Iraqi Bloggers Roundup

Happy New Year and Farewell

2004-12-29T01:01:00.000-05:00

by littlewhy

Iraqi Bloggers Roundup is closing. This blog was created by Torchbearer; he later invited me (littlewhy) and Louise to contribute posts as he couldn't update here very often. About two months ago Torch went silent. He hasn't reappeared and for this reason Louise and I have agreed to let the blog lapse.

I've certainly enjoyed it here. As my most popular posts were the Obscure Iraqi Blog posts, I'll continue to write those and post them over at my blog Winter Soldier. Please drop by there.

Perhaps this blog will return someday if Torchbearer comes back. I do hope that he's okay.

Here's hoping 2005 is a better year all around, especially for Iraqis and coalition soldiers.

Fare you well,
littlewhy

All quiet on the blog front?

2004-12-01T21:29:00.000-05:00

Something is happening on Iraqi blogs since the November 2 election. The comments pages have shrivelled to a fraction of their former size. Except for a few whimpers by a handful of sore losers, the raucous debate about the election has subsided. One would think a discussion about what is happening in Iraq may pick up a bit more than it has, but even the Iraqi bloggers haven't been as prolific as they once were about grizzly events happening on the home front.

Are those grizzly events no longer happening or is our main stream media just tiring of reporting the same old thing. Could it be that the theory that a second term for an American president means the beginning of "kick ass" season is correct? Indeed, yesterday's post by Mohammed at ITM was very positive about the results of "kick ass" season so soon after it got underway. Or was this signage just a good PR campaign? In any case, it's a useful tool, IMHO, in combatting terror and bringing peace to that country.

It seems the only substantive debate in the past few weeks has been about the, by now infamous, Lancet report concerning the number of war dead in Iraq. This debate took place largely outside of Iraqi bloggers' websites, but was certainly relevant and worth following.

It is an issue I am sure will be fleshed out eventually, after other science and research specialists publish their responses. The nub of the debate so far, seems to rest on the validity of the particular type of research methodology for the question that was under study. Lancet, after all, is (was?) a very prestigious medical science journal and if its article passed the peer review process, the demolition of its thesis will also have to be subjected to peer review. If, in the end, Lancet's methodology doesn’t pass the test, the journal's reputation will suffer a severe blow.

The British government has committed itself to careful study of the research and no doubt both peer review and the British government's analysis, will bring the best experts in the field of research methodology to bear in the process.

I'm neither a social nor a medical scientist. Nor am I an expert on research methodology, so I have no idea how to evaluate it. However, I did find the fact that the publisher refers to the Iraq war as democratic imperialism to be an intriguing insight into the publisher’s mindset. A rather politicized statement for the publisher of a scientific journal, I must say.

And I also took note of some critics’ claims that the paper was rushed to publication here (scroll down to the bottom paragraph) and here, so that it would hit the news only days before the election.

Whatever the death roll of the Iraq war turns out to be is a question that may never be completely settled. Sixty years on, as this site and this one and this demonstrate, the total death toll of World War II is still under debate and, of course, is magnitudes higher than the toll, so far, in Iraq, even if the Lancet report is to be believed, and so is the death toll of Iraqis and neighbouring peoples that can be pinned on Saddam Hussein. War kills, just like dictatorships do. Innocents die in both situations.

It is only what happens in the decades afterward, that determines whether or not the sacrifice was in vain. The real question is - will it bring Saddam Hussein's death machine to an end, and perhaps, the death machines of other brutal dictators in the world? I am still witnessing evidence almost on a daily basis that it will.

As I was composing this entry to our shared blog, with my television on, right beside me, I was also listening to a documentary about young people in Iran who published a newpaper which had been shut down by the ruling theocracy, only to defy their censors and open again. In one part of the show, there is a clip in which the editors are discussing what pictures to show of Saddam Hussein on the day he appeared in court to hear the charges against him. One of the young editors said: "A picture of the Iraqi dictator in chains is something Iranian's would love to see."

This, folks, is how tyrany is defeated and democracy spreads. Regretably, at the beginning of the 21st century, it still requires the sacrifice of lives and the bravery of those young people in Iran, who, God willing, will not meet the same fate as countless numbers before them did. The war in Iraq has bolstered the democracy movement in neighbouring Iran and, no doubt, in many other parts of the Muslim world. Is it worth the ultimate sacrifice of so many lives? Only those whose countries are struggling for freedom can call that one. Patronizing editors of medical science journals should shut up, stick to medical science and let the oppressed peoples of the world find their voice so they can speak for themselves.

Louise - the Iraqi blog addict

Obscure Iraqi Blogs # 2

2004-11-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

Obscure Iraqi Blogs # 2
by littlewhy

Everyone reads Iraq the Model, Healing Iraq, etc. The smaller blogs need love too, so, here is IBR's second roundup of the little dogs in the Iraqi Blogosphere pound:

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Often one gets tired of non-Iraqi Muslims and their blind hatred of the U.S., their silly conspiracy theories, etc. So it is hilarious and uplifting when Sami tells us of the time he bitch slapped a naive Pakistani girl in his university:

I had had a bad day I guess I can’t remember why when a Pakistani girl
(no disrespect to Pakistinis I am sure they are not all this way) comes round to the table me and a bunch of people were sitting down at and she is like I am invitttttinggggg you and allll offfff youuuuu tto a rrrrrally to get US troops out Iraq ………..I got filled with rage…… I was like what? Are you kidding me?

She said she just wanted the Americans to stop killing Iraqis. I said where were you for over 20 years? Why do Iraqi lives all of a sudden mean so much to you? What about the innocent Pakistinis being brainwashed into murderers? Then she gave me the line I have heard a million and one times ‘Yes Saddam was bad but US is worse’. I swear I wanted to punch her right then and there…… but of course I didn’t …. I said to her if it wasn’t for the West you wouldn’t be here in this country, Canada free to wear your hijab free to express your opinions and free to organise rallies, why do you want to rob the Iraqi people of the same privelges?

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Iraq Today by Ibrahim Khalil:

Ibrahim Khalil tells us of the recent press conference of the mayor of Mosul. (How's that for a job?) Apparently the mayor has had it up to here with the Sunni Imams:

But the news in his press conference was that he also blames some of the religious men in some mosques who were calling for "Jihad" during the last crisis...
In fact what made me to write about this matter is that it is not easy for a mayor to blame religious men, especially in this city where most people are religious...
Here in the city, and even in Iraq generally, many people follow what the religious men say. I hope that this will pass safely and with no hard reactions. However, we need to wait the next few days to see if there will be any reaction for the mayor's blaming the religious men...

Again, I say, why is it that Sunni Imams who call for violence are not arrested? We threatened to arrest Sadr for the same thing (although we failed to carry through with that threat, more's the pity.)

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Where is Dr. Said at Iraqi Humanity? He hasn't posted for a month. We here at IBR hope all is well and that he'll post again soon.

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A great deal of the so-called 'resistance' is nothing more than what the American military calls FRE, or Former Regime Elements. Here at IBR we call them by their right names: terrorists, thugs, murderers, thieves, criminals, etc. If you'd like to see a sample of the Ba'ath thugs organization and involvement, go read Great Iraq. I read once on the Model that Baathists were all ignorant retards; well, this guy proves that with his blog's color scheme: monkey-shit green and puke pink.

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Ibn Al Rafidain, the son of the Two Rivers, tells us of the Mafia-style control the thugs have established in some neighborhoods:

Iraqi individuals are focusing on their everyday worries. Nothing positive and tangible on the ground is taking place. Threats, of different kinds, are spreading. People feel that their enemy is invisible. Menacing slogans are written on the walls. Death threats are made against students if they attend school or college. Threats are made against teachers, doctors, officials …etc. Some take it seriously; others consider it as a joke. A coalition consists of Saddamians, fundamentalists, baathists, Arab insurgents backed by forces work from abroad, considers the election as a challenge between them and the government.

Because of such troubles, Al Rafidain says that Iraqis tend to ignore big political events like the debt relief and the elections, since they have to worry about who is trying to kill them.

Two newspaper articles:

1. good news about the Iraqi cops:

2. bad news about cooperation

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The Rose of Baghdad tells us some encouraging facts about the attitude of the ordinary people of Fallujah:

As I heard from people living in Fallujah, they had enough from those terrorists , but they could not do any thing against them because the terrorists would kill them with their families. I heard that some of the terrorists forced many families to have them at their homes and I heard that many of those families were killed during some attacks by the US forces. And that’s why the people of Fallujah want to put an end to it. Many of Saddam’s loyalists ran away to Fallujah and stayed there after Baghdad’s fall and I think they made some connections with other groups and co-operated with them. especially Saddam’s inelegance, because as I know most of them ran away to Falluja and I became surprised when I heard (during the war) that they escaped there, but now I understand why. One of the kidnapped people whom I know from far away said that they took him to Fallujah after kidnapping and he said the kidnappers were so organized...

I'd like to say here that Rose is on our side and is one of the good people, yet when she's offered some mild criticism in her blog, she's been jumped on in the comments by the chickenhawks. I hope she doesn't let these people keep her from blogging.

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I've written elsewhere about what a tremendous strain it must be emotionally to be an Iraqi after thirty years of Saddam, three wars, etc. Poor Sara in New Zealand has put up a poignant post about the emotional boomerang of being an Iraqi right now:

I just believe you have to understand that an Iraqi like me, is lost with the war on Iraq. This war is doing both good and bad, this is not the case where an Iraqi can say "YES! The war on Iraq is good" or even if it was bad. We can NOT yet know whether the war on Iraq will bring a good future. I fear for the future of Iraq. I honestly do want to go back home and I don't even know if that will ever happen. I am afraid of an actual civil war since I do know most Iraqis are angry people and they don't have the great ability to control their emotions so well heh!.

but she also has some words of encouragement:

Remember, your soldiers are not only in Iraq to kill the 'evil guys'. Your soldiers have a duty to fill; a duty to welcome Iraqis to the new world...to welcome Iraqis in a world filled with hopes and dreams to fulfil, a world where they, the people of Iraq can have more control of their country. And for that, this is what I call the incredible achievements many soldiers are attempting to accomplish... May God bless all the soldiers and Iraqis who have done a great deal of good in trying to stabilize the cradle of civilisation, Iraq.

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So that is all for the obscure blogs this week. If your favorite blog didn't make it, don't worry because they're all being scrutinized. In the meantime, provide some traffic and some support and friendly, respectful comments for our small cheeses in the Iraqi blogosphere.

Iraqi Blog Inspired Ramblings

2004-11-24T06:56:00.000-05:00

This week I offer an assortment of links and discussions from the comments pages of our favourite Iraqi blogs, which I found interesting and encouraging. A heartfelt apology to those who want to wallow in negativity, but I just don’t do that.

First of all, the really good news: The Paris Club agrees to 80% Iraqi debt forgiveness.

Second, a novel approach to the problem of naïve young men who sign up to do the dirty work for their evil masters. Saudi father to sue jihadist scholars. I hope it catches on.

Third, after calling it quits due to government crackdown on freedom of expression, the Bahraini blogger, Mahood, reconsiders, citing a flood of emails supporting him, proving once again there is hope for this old planet and its inhabitants. God’s speed, Mahmood, and stay safe!

And then there was this story from an eyewitness, an American military man right there in the thick of it, about the thoughts of Fallujah’s ordinary citizens. Warning, lefties!! This could be a source of deep disillusionment.

And finally, the sweetest piece of the week, from Iraq the Model, Ali’s coup against one of the masters of the PC movement among elitist academics, Juan Cole.

Now, on to some other stuff: One of the big debates of the week centered on the merits of the concept of moral relativism. My take on this thing is that the concept is both stupid and dangerous, providing, as it does, an excuse for mass murder and terror. Philosopher Jonathan Dolhenty does a good job of dissecting the idea in this essay, calling moral relativism a myth. And here’s an interesting interview with the same dude, which I think is highly relevant to the whole issue that we Iraqi blogger fans are witnessing.

Then there was this intriguing bit about sarin gas discovered in Fallujah (# 2 in photo gallery).

And last, but certainly not least, Ibn Al-Rafidain captures the essence of the whole darned thing, quoting Tony Blair:

The people want the freedom (referring to the Iraqis). What we recognized, I think, today, is that we're not going to have our security unless they get that freedom

Ibn AlRafidain makes it very clear. There is a direct relationship between freedom, human rights and global security. The comments he received in response to his posting also suggest there is no turning back. The power of the Internet - and, in particular, of blogs WITH COMMENTS ENABLED (you hear that Riverbend?) - is just beginning to exert its influence. These tools not only advance the cause, they create genuine bonds of friendship and support between people in widely separated parts of the globe. We ain't seen nothing yet, but I am truly impressed and inspired!!

Louise - the Iraqi blog addict

Link Wars

2004-11-19T08:07:00.000-05:00

Both Iraqi bloggers, and the people who read them, provide a vast array of links to secondary websites that support their views. Many of the links, of course, have a particular bias, and if a reader disagrees with the points made on the linked website, a customary response is to denounce the source or, never mind reading it, simply dismiss it because of its source!

In any case, the links do provide readers with a rich source of background reading that is undoubtedly turning many Iraqi blogger fans into a highly informed and discriminating group. Readers frequently demand a link from commenters who fail to convince, implying that a point of view backed up by a link carries more weight.

Whether the links support or detract from one’s position, they illustrate the power of the Internet, the robust nature of freedom of expression and what can happen when the two intertwine. Inadvertently, perhaps, Iraqi bloggers can be credited with being the leaders of the pack in demonstrating this particular strength of the Internet. Just as television is said to have influenced the outcome of the Viet Nam war, the Internet, with bloggers as intermediaries, are influencing this one.

Some of the links spawn completely new tangents to the thoughts presented by the blogger, like the one TaSS provided arguing in support of the marine who shot a wounded Iraqi 'insurgent'. Days later, the debate about the ‘rules of war’ (the ultimate oxymoron, if there ever was one, IMHO) continues and by now the reader has been provided with numerous secondary sources, which they can read.

Reading the links sometimes produces unintended outcomes. From Belgium, The Outlaw, Michael Cosyns, for example, provided this link to a Canadian website which advocates a return of Vietnam War phenomenon of draft dodgers and conscientious objectors fleeing to Canada. The site actually contains an enormous amount of excellent information for any skilled worker wishing to work in Canada. Since there is a critical shortage of skilled workers in my neck of the woods, despite its left leaning orientation and intent, I say to Americans, whether lefties or neocons, visit that site if you have marketable skills, and think it over. I like my country. And not withstanding the numerous stereotypes we have of each other, I think you will, too. Be advised though, I don’t think whining and supporting dictatorships in the name of defaming the US qualifies as a marketable skill, at least not where I live (Insert ‘shameless plug’ link here.)

And then there are the indispensable utilities provided by Brian H. Each of these offers the serious blogger and commenter alike, the tools to improve his or her skills and keep Brian happy, thus avoiding his hostile attacks, at the same time.

