returning failed Iraqi asylum-seekers [to Iraq] even though the country is still suffering from insurgency," correspondent Daniel McGrory noted in the August 16, 2005 edition of Times Online.

"Scores of Iraqis have been taken to detention centres in the past week and the first are expected to be sent back within days," Mr. McGrory reported.

For more, see "Forcible removal of illegal Iraqis to start soon."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:22 AM | Comments (0)

August 15, 2005

Will U.S. Pressure on Iraqi Politicians backfire?

"The United States is pushing Iraqi leaders hard to reach agreement on a draft constitution but U.S. experts on Iraq warned on Monday [August 15, 2005] that too much pressure could backfire and undermine the leadership's credibility," according to Reuters correspondent Sue Pleming.

"Iraq's parliament agreed on Monday [August 15, 2005] to allow an extra week for negotiations on the constitution after politicians asked for more time to reach a deal and postponed a Monday deadline," she noted, adding:.The delay is seen as a blow to efforts by U.S. diplomats who have been shuttling between the sides in the hope that a deal could help weaken the insurgency among the Sunni minority in Iraq."

Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:37 PM | Comments (0)

Soldiers Blogs 'Give New View From War'

If you are interested in news and stories from the battlefield in Iraq written by soldiers, see Frontline Blogs.Com. Also see "Blogs Give New View From War."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:21 AM | Comments (0)

The Mirror Says Blair Government to Deport Iraqi Asylum Seekers

Mirror.com.uk reported in an August 15, 2005 exclusive that, "Failed asylum seekers are to be forced to return home to Iraq despite continuing terror attacks by insurgents."

"The Home Office has already had scores of Iraqis rounded up and sent to detention centres ready for repatriation," the Mirror said. Read more here.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:48 AM | Comments (0)

August 14, 2005

Scholar Urges Bush to Stay the Course in Iraq

Frederick W. Kagan, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., claims that, "Despite what you may have read, the military situation in Iraq today is positive far better than it ever was when we were fighting guerrillas in Vietnam, or when the Soviets were fighting the Afghan mujahedin, or in almost any other major insurgency of the 20th century."

I wonder if Mr. Kagan really believes his own pronouncements. I certainly don't. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:03 PM | Comments (0)

Christian Science Monitor: 'Antiwar Sentiment Gets Champion'

The Christian Science Monitor asserts in its August 15, 2005 edition that, "In her high-profile vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch, Cindy Sheehan has brought the face and the heart of the antiwar movement to the world."

I totally agree. And short of bringing the troops home from Iraq, there is nothing Mr. Bush and his supporters can do that will stem the anti-war sentiment that Ms. Sheehan symbolizes.

On second thought, there is something Mr. Bush can do;he can meet with her as she has requested. But a meeting won't change the dynamic in play. There are simply been too many deaths of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis caused by the invasion and occupation of Iraq under false pretenses for us to pretend that the status quo remains. The invasion unleashed one the most lethal insurgencies in modern times and the beginning of a visible anti-war movement in the United States. Insurgencies and opposition to war at home is a combination that usually leads to withdrawal from foreign adventures.

For more, see "Antiwar sentiment gets champion."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:17 PM | Comments (0)

August 13, 2005

Mohammed Fadhil's 'Message to Cindy Sheehan'

On August 12, 2005, Mohammed Fadhil at Iraq The Model, the favorite Iraqi blog of many conservative bloggers in the United States who want American soldiers to die for Iraqis, sent "A message to Cindy Sheehan."

She is the American woman who has gained international attention with her effort to speak with U.S. President George W. Bush, by camping-out near his ranch in Crawford, Texas. She is demanding a meeting with him. Her son, Casey, was killed in Iraq. So far, he has refused to meet with her.

However, on August 6, 2005, he did send Stephen J. Hadley, his National Security Adviser, and Joe Hagin, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, to meet with her. They talked for 45 minutes, according to news reports.

"I want to ask the president, why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?" Ms. Sheehan has repeatedly told reporters.

Mohammad Fadhil's post was written to convince her that he died for a good cause. When this item was posted, he had drawn 343 comments. I doubt his lament will have much influence on Ms. Sheehan.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:05 PM | Comments (0)

Free Iraq Comments on 'The American Iraqi-Constitution"

Imad Khadduri at Free Iraq has an interesting post headlined "The American Iraqi-Constitution." How dare he call it that? After you read the post you will understand why.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)

'Iraqis Want Water, Electricity as Much as Constitution'

Alisha Ryu at Christian Iraq.com says "Iraqis Want Water, Electricity as Much as Constitution. Here's her post.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

Today in Iraq's War-Dead Roundup

Today in Iraq has posted its roundup of "War News" from Iraq for Saturday, August 13, 2005

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:02 PM | Comments (0)

Passions High in the U.S. Over Cindy Sheehan's Anti-war Stance

When this item was posted on August 13, 2005, Technorati, which promotes itself as "the authority on what's going on in the world of weblogs, had 5,455 posts about Cindy Sheehan, who is camped out near President George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, in an attempt to talk to him about the Iraq war. She is the mother of Casey Sheehan, who was killed in Iraq.

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, Ms. Sheehan has been vilified and extolled for her anti-war efforts.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

It's the Same Old Song on Iraq and Terrorism

During his August 13, 2005 weekly radio address, U.S. President George W. Bush continued his theme of justifying the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. The address reads like a weak attempt to convince an increasingly doubtful public of the efficacy of his venture as opposition to the war, led by military families who've had loved ones killed in Iraq, slowly picks up speed.

Here's the White House transcript of his address. A link to the audio version is on the White House web page.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:47 AM | Comments (0)

August 10, 2005

Iraq To Get Its First Independent News Agency Run By Iraqis

"Iraq is to get its first independent news agency run and staffed by Iraqi journalists and backed by Reuters and the United Nations," according to Guardian Unlimited.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

Cobban: The Steven Vincent Plot Thickens

Helena Cobban at Just World News says the Steven Vincent plot thickens.

Mr. Vincent, an American freelance journalist, was murdered August 3, 2005 in Basra, Iraq. Some commentators say it was for his meddling in, and writing about, local political and cultural affairs, while others suggest it was because of his relationship with a young Iraqi woman who serves as his interpreter and guide.

Some publications have hinted that she was his lover. She was also shot but survived.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:58 AM | Comments (0)

August 08, 2005

U.S. Marines to Implement Vietnam-Era War Program in Iraq

The United States Marines plan to implement in Iraq a training program that it employed in Vietnam. It's called the Combined Action Platoon program, which, according to the the Copley News Service, the Marines operated "from 1965 to 1971, despite U.S. Army opposition, in an effort to secure their sector in the northern region of South Vietnam."

Signon SanDiego.Com reported August 6, 2005 that, "Lieutenant General John Sattler, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said that when his Camp Pendleton-based Marines return to Iraq next year, their primary mission will switch from hunting down insurgents to training and mentoring Iraqi security forces. To that end, he intends to "embed" small Marine teams in Iraqi army or police units for extended periods."

The publication noted that, "In preparation for the mission, the Corps examined a program in which Marines were sent into Vietnamese villages to help train local militias."

"We went back and read through the history, read the after-action (reports) on CAP," Mr. Sattler was quoting as saying. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:20 AM | Comments (0)

August 07, 2005

Mr. President, 'Why Did You Kill My Son?'

If more American mothers with sons and daughters in Iraq do what Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, California did on August 6, 2005, U.S. President George W. Bush and the Republicans might be in political trouble. Ms. Sheehan, whose son "Casey, 24, was killed in Sadr City, Iraq, on April 4, 2004, marched on Mr. Bush's ranch in Crawford Texas, and demanded to see him. She was "supported by more than 50 demonstrators, according to the Associated Press.

"I want to ask the president, 'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?' " the AP quoted her as telling reporters.

