For nine weeks, they have been making their solemn way to the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in Westminster to account for their actions - or inactions - in the build-up to war.
More than 70 witnesses have given evidence to the Chilcot Inquiry; among them the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and many of his closest ministers and acolytes.
One by one they have sought to justify their own role in what many regard as the greatest foreign policy failure of the modern era.
Yet as the inquiry next week adjourns the main phase of its public hearings (a handful of additional witnesses, among them Gordon Brown, will be summoned in the weeks ahead), one vital voice has not been heard. Nor will it ever be.Excerpt:
For nine weeks, they have been making their solemn way to the Queen... more
HARRISBURG, Pa. – U.S. Rep. John Murtha, an influential critic of the Iraq War whose congressional career was shadowed by questions about his ethics, died Monday. He was 77.
The Pennsylvania Democrat had been suffering complications from gallbladder surgery. He died at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Va., spokesman Matthew Mazonkey said.
In 1974 Murtha, then an officer in the Marine Reserves, became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress. One of Congress’ most hawkish Democrats, he wielded considerable clout for two decades as the ranking Democrat on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending.HARRISBURG, Pa. – U.S. Rep. John Murtha, an influential critic of the Iraq War... more
On Sunday morning the former communications chief Alister Campbell appeared on The Andrew Marr Show. During one part of the interview Marr asked about the Iraq Inquiry, with a version of the 'Did Tony Blair mislead Parliament' question. In reply Campbell paused and gave an emotional response into being upset over the constant criticism of Blair and stating 'people aren't interested in the truth'.
Times online reported on a blog entry by Campbell, which criticizes Marr and the BBC's stance on the Iraq War, while furthering the points he expressed in the interview.
"So of course I had expected the kind of questions Marr put on Iraq. I had also been telling myself that given the history between me and the Beeb over Iraq - and Marr was central as he was their political editor at the time of the war, and a key player in the agenda they sought to set - I must not lose my temper, or reopen old wounds.
Fair to say I just about managed it, but it was a struggle. I could certainly have done without his glib introduction, in which he sought to link the September 2002 WMD dossier with the novel, ie my 'latest piece of fiction'."
When watching the interview or reading the blog, what is your reaction?
What? 'Avatar' felled by a 'chick flick?' Stereotypes aside, audiences seeking an alternative to the 3D blockbuster found themselves entranced by the romantic drama of 'Dear John.' That left little affection for John Travolta in 'From Paris with Love.'
They have been searching in Iraq for the past nine years, 10 months and 15 days.
Today, the hard work finally paid off as soldiers found one of those elusive ‘weapons of mass destruction’ that Saddam Hussein was supposed to have been hiding.
So is it all round to Tony Blair's house for celebratory drinks?
Unfortunately the discovery came just a few days late for the former prime minister, who could have used the extraordinary find as proof he was right about Iraq all along during the Chilcot Inquiry.
But from the looks of the rocket, it would appear unlikely it could be deployed anywhere in 45 minutes, let alone be fired at the UK, as a certain dossier led us to believe.
The bomb is thought to have been buried by Saddam Hussein's regime before the UK and U.S. invasion of Iraq started in 2003.
Iraqi guards were as surprised as the rest of us to discover the 'missile' during an operation in Baghdad's Abu Ghraib suburb.
It is not yet known whether the seven-metre rocket is armed with a warhead.
"Ricky Donnell Ross (aka Freeway Ricky Ross), the convicted drug dealer who was featured in a Gary Webb expose on CIA involvement in the drug business gives an exclusive 1 hour interview with Alex Jones.
Part 1 of 5"Ricky Donnell Ross (aka Freeway Ricky Ross), the convicted drug dealer who was... more
The world at large and the USA citizens in particular are perplexed as to what is there in the heart and mind of Barack Obama , the current USA President as regards his international policies. Everyone seems to be puzzled - how come Obama received Nobel prize for peace in 2009 and still he is continuing with the ongoing USA military role both in Iraq and Afghanistan? All those who supported him to become the USA President, in the hope that he would quickly call the American troops from Iraq and Afghanistan back home once he assumed powers in the White House seem to be dismayed. So, where has all the idealism of Obama evaporated? Has Obama become a realist in the sense that he has realised it to be necessary to continue with the present American military roles in both these countries?
