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British army officer says U.S. can't win in Afghanistan
Some blunt remarks by a senior British army officer have again raised the issue of divergent views among North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies about the mission in Afghanistan. Some blunt remarks by a senior British army officer have again raised the issue of divergent views among North Atlantic Treaty Organis... more
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Sadr repeats call for US troops to go home
Hard-line Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a fresh call on Friday for US troops to withdraw from Iraq, saying there would be no sectarian violence after foreign forces quit the country.
His followers also set fire to a large Pokemon doll decked out in small US flags after Friday prayers in Baghdad's sprawling Sadr City quarter, a bastion of the cleric, where some 2 million people live.
The faithful torched American and Israeli flags and danced around the flames while waving an Iraqi flag and chanting slogans denouncing the occupying foreign forces.
Sadr's representative, Sheikh Sattar al-Battat, leading the first Friday prayers after the end of Ramadan, said his leader wanted the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to get the Americans out quickly.
"I ask the government to end the occupation," Battat said, quoting a message from Sadr, who is reportedly studying in the Iranian city of Qom. "The government must send out the US troops and free all Iraqi prisoners held by them."
The Sadr representative said that there would be no sectarian violence between the majority Shiites and the Sunnis after Iraqi sovereignty was restored with the withdrawal of all "occupying forces." Hard-line Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr issued a fresh call on Friday for US troops to withdraw from Iraq, saying there would be no se... more -
Disbanding the Sunni patrols: A backlash brewing?
The last time the U.S. was involved in disbanding large Iraqi military units, things didn't go well - the fateful 2003 decision to dissolve the Iraqi Army proved to be a key strategic blunder that gave a massive boost to the insurgency. This week, the U.S. will try again, transferring control of 54,000 of the 100,000-strong largely Sunni citizen patrols known as the Sons of Iraq (SOI) to a Shi'ite-led government many of them view with suspicion. The rest will remain on the U.S payroll, as part of a phased transfer...
Read The Rest of the Article at Link... The last time the U.S. was involved in disbanding large Iraqi military units, things didn't go well - the fateful 2003 decision t... more -
Meanwhile Back in Iraq
Did you know that we’ve lost 20 soldiers in Iraq this month?
The army is investigating whether troops were exposed to a deadly chemical at an Iraqi water pumping plant in 2003. I can guess what the outcome will be.
A former Iraqi official told a Senate Democratic Policy committee yesterday that $13 BILLION in Iraq aid was wasted or stolen and is unaccounted for. You can listen to the hearing here.
The Shiite dominated government will take over responsibility of the “Sons of Iraq”
U.S. soldiers accidently killed a Sunni leader in Iraq on Tuesday.
U.S. officials are back in Iraq trying to negotiate a security pact. Last week al-Maliki warned that the security pact was facing “serious and dangerous obstacles.”
A federal judge has ordered the Army to grant conscientious objector status and an honorable discharge to a soldier who says he experienced a religious awakening in Iraq. Well alright!!!
Iraq signed a multi billion dollar deal with Royal Dutch Shell, giving the company access to its natural gas reserves.
Security developments in Iraq 09/23/08 Did you know that we’ve lost 20 soldiers in Iraq this month? ... more -
Soldiers accidentally kill Sunni leader in Iraq
American soldiers accidentally shot and killed the leader of a local U.S.-allied Sunni group Tuesday after coming under attack in a volatile area north of Baghdad, the military said.
The latest friendly fire incident came as tensions have been rising among the groups known as the Sons of Iraq, or awakening councils. The military has credited the Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq as a key factor in a sharp decline in violence over the past year.
The head of the group in Siniyah, Jassim al-Garrout, was killed after he rushed to the site of an ambush against U.S. forces in the area, which lies between the northern oil-hub of Beiji and Saddam Hussein’s hometown of Tikrit, according to witnesses and police.
One of al-Garrout’s comrades said the group would demand an apology from the Americans.
“The awakening councils have become targets of al-Qaida, the government and sometimes even the U.S. forces. We do not know our fate and we are feeling lost,” Farooq Sami said.
“We are undertaking the task of combating terrorists, yet we are left sometimes unpaid and without money. We have participated in maintaining peace and security in our area, yet we sometimes do not get our salaries.”
The U.S. soldiers were hunting for insurgents and weapons after they were hit by a roadside bomb and small-arms fire near Siniyah, 110 miles northwest of Baghdad, according to an e-mailed military statement.
The troops then came under fire while searching a house and “shot a Sons of Iraq leader who was mistaken for the enemy when he entered the house,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. David Russell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad. Medical aid was administered, the military said, but the troops were unable to save al-Garrout.