Ms. Sheehan, 48, "didn't get to see Mr. Bush, but did talk about 45 minutes with national security adviser Steve Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin, who went out to hear her concerns," the AP noted. After they explained why the U.S. was in Iraq, which she didn't buy, she again demanded to see Mr. Bush, and vowed to remain in the area until she saw him. On August 4, 2005, after the deaths of 14 troops from an Ohio battalion, Mr. Bush said:

The violence in recent days in Iraq is a grim reminder of the enemies we face. These terrorists and insurgents will use brutal tactics because they are trying to shake the will of the United States of America. That's what they are trying to do. They want us to retreat. They want us, in our compassion for the innocent, to say we are through. That's what they want.

If Ms. Sheehan is granted an audience with Mr. Bush, it will be a miracle. Based on the his statement above, troops will continue to die in Iraq until mothers and fathers by the thousands demand that their sons and daughters come home from a war launched under false pretenses. Of course, for some it's too late. They are already six feet under or crippled for life.

Then there are thousands of Iraqis who died as a result of the war, whether killed by the U.S. and its so-called coalition allies or insurgents resisting the occupation. But who cares about them? They're just Arabs and Muslims.

For more on the Ms. Sheehan's demonstration, see "Fallen GI's mom leads protest near Bush ranch."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)

August 06, 2005

Why Aren't Mr. Bush's Daughters in Iraq?

Why doesn't President Bush send his daughters over there [to Iraq]?"

That question, according to the Globe and Mail of Toronto, was asked by 39-year-old ex-marine Darrell Stewart, "who was paying his respects [in Ohio] to his fallen comrades and now regrets voting for Mr. Bush."

"I love America, and I love our armed services. I just don't like the way things are being handled over there," he said.

Mr. Stewart's statement, and numerous others that should worry President George W. Bush and the republicans, if true, is in an article by Globe and Mail Correspondent Alan Freeman, who writes:

Ohio, the battleground state that sealed Mr. Bush's second term as President the morning after the November, 2004, election, is grieving as it prepares to bury 14 of its soldiers killed in a particularly lethal week of ambushes, roadside bombs and suicide attacks.

For more see, "United in grief, yet divided by war."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

Is U.S. Planning For Long-Stay in Iraq?

Ashraf Fahim, described by Asia Times Online as "a freelance writer on Middle Eastern affairs based in New York and London," reported August 6, 2005 that, "Persistent reports that the U.S. is constructing permanent bases in Iraq lend credence to the view that the Bush administration plans to stay."

"The Chicago Tribune reported in March 2004 that the U.S. was building 14 "enduring" bases in Iraq, and the Washington Post reported in May that U.S. forces would eventually be consolidated into four large, permanent air bases," he added.

See "Basic questions about bases" for more of Mr. Fahim's report.

By the way, does anyone really believe the U.S. won't stay in Iraq for years?

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)

August 04, 2005

GAO Issues Report on Use of 'Private Security Advisers' in Iraq

The Government Accountability Office in the United States has issued a July 2005 report titled "Rebuilding Iraq: Actions Needed to Improve Use of Private Security Providers."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:45 PM | Comments (0)

Was Vincent's Death Retaliation for An Op-Ed Piece?

The Los Angeles Times reports that, some of murdered American Freelance Writer Steven Vincent's colleagues blame an article he wrote for the July 31, 200 edition of The New York Times for his death.

According to the LA Times, "Bruce Wolmer, editor in chief of Art & Auction magazine, wrote in an open letter: "Our longtime staff writer, colleague and dear friend Steven Vincent was brutally murdered in Basra, Iraq, yesterday by what is assumed to be a local religious/criminal militia. The cause was apparent retaliation for Steven's op-ed piece in the New York Times on Sunday."

The publication said, "Mitchell Muncy, editor in chief of Spence Publishing Co. in Dallas, which published Vincent's book "In the Red Zone" last year, said the journalist had succeeded in keeping a low profile until the article appeared. "He was not a household name, at least until this piece was published on Sunday," Muncy said. "Unfortunately, I guess the bad guys read the New York Times."

Apparently, they do.

See "Slain Writer Was Investigating Graft" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:19 PM | Comments (0)

Al-Jazeera: 'Jordan Foils Plot to Attack US Troops'

"Jordan has arrested 17 suspects linked to al-Qaida network in Iraq and an affiliated Saudi group who have been plotting to attack US military personnel in the kingdom," Al-Jazeera.net reported August 4, 2005. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)

August 03, 2005

Bush: Insurgents in Iraq Trying to Shake Our Will

Commenting on the deaths of more than three-dozen U.S. troops in Iraq during the last 10 days, President George W. Bush said,

The violence in recent days in Iraq is a grim reminder of the enemies we face. These terrorists and insurgents will use brutal tactics because they are trying to shake the will of the United States of America. That's what they are trying to do. They want us to retreat. They want us, in our compassion for the innocent, to say we are through. That's what they want.

Of course they want you to retreat, Mr. Bush, and you will. Why? Because Americans will not continue to endure the futile loss of their children in a war initiated under false pretense. You picked the battleground, sir, and Iraqi insurgents and Mujahids from abroad brought it on, as you invited them to do.

As for "our compassion for the innocent," when did invading a country and creating conditions that caused thousands to die become equated with compassion?

For more see, "Bush Says Iraq Deaths Will Not Shake US Resolve."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:43 PM | Comments (0)

Forty-Three U.S. Troops Killed in Iraq During Last 10 Days

CNN.Com noted August 3, 2005 that, "In the past 10 days, 43 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq. That brings the number of U.S. troops killed in the war to 1,820, according to U.S. military reports," CNN said.

The Los Angeles Times reported August 3, 2005, that, "At least 25 American service members have been killed in Iraq in the past 10 days - all but two in combat."

Six of them were snipers killed August 1, 2005 "in a firefight near Haditha," Iraq, along the Euphrates River.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:11 PM | Comments (0)

Condolences to the Family of Journalist Steven Vincent

The Diplomatic Times Review offers condolences to the family of Steven Vincent, the American freelance journalist "found shot to death in the Iraqi city of Basra" on August 3, 2005. According to the blog In The Red Zone, Mr. Vincent had an article "on Basra in the July 31 New York Times."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:44 AM | Comments (0)

August 01, 2005

Arizona Guardsman Punished For a Blog Post on Iraq

The Army Times reported July 29, 2005 that, "An Arizona National Guardsman who had been openly critical of the war in Iraq on his Web log has been punished for violating operational security and for 11 counts of disobeying orders, according to Multinational Coalition Force-Iraq." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:15 AM | Comments (0)

July 27, 2005

The Death Toll Keeps Rising In Iraq

According to the Associated Press, at last count, at least 1,782 members of the U.S. military have died in Iraq since the U.S. and Britain invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. The U.S. command said July 26, 2005 that four U.S. soldiers were killed with a roadside bomb in southwestern Baghdad on July 24, 2005, according to the AP,

To date, we have no accurate count of how may Iraqis have died since the invasion. The U.S. deliberately does not count them. However some private groups have. See "Death toll of Iraqi civilians." Also see "Casualties in Iraq: The Human Cost of Occupation." Then there is the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Columbia University School of Nursing and Al-Mustansiriya University in Baghdad study, which said Iraqi Civilian Deaths Increase(d) Dramatically After Invasion.

By the way, one of my nieces leaves for Iraq on July 29, 2005. I don't want her to go, but she she volunteered to serve in the military in exchange for money to go to college.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Bouteflika: 'Algeria Will Remember This'

After announcing that Al-Qaeda in Iraq had executed Ali Belaroussi, Algeria's top diplomat in Iraq, and fellow diplomat Azzedine Belkadi, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika said Algeria will remember this."

He said Algeria "would pursue those who have dared to so scandalously attack the children of a country that has done so much to fight at the sides of the Iraqi people in its quest for sovereignty, national unity, for its territorial integrity," according to wire service reports. After the killings, Al-Qaeda in Iraq warned Muslims not to "stand by America in its aggression" in Iraq.

Egyptian envoy Ehab al-Sherif was murdered on July 7, 2005 by Al-Qaeda in Iraq.

For more, see "Algerian Diplomats Murdered."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The U.S Has Not Committed To Leaving Iraq

If you notice, the Americans, like the British, are not unconditionally committing to a withdrawal from Iraq. For example, General George W. Casey, "the top U.S. commander in Iraq," said July 27, 2005:

I do believe that if the political process continues to go positively, if the developments with the (Iraqi) security forces continue to go as it is going, I do believe we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions after these elections -- in the spring and summer of next year.