For example, need practice with that ever vexing series of keystrokes required to produce a live link? Try this.

Or even easier, use tinyurl.

Need to make sure you're using the right word? Well, there’s this one.

Spoiled by word processing's spell check feature and wish Haloscan had the same? This site is for you.

Now let me repost some of my favourite links from the last few days. Maybe these will spark a link war right here and we will actually get some hits on this blog!!

From PeteS, a definition of peace.

Kat in Missouri, a hat tip to you and to someone else, whose name I forgot to record (sorry), for reminders of what this war is all about:

Reminder 1.

Reminder 2.

Then there are two articles that discuss the hot topic of the week, the Marine who allegedly committed war crimes:

This one from Christina, Montana, USA.

And this, posted by ‘moi’. (That's two, count 'em, two, shameless plugs, for the price of one.)

Being a librarian by profession, I thought I’d ply my trade and plug - er - offer a few of my own links here. First, the original document governing the rules of war, since those rules seem to figure prominently in the debate of the week. We might as well have informed debate, while we're at it:

The Geneva Convention.

And an assortment of guides on how to evaluate the quality and authenticity of a website.

Cornell Library
Berkeley Library
New Mexico State University Library I
New Mexico State University Library II

I’ll close by showing one link, also from PeteS, which, after having been subjected to the aforementioned analytical techniques, is now in the trash can. fuck-canada. Thanks PeteS! I’m plotting my revenge.

Louise - the Iraqi blogger addict

The Most Important Matter...

2004-11-16T02:56:00.000-05:00

by littlewhy

So the battle in Fallujah is almost over. We all knew the Marines and Army would win this battle, as it was obvious that this was in no way similar to the siege in April. With close air support from the Navy and Air Force, the issue was never in any doubt.

The really important matter at hand is: how will the Iraqi security forces perform? It's hard to get good information about this, but there are hints in the Iraqi blogs. The message is very mixed, some very good and some very bad.

During the April battle in Fallujah, Iraqi and foreign Arab opinion was wildly pro-terrorist. The battle was portrayed as a revenge for the four guards who were murdered and hung from the bridge. It was made out as an American slaughter of innocents, a collective punishment, a war crime. (Let us be serious. If we really were targeting civilians deliberately, there would be no one left alive. Ask the people of Darfur what really happens when civilians are deliberately targeted.) This time, the Arab media seems confused about Fallujah. Maybe the terrorists wore out their welcome with their behavior? Not that the Arabs suddenly like us at all. They still hate us, but maybe they're lacking someone to cheer for?

Zeyad of Healing Iraq as usual has the most honest and objective report, in which things are like the war in March of last year. His post paints a picture of police and National Guard units hard pressed, but at least putting up a fight this time. But the thugs are still powerful enough to disrupt life completely: electricity is cut, water is cut, gasoline deliveries are nearly cut off. Even the black market is out of gas. Zeyad barely avoided being killed in a firefight. They can still bring the city to a halt and force everyone inside. So the good news is the security forces are actually fighting, but the bad news is they cannot control things. Why does this seem dire for the future in Fallujah? Because eventually the U.S. forces there will have to move on, and the Iraqis will have to control it themselves...

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Alaa the Mesopotamian tells us about the Triangle of Death south of Baghdad, and how seriously those people are trying to cut off Baghdad from the Shi'ite south. He and Hammorabi Sam mention this area often, of Mahmoudiaya, Latifiya, Yousifiya, and Iskandariya. The IP are mostly helpless here--Alaa has several times said that the IP are unfairly handled, with not enough weapons and deployed in a traditional manner that makes them easy targets. The U.S. will probably have to strike this area like it did Fallujah, since it seems to be an independent rebel state in the same way, which makes it all the more worrisome--Uncle Sam can't be everywhere at once.

(Possibly interesting sidenote: Iskandar is Arab for "Alexander" as in The Great, so you see how old a city Iskandariaya must be.)

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Nabil is at least honest about the opinions of Iraqis he knows. Some fervently against the attack on Fallujah, and some strongly in favor.

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Since this blog has Cry Me A River as its grandfather, we have to look at Riverbend. As usual, Uncle Sam is a cold-blooded murderer. As usual, River speaks for all Iraqis. Our subject is the Iraqi security services, so here's her take:

How do people feel about the Iraqi troops? There's a certain rage. It's difficult to sympathize with a fellow-countryman while he's killing one of his own. People generally call them "Dogs of Occupation" here because instead of guarding our borders or securing areas, they are used to secure American forces. They drive out in front of American cars in order to clear the roads and possibly detonate some of those road mines at a decent distance from the American tanks. At the end of the day, most of them are the remnants of militias and that's the way they act.

Yup, all those guys standing in line, risking suicide bomb attacks, all to keep River from being some muji's fourth wife, they're 'dogs.'

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Remember Gee in Baghdad? He's now the Iraqi jounalist with the big brass ones. Look at these articles he's written from inside Fallujah:

Article one

Article two

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Of course the worst news was the near takeover of Mosul by a determined attack of Islamist thugs, probably Ansar al-Sunna, the thugs who threatened the Christian women of Mosul to wear the hijab or else. The Mosul police melted like butter.

Here's the news from Rose of Baghdad:

Mousle had been almost fallen in the hand of armed insurgents. there is NO presence for police or the national Guard, and not even the American army. My sister lives there. The police station near them has been taken and burned. She said that there are many fighters carrying RPG and other weapons in their street and no one could do anything. My sister in law lives in Mosul too. She said we see many armed fighters but no one there to stop them. there are battles from time to time but it seems that the fighters are handling the situation not the government.The house of Mosul governor was also burned. Some lootings happened in some places there too.My sister was terrified to death, she said the fighters are shooting some rockets near her house and she was afraid that the American will shoot them and her house and she did not know what to do.

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Ibrahim Khalil lives in Mosul, and here's his post about the fighting. He also explains his opinion about the police:

The new government allowed many of Saddam's former systems to join in the police system and this became a very big problem in my opinion. I can not understand why they accepted some of those who were members in Fidaeen which were the most Saddam's honest to join in police. I know many of those who were in Fidaeen and then after the liberation they joined to the police system.
I know that now if the local government will chuck all those policemen who left their position in the last events, then most of them will join in the resistance. but I still think that it is better than to accept them in police system.

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It seems that the police quit but the NG fought in Mosul--apparently because the NG up there are Kurds. When the Sunni Salafis attacked the local Kurdish party HQ, they got smacked but good, so we know that if the security forces had put up a real fight Mosul could have been adequately protected. Isn't it maybe time to give up on the Sunnis in Mosul? Perhaps the security up there should just be turned over to Kurdish units and be done with it?

Poor Aunt Najma is in great distress. She's mixed up and has conflicting feelings, plus I think some of the adults around her are filling her with ideas about 'resistance.' She's just a kid, but she's taking a lot of crap in her comments page from red-blooded chicken hawks. Unlike the Jarrars or Riverbend, she has the courage to open her comments, and actually read them. So she has mixed feelings, so what? She's under huge stress and is very young, so lay off her.

Her post is worth reading, because it shows how a civilian guerilla organization works to turn the population over to their side, by driving a wedge between the people and the MNF.

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Why is it that all the Iraqi bloggers are in Baghdad or Mosul? Very occasionally we get reports from Basrah when one of the dentists has to pull duty down there. It would be nice to have a regular eyewitness in Basrah, or Kirkuk.

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So the situation is unclear with the Iraqi security. For every story that shows them fighting and clearing mosques and houses, there is another story of failure, desertion, or collaboration. We'll never get out of Iraq until they can fight on their own. But will they? A Vietnam veteran in my local club has said to me in the past, with a sad twisted smile, "You just can't fight for people who won't fight for themselves."

by littlewhy
(Note: please notice that there are three contributors to this blog. Louise and Torchbearer might not agree with everything I write, and vice versa.)

The Lovely Ivory Coast

2004-11-09T17:49:00.000-05:00

by littlewhy

So the long-awaited final attack on Fallujah has arrived. Anyone puzzled by the timing? There was no reason we had to wait until a week into November before this high-risk attack was attempted, was there? I think this should have and could have been done months ago, but apparently it was more important to protect Bush's re-election chances than people's lives. I know it could be argued that we had to wait until sufficient Iraqi forces were ready to go--but are they really that much better than they were a month ago?

I certainly hope this works out in the end. As I write, the Marines and some Iraqi elements have already pushed a kilometer into the city. There won't be any more negotiations or any more cease-fires (at least I hope so.) Maybe this time we'll have learned the meaning of the word "surround" and we won't have flocks of thugs escaping, as happened in Samarra. No Al-Jazeera is inside the city this time, broadcasting live pictures of the latest civilian deaths. Also, the Arab world is for some reason fascinated by Arafat's death (who cares?) and are less interested in Fallujah.

Nobody is more excited than Alaa the Mesopotamian, who has put up a flurry of posts:

It should also be finally realized that providing security is something different from military action and much more difficult. This was the problem right from the start. The American and allied forces are superb as fighting forces against visible enemies, but when it comes to maintaining security and civil order; well, we have all seen what happened!

Oh, he is so right. Will we learn from the past? There aren't enough troops to provide tight security and conduct combat operations elsewhere. Eventually these forces will have to leave and fight in Latifiyah, Baqouba, Ramadi, etc. The Iraqis will have to control Fallujah, with minimal help. The trouble will be this: the fighting will end and the city will have to be opened for refugees to return, and for commerce and aid and reconstruction to flow. That will make it easy for the thugs to sneak in and a situation similar to Mosul will arise. Alaa puts it best when he says:

in the final analysis it is a political problem and if military action is necessary its successful outcome can only be assured if a political solution is found after breaking the back of terrorism and insurgency.

So will we have the sense this time, to keep order and provide major humanitarian help? I hope those refugees from the city aren't all squatting in an open field somewhere with no one to turn to. We're Uncle Sam, damn it, and the poor and huddled and whatever should always be able to turn to us.

Zeyad put up a post about Fallujah as well, but unfortunately referred to it in a skeptical manner as "The Final Solution." Yikes! I guess he doesn't know what that means? Perhaps he does know and used it ironically, because he reports the frightening information that Shi'ites would be happy to see Fallujah razed to the ground.

He also tells us of the laughable 'negotiations' that were going on with the Anbar thugs. They wanted all the Shi'ites kicked out of the government, and all the Ba'ath security apparatus reinstated: the secret police, army, ministries, Republican Guard, everything. It reminds me of something I read once on an Iraqi blog (I think it was Hammurabi Sam) that Ba'athists never negotiate until they realize that they're all about to die--then they suddenly want to talk!

Notice that the Iraqi Islamic Party has withdrawn from the government to 'protest' the assault on Fallujah. Apparently they felt that the thugs had some reasonable demands? Or maybe they thought that the suicide car bombs were just a way of saying thanks? If the media makes a big deal of this, ignore it. The IIP is just another name for the Muslim Brotherhood, the same people who brought you the Ansar Al Sunna, Hamas and Al Qaeda.

Please pay attention to the fact that absolutely everything that Imperialistic Uncle Sam is doing in Fallujah is exactly the same as everything currently being done by those defenders of soveriegnty, the French. The French always have some criticism of Iraq, Fallujah, etc. They always have some great plan, like including the Ansar Al-Sunna in the Egypt conference. But faced with the same situation in the Ivory Coast, suddenly military force is the answer! The Legion is right now smashing the thugs in Ivory Coast with all the subtlety and care of a sledgehammer. More power to them, but let's not hear anymore about Uncle Sam's careless use of massive firepower.

Why is it that the members of the Association of Muslim Scholars are not arrested? They've declared the assault on Fallujah "an illegal and illegitimate action against civilian and innocent people." They also said that "the gassing of Kurds was merely the destruction of traitors" and "the massacre of Shi'ites was merely justice for apostates" and also that "Saddam was the lion of Islam who dealt death to the enemies of Allah and Bush is a big pooh-pooh head."

Okay, I made those last three quotes up. But why can't Allawi use his emergency powers, which he finally invoked, to put these guys behind bars?

Hilariously, Zarqawi says victory will come in Fallujah with Allah's direct intervention. Maybe the giant spiders will be back to help! I'm not making this up. During the siege in April, it was commonly known across Iraq that angels on horseback, genies on magic carpets, and giant spiders appeared to attack the Marines. I swear I'm not making that up!

I hope Zarqawi is caught in the city, but it is probably wishful thinking. There was plenty of opportunity to escape with all the refugees, and that could not be helped. Like Osama bin Laden, he's always eager for someone else to die in jihad.

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I'm still suffering from the Blue State Blues, so soon I'll be putting a post in Winter Soldier in which my invisible friend Harvey explains the election results. In the meantime, please see the post Time and Chance, which is a comparison of Iraq the Model and Riverbend.

by
littlewhy

John Kerry rocks!!!

2004-11-04T10:10:00.000-05:00

John Kerry rocks because he performed one of the most principled actions a politician can ever take. He graciously and wisely conceded to his opponent, having considered the impact that contesting the election results would have had on his country, on his party and, although I wasn't privy to his thoughts, I would imagine he also considered its impact on the world. Although it was obvious during his concession speech that he was profoundly wounded in spirit, he nonetheless took the high road, an action I hope may prick the conscience of many of the world's most brutal dictators and of those would-be potentates of what ever persuasion (Islamism, Arab Nationalism, Socialism, whateverism) who aspire to replace them in order to impose their own particular "ism" brand.

At the same time, I am disturbed by the rancorous diatribe that continued, even until this morning, in several of the bloggers comments pages. Much of it centered on Bush’s supposed “born again” Christian faith, the role it allegedly plays in his life and in his decisions as America's Commander in Chief. As a foreigner I have no say, nor should I, in domestic American issues, but I am confident that American voters realize the character of the men and women who are at the helm in their capital has enormous influence on global affairs. It is a situation that perhaps many Americans wish they did not have to confront, as very often, international affairs and domestic politics require very different approaches.

No sane person living today, for example, can suggest that any American leader has been responsible for massive numbers of extra-judicial executions, disappearances and the extermination of entire towns and villages within their own country. However, the government in Washington DC, the office of the President included, must concern itself with just such things, which can and frequently do occur in far off places. They must make decisions, weighing all the pros and cons, which will have future consequences for their own country and for the world. And what those consequences may be, only those with crystal balls can anticipate.

The commonly held theory, promoted unfortunately by academics as well as by political figures, that past American policy has created the present situation, is such a boring yawner I can hardly stay awake when I read it. SO WHAT? The past always creates the present and it is never as simple as the past actions of only one nation. Such interpretations are - well – contrived by the devious for the consumption of simpletons.

History and politics have always been about the interaction of competing self-interests and even though the USA is now, irrefutably, the one and only superpower in the world, it is far from being the only nation on the global stage motivated by self-interest, nor has it ever been.

To my American acquaintances whom I have met on the blogs, whether friend or foe, I understand that you may feel very uncomfortable with your superpower status, but you need to get used to it and deal with it wisely for it is all the more reason to expect your elected leaders, and even yourselves, to act in a principled manner.

