Clipmarks | Iraq Clips

Pentagon Challenge: Ask Iraqis How Many Have Died

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:16:14 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: Over a million people above what would be if there was no invasion and occupation...Surge worked, my ass...

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

The U.S. military is planning a large polling operation in Iraq over the next three years to help "build robust and positive relations with the people of Iraq and to assist the Iraqi people in forming a new government," Walter Pincus reports in the Washington Post.

This provides an excellent opportunity to revisit an important question:

How many Iraqis have died since the U.S. invasion?

The $15 million-a-year initiative will supplement the military's $100 million-a-year strategic communications operation, which aims to produce content for Iraqi media that will "engage and inspire" the population, Pincus notes.

Just Foreign Policy publishes an extrapolation of the Lancet study, using the trend which can be inferred from the Iraq Body Count tally. If the Lancet study estimate was roughly correct, and if Iraq Body Count gives a roughly accurate trend, that would suggest more than a million deaths due to violence in Iraq since March 2003, over and above what would have occurred

The Violent Left - In Quotes

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:50:42 GMT

clipped by: ColoradoRight
clipper's remarks: One of the more unintentionally humorous experiences of the campaign season to people in the know is the liberal meme, pushed incessantly by the Obama campaign's surrogates in the mainstream media, that McCain/Palin crowds are vicious, angry mobs, based on one person here or there, yelling something mildly offensive.

Clip Source: rightwingnews.com

"If I had my way, I would see Katherine Harris and Ken Blackwell strapped down to electric chairs and lit up like Christmas trees. The better to light the way for American Democracy and American Freedom!" -- Democratic Talk Radio's Stephen Crockett

"Real freedom will come when [U.S.] soldiers in Iraq turn their guns on their superiors." -- Warren County Community College adjunct English professor, John Daly

"Let the people see what war is like. This isn't an Xbox game. There are real repercussions to Bush's folly. That said, I feel nothing over the death of merceneries. They aren't in Iraq because of orders, or because they are there trying to help the people make Iraq a better place. They are there to wage war for profit. Screw them." -- Markos Moulitsas Zuniga on the four Americans who were murdered by terrorists and then had their corpses desecrated in Fallujah, Iraq

Tags: left, progressive, violence, anger, hate

Friendly fire in Iraq -- and a coverup

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:20:55 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: Will have to go to the source to see the video.

For those who never saw a war. This will give you a pretty good idea of its insanity.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Friendly fire in Iraq -- and a coverup The Army says no, but a graphic video and eyewitness testimony indicate that a U.S. tank killed two American soldiers. The mother of one soldier demands answers.

Video: Friendly fire attack in Iraq Helmet-cam video from Ramadi, Iraq, where Pfc. Albert Nelson was allegedly killed by an American tank, and an interview with the soldier's mother.

Tags: the, real, war

BREAKING: U.S. Military #2 al-Qaeda Moroccan Killed In Iraq

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:09:29 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: U.S. military report: No. 2 al-Qaeda commander killed in Mosul

Clip Source: www.usatoday.com

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military says the No. 2 leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq has been killed during an operation in the northern city of Mosul.

The military has identified the insurgent leader as a Moroccan known as Abu Qaswarah or Abu Sara.

Wednesday's statement says he became the senior al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of northern Iraq in June 2007 and had ties to senior al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It also says "he was al-Qaeda in Iraq's second-in-command" behind Abu Ayyub al-Masri, who also is known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir.

Tags: mosul iraq, u.s. military report, abu qaswarah or abu sara

Vets Slipping Into The Bottle...

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:34:08 GMT

clipped by: zelda67

Clip Source: www.newser.com

(Newser) – A rise in alcohol abuse among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is worrying military officials, the New York Times reports. Counseling services for vets suffering post-traumatic stress disorder are stretched to the limit and many tormented former soldiers are turning instead to the bottle. The increase in binge drinking, and a smaller rise in illegal drug use, is blamed for a rise in crimes and other misconduct involving veterans.