The key words are "we will still be able to make fairly substantial reductions." The U.S does not plan to leave the predominantly Muslim nation for years. If the intent is to leave permanently, why build so many military bases.? There will reportedly be 12, maybe 14 "enduring bases."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Does U.S. Trust Iraqis Enough To Withdraw Forces?

"The U.S. has always had an ambivalent attitude to rebuilding the Iraqi armed forces," asserts Patrick Cockburn in an article in the July 28, 2005 issue of The Independent Online. "It has wanted them strong when facing the insurgents but has been slow to arm them with effective weapons. Iraqi officials say that "at the end of the day the Americans do not trust us".

I agree with this assessment. I wonder whether the fact that Iraq's armed forces and the police have been so infiltrated by the resistance has anything to do with the lack of trust. Here's more of Mr. Cockburn's analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is Rumsfeld Blaming Iraqis For Presence of Foreign Fighters?

U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who snuck into Baghdad July 27, 2005, said the Iraqi government " need to be aggressively communicating with their neighbours to see that foreign terrorists stop coming across those borders and that their neighbours do not harbour insurgents and finance insurgents."

Mr. Rumsfeld, the foreign fighters would not be in Iraq if the U.S. and Britain were not occupying it. It's a magnet, sir. See "Rumsfeld presses Iraq on Syria, Iran" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:24 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 25, 2005

Turkey Offers To Sign Protocol On Cross-Border Operations

On July 25, 2005, Anadolu News Agency (ANA) of Turkey quoted quoted Abdulkadir Aksu, Turkey's interior minister, as saying:

It is necessary to prevent terrorist organizations supporting other terrorists in Iraq and those conducting cross-border operations. It is required to take measurements on the borders. I have offered to sign a cooperation protocol with the ministers of other countries neighboring Iraq. Our offer has been accepted.

State Department spokesman Adam Erelli was quoted as saying

"The operation against PKK [the Kurdistan Workers Party] in both countries [Iraq and Turkey] is active. We have a good cooperation history on this issue and we will continue to work together.

He said the question of whether Turkey should be able to launch cross-border operations against PKK shouldn't be on the table, according to ANA.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Zibari: Cross Border Operation can Harm Iraq's Stability

A July 25, 2005 Cihan News Agency report published at Zaman Daily Online said

Iraq gave negative signs on the subject of the cross-border operation against the terrorist organization Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that had caused tension between the US and Turkey.

"A regional military operation into Iraq by Turkey, Iran or any Arab country is unacceptable." Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshar Zabari, a Kurd, was quoted as saying.

Cihan noted that Mr. Zabari, "presiding at a meeting in Jordan's capital Amman, attended by high-ranking Iraqi diplomats, maintained that, US forces were ready to capture PKK militants. He also emphasized Turkey's launching operations in the north could harm Iraq's stability.

Indicating that PKK members are sheltered in areas beyond the control of the central government and the local Kurdish administration, Zabari claimed they would be captured by U.S. Forces if they move. He added: "

We have the obligation, against Turkey and all other neighboring countries, to control all armed non Iraqi groups and prevent their actions."

Cihan said after Turkey's raised "the issue of cross border operation," [the] US told the Turkey that it should approach the Iraqi government on the matter. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 20, 2005

Are War Crimes Charges Against British Soldiers A Blow To Blair?

The Reuters news agency quotes lawyer Phil Shiner as saying war crime charges against three British soldiers in Iraq are "only the tip of the iceberg." Mr. Shiner represents nine alleged victims of the British occupation of portion of Iraq.

Mr. Shiner said the families he represent "welcome the first steps towards justice of those responsible," according to Reuters, adding: :However this is only a start."

Reuters said "In the latest case of alleged abuse, one of the soldiers, Corporal Donald Payne, 34, was charged with the war crime of the inhumane treatment of Iraqi detainee Baha Musa, who died in custody in the southern city of Basra in September 2003."

Payne, of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, was also charged with Musa's unlawful killing and perverting the course of justice," the wire service said."Two others -- Lance Corporal Wayne Crowcroft, 21, and Private Darren Fallon, 22, both of the 1st Battalion The Queen's Lancashire Regiment -- were jointly charged with the war crime of abusing Iraqi civilians."

Reuters said, "Among the accused is Colonel Jorge Mendonca who initiated the formal enquiry into Musa's death." The wire service quotes "Brigadier Geoffrey Sheldon, Colonel of the Queen's Lancashire Regiment, as saying: "It is therefore particularly difficult for us to learn that Colonel Mendonca must himself now answer charges a result."

The announcement of charges against the soldiers comes at time when British Prime Minister Tony Blair is trying to get Britain's Muslim community to work with the police in the wake of the July 7, 2005 bombing in London.

It also comes at a time of increasing debate in London over whether the bombing was related to Britain's role in the March 20, 2003 U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq. Mr. Blair says it's not related, and that the bombings were carried out because the perpetrators believed in an "evil ideology."

Some British government oficials and independent researchers take the opposite position, to the chagrin of Mr. Blair.Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 19, 2005

The U.S. Doesn't Do Body Counts in Iraq But IRC Does

One of the most interesting statistics in the dossier that Iraq Body Count (IBC) and the Oxford Research Group (ORG) released on July 19, 2005 detailing the minimum number of civilians killed in Iraq since the official U.S. invasion in March 2003 is this:

US-led forces killed 37% of civilian victims. Anti-occupation forces/insurgents killed 9% of civilian victims. Post-invasion criminal violence accounted for 36% of all deaths. Killings by anti-occupation forces, crime and unknown agents have shown a steady rise over the entire period. Just reading news accounts of suicide bombings one could easily conclude that most civilian deaths were caused by insurgents.

If IBC and ORG are correct, most died at the hands of the U.S. and common criminals unleashed after the invasion. Some Freedom. Here is the dossier. And here is the IBC press release on the dossier.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:37 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 17, 2005

Crackdowns Fail To Breakup Iraq's Suicide Network

Reuters correspondent Michael Gregory reported July 17, 2005 that U.S officials in Iraq say suicide bombers "pass through a sophisticated network of handlers who offer safehouses and weapons."

"Iraqi forces have discovered workshops in Baghdad which can fit a car with explosives in an hour," Mr.Gregory wrote.

He said, "Numerous security crackdowns have failed to crack the networks bringing militants from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen and elsewhere to blow themselves up in Iraq, adding:"The scant information available suggests suicide bombers are fiery but disciplined young men who believe they are carrying out God's orders. Some make videos of their last prayers and embraces in the desert before leaving on their deadly missions."

Mr. Gregory said, "Not all are foreigners, however, and greater involvement by Iraqis would complicate the task of security forces even more." For more, see "Iraqis helpless against new wave of suicide attacks."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:40 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Some In Iraq Want Militias To Protect Shiites

The Christian Science Monitor reports in its July 18, 2005 issue that, "Shiite parliamentarian Khudayr al-Khuzai called on the [Iraqi] government Sunday [July 17, 2005] to "bring back popular militias" to protect vulnerable Shiite communities. "The plans of the interior and defense ministries to impose security in Iraq have failed to stop the terrorists," he told the National Assembly," according to an article by correspondent Neil MacDonald datelined Baghdad. For more, see "After Iraq attacks, calls for militias grow."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Why Fear Caused An Iraqi Mother To Delete Her Arabic Blog Posts

Iraqi blogger Raed Jarrar of Raed in the Middle reported July 17, 2005 that,

"my brother is spending his 6th night in jail. He's just one of the thousands of people in Iraq who disappeared and ended up in one of the many jails and prisons around the country without a clear reason. "The number of U.S.-held prisoners in Iraq reached all-time record levels earlier in June and has since gone down slightly. The average prisoner total in June stood at 10,783. The number of Iraqis held in Iraq's governmental and paramilitary jails is unidentified.

On another note, Mr. Jarrar wrote:

My mom freaked out yesterday and deleted all the Arabic posts on her blog. She thinks the Iraqi government would keep Khalid imprisoned if they knew his family is anti-occupation and critical to the current regime. She reminded me of what my old friend Salam (aka salam pax) did three years ago when he deleted our joint blog fearing that Iraq's old mukhabarat would find it.