Blogger readers had plenty to say regarding this momentous election. One of the earliest comments came into Iraq the Model from USCit. He posted a URL which points to this Reuters report. There is a tiny little gem embedded in that Reuters report, which is probably referring to the same poll that Big Pharaoh refers to in his blog of November 3rd. In a virtual online poll, Iraqis in Iraq supported Bush.

Here are some of the other comments which accurately captured my take on the global import of this election. As usual, I have corrected typos and, although I tried, I have obviously failed with the keeping-it-brief part. Some of these statements brought tears to my eyes. I begin with one of most highly principled participants, himself a Democrat, for whom I have a very large soft spot in my heart:

ModDem: “Which are the gracious winners and which are the breast thumpers. Which are the magnanimous losers and which are vitriolic. For our nascent politician hosts, I hope they take some good notes on these speeches too. In politics, no one wins every election.”

Sami: “My cousin in Cleveland and his family voted Bush! So I know that from what he said, the small Iraqi communities there voted bush.... better to stick to what we know than try something new....”

RSN (Speaking of Big Pharaoh’s entry): “Bush is certainly not racist, and he has done nothing but given the Arab world a chance for democracy. No wonder 80% of Iraqis in that poll are for Bush. That 42% for the rest of the Arab world is pretty significant, too.”

Annieburd: "alaa, please don't let these "sour grapes" spoil your joy or eclipse the fact that Americans voted to continue to stand with you yesterday. I'm not sure why kagehi believes the rhetoric that suggests President Bush is a religious zealot - it is a liability to be principled, I suppose - but the suggestion that the votes of some Americans are somehow more valuable than the votes of others is revealing, and rather ugly."

Ed Ski: “George Bush is a man of strong faith. That does not mean he's a religious fanatic. It does not mean that he's on his knees in the Oval Office waiting for the "hot line to heaven" to ring with instructions. Faith isn't like that. Faith in God comes from learning about God, putting those lessons into practice every day of your life, and having faith that you have made the right decisions based upon your continuing search for God's truth.

There is nothing to fear from people who invoke God's name. It is the fanatical heretics who believe they are on a mission from God that you must fear. I do not believe that George Bush is like that. I know many people who have faith in God - I am one - and there is nothing to fear from them, or me. Just as I do not fear the Muslim tradition of saying 'God willing.'

I also believe a good portion of the time Bush invokes God when talking about foreign policy is because he will not cede the moral high ground to fanatical terrorists. They proclaim in video tapes from secret locations that they are doing God's will, and then kill innocents. I believe Bush is merely saying: 'Hey - we believe in God too, and God would never condone this type of activity. You do not own God, no one does. We believe in God and we are following what we feel his truths are, and that means stopping you.'”

Iris: “President Lincoln was also a religious man who asked for God's guidance and he is considered one of our greatest Presidents, if not our greatest. Most people who believe in God ask for his guidance. We pray that we do his will. That is the best man can do. I rather have someone who prays to do God's will, than to have someone who acts only if the UN approves. The men who created this republic, where mostly religious men. We have "In God We Trust" on our coins. That does not make us a theocracy. The government does not have an official religion nor does it impose a religion on anyone. But it is part of our character.”

Achillea: "I'm not a Christian and never have been, and I voted for Bush. Why? Because I know what he believes and that he'll stand up for those principles. I don't agree with all of those principles, but I don't disagree with all of them, either. Christianity has fomented great good as well as great harm. With Kerry, I could never tell what he believed, if anything. His philosophy seemed to be that he should let everyone else decide what he believed from one moment to the next. While it's important for a leader to listen to other and/or opposing viewpoints, Kerry's sort of spineless trimming has no place in the leader of the free world.”

Stehpinkeln: “I think there must be some sort of translation problem between Europe and the USA. We 'consult' with Europe all the time. Then when we are done consulting, we do what we need to do. What's the problem? Consult doesn't mean obey, it means talk with. If the Euros can't produce a valid argument for what they want us to do, that is their problem, not America's.”

Kamal: “The US and European and Arab Media as well as the leftists got a loud message this week. They all want the Kofi Anan/Chirac way of the world, let people die, lets not act on Iraq or the Sudan, or Afghanistan, let’s bury our heads in the sand and shoot insults to those who dare to care.

Karzai is the first elected (by men and women) leader of Afghanistan. In January elections WILL be held in Iraq, regardless of how many beheadings there are. Militant Islam is on the same path as flat world Christians 5000 years ago, their time is closing. Freedom ALWAYS wins in the end."

Well Kamal, putting aside the fact that Christianity isn’t quite that old (was that a typo?), I hear ya’ loud and clear, so let me close by quoting one of my own comments:

“I'm pretty much an atheist (although I'm not quite sure), I believe in a woman's right to choose, I support gay rights and gay marriage and I'm a passionate defender of freedom of expression for all except those who advocate such things as Holocaust denial. And I think Bush is the leader this poor old world needs.”

Since my friend Scott - the supposed tree hugger from Oregon who wrote me a gem of a poem earlier this week, giving me the gift of laughter - is taking a lot of flack just now (and dishing it out in kind, I might add), let me sum up by addressing him. In addition to what I have said in my quote above, I have been a strong supporter of the environmental movement for many, many years. Until recently I contributed a monthly donation, debited automatically from my account, to the David Suzuki Foundation.

I mention that, not knowing whether the “tree hugger” appellation legitimately applies to you. I simply want you and the rest of the readers to know that all of us are complex and have a wide range of views on a wide range of issues. There is no cookie cutter for churning out right-wingers, any more than there is for producing left-wingers.

Of all the issues I care about in the world, as it exists right now, during the time that I have on this earth, the situation in Iraq is far and away the most important. That is why I support George Bush and the Republican Party. Whatever else he and his team may represent to you or to any other American, I firmly believe he and his party are the best hope Iraq and Iraqis have. I’m very grateful John Kerry has decided not to let domestic political pettiness detract from that overarching issue. So, for the next little while at least, John Kerry will be at the top of this little right-winger's list of heros, and I offer a hearty salute to ModDem, a man of stirling character.

Louise, the Iraqi blogger addict

Obscure Iraqi Blogs # 1

2004-11-02T04:58:00.000-05:00

by littlewhy

Everyone reads Iraq the Model, Healing Iraq, Iraq at a Glance, etc. (And you're all reading Riverbend and the Jarrar blogs, right?) But who is reading Then Some? Or Iraqi Humanity? Or No Pain No Gain? Or the Rose of Baghdad?

So here's a new feature for IBR: A roundup of the little dogs in the Iraqi Blogosphere pound.

I'm sorry to report that things seem to be going from bad to worse in Mosul. All the Mosul bloggers have the same dismal story: explosions day and night, and the vicious shadow dictatorship of the Ansar al-Sunna. I'll start with Ibrahim Khalil of Iraq Today.

This Ramadan (the holy month for Moslems) which was very different than all the past ones for the Iraqi Christian women, because the commands of the Ansar Al-Sunna resistance army (an Islamic movement) which is a more effective authority than the government in this city at present time ... This horror is in everyone's heart in this city while they are seeing almost everyday at least one beheading or slaughtering of those who do not obey the commands of what is being termed "the Iraqi Resistance". Just this morning I started my day hearing from my friend that they found a man beheaded near their house at 7:00 am. The reason given as always: "working with Americans". This is leading more people to obey the Ansar Al-Sunna Resistance Army more then the local government ... Several flyers were posted everywhere in the city a few days before Ramadan. One of them was that all women must dress in the Islamic legal clothes or what we call the Al-Hijab. This means that even Christian women must obey this.

Like I said, all the Mosul blogs say the same thing, but the news also got down to Rose in Baghdad:

Rose
Diary From Baghdad
http://rosebaghdad.blogspot.com/

Rose in Baghdad seems to have had all she can take. She reports that she's no longer watching or following the news and doesn't want to talk about it in her latest posting, which is all about her daughter. But in some earlier posts she had this to say about the Ansar al-Sunna in Mosul:

Another thing I was discussing with my family, if I saw someone suspicious where should I go and tell the authority about him. The answer was no where. Because simply you don’t trust anyone, he might be one of the fighters or the terrorist so you might be killed or hurt, you or anyone of your family. So that’s why many Iraqi people are not giving any information about anyone because simply they don’t trust anyone in their new government. Till now many people had been captured while they were working in the new government and they were loyal to fighters groups or terrorists and they were giving information to their groups.So what shall we do to change these acts?

My sister (who lives in Mosul) called today and was very upset. The extremists put announcements in the streets forcing all women to wear the hijab (head scarf) even the Christians and this announcements was signed by five Islamic parties....

She said I don't want to force my daughter to wear something against her will and I don't know what to do? Her daughter became very angry, but there is nothing that she can do about...

What is making me nervous in all this, is the attitude of our new government against these acts. They simply don't do anything, why do they let them put these signs on all over the streets and do nothing about them, unless they are already agreed with these acts. Is this the freedom we are going to have? I think we will be a second Afghanistan and I don’t consider it faraway. I wonder what the president of the USA will say when he hears about this, this is his war against terror isn't it?

Yes, it is his war, and I'm mostly disappointed with his handling, as I've indicated earlier. Why should these people be living under the rule of these thugs? Sometimes it seems that neither the MNF nor the Iraqi security forces have the will to smash these guys...but a major assault on Fallujah seems to be in the air, soon. Is there reason to hope this will change the direction of Iraq?

Notice what Rose says about being unable to trust the police, since they're infiltrated with thugs. Why can't she go to the Americans? Why isn't there some way for her to phone in tips anonymously?

Given all this, it is not surprising that many Iraqis are having a hard time fighting off despair, like Sara in New Zealand.

the stories I hear from Iraqis and how my family isn't coping very well either, just like any Iraqi in Iraq right now. I think about Iraq and its people everyday that goes by no matter what; the more negative thoughts I have in mind, the more it's getting me nuts by the day.
...to see his or her country getting destroyed by the hands of their fellow brothers and sisters is outrageous. I'm finding it very disappointing, sad and simply a shame.

So if you have time, drop by some of these blogs and try to give them some encouragement.

#####

Here's a new blogger who needs more traffic, which he's getting thanks to Iraq the Model. He's Ibn Al Rafidain, which means "Son of the Two Rivers."

The son of the two rivers isn't always thrilled with the butt-monkeys around him who have lots of complaints, but not much action:

I can say that most of the Iraqis are not ready to listen to criticism or advice, even when they are in real trouble. Moreover, they find it very difficult (or impossible) to admit their fault.

Ah, al-Rafidain, take out the word "Iraqis" and insert any nation, group or individual you like and you'll be right most of the time...

#######

Here's a new blog by a 20-year-old medical student, Said:

Iraqi Humanity
iraqidoctor.blogspot.com

His latest post recounts how he missed being blown up by only a few minutes--twice. How does he keep studying? The guy has a lot of nerve. Anyway, he also tells of the day he heard thirteen explosions, and the conversations he had afterwards with his fellow med students:

One of the was ex-baathism, & he was very happy ( & I don't know why) he started to shout & saying that this is the end of Americans troops in Iraq. I left him in this mental condition & start to talk with others...

...Other friend told that those Americans might killed Iraqi people before so they deserve to die, but I told him in this explosion might hits Iraqi people in addition to those Americans, he answered that this is a war, & I answered him that it is a war so many Iraqi people might die in it & we must think that if 100 Iraqi people die daily we ought not to make them 101 people;

Said is obviously a very decent guy. (I think he might be a little unclear on the meaning of the English word "friend.") Notice the hypocrisy of his one 'friend.' If Americans kill civilians in the midst of combat, they deserve to die. But if Iraqis kill civilians in combat, why that's ok! It is a war, after all.

Like I said, Said is a decent guy, but he's also a tough guy:

a group of terrorism attacked 6 churches at the same time when our Christians brothers were just finished there prayers & prepare to leave, fortunately I was near one of these churches which lies in Al-Doraa & I helped with my friend in removing victims under blocks & glasses & it was really a terrible view.

Also there was a big traffic in the way back, so I entered the house in 3:40 pm & now as I am writing this, I am hearing a voice fire (bullet shot) near our house ,So I shall go now bcz it become serious :)

#####

Here's a young fellow who usually just calls himself 13, and his blog Then Some has a great post about Christopher Reeve:

#####

There are plenty more little blogs out there who need your hits. If the reading is getting you down, do what I do and always finish your Iraqi blog reading with Raghda, who has a new cat.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2004-10-27T19:00:00.000-04:00

To pretend that the past two weeks have been anything but bad and ugly in Iraq is to profoundly ignore reality. Putting aside the media’s fixation on things that blow up or draw blood in the most gruesome of ways, the level of violence has obviously increased dramatically as the American elections draw nearer, and, it appears, no one is in control in Iraq.

Many have speculated the crescendo of atrocity is a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of that election, but we really won’t know if that is true or if it isn’t until after November 2nd and even then, the proof will be hard to discern, as it is difficult to imagine that the violence will simply stop. After all, there are three competing groups, two of which appear to have found reason to form a “strange bedfellows” sort of alliance.

The group that desperately needs the support of Americans and their president, no matter which man it turns out to be, is, of course, the group upon which all hopes of democracy in Iraq rest. This group is represented by a growing number of bloggers whose sites many people the world over visit, and try to offer encouragement, each day. But the Islamists and the Arab Nationalists/
Ba’athists also, obviously, have well established and funded networks that are working together to prevent the hopes and aspirations of those Iraqis who long for democracy.

The most active Iraqi bloggers these past two weeks were also two of the longest standing – Sam, at Hammorabi, and the Fahdil brothers, at Iraq the Model. Sam can be counted upon to spread the news before the Western media knows what’s happening, with a graphic and sometimes humorous bite. The brothers, Ali, Omar and Mohammed never fail to provide the positive news that apparently no self-respecting MSM outlet thinks is newsworthy, especially when there is so much cannon fodder over which to salivate.

Included in the positive news were such gems as Omar’s receipt of a passport, and his utter delight as a free man, at being able to travel where and when he pleases, a right most of his readers, myself included, mindlessly take for granted. The Fahdil brothers also paint a picture of a commitment to a new and democratic Iraq. They find evidence of this, in reports of police arresting terrorists and their supporters and refusing lucrative bribes. They point to movements among Arabs and Muslims to reform their own societies and, within Iraq, especially, to a rekindling of long stifled and heavily controlled arts, such as poetry and painting.

Even as these positive stories are being told, one of the most outrageous acts of barbarism hit the newswires, with impeccable timing, one might note – the mass murder of 48 newly recruited members of the Iraqi army, traveling home from their training facility. The comments sections of the Iraqi bloggers continued to bristle with back and forth debate, sometimes bordering on the vicious; mostly about American politics on the eve of one of the most important presidential elections in modern history and, of course, on the seemingly endless spiral of violence in Iraq. There really were very few profoundly sage and moving comments. There were, however, strong and unfailing expressions of sympathy and support to their Iraqi friends.

