is tim mcgraw breastfeeding?

so we're watching jimmy fallon (tonight show) and they're doing charades.

bradley cooper and emma thompson are 1 team and jimmy and tim mcgraw are another.

brad gives and emma rightly guesses 'the vampire diaries.'

then tim mcgraw gets up and gives 'wolf of wall street' and, golly, maybe those rumors about tim being gay are true.

remember how lindsay wagner used to sing on 'the bionic woman'?  with the hands bent at the wrist?

i'm just saying.

but he had on these bizarre pants (ass hugging in the back) and this 'shirt' that was some weird material just hugging his ...

hugging his tits.

that was the only word for them.

they looked like he was about to breast feed.

what the heck is up with tim mcgraw?

he's certainly changed his image from 2002.

if he is gay, i hope faith realizes life will go on.

my 1st husband (who remains a dear friend) turned out to be gay.


let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Wednesday, February 19, 2014.  Chaos and violence continue, the assault on Anbar continues, the calling out of Nouri's War Crimes grows (outside the US), in the US Medea Benjamin tries to rewrite history and hopes everyone has amnesia, and much more.


It takes a whore.  Apparently, it takes a lot of whores.  Let's start with the one Elaine calls a "disease ridden whore" -- and that's when Elaine's feeling nice.  And she's right. Though I call out Medea Benjamin, I foolishly repeatedly give her chances to redeem herself.

There is no redemption for her.  She has betrayed the peace movement and she's still lying about that.

Paul Jay (Real News Network) interviews her here and there's video and,  for those who can't take her whiny voice, there's also a transcript.  Her lying is beyond belief.

Paul Jay asks her about the death of the peace movement and this is her lengthy reply:

BENJAMIN: Well, you said it. It's a one-word answer. Obama. And it wasn't Obama getting in; it was the leadup, it was the campaigning for Obama, when people were so desperate for an alternative to Bush that they said, I'm going to throw myself into this, I'm going to take off of work, students taking off of semesters, I'm going to put my life into getting this guy elected who said he was against the war in Iraq. And we put all our hopes and dreams into Obama, thinking that because he was against the war in Iraq and because he said Afghanistan was a good war--he didn't really mean that; you know, he was just saying that to get elected. But he was a smart guy, and he understood that war was not the answer, and he was going to get us out.


And so the steam was just taken out of the whole movement. And it was amazing to see, because you said tens of thousands. I mean, there were eight times, during the Bush administration, that we got over 100,000 people. And we had a huge movement. You just look at one group, like Code Pink: we came out of nowhere, and suddenly we had over 300,000 people on our mailing list, and we had over 300 groups around the country and, really, around the world. We weren't even trying to set up chapters, and they were just springing up on university campuses, small towns, big towns, everywhere. (08:34) When Obama started to gain steam as a candidate, those started fizzling out. And when he won the election, we had half the numbers of people we had before on our mailing list. And most of the groups started to disintegrate.


So that was indicative of what was happening to the whole peace movement.



JAY: And had you drunk any of the Kool-Aid yourself?



BENJAMIN: I drank the Kool-Aid myself, in the sense that I voted for Obama the first time around and I'm usually a Green Party voter, always voting for something other than the Democrats and Republicans. I drank the Kool-Aid in that I was very, very anxious to vote for somebody who was going to win and have somebody who was going to be an alternative to those eight horrible years of Bush.


And I was--we immediately did up a list of Obama's promises. That went from, you know, getting out of the war in Iraq to closing down Guantanamo and other things. And we started out right away: Obama, keep your promise.


And I physically moved from San Francisco, where I'd been living for 26 years, to Washington, D.C., to say, now is the time to be there to make sure Obama fulfills his promises like closing Guantanamo, getting out of Iraq.


And so I was full of hope, I would say. Yeah.

She was -- and is -- full of something but it's not hope -- hope doesn't stink like that.


There are so many lies in that quote.

First off, usually votes Green?  No, not in presidential elections and she urged people to vote for John Kerry in 2004.  (I voted for John in 2004 in the primary and in the general election.  I donated to his campaign and I campaigned for him.  But I've never pretended to be a Green and, unlike Medea, I've never popularized the lie that Ralph Nader was a "spoiler" in 2000 -- and I voted for Gore in 2000.)

Second, she doesn't vote Green in 2008?

If there was ever a time for her to vote Green it was when Cynthia McKinney was the presidential candidate.

"I was very, very anxious to vote for somebody who was going to win" -- Medea's vote was wasted.  At that point, she lived in California and Barack was going to carry California.  But read that statement, that's not political activism, that's a desperate (and sick) need to fit in.

And moving to DC to be a lobbyist is not activism.

As for her claim that Barack gained steam as a candidate and CodePink chapters started fizzling?

CodePink refused to hold Barack accountable.

In 2008, it was us here on the 4th of July weekend and it was Tom Hayden calling out Barack's capitulation on Iraq -- public capitulation.

That was also when Tom finally discovered what we'd been noting since March7, 2008, that Samantha Power told the BBC (this is why she left the campaign, it wasn't about Hillary) that Barack's promises on Iraq?  They weren't promises.  He'd decide what to do, she explained, after he got elected.

 

Stephen Sackur: You said that he'll revisit it [the decision to pull troops] when he goes to the White House.  So what the American public thinks is a commitment to get combat forces out within sixteen months, isn't a commitment is it?

 

Samantha Power: You can't make a commitment in whatever month we're in now, in March of 2008 about what circumstances are going to be like in January 2009.  We can'te ven tell what Bush is up to in terms of troops pauses and so forth.  He will of course not rely upon some plan that he's crafted as a presidential candidate or as a US Senator.

In the interview, the whorish Medea notes that CodeStink bird-dogged Hillary Clinton in the Democratic Party primaries.  She 'forgets' that they never did that with Barack.  She 'forgets' to note that CodeStink co-founder Jodie Evans was a bundler for Barack.

Wasn't that something CodeStink should have revealed?

When they were doing all their Democratic primary actions, shouldn't they have revealed that?

They didn't.

They used their so-called independence to destroy any of Barack's rivals.

They whored, they are cheap and useless whores.