The military is working to discourage alcohol abuse and to persuade vets to seek help, but it's struggling to overcome the traditional image of the hard-drinking fighting man. "The problem in today’s military is soldiers have to be warriors, killers, but we don’t allow them any releases like we used to,” said one vet. "You can’t go out and drink, you can’t get into a fight. It’s completely unrealistic.”

Tags: vets, iraq

As Iraqi Refugees Return, So Does Ethnic Cleansing

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 23:35:31 GMT

clipped by: Wisco
clipper's remarks: So much for the "the surge worked" triumphalism. Still, as the single-issue media focuses on the election, don't look for stories like this to go very far. Bush and McCain and the rest of the pro-war pols will be able to repeat their lie with almost complete impunity.

Clip Source: www.mcclatchydc.com

Many Iraqi families have returned to their old homes in peace, but a disturbing trend already is emerging: They're being targeted and attacked, and in some cases killed, for trying to go home. Some have been threatened. Others have found explosives tied to their front doors. Some have had their homes blown up.

Corinne Reilly / MCT

A young girl and her brother have lived in an abandoned building in Karrada for five years. | View larger image

The trend, along with an uptick in sectarian and ethnic violence in northern Iraq and growing tensions among rival Shiite factions in the south, is a worrisome development for American political and military leaders who're increasingly eager to declare victory in Iraq so more U.S. troops can be sent to Afghanistan.

Sectarian cleansing has helped to reduce the violence in Iraq to a four-year low, but the small number of returnees who've been targeted so far could be a warning that the violence could return, too.

Tags: news

Soldier in Iraq Kills Squad Leader and Fellow Team Leader

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:47:52 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: The soldier--a team leader whose name hasn't been released yet--had apparently been in a meeting with his squad leader and the other team leader about his performance.

When the AP says the shooter was then "subdued by other troops," my hope is that this included multiple buttstrokes.

Comments;

Dawson and Durbin were remembered at (4.00 / 1)
http://www.dailykos.com/tags/I...

The worst of all combat deaths.

A special prayer for all those who must suck it up and soldier on and their families.

along with
Spc Marques Knight
SFC Daniel Sexton
CWO Michael Slebodnik

at least one of those non-hostile unspecified (4.00 / 1)
was a 19 yr old at Taji who shot himself in front of his 19 yr old wife via web cam.

His death was like a punch in the gut...

wooden, or other? (4.00 / 1)
rifle butts, I hope. I would imagine no small involvement ofPTSD made this guy snap

Clip Source: www.vetvoice.com

by: Brandon Friedman

Wed Sep 17

When the two deaths in Iraq were announced late Sunday, something didn't sound right. It wasn't combat, there was no mention of a vehicle accident, and with two dead, it clearly wasn't a suicide. Now we know why:

A U.S. soldier was detained in Iraq after he allegedly opened fire on a superior and another unit member, killing them both, the U.S. Army said Wednesday.
The soldier was subdued by other troops, and medics tried unsuccessfully to save the wounded soldiers, said Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo, commanding general at Fort Stewart in southern Georgia, where the soldiers' unit is based.
An Army spokesman said the shooting happened Sunday in Tunnis, Iraq. The alleged shooter's name was not released.
The Army identified the slain soldiers as Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson, 24, and Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin, 26.

Tags: military, insanity

only one bourse is booming nowadays & that is .... Baghdad!!

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:26:37 GMT

clipped by: syncopath

Clip Source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

BAGHDAD - Worried about the global financial meltdown? Here's a tip: try Iraq.

Stock markets across the globe may be tanking, but the Baghdad bourse is booming, with the general index of Iraq's stock exchange up by nearly 40 percent last month.

Brokers -- sweat stains spreading under their armpits -- wrote the latest stock prices on a wall of whiteboards, the Baghdad bourse's answer to computer screens.

Investors waved and made hand signals at the brokers working behind a low partition. Hotels and banks were the hottest picks among the exchange's 95 listed companies.

"People know the hotel stocks are undervalued ... They think that in the new year companies will come to Iraq and the hotel business will flourish," said investor Saad Jalil, adding that the bourse was the busiest he'd ever seen it.

