1st an e-mail came in from a reader who has a class (high school) that's exploring films and she wanted to know if i had a favorite film from the 60s that every 1 wouldn't have grabbed? she needs to give her choice by jan. 23rd so i'm putting this at the top (i also e-mailed her my answer but in case she misses that and sees this 1st), cleo from 5 to 7. the director is agnes varda. corinne marchand is a singer who has to wait 2 hours to find out if she lives or dies. (cleo de 5 a 7 is the original title). and it is available through netflix. the film came out in 1961. it's black and white and it's a pretty tight film. i think you'll like it.
after 22 days, israel decided to walk it back. i hate to say the assault on gaza has ended because the assault never ends. but the bombings that get attention from the world media have been scaled back.
ashraf khalil (los angeles times) reported this afternoon:
As residents of the Gaza Strip continued to sift through the rubble and mourn their dead, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon toured the seaside Palestinian enclave Tuesday and declared himself "deeply grieved by what I have seen today."
Ban entered Gaza from Israel in a convoy of armored vehicles. Speaking to reporters in front of the smoldering remains of a United Nations food warehouse set ablaze last week by an Israeli tank shell, a somber Ban said he had witnessed "heartbreaking" scenes of destruction.
ban ki-moon says there will be a team sent in to do a humanitarian needs assessment. i hope so. the united nations estimates the dead at "over 1,000" with 5,000 more injured. and barack didn't do a damn thing.
at any point, he could have spoken up or spoken out. but he didn't do a damn thing.
from robert fisk's 'So, I asked the UN secretary general, isn't it time for a war crimes tribunal?' (independent of london via information clearing house):
It's a wrap, a doddle, an Israeli ceasefire just in time for Barack Obama to have a squeaky-clean inauguration with all the world looking at the streets of Washington rather than the rubble of Gaza. Condi and Ms Livni thought their new arms-monitoring agreement -- reached without a single Arab being involved -- would work. Ban Ki-moon welcomed the unilateral truce. The great and the good gathered for a Sharm el-Sheikh summit. Only Hamas itself was not consulted. Which led, of course, to a few wrinkles in the plan. First, before declaring its own ceasefire, Hamas fired off more rockets at Israel, proving that Israel's primary war aim -- to stop the missiles -- had failed. Then Cairo shrugged off the deal because no one was going to set up electronic surveillance equipment on Egyptian soil. And not one European leader travelling to the region suggested the survivors might be helped if Israel, the EU and the US ended the food and fuel siege of Gaza.
After killing hundreds of women and children, Israel was the good guy again, by declaring a unilateral ceasefire that Hamas was certain to break. But Obama will be smiling on Tuesday. Was not this the reason, after all, why Israel suddenly wanted a truce?
so barack got his pretty little party. palestinians paid for his party with blood. with their own blood. barack got his blood sacrifice. in iraq, they slaughter an animal for big ceremonies. barack just needed to have 1,000 palestinians slaughtered. hope it was worth it to him.
while barack was silent, others did speak up. not nearly enough.
this is ban ki-moon's statements from sunday:
I must first commend the leadership and initiative taken by President Mubarak to bring a durable ceasefire, and I would like to also commend initiative and leaderships of many world leaders gathered here, starting with President Sarkozy of France, but because of the time limit I am not going to recognize all individual contributions.
But this ceasefire unilaterally declared by Israel should be heading to a durable and sustainable ceasefire with the full support of the parties concerned. For that to be possible, Hamas must stop fighting, must stop sending rockets into Israel and Israel also must exercise at this time maximum restraint so that this ceasefire can sustain. The situation on the ground is still volatile. I look to all leaders in the world, particularly gathered here, to continue to work together to make this ceasefire a durable and sustainable one and which could be respected fully by all parties concerned.
As the Secretary-General for the United Nations I have a broad responsibility to take care of all humanitarian sufferings by the people in Gaza. I am going to dispatch early this week a humanitarian needs assessment team to Gaza, organized and led by the United Nations and together with the World Bank and other donor organizations, Within ten days I think we will be able to make an assessment report and we will issue an urgent humanitarian flash appeal, and within three weeks, we will be able to present an assessment report on early recovery and essential repairs. I urge and certainly hope that the major donor countries will generously contribute to this appeal.