"I couldn't sleep that night," Mr.Jarrar recalled. "I can't sleep tonight either. History repeats itself."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 12:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2005

Iraqi Blogger Reportedly Adbucted By New Iraqi Mukhabarat

River at the popular Baghdad Burning blog reported July 15, 2005 that Raed of Raed in the Middle has some very bad news. His brother Khalid of the blog Tell Me a Secret has been abducted by the new Iraqi mukhabarat" or secret police.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2005

Armenia Sends Fresh Non-Combat Troops To Iraq

Armenia is sending "a new contingent of non-combat troops to Iraq that will replace 46 army officers, doctors, sappers and truck drivers currently completing their six-month tour of duty in the war-torn nation," Armenia Liberty reported July 8, 2005. Armenia Liberty is part of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:50 PM | Comments (0)

IBS Sends 350,000 Bibles to U.S. Troops in Iraq, Afghanistan

The Christian Post reports that, "The International Bible Society recently distributed 350,000 Bibles to American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in an effort to encourage and support the troops." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)

U.S., Iraqi Regime Reportedly Using Some of Saddam's Torturers

On July 7, 2005, Times OnLine, which claims to offer the best of The Times and The Sunday Times of London "in real time, carried an article by correspondent James Hiderin that said, "Iraqi security forces, set up by American and British troops, torture detainees by pulling out their fingernails, burning them with hot irons or giving them electric shocks."

He quoted "Iraqi officials" and noted that, "Cases have also been recorded of bound prisoners being beaten to death by police."

Mr. Hiderin, in a dispatch from Baghdad, also said, "In their haste to put police on the streets to counter the brutal insurgency, Iraqi and U.S. authorities have enlisted men trained under Saddam Hussein's regime and versed in torture and abuse, the officials told The Times. They said that recruits were also being drawn from the ranks of outlawed Shia militias."

See "West turns blind eye as police put Saddam's torturers back to work." for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:29 PM | Comments (0)

Some Pros And Cons On Leaving Iraq

Ron Hutcheson of Knight Ridder Newspapers noted in a July 10, 2005 article published in several newspapers that, "In the swirling debate over Iraq, all sides agree on one thing: There's no easy way out." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)

Britain's Options For Future 'Force Posture in Iraq'

The Mail on Sunday of Britain has published a leaked, secret, UK eyes only paper in which British Defense Secretary John Reid told Prime Minister Tony Blair, "We will need to reach decisions later this year on likely future UK force structure and disposition in Iraq into 2006."

"This paper sets out some of the key contextual considerations; identifies areas of uncertainty; sets out what we know of US planning and possible expectations on the UK contribution; and assesses the potential impact on UK decision making," he wrote. To read the enitire document, see "Options for future UK force posture in Iraq."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2005

Allawi: 'Iraq Is Practically At Stage One Of Civil War.'

Sunday Times of London correspondent Hala Jaber, in a dispatch from Amman, Jordan, told Times readers on July 10, 2005 that, Iyad Allawi, Iraq's former interim prime minister, "has warned that his country is facing civil war and has predicted dire consequences for Europe and America as well as the Middle East if the crisis is not resolved."

"The problem is that the Americans have no vision and no clear policy on how to go about in Iraq," Mr. Allawi is quoted as saying "in an interview with The Sunday Times last week as he visited Amman, the Jordanian capital."

He also said: "The policy should be of building national unity in Iraq. Without this we will most certainly slip into a civil war. We are practically in stage one of a civil war as we speak."

For more, see "Allawi: this is the start of civil war."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)

July 05, 2005

The Media And The Iraq war

KurdishMedia reported July 5, 2002, that, "At the World Tribunal on Iraq, which assembled in Istanbul [Turkey] last week, the international media organizations, especially U.S. and British media organizations, were accused of broadcasting the lie that there are mass destruction weapons in Iraq, without questioning its truthfulness."

For more, see "No self-criticism in media on Iraq war."

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Arkansas Mayor, Police Chief Reflect On Iraq War Experiences

Mayor Paul Bunn and Police Chief Josh Chambliss of the small town of Bradford, Arkansas reflect on their tours of duty in Iraq in an interesting article headlined "Towns mayor, police chief reflect on war in Iraq, spotlight." It's very insightful.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:52 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 30, 2005

U.S. Military Wants U.S. Congress To Extol Military Service

Reuters reported June 30, 2005 that, "Several [U.S.] Senate Republicans denounced other lawmakers and the news media on Thursday [June 30, 2005] for unfavorable depictions of the Iraq war and the Pentagon urged members of Congress to talk up military service to help ease a recruiting shortfall."

According to news reports, many parents are keeping their children from joining the military and critics of the war are blamed for it. Could it be that some parents just don't won't their children dying in a war launched under false pretenses and with no end in sight? Just asking.

See "Army recruits shortfall blamed on Iraq war critics" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 29, 2005

Gallup: Bush Speech Drew Large Republican Audience

"Those who watched President Bush's speech Tuesday night [June 28, 2005] now hold a slightly more positive outlook on the war than they did before the address, even though the speech itself was not rated as positively as others Bush has given," according to a June 29, 2005 Gallup News Service article by Jeffrey M. Jones, who noted that:

Compared with their responses before the speech, people who tuned in are now more likely to say the United States and its allies are winning the Iraq war, that Bush has a clear plan for handling the war, and that the United States should keep troops in Iraq until the situation there gets better.

He said, "The audience was apparently rather small and composed largely of Bush supporters -- 50% of those who tuned in were Republicans, a much higher proportion than exists in the general population but similar to what Gallup has found in polling following other Bush speeches."

Does this mean that most Americans have tuned the President out on Iraq? Was he preaching to established supporters who simply needed to be reassured that he was justified in invading and occupying Iraq despite falsifying the reason for doing so? Just asking.

See "Flash Poll: Instant Reaction to Bush's Iraq Speech" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll On Bush's Fort Bragg Speech

CNN says a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll of Americans who watched President George W. Bush's Iraq speech delivered the night of June 28, 2005 at Forth Bragg, North Carolina " showed that 46 percent had a "very positive" reaction to what they heard." See "Poll appears to reflect partisan viewing" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 28, 2005

Poll: Doubt In U.S. On Justification For Iraq War Grows

Susan Page at USA TODAY says U.S. President George W. Bush "delivers a prime-time address Tuesday [June 28, 2005] to a public that is increasingly doubtful of his justifications for going to war in Iraq and wants a timetable set for U.S. troops to come home--a step Bush has ruled out."

"Just one in three Americans now say the United States and its allies are winning the war, according to a USA TODAY/CNN/Gallup Poll taken Friday through Sunday [June 24 through June 26, 2005]," she wrote in a June 27, 2005 article that was updated June 28, 2005. "That is a new low, down 9 percentage points since February," she added: "Half say neither side is winning."

See "Poll points to increasing doubts on war's progress, Bush's reasons" for more of Ms. Page's analysis.

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The 'Last Throes' In Iraq May Last 12-Years

"Iraq's insurgency is in its "last throes"; but it is getting deadlier and could last a decade or more," writes Reuters correspondent Alastair Macdonald from Baghdad, in what appears to be a jab at U.S. officials' optimistic-pessimistic views on the Iraq quagmire.

"There will be no timetable for U.S. troops to leave; but they will not defeat the rebels," he wrote echoing recent statements by President George W. Bush and U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Mr. Macdonald said, "Recent U.S. policy statements on Iraq ahead of Tuesday's [June 28, 2005] keynote speech" by President Bush "can seem confusing."

"In fact," he added, "the administration is simultaneously trying to reassure an impatient domestic electorate while acknowledging that the campaign in Iraq itself is an uphill struggle that may require long American engagement to prevent a debacle which would do lasting damage to its influence in the region." Here's more of Mr. Macdonald's analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Populations of Iraq Prison Camps Growing Rapidly

"Nearly 10,000 people are detained in Iraq - including 400 deemed foreign fighters," reports the Gulf Daily News in an article on the U.S. occupation force's plans to build more prisons in the country.