Russell said the U.S. soldiers had warned their Sunni allies to identify themselves and to stay clear of the house, and the shooting was being investigated.
“It is regrettable when incidents of mistaken fire occur on the battlefield,” he said.
The U.S.-funded Sunni movement has faced several friendly fire incidents, raising concerns about the difficulty of distinguishing enemy from foe after former insurgents turned against al-Qaida in Iraq. American soldiers accidentally shot and killed the leader of a local U.S.-allied Sunni group Tuesday after coming under attack in a vo... more -
U.S.: Raid kills 7 north of Baghdad - Conflict in Iraq- msnbc.com
The U.S. military says seven Iraqis have been killed in a raid by American troops backed by attack aircraft targeting al-Qaida in Iraq.
A military statement says those killed Friday in the Sunni town of Adwar include four suspected insurgents and three women. It says a child has been pulled from the rubble and is being treated at a nearby U.S. base.
The military says the U.S. troops were targeting a man believed to be the leader of a bombing network in an area north of Baghdad... The U.S. military says seven Iraqis have been killed in a raid by American troops backed by attack aircraft targeting al-Qaida in Iraq... more -
Iraq to pay Sunni fighters - Conflict in Iraq- msnbc.com
54,000 who joined fight against al-Qaida to get first salaries next month
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Study: decline in Iraq violence not due to 'surge' but ethnic cleansing
Satellite images taken at night show heavily Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Baghdad began emptying before a U.S. troop surge in 2007, graphic evidence of ethnic cleansing that preceded a drop in violence, according to a report published on Friday.
The images support the view of international refugee organizations and Iraq experts that a major population shift was a key factor in the decline in sectarian violence, particularly in the Iraqi capital, the epicenter of the bloodletting in which hundreds of thousands were killed.
Minority Sunni Arabs were driven out of many neighborhoods by Shi'ite militants enraged by the bombing of the Samarra mosque in February 2006. The bombing, blamed on the Sunni militant group al Qaeda, sparked a wave of sectarian violence.
"By the launch of the surge, many of the targets of conflict had either been killed or fled the country, and they turned off the lights when they left," geography professor John Agnew of the University of California Los Angeles, who led the study, said in a statement.
"Essentially, our interpretation is that violence has declined in Baghdad because of intercommunal violence that reached a climax as the surge was beginning," said Agnew, who studies ethnic conflict.
Some 2 million Iraqis are displaced within Iraq, while 2 million more have sought refuge in neighboring Syria and Jordan. Previously religiously mixed neighborhoods of Baghdad became homogenized Sunni or Shi'ite Muslim enclaves.
The study, published in the journal Environment and Planning A, provides more evidence of ethnic conflict in Iraq, which peaked just before U.S. President George W. Bush ordered the deployment of about 30,000 extra U.S. troops.
The extent to which the troop build-up helped halt Iraq's slide into sectarian civil war has been debated, particularly in the United States, with supporters of the surge saying it was the main contributing factor, and others arguing it was simply one of a number of factors.
"Our findings suggest that the surge has had no observable effect, except insofar as it has helped to provide a seal of approval for a process of ethno-sectarian neighborhood homogenization that is now largely achieved," Agnew's team wrote in their report.
Agnew's team used publicly available infrared night imagery from a weather satellite operated by the U.S. Air Force.
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And yet McCain said the surge was working and Obama praised the surge as a success beyond our wildest dreams? Either they are lying, or McCain and Obama have just proven how inept they both are in getting to the truth with "winning" the only thing on their minds. Unspeakable crimes have been committed in our names, and yet all we get from candidates is saying what they think certain target groups want to hear instead of the truth. Satellite images taken at night show heavily Sunni Arab neighborhoods of Baghdad began emptying before a U.S. troop surge in 2007, gra... more -
No End In Sight
The documentary finally available online. A must watch.
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Flight of The Red Falcon...
It all begins on the 18th day of the holy month of Shaban, when Sehwan Sharif, a remote town in rural Sindh is set ablaze with mystery and illusion…
The course of discovery into the world of Sufism, the three day festival commemorating the death anniversary of one of its most celebrated sons, Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, exhibits how tradition can sometimes override all sense and sensibility and take on a form of its own within the sub-conscious mind.
More in this report... It all begins on the 18th day of the holy month of Shaban, when Sehwan Sharif, a remote town in rural Sindh is set ablaze with mystery... more -
Iraq Takes Aim at Leaders of U.S.-Tied Sunni Groups
The Shiite-dominated government in Iraq is driving out many leaders of Sunni citizen patrols, the groups of former insurgents who joined the American payroll and have been a major pillar in the decline in violence around the nation.