The world banking crisis won't affect us, our market is sealed off from the outside. We don't even have electronic trading."

Clip Source: www.daylife.com

Iraqi oil up for sale

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:20:23 GMT

clipped by: boozich
clipper's remarks: If the conspiracy theory that western oil companies egged on U.S. and British governments to invade Iraq were true, the plan could backfire on them and benefit rivals in Asia instead, he said, adding: “It is possible the American Army has provided the economic stability that will encourage Malaysian, Chinese and other Asian companies to become involved.”

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Iraqi government is to sell the rights to recover 40 billion barrels of oil in the biggest ever sale of reserves.

BP, Shell and ExxonMobil are all expected to attend a meeting

It is the first time since the 2003 US-led invasion that the contracts have been released.

The sale is likely to spark debate over whether the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was part of a "war for oil" that has now delivered strategic Iraqi reserves into the hands of western multinationals.

Iraq sits on more than 115 billion barrels of oil,

Clip Source: www.thehindu.com

Two smaller agreements have already been signed with Shell and the China National Petroleum Corporation

“Currently it is unclear which party in Iraq is authorised to award a contract and at the same time to deliver its side of the bargain,” he said, adding: “Any contract with an independent oil company will be subjected to opposition and possible revision after pressure by resource nationalists.”

McCain Transition Chief Aided Saddam in Lobbying Effort

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:18:24 GMT

clipped by: zizzy
clipper's remarks: His dealings on behalf of the deceased Iraqi leader stand in stark contrast to the views his current employer held at the time.

John McCain strongly supported the 1991 military action against Iraq, and as recently as Sunday described Saddam Hussein as a one-time menace to the region who had "stated categorically that he would acquire weapons of mass destruction, and he would use them wherever he could."

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

William Timmons, the Washington lobbyist who John McCain has named to head his presidential transition team, aided an influence effort on behalf of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to ease international sanctions against his regime

two lobbyists who Timmons worked closely with over a five year period on the lobbying campaign later either pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal criminal charges that they had acted as unregistered agents of Saddam Hussein's government

During the same period beginning in 1992, Timmons worked closely with the two lobbyists, Samir Vincent and Tongsun Park, on a previously unreported prospective deal with the Iraqis in which they hoped to be awarded a contract to purchase and resell Iraqi oil. Timmons, Vincent, and Park stood to share at least $45 million if the business deal went through.

Timmons' activities occurred in the years following the first Gulf War, when Washington considered Iraq to be a rogue enemy state and a sponsor of terrorism

Group Plans Rescue Mission For Iraqi Puppy

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 04:38:07 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.cbsnews.com

The Iraqi puppy adopted by an American soldier but refused a flight to the U.S., is alive, the military said Tuesday, giving hope to an animal rescue group that is trying to take it to the United States.

The case has cast a spotlight on Defense Department rules that prohibit soldiers in the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq, from adopting pets or transporting them home.

Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis, tried to send Ratchet home with the help of Operation Baghdad Pups earlier this month as she prepared to leave Iraq. But the dog was reportedly confiscated by a U.S. officer before it could reach the Baghdad International Airport, raising concern about the animal's fate.

Baghdad Pups has taken more than 50 dogs and cats home for their warrior owners, although the group had to cease its activities over the summer because of the heat.

Defense Department rules prohibit U.S. troops who are deployed from caring for pets in theater or taking them home.

Tags: iraq, soldier, dog, army, animal, rescue

Iraqis Take Over Anbar Province

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:15:00 GMT

clipped by: dl211

Clip Source: www.thebulletin.us

Iraqis Take Over Anbar Province

Baghdad - American forces yesterday handed over security responsibility to the Iraqis in a province that the U.S. once feared was lost - a sign of the stunning reversal of fortunes since local Sunnis turned against al-Qaida in Iraq.

Nevertheless, the transfer of Anbar province, the cradle of the Sunni insurgency and the birthplace of al-Qaida in Iraq, marked a dramatic milestone in America's plan to eventually hand over all 18 provinces to Iraqi control so U.S. troops can go home.