In 2006, I was so very kind.  They did their stupid action of fasting and we noted it here with medical warnings they should have provided and we also noted that you could do a one day fast.  We noted that fasting wasn't really a political action for women -- not in a country where women have so many eating disorders.

They stopped all actions on Iraq.  September 2012, when Tim Arango reported Barack sent an Special-Ops brigade into Iraq, CodeStink didn't say one damn word.

They're little whores whose inaction destroyed the peace movement.

They're part of a ridiculous group right now.

We'll highlight them in their own entry but I don't pollute the snapshots with them.

Their key lie right now is that what's needed is to focus on local.

No, that's the same damn lie they used after January 2007, when the Dems took control of both houses of Congress,  They never again wanted a DC action.  They were fine with it when it put the spotlight on Republican War Hawks but once Democrats were in charge of both houses of Congress, gone were the DC actions.

What really stands out from the whores interview is how little Iraq mattered to her.

There's no CodeStink condemnation of Nouri's assault on Anbar or of Nouri's abuse of Iraqi women or of the US government -- Barack -- supplying Nouri with weapons.

There's just lies from a cheap whore who thought DC was going to give her more media attention.

If you're not getting what a liar she is, note this exchange:


Benjamin: And so the steam was just taken out of the whole movement. And it was amazing to see, because you said tens of thousands. I mean, there were eight times, during the Bush administration, that we got over 100,000 people. And we had a huge movement. You just look at one group, like Code Pink: we came out of nowhere, and suddenly we had over 300,000 people on our mailing list, and we had over 300 groups around the country and, really, around the world. We weren't even trying to set up chapters, and they were just springing up on university campuses, small towns, big towns, everywhere. (08:34) When Obama started to gain steam as a candidate, those started fizzling out. And when he won the election, we had half the numbers of people we had before on our mailing list. And most of the groups started to disintegrate.


So that was indicative of what was happening to the whole peace movement.
On the other hand, I think that what was concerning to me was people who were a part of the collateral damage who weren't being acknowledged anymore. And if we allowed that to keep happening, it would keep happening. And so what we did is brought people from--who had direct family members killed on 9/11, brought them to Afghanistan, took them back to meet with their counterparts, which--there were many, unfortunately.


And they would say, yes, we hated the Taliban, but what did I have to do with that? And why was my family hurt? And why won't the U.S. government apologize for what they did to my family? And now how am I going to feed my kids? And my husdand's gone.


And so we did a campaign to get compensation for innocent victims. And it was--actually ended up, after a couple of years, being a successful campaign. The first pot of money was a $40 million fund in the name of one of the women that we worked with, Marla Ruzicka, to compensate innocent family victims.

JAY: And this was all under the roof of Code Pink.



BENJAMIN: This was before--it started before Code Pink, when we had a group of women that gathered--actually, it was a gathering around women concerned about the environment was when we had already invaded Afghanistan and there was talk about invading Iraq. And at that point we were saying, how can we allow the U.S. to go in and invade another country, this one that really had nothing to do with 9/11? We've got to do something about it. 

What the hell is that?

Marla died in Iraq in 2005.

Why is she connecting Marla to Afghanistan and stating this "started before"?

We could go line by line.  But what the interview does is find Medea lying repeatedly, pretending that the grassroots packed up the peace movement (when it was 'leaders' like Medea), find her explaining she just wants to go along with a crowd and refusing to take accountability for her actions then or since.


As Elaine frequently points out (such as here, here, here and here), Medea pretends to want to end The Drone War but her writing on it keeps 'forgetting' to mention Barack Obama, you know, the one running The Drone War.

It takes a village of whores to mislead us.  Which explains Nick Turse and his ridiculous piece at Mother Jones.

Nick's premise is that DoD is lying about Vietnam (they are).  But who's over DoD?  Chuck Hagel?  Try Barack Obama.  Nick's got a case of Medea Benjamin-itis and can't say Barack's name.

Funny thing though, if you're wondering how the government can lie about Vietnam?  It can only when a liar is in the Oval Office.

Barack's lied repeatedly about Vietnam.

Let's be really honest, the C-student 'learned' about Iraq stoned on the couch watching Rambo flicks.

In 2008, he repeated the lie that people in the US greeted Vietnam vets by spitting on them, he's offered a variation of that over and over. Especially when he speaks to the VFW.

DoD would not be able to lie about Vietnam as they are doing now without him allowing it.

But little Nicky can't tell you that cause truth is scary and he's just a little fellow.

Maureen Dowd (New York Times via the Chronicle Herald) shows more guts and honesty taking on the efforts of LBJ's family to rewrite Johnson on Vietnam and the Bully Boy Bush family to rewrite Bully Boy on Iraq.  By the way, grasp that if LBJ and Bush are book ends, that means Nixon and Barack are as well.  If you can handle more truth, check out Jay Yao's "Why the U.S. Will Stay in the Middle East for Decades to Come" (The Motley Fool via Daily Finance).

And if you're really up for some hard truths, read Abdul Ilah Albayaty, Hana Al Bayaty, Ian Douglas and Eman Ahmed Khamas' "Iraq: Stop the Massacre of Anbar Civilians" (Global Research).  Excerpt:

This new round of bombing has already produced 300,000 displaced, adding to the tragedy of the millions of Iraqi citizens already displaced by the failed and brutal US occupation.

 While states are legally obliged to refrain from assisting other states to undertake internationally criminal acts, the United States is upping its supply of arms and military advisors to Iraq, along with intelligence cooperation. A new US “Surge” is in the making and will only bring more death and destruction.

 Maliki’s government cannot wantonly kill civilians and claim a “State of Law”:

— Collective punishment is illegal under international law.
— Shelling water and electricity facilities, religious buildings, and hospitals are war crimes and crimes against humanity.
— The scale and target of the Maliki military strikes and shelling is utterly disproportionate and illegal and criminal in the face of the legitimate demands of the Anbar tribes.
— The lack of proportionality itself constitutes a war crime and crime against humanity.
— It is paramount for people everywhere to mobilise now to save Fallujah’s and Anbar’s civilians, understanding that their suffering mirrors the impact of the fascist sectarian regime that the US occupation created.

[. . .]