The paper said, "the prison populations at three military complexes throughout the country -- Abu Ghraib, Camp Bucca and Camp Cropper - have nearly doubled from 5,435 in June 2004 to 10,002 now. The numbers were attributed to Lieutenant Colonel Guy Rudisill, "a spokesman for detainee operations in Iraq."

See "Abu Ghraib expanded" for more on the camps.

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Will Americans Tolerate 12-Years of War In Iraq?

"The prediction by U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that it could take up to 12 years to defeat the Iraqi insurgency will come as no surprise to his own troops," John Leyne, a BBC correspondent in Baghdad said a June 27, 2005 dispatch.

"That is the sort of time-scale written into US military doctrine," he wrote. "So it is part of every officer's basic training."

He said, "It will not come as much of a surprise to the Iraqis either. Even the optimists here in Iraq - and there are surprisingly many - do not expect life to improve for many years. The problem is with the American public," he opined. "They have simply not been prepared for this sort of long-term commitment."

The question is: Will Americans tolerate 12-years of war in Iraq?Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 05:19 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 26, 2005

Bush And The U.S. Military: An Analysis

Abid Mustafa, a United Kingdom-based writer who "specializes in Muslim affairs," has published a worth-reading analysis of U.S. President George W. Bush's Iraq policy and the tensions that have developed as U.S. military tries to implement the military aspect of that policy in the face of increasingly strong armed opposition. Writing in an article that appeared in the June 25, 2005 edition of Jihad Unspun and elsewhere, he said:

Amid growing domestic and international criticism against his Iraq policy, President Bush issued a statement to dispel the impression that Iraq was faltering. On 20/6/05 he said, We're making progress toward the goal, which is, on the one hand, a political process moving forward in Iraq and, on the other hand, the Iraqis capable of defending themselves. He also gave no indication about a timetable for withdrawing US troops from Iraq, except that Iraq was preoccupying his mind. He said, I think about Iraq every day, every single day.A close study of Bush's statements regarding the political process and security situation in Iraq appears to contradict the reality in Iraq.

"Till now," Mr. Mustafa said, "the Bush administration has been unable to accomplish any of the goals it set out before the invasion of Iraq or in the aftermath of the collapse of the Iraqi government."

See "Bush And The US Military" for more of Mr. Mustafa's analysis. The article is also at Al-Jazeera.Info under the headline "Iraqi Resistance Fractures Bush's Relationship with the US Military."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

U.S. Building More Prisons In Iraq

Los Angeles Times correspondents Ashraf Khalil and Patrick J. McDonnell, writing from Baghdad, reported June 26, 2005 that, "Faced with a ballooning prison population, U.S. commanders in Iraq are building new detention facilities at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison and Camp Bucca near the Kuwaiti border and are developing a third major prison, in northern Iraq."

"The burgeoning number of detainees has also resulted in a lengthy delay in plans for the U.S. to transfer full control of Abu Ghraib to the Iraqi government," they wrote.

The U.S. is simply following a practice employed for centuries by foreign occupiers, who imprison citizens who object to being occupied or are viewed as a threat. This often results in the radicalization of prisoners, whether they are criminals, political prisoners or prisoners of war. It can also radicalizes relatives and causes some to join the armed opposition. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:16 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Rumsfeld: Meetings With Guerillas Go On All The Time

During a June 26, 2005 appearance on Fox News Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was asked by host Chris Wallace about a June 26, 2005 Sunday Times of London report that U.S. officials met June 3 and June 13, 2005 with Iraqi guerilla leaders near Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq.

RUMSFELD: Well, the first thing I would say about the meetings is they go on all the time.

Second, the Iraqis have a sovereign government. They will decide what their relationships with various elements of insurgents will be. We facilitate those from time to time.

Here's the transcript of Mr. Rumsfeld's remarks.

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U.S. Reportedly Negotiating With Some Iraqi Insurgents

Hala Jaber, writing in the June 26, 2005 edition of the The Sunday Times of London, said "Iraqi sources, who have proved reliable in the past, said an "American team that included senior military and intelligence officers, a civilian staffer from Congress and a representative of the US embassy in Baghdad," met with Iraqi insurgents on June 10, 2005 and June 13, 2005.

The Times correspondent said the Iraqis "and their American visitors recently sat down to tea" at a "summer villa near Balad in the hills 40 miles north of Baghdad." Camp Anaconda, a large U.S. military base, is located near Balad and is "spread over 15 square miles," according to Global Security.Org.

The Sunday Times, in its report on the negotiations, added:

It looked like a pleasant social encounter far removed from the stresses of war, but the heavy US military presence around the isolated property signalled that an unusual meeting was taking place. After weeks of delicate negotiation involving a former Iraqi minister and senior tribal leaders, a small group of insurgent commanders apparently came face to face with four American officials seeking to establish a dialogue with the men they regard as their enemies.

The Times said, "The talks on June 3 were followed by a second encounter 10 days later, according to an Iraqi who said that he had attended both meetings. Details provided to The Sunday Times by two Iraqi sources whose groups were involved indicate that further talks are planned in the hope of negotiating an eventual breakthrough that might reduce the violence in Iraq," the paper said.

If the report is true, the U.S. strategy seems designed to isolate the Iraqi insurgent groups from Muslims fighters from other nations. In addition, such attempts at negotiations should not come as a surprise. The Bush Administration's hardline positions are for public consumption and to save face. The Administration knows it would be politically disastrous for the public to see the U.S. occupation foce in Iraq defeated by a bunch of Muslim guerillas, especially when we are likely to see U.S. and Muslim fighters engaged in other countries, if the U.S. continues with its plans to militarily control the Middle East. Rather than have that, try to negotiate the Iraqi guerillas off the battlefield and, if successful, fight those from abroad, if they can be found.

Here's more of The Sunday Times article.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 08:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 25, 2005

Attacking Women Often A Deliberate Tool Of War

Professor Juan Cole,, the proprietor of Informed Comment, thinks the Iraqi guerrillas who bombed a Marine convoy June 24, 2005 in Fallujah and sprayed it with gunfire killing 6 Marines, including 4 women, and wounding 13, 11 of whom were women, "clearly had the women under surveillance and deliberately targeted them. He also wrote:

Attacking each other's women is a major feature of imperial warfare in history. The Sepoys in India in 1857 who rebelled against their British officers often invaded the British cantonments and attacked their women. Indeed, when the British troops were sent out from Britain to reconquer North India in 1857-58, they underlined avenging the massacres of white women as among their primary goals. In Bosnia, Serb irregulars used rape as a deliberate tool of war.

Professor Cole said, "In most cultures, ideals of masculinity are wrought up with the protection of women (feminism hasn't penetrated most militaries), so attacking the enemy's women is a way of humiliating and rattling him."

Does this mean that U.S. troops will escalate the imprisonment, rape and humiliation of Iraqi women? Here's more.

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Bush: 'Our Military Strategy' In Iraq Is Clear

"Our military strategy is clear: We will train Iraqi security forces so they can defend their freedom and protect their people, and then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned," U.S. President George W. Bush said during his June 25, 2005 radio broadcast, adding:

The political track of our strategy is to continue helping Iraqis build the institutions of a stable democracy. The Iraqi people have taken landmark steps by voting in free elections and forming a representative government. Prime Minister Jaafari has assured me that his government is committed to meeting its deadline to draft a new constitution for a free Iraq. Then the constitution will be submitted to the Iraqi people for approval, and new elections will be held to choose a fully constitutional government.

He said, "these are monumental tasks for the new democracy of Iraq -- and the free world will continue to stand behind the Iraqi people. This past week, more than 80 countries and international organizations came together in Brussels to discuss how to help Iraqis provide for their security and rebuild their country. And next month, donor countries will meet in Jordan to discuss Iraqi reconstruction."

Regarding the training of Iraqi security forces: It seems that insurgents are killing many troops before and after they finish their training or during training. Some trainees are even suspected of being insurgents.

Finally, Mr. Bush's strategy will work in the short-term but not in the long-run without years of U.S. presence and the loss of many lives, both Iraqi and American.