Well, to my mind, Obama unwittingly is following the policy - BE NEITHER AN IDEALIST NOR A REALIST OR A PRAGMATIST, BUT BE AN IDEALISTICALLY REALIST AND REALISTICALLY IDEALIST PRAGMATIST [ IRRIP ].
Being idealist totally involves ignoring the realities of the given situation and the person perceives everything from the angle of full idealism. On the other hand, being realist totally means the person does not care a fig for any element of idealism.The totally pragmatist person is concerned neither with any idealism nor any realism. Such a person does not mind achieving objectives even if it meant casting aside/trampling upon any idealist necessities/aspirations of the players involved.
Also, such a person tends to ignore realities around, with the achieving of his/her own objective at any cost being the uppermost priority in his/her mind.But, the person adopting the IRRIP approach does not ignore the realities around and does not give up all of the idealism. Such a person tries to achieve his/her ideal/s by placing such ideal/s correctly in the context of the existing realities.
Obama seems to be following the above explained IRRIP approach on the foreign policy front in the context of Iraq and Afghanistan. Its true Obama had during his electoral race for the White House idealistically promised a quick pull out of the American troops from these two war ravaged countries. But, then he seems to have realised the realities of the situation after assuming the office as the President of the USA that its not possible to pull out American troops immediately without jeopardising the national interests of the USA and cause of the world-peace. He could not do a FULLY IDEALIST VP SINGH ACT. VP Singh had on becoming the Prime Minister of India quickly withdrawn the Indian troops from the trouble-torn SriLanka to fulfil the promise he had made during his election campaign. Both these cases are altogether different necessiting different treatments.
Obama no doubt realised the existing ground realities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Still, he has tried to achieve his idealism in terms of trying to fulfil the promise of the American Troops pull out from these two countries.But, the element of realism has perceptibly resulted into the delayed time table for withdrawal of the American troops. Obama's this IRRIP approach is certainly better than what any Republican President in the White House would have done - He/She would have displayed full realist inclination and would in all probability have continued with the presence of the American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan for an undefined period!
Thakur Sher Singh Parmar,
Near Jahir Peer,
Amru Paanaa,
Village - Kalinga,
District - Bhiwani,
Haryana.
US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said on Wednesday that government agencies have a policy of assassinating Americans overseas as required by the “war on terror.”
Such killings are illegal under international law, but they have become standard procedure for the American military and intelligence agencies, under the euphemism of “targeted killings.” They are now common as part of the full-scale military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as in other countries targeted by the US, including Pakistan and Yemen.
Now, the US government openly asserts the right to kill US citizens abroad without protest from either of the corporate political parties.US Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair said on Wednesday that government... more
"Out of two million US soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq, psychiatrists estimate that one in three may, at some point, develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is a ticking time bomb with a decades-long fuse - a problem whose true magnitude is difficult to determine.
After years of denial, the US army is only now coming to terms with how to address this problem.
The war within: PTSD in the military addresses the US army's HR dilemma and features the stories of those who have had to come to terms with the physical and psychological wounds suffered from fighting a war that is increasingly unpopular in their home country and around the world.
It is the story of five American soldiers stricken with PTSD. One is on trial for murder, two committed suicide, two others are still in the army, struggling to get treatment.""Out of two million US soldiers who have served in Afghanistan and Iraq,... more
Centinaia di migliaia di musulmani sciiti giungono nella città santa di Kerbala per celebrare l’Arbain, il quarantesimo giorno dalla morte del califfo Alì Hussein.
Il rischio di attentati rimane molto alto: vi è un ingente dispiegamenti di forse di sicurezza.
Ieri, sono rimasti uccisi 23 pellegrini e circa 140 feriti in un attentato-bomba.
Si tratta del terzo attentato dell’ultima settimana, contro i pellegrini sciiti.4 febbraio 2010
Kerbala, Iraq
Centinaia di migliaia di musulmani sciiti giungono... more
L’ONU chiude il campo per profughi palestinesi Al-Tanf al confine con l’Iraq.