 We call on all to join us, sign and spread this appeal. To endorse, email to: hanaalbayaty@usgenocide.org

These are War Crimes and yet so many peace 'leaders' like Medea can't call them out -- might embarrass the White House, you understand.


Cleric and movement Moqtada al-Sadr announced his political retirement Saturday.  Yesterday, he delivered a speech.  CounterPunch posts the speech in full today.  Excerpt:


So a dictator would become in charge of wealth, and he steals it, and of lives of people and he kills them, and of cities and he attacks them, and of sects and he divides them, and of minds and he buys them, and of hearts and he breaks them, so that everybody votes for him to stay in power.
Iraq with no life, no farming, no manufacturing, no services, no security or safety, no peace. And elections that thousands of lives are scarified for, all that, so a government would rule us, disregarding our rights and opinions, and a Parliament, with its worn seats, that can’t protect itself, let alone protect others.
A Parliament that can only agree to vote in one condition; if there are special rewards for MPs; but if there are (laws for) general benefit of the nation, everyone steps back, or the matter reaches the cabinet, where they (the laws) would be turned down/vetoed. But the cabinet would never veto against the MPs special rewards or their pensions.
Iraq that is ruled by wolves, thirsty for blood, souls that are eager for wealth, leaving their nation in suffering, in fear, in water puddles, in dark nights, lightened only by moonlight or a candle, swamped by assassinations based on differences or after ridiculous disagreements. All that and the government is only watching.
Iraq that is ruled by a group which came from beyond the borders. We long awaited for them to free us from the dictator, only for them to hold firmly on to the seats themselves, in the name of Shia, and Shiaism.
Was the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (peace and blessings upon him) able to sleep whilst there was a hungry person near to him? And now, how full are the streets with (people) with no roofs, no walls, no basic food, instead they sleep on the bare ground, covered by the raining sky.
A government that is overstuffed, has forgotten those who live beyond the guarded walls, has become blinded with wealth, houses, palaces, and aeroplanes, ignoring a prison that is called ‘Iraq’.
An honourable nation, that has been engulfed by wars, with harsh conditions that left it an easy bite that has fallen between the jaws of politicians and leaders. A nation that does not want food, but it demands honour, a heard voice and freedom, that lead it to the pleasure of the Lord, and to prove itself.
But, a government has come to shut the voices, to kill the opposition, to force them into exile, to fill prisons with them, and with everyone who resisted and tried to free his country from the tanks and aeroplanes of the occupation.

That captures Nouri -- shuts down the voices, kills the opposition, forces them into exiles, fills the prisons, and uses weapons to attack the Iraqi people.  Alsumaria notes a family of 6 in Falluja are dead from a shelling.

That's only some of today's violence.

Bombings?


National Iraqi News Agency reports Tikrit bombing (Aldor district) left 4 civilians dead, a Samarra roadside bombing left 1 Sahwa dead and another injured, a Muradid roadside bombing left two police members injured, a southern Baghdad (Dora district) roadside bombing left four people injured, a Baghdad sticky bombing left one cab driver injured, 2 bombings "south of Kirkuk" left six police members injured,  a Mosul roadside bombing left seven people injured, a Safet Village roadside bombing left 3 Iraqi soldiers dead and three more injured,  a Sulaiman Bek bombing assassination attempt on Salahuddin Province Police Chief Jomaah Saadoun did not harm the chief but left 3 of his bodyguards dead, and a Kirkuk attack on MP Arshard Salhi (Turkmen Front leader) did not harm Salhi but the bombing left two civilians injured.  All Iraq News adds, : "Unidentified gunmen attacked a military checkpoint in Muthana quarter of eastern Mosul with a grenade to result in injuring a soldier and four women who were near the checkpoint."  Safaa Abdel-Hamid and Mohammed Shafiq (Alsumaria) reports a Baghdad market bombing left 1 person dead and six more injured.


Shootings?


National Iraqi News Agency reports  1 police member was shot dead at an Um al-Edham checkpoint, a western Baghdad (Ghazliya area) drive-by left 1 civilian dead, 2 taxi drivers were shot dead in "two separate incidents in Mosul,"  an armed battle in Mosul left 7 rebels dead, a southern Baghdad (al-Mada'in district) attack left 1 Ministry of Communications employee shot dead, and a Jurf al-Sakhar battle left 7 rebels dead.
Safaa Abdel Hamid (Alsumaria) reports a sniper shot dead 1 Iraqi army lieutenant in Mosul.


That's 38 reported dead and 37 injured.  Through yesterday, Iraq Body Count counts 592 violent deaths in Iraq so far this month.  Add today's 38 and you have 630.

On yesterday's bombings, NINA reported:

Chairman of al-Wataniya Coalition Iyad Allawi condemned on Tuesday 18 Feb. the explosions that targeted today several areas in Baghdad and the provinces, holding the government responsible for what is happening.
Allawi said in a press statement that they strongly condemn the criminal outrageous bombings that targeted innocent citizens in several areas and resulted in a large number of victims, stressing that these heinous acts come in a series of lawlessness gripping the country, and holds the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and the government responsible for everything that is happening.




Changing topics, we'll close with this from the Center for Constitutional Rights:

CCR Says Evidence Makes Clear Need for Asylum

press@ccrjustice.org

February 18, 2014, New York – In response to recent revelations by Edward Snowden of the NSA’s global effort to surveil, intimidate and target WikiLeaks, its publisher Julian Assange, and their associates, supporters and counsel, the Center for Constitutional Rights, U.S lawyers for Assange, issued the following statement:  

These documents shed even more light on the Obama administration’s continuing attacks on bona fide journalists and whistleblowers, and confirm the administration’s attempts to criminalize and put a stop to the journalistic work of the WikiLeaks media organization. The U.S. government has been spinning a web around Assange, WikiLeaks, and their supporters in order to prevent the truth about government criminality, corruption and hypocrisy from being revealed. The U.S. tried to pressure other countries to do the same.

 

These NSA documents should make people understand why Julian Assange was granted diplomatic asylum, why he must be given safe passage to Ecuador, and why he must keep himself out of the hands of the United States and apparently other countries as well. These revelations only corroborate the expectation that Julian Assange is on a U.S. target list for prosecution under the archaic “Espionage Act,” for what is nothing more than publishing evidence of government misconduct.