I will end this week’s post with passages from two comments, one of which was in answer to the other. First, our new kid on the blogger’s block, Sami, has been both posting on his blog and actively participating in the comments pages. On October 26th, Sami plead the Iraqi case on Hammorabi’s blog:

“I am an Iraqi who was sooo happy to see the end of Saddam but talking to my family in Baghdad they give me bad news daily..... and they always complain and its natural to complain when the most safest and securest Iraqi in Iraq is the tyrant himself who gets 3 meals a day and sleeps comfortably in a cell without worrying about a bomb ........ it’s really tragic...... please help my people by supporting them even if they don’t suck up to Bush and Kerry....

we have been through so much and its only natural to be distrustful as our ultimate fears are we will be forgotten once again.

Thanks to all the kind posters in here who genuinely care about the Iraqi life rather than will Bush beat Kerry or not.......I don’t care who wins....as long as they financially and militarily support us to destroy the notion that sadly most Iraqis have that the west created Saddam and hence the conditions that are in Iraq where a small violent minority of Iraqis live on with his disturbing mentality.”

To which that stalwart and most gentle of anchors, Thinker, responded:

“Sami...Don't worry. We can take Allawi's criticism. People died and our people probably make security mistakes. WE are really grieving over the loss of these beautiful young men.

We are NOT perfect and we will make mistakes. Remember when you hear people arguing about our election....often...people here are so passionate because they really want to do right in Iraq and are worried about you.

The coalition has been pretty much attacked by the whole world and taken a lot of punishment for what they are trying to do. Like you, I wish Iraqis knew how much goodwill we feel for them.

Only the US could have done this because it seems we may be one of the world's few optimistic countries.”

Being an eternal optimist myself (who profoundly regrets she can’t vote in the American elections) I will also say that the world will not abandon Iraq. This is a pivotal event in history and surely there has never been a more important time for all of us to focus on what Ali, Omar and Mohammed see. Let THAT be the future of Iraq.

Louise - the Iraqi blog addict

New-Found Freedom

2004-10-21T17:10:00.000-04:00

For all the naysayers that think the US and multinational forces have brought only death and destruction to Iraq, Firas at Iraq & Iraqis would like to share this with you:

"From a free country I want to say by the name of all those who share my opinions, and I don’t think we are a minority, that we do feel our freedom and we intended to keep it whatever it cost and we do feel that the future will be better and the light of the sunrise which begun on the 9th of April 2003 will continue to shine all over Iraq and Iraqis and January is not far to prove what I am saying."

Omar at Iraq the Model is enjoying one of his new-found freedoms. For the first time in his life, he was allowed to leave the country:

"This may sound silly but It’s really something nice to be able to move freely, leave your country whenever you want and come back whenever you like and I can’t describe to you what I felt when I saw the word “EXIT” printed on one of the passport’s pages; I was sad for what we missed and at the same time optimistic and happy for what’s waiting for us in the future. Life seemed normal for me for the 1st time in my life. Soon after the war we could sense freedom immediately but this time we experienced it in a way that we haven’t before. It was an amazing feeling!
Despite all what’s Baghdad is going through, nothing can match the peace I felt when I walked down from the airplane in Baghdad's airport."

Despite what we see in the media and hear from Riverbend and the Jarrars, there are Iraqis enjoying the benefits of freedom. These brave souls understand the incredible sacrifices and determination it takes to keep it. These individuals are why we must be committed to seeing this through. After 35 years of oppression and tyranny, they deserve to live in a free, democratic society full of hope and promise for the future.

- Torch

Of Sam and Sami and the American Elections

2004-10-18T01:49:00.000-04:00

There’s a new kid on the Iraqi bloggers’ block named Sami. Check out his informative postings at An Iraqi's Thoughts.

For some reason I took a shine to this young man, almost the minute I discovered his website. He’s about the right age to be a ‘baby brother figure’ to my two kids and could even be a role model for them. He attended university in the West - in my country, in fact, which may be why I connected - in a field of study that will be immensely useful to the future of his country.

He made his debut only a couple of weeks ago, and already I have learned so much from him. He emailed me his honours thesis on the Lebanese civil war, which he has promised to post on his site. The thesis contends that the Lebanese conflict has strong parallels to the current one in Iraq and I think his analysis is spot on.

He has also promised to translate occasional bits of information from Arabic language newspapers and postings on various Arabic-only blogs, a suggestion that came from several of his readers. (This young man understands the principles of good marketing!) An Iraqi's Thoughts is definitely worth bookmarking.

Elsewhere in the Iraqi blogging world, the comments have pretty much mired down to a mud-slinging contest between “Demons” and “Repugs”. Take JohnL's comment, for example:

"If I have to choose between a golden-tongued Senator with a history of defeatism and a tongue-tied President with a record of achievement, I'll definitely go with the latter, and I think most Americans will end up doing the same."

Many posters have offered the theory that Bush has been waiting until after the elections before letting the lions out of the cage. Alaa at The Mesopotamian made an impassioned and masterfully crafted plea to his American readers as voters, urging them to re-elect Bush. Responses from both sides of the political spectrum filled the comments page and left no doubt in my mind that it matters not whether the lions are loosed by Republicans or Democrats, as far as blog fans are concerned, mission one will be - post haste - get the job done! Kris, in Seattle, for example, stated emphatically that American voters will not allow their president, no matter who he is, to leave before Iraqis are ready. Not to slight you at all, Kris, but I remain skeptical that Kerry will heed that advice and I'd rather you didn't take the chance. In case I turn out to be wrong, do save my email address so you can send my words back at me and watch me eat them. Kris's comment is too long to quote here, but it's another that is certainly worth reading as I'm sure it represents the views of a large percentage of Democrat leaning Americans who are genuinely concerned about Iraq's welfare.

It’s also heartening to learn, via Sam at Hammorabi, that serious and productive discussions concerning forgiveness of Iraq’s odious debts are FINALLY happening! The United States has proposed a 90% - 95% writeoff of Iraqi debt and Japan has stated its agreement with that position. Should they follow through on that, it will be a well deserved slap in the face to the terrorists/extortionists who kidnapped three Japanese citizens earlier this year.

I was disappointed there wasn't more discussion about this part of Sam's posting in the comments. I'll forgive the neighbours as they are understandably a bit preoccupied at the moment, and for what it's worth, I'll offer my 2 cents to fill the gap. This rightoff of odious debts will be a monumental signal to the tyrants of the world and to the countries and people who prop them up. It's both bad business and bad Karma. Equally important, is the message to the tyrants: If you want foreign aide and investment, clean up your act.

While the world holds its breath, waiting for November's crucial election, other things are moving forward. Against the backdrop of yet another of Saddam Hussein’s mass graves, this one filled with the remains of pregnant women, their unborn babies and toddlers clutching toys, there is a very large community of nations taking care of issues and working to see that Iraqis WILL HAVE their freedom. If America, with George Bush at the helm, had not led the way, none of this would be happening, and for my part, I'd rather not see the momentum interrupted. In any case, whether he wins the election or not, the cowboy from Texas, speech impediment and all, will be my hero for the rest of my life.

Finally, my nomination for the best rant of the week goes to Kat from Missouri. Kat, speaking with her pajamas on, of course, gave a stellar performance in response to the Bush Lied Party's Information Minister. Well done Kat. May you live long and prosper.

Louise – the Iraqi blog addict

“The value of an Enron share”

2004-10-14T06:50:00.000-04:00

If you have been reading my thoughts on Iraqi bloggers comments pages, you may have seen me occasionally take an anti-war or anti-US poster to task, with, I’m not ashamed to say, a considerable degree of vehemence and snide language. They deserve it, after all.

There are several of them who post pretty much the same tired old rhetoric over and over and I, for one, am not entirely convinced that the anti-everything crowd is in fact anything more than a handful of people posting under a variety of aliases. If these posts are actually coming from more than a handful of people, they resemble the rent-a-leftie crowd that, totally on cue, rallies everytime there is a big street protest somewhere, pretending to speak for those without a voice. They are the modern day equivalent of Hitler Youth and, frankly, they are starting to scare me.

A couple of weeks ago I had an encounter with one Wadard, who claims to be Australian, and who (hopefully he will correct me if I’m wrong) also stated at one time that he is of Jewish ancestry. I mention his ancestry only because his position in “support” of oppressed peoples of the world is surprisingly unsupportive. It usually astonishes me when I hear someone, claiming to be of Jewish heritage, so blinded by his irrational hatred of the US, that he does not recognize the cries of genuinely oppressed people.

He is certainly not the only rent-a-leftie who endlessly rails against the United States, while turning a cold, blind eye and stone-deaf ear away from any discussion of the nature of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The only thing they seem to be able to do, and it is with bland cookie-cutter consistency, is bash the USA!!

Now, I’m not about to say that the United States is totally innocent of anything remotely resembling wrongdoing, especially during the Cold War. But as I pointed out to a kindred spirit of Wadard’s, named –c- (Yes, that was his/her name. When not posting with the ubiquitous and nefarious nom-de-plume “anonymous”, they opt for the cutesy, cutesy.), there are precious few nations in the world that have maintained perfectly, lily-white hands down through the ages.

But these folks apparently think the United States of American is the new nigger, the new kike, and they are entitled to slander and piss on every effort taken by my southern neighbours to do good in the world, in this case toppling a tyrant who had ranked year after year as the king of human rights abusers, second only to Adolf Hitler.

Another Iraqi blogger fan, a citizen of Belgium, had these strange new lefties perfectly pegged:

“They "care" about 15,000 dead Iraqis during OIF and its aftermath. Those deaths presumably having been inflicted by "whites". Yet they don't "care" at all for 1,000,000 dead when the deaths come from inter-Muslim conflicts….In other words, … an Arab life gains excessive value when it is "taken" by a white. On the other hand, the value of an Arab life goes down like an Enron share when it is taken by an Arab. Conclusion: Leftists are the real racists.”

If the Wadards of the world are the new automatons of mindless hatred, I am curious to know: Who is their Balder Von Schirack?

Louise – the Iraqi blog addict

The Muddy Waters of Faiza's Mind

2004-10-12T16:50:00.000-04:00

When reading Faiza’s posts do you ever find yourself confused, befuddled, bewildered? Do her statements seem contradictory and illogical? Do you ever wonder how one person's mind could be so muddied and clouded? Her latest post is another fine example of her twisted, dangerous logic:

“As for the kidnapping gangs, killings, and beheadings on the internet…and the daily trapped cars…the killings of the new recruiters in the Iraqi Police and Army…these are a two-edged weapon… they prove Bush's inability to control the situation, if his enemies were behind them. And at the same time, he uses them to his advantage, a pretext to remain here and clean Iraq of terrorism.”

First, she has doubts as to who are the perpetrators of the kidnappings, killings, and beheadings. In her clouded mind, she can actually imagine George Bush to be involved in these terrorist acts. She also thinks that these horrendous deeds are an excuse to keep our forces there for some nefarious reasons. Of course we already know what those are- to steal the oil and support the Zionist entity (a.k.a. Israel) or in Faiza’s words:

“We get two birds by one stone….we confirm our existence in Iraq, with the ploy of fighting terrorism, and control the fate of all the states of the region. And protect America and its people, from terrorism and its people. (There are two more birds in the story: Iraqi Oil, the free treasure, and protecting the loved, pampered Israel)…ha, ha, ha…”

Yes, I’m still waiting for my 50 barrels of heavy crude. Were they sending that FedEx or UPS? And for those that may have suspected that Raed’s anti-semitism stemmed only from his Palestinian father’s teachings, you know better now.

Faiza finishes her lengthy piece of propaganda with this truly confusing and illogical statement:

“This gap between us and the American Media, is used by the Bush Administration, to tell colorful stories…
Come here, and listen to the true stories…
How do we remove the veil from your eyes, and show you the truth?? And there are thousands upon thousands of miles between us….and this is to the advantage of those who wouldn't want you to know the truth….
But you shall…sooner or later…”

So if the media is showing kidnappings, suicide bombs, beheadings, and civilian deaths and these are NOT the truth then what is the truth? Could the truth actually be what so many of the other Iraqi bloggers describe- a nation moving slowly, painfully but surely in the footsteps of freedom and democracy? Could it be rebuilding of schools, hospitals, businesses? Could it be the freedom to criticize the government, to express yourself in artistic endeavors, to assemble in women’s societies, to vote for your local and national leaders? We want the truth about this situation and Faiza claims to offer it, but she parrots the same stories and tragedies as the American media and then claims these to be false. Does this make sense to anyone? I’m so confused…

-Torch

Uncle Snidley

2004-10-07T09:16:00.000-04:00

Uncle Sam? No, Snidley Whiplash!

As if she were planning to prove my point about rumours, Riverbend decided to spread a couple with her latest post Samarra Burning.

First her post has the usual complaints that the U.S. military never kills terrorists or thugs, only completely unarmed and innocent civilians. And they do it just for fun! No reason at all!

--To top it off, we have to watch American military spokespersons and our new Iraqi politicians justify the attacks and talk about 'insurgents' and 'terrorists' like they actually believe what they are saying... like hundreds of civilians aren't being massacred on a daily basis by the worlds most advanced military technology.

Samarra was a no-go area controlled by Salafi/Wahabbi fanatics. Numerous violent attacks against the MNF, the IP and the ING occurred there. If there were no terrorists there, River, who was carrying out the attacks? Gremlins? Jinn? Mossad?

Of course civilians were killed, many of them, which is why it's called "urban combat" and not "a tea party." Nobody likes it. Some decent guys like AYS and some sweet kids like Aunt Najma got killed in Samarra this week, and it makes me sick. But what was the alternative? Leave the Association of Muslim Scholars and their fanatic murdering thugs in charge of the city? That's not an option. It makes me angry though. Urban combat is a horrible thing and should be avoided if possible. This shouldn't have happened at all, because You Know Who should have put enough men with rifles into Iraq in the first place to secure the country. Whole cities should not have fallen into the hands of the Sunni extremist murderers. No one can tell me we had plenty of soldiers there when a city like Samarra becomes their possession for months. Many good citizens would now be alive if these murderers had not taken control of this city in the first place. It should never have happened. We were responsible, collectively, for their safety and we blew it. There is no excuse.

Back to Riverbend. She makes a deceptive complaint about precision attacks, deliberately confusing the targeted air attacks in Fallujah with the house-to-house fighting in Samarra and Sadr City:

--As if Allawi's gloating and Bush's inane debates aren't enough, we have to listen to people like Powell and Rumsfeld talk about "precision attacks". What exactly are precision attacks?! How can you be precise in a city like Samarra or in the slums of Sadir City on the outskirts of Baghdad? Many of the areas under attack are small, heavily populated, with shabby homes several decades old. In Sadir City, many of the houses are close together and the streets are narrow. Just how precise can you be with missiles and tanks? We got a first-hand view of America's "smart weapons". They were smart enough to kill over 10,000 Iraqis in the first few months of the occupation

Then Riverbend goes completely nuts. She's admitted in the past that she doesn't get out much and she watches and believes al-Jazeera. First she sagely comments on the murder of 35 Iraqi children who were at a party to get candy:

--I don't know who to be more angry with- the idiots and PR people who thought it would be a good idea to have children running around during a celebration involving troops or the parents for letting their children attend. I the people who arranged the explosions burn within the far-reaches of hell.

