Clipmarks | jklugman's 'iraq' clips

Experts warned Blair of Iraq mess

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:53 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks:

Joffe got the impression of "someone with a very shallow mind, who's not interested in issues other than the personalities of the top people, no interest in social forces, political trends, etc".

Clip Source: blogs.cqpolitics.com

Jonathan Steele's Defeat: Why They Lost Iraq, which describes a prewar session that British Prime Minister Tony Blair held with outside-government experts who offered their views on what might occur in Iraq following an invasion:

George Joffe, an Arabist from Cambridge University,

"We all pretty much said the same thing," Joffe recalls. "Iraq is a very complicated country, there are tremendous intercommunal resentments, and don't imagine you'll be welcomed." He remembers how Blair reacted. "He looked at me and said, 'But the man's uniquely evil, isn't he?' I was a bit nonplussed. It didn't seem to be very relevant." Recovering, Joffe went on to argue that Saddam was constrained by various factors, to which Blair merely repeated his first point: "He can make choices, can't he?" As Joffe puts it, "He meant he can choose to be good or evil, I suppose."

Tags: tony blair, iraq, war, uk, incompetence

Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP to Get No-Bid Oil Contracts in Iraq

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:41:49 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Big oil got its baby back, after 36 years of waiting.

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP to Get No-Bid Oil Contracts in Iraq

The New York Times reports four Western oil companies are in the final stages of negotiations on contracts that will return them to Iraq for the first time in thirty-six years. Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP—the original partners in the Iraq Petroleum Company—are among the corporations in talks with Iraq’s Oil Ministry for no-bid contracts to service Iraq’s largest oil fields. The Times reports it is not clear what role the United States played in awarding the contracts. Americans continue to serve as advisers to Iraq’s Oil Ministry.

Tags: oil, energy, war

Chancellor of American U-Iraq a "pull-your-dick" kind of guy

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:16:12 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Via Henry at Crooked Timber

Clip Source: insidehighered.com

the American University of Iraq, a Western-style institution in the war-torn country’s northern region that promises to “lead the transformation of Iraq into a liberal and democratic society.”

The university’s lofty aspirations, as espoused on its Web site, make the selection of its first chancellor all the more puzzling. Owen Cargol, who took the helm at AU-Iraq in 2007 and resigned in late April of this year, had a checkered past

The sexual harassment scandal that brought down Cargol at Northern Arizona University in 2001 was well publicized,

Cargol’s 2001 resignation stemmed from allegations made by a Northern Arizona employee who alleged that Cargol, while naked in a locker room, grabbed the employee’s genitals, the Arizona Republic reported. In a subsequent e-mail to the employee, Cargol described himself as “a rub-your-belly, grab-your-balls, give-you-a-hug, slap-your-back, pull-your-dick, squeeze-your-hand, cheek-your-face, and pat-your-thigh kind of guy.”

Tags: american university, owen cargol, iraq, higher-education

92% of max Bush contributors not giving now; Iraq concern

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 19:51:55 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: "I always considered myself a Republican, primarily because of a belief in smaller government. And if you want a smaller government, you don’t want wars — especially wars that can be avoided."

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

Citing Iraq opposition, former Bush donors are reluctant to donate to McCain.»

A CQ analysis shows that only about 8 percent of the 62,800 donors who gave the maximum contribution of $2,000 to Bush in 2004 had given to McCain as of April 30. Moreover, at least 46 of Bush’s 2004 donors have contributed significantly to both Obama and Clinton but are not listed as McCain donors. One, a lifelong Republican who donated $2,000 to Bush in 2004, said that he will not donate to McCain because of the senator’s fervent support of the Iraq war:

I always considered myself a Republican, primarily because of a belief in smaller government. And if you want a smaller government, you don’t want wars — especially wars that can be avoided.

Tags: bush, republicans, politics

VA Conceals Vet Suicide Figures to Downplay Epidemic

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:37:59 GMT

clipped by: AcesLucky
clipper's remarks: What do the constant lies from this administration tell you?

Clip Source: thinkprogress.org

VA Conceals Vet Suicide Figures From CBS To Downplay ‘Epidemic In Suicide’»

Yesterday marked the opening day of a class action lawsuit brought by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), arguing “that failure to provide care is manifesting itself in an epidemic of suicides” among veterans. The VA denies the charges, pointing to increased resources devoted to mental health.