 

The documents show that the NSA was considering designating WikiLeaks a “malicious foreign actor,” which would have authorized surveillance of all communications with the Assange/WikiLeaks website including communications of people in the U.S., including the Center for Constitutional Rights as U.S. counsel for Assange, in clear violation of his rights, particularly at a time when the U.S. was urging other countries to prosecute him.

 

The documents show that the NSA has no hesitation in monitoring Americans' web surfing of news sites like WikiLeaks if those sites are deemed 'associated with malicious cyber activity against the U.S.'

 

CCR will examine these revelations to determine if any legal action is necessary to put an end to this unlawful government activity.

The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Founded in 1966 by attorneys who represented civil rights movements in the South, CCR is a non-profit legal and educational organization committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.

iraq
the real news network
paul jay

national iraqi news agency

alsumaria
all iraq news

kitabat
iraq times
iraq body count
the center for constitutional rights

glenn greenwald can be such a little bitch

jonathan cooke worked for 'the guardian' for many years.

he is a rare reporter, 1 who tried to tell the truth about the plight of the palestinians.

the paper didn't want that truth.

he's a brave reporter.

glenn greenwald is an attorney who wrote columns and then styled himself as a reporter.

jonathan cookie wrote about his disappointment with some superficial comments glenn made about the nature of the press.

the same link contains the rebuttal from the ass glenn which opens:

Thanks for the kind words and (excluding your headline) the thoughtful critique.

oh, shut the f**k up, you little bitch.

i can't find it online, it's too late to call c.i.  but she noted a long time ago - noted it nicely - that glenn really needed to get a damn life and stop being such a priss pot about what was written about him.

can you imagine if c.i. responded to every thing written about her?

she never would have had a career or life.

glenn really needs to grow the hell up.

let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Tuesday, February 18, 2014.  Chaos and violence continue, Moqtada speaks to the public and calls out Nouri, Nouri has a ghost written column in Foreign Policy, the assault on Anbar continues, War Criminal Steven D. Green is dead, and much more.


Moqtada al-Sadr continues to dominate the news cycle.  The cleric and movement leader announced his political retirement Saturday.  Today, World Bulletin reports, "Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr laid into Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday, describing him as a 'dictator and tyrant' and calling his government 'a pack of wolves hungry for murder and money'."  AFP adds, "The televised speech seemed aimed at establishing the cleric, who leapt to prominence with his fierce criticism of the 2003 US-led invasion, as a figure above the everyday Iraqi political fray."   Aref Youssef (Anadolu Agency) notes, "Al-Sadr asserted that al-Maliki's government had failed to improve public services and the country's dire economic situation" and that he also accused the Nouri al-Maliki government of utilizing  "a politicized judiciary against its partners."  UPI quotes Moqtada stating, "Politics became a door for injustice and carelessness, and the abuse and humiliation of the rule of a dictator and tyrant who controls the funds, so he loots them and the cities, so he attacks them, and the sects, so he divides them."

Al Mada reports that Moqtada declared Nouri is controlled by both the US government and the Iranian government and that the country is governed by those who left the country and waited (years) for someone to liberate Iraq before returning to the country.  He encouraged Iraqis to participate in the planned April 30th parliamentary elections to have a say in their country and -- no English outlet's reporting this -- he endorsed two politicians: the Governor of Baghdad Ali al-Tamimi and the Governor of Maysan Ali al-Douai.  He called on both to continue their good work.  NINA reports:


The officer of public relations and ceremonies at the office of the leader of the Sadrist movement, Amer al-Husseini stressed that the decision of Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr is irreversible and his followers have to obey this matter without discussion or demonstration .
Al-Husseini statement came after he received dozens of protesters who came from Sadr City to ask their leader to reverse his decision, showing their support.
Husseini told the demonstrators outside the home of cleric Muqtada al- Sadr, "Muqtada al-Sadr appreciates you for coming and values your position and confirms that the decisions made must obey and he insists on it, for the benefit of the people and the nation, and you should not discuss or protest ."

Duraid Adnan (New York Times) reports:

In the speech, Mr. Sadr, 40, encouraged all Iraqis to participate in elections so that they would be represented fairly. He criticized the current government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, saying it was behaving like a dictatorship and was using the army against the people.

“Iraq is under a black cloud, bloodshed and wars, killing each other in the name of law and religion,” Mr. Sadr said, adding that the country had “no life, no agriculture, no industry, no services, no security and no peace.” 

He said that though the Maliki government had gained power promising to improve the lot of Iraq’s Shiite majority, which suffered under the long dictatorship of Saddam Hussein, it turned out to be “a group of wolves hungry for power and money, backed by the West and the East,” and that “politics became a door for injustice and carelessness.”


In addition to the reporting cited above, there's also a lot of nonsense and a lot of stupidity.  I'll be addressing an e-mail from an analyst in a second, he was so convinced I was so wrong.  And I need to thank him for that false accusation because his false accusation meant I was focused all day on the topic of wrong -- mine or others.

Karl Vick (Time magazine) is repeating something in this passage that is wrong



Waiting anxiously to know is Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is seeking a third term in elections set for April. Sadr’s support was essential to Maliki securing office in 2010, and the cleric’s loyal, motivated and generally impoverished Shiite following stands to play a crucial role in any political calculus, especially given the polarized sectarian politics that has returned parts of Iraq to open warfare. Much of Anbar province, to the West of Baghdad, is now controlled by Sunni militants associated with al-Qaeda, whose return flows both from the rabidly sectarian nature of the civil war in adjacent Syria, and from resentment among Iraqi Sunnis at Maliki’s rule, widely seen as favoring Shiites.

Karl Vick is 100% wrong.  In fairness, he's repeating something many said yesterday.  But it's flat out wrong.

Moqtada al-Sadr was strong armed into supporting Nouri -- strong armed by the Iranian government.  His followers never supported Nouri.

More than that, they clearly rejected him.

Does no one remember what happened in 2010?

For one thing, immediately after the elections Moqtada threw it to his supporters 'who he should back?'

Have we all forgotten that?