Si stima che, dal 2006, circa 1.300 profughi abbiano vissuto ad Al-Tanf: un migliaio di loro sono stati trasferiti in paesi terzi, come Cile, Svezia, Italia e Regno Unito.1 febbraio 2010
Siria
L’ONU chiude il campo per profughi palestinesi Al-Tanf... more
Their Bio: Born out of a basement rehearsal space in Baghdad, Iraq, Acrassicauda (the scientific name for black scorpion) is the country’s only heavy metal band. Tutored by local guitar virtuoso Saad Say—the Yngwie Malmsteem of the Middle East—and inspired by Western bands like Metallica, Slayer and Slipknot, they began writing and playing their own music in 2001. They quickly learned though, that their simple goal of performing live was going to be no easy task.
Original members Firas (bass), Tony (lead guitar), Marwan (drums), Faisal (rhythm guitar) and Waleed (lead vocals) played three shows together before the beginning of the war in 2003. Shortly after the invasion, Waleed fled the country, leaving Faisal to fill the void of lead singer. Because of the security situation in Baghdad, setting up shows or even just practicing together became increasingly difficult. Aside from the basic danger of walking the streets in their hometown, the band received death threats from fundamentalists and insurgent groups who thought they were devil-worshippers or simply didn’t like them playing Western-style music. Eventually, it became completely impossible to find anywhere they could safely play.
Thanks to generous donations from fans and well-wishers from around the world, the band moved to Turkey after a harrowing year spent living as refugees in Syria. In their seven years as a band they have managed to play only nine concerts—six in Iraq, two in Syria, and one Turkey. The war has all but destroyed their dream to live in peace, grow out their hair, and rock as loud as they want. Life in Turkey proving extremely hard for them, but the band continued to soldier on. They were literally a band on the run. As of February of 2009 all members of Acrassicauda currently live in the New York City area.Their Bio: Born out of a basement rehearsal space in Baghdad, Iraq, Acrassicauda (the... more
Captain Scott M. Smiley is the first blind officer and second Wounded Warrior to command an Army WTU. Smiley, an infantryman, was injured in Iraq in 2005 when a car bomber detonated his explosives 30 yards in front of him.Captain Scott M. Smiley is the first blind officer and second Wounded Warrior to... more
As Iraqi pilgrims made the journey to Karbala they were hit with a suicide bomb attack. It left 41 people dead and over 100 injured.
No matter what Obama or Bush told us, we cannot stop this. A problem that has roots this deep is simply too much for a western militaristic campaign to handle.As Iraqi pilgrims made the journey to Karbala they were hit with a suicide bomb... more
The Justice Department is investigating whether officials of Blackwater Worldwide tried to bribe Iraqi government officials in hopes of retaining the firm’s security work in Iraq after a deadly shooting episode in 2007, according to current and former government officials.The Justice Department is investigating whether officials of Blackwater Worldwide... more
Una società di ricerche svizzera, Covalence, pubblica periodicamente una classifica che elenca in base a diversi parametri l'etica delle grandi imprese multinazionali. Agli ultimi posti di questa classifica si trovano quindi le peggiori aziende del mondo, quelle che hanno un grave impatto negativo sulla vita delle persone per le condizioni di lavoro o i danni che provocano. Non è proprio un catalogo esaustivo dei mali del mondo, ma è una buona approssimazione. http://www.inaltreparole.net/it/economia/classificaimprese290110.htmlUna società di ricerche svizzera, Covalence, pubblica periodicamente una... more
International arrest warrants have been requested for George W. Bush, Richard (Dick) Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, George Tenet, Condoleeza Rice and Alberto Gonzales at the International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands.
Professor of Law Francis A. Boyle of the University of Illinois College of Law in Champain, United States of America, has issued a Complaint with the Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court against the above-mentioned for their practice of “extraordinary rendition” (forced disappearance of persons and subsequent torture) in Iraq and for criminal policy which constitutes Crimes against Humanity in violation of the Rome Statute which set up the ICC.
As such, the Accused (mentioned above) are deemed responsible for the commission of crimes within the territories of many States signatories of the Rome Statute, in violation of Rome Statute Articles 5 (1)(b), 7 (1)(a), 7 (1)(e), 7 (1)(g), 7(1)(h), 7(1)8i) and 7(1)(k). Despite the fact that the USA is not a signatory State, the ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute under Article 12 (2)(a) of the Rome Statute.
This Article stipulates that the Court may exercise its jurisdiction if one or more States in which the conduct in question occurred has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court. Furthermore, the forced disappearance of persons and torture in deemed by the Rome Statute as a Crime against Humanity, one which is still ongoing.
The Exercise of Jurisdiction may be activated under Article 13, with respect to a crime committed under Article 5 if the Prosecutor has initiated an investigation. Professor Boyle, in his issue of complaint, respectfully requested that such an investigation be initiated.
The issue of complaint states “about 100 human beings have been subjected to enforced disappearances and subsequent torture by the Accused”, adds that some of them could still be alive today, and that an investigation could save these lives. Regarding those whose enforced disappearances led to their deaths, the Complaint requests a process of explanation and clarification for what would be a murder investigation.
Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY
PRAVDA.RuInternational arrest warrants have been requested for George W. Bush, Richard (Dick)... more
President Barack Obama’s new budget, to be released Monday, forecasts two consecutive years of near $160 billion in war funding, far more than he hoped when elected and only modestly less than the last years of the Bush Administration.
In 2011 alone, the revised numbers are triple what the president included in his spending plan a year ago. And the strain shows itself in new deficit projections, already hobbled by lagging revenues due to the weak economy.
The administration appears to be projecting a deficit of near $1.6 trillion for the current year and $1.3 trillion in 2011. That is even more pessimistic than Congressional Budget Office estimates last week, and it’s only in 2012 that the projections drop to the range of $800 billion to $700 billion.
By the end of the decade, the gap again widens, and as a percentage of GDP, the average appears above the 3% target viewed as sustainable.
Obama has responded with a three-year domestic spending freeze impacting about $447 billion in annual appropriations. This leaves him less money to sustain the very rapid growth seen last year in clean water programs or the Great Lakes restoration initiative. The Environmental Protection Agency budget would be cut modestly, and to stretch his dollars, Obama wants to dramatically ramp up the Energy Department’s credit budget, a low-cost way to extend tens of billions in loan guarantees to the nuclear power industry.
But on balance, the president’s plan seems less restrictive in many areas than lawmakers had anticipated. With the Senate having just passed a $1.9 trillion debt ceiling increase last week, fiscal moderates in his own party may insist on even tighter limits.
Obama’s 2010 starting point for the freeze has a built-in cushion since billions in Census spending won’t have to be repeated in 2011. He appears to count expanded Pell Grant funding for low-income college students as a mandatory cost outside the Education Department’s discretionary budget. And both Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, two of the fastest areas of recent spending, are exempted from the freeze.
The VA is slated to get significant new money to speed the processing of claims, and billions more will be requested this year to resolve old disputes related to soldiers and airmen exposed to Agent Orange in the Vietnam War.
He opened it, and Ali slumped toward him. "I was standing in shock looking at him as the door opened, and his brain fell on the ground between my feet," Mohammed recalls. "I looked and his brain was on the ground."He opened it, and Ali slumped toward him. "I was standing in shock looking at him... more
Two US citizens have been arrested and are now being held by the Iraqi army in the north of the country, Al Jazeera has learnt.
Atheel al-Nujaify, the governor of Mosul, revealed on Friday that the two men had been held for several days.
Al-Nujaify told Al Jazeera that the men's passports showed that they had visited Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen and Lebanon, where they were said to have met members of Hezbollah.
The US embassy in Baghdad confirmed that the men were being held, but denied reports that it had requested the men be turned over to US officials.
Al-Nujaify told Al Jazeera's Faultlines programme: "They entered Mosul illegally: two American citizens accompanied by an interpreter from Kurdistan province. They entered from the north.
"One of them holds a residence [permit] in Kurdistan. It is apparent he visited a number of Muslim countries," he said.
"We did not arrive at a conclusion in their interrogation. I believe they will ultimately be handed over to the American forces, since till now there is no evidence to claim they have committed a crime."
The Associated Press news agency quoted an unnamed offical as saying the Americans had been detained over suspected visa violations.