Today, CBS News reports that the VA apparently concealed veteran suicide statistics, and fed the news organization faulty data for a story on the issue. The VA told CBS that there were 790 attempted suicides in all of 2007. Yet shortly after, the VA’s head of Mental Health, Dr. Ira Katz, wrote in an e-mail to the VA’s top media adviser that there were “about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities.”

Tags: war, suicide, bush, iraq

Iraqi Feel-Good Stories Prove Elusive

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:24:06 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Garrett Therolf, LAT reporter, talks about his efforts to report on good news in Iraq when he was there earlier this year.

The military prevented Therolf from following-up on the army's efforts to establish a local bank branch in a Sunni Arab neighborhood. The neighborhood was too dangerous for him to enter without military guard.

Therolf also pursued a story about a restaurant in Baghdad started by some Chinese nationals. They declined to be interviewed because they were scared, and they may even go back to China because of the danger.

For those of you who criticize the media for focusing on the negative in Iraq, this is something you should consider.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

During a tour of Iraq a year earlier, I encountered mostly pessimism among the Iraqis I interviewed. A reader wrote me to say that I was an "Al Qaeda cheerleader" for a story that included quotes from U.S. soldiers troubled about the difficulties of fighting insurgents. Many more asked, "Isn't there some good news to report?"

Because of such fears and the inefficiency that pervades the capital, these "good news" stories evaporated before I could tell them. After only a month in Iraq, I once again left having filed mostly "bad news" stories.

Tags: iraq, journalism, media

The Volunteer Army: Who Fights and Why?

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:10:53 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Michael Massing went to Ft. Drum in New York to interview soldiers about why they joined the army.

("these books" he refers to in this clip are recently-published soldier memoirs; "Bradley's" is a military supply store)

Overall, the average bonus paid to Army enlistees jumped from $11,100 in 2005 to $16,500 in 2007. This is one of the main reasons why the Army has been able to meet its recruiting goals in spite of the ongoing specter of serving in Iraq.

Another is the relaxation of admission standards. In 2007, 11 percent of all new recruits received "moral waivers" for being in trouble with the law—double the proportion in 2003. Over that same period, the proportion of enlistees who had finished high school fell from 90 to 71 percent—the lowest level in twenty-five years. Due largely to the Iraq war, the Army now includes far more recruits from the troubled, truant, tattooed ranks of the population.

Clip Source: www.nybooks.com

In these books, the idea of joining the military to defend America or uphold its values is largely absent. Rather, these soldiers signed up to escape dead-end jobs, failed relationships, broken families, bills, toothaches, and boredom. The armed forces offered a haven from the struggles and strains of life in modern-day America, a place to gain security and skills, discipline and self-esteem.

That initial group of interviews at Bradley's would mirror those I had throughout my stay. In all, I would speak with about thirty soldiers, and roughly one of every four would tell me that he had joined the military mainly for idealistic reasons, for some larger cause. Often, in describing those reasons, these soldiers would sound vague—"I've wanted to be a soldier since I was young," they would say, or "my family has always served in the Army." (A family history in the military features strongly in the decision of many enlistees.)

Tags: iraq, war, military, recruitment

Water Makes US Troops in Iraq Sick

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:42:54 GMT

clipped by: nebby12
clipper's remarks: Someone needs to be accountable for this & prosecuted to the highest degree. Unbelievable.

Clip Source: apnews1.iwon.com

WASHINGTON (AP) - Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq fell sick at bases using "unmonitored and potentially unsafe" water supplied by the military and a contractor once owned by Vice President Dick Cheney's former company, the Pentagon's internal watchdog says.

A report obtained by The Associated Press said soldiers experienced skin abscesses, cellulitis, skin infections, diarrhea and other illnesses after using discolored, smelly water for personal hygiene and laundry at five U.S. military sites in Iraq.

The Pentagon's inspector general found water quality problems between March 2004 and February 2006 at three sites run by contractor KBR Inc. (KBR), and between January 2004 and December 2006 at two military-operated locations.

KBR is a former subsidiary of Halliburton Co. (HAL), the oil services conglomerate that Cheney once led.