Isn't that nice? she blames the parents for taking the kids to a party. Now who thought a party like that would be targeted? Perhaps she'd like to tell that crying father in the photo at Hammorabi that he's stupid to try to let his kid have a little fun.

Next, Uncle Sam is Snidley Whiplash:

--One wonders who is behind the explosions and the car bombs. Bin Laden? Zarqawi? Possibly... but it's just too easy. It's too perfect. Bin Laden hit the WTC and Afghanistan was attacked. Iraq was occupied. At first, any explosion or attack on troops was quickly blamed on "loyalists" and "Baathists" and EVERYTHING was being coordinated by Saddam. As soon as he was caught, it became the work of "Islamic extremists" and Al-Qaida and Zarqawi suddenly made his debut. One wonders who it will be after it is discovered that Zarqawi has been dead for several months or that he never even existed. Whoever it is, you can bet his name will three syllables or less because that is Bush's limit.

So whoever planted those bombs should burn in hell, but we know who they are! It's Uncle Sam! It's CIA/Mossad! The same people who invented Al Qaeda, and UBL, and put Saddam in power, invented Zarqawi and planted those bombs! It's obvious!

What's obvious is that Riverbend has descended into the hallucinatory land of the conspiracy theorist, where nothing is what it seems and everything happens according to Uncle Snidley's plans. Anything that appears to be American incompetence or stupidity or misfortune is really part of a nefarious plot.

Lastly she drops this rumour:

--A week ago, four men were caught by Iraqi security in the area of A'adhamiya in Baghdad. No one covered this on television or on the internet, as far as I know- we heard it from a friend involved in the whole thing. The four men were caught trying to set up some explosives in a residential area by some of the residents themselves. One of the four men got away, one of them was killed on the spot and two were detained and interrogated. They turned out to be a part of Badir's Brigade (Faylaq Badir), the militia belonging to the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Should the culprits never have been caught, and should the explosives have gone off, would Zarqawi have been blamed? Of course.

Notice that she "heard it from a friend involved in the whole thing." Conveniently, it wasn't in the news anywhere. Does the friend have any proof other than his big mouth? Probably not. But this is what I talked about in the post about rumours: if Iraqis hear it through their grapevine, it MUST be true. Now I don't like SCIRI either and maybe they do plant bombs. I don't know this neighborhood A'adhamiya. Is it Sunni? If it is, how likely is a rumour about a Shi'ite political party to be true?

Lastly, let's explain to Riverbend:

--Why is it 'terrorism' when foreigners set off bombs in London or Washington or New York and it's a 'liberation' or 'operation' when foreigners bomb whole cities in Iraq? Are we that much less important?

Terrorism is when they deliberately kill civilians to sow fear, exact revenge, or satisfy hatred. Liberation is when bombs are dropped and men with rifles fight to drive terrorist thugs from their holes, like in Samarra. I hope that city will be free now. By the way apparently the ING
did great in Samarra. Look for that city to return to the rule of law, thanks to the IP, the ING and the Big Red One.

-littlewhy

Elections or no elections?

2004-10-06T09:47:00.000-04:00

Two of the most interesting exchanges about Iraq this past week focused on the promised January elections. One was on the blog of our Egyptian friend, Big Pharaoh or GM and the other at ITM.

GM, who has consistently shown his support for the right of Iraqis and all Middle Easterners to enjoy democracy, posited his position and defended it. He argued for postponement, whereas ITM made the case for holding the elections on time, as promised. GM’s concern was that the security situation would make meaningful elections too difficult to pull off, and that they should be delayed.

I found the Pharaoh’s blog more interesting, because of the passionate response of his readers, who overwhelmingly disagreed. The debate continued over two successive postings and was even picked up on other Iraqi blogs. The reasons offered by the posters for why elections should proceed as planned, provide a little lesson in and of themselves about the history of the struggle of democracy and what democracy does to the will of a people.

I can't say that I disagree with any of the arguments offered, and since Haloscan comments have a short life, I’ve chosen to post highlights from the Pharaoh's readers here. They are worth recording for posterity. Some I have edited slightly to shorten them and/or correct typos and I have deliberately chosen to end the list with a quote from Finnpundit, as it contains a link which is a must read. Iraqi blog readers are geniuses when it comes to pointing to other websites with important supporting documentation, which broadens our understanding of the situation in Iraq. The fact that these illuminating responses were posted on an Egyptian blogger's site is also a powerful reminder that the world is watching - and learning - as Iraqis undertake their struggle for democracy:

Andromeda: "I realize it is tough swimming in a sea of anti-American propaganda every night and day, but there is absolutely no reason why elections cannot be held……Read up on the history of early democracies, and you will find that by today’s standards, these elections were far from perfect."

Jim Dearborn: "Elections are what is needed to stop the violence!!! There will continue to be insurgents and terrorists as long as people feel they have no say in their future. Waiting for peace before having elections is putting the cart before the horse. The only way to defeat terrorism is to give people a voice and a say in their future."

Kyla/California: "It always surprises me that people would assume that elections can't be held because of the terrorist…..We in this country held elections in the middle of a war for god sakes [referring to the American civil war]….. These elections must not be subverted by a few. PERIOD."

Al Superczynski: "Delay the elections for what reason? To wait until the terrorist thugs stop their attacks on Iraqi citizens? Golly gee, *that* would sure give terrorists a reason to opt for a peaceful solution...."

Iraqi: “The Iraqi election should go a head no matter whatever the enemy of Democracy say, and do to derail it ......surely would n't be perfect, still better than Saddam’s the 99.9% election !”

Andrea Baucero: “…if the elections were postponed, I think that the Iraqi interim government would lose much of its credibility”

Brian H.: “The Islamic parties will be humiliated and crushed. Every local election so far has left them with few or no representatives. And the elections are a declaration by, of, and for the Iraqi population of hope, courage, and independence.”

Shari: “It occurred to me that the insurgents may unintentionally influence the election in a positive way. You would think the more death and destruction the terrorists try to inflict on Iraqis in the name of Islam, the more likely Iraqis would be to vote in moderate candidates, avoiding those who firmly support Islamic law. Since the elected body will be in charge of getting the constitution written, the more moderate members the better."

Tina: “There MUST be elections, because in order for the government to be seen as legitimate worldwide, they must be backed by an elected Parliament.”

Iraqi: “The election should go a head, no matter whatever the obstacles there and would be put to derail it. Iraq becoming the battle ground for the Arab and Islamist defecency [?] to settle their score on the expense of the innocent Iraqi lives!…..The Arabs and Islamist destructions to Iraq will back fire on them sooner or later !”

Foobarista: “Deferring (or hopefully cancelling) elections is the strategic objective of the terrorists. If there are no elections, the terrorists can pose as "legitimate insurgents" and the "true" voice of the Iraqi people. Once legitimate elections have taken place, the terrorists are shown to be simply bandits and killers. Zarqawi himself said as much in a captured letter about a year ago. IMO, you are mistaking the chicken for the egg here: elections can and do often take place in hostile environments, and much of the hostility itself is due to overwhelming legitimacy that acceptable and fair elections confer on the government. So, elections _have_ to happen on schedule.”

Seow, Singapore: “My friends, you must understand that elections are not only for Iraq, but for France, Germany, Russia, China and any anti-war coalition. If you want the U.S. to stay, we must have a legitimate government to invite the U.S. to stay."

Don: “They are training an Iraqi army. In April there were only 5000, now there are 70,000. By November they will be ready for an offensive into the Sunni Triangle to take back Fallujah and the other cities. But why would that force fight? For the Americans? Very doubtful. For their own democratically-elected government (even if that government is not in place yet)? Much more likely I think. It's a matter of legitimacy of the Iraq government. For the US it's important that the US keeps its promises to the Iraqi people, and is seen to be doing so.”

squatch: "Elections are not meant to provide security nor are they meant to defeat the so-called resistance. They are symbolic, and meaningfully so……FREE PEOPLE have elections. Yes, the security situation in a small geographic area - yet dense in population - is poor…..Doesn't matter. FREE PEOPLE vote. Iraqis need to have a personal relationship with the idea of freedom. That is what is achieved through elections…..If you consider (as I am sure you’re able) the psychology of people who have been brutalized by their government for decades, casting a ballot to claim their voice in government - even in a situation that is much, much less than ideal - can only strengthen the average Iraqi citizen…….And right now, the average Iraqi citizen could use the strength.”

Finnpundit: "GM, the New York Times columnist David Brooks has an excellent article in today’s paper just on this topic. The El Salvadorean example is something worthwhile studying in the Arab World."

- Louise, the Iraqi blog addict -

M.I.A. or P.O.W.?

2004-10-05T15:00:00.000-04:00

Recently, some of my favorite bloggers have been either unable or unwilling to blog. With some high-tech equipment (my computer) and extensive research (reading blog comments) I've been able to track down these missing bloggers and will now update you on their current status:

Salam Pax Shut up you fat whiner!
current status- M.I.A.

Rumor has it Salam is in Canada for the Vancouver International Film Festival 2004. He's there to present his documentary Baghdad Blogger/Salam Pax--Video Reports from Iraq. He's scheduled to attend the screenings of his film on October 6th and 7th. Here's an excerpt from the Festival summary:

"Salam Pax introduces us to something we have never seen before, namely, the new Iraq, where despite ongoing violence and occupation, Iraqi citizens are expressing themselves in ways impossible under Saddam Hussein. In this series of video-diary entries, the blogger who describes himself as an architect--but not a good one--invites us to keep watching as the new Iraq is born. His sharply edited video blogs are often provocative in their questions, and both humorous and sensitive in their observations. With an eye for amazing sights, he takes us along on his adventures to witness the transformations. What he sees has convinced him the war was totally worth it, even if the Americans have not delivered the "democracy, whisky and sex" a few Iraqis had hoped for."

If you're in Vancouver or willing to make the trip, you can purchase tickets to Wednesday's screening at 7:15 p.m. for $9 (Canadian I assume) or Thursday's at 1:40 p.m. for $7.

Friggin' lucky Canadians...

~~~

Zeyad, Healing Iraq

current status: M.I.A.

Zeyad's last post was on September 16. He hasn't officially been reported as missing and I'm going to agree with our commenter Kris in Seattle:

"If there were a problem, we would have heard about it from either AYS or one of the Fadhil bros. During one of his previous absences I emailed him and got a response that he is sometimes too busy to blog and at other times lacks motivation, and not to worry. As another commenter said, paraphrasing, what Zeyad lacks in quantity, he makes up for in quality. I agree - he's worth the wait."

I'm going to assume he's fine, just suffering from a little blog burn out.

~~~

Sarmad, Road of a Nation

current status: P.O.W.

Until recently, the last we'd heard from Sarmad was when he re-posted Al-Sadr's speech to the American people. He reemerged yesterday with this devastating news:

"Thank you all, and forgive me, for not posting or answering any one email, I was through very difficult situation, and the was so many troubles I been through.
I got many threats, if I keep writing they will kill me and my family.
it seems that things still for some people is same they use to be.
time stopped for them, and they cant under stand the time is rolling, and things will never be like it be.
but because this thing was not related only to me, but was related with other persons, and those was my family members, I preferred not to take things, in away that heart any one, and deal with the whole issue, as a serious thing, and this was not an easy job.
I hope I did the right thing, and I am sorry again.
But this thing was bigger than I can afford.
I hope things will be better for Iraq and Iraqis and the whole world."

Sarmad, I am so sorry that your beautiful gift of sharing your life, hopes and dreams with the world has brought you such grief and terror. You are in our hearts and thoughts daily. May your wonderful spirit and extraordinary soul find peace and happiness.

To the cowardly, low-life, scum-sucking, flea-infested, venomous degenerates that threatened Sarmad I would like to say that you are nothing more than a gangrenous, pus-filled, seeping boil upon society and I hope very soon that a well-trained, heavily-armed American soldier surgically and permanently removes you from existence. You don't deserve to lick the soil off the bottom of Sarmad's shoe.

-Oops, forgot to add that this post is by me, Torch.

The IBR Family is Growing...

2004-10-03T14:50:00.000-04:00

Let's give a warm IBR welcome to our newest contributor littlewhy. Kick off your shoes, help yourself to the fridge, and make yourself at home.

As some of you may know, littlewhy is the owner of the blog Winter Soldier, which covers American foreign policy and the Middle East with an emphasis on Iraq. Check it out for thoughtful insights like this:

"So we've got a hard task ahead. I don't know how it will go. Some fools are saying the war is already lost; other fools claim all is well and there is nothing to be worried about. We can't give up and we can't insert our heads in the sand. There's nothing to do but suck it up and go forward. It's going to take a long time to rebuild a civil society, especially one that has been as badly traumatized as Iraq. So whenever an Iraqi says or does something that makes you want to say, "Why, you ungrateful...no one should die trying to help you," stop yourself. Rememeber this analogy of the horribly abused young man. He's going to test your patience. What he needs from you is a little understanding, some toughness, a lot of help, and yes, a little love."

Rumours and Eyewitnesses

2004-10-03T14:48:00.000-04:00

I value Iraqi blogs because there is so much information available there that can't be found anywhere else. Unfortunately, like any media, the blogs contain a good deal of stuff that can't be taken at face value. I've noticed that Iraqis tend to give great credit to information they've received off the grapevine. Rumours get printed as fact in a number of blogs. They also like to blog information they've found in one of Iraq's immense number of newspapers, or off the Arab TV channels. I think they've become so hungry for facts after decades of B.S. from officials, that they accept anything they hear down at the coffeehouse. (I realize this is in no way a failing unique to Iraqis.)

Whenever an Iraqi offers up personal anecdotes to which he was an eyewitness, however, then that becomes a posting that I cherish. Some of Salam Pax's best posts were from before the war, in which he would describe things he saw and conversations he had. The same is often true now of many blogs, especially the Pep Boys at Iraq the Model, and also AYS at Iraq at a Glance. A fine eyewitness post was put up this week by Ferid the Great. (Who needs to stop calling himself a loser.)

9th of April and my life is the single best post Ferid has written. A couple small excerpts about criminals and Baathists:

"Dyala at that time didn't fall yet, at the same time we've heard heavy gun shooting and voices of people shouting from the prison next to the house, this prison was holding all prisoners that transferred from Baghdad, and there charges was only politic since saddam freed all criminals from prisons few months before war"

Now, just imagine what would happen in America if we emptied out all the prisons and jails. There would be a huge spike in violent crime. Saddam knew he could just round these guys up again if he survived, and that they'd make Iraq ungovernable if he fell. Why wasn't this obvious to our dear neocon leaders? From the first looting the common criminals in Iraq having been having a field day. Why weren't we prepared to deal with this? Anyway, whenever you ask yourself why Iraq is so chaotic and violent, remember that the felons were released.