In restive Diyala Province, United States and Iraqi military officials say there were orders to arrest hundreds of members of what is known as the Awakening movement as part of large security operations by the Iraqi military. At least five senior members have been arrested there in recent weeks, leaders of the groups say. The Shiite-dominated government in Iraq is driving out many leaders of Sunni citizen patrols, the groups of former insurgents who join... more -
"We were basically hiring terrorists"
Donning pale yellow shirts with Iraqi flags stitched on the chest, Alah al-Janabi and Mahmoud al-Samorai stood recently in the blistering sun at the crowded entrance to the bustling Dora Market. Al-Janabi, 30, proudly displayed a shiny black pistol on his hip; al-Samorai, 25, slung his Kalashnikov assault rifle over his shoulder as he patted down a shopper entering the market. Nine months ago, the two men joined the Sons of Iraq -- the U.S.-funded, mostly Sunni organization of 103,000 armed guards that functions as part neighborhood security watch and part paramilitary force, and has been instrumental in tamping down violence in Iraq.
What these men did prior to this work -- when sectarian militias and Iraqi security forces fought pitched battles through the Dora neighborhood, killing and wounding scores of people -- is unclear. When asked, the two looked at each other and shrugged. "There were no jobs," al-Samorai finally said. Maybe he and his colleague hid in their homes while sectarian fighting raged outside. But it is also possible that they fought alongside the Sunni militias, as did many Sons of Iraq members, according to American forces that patrol the area.
"When the SOIs stood up, we were basically hiring terrorists," said Lt. Justin Chabalko, using the military acronym for the Sons of Iraq. Chabalko's 2-4 Infantry Battalion of the 4th Brigade, 10th Mountain Division frequently patrols the Dora Market.
The Sons of Iraq was formed in 2007, when Sunni tribal leaders, tired of violence and disillusioned with Islamic fundamentalists such as al-Qaida in Iraq, encouraged tribal members -- including some former militia members -- to guard Sunni and mixed neighborhoods against takeover by sectarian gangs. The Americans touted the creation of the Sons of Iraq as a major diplomatic success and agreed to finance the organization, paying each member a monthly salary of $300, despite the protests from the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government, which never liked the idea of legitimizing the Sunni-dominated fighting force. Donning pale yellow shirts with Iraqi flags stitched on the chest, Alah al-Janabi and Mahmoud al-Samorai stood recently in the blister... more -
Leader of U.S.-Allied Sunni Group Killed in Iraq
BAGHDAD — Gunmen killed a senior leader of a U.S.-allied Sunni group and six of his guards in an ambush south of Baghdad, a group member said Tuesday.
Roadside bombings also killed another person and wounded a dozen Tuesday, in a second consecutive day of bombings in the capital.
Unknown gunmen attacked the convoy of Sheik Ibrahim al-Karbouli in Youssifiyah on Monday, said the group member who spoke on condition of anonymity out of fears for his own security. The sheik was a senior leader of the so-called awakening council in the town, which is a former Al Qaeda stronghold about 12 miles south of Baghdad.
Al Qaeda has frequently mounted reprisal attacks against awakening councils because of their success in cutting into support for the terror movement among Iraqi Sunni Arabs.
Police also discovered the bodies of three awakening council members who were abducted several days ago, police Brig. Gen. Sarhat Qadir said.
In Baghdad, at least two separate bombings occurred Tuesday — one day after roadside bombs killed two U.S. soldiers and nine Iraqis in the capital and surrounding areas.
One of Tuesday's blasts struck the commercial Bab al-Muadham district in the capital, killing one person and wounding five others, police and health officials said.
Another roadside bomb went off on Palestine Street, a major thoroughfare in Baghdad, wounding seven people, authorities said. It was the second such attack on the same street in as many days. Two Iraqis — a soldier and a civilian — were killed in Monday's bombing.
The police and health officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information.
Meanwhile, Iraqi leaders remain deadlocked in talks over a power-sharing dispute that is blocking U.S.-backed provincial elections. The disagreement over the oil-rich city of Kirkuk forced parliamentary officials to delay a planned vote on the provincial elections bill until Tuesday, at the earliest.
The United States considers provincial elections, which are expected to redistribute power at the local level, essential to reconciling Iraq's rival ethnic and religious communities.
But Kurds object to a measure that would equally distribute provincial council seats among Arabs, Kurds and Turkomen in Tamim province, which lies just south of their own semiautonomous region in Iraq's north. BAGHDAD — Gunmen killed a senior leader of a U.S.-allied Sunni group and six of his guards in an ambush south of Baghdad, a group mem... more -
Female suicide bombers kill dozens of Iraqi pilgrims
About 40 people have been killed and almost 150 injured in a series of suicide bomb attacks in Iraq in one of the bloodiest days the country has seen for months.