US made deal with devil to stabilize Iraq

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 15:03:55 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Chris Hedges is the author of this editorial.

...those who support the continuation of the war insist that "the surge" has been successful. But the surge...did little to thwart attacks.

"The big news of the past year, the smashing up of al-Qaeda in Iraq and the stabilization of a lot of Sunni Arab areas, has virtually nothing to do with the surge," said Wayne White, former deputy director of the State Department's Middle East Intelligence unit. "What we have done, in effect, is we have made a deal with the devil in order to get rid of al-Qaeda. We have allowed nearly 100,000 tough Sunni Arab fighters to organize and arm themselves as they never could before when they had to operate underground. We have destroyed a nasty insurgency and replaced it with a more deeply rooted and broad-based potential insurgency."

Clip Source: www.philly.com

In selling the American public on the "surge" strategy in Iraq, the White House and the military have praised the funding and support of Sunni Arab militias in Iraq. We are being told this strategy is yet another proof of "success" in Iraq - when in fact it is a short-term tactic that could result in horrific blowback.

These Sunnis, many of whom once belonged to extremist organizations that attacked U.S. troops, currently receive salaries (each fighter gets $300 a month) from the U.S. military. In return, they have been asked for support to control parts of the country where there is a Sunni Arab majority; target jihadists; and end assaults on U.S. troops. These militias have replaced local government officials, including police, and taken over local administration and security in many pockets of Iraq. They have carved out, with our assistance, independent fiefdoms.

Tags: iraq, chris hedges, surge, al-qaeda, sunni, civil war, war

Iraq Family Health Survey Study Group_NEJM

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:07:39 GMT

clipped by: cduck19802002
clipper's remarks: Violence-Related Mortality in Iraq from 2002 to 2006

Clip Source: content.nejm.org

Background Estimates of the death toll in Iraq from the timeof the U.S.-led invasion in March 2003 until June 2006 haveranged from 47,668

to 601,027

Results Interviewers visited 89.4% of 1086 household clustersduring the study period; the household response rate was 96.2%.From January 2002 through June 2006, there were 1325 reporteddeaths. After adjustment for missing clusters, the overall rateof death per 1000 person-years was 5.31 (95% confidence interval[CI], 4.89 to 5.77); the estimated rate of violence-relateddeath was 1.09 (95% CI, 0.81 to 1.50). When underreporting wastaken into account, the rate of violence-related death was estimatedto be 1.67 (95% uncertainty range, 1.24 to 2.30). This ratetranslates into an estimated number of violent deaths of 151,000(95% uncertainty range, 104,000 to 223,000) from March 2003through June 2006.

Marine Recruiters Busted in Exam Fraud

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 03:51:23 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: www.chron.com

Nine Marine Corps recruiters who worked in the Houston area were punished for using fraudulent stand-ins to take military-entrance exams for prospective recruits who might not otherwise measure up, the military confirmed Wednesday.

Eight of the recruiters were reassigned and given non-judicial punishment, which could include fines and reduction in rank. Another, considered the worst offender, was discharged from the service.

Harold Hyman, a Rice University professor emeritus of history and a Marine in World War II, said he felt pity for recruiters who broke the law in a desperate race to meet quotas because of the Iraq war. He noted that recruiters have been known for generations to go to great lengths to sign anyone up.

Tags: marines, military, iraq

Blackwater: Making more Enemies for our Country

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 06:51:51 GMT

clipped by: warptheory
clipper's remarks: Great story. Worth a read!

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

Blackwater and me: A love story it ain't

during my own yearlong tour in Iraq, the bad boys of Blackwater twice came closer to killing me than did any of the insurgents or Al Qaeda types. That sort of thing sticks with you.

Their response was, to say the least, contrary to the best interests of the United States effort in Iraq. Barreling through in their huge, black armored Suburbans and Expeditions, they drove other cars onto the sidewalk even as they popped off rounds

But imagining that incident from an Iraqi perspective made it clear to me that though Blackwater USA draws its paycheck from Uncle Sam, it's not working in Uncle Sam's best interests.

Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater and a Naval Academy dropout who served less time under the colors of the nation, in uniform, than my most recent pair of boots.