Now about Baathists:

"...that day I saw the opposite thing at there eyes there were sadness and bitterness, we all were watching TV at the moment when the Iraqis and US forces was trying to get down saddam statue, I've heard them mumbling that those are just spies work for America and trying to describe them as bunch of criminals, I tried to open my mouth at that moment, but I saw my father blinking his eye to me then looking at the photo of saddam that they have put at there house, then I realized every thing....the sad fact that in Iraq there is still some people who love saddam"

Yes, there are many people who must have loved Saddam or he could not have stayed in power. Sometimes I wonder if Bush and Co. realized this. Sometimes I think they looked at this guy and thought that no one except his thugs really wanted him in power. But how could they fail to imagine that he stayed in power because he had millions of supporters? Perhaps they didn't all love him, but they at least saw him as one of their own. Riverbend once put up a sickening post about the "sovereignty and dignity" that they enjoyed under Baba Saddam. How many millions must have believed the crap about the strong leader who defied the West and the Zionists? (Remember how many Iraqis are under the age of twenty or so: How hard is it to fool the young?) If they didn't believe that, how many at least among the Sunni Arabs saw him as their bulwark and provider? Given this, why was it a surprise when a violent insurgency slowly grew? I think this, along with the criminals, are two good examples of Bush's 'miscalculations' that he recently admitted to.

#####

Speaking of rumours: A few days ago Iraq the Model had a post about six Syrian terrorists who were captured by a mob of enraged Iraqis. If true, this would be great news and prove something important about the 'insurgency.' However, their source seems to be New Sabah newspaper and nothing else. I've searched all over and I can't find an independent source for the story. Why hasn't anyone asked the Iraqi government about those six Syrian terrorists? Wouldn't they have a lot to say about them, being that they are good proof of foreign interference in Iraq? But instead, nothing. I'm not saying the story is definitely false. I'm only saying it's a good example of being too quick to give credit. If anyone can find proof this story is true, that would be great.

#####

By now everyone knows that as part of their quest to become ever more popular with ordinary Iraqis, the Zarqawi group blew up 35 kids. Apparently, they were traitorously receiving candy from the American infidels, who were celebrating a new sewage treatment facility constructed as part of their evil plans to subjugate and plunder Iraq. What's been less reported in the media, but noted by Fayrouz, is that they heroically bombed a Catholic nun's shelter for handicapped kids. Allah must be pleased. Not.

-littlewhy

For Those Who May Have Thought Raed Still had an Ounce of Sanity...

2004-10-02T19:07:00.000-04:00

Here's his latest post:

"How many of us heard about the children killed in falluja two days ago by an American attack?
None.

How many of us heard about the Iraqi children killed in baghdad yesterday by an Iraqi attack?
Everyone.

So let me get this straight. The U.S. soldiers were giving sweets to the Iraqi children?
SWEETS?
pfffffff.........
plllllease....

I can imagine the face of the dense pentagon war-reporter sitting in the morning meeting with his boss in Baghdad and proposing the idea:
dumb: SIR, hmmm, I mean, hmmmm, why don't we say that our troops were distributin' candy bars? Doesn't that give, hmmm, whatchamacallit, hmmm, a better public image, SIR?
dumber: Oh, yeah, whoa, what an idea son, you are really inspired.

So where did the troops bring the sweets from? Let me guess, they either bought it using their personal money from local markets in Baghdad to support the Iraqi economy and feed the Iraqi children (sheds a tear), or the children-friendly-soldiers in the pentagon decided to spend some of the one billion dollars a week for sending bubble gums and sweets for Iraqis directly from the land of freedom.

Well, I have another "evil" analysis...
Hmmm, don't you think that in a war zone like Iraq, with more than 85 attacks on occupation troops everyday, the fact that American soldiers were letting children gather around their dirty tanks and hum-vees, the same tanks that bombed and killed their relatives and friends, is a mere cheap plan for using children as human shields?

Who killed the children in falluja?
Who killed the children in Baghdad?"

Yeah, suuuure Raed. The American soldiers have decided to use the ever-popular, always good-image-producing, widely-accepted tactic of using children as human shields. What a great way to win the media's approval and win over lots of Iraqi hearts! Never mind the fact that it didn't prevent the terrorists from detonating their bombs. You know what those are don't you Raed? Bombs are the things that actually killed the children and left dozens of others injured.

Although in your warped mind, it's all the soldiers fault. Not just for being present, but for actually gathering the children around the tanks for nefarious purposes. Riiiiiight...that's much more logical than the soldiers trying to show their good intentions and cultural sensitivity by practicing an Iraqi tradition of handing out sweets to celebrate an event. I think you forgot to mention that it was all planned by President Bush to help boost his campaign. There's nothing like a slaughter of innocents to help further a cause. Chechen rebels seem to think it works. The massacre in Beslan was a noble act for independence wasn't it Raed? It would be despicable only if Americans were involved. After all, America is the REAL evil (all the Baathist schoolbooks told you so, didn't they?)

Fiday's Roundup

2004-10-01T18:41:00.000-04:00

Sam at Hammorabi has some inside information on the terrorist that killed 34 children yesterday in Baghdad:

"…his dirty body was disintegrated and they found only part of his trouser. When they opened the pocket of the trouser they found several tablets of Viagra produced in Saudi Arabia and written on it (happy journey to paradise; don't forget your Viagra!)"

If there's any justice in this world, his 72 virgins will be a bunch of loony, non-shaving, non-bathing, peace activist whiners that can't shut up about how evil mankind is, or at leat maybe one of them will be Janeane Garofalo.

~~~

Nabil reports on another kind of terror from Iraq- the Iraqi youth football team!

Another Win For Iraq

"Today Iraq won against Yemen 2-0 and qualified to the next round, Iraq now is in the top of the group with 9 points and 7 goals and either South Korea or Thailand will qualify with Iraq as a second team. Iraq's next match is against Syria I think it will be easy match for Iraq."

Yeah, kicking butt and taking names! Olay, olay, olay Iraq!

~~~

Omar at Iraq the Model reports that some of the tribes in Iraq are ready to clean up Fallujah themselves:

From Al Sabah: Four tribes’ chiefs promised to declare a threat to the militants in Fallujah that they should turn themselves to the authorities peacefully or the tribes will fight them.

Rafidain net reported governmental sources saying that four tribes in Baghdad, Ramadi, Tikrit have promised to destroy the terrorism foci in the city of Fallujah after knowing that the American troops are preparing a major assault in the next couple of weeks.

~~~

On the lighter side, Najma has a new photo of Aya today on her one month birthday.

♪ Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Aya!
Happy Birthday to you! ♪

By the way, I am completely tone deaf so be glad there’s no audio.

Time to Shake Things Up

2004-09-30T22:41:00.000-04:00

If you've been checking the comments pages, then you'll already have a pretty good idea about the new changes. First, I'm opening up the blog to some new and hopefully permanent, contributors. I'd like to start out by welcoming my friend from across the border, Louise, to Iraqi Bloggers Roundup. She'll be posting on the discussions and comments of other Iraqi blog frequentors, so you better watch what you write. It may just come back to haunt you.

The second big change is the unveiling of ...drum roll please... Beyond the Blackened Stump. This will be the side show to the Roundup. A place for East and West, Left and Right and everyone in between to put down their guards, set aside their differences, and get back in touch with their humanity. Scott from Oregon and myself will be editing, but we want YOUR input and contributions. Send us your pictures, jokes, links to your favorite websites, funny anecdotes, or anything else that tickles your funny bone (or cerebral cortex).

Get your digital out of your pocket and snap it to me...

Election season is bearing down on us like a security guard after you've just lifted your favorite Mall store gadget, and is looking just as frothy. Like security guards, elections come with badges.... and signage, and a whole lot of lecturing on what we're gonna do to you...
Amusing stuff when you dismiss the fact that voting in a government is a profoundly influential ritual that plays huge roles in the way our lives live out....
On my way down the road, I happened to see a cloistered group of signs in a yard in a neighborhood, in a smallish town, about as far away from Washington DC and Iraq as you could place a smallish town.

US out of the UN NOW!
Jesus is Coming Soon.
Bush/Cheney '04
I Want MY NRA
Bob for dogcatcher...(OK, a bunch of local district signs that I can't remember)
I also saw two signs juxtaposed-- Kerry/Edwards One Man, One Woman.
And then these two-- Bush/Cheney No Hunting

I thought it would be a unique twist to blogging if we used pictures to display election time and posted them here. Seen a funny yard full of election posters?
CLICK AND SEND MY FRIEND.

We'll post them here and invite as many Iraqis as we can to stop by to see how silly we get when we are doing something as serious as choosing our government. Don't be shy. Do a drive by shooting and send your results to us.

Welcome to Iraqi Bloggers Anonymous

2004-09-30T20:13:00.000-04:00

Hi. My name is Louise and I’m an Iraqi Blog addict. As you may have already read, Torch has graciously offered me a cameo appearance on his (her?) blog. With any luck, I’ll be guest blogging about once a week. Thanks for the invite, Torch. I hope I don’t disappoint, or worse yet, get myself banned.

Torch does a great job of summarizing and critiquing Iraqi bloggers, so what I would like to focus on is the discussions by my fellow Iraqi Blog addicts. Be warned, though, I don’t suffer fools gladly.

However, this week all I'm going to do is wax philosophically on what Iraqi Bloggers, and those of us who are addicted to them, do for the world. First and foremost – do we learn a lot from each other!! The information that we share in the comments section augments the various points of view expressed by our favorite bloggers and every week there are invariably some great links to insightful news items and documents found on the web that anyone can read.

Anyone who has been reading the Iraqi blogs for the last while (some of them have been around for a year or more now) will know that we have witnessed a very strong bond develop between the bloggers and their loyal readers. This bond, IMHO, is itself a most valuable tool for promoting democracy and defeating terror. Those Iraqis who are blogging, or who are just posting their comments on Iraqi blogs, seem to have their resolve strengthened by the support we are giving them. And that support is genuine, as illustrated by how much we all worry when a blogger mysteriously disappears for a long time. Some of our Iraqi friends have had to deal with extreme crises and have shared that with us, and seem grateful that the world is bearing witness to their struggles. Just as their first hand accounts of what is really going on is important to us, our witness to their trials is important to them.

One of the really cool things about the Iraqi blogs is that those Iraqi bloggers and commenters who are still in Iraq are experiencing the exhilaration of freedom of expression for the first time. They are free to criticize not only the former regime, but the current interim government as well.

It is an understatement to say that we are witnessing the emergence of an extremely powerful tool for the whole of humanity - the Internet, which, through the vehicle of blogs, is giving voice to ordinary people the world over and Iraqi bloggers are the pioneers. They are spreading the call for freedom and are showing others what needs to be done.

Do I believe democracy, the rule of law and respect for human rights can be achieved in Iraq? You bet. Throughout human history great ideas have spread across vast reaches of the globe, spread through such mediums as trade and the printing press, technology of transportation and communication, not to mention inveterate travelers like Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta. In our modern age, thanks to things like the Internet, the speed with which new ideas and deeper understanding of events spread and take hold is phenomenal. We're talking a few decades, perhaps even less, where such movements once took centuries. It's the domino theory again, but I believe it will happen and I believe the war in Iraq is one of the critical tipping points along the way. No wonder I'm an addict.

Let me close by wishing Fayrouz a Happy Anniversary!! Her blog will be a year old in just a few days. Blog on, Fayrouz! You are a gentle ambassador of peace and goodwill.

Faiza's Latest Post on the Media, Occupation and Support of Terrorism

2004-09-28T16:46:00.000-04:00

When I’m already in a foul mood, I should know better than to read one of Faiza’s posts. Oh well, stupid me. The last thing I want to read about is more car bombs, assassinations, and kidnappings. I did however manage to make it all the way through the post and find these interesting nuggets:

“Since the fall of the regime, and the entry of the occupation forces to Iraq, and the media there wants to convince the world that Iraq is on the brink of a civil war, but the bombings that took place to evoke controversy between the Sunni and the Shi'aa did not work… nor did those between the Kurds and Arabs, they did not succeed, unless you count limited places in the northern cities… and they did not succeed between Muslims and Christians, despite the bombing of churches…”

The majority of Americans also distrust the predictions of civil war by the mass media. As I noted in a previous post, not all Iraqis agree with Faiza’s assessment, but I sincerely hope she’s right.

~~~

Faiza has a few words to anyone calling for the immediate removal of foreign troops:

“Whoever person who has an ounce of brains, and quietness in his head would tell them: Stay, do not withdraw, until conditions get better…”

Amen to that.

~~~

“The kidnappings of foreigners and the bombings are carried out by non-existing organizations, that have no faces, and no real existence on earth, illusion organizations that have web sites and documentary films on Al-Jazzera Channel…Who are their owners? Who finances them? No one knows…”

I don’t think there are any “owners” of these terrorist groups, but I’m pretty sure I know how they’re getting their funding. At the end of Faiza’s post she tells us the story of her driver whose sister lives in Fallujah. Her house was recently damaged by a missile strike. The cleric at the local mosque is accepting donations to help families rebuild their houses and distributes the money to the poor and widows. Call me a skeptic, but what do you think the chances are that the money will actually go where it’s intended? Maybe this is just my pessimistic mood taking over, but I think Faiza just helped purchase a few more guns, RPGs, and mortars for the insurgents. How do you think she'd feel if she learned she were actually supporting the terrorism in Iraq? Maybe she could call Yusuf Islam (the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens) for advice.

Milblogs Roundup

2004-09-27T16:03:00.000-04:00

FSIO has started his new job and is blogging again. He's no longer making badges, but is now busy escorting people around Baghdad. Here's his description of Iraqi drivers and their reactions to military convoys:

"For the most part, they try to stay out of our way and obey what directions we give them. A lot even make the effort to give us a clear lane to travel, and that works out better for all, because that way we get out of their way faster. There are those that are driving and just not paying any attention to anything and luckily 5 tons of armored truck with a machine gun mounted on top makes them wake up. I've had several close calls with inattentive drivers but none that have hit my vehicle. And then, there are those, teenage drivers who try and weave in and out of traffic not realizing that we will win any battle between our vehicle and theirs."

Ahh, teenage drivers. The bane of existence all over the world.

~~~

Combat Doc has an interesting, new post titled More about Iraq or You'd Be Surprised at What You Get Use To. I think a better title would be:

You Know You've Been in Iraq too Long When...