Three female suicide bombers struck in Baghdad as thousands of Shia Muslim pilgrims flooded into the city. The blasts killed at least 28 people and wounded 92, local police were quoted as saying by Reuters.
In the northern city of Kirkuk a suicide bomber attacked a rally held to protest at a law on provincial elections. Up to 11 people were killed and 54 injured.
Sunni Islamists connected to al-Qaida are thought to be behind the attack. Insurgents, particularly those linked to al-Qaida, have increasingly used female bombers as they are better able to evade security precautions.
Yesterday, seven Shia Muslim pilgrims were shot dead in southern Baghdad as they made their way to the holy site on foot.
Female suicide bombers have carried out more than 20 attacks this year and a team of Iraqi female guards has been deployed around Kadhamiya specifically to search suspects.
Does the idea of female suicide bombers shock you? Or is gender irrelevant in situtations like these? About 40 people have been killed and almost 150 injured in a series of suicide bomb attacks in Iraq in one of the bloodiest days the c... more -
Gunfight in Lebanese camp
The leader of a Sunni Islamist group dies after a gunbattle with Fatah members at a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon.
Shehadeh Jawhar, an Iraq-trained Palestinian militant wanted by the Lebanese authorities, was killed in a clash at Ein al-Hilweh camp between Fatah and Jund al-Sham, a small al Qaeda-inspired Islamist group. The leader of a Sunni Islamist group dies after a gunbattle with Fatah members at a Palestinian refugee camp in south Lebanon. ... more -
Sunni bloc rejoins Iraqi cabinet
The main Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq has rejoined the Shia-led government, in a significant lift for Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.
The return of six ministers from the Accordance Front to the cabinet was approved by lawmakers.
The Sunni bloc withdrew almost a year ago following a row over power-sharing.
A spokesman for the Accordance Front said its return was a significant step forward for political reform in the predominantly Shia country. The main Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq has rejoined the Shia-led government, in a significant lift for Prime Minister Nouri Maliki. ... more -
The Death Squads of Baghdad
A video I stumbled across from December of 2006.
Fair warning, it is relatively graphic.
I indeed know this is old news, but I also know this didn't/ doesn't get anywhere near sufficient coverage here in the US.
"The torture and slaughter of Iraqi civilians is reaching unprecedented heights with estimates of up to 655,000 dead.
"Night after night death squads rampage through Iraq's main cities. In Baghdad, up to a hundred bodies a day are dumped on the streets. Often they've been tortured with electric drills. Yet those doing the killing have little to do with al Qaeda or Sunni insurgents.
"The majority of the killings are carried out by Shia death squads who want to turn Iraq into a Shia state aligned to Iran.
"This shocking film investigates the links between the death squads and high-ranking Shia politicians. It reveals how the Shia militia that these politicians control have systematically infiltrated and taken over police units and even entire government ministries. It investigates how these units are closely linked to the death squads, indeed they often are the death squads. And the killers act with impunity -- there's little investigation into their activities." A video I stumbled across from December of 2006. Fair warning, it is relatively graphic. ... more -
America's allies in Iraq under pressure as civil war breaks out among Sunni
"A vicious civil war is now being fought within Iraq's Sunni Arab community between al-Qa'ida in Iraq and al-Sahwa while other groups continue to attack American forces. In Baghdad on a single day the head of al-Sahwa in the southern district of Dora was killed in his car by gunmen and seven others died by bombs and bullets in al-Adhamiya district.
US spokesmen speak of a "spike" in violence in recent weeks but in reality security in Sunni and Shia parts of Iraq has been deteriorating since January. The official daily death toll of civilians reached a low of 20 killed a day in that month and has since more than doubled to 41 a day in March. The US and the Iraqi government are now facing a war on two fronts.
The American-backed government of Nouri al-Maliki is in the meantime stepping up its campaign against the Mehdi Army militia of the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. Iraqi troops sealed off the Basra office of the Sadrists yesterday. "Troops from the Iraqi army prevented us from holding Friday prayers and now they are cordoning off the office," said Harith al-Idhari, the head of the office. "They want to storm it and clear everybody out of it." "A vicious civil war is now being fought within Iraq's Sunni Arab community between al-Qa'ida in Iraq and al-Sahwa whil... more -
How rosy is Iraq's future?
Civilian death tolls and the number of attacks are both falling, but is this really a good sign?
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Do Iraqis Want Partition?
Phyllis Bennis on the U.S. Senate resolution on the partitioning of Iraq, calls Joe Biden, "the Julius Caesar of the Senate." It's not a compliment. Phyllis Bennis on the U.S. Senate resolution on the partitioning of Iraq, calls Joe Biden, "the Julius Caesar of the Senate."... more
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