Apparently, Blackwater's agents did not like the look of us, the main body of cars in front of them.

Tags: balcwater, iraq

U.S. Military and Iraqis Agree: Blackwater unprovoked, Fired on Fleeing Citizens and Cars

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:28:14 GMT

clipped by: BobbyRutan
clipper's remarks: More: U.S. soldiers did not find any bullets that came from AK-47 assault rifles or BKC machine guns used by Iraqi policemen and soldiers. They found evidence of ammunition used in American-made weapons, including M4 rifle 5.56mm brass casings, M240B machine gun 7.62mm casings, M203 40mm grenade launcher casings, and stun-grenade dunnage, or packing.

At least two cars, a black four-door taxi and a blue Volkswagen sedan, had their back windshields shot out, but their front windshields were intact, indicating they were shot while driving away from the square, according to the photos and soldiers

An Iraqi colonel walked up to Tarsa and described the Blackwater shooters as men in "tan uniforms, black helmets, and that flag," pointing at the U.S. flag on Tarsa's sleeve.

Their actions underscore the long-standing tensions between the U.S. military and private security companies -- and the military's concerns that such shootings could undermine U.S. efforts to stabilize Iraq.

Clip Source: www.washingtonpost.com

Blackwater USA guards shot at Iraqi civilians as they tried to drive away from a Baghdad square on Sept. 16, according to a report compiled by the first U.S. soldiers to arrive at the scene, where they found no evidence that Iraqis had fired weapons

It had every indication of an excessive shooting," said Lt. Col. Mike Tarsa, whose soldiers reached Nisoor Square 20 to 25 minutes after the gunfire subsided

His soldiers' report -- based upon their observations at the scene, eyewitness interviews and discussions with Iraqi police -- concluded that there was "no enemy activity involved" and described the shootings as a "criminal event.

Their conclusions mirrored those reached by the Iraqi government, which has said the Blackwater guards killed 17 people

It was absolutely tragic," said Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil

the Army's top commander for Baghdad

In the aftermath of these, everybody looks and says, 'It's the Americans.' And that's us. It's horrible timing. It's yet another challenge, another setback

Tags: blackwater, criminal mercenaries, iraq=fiasco, war, terror, military, bush, conservatives, cheney

To be or not to be: Genocide & the Melancholy President

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:09:49 GMT

clipped by: ouyangwulong
clipper's remarks: Turkey is a lose lose situation for us. There's no way we'll pull them off of the Kurds through appeasement. Of all the times Bush stood strong, this is the time for a little bravado, where did it go?

What kind of President caves in on issues like genocide? He just took away Pansy of the Week award from Gordon Brown!

Clip Source: www.iht.com

Bush urges Congress to reject Armenian genocide resolution

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush and two top cabinet members urged lawmakers on Wednesday to reject a resolution describing the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Armenians early in the last century as genocide - a highly sensitive issue at a time of rising U.S.-Turkish tensions over northern Iraq.

"We all deeply regret the tragic suffering of the Armenian people that began in 1915," Bush said in a brief statement from the White House. "But this resolution is not the right response to these historic mass killings, and its passage would do great harm to relations with a key ally in NATO, and to the war on terror."

Tags: armeinia, genocide, turkey, kruds, iraq, bush, pansy

Iraq's Power Grid Nearing Collapse

Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:42:10 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks:

"We no longer need television documentaries about the Stone Age. We are actually living in it. We are in constant danger because of the filthy water and rotten food we are having," said Hazim Obeid, who sells clothing at a stall in the Karbala market.

Clip Source: www.abcnews.go.com

Iraq's power grid is on the brink of collapse because of insurgent sabotage, rising demand, fuel shortages and provinces that are unplugging local power stations from the national grid, officials said Saturday.

Electricity Ministry spokesman Aziz al-Shimari said power generation nationally is only meeting half the demand, and there had been four nationwide blackouts over the past two days. The shortages across the country are the worst since the summer of 2003, shortly after the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, he said.

Power supplies in Baghdad have been sporadic all summer and now are down to just a few hours a day, if that. The water supply in the capital has also been severely curtailed by power blackouts and cuts that have affected pumping and filtration stations.

Tags: iraq, reconstruction, occupation, surge, war, infrastructure