"Tracer fire is so common that you watch it at night like a fireworks display, you only worry when you hear it and don't see it. That means it's moving horizontally. Car bombs shake the building you're in no matter how far away they are. If you hear it you feel it. You only hang around for 2 minutes to see if you get called out, if not you go back to your bootleg movie. Mortar rounds go off all day long. Usually two or three at a time and maybe twice a day. You can tell if you're in danger by the sound. If it whizzes you're good because it's moving laterally; when it's quiet after you hear it leave the tube you get wary but you don't go running off for the bunkers until it hits and then you usually wait for the third one. That means he's walking them in. They mostly miss. It's fun watching the new guys show up, they still think it's a war movie. When someone runs or ducks for cover you will more than likely make fun of him. Here's why, if you hear the explosion you're fine. No matter how fast you move the schrapnel moves faster. Also explosions aren't like, say, a fire; once it blows it's done. Bullets are the same way unless you're getting sprayed then ducking may not be so bad but most of the time you hear when that's happening. Funny, a huge explosion just went off RIGHT NOW north of the FOB and not one person in this room stopped typing. We all just looked up to see if the flash was close enough to worry about, it wasn't."

~~~

Most of us know about Spc. Colby Buzzell's blog MY WAR and the trampling of his First Amendment Rights. He no longer posts dramatic, first-hand accounts of military operations, but he's still posting occasionally and has a famous (or perhaps infamous) fan in Jello Biafra, the frontman for the hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys. Jello wants Colby to know that he and his political activist friends support him. Of course, they do this by shouting "'Bring The Troops Home!' as loud and as often as [they] can."

Maybe it's just me, but I think a show of support would mean a little more than just a shout.

Actually, maybe it's not just me:

Kid Rock blasts his peers for not performing in Iraq

"I do not believe that artists or actors and people should be out there like voicing their full-blown opinions on politics because, let's face it, at the end of the day, I'm not that smart of a guy. I play rock 'n' roll, that's what I do. "

"...why don't these motherf**kers go over there and play for our soldiers in Iraq? ..."

[Hattip: vrangel]

~~~

Raven1 at Our Turn In Baghdad just bought a "Singing Saddam" doll and asks himself "Why am I buying a doll made in China of a former Iraqi dictator?" He then adds that he still wants the "Dancing Saddam" doll if he can get it.

Good News/Bad News

2004-09-23T17:23:00.000-04:00

Dagger Jag has a new post today describing some of the recent successes and setbacks in the province he's working in. Progress includes renovation and building of schools, hospitals, courthouses, police and fire stations, water treatment plants, and job training programs. Setbacks have occurred not only due to sporadic attacks, but failures of the local government in taking charge and making decisions:

"For most of Iraq's recent history (even before Saddam's era) all decisions of any importance were made in Baghdad. Everything was centralized. So now we have local leaders who are incapable of making decisions without approval from the central authority. Even if they are now empowered to make those decisions."

It will take much time, patience and love to heal an entire nation of PTSD.

~~~

Ferid also has a good news/bad news post today.

The good news- he's got a new car. SWEEEEEEEET!

The bad news- he failed his final exams. UHHHHHHHG!

When you get a chance, drop by and tell him he's no LOSER. He's Ferid the Great!

~~~

For those seeking only the dark cloud on the horizon, there's always Khalid's blog. Today's post has him recycling some old military footage of a missile strike on suspected insurgents. Of course these are all innocent, unarmed civilians just out on a leisurely midnight stroll through the streets of Fallujah. Mostly women and kids. On their way to a wedding, too.

Is there ANY conspiracy theory this guy DOESN'T fall for? Hey Khalid, I have it on good authority that the aliens are coming to abduct you out of your bed tonight. They want to conduct unnatural experiments on your body and impregnate you with an alien/human hybrid. Of course, the real motive is to implant a mind-control chip in your brain so that there won't be any resistance when they come to steal all your oil. Bush is kicking himself right now for not thinking of it himself. Anyway, you might want to sleep in your Mama's bed tonight. Don't forget the tinfoil hat (keeps them from probing your mind) and your fuzzy slippers (just to keep your feet warm if the aliens manage to get you- I've heard it's kinda chilly on their spacecrafts.)

Is Iraq Spiraling into Chaos?

2004-09-22T15:08:00.000-04:00

Every day we hear more tales of kidnappings, beheadings, suicide bombs, and civilian deaths. There seems to be no end to the acts of terrorism targeting foreigners and even Iraqis themselves. The latest U.S. National Intelligence Estimate report on Iraq predicts three possible scenarios. The most favorable outcome was described as "a tenuous stability". A second possibility was increased extremism and fragmentation impeding rebuilding efforts. The worst case scenario was developments that could lead to civil war. Some of the Iraqi bloggers speculate that Iraq is headed towards this bleakest of possibilities.

Kardox reports on the first sign of civil war in the north:

"The beheading of the three young Kurdish boys has created such hatred for Arabs that several Arabs for the past day has been killed or beaten. According a friend of mine 3 Arabs were killed by Kurds in Mosul yesterday after the video of the Kurds were published on a website. Arab gangs in Kerkuk are kidnapping Kurdish children and demanding their families for ransom has also generated a lot of hatred. This anger people feel will soon boil over and Kerkuk will turn into a battlefield and the Americans cannot do anything to stop it. If the Arab tribes in the Mosul area join into this ethnic fight, the civil war will spread to Mosul too."

Sam gives us his perspective on the powers behind the mounting tensions in Iraq:

"The Shia knew that several outside terrorist organisations planning to create a war between Sunni and Shia. However the Sunnis are not doing any thing about this but rather they still dream about their benefits from the previous regime and their absolute control of power over all the other sects in Iraq in spite being a minority for hundreds of years.

The Arabs who are mostly Sunni especially the Wahabis in the Gulf states including Saudi Arabia doing every thing possible to make the absolute Sunni control of power to go back to crush the others in Iraq. Wahabis consider all the people other than the Sunnis as infidels and should be killed as and when there is an opportunity to do so. This killing according to their doctrine is in the name of God who is innocent from this sin.

Iran on the other hand in spite its Shiite doctrine but they first fight the US in Iraq and second they don't like to lose their leadership for the Shia in the world if Najaf schools and universities going back to its glory which was hindered by the Iraqi dictator regimes. If this happened it may attract several Shiite scholars to migrate from Iran to Najaf.

If a civil war occurs all the possibilities will get opened but the terrorists will implement their own plan which will not [be] confined to Iraq alone. It will certainly and without any doubt spread quickly to the other countries. The first countries to which the trouble will get in are the same countries which incubate terrorist doctrine and send its graduates to Iraq and other regions. No regional country will be immune at all."

~~~

The situation appears rather bleak. Mainstream media leads us to believe that there is no hope for Iraq and that Iraqis themselves are doing nothing to combat terrorism or improve the current situation. Not all of the Iraqi bloggers see the situation in such pessimistic terms.

For example, Omar at Iraq the Model reports that the citizens of Baghdad are not idly sitting by while terrorists are running around planting mines:

"According to New Sabah newspaper, after a road side bomb exploded missing an American convoy that was patrolling in the area, a group of citizens who happened to be there noticed a bunch of young men who looked foreigners (turned out to be Syrians) that were gathering near the place and that looked suspicious. The citizens found their attitude very suspicious and they were not from the area, so they jumped on them and kicked them until some of them started to bleed and then turned them on to the American forces. Eyewitnesses said that the citizens were shouting 'Terrorists. You are targeting our children and families. You are killing our youths'."

"This incident that took place near Haifa street comes after many attacks that terrorist Arabs were accused of carrying against American forces and Iraqi police stations."

Firas George at Iraq & Iraqis has not given up on the future of Iraq and suggests a Secret War to fight terrorism:

"In our war against terrorism we do need to open the world eyes to see the truth about how terrorism [is] being financed and to establish an antiterrorism fund to finance the secret war against it and to let it accept donation from all over the world, by that we can give a chance to anyone who don't have a role in war against terrorism to have one. Also we need a secret army to fight that war and all its leads and any expected leads, that means we must even fight those who are openly supporting terrorism and don't hide it, actually they are declaring it on the media and starting their own media and TV stations, because there is no enough reasons for such station to be the sound of those killers but to be financed by them or by their supporters, and why a secret army? So it will act positively without any fears of being known and harme them or their families by those blind brain washed killers."

Alaa (The Mesopotamian) remains optimistic:

"Very hard thinking of the required strategy is required; and with all the powerful, technically advanced people on the side of the majority of the Iraqi people who just long for a peaceful decent outcome of this situation; surely the right solutions can be found. This can't be harder than reaching the moon or splitting the atom!"

Back to School

2004-09-20T19:13:00.000-04:00

Majid Jarrar is blogging again. He's at his new school in Canada and has several great pics of the campus and nearby activities. The question is, why is he studying in Canada and not Baghdad? In his own words:

"...that resolution that came out from the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education saying that non-Iraqi students are no longer allowed to study in Iraq, neither depending on their grades nor on their money, did nothing but assured me that I’m no longer welcomed in my country. "

Apparently, the Iraqi government decided that non-Iraqis (i.e. Palestinians) will no longer get preferential treatment in post-Saddam Iraq. No more free housing, military exemptions, or university stipends. No more Baathist bonus points added to your final grades, either. Yeah, it's just rough all over for the Jarrar family. If things get much worse, they may have to sell off one of their Mercedes or even the vacation house in Jordan.

Is Raed an Anti-Semite?

2004-09-17T19:04:00.000-04:00

Raed has been trying to secure a Visa to the US, but recently the organization which invited him has changed their minds. Why? They have accused him of being anti-Semitic. Raed's response:

"How can I be 'anti-Semitic' when I am Palestinian?I mean… I AM Semitic…"

The word Semite often refers to speakers of a subgroup of the Afroasiatic languages including, among others, Arabic, Hebrew, and Amharic. Outside linguistics, the term's primary use nowadays is to refer to the ethnic groups who have historically spoken Semitic languages, although with the prefix anti- it most commonly refers just to Jews.

Definitions of anti-Semitism:

1. Hostility toward or discrimination against Jews as a religious, ethnic, or racial group- Merriam-Webster

2. Hate or strong dislike of Jews, or actions that express hate or dislike of Jews- Cambridge Dictionary of Amrican English

So Raed is technically correct in his assertion that he is a Semite. However, his conclusion that being Semite precludes his ability to be anti-Semitic is not a logical one. The term anti-Semitic is not generally used in its literal translation. Modern use of the term has redefined its meaning to a negative position against Jews. So in this context, is Raed anti-Semitic? I doubt we will ever get a straight-forward answer on this one. We will just have to rely on our own interpretations of his words, such as this interesting excerpt from his blog:

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

"Still studying, and translating my mother's blogs
the hate and anger that the one can feel and see in the eyes of men, can explain why tragic events such as what happened in the 11th of sep. happen.
one year on the occupation of Iraq, and the "man of peace" as Bush called him decides to supervise personally the assassination plan, against Ahmad Yasin.People were shouting in the demonstrations, here in Amman, and in Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Yemen, Damascus and many other capitals... sad and angry slogans is all what they can do. "We'll destroy Israel"they said, and I smiled :*)" [emphasis mine]

Strange as Truth

2004-09-15T07:38:00.000-04:00

Riverbend has a new post today:

"Everyone is simply tired in Baghdad. We've become one of those places you read about in the news and shake your head thinking, 'What's this world coming to?' Kidnappings. Bombings. Armed militias. Extremists. Drugs. Gangs. Robberies. You name it, and we can probably tell you several interesting stories."

She also includes a personal analysis of Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 film:

"All in all, the film was- what is the right word for it? Great? Amazing? Fantastic? No. It made me furious, it made me sad and I cried more than I'd like to admit- but it was brilliant. The words he used to narrate were simple and to the point. I wish everyone could see the film. I know I'll be getting dozens of emails from enraged Americans telling me that so-and-so statement was exaggerated, etc. But it really doesn't matter to me. What matters is the underlying message of the film- things aren't better for Americans now than they were in 2001, and they certainly aren't better for Iraqis."

Well, I guess she won't bother watching this movie then. An open mind will seek answers from all sides and then make an informed decision for themselves. Many people are not on a search for truth, but a search for affirmation of their beliefs. This leads many people to seek out what they already know as "true" and discredit anything that opposes their preconceived notions. The search for truth is quite perilous and may lead you down a path you prefer not to walk. Perhaps somewhere along the journey you will realize that truth is stranger than fiction, not because it is beyond the realm of possibilities but simply because it is harder to find.

~~~

"The truth that makes men free is, for the most part, the truth which men prefer not to hear." - Herbert Agar

"Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." - Winston Churchill

"Believe those who are seeking the truth; doubt those who have found it." - Andre Gide, So Be It, 1959

Theories and Thoughts

2004-09-13T17:37:00.000-04:00

Ali at Iraq the Model, has an interesting theory on suicide attacks and Iraqi “resistance.” He notes the sharp decline in suicide attacks during each of the two revolts of Sadr’s Mehdi militia:

“When Sadr revolts suicide attacks stop and when Sadr stops suicide attacks resume. The only two suicide attacks that were carried during this period was soon after a peace agreement was reached and when clashes broke up again they stopped. I think that when the Mehdi militia issue will be settled, we will witness again another horrible series of suicide attacks. This whole theory depends on assuming that the relation between the “resistance” and its supporters is much stronger than it looks. The people who support the “resistance” finance it and thus can dictate to a considerable extent its strategy.”

He also has some strong opinions regarding the impact of the situation in Iraq on American elections. He predicts increased attacks on Americans in Iraq as an attempt to sway American opinions against the operation and President Bush. Bush has clearly stated his intentions of keeping troops in Iraq until the job is done and a stable government has been established. The perception of many is that the election of Kerry in November would lead to a withdrawal of troops from Iraq, despite the fact that he has never formally stated this at any time. In Ali’s own words: “[t]he bottom line is that with Kerry they think they have a chance but with Bush there is none.”

~~~

Alaa (The Mesopotamian) watched the recent events unfolding in Russia and has these few but poignant words:

“Nothing and no cause can justify this, no way. And what is more unbearable is that these zombies carry out all these atrocities in the name of my own religion, in the name of my own God. What can one say?”

~~~

Zeyad's post On clerics, fatwas, and terrorism is an analysis of the complexities and intricacies of modern-day Islam. He points out the fact that there are many different sects/groups/cults of Islam and that clerics and leaders speak only for the beliefs and followers of their sect/group/cult. There is no central authority to all Muslims and no single interpretation of Islamic beliefs. This is an important fact to remember when condemning "Islamic terrorism." The words and actions of a distinct minority should not be considered reflections of the religion as a whole.

~~~

Sam at Hammorabi denounces the terrorists and rejects their inclusion in Islam. This is the stance taken by many Islamic leaders and scholars. I'm glad that the majority of Muslims do not support or condone terrorism. I agree that it is not truly representative of Islam. However, I am concerned with the message it sends to the supporters and followers of these radical groups. By rejecting them and denouncing their beliefs, moderate Muslims are driving a deeper wedge between themselves and these individuals. Separating them from mainstream Islam will only marginalize them further.

The War on Terror is not going to be won by American tanks and missiles. It is beyond the scope of any military or government. At best, it will reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. At worst, it will further inflame the radicals and provide propaganda used to entice additional recruits. You can destroy training camps, confiscate weapons, and arrest individuals. You can damage the physical capabilities and hinder financial backing. You can overthrow governments and remove despotic dictators; but you can not stamp out ideas or beliefs. You can not change a mindset or ideology with a gun. The teaching of radical ideas can only be combated with alternative teachings and viewpoints. This is not a war against a nation, dictator, regime, or people. This is not a war against Islam. It is an internal struggle within Islam that will not be solved by violence and politics.

We Will Never Forget

2004-09-11T14:07:00.000-04:00

Dedicated to the men, women and children who lost their lives; all those who sacrificed their lives; and to all the Heroes that responded to the emergency 11 September 2001.

Steve Golding, the creator of the video:

"I created this page to honor those I lost, those that America had lost and all of those dedicated, caring human beings who responded to this wanton cowardly act and who we refer to simply as heroes. To help sustain our nation resolve while we respond to this horrific attack. Images of that day are burnt into my soul that I will never forget. Images that no one should ever see. My soul aches."

Read his entire statement here.