Here is a White House transcript of Mr Bush's June 25, 2005 radio address.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 11:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Riverbend Describes Life In The Green Republic of Iraq

Riverbend, the Iraqi blogger who runs the popular Baghdad Burning blog, offered an interesting observation about the so-called Green Zone in Iraq where top U.S. occupation officials and their ranking Iraqi surrogates live. She wrote in a June 21, 2005 post headlined "General Update":

What people find particularly frustrating is the fact that while Baghdad seems to be falling apart in so many ways with roads broken and pitted, buildings blasted and burnt out and residential areas often swimming in sewage, the Green Zone is flourishing. The walls surrounding restricted areas housing Americans and Puppets have gotten higher- as if vying with the tallest of date palms for height. The concrete reinforcements and road blocks designed to slow and impede traffic are now a part of everyday scenery- the road, the trees, the shops, the earth, the sky... and the ugly concrete slabs sometimes wound insidiously with barbed wire.

The price of building materials has gone up unbelievably, in spite of the fact that major reconstruction has not yet begun. I assumed it was because so much of the concrete and other building materials was going to reinforce the restricted areas. A friend who recently got involved working with an Iraqi subcontractor who takes projects inside of the Green Zone explained that it was more than that. The Green Zone, he told us, is a city in itself. He came back awed, and more than a little bit upset. He talked of designs and plans being made for everything from the future US Embassy and the housing complex that will surround it, to restaurants, shops, fitness centers, gasoline stations, constant electricity and water- a virtual country inside of a country with its own rules, regulations and government. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Republic of the Green Zone, also known as the Green Republic.

The Americans wont be out in less than ten years. Is how the argument often begins with the friend who has entered the Green Republic. How can you say that? Is usually my answer- and I begin to throw around numbers- 2007, 2008 maximum... Could they possibly want to be here longer? Can they afford to be here longer? At this, T. shakes his head- if you could see the bases they are planning to build- if you could see what already has been built- you'd know that they are going to be here for quite a while. Riverbend concluded that: "The Green Zone is a source of consternation and aggravation for the typical Iraqi. It makes us anxious because it symbolises the heart of the occupation and if fortifications and barricades are any indicator- the occupation is going to be here for a long time. It is a provocation because no matter how anyone tries to explain or justify it, it is like a slap in the face. It tells us that while we are citizens in our own country, our comings and goings are restricted because portions of the country no longer belong to its people. They belong to the people living in the Green Republic."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Can Bush Overcome Public Doubts About Iraq War?

Despite U.S. President George W. Bush's optimistic projections of victory in Iraq against an increasingly resilient insurgency, "recent polls show public support for the war slumping," according to Bob Deans of Cox News Service in an article in the June 24, 2005 issue of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer headlined "Bush kicks off U.S. public relations blitz with Iraqi leader."

"Just 39 percent of Americans now back the effort, with 59 percent opposed to it, according to a CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll taken June 16-19, [2005]," Mr. Cox said in his report, which was published in various U.S. newspapers on June 24, 2005.

"The survey queried 1,006 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points," according to Mr. Cox.

He noted that "a June 10-15 poll by CBS News and the New York Times" found similarly that just 37 percent of Americans approve of Bush's handling of the war, while 59 percent disapprove. That survey queried 1,111 adults nationwide and had a margin of error of three percentage points. While the CBS/New York Times poll showed a sharp partisan split, it found 23 percent of respondents in Bush's own party opposed to the war."

Also see Polling Report. Com's Bush: Job Ratings" for poll data on Mr. Bush's overall job rating. Here are several polls on U.S. attitudes on Iraq.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:35 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 24, 2005

Salon.Com Reports On Iraq's Teenage Prostitutes

In his Salon.Com article headlined "Unveiling Iraq's teenage prostitutes: Fleeing their war-torn homes, Iraqi girls are selling their bodies in Syria to support their families," Joshua E. S. Phillips writes: "That Iraqi girls and women are selling sex may not seem shocking, but prostitution is especially taboo for Arab women." He quotes Joshua Landis, "an American professor from the University of Oklahoma, presently living in Syria, as saying:

In this culture, to allow your daughter to become a prostitute means you've hit dirt bottom. None of your sisters can get married if it's known that one of them is a prostitute. If there's any public knowledge of this, it's a shame on the whole family.

Mr. Phillips said, "The shame can even lead to "honor killings," in which women are slain by their husbands or relatives for tainting the family name." Here's the entire article, which was reprinted at Syria Comment.Com.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 22, 2005

South Koreans Reminded Of An Unpleasant Anniversary

Ryu Jin, Staff Reporter for The Korean Times, wrote in a June 22, 2005 article that, "June 22 is a day that South Koreans could hardly forget. Kim Sun-il, a 33-year-old civilian worker who had been kidnapped by Iraqi insurgents, was found dead in the war-torn country exactly one year ago." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:02 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 19, 2005

Mr. Bush, Muslim Fighters Are in Iraq Because The U.S. Is There

During his June 18, 2005 radio address, U.S. President George W. Bush said, in part:

As we work to deliver opportunity at home, we're also keeping you safe from threats from abroad. We went to war because we were attacked, and we are at war today because there are still people out there who want to harm our country and hurt our citizens. Some may disagree with my decision to remove Saddam Hussein from power, but all of us can agree that the world's terrorists have now made Iraq a central front in the war on terror. These foreign terrorists violently oppose the rise of a free and democratic Iraq, because they know that when we replace despair and hatred with liberty and hope, they lose their recruiting grounds for terror.

Mr. President, Muslim fighters from various parts of the Islamic world are in Iraq because you are occupying it. And they will keep coming as long as U.S. occupation forces remain. Here's a White House Transcript of Mr. Bush's June 17, 2005 radio address.

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Iraq Reportedly Using Security Tactics From The Hussein Era

The Los Angeles Times reported in a June 19, 2005 dispatch that, "The public war on the Iraqi insurgency has led to an atmosphere of hidden brutalities, including abuse and torture, carried out against detainees by the nation's special security forces, according to defense lawyers, international organizations and Iraq's Ministry of Human Rights." They added:

Up to 60% of the estimated 12,000 detainees in the country's prisons and military compounds face intimidation, beatings or torture that leads to broken bones and sometimes death, said Saad Sultan, head of a board overseeing the treatment of prisoners at the Human Rights Ministry. He added that police and security forces attached to the Interior Ministry are responsible for most abuses.

The Times report, written by Jeffrey Fleishman and Asmaa Waguih in Baghdad, with a contribution from Times staff writer Carol J. Williams, said, "The units have used tactics reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's secret intelligence squads, according to the ministry and independent human rights groups and lawyers, who have cataloged abuses. See "Detainees in Iraq suffer abuse, says government" for more.

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June 18, 2005

Pentagon Trying To Reverse Negative Poll on Iraq War

The Los Angeles Times reported June 17, 2005 that, "The setbacks" in Iraq "have triggered growing concern at the Pentagon, where a senior general said he was worried about declining public support." The paper quoted Marine Lieutenant General James T. Conway, director of operations for the Pentagon's Joint Staff, as saying:

It is concerning that our public isn't as supportive as perhaps they once were. We'd like, I believe, to try to reverse those figures and start the trend back the other direction. Because it's extremely important to the soldier and the Marine, the airman and the sailor over there, to know that their country's behind them.

The Times said, Mr. Conway "alluded to the precedent of Vietnam, in which plummeting public support for the war was blamed for undercutting the U.S. effort. A Gallup poll this week found that about 6 in 10 Americans advocated a partial or full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq," the paper noted, adding. "This month, an Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that 41% of Americans approved of how Bush was handling Iraq, the president's worst grade to date." See "War Criticism and Concerns Both Growing" for more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:44 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 13, 2005

Some U.S. Officers Say Military Can't End Insurgency In Iraq

Tom Lasseter of the Philadelphia Inquirer's Foreign Staff reported June 13, 2005 that, "A growing number of senior American military officers in Iraq have concluded there is no long-term military solution to an insurgency that has killed thousands of Iraqis and more than 1,300 U.S. troops in the last two years."