From the April 7, 2010 snapshot:


That interview took place Monday and while there is no coalition-sharing government/arrangement as yet from the March 7th elections, Friday and Saturday, another round of elections were held -- this to determine whom the Sadr bloc should back. Moqtada al-Sadr's bloc won 40 seats in the Parliament. Kadhim Ajrash and Caroline Alexander (Bloomberg News) report that Ibrahim al-Jaafari "won 24 percent of the 428,000 ballots cast in the internal referendum, ahead of al-Sadr's second cousin, Jafar Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr, who obtained 23 percent, Sadrist spokesman Salah al-Ubaidi said today in the southern city of Najaf." Al Jazeera notes that Nouri al-Maliki received 10% of the vote and Ayad Allawi 9%. The US military invaded Iraq in March 2003 (and still hasn't left). Following the invasion, Ayad Allawi became Iraq's first prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari became the second and Nouri al-Maliki became the third. It's a little more complicated.
Nouri wasn't wanted, Nouri wasn't chosen. Following the December 2005 elections, coalition building took place and the choice for prime minister was al-Jaafari. But the US government refused to allow him to continue as prime minister. The Bush administration was adamant that he would not continue and faulted him for, among other things, delays in the privatization of Iraq's oil. Though the US had no Parliamentary vote, they got their way and Nouri became the prime minister. al-Jaafari had won the vote with the backing of al-Sadr's bloc, just as he won the vote that took place this weekend. The vote can be seen as (a) a show of support for al-Jaafari whom Sadarists have long supported and (b) a message to the US government. 



Stop lying that Nouri benefits from Moqtada dropping out.  He doesn't.


The Sadr bloc can't stand Nouri -- that's been obvious in Parliament for the last four years.

Moqtada's supporters can't stand Nouri either.  They remember his attacks on them in 2008 in Basra and Sadr City.  Moqtada is seen as supporting the poor, Nouri's done nothing for the poor.   BRussells Tribune carries an Al-Monitor article from last week by Amal Sakr which opens:


The head of the Model Iraqi Women Organization, Athraa Hassani, provided Al-Monitor with this information, quoting World Bank officials who discussed these statistics during a meeting in Turkey with a number of members of civil society organizations seeking to find a solution to the poverty crisis in Iraq.
Hassani questions the accuracy of the poverty rates announced by the Iraqi government, affirming that these rates are continuously increasing because of a rise in daily violence and spike in unemployment rates in addition to a weakening of the Iraqi economy.

Based on the World Bank’s figures, this would mean that out of Iraq’s 34.7 million citizens, more than 9.5 million individuals are living below the poverty line.



Nothing has happened since 2010 to increase Nouri's standing among Sadr supporters.  In fact, since 2010, the efforts Moqtada and Ayad Allawi have worked on have probably resulted in greater support for Allawi which has let Nouri fall even lower.  Probably.

But what is known is that Sadr supporters did not support Nouri in 2010.  They didn't support when the March 2010 voting took place and they did not support a month later in the poll Moqtada carried out.

I don't if it's xenophobia or stupidity.

Xenophobia may have some 'reporters' and 'analysts' declaring that Moqtada's supporters would automatically go to Nouri -- in some stupid and stereotypical vision of Shi'ites.

Or maybe it's just the sort of whoring Quil Lawrence did in 2010 where the press will repeatedly lie for Nouri.


But before Moqtada's speech today, his supporters were not going to back Nouri -- they made that clear in 2010 for any not too stupid to miss it -- and after his remarks today, it's even more obvious that they won't support Nouri.

The editorial board of The National are just another example of people who don't know what they're talking about:

And yet despite Mr Al Sadr’s violent past and erratic politics, his departure is bad for Iraqi politics and bad for Iraq. That’s because his Sadrist movement was the one Shia movement that could challenge prime minister Nouri Al Maliki for the votes of the majority Shia community. With two Shia parties fighting for influence, there was always an opportunity for one of them to reach out to the Sunni community, in order to gain more votes.
But with Mr Al Sadr gone, his movement will be severely weakened, leaving Mr Al Maliki’s State of Law party as the main political group for the Shia.

No, that's stupidity.

Moqtada did and does challenge Nouri.  But that's all that's true there.  Moqtada's 40 seats in Parliament matter.  But Ibrahaim al-Jaafari's National Alliance got more seats in Parliament.  They received 70.  Iraqiya won with 91 seats and Nouri got 89.

Iraqiya won't be running in the 2014 elections, it's splintered.  It did not just get Sunni votes in 2010.  It also got Shi'ite votes -- it was a non-sectarian list of Shi'ite politicians (Ayad Allawi) and Sunnis (Osama al-Nujafi).  Nouri's war against Iraqiya makes it very unlikely the Shi'ite voters of Iraqiya will now glom to him.

Ammar al-Hakim is the leader of the Shi'ite bloc Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (they're a part of Ibrahiam's National Alliance).  He's been a rising star of the last three years to many analysts (who apparently have now lost their voices).  He's been seen, by Western analysts, as the less criminal Moqtada.  (I'm not calling Moqtada a criminal, I'm noting he's seen as that by some.)  His increased popularity could benefit the National Alliance and Moqtada's departure might make that more likely.

I don't know what's going to happen.  I do know State of Law performed poorly in the 2013 parliamentary elections which indicates problems.  I do know Nouri's own image has taken a hit and his popularity dropped.  I do know that it is extremely stupid to assume Sadr supporters would embrace Nouri.

Those are the knows which can be backed up.

In yesterday's snapshot, I discussed a number of possible scenarios.  I did not declare any of them accurate.

But I received a lengthy e-mail from an Iraqi analyst (which can go up here in full if he gives his permission, I'm fine with that) telling me how wrong I was.

I stated one possibility was Moqtada's move could lead to him being prime minister.

This especially enraged the analyst who told me I was "stupid" and "wrong" because, he insisted, you have to run to get in the government.

Really?

Saleh al-Mutlaq is the Deputy Prime Minister.  He's right under Nouri al-Maliki.

How many ballots did his name appear on in the 2010 elections?

Any guesses?

Zero.

His name was removed by the Justice and Accountability Commission's ruling that Saleh was a Ba'athist.

He's got a seat in Parliament but he didn't run for it.  He wanted to.  He objected to the disqualification of his candidacy -- we can go the archives and quote all that back but hopefully most people already know it's accurate. 2010 wasn't that long ago.

Saleh holds the post immediately under Nouri.

If you have to run for these positions, by getting elected an MP in the parliamentary elections, than Saleh wouldn't be Deputy Prime Minister right now.

In terms of what can and can't happen, in terms of the prime minister?

In 2006, the US government demanded that Nouri al-Maliki be named prime minister (the Parliament wanted Ibrahim al-Jaaffari).  In 2010, the US government demanded Nouri get a second term and brokered The Erbil Agreement to go around the Constitution and give Nouri the second term.

Point being, April 30th would be the third parliamentary election of the current government.  (I don't count the January 2005 elections.  This was before the Constitution was written.)  Who knows what's going to happen?  The Constitution hasn't been followed in either of the previous two elections.  Will it be followed this time?  Who the hell knows?


But I presented possibilities yesterday.  I didn't say any of them was what Moqtada was up to.  If you felt I was wrong, that's how you felt.  But the analyst who wrote the lengthy e-mail telling me I was wrong had nothing to back that up.  And his ignorance as to how the 2010 elections went indicate that he might want to refrain from calling anyone wrong for awhile.

Nouri's popularity has fallen and that's only more true as a result of the seven weeks of failure that has been his assault on Anbar.


Nouri had a column ghost written for Foreign Policy.  His NYT column last year was ghost written by the US State Dept.  This time round, I'm told they only helped with "about 40%" of the column.

It's a sign of just how much damage the assault on Anbar has done to Nouri's reputation.  Over and over, it tries to wrap ribbons and bows around his actions and insist that they had larger purposes.

In one of the more ridiculous passages, he/they write:

Winning the support of the people we defend is central to our strategy for defeating terrorism. Because al Qaeda is targeting all Iraqis -- whether Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds, or Turkmen, among other groups -- we are seeking to unite all Iraqis against the forces of extremism[.]


And how do you win that support, Nouri?

By terrorizing a people?

Via War Crimes?

As we noted Sunday at Third in our editorial:



Last Monday, National Iraqi News Agency reported Falluja General Hospital was again shelled (by Iraqi military) and 1 person was killed with fourteen more left injured ("including a doctor and three nurses").  Tuesday?  NINA reported the military's mortar attack on Falluja Educational Hospital left one doctor injured.  Friday, NINA reported the Iraqi military bombed Falluja General Teaching Hospital doing substantial damage and this is "the third bombing of the hospital during the last 24" hours,
Wael Grace (Al Mada) reported Wednesday that Nouri was announcing victory in his assault on Anbar.  Alsumaria reported Nouri stated the government will inventory all the damage his assault did to private and public property and pursue reconstruction.  He went on to note the public property included bridges, hospitals and . . .  Yes, he's even speaking publicly about his military attacking hospitals.
We've gone beyond just War Crimes to admitted War Crimes.
But the White House is silent.  The western press is silent.


Bombing hospitals is how you win support?


Bombs slammed Bahgdad today.  BBC News notes, "At least 49 people have been killed in a wave of car bombs in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Hilla, officials say."  This morning, the Belfast Telegraph explained, "Four car bombs went off simultaneously in different areas in the southern city of Hillah, killing at least 11 people and wounding 35 others, police said."  Hours later, NINA was reporting an Aliskandariyah car bombing left 2 people dead and nineteen more injured (and noting that this was the 6th car bomb in Babil Province).  Babil Province?  Hilla is the capital, as Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes.


In addition, National Iraqi News Agency reports a Tal Afar battle left 2 rebels dead,  Joint Operations Command announced they killed 45 suspects today, the Iraqi forces shelling of residential areas in Falluja left 2 civilians dead and six more wounded, police member Ali Hussein Ali was shot dead at "a fake checkpoint in the village of Haji Ali" while he was on his way to work,1 person was shot dead in southern Baghdad (Zafaraniyah area), an armed battle in Mosul left 2 police members dead, a roadside bombinh southwest of Baquba left two police members injured, and 2 corpses were discovered dumped in Baghdad.


In other news, War Criminal Steven D. Green is dead.  AP's Brett Barrouquere, who has long covered Green, reports  the 28-year-old Green was found dead in his Arizona prison cell on Saturday and that, currently, the operating belief is that it was a case of suicide.

Monday July 3, 2006, Sandra Lupien broke the news listeners of KPFA's The Morning Show, "Steven Green who is discharged from the army was arrested in recent days in North Carolina and faces criminal charges in connection with the killings." It's the fourth news break of that day's broadcast and Steven D. Green is currently and finally on trial in Kentucky.  From the July 3, 2006 snapshot: "Lupien also noted the arrest of Steven D. Green. Green, is 21 and was with the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army. Friday, in Asheville, North Carolina, he was arrested and charged with both the four deaths as well as the rape. According to the US government press release, if convicted on the charge of murder, 'the maximum statutory penalty . . . is death' while, if convicted on the charge of rape, 'the maxmium statutory penalty for the rape is life in prison'."

 

November 2, 2006, the US Justice Dept announced Green had been indicted: "A former Ft. Campbell soldier has been charged with various crimes for conduct including premeditated murder based on the alleged rape of an Iraqi girl and the deaths of the girl and members of her family, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney David L. Huber of the Western District of Kentucky announced today. Steven D. Green, 21, was charged in the indictment returned today by a federal grand jury in Louisville, Ky., with conduct that would constitute conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit aggravated sexual abuse, premeditated murder, murder in perpetration of aggravated sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse on a person less than 16 years of age, use of firearms during the commission of violent crimes and obstruction of justice. The potential statutory penalties for conviction of these offenses ranges from a term of years to life in prison to death." 

May 7, 2009 Steven D. Green  was convicted for his crimes in the  March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy to cover them up. May 21, 2009, the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty.

Alsumaria explained, "An ex-US soldier was found guilty for raping an Iraqi girl and killing her family in 2006 while he might face death sentence.  . . . Eye witnesses have reported that Green shot dead the girl’s family in a bedroom while two other soldiers were raping her. Then, Green raped her in his turn and put a pillow on her face before shooting her. The soldiers set the body afire to cover their crime traces."

Evan Bright reported on the verdict:


As the jury entered the court room, Green(red sweater vest) let out a large sigh, not of relief, but seemingly of anxiety, knowing the weight of the words to come. As Judge Thomas Russell stated "The court will now publish the verdict," Green interlaced his fingers and clasped them over his chin. Russell read the verdict flatly and absolutely. Green went from looking down at each "guilty" to eyeing the jury. His shoulders dropped as he was convicted of count #11, aggravated sexual abuse, realizing what this means. A paralegal at the defense table consoled Green by patting him on his back, even herself breaking down crying at the end of the verdicts.
After Russell finished reading the verdicts, he begged questions of the respective attorneys. Wendelsdorf, intending to ensure the absolution of the verdict, requested the jury be polled. Honorable Judge Russell asked each juror if they agreed with these verdicts, receiving a simple-but-sufficient yes from all jurors. Green watched the jury flatly.


From the September 4th, 2009 snapshot:

Turning to the United States and what may be the only accountability for the crimes in Iraq.  May 7th Steven D. Green (pictured above) was convicted for his crimes in March 12, 2006 gang-rape and murder of Abeer Qassim Hamza al-Janabi, the murder of her parents and the murder of her five-year-old sister while Green was serving in Iraq. Green was found to have killed all four, to have participated in the gang-rape of Abeer and to have been the ringleader of the conspiracy to commit the crimes and the conspiracy to cover them up. May 21st, the federal jury deadlocked on the death penalty and instead kicking in sentence to life in prison. Today, Green stood before US District Judge Thomas B. Russell for sentencing. Kim Landers (Australia's ABC) quotes Judge Russell telling Green his actions were "horrifying and inexcusable."  Not noted in any of the links in this snapshot (it comes from a friend present in the court), Steven Dale Green has dropped his efforts to appear waif-ish in a coltish Julia Roberts circa the 1990s manner.  Green showed up a good twenty pounds heavier than he appeared when on trial, back when the defense emphasized his 'lanky' image by dressing him in oversized clothes.  Having been found guilty last spring, there was apparently no concern that he appear frail anymore. 

Italy's AGI reports, "Green was recognised as the leader of a group of five soldiers who committed the massacre on September 12 2006 at the Mahmudiyah check point in the south of Baghdad. The story inspired the 2007 masterpiece by Brian De Palma 'Redacted'."  BBC adds, "Judge Thomas Russell confirmed Green would serve five consecutive life sentences with no chance of parole."  Deborah Yetter (Courier-Journal) explains, "Friday's federal court hearing was devoted mostly to discussion of technical issues related to Green's sentencing report, although it did not change Green's sentence. He was convicted in May of raping and murdering Abeer al-Janabi, 14, and murdering her parents, Kassem and Fakhriya, and her sister, Hadeel, 6, at their home outside Baghdad."

Green was tried in civilian court because he had already been discharged before the War Crimes were discovered.  Following the gang-rape and murders, US soldiers attempted to set fire to Abeer's body to destroy the evidence and attempted to blame the crimes on "insurgents."  In real time, when the bodies were discovered, the New York Times was among the outlets that ran with "insurgents."  Green didn't decide he wanted to be in the military on his own.  It was only after his most recent arrest -- after a long string of juvenile arrests -- while sitting in jail and fearing what sentence he would face, that Green decided the US Army was just the place he wanted to be.  Had he been imprisoned instead or had the US military followed rules and guidelines, Green wouldn't have gotten in on a waiver.  Somehow his history was supposed to translate into "He's the victim!!!!"  As if he (and the others) didn't know rape was a crime, as if he (and the others) didn't know that murder was considered wrong.  Green attempted to climb up on the cross again today.  AP's Brett Barrouguere quotes the 'victim' Green insisting at today's hearing, "You can act like I'm a sociopath.  You can act like I'm a sex offender or whatever.  If I had not joined the Army, if I had not gone to Iraq, I would not have got caught up in anything."  Climb down the cross, drama queen.  Your entire life was about leading up to a moment like that.  You are a sociopath.  You stalked a 14-year-old Iraqi girl while you were stationed at a checkpoint in her neighborhood.  You made her uncomfortable and nervous, you stroked her face.  She ran to her parents who made arrangements for her to go live with others just to get her away from you, the man the army put there to protect her and the rest of the neighborhood.  You are one sick f**k and you deserve what you got.  Green play drama queen and insist "you can act like I'm a sex offender" -- he took part in and organized a gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl.  That's a sex offender.  In fact, "sex offender" is a mild term for what Green is.

Steven D. Green made the decision to sign up for the US military.  He was facing criminal punishment for his latest crimes, but he made the decision.  Once in the military, despite his long history of arrests, he didn't see it as a chance to get a fresh start.  He saw it as a passport for even more crimes.  What he did was disgusting and vile and it is War Crimes and by doing that he disgraced himself and the US military.  His refusal to take accountability today just demonstrates the realities all along which was Green did what he wanted and Green has no remorse.  He sullied the name of the US military, he sullied the name of the US.  As a member of the army, it was his job to follow the rules and the laws and he didn't do so.  And, as a result, a retaliation kidnapping of US soldiers took place in the spring of 2006 and those soldiers were strung up and gutted.  That should weigh heavily on Steven D. Green but there's no appearance that he's ever thought of anyone but himself.  He wants to act as if the problem was the US military which requires that you then argue that anyone serving in Iraq could have and would have done what he did.  That is not reality.  He does not represent the average soldier and he needs to step down from the cross already.

 AFP notes, "During closing arguments at his sentencing, Green was described alternately as 'criminal and perverse' and deserving of the death penalty, and as a 'broken warrior" whose life should be spared'."  Brett Barrouquere (AP) has been covering the story for years now.  He notes that Patrick Bouldin (defense) attempted to paint Green as the victim as well by annoucing that Green wanted to take responsibility "twice" before but that Assistant US Attorney Marisa Ford explained that was right before jury selection began and in the midst of jury selection.  In other words, when confronted with the reality that he would be going to trial, Steven D. Green had a panic moment and attempted to make a deal with the prosecution.  (The offer was twice rejected because the 'life in prison' offer included the defense wanting Green to have possible parole.)  Steve Robrahn, Andrew Stern and Paul Simao (Reuters) quote US Brig Gen Rodney Johnson ("Commanding General of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command") stating, "We sincerely hope that today's sentencing helps to bring the loved ones of this Iraqi family some semblance of closure and comfort after this horrific and senseless act."