~~~

The Mind of Thee
Angela Swanger

In the mind of thee,
I wish that I could see.

To know the thought within,
To provoke such evil sin.

But not the mind of thee,
Is found within the mind of me.

I know not the way you thought,
That such a tragedy you sought.

In the mind of thee,
I never want to be!

NOT JUST - poems and essays on September 11, 2001

Good News from Najaf

2004-09-06T19:39:00.000-04:00

Despite the recent truce in Najaf, the local citizens have once again taken to the streets in protest. How is this good news? Because it's a protest against Al-Sadr and his Mehdi Army:

Najaf protesters want Sadr out
The Washinton Times

Residents of Najaf, Iraq took to the streets Monday calling on radical cleric Moqtada Sadr and his Mehdi Army militia to leave the holy Shiite city.

Witnesses said protesters chanted anti-Sadr slogans screaming "take you hands off the city, the people of Najaf do not want you."

The protest, the second of its kind in two days, coincided with a meeting in Najaf between Sadr and grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in addition to Najaf's governor Adnan al-Zarfi and Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Iran-backed Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI.
The recurring protests against the presence of the Mehdi Army constituted the biggest challenge to Sadr's claim to speak for a large portion of Iraq's majority Shiite community.

Sadr's militia battled U.S.-backed Iraqi forces for three weeks in Najaf last month, claiming the lives of dozens of Iraqis.

~~~

AYS at Iraq at a Glance is also encouraged by this news:

"My God..what a great news..at last the Iraqi people got out to the streets of AlNajaf in a demonstration against Muqtada, they want him to get out of the city and also do not want any one of his followers to pray there..They were cursing his militia, courts and they looked so angry..AlHurra channel met few of them who said ‘we don’t want him..they are thieves’ The people were repeating words that support the ING and IP and wanted the government to put an end to what they called ‘a disgrace’ and ‘crimes’ that happened in AlNajaf especially the courts of Muqtada.."

AYS also includes photos of the demonstration from the broadcast by the Iraqi channel AlHurra.

~~~

This is actually the second demonstration held by the citizens of Najaf against Sadr and his militia:

Police in Najaf, Kufa confront worshippers approaching mosques
BY DOGEN HANNAH
Knight Ridder Newspapers
Posted on Fri, Sep. 03, 2004

In Najaf, scores of demonstrators took to the streets in the battle-scarred heart of the city near the Imam Ali shrine to protest the presence of al-Sadr and his militia and to back Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, who brokered last week's peace deal. The agreement called for the Mahdi Army to give up its arms, but many militia members in Najaf are thought to have kept them, hiding them at home or elsewhere.

"The demands of the demonstrators in general and for the people of Najaf especially are to ensure safety and security and to have stability back," said one protester, 38-year-old Abu Mohammed al-Najafi, identifying himself with a nickname.

Demonstrators shouted chants denouncing al-Sadr, including one that equated him with deposed dictator Saddam Hussein.

~~~

Sorry Khalid, looks like Al-Sadr is an "extra super popular hero" to you, but not the citizens of Najaf.

Seeing Eye to Eye with Faiza

2004-09-04T17:54:00.000-04:00

Faiza's latest post begins with a description of her daily life. An end to the oppressive heat is in sight. The ride to work is (understandably) filled with fear and loathing. Business with state officials reveals the corruption and dishonest practices that Westerners have come to expect from government (I guess she's never heard the $500 hammer theory). Just when the doom and gloom of the current situation pervades her post, we see a ray of light peeking through the clouds:

"I can perfectly understand the attitude of the American Government…. They have waged war on Iraq, they have vouched to rebuild Iraq in a new style… so, it is to their advantage, and to keep face, they would say everything is all right in Iraq…and moving according to schedule. Because admitting defeat would destroy the government's future, and that of the Ruling Party…Well, all we care about as Iraqis is for the coming administration to be more honest and transparent in dealing with the Iraqi file…we want no excuses for the catastrophes that happened, but we want a successful and tangible work plan, that would rebuild our life again…this is better than apologies. If I have done some wrong to a person, or a group, the best thing would be to help them get over their pains, which I was partly responsible for. That is how I understand things, according to my view and experience in life. To help those whom I have, intentionally or non-intentionally, shared in destroying their lives. To lead them to a better future…to help them build their new life…
This is what Iraqis want from America and its new government….good deeds on the ground of reality…deeds that would make Iraqis happy, and prove the honesty and seriousness of America towards us….I do not wish for four new coming years of pain, unsuccessful experiments, unclear visions, and going astray…..
The American people will be the one to help us, they will be in test, and not only the government's credibility…. The whole nation there is subjected to the test…. A test of truthfulness in keeping promises, a test of the humanitarian vision towards other nations….The test of Civilization, and the ability of Cultural Communication with others….without violence, without boasting or bragging, nor lying to oneself.
I hope America will succeed in the test here, for it will give her a good, clean reputation, and will give us a lot of hope in the presence of an honest, understanding partner, who intends to help us..........Days will be between us........" [emphasis mine]

I couldn't agree more. This is indeed a test of America's intentions in the Middle East and a chance to show the world that we do more than merely tolerate alien cultures; we embrace them. I see further signs of enlightenment and hope in this statement:

"I only want to understand the true face of America…is she with us, or against us… I want frankness…nothing but frankness, for that is the first key to know the other, and his true intentions. The military operations of the war ended in a short time….But that who deserves respect and clapping, is the one who can make peace and stability, reducing the disasters of the after-war period, disasters like gangs, thieves, robberies, and official corruption…This is the true test of the American ability here….If she succeeds, she deserves to be the Paramount Nation who deserves respect… And if she doesn't….then she is the nation who deserves pity….more than Iraqis. For her bereavement is a lot bigger than theirs."

I can only speculate as to what has brought about this new sense of hope and a desire to understand the intents of the American government. Perhaps her involvement in the Iraqi Business Women Society has been the positive influence on her new perspective. Perhaps the uncontested truce with Al-Sadr and the withdrawal of American forces from Najaf have demonstrated the willingness of our government to compromise and seek peaceful resolutions. The cause for this shift in attitude is not as important as the apparent result and I hope this is only the initial sign of evolution from helpless victim to empowered citizen... "Inshallah" as the Iraqis might say, or "God willing and the creek don't rise" as my Appalachian relatives would say.

Truth is Stranger than Fiction

2004-09-02T11:52:00.000-04:00

Lord Voldemort and Iraq

by Fayrouz, Live from Dallas

“Lately, Iraq has been a practical example for the Harry Potter story. Al-Sadr being Lord Voldemort. Yes, he is. Let's stop denying the fact that he's ruining the future of Iraq. Harry Potter is Al-Sistani, who solves any crisis by the end of every episode of Sistani Potter and Lord Sadr. Allawi reminds me so much of Professor Dumbledore, who supposedly has the ultimate powers but didn't act much during the first rounds while Voldemort was running around killing every good person in the wizardly world.

Last week, we watched the latest episode of Harry Sistani and Lord Sadr. Everyone wished this would be the end of Lord Sadr. No no, why would we be logical and solve this issue once and forever. Iraqi government -- Professor Dumbledore and his staff -- pardoned this murderer again so he could regain his powers in few months and start another episode of his chaotic acts. Not only pardoned for murders already committed, but by giving him the additional right to participate in the Iraqi political process. How wonderful is that? Lord Voldemort for Congress.”

Yes, another fine example of how truth is stranger than fiction.

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Alaa (The Mesopotamian) never fails to remind us of the resiliency and courage of the Iraqi people:

“Today the Interim National Assembly held its first meeting. Several mortars fell near the place where the proceedings were taking place, some shaking the walls of the building. These explosions did not seem to bother those present in the slightest. For those who doubt the bravery and determination of the Iraqi people, just imagine this happening anywhere else. Would any other assembly in any other place just continue its work with such absolute calm and normalcy under similar circumstances?”

Read the whole thing here.

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If you haven’t been reading the Kurdish blogs, you should be. Kurds are playing an important role in shaping the political future of Iraq. Hiwa at Kurdistan Bloggers Union expresses “pride, joy, caution, care, wonder, excitement” at the news that Dr. Foad Masoom will be heading the Iraqi National Assembly. Dr. Masoom and approximately 20 other Kurds are part of the assembly. Hiwa is cautiously optimistic, but shows perseverance and determination- “we must work harder and harder, we have a long way to go!” Bravo Hiwa!

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Sarmad started a new job this week. When you get a chance, stop by and wish him well. Congratulations Sarmad!

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Congratulations to Najma and hnk! They are the proud aunts of a beautiful, new niece- Aya.

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Combat Doc at A Candle in the Dark has an interesting assessment of the War on Terror:

“Somalia and Mohammed Farah Aidid were funded by Bin Laden. The bombing of the World Trade Center was partly funded by Bin Laden. The bombing of the Embassy's in Africa were Bin Laden funded. The bombing of the Riyadh barracks was Bin Laden. The bombing of the USS Cole was Bin Laden funded. What do all these things have in common, Clinton. Why is Bush being given all the heat for this so-called intelligence failure. When the US was attacked by the Taliban and Al-Qaida Bush attacked and destroyed the government and terrorist organization that committed this act. So why does Bush get all the heat for this when he acted after one attack but Clinton did nothing after five much less one.”

Like Combat Doc, I’m no fan of Bush, but I agree that there is a rather hypocritical stance being taken up by the left. They blame Bush for allowing 9/11 to happen and then vilify him for doing something to prevent it from happening again. How exactly do they think you fight terrorism? With warm hugs and wet kisses?

Will the Real Raed Jarrar Please Stand Up?

2004-09-02T00:05:00.000-04:00

Raed has just put up the rest of this week's posts:

Tuesday, August 31st
The American morons and their treasonous puppets have allowed militias to control Falluja, Ramadi, Najaf, and Kufa. Idiots! They shouldn't have attacked! They shouldn't have stopped attacking! Bushtani is a treacherous pawn of a U.S. administration that thinks violence is the solution to every problem. They shouldn't have allowed Bushtani to resolve the Najaf crisis peacefully.

Wednesday, September 1st
Drank some tea today. Grrrrrrrr! I just so hate those callous, stupid, militaristic, Zionist influenced, oil coveting, duplicitous, ignorant, conniving, hegemonic, crusading, evil, incompetent, controlling, unfeeling, manipulative, fatuous, scheming, simplistic, self-interested, ideologically zealous, insular, empire seeking, malevolent, all powerful, impotent American bastards!

Thursday, September 2nd
It rained today. Those fucking Americans...it rained. Can you believe it? Bush and his neo-con cabal made it rain. Bastards. Bush is stupid. Grrrrrrrr.

Friday, September 3rd
Aaaaaargh. Whhhheeeg. glllrrrg. bush stupid glrg. nyeaarg

Oops, my mistake. These are actually the work of a "very friendly and helpful dude" that offered to take some of the anti-American, Bush-bashing load off Raed for the week. Now every time I see a comment on his blog like this: Aaaaaargh. Whhhheeeg. glllrrrg. bush stupid glrg. nyeaarg, I'm going to have to ask myself, is that Raed or John Kerry spouting off during another of his drug-induced, Purple Heart-worthy, Swift-boat-through-Cambodia, hallucinatory rides?

Picking Up The Torch

2004-08-31T15:28:00.000-04:00

This blog has been created to carry on the mission of the late, great Iraqi Bloggers Central. Recent developments and mounting disappointment has lead to the sad and untimely demise of this unique and informative blog. I hope to carry on the tradition of providing a synopsis of the latest posts on Iraq-related blogs and offer a forum for Iraqis and non-Iraqis to comment and interact in a hospitable environment.

The Rules

Dissenting opinions are welcomed and even encouraged. Foul language is discouraged. There is no such thing as "off-topic." Insulting someone's remarks is acceptable. Insulting someone personally is not. Racist remarks and sexist comments will be subject to editing/deleting at the discretion of the administrator.

Simply put: Keep it clean. No hitting below the belt.

So go to your corners and when the bell rings, come out fighting....

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING!

Kidnappings, Heroes, and Tattoos

2004-08-31T13:35:00.000-04:00

Ali at Iraq the Model gives his thoughts on the recent kidnappings of two French reporters:

"These kidnappers don't care about Hijab and they appreciate the French role and reporters role in general in Iraq, but they believe that such operation and after releasing the hostages would give a message to the west that, 'we are peaceful people and we listen to demands made peacefully and to demonstrations even when we don't agree with you' they are trying to encourage a foreign policy similar to that of France and certain belief among some westerns that peaceful methods work better than force with terrorists, and also saying that they wouldn't mind what the internal policy is. This is of course different from the hardcore islamists' attitude but I believe these are not involved here, as its just not their style. "

I'll go out on a limb here and say that I agree with his assessment. I doubt these criminals are of the same sadistic mindset of the inhuman thugs that murdered the 12 Nepalese workers. I suspect this was a crime of convenience. Two foreigners in the wrong place at the right time.

Kurdo has graphic photos of the murdered Nepalese hostages (WARNING! These images are very disturbing and not recommended for the young or weak-stomached.) Kurdo once again demonstrates his humanity in his thoughts for the innocent victims and his condemnation of these acts: "God bless them, and God punish these terrorist monsters."

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Raed's latest post is an examination of the heroes of the Najaf crisis. According to Raed, Sistani is the undeserving hero who stopped the fighting and Muqtada Al-Sadr is the real hero that protected the shrine and saved it from destruction. Maybe the Najafi police should have used the shrine for their headquarters and for stockpiling weapons. Would that have made them the heroes? Or would it just make them yellow-bellied, lily-livered, disrespectful, murderous thugs using the cowardly technique of hiding in a holy place for protection?

Don't forget to check out Faiza's latest Pictures in Baghdad. I'm glad she's able to find the beauty and normality of Iraqi life amid all the destruction.

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Salam Pax is back and better than ever. His new blog takes us on his latest adventures in Najaf and Sadr city. He fearlessly weaves in and out of streets patrolled by Mahdi militiamen, reporting from the frontline while shaking hands with RPG-armed militiamen along the way. All without batting an eye while sporting his sexy new flak jacket. His daring and bravery fall to the wayside, however, when confronted by less-than-sanitary conditions at the tattoo parlor. Welcome back to the blogosphere Salam!