"Instead," he wrote, "officers say, the only way to end the guerrilla war is through Iraqi politics - an arena that has been crippled by divisions between Shiite Muslims, whose coalition dominated January elections, and Sunni Muslims, who are a minority in Iraq and form the base of support for the insurgency."

Mr. Lasseter quoted Brigadier General Donald Alston, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, as saying last week: "I think the more accurate way to approach this right now is to concede that... this insurgency is not going to be settled, the terrorists and the terrorism in Iraq is not going to be settled, through military options or military operations. It's going to be settled in the political process."

This echoes other senior officers, Mr. Lasseter wrote. See "Officers: Military can't end insurgency" for what others think of the insurgency. Maybe the Bush Administration will listen if enough officers speak out.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:50 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 12, 2005

Is Coalition Forming In Iraq to End U.S. Occupation?

Asia Times Online's "Roving Eye" commentator Pepe Escobar asserts in a June 10, 2005 article that,"as Shi'ites and Kurds fought for three months to come up with an Iraqi cabinet, it is emerging from Baghdad that soon a broad front will emerge on the political scene composed of politicians, religious leaders, clan and tribal sheikhs - basically Sunni but with Shi'ite participation - with a single-minded agenda: the end of the US-led occupation." He added:

This front will include, among others, what we have termed the Sinn Fein component of the resistance, the powerful Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars (AMS) and the Sadrists. It will refuse any kind of dialogue with new Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari and his government unless there's a definite timetable for the complete withdrawal of the occupation forces. Even the top Marine in Iraq, Major General Stephen Johnson, has admitted, "There will be no progress as long as the insurgents are not implicated in a political process." But the proliferation of what many moderate Sunnis and Shi'ites suspect as being Pentagon-organized black ops is putting the emergence of this front in jeopardy.

Mr. Escobar said, "this is obvious when we see Harith al-Dhari - the AMS leader - blaming the Badr Brigades (the armed wing of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution - SCIRI - in Iraq, a major partner in the government) for the killing of Sunni Arab clerics." See "Exit strategy: Civil war" for more of his thought-provoking analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The U.S. 'Road Map' Out of Iraq

Raed Jarrar at Raed in the Middle thinks the "The ongoing post-war-Iraq plan is not working. When the US administration stops lying to their people, they'll start searching seriously for an Exit Plan," he said in a June 8, 2005 post, adding:

The US administration and other governments that took or still taking a part of the collapsing coalition should adopt a three-point Iraq Roadmap to stop the on going crisis from their side and guarantee the safety of their troops, and give the space for Iraqis to work on healing Iraq from their side too.

Here are Raed's three points.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:08 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The U.S.' 'Mission Improbable' in Iraq

Washington Post Foreign Service reporters Anthony Shadid and Steve Fainaru's June 10, 2005. article headlined Building Iraq's Army: Mission Improbable: Project in North Reveals Deep Divide Between U.S. and Iraqi Forces" offers insights into the daunting task before the U.S. military as it tries to create a surrogate military force in Iraq. The conclusion: The Iraqis and the Americans don't trust each other and the Iraqis feel disrespected by their U.S. counterparts.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 08, 2005

Jaafar: Iraq Needs 3 Million Housing Units

Chicago Tribune reporters Michael Martinez and Aamer Madhani reported June 8, 2005 that, Iraqi Housing and Reconstruction Minister Jassim Mohammed Jaafar "made an international appeal to foreign investors yesterday [June 7, 2005] to help Iraq out of its housing crisis, in which 3 million residential units are needed to accommodate Iraqis displaced by more than two years of conflict." The item is mentioned in their report headlined "Car bombings kill 18, wound scores in Iraq."

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:43 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Will Bringing U.S. Troops Home Stop Suicide Bombings in Iraq?

Chicago Tribune Columnist Steve Chapman contends in a June 6, 2005 column that, "the dilemma the United States faces in fighting the insurgents [in Iraq] "is that military methods are not enough to solve the problem, and may make it worse." He added:

If the movement is a reaction to the U.S. military presence, keeping American troops in Iraq amounts to fighting a fire with kerosene. That explains why the longer we stay, the more suicide attacks we face. And it suggests that the only feasible strategy is to withdraw from Iraq and turn the fight over to the Iraqi government.

"The alternative," he suggested, "is to stay and keep doing what we've been doing for the last two years. But that approach has shown no signs of fostering success. It only promises to raise the cost of failure."

I agree with this conclusion. Here's a link to Mr. Chapman's column.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

CorpWatch: 'Marines Jail Contractors in Iraq'

David Phinney, in a June 7th, 2005 Special to CorpWatch, reports that "sixteen American and three Iraqi security contractors" working for Zapata Engineering were arrested by U.S. Marines in Fallujah, Iraq, on May 28, 2005 and held for three days. The Marines say the contractors shot at them. The contractors say the Marines have falsely accused them. See "Marines Jail Contractors in Iraq" for more on this interesting event.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Policing Iraq's Anbar Province

Chicago Tribune correspondent James Janega, writing from Iraq in a June 5, 2005 dispatch, says "The original Iraqi National Guard units formed in" Iraq's Anbar Province "after the fall of Baghdad in 2003 were reviled by locals and not trusted by the American troops they were supposed to help and eventually replace. Recently they were quietly disbanded, said Major James Whitlatch, the Marine officer assigned to help develop Iraqi security forces in western Anbar," Mr. Janega recently wrote.
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He quotes Paul Hughes, "a retired Army colonel who served as director of strategic policy for the former Coalition Provisional Authority and drafted plans to rebuild Iraq's military," as saying: "There was an urgency (at first) ... to produce a large quantity of soldiers. If you try to stand something up right away, the people most likely to volunteer are likely to be the scoundrels. You have a mixed bag of quality," Hughes said. "It failed miserably because we didn't know who they were." Here's more of Mr. Janega's insightful article.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:46 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

'Insurgents Focus Attacks Outside Baghdad'

Ashraf Khalil, staff writer for the Los Angeles Times, reported June 7, 2005, that, "although major attacks" in Baghdad "have diminished, daily violence outside Baghdad has continued, raising concerns that insurgents have dispersed and are targeting other areas." That's what guerilla fighters do. When it gets too hot in one area they move to another. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 01:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 05, 2005

Bush's Optimism on Iraq: Is It Reality?

Jim VandeHei and Peter Baker, Washington Post staff writers, reported June 5, 2005, that "President Bush's portrayal of a wilting insurgency in Iraq at a time of escalating violence and insecurity throughout the country is reviving the debate over the administration's Iraq strategy and the accuracy of its upbeat claims." It's about time the debate resumes. Perhaps this time people won't be labelled traitors for discussing an issue that has tarnished the U.S.' image, especially in the Islamic world. Here's more.

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June 04, 2005

Why Iraqi Unit Refused to Collaborate With U.S.

Reuters Correspondent Fadil al-Badrani reported June 4, 2005 from Rutba, Iraq that, "an Iraqi army unit has been disbanded after it refused to attend a U.S. training course in Baghdad, former members of the unit said on Saturday, [June 4, 2005]. "

The correspondent said, "The soldiers, part of a 90-strong force called the Defence Force of Rutba, said they had refused to attend training because they feared reprisals from locals if they were seen to have cooperated with the Americans." Who blame them? At the rate collaborators are being killed, this seems like a wise decision to me. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 07:06 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 01, 2005

Al-Jaafari Wants Security Council to Let U.S. Stay in Iraq

Detroit Free Press Foreign Correspondent Nancy A. Youssef reported June 1, 2005 that, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibramim al-Jafaari "said he'd like the UN Security Council to extend Resolution 1546, which authorizes the U.S. presence" in Iraq "until June 8, [2005]. He made his comments while addressing the Iraqi National Assembly," Ms. Youssef wrote.

"It is true that" the multinational forces "are not Iraqi forces, but their task is to secure the country under the Iraqi will and Iraqi timetable," al-Jaafari was quoted as saying. Ms. Youssef said al-Jaafari "said his government would decide the roles of U.S. and other foreign troops, a particularly sensitive issue as the new government tries to establish its legitimacy among the Iraqi people and secure the country against an entrenched insurgency while depending heavily on the U.S. military."