The 25,000 American troops remaining in Anbar will focus on training Iraq's military and police forces and standing by to help if the Iraqis are unable to cope with any surge in violence.

Tags: iraq, anbar

Iraq's Maverick

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 01:33:53 GMT

clipped by: willhelm

Clip Source: www.spectator.org

Iraqi parliamentarian Mithal al-Alusi contacted me by phone from Baghdad with an urgent warning that Iran could be a lot closer to attaining nuclear weapons than most analysts believe.

The first Iraqi politician to publicly visit Israel, al-Alusi could not have undertaken this visit lightly. After speaking at the same counterterrorism conference on his first visit to Israel in 2004, extremists murdered his two sons, Ayman 30, and Gamal, 22, apparently as payback for his violating the historic taboo in Iraq against advocating cooperation with Israel.

Minutes after his sons were murdered, al-Alusi told reporters: "Even if these terrorists try to kill me again, peace is the only solution. Peace with Israel is the only solution for Iraq. Peace with everybody, but no peace for the terrorists."

al-Alusi's story is a reminder of how far the country still needs to go. His fate will be a litmus test of our commitment

McCain-Palin Warmongers Don't Know Jack

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 12:56:07 GMT

clipped by: citizenbfk
clipper's remarks: In this latest blast Obama is accused of being in some conspiracy with the Iraqi government.

Here is the big Conspiracy: He told the Iraqi government what the USA law was, concerning future plans for Iraq.

The USA law is that Congress has to vote on any agreement.

Shocking!

This is like the law that says Congress is suppose to vote on wars; (it sure would be nice if they got back to that basic Constitutional mandate).

But here's the Real Shocker: the Bush Administration wants to sign a "private contract," with Iraq, allowing the war to go on and for permanent occupation.

They call this private contract a "Status of Forces Agreement."

By doing it this way they claim they can avoid the hassle of going to Congress.

These *()*$#8 do this all the time. We don't go to war anymore. The president makes private 'Status of Forces Agreements."

We got them all over the world. They try to keep them secret.

(Backstory: US needs one by Dec./ UN mandate justifying war

Clip Source: www.cnn.com

Palin: Obama put 'ambition above country'

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (CNN) -- Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on Friday said Sen. Barack Obama put "ambition above country" after a newspaper reported that Obama may have tried to influence Iraqi politicians negotiating with the United States.

The Washington Times, a conservative newspaper, reported Friday that Obama told Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in June that an agreement between the United States and the leaders to allow U.S. troops to stay in the country after 2008 should not go into effect unless it had congressional approval.

But the campaign of Obama's Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, argued that Obama's call interfered with U.S. efforts to reach a "status of forces agreement" with the Iraqi government. The U.S. and Iraq have yet to announce a final agreement despite numerous reports that one was near.

Christians flee Mosul after violence

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 09:18:13 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: Since the US-led invasion of 2003 more than 200 Christians have been killed across Iraq and a string of churches attacked, with the violence intensifying in recent weeks, particularly in the north.

Hundreds of thousands of Sunnis and Shiites have also died in sectarian violence since Saddam Hussein's ouster.

Around 800,000 Christians lived in Iraq at the time of the US-led invasion, but the number has since shrunk by around a third as the faithful have fled the country.

Clip Source: www.dailystar.com.lb

MOSUL, Iraq: More Christian families have quit their homes in Mosul, a local official said on Monday, as the UN voiced concern at the community's plight in the northern Iraqi city.

The violence that began late last month has provoked the exodus of over 1,000 Christian families since Friday, although the numbers of those leaving had started to drop since the police reinforcements arrived on Sunday, according to the head of Mosul's bureau of displaced people, Jaweat Ismael.

Another 109 families quit the city Sunday and Monday, he said, although there was "no new wave of displacements."

"These acts are aimed to fuel tensions and exacerbate instability at a critical time," he said in a statement.

Iraq's 275-member Parliament passed a controversial law last month that will allow provincial elections to go ahead in early January, but crucially it struck a clause that would have reserved seats on local councils for Christians.

Tags: iraq, christians in iraq, war on terror, mosul