Thirdly, we urgently need to bring back this Middle East peace process on track. We have already experienced sufferings and tragedies in 2006 in Lebanon, the situation in Gaza has been a repetition of the failure of this peace process, this is a failure of political will, at the level of people and at the level of leadership, all international community, particularly the Arab countries, should fully support and encourage this peace process on track. As a member of the Quartet, I will fully participate in trying to help the Middle East peace process.
The other important issue is the unity of the Palestinian people, with the division of Palestinian people, it may only be a stop gap, we cannot continue, there is no such guarantee that this will not repeat again. I urge again all Palestinian people, and particularly President Abbas, to reconcile and resolve all the pending issues, through dialogue, inclusive political dialogue and reconciliation.
What I am concerned about at this time is a very sensitive sign of Arab split. This is again very worrisome, I urge and I sincerely hope that leaders of the Arab world will be united. On the basis of a united Arab [world], on the basis of a united Palestinian people, we will be able to see peace and stability in this region. Peace and stability in this region, in the Middle East, has serious implications for the peace and stability in the world.
As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I will spare no effort, whether it be a political process, and particularly when it comes to humanitarian assistance, and I will do my best and I count on your leadership, all the leaders here and support from all the people of the world.
Thank you very much
that's going to be it from me tonight.
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
Tuesday, January 20, 2009. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq gears up for the provincial elections, al-Maliki tries to oust a police chief, Barack Obama is sworn in and more.
In the US, Barack Obama took the presidential oath of office today and Iraq Veterans Against the War issued the following:
IVAW members and chapters got together recently to produce an ad calling for an end to the war in Iraq. This ad will be broadcast a few minutes before Barack Obama takes the oath of office (at noon EST) on NBC in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, Albuquerque, New York City, and Washington DC as a reminder that the war goes on, and that electing a new President is not enough to bring it to an end.
For supporting arguments and further information about the content of this ad, click here. IVAW would like to thank Baked Goods Productions, The Flobots and Beau Weaver for generously contributing their talent to create this ad.
Iraq Veterans Against the War depends upon the support of individuals in order to continue organizing for an end to the Iraq war, care for our veterans, and justice for the people of Iraq. 2009 will be a pivotal year for U.S. involvement in Iraq, and it is more important than ever that we keep the pressure on to bring this occupation to an end. Support IVAW, click here to make a donation now.
Sunday the US military announced: "A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier died of wounds suffered following an improvised explosive device in eastern Baghdad Jan. 18 at approximately 11 a.m." M-NF announces the deaths (like the previous ones) and the Defense Department then follows by issuing the name after the fallen's survivors have been notified. For example, Monday the Defense Dept announced, "The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La., died Jan 17 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla." The military's problem with that announcement is the death they identified was never announced by M-NF. January has seen eight US service members deaths and the total number of US service members killed in Iraq since the start of the illegal war is 4229.
Friday Haitham Kadhim al-Husani was assassinated, shot dead in Baghdad. Sunday deaths included Hassan Zaidan al-Luhaibi. Jonny Dymond (BBC) reported that a Mosul suicide bombing claimed the life of the "vice- president of the Sunni National Dialogue bloc" who "was leading his party's campaign for provincial elections to be held at the end of this month." In addition, Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) notee that al-Luhaibi's "son Falah is a parliament member". Sam Dagher (New York Times) explained al-Luhaibi "was barred from holding elected office because he had been a senior member of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party" and he had been "an army general who commanded Iraq's military academy. He was among the senior officers involved in Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and its long war with Iran in the 1980s." Ernesto Londono and Zaid Sabah (Washington Post) explained, "The attack occurred amid bitter competition between Sunni Arabs and Kurds for control of Nineveh province, one of four that includes areas claimed by both Arabs and Kurds."
Provincial elections -- which were supposed to take place no later than 2008 to meet the 'benchmark' -- are scheduled for January 31st. Even if they take place, they still do not meet the 'benchmark' for progress because they are not taking place in all provinces. Fourteen of Iraq's eighteen provinces will hold elections. The United Nations has regularly and repeatedly warned that violence would most likely increase in Iraq as provincial elections approached. AP's Kim Gamel and Hamza Hendawi explain that the elections are for 444 seats (444 from all 14 pvoinces) and that 14,431 people are competing for those seats. Timothy Williams (NYT's International Herald Tribune) notes a new poll of Iraqis has found 41% of those surveyed cite a preference for secular candidates and 31% prefer candidates from religious parties. Though religious markings and artificats are not supposed to be used in the campaigns, Anthony Shadid reported today that "everyone from the Communist Party to the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a powerful Shiite party, has resorted to Shiite imagery." Saturday Amit R. Paley (Washington Post) reported that the puppet of the occupation, Nouri al-Maliki, was attempting to make the elections all about himself: "He is not on any ballot in the provincial elections scheduled for Jan. 31. But in agreeing to be the public image of the Coalition of the State of Law, a group of candidates running primarily on his record, Maliki has effectively turned the contest into a referendum on his rule. The elections will be the most crucial test so far of Maliki's attempt to bolster the central government's authority -- and his own. If he succeeds in establishing a nationwide base of local politicians ready to support him and the idea of centralized government, Maliki will have cemented his three-year transformation from little-known lawmaker to the most powerful Iraqi statesman since Saddam Hussein." The following day, Timothy Williams and Mudhafer al-Husaini (New York Times) explained that al-Maliki had demanded that Abudel Haneen al-Amara be kicked out as the police chief in Wasit Province and be replaced with a successor hand picked by al-Maliki leading to huge objections including objections over the timing. The reporters quoted a local council member, Sayyd Sattar al-Masqsusi, stating, "It's really not good to replace him at this time. We called the minister of the interior himself and he didn't know about the replacement and was as surprised as we are. Only God and Maliki know the reasons behind the change at this time." Monday Anthony Shadid (Washington Post) explored Basra where elections are expected to continue and solidify "Shiite Islamic parties" control of the area. Meanwhile Sam Dagher (New York Times) explores Anbar Province and finds that the US backed and elevated tribes may take control in the elections. Anbar is where the "Awakening" Councils were 'birthed' (created by tossing US money around). Gina Chon (Wall St. Journal's Baghdad Life) reports that the estimated 100,000 "Awakening" Council members are still not under Iraqi control and that the US is expected to continue paying the bulk of members until April when al-Maliki may finally pay the cost. So come April, the Iraqi government might finally take over payment. Strange.
April 8, 2008 during The Petraeus & Crocker Variety Hour, Senator Barabara Boxer brought up the thugs on the US payroll and noted $182 million a year was being paid by the US tax payers. "Why don't you ask the Iraqis to pay the entire cost of that program?" Boxer asked. When US Ambassador Ryan Crocker tried to dance around the issue, Boxer stated, "I asked you why they couldn't pay for it. . . . I don't want to argue a point. . . . I'm just asking you why we object to asking them to pay for that entire program giving all that we are giving them in blood and everything else?" Crocker's response was he would carry the suggestion back to Iraq. The "Awakening" Councils were supposed to have been turned over to Iraqi control in November. That has not taken place. Nor is al-Maliki assuming the payment. All this time later. In more non-progress, Timothy Williams (NYT's International Herald Tribune) notes that yesterday Iraq's Parliament again delayed their vote on selecting a new Speaker and now intend to vote on the 4th of February. December 23rd was when Mahmoud al-Mashhadani was relieved of his duties as Speaker. All this time later and they still have no Speaker.
In some of today's reported violence . . .
Bombings?
Hussein Kadhim (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing which targeted the Ministry of Higher Education's deputy minister and left four people wounded, another Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two people, a third Baghdad roadside bombing which also wounded two people, a Baghdad car bombing that resulted in five people being injured, a Mosul grenade attack that left six people injured and a bomber in Mosul who took their own life and left three police officers wounded. Reuters notes a Baquba bombing that injured three people.
Shootings?
Reuters notes a 1 real estate agent shot dead in Mosul (and a child injured) and another Mosul shooting which claimed a life.
Today Barack Obama had his coming out party. Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Debutante Barack" first ran January 4th and features Bully Boy (holding Barack's hand) declaring, "In 2004, they asked if I should have a big 'bash while the country is at war?' But you've got over 60 D.C. bashes planned, we got two wars and a recession." Barack replied, "A girl's gotta have a coming out party." Apparently regardless of the cost and regardless of the economy. Scott Mayerowitz (ABC News) reports, "The country is in the middle of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, which isn't stopping rich donors and the government from spending $170 million, or more, on the inauguration of Barack Obama. The actual swearing-in ceremony will cost $1.24 million, according to Carole Florman, spokeswoman for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies." Yesterday Free Speech Radio News reported on "the most expensive inauguration in history" taking place while DC's homeless were "displaced and scrambling just to get through the next few days."
Tanya Snyder: Washington, DC officials are working to clear the downtown area of homeless people for the festivities.
Brian Anders: We don't want people to know that there are poor people living in the nation's capitol living on the streets. That would be insane.
Tanya Snyder: Brian Anders is a homeless advocate who works with Empower DC a grassroots group that organizes low-income Washingtonians. He says many of the people who sleep on the streets downtown are being moved far outside the city and they have a lot of concerns about this upheaval?
Brian Anders: Are they going to be allowed to come back downtown? Are they going to be put somewhere else where it's too far for them to get back downtown? Are they going to be able to get their property back? Especially if they don't have identification? What about those folks who are on medications? What about those folks who have substance abuse issues? I mean we're not dealing with the bigger questions -- I mean, it's conveniant to move them out because you don't want to see them obviously. But the reality, these are human beings.
Tanya Snyder: City shelters are opening up for inauguration day too, serving hot drinks and showing TV coverage of the festivities downtown. But DC's mayor closed the downtown Franklin Shelter last fall removing 300 emergency beds for homeless men. Some domestic violence survivors are also losing their emergency shelter for the days surrounding the inauguration. Advocate Baylis Beard-Hunting says that the people whose homes are unsafe can normally get subsidized hotel rooms
Baylis Beard-Hunting: Of the two places that they currently have available, one of those hotels is kicking out the clients from Crime Victims Compensation for the period during inauguration because they say they've been booked for many years back. So clients check out on Friday, check back in on Wednesday.
Tanya Snyder: Washington only has fifty beds in the whole city dedicated to domestic violence victims so the hotels often become an essential resource for people needing to escape a violent situation at home.
Baylis Beard-Hunting: I know clients who are bartering food cards, any resource they have available, babysitting other people's children for a space on the couch, a space on the floor, you know whatever they can find.
Kimberly Wilder (On The Wilder Side) was noted in "2008: The Year of Living Hormonally (Year in Review)" and she can do a strong post and she can do a weak one. On the strong, check out this one. On the weak? As e-mails complain, another post where she attempts to make nice with Barack Obama because what's a Green Party member to do but suck up to the Democratic Party? Words that could haunt the next four years: "And, I am aware of the setbacks in Obama's message and platform: Promoting a surge in Afghanistan, keeping nuclear energy on the table as a possibility, not acknowledging racial disparities enough" meek, meek, meek. The Afghanistan War is a crime and a mistake and wants to list is under "setback"? Is that the Green position? From the same post: "And, while our electoral system is somewhat broken, we used the system we have in place, my candidate -- Cynthia McKinney of the Green Party -- was allowed to run (as were some other independent and third party candidates)" meek, meek, crap. Was your candidate 'allowed' to run? Did they also let her drink out of the water fountain? What the hell is that? Being grateful your candidate was "allowed to run"? And, more to the point, where was she allowed? She wasn't allowed to run in Oklahoma where she wasn't on the ballot and could not be a write-in. 18 states "allowed" her to run as a write-in but there's little indicating that states fully counted their write-in votes. But, hey, she was "allowed" to run, right? Barack promises more deaths in Afghanistan and if the Green Party is too chicken s**t to call him about because he's bi-racial passing for Black, good to know. For the empire, that's good to know. They will, no doubt, act accordingly when choosing future candidates. Several e-mail to note that while Kimberly doesn't appear to believe a Green Party (or Green president) would make much difference (except maybe in selecting the menu?), the Green Party is offering "The First 100 Days: What would a Green Administration look like?" Many are videos, some are text. On the latter, we'll note this from Morgen D'Arc's response
A Green administration in Washington D.C. will launch the first mandate for women that the United States has ever known. It will reflect a comprehensive Green plan that highlights constitutional equal rights and an administration tone and orientation that in seriously addressing the problems for women that stem from inequality will also positively impact the attitudes of people toward women that together will work to achieve the issues detailed in the Women's Rights section of the Green Party Platform and other Green positions to improve conditions for women in the United States.