She quoted a Lt. Steve Boylan, "a U.S. military spokesman," as saying this about the "more than 140,000 U.S. service members" in Iraq: "We are here in partnership to help them win the war against terrorism."

While al-Jaafari, perhaps with the urging of the Bush Administration, can ask the Security Council to extend Resolution 1546, he is deluding himself if he thinks he can tell U.S. occupation forces what to do. The U.S., not al-Jaafari or any other Iraqi, is calling the shots in that occupied nation. Al-Jafaari knows it but he obviously has a political need to pretend otherwise. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 06:11 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 30, 2005

Some Iraqi Soldiers Training in Britain: Why?

Rupert Hamer, Defence Correspondent for the Sunday Mirror of England, reported May 29, 2005 that "hundreds of Iraqi soldiers are to be flown to Britain so they can be trained out of the reach of suicide bombers."

"The first batch of 40 National Guardsmen will arrive tomorrow [March 30, 2005] for a three-month course in military tactics," he noted. "They will be based at the Army School of Infantry in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales" Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Are Any Iraqi Civilians Being Killed By U.S. Troops?

Every day, American newspapers report the number of Iraqis reportedly killed by suicide bombers. They rarely give prominent report on Iraqis killed by Americans, with the exception of "insurgents." Does this mean that no ordinary Iraqi civilians are killed by Americans?

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Iraq's Jaafari Wants Dr. Abdul-Hamid's Arrest Investigated

Reuters reported May 30, 2005 that, "Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari has ordered an investigation into the detention of" Mohsen Abdul-Hamid, leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party, his spokesman "said on Monday, [May 30, 2005], amid fears the arrest could exacerbate sectarian tensions."

Dr. Abdul Hamid was arrested at his home in Baghdad by U.S. troops earlier on Monday, May 30, 2005, according to the Iraqi Islamic Party. He was later released. The U.S. acknowledged that it made a mistake.

Laith Kubba, Prime Minister Jaafari's spokesman, told Reuters:

The prime minister has ordered an investigation into the arrest. We believe there are parties that are benefiting from such raids on prominent Sunni leaders who have been supporting the political process and democracy in Iraq.

"This is the fourth time that a Sunni leader has been arrested.

Mr. Kubba added, according to Reuters that "he did not think the troops who arrested Dr. Abdul-Hamid knew his background."

Question: Doesn't U.S. occupation forces have an intelligence file on Dr. Abdul-Hamid?

Question: Could it be that the arrest was a deliberate act of provocation?

Secondly, except for its public relations value, Prime Minister Jaafari's investigation is a waste of time. He has no authority to reprimand U.S. occupation forces. Even if he did, I doubt he'd be foolish enough to do it. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 03:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

U.S. Says it Made Mistake in Arresting Mohsen Abdul Hamid

With "more than 200 members" of Dr. Mohsen Abdul Hamid's Iraqi Islamic Party currently being held without charge in U.S. detention camps around Iraq, the U.S. arrested the Islamic scholar early May 30, 2005.

Following his detention, which drew important condemnation form some Iraqi politicians, U.S. occupation forces interviewed him and realized they had made a potentially costly mistake, according to Al-Jazeera. It's this kind of heavy handed action that can make an enemy out of someone who normally would not advocate armed resistance. See "U.S.: Arrest of Sunni leader a mistake." Also see the Daily Telegraph of Australia's "Sunni leader's arrest 'a mistake'".

Posted by Munir Umrani at 02:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Arrest of Mohsen Abdul Hamid Could Haunt U.S.

The Times Online, in a dispatch based partly on Associated Press reports, said May 30, 2005:

In a move that could further fuel a sectarian crisis, American troops detained the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party, Iraq's largest Sunni Muslim political party, during a house raid early today in western Baghdad, a top party official and police said. Mohsen Abdul Hamid, the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party, was detained by American soldiers with his three sons and four guards, said the party's secretary-general Ayad al-Samarei. American military officials could not immediately confirm the detentions.

"Iraqi President Jalal Talabani expressed his surprise and discontent about the arrest of the head of the Iraqi Islamic Party, Dr. Mohsen Abdul-Hamid, and called for his immediate release," a statement from the president's office said, according to the Times. "The Iraqi president said that no one gave prior notice to the Presidential Council about the arrest of Dr. Mohsen Abdul-Hamid. This way of dealing with such a distinguished political figure is unacceptable."

The Times noted that, "the arrests came on the second day of Operation Lightning, the Iraqi-led anti-insurgent offensive in Baghdad that Mr Abdul Hamid's party opposes, believing security forces will trample over innocent peoples rights. Here's more on this potentially explosive development.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:54 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 28, 2005

To Capture or Kill a Figurehead

In analyzing the impact of the death or capture of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi on the insurgency in Iraq, the BBC said, "to capture or kill such a figurehead would also be a considerable symbolic and morale boost to U.S. forces and the Iraqi administration. But no-one believes it would be a silver bullet that would finish off the resistance," the news outlet said. Here's more of the BBC's analysis.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 10:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Message Boards

Aqeel Hussein in Ramadi, Saleh Al Jibouri and Colin Freeman, reporters for the Daily Telegraph of London, reported in the May 29, 2005 edition that, "Western terror officials have been monitoring al-Qa'eda message boards for two years, sifting postings about beheadings, suicide bombs and kidnappings.

"Last week," they wrote, "their attention focused on the claim that Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, who is accused of beheading the British hostage Kenneth Bigley and masterminding the bloody insurgency, had been badly injured in a shoot out with American troops."

The reporters noted that, "According to one posting, purporting to be from his official spokesman, Zarqawi was spirited out of Iraq after being treated in a hospital in Ramadi, an insurgent stronghold."

They quoted "Rita Katz, a U.S terrorism expert who monitors jihadi websites," as saying the posting sounded authentic. "There is only one source of proper information on al-Qa'eda operations in Iraq," she said. "If it does not come from him, it is not authentic." The Telegraph article is worth reading.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Zarqawi's Death Won't End Iraqi Insurgency

Ian Mather, diplomatic correspondent for Scotsman.com, notes in a May 29, 2005 article that, "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has long been viewed as the key figure in the insurgency sweeping Iraq. By capturing him it was once thought that the new government would gain control of even the most hostile areas of the country," he wrote, adding: "But the power struggle to succeed al-Qaeda's leader in Iraq has shown that the organization is resilient enough to withstand the blow." I agree. The insurgency will not end whether al-Zarqawi is killed or dies a natural death although there will be lulls and setbacks. It will not stop until the U.S. ends its occupation of Iraq. Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 09:33 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 25, 2005

Did Bush Know Claims on Iraq Were Wrong?

Capitol Hill Blue's May 23, 2005 article headlined "Intel Analysts Knew Bush's Claims on Iraq Were Wrong" is an interesting perspective on the subterfuge used to justify the invasion of Iraq. I recommend it. See what Capitol Hill Blue calls "the infamous Downing Street Memo, which documents how intelligence was altered to fit the story that both Bush and Blair sold their governments to justify the war."

The publication said the memo "is being called The Smoking Gun that some believe could bring down the Bush White House." It may bring Mr. Blair down, however, I doubt it will have much impact on Mr. Bush except in the history books. For more on the Downing Street Memo See the Downing Street Memo blog.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

May 23, 2005

U.S. to Create Four Huge Military Bases in Iraq

Tom Regan of The Christian Science Monitor, in a May 23, 2005 article headlined "U.S. to Consolidate Forces into Four Huge Bases in Iraq," reports that:

Top U.S. military officials in Iraq confirmed Monday that they are planning to consolidate the more than 100 bases where US personnel are now stationed in Iraq into four huge, more permanent bases.

The Washington Post reported Sunday [May 22, 2005], however, that these military officials say that, despite the appearance to the contrary, these moves do not signal a "permanent US presence in Iraq.

Mr. Regan said, "The U.S. military commanders say that building these new bases, which would be located in the north, south, west and center of Iraq, are "part of a withdrawal expected to occur in phases, with Iraqi forces gradually taking over many of the bases inhabited by US and other foreign troops." Here's more.

Posted by Munir Umrani at 04:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack