tagged w/ Sadr City
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Back in Baghdad for the first time this year, I was consumed by the issue of change. What's different, I would ask almost every Iraqi I met. "What about you, what do you see that's new?", they would query in their turn. So here, in a few paragraphs, is a summary of my answers. Some things have changed for the better, others for the worse. Let's start with the positive...
(Good article with 16 minute video. Got to link...)
Back in Baghdad for the first time this year, I was consumed by the issue of change.... more
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US corporate media has found a feel good story about Iraq: “Operation Peace” – 3 brigades of 10 thousand Iraqi soldiers taking over the giant Sh’ite slum of Sadr City in Baghdad. Pepe Escobar says it is really still about Maliki supporting the al-Hakim family in its war of influence against the Sadr family.US corporate media has found a feel good story about Iraq: “Operation... more
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Continued violence in Sadr City area of Baghdad is leaving over 150,000 people without adequate provisions of water and food. The ongoing fighting has claimed over 1000 lives according to the Iraqi government.
The BBC News website reports that, "The agency is also reporting one other worrying development stemming from the current conflict.
It says there are unconfirmed reports that children are being recruited by Shia militiamen into their ranks."Continued violence in Sadr City area of Baghdad is leaving over 150,000 people without... more
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An excerpt from the New York Times Article by Micheal Gordon:
"Trying to stem the infiltration of militia fighters, American forces have begun to build a massive concrete wall that will partition Sadr City, the densely populated Shiite neighborhood in the Iraqi capital.
The construction, which began Tuesday night, is intended to turn the southern quarter of Sadr City near the international Green Zone into a protected enclave, secured by Iraqi and American forces, where the Iraqi government can undertake reconstruction efforts.
“You can’t really repair anything that is broken until you establish security,” said Lt. Col. Dan Barnett, commander of the First Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry Regiment. “A wall that isolates those who would continue to attack the Iraqi Army and coalition forces can create security conditions that they can go in and rebuild.”"
My own personal comment... Can anyone say "Gaza"?An excerpt from the New York Times Article by Micheal Gordon:
"Trying to stem... more
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Iraqi authorities have imposed a curfew on Baghdad today on the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to US forces. Muqtada Al-Sadr has also cancelled a million-man march originally planned to be staged in Baghdad today.
An official in the Baghdad operations command for Iraqi security forces has said that cars and motorcycles are banned from the streets of the Iraqi capital between 5am and midnight.
Sporadic gunfire and explosions continued across Baghdad's Sadr City district last night. Al-Sadr's Mehdi Army militia has been fighting with US and Iraqi forces in Sadr City near Baghdad for the past three days.
Al-Sadr has threatened to end his shaky 7 month old ceasefire with US forces, credited in large part to the success of Bush's "surge" strategy. In a communiqué released in Baghdad yesterday, he demanded the Iraqi government protect the public from what he called the booby traps and American militias or he would formally end the call for non-violent resistance.Iraqi authorities have imposed a curfew on Baghdad today on the fifth anniversary of... more
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