The United States, as the richest country in the world and a leading model of democracy, has never taken the opportunity it has always had to lead by example to the rest of the world for achieving equality, safety and quality of life for women. In nearly 100 years of acquiring the right to vote, women total only 15% of congress, earn only 70% of male pay, comprise the largest most severe segment of poverty in the country, are battered, raped and killed in domestic and other violence in staggering numbers including in the military and by returning soldiers. The U.S. still has a large number of women trafficked under violent and slave conditions for forced sex, which is rape.
A Green administration will prove its agenda for women by establishing a Department of Women to which significant funds are appropriated and which the department's head officer directly reports to and advises the President. This department will represent women domestically as well as in international relations and initiatives regarding women. It will work closely with all organizations relating to women and be a tri-partisan department.
Meanwhile wacky Alice Walker earned laughs today by declaring that Barack means "we have a chance now, as a country, to take our rightful place in the leadership of the owlrd and in the caring of the world." Caring starts with your own damn family, Alice. You have a grandson, Tenzin, whom you refuse to see, one you've never seen. Before you sit down to chat about 'joy' to the public again, get your own damn house in order. There's something very, very shameful about you and Amy Goodman referring to your marriage to a White man (Mel Leventhal) and ignoring that you had a daughter (Rebecca Walker) -- one you now refuse to see, your only child. We'll come back to Alice in a moment but shame on Amy Goodman. Now we know Amy's worthless so it's no surprise she pimped out Barack's inauguration via "Black" as opposed to addressing the reality of race in America. But she had Bob Moses on. So talk. You bring on Bob during a war, let's talk about Bob's days in Canada as Bob Parris. Let's talk about his war resistance then and contrast it with the two wars that are ongoing today. Can't do that, apparently, because it wouldn't allow the Little Red Firehouse to rock with self-adulation. [On war resistance, click here for Krystalline Kraus' most recent article regarding US war resisters in Canada.] As usual, Alice was trying to play "mother love" and embarrassing herself. She declared, "And it's very hard for people to think in terms of doing what is best for everyone -- and everyone, including people of different colors and different classes." And different sexualities, Alice? You of all people should care about that but you always excuse away and ignore homophobia.
Hillary Is 44 doesn't and they explain the con game Barack pulled. He added Bishop Eugene Robinson to the Hoporium Concert on Sunday in order to mitigate the outrage over his decision to put HOMOPHOBE Rick Warren in charge of the religious competition of today's inauguration. But then Team Obama decided to make sure Bishop Robinson got bumped up early and wasn't part of the HBO broadcast. And Team Obama initially attempted to play innocent and act like it was HBO's fault.
iraq gina chon
the wall street journal
timothy williams
jonny dymondthe washington posternesto londonozaid sabah
amit r. paley
anthony shadidthe new york timessam dagher
timothy williamsmudhafer al-husainiscott mayerowtiz abc news
kimberly wilder the world today just nuts comic barack obama bully boy debutante barack