Green went into the military to avoid criminal charges on another issue.  He was one of many that the military lowered the standards for.

May 28, 2009, the family of Abeer gave their statements to the court before leaving to return to Iraq. WHAS11 (text and video) reported on the court proceedings:


Gary Roedemeier: Crimes were horrific. A band of soldiers convicted of planning an attack against an Iraqi girl and her family.

Melissa Swan: The only soldier tried in civilian court is Steven Green. The Fort Campbell soldier was in federal court in Louisville this morning, facing the victims' family and WHAS's Renee Murphy was in that courtroom this morning. She joins us live with the information and also more on that heart wrenching scene of when these family members faced the man who killed their family.


Renee Murphy: I mean, they came face to face with the killer. Once again, the only thing different about this time was that they were able to speak with him and they had an exchange of dialogue and the family is here from Iraq and they got to ask Steven Green all the questions they wanted answered. They looked each other in the eye. Green appeared calm and casual in court. The victims' family, though, outraged, emotional and distraught. Now cameras were not allowed in the courtroom so we can't show video of today's hearing but here's an account of what happened. (Video begins] This is a cousin of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl raped and killed by Steven Green. He and other family members in this SUV were able to confront Green in federal court this morning. Their words were stinging and came from sheer grief. Former Fort Campbell soldier Steven Green was convicted of killing an Iraqi mother, father and their young daughter. He then raped their 14-year-old daughter, shot her in the head and set her body on fire. Today the victim's family was able to give an impact statement at the federal court house the young sons of the victims asked Green why he killed their father. an aunt told the court that "wounds are still eating at our heart" and probably the most compelling statements were from the girls' grandmother who sobbed from the stand and demanded an explanation from Green. Green apologized to the family saying that he did evil things but he is not an evil person. He says that he was drunk the night of the crimes in 2006 and he was following the orders of his commanding officers. In his statement, Green said if it would bring these people back to life I would do everything I could to make them execute me. His statement goes on to say, "Before I went to Iraq, I never thought I would intentionally kill a civilian. When I was in Iraq, something happened to me that I can only explain by saying I lost my mind. I stopped seeing Iraqis as good and bad, as men, women and children. I started seeing them all as one, and evil, and less than human." Green didn't act alone. His codefendants were court-martialed and received lesser sentences. Green will be formally sentenced to life in prison in September. [End of videotape.] The answers that Green gave were not good enough for some of the family members. at one point today, the grandmother of the young girls who were killed left the podium and started walking towards Green as he sat at the defendant's table shouting "Why!" She was forcibly then escorted to the back of the court room by US Marshalls. She then fell to the ground and buried her face in her hands and began to cry again. The family pleaded with the court for the death sentence for Green. but you can see Green's entire statement to the court on our website whas11.com and coming up tonight at six o'clock, we're going to hear from Green's attorneys.


Steven D. Green was convicted of War Crimes.  He was sent to prison.  Saturday he was found dead.  Over four years after his conviction Green is dead.  He lived 8 years longer than Abeer and her family did.

Some will try to feel sorry for Green.  I don't.  I feel sorry for Abeer and her family -- especially her surviving family who did not see remorse in Green at the trial.

In his post conviction days, he allegedly found a new religion (he became Catholic) and understanding.  Really?  Because he kept lying.  He lied about how he entered the military -- leaving out the whole part about it was jail or the military following his January 31, 2005 arrest  -- and he lied about a great deal.

What the religious conversion really looked like was a way to head into an appeal looking sympathetic.  If you want to blame people for Green's suicide?  Start with his lawyers who didn't understand how gullible he could be and how he really thought he had a solid chance of victory on appeal.  As the reality began to sink in (the government wasn't going to lose on this -- there were no procedural errors and there was no way Green would look sympathetic), he is said to have gotten extremely depressed and some prison workers were said to have noticed disturbed sleep and eating patterns.

However, it may turn out that the death wasn't suicide.  But what is know is that Green was a War Criminal.
After his so-called conversion, he liked to whine about what he saw, about what he lost and how he saw people die.

Strange though, he never wanted to take accountability for the deaths of  David Babineau, Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker.

 

They died apparently as a result of what was done to Abeer and her family. 

From the October 15, 2008 snapshot:

 

When did it come to light? In June of 2006. Prior to that the crimes were committed by 'insurgents'. Gregg Zoroya (USA Today) reported on how Justin Watt (who was not part of the conspiracy) came forward with what he had been hearing. This was while US soldiers Kristian Menchaca and Thomas Tucker were missing and, though the two were not involved in the war crimes, they were the ones chosen for 'punishment' as The Sunday Telegraph revealed in December 2006. Mechaca and Tucker get no special requests to the court. Like Abeer, they're dead. Like Abeer, they were guilty of no crime.

 

From Colin Freeman's "Two dead soldiers, eight more to go, vow avengers of Iraqi girl's rape" (July 10, 2006):


The American soldiers accused of raping an Iraqi girl and then murdering her and her family may have provoked an insurgent revenge plot in which two of their comrades were abducted and beheaded last month, it has been claimed.
Pte Kristian Menchaca, 23, and Pte Thomas Tucker, 25, were snatched from a checkpoint near the town of Yusufiyah on June 16 in what was thought at the time to be random terrorist retaliation for the killing of the al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in an American air strike two days earlier.
Now, however, residents of the neighbouring town of Mahmoudiyah have told The Sunday Telegraph that their kidnap was carried out to avenge the attack on a local girl Abeer Qassim Hamza, 15, and her family. They claim that insurgents have vowed to kidnap and kill another eight American troops to exact a 10-to-one revenge for the rape and murder of the girl.


War Criminal Green is dead.  His death neither redeems him nor does it bring back the many whose deaths he's responsible for.  If it indeed was suicide?  Then his death was just the final in a line of killings he committed. 

iraq

bbc news
national iraqi news agency

the belfast telegraph
alsumaria
all iraq news

 the new york times
 duraid adnan

evan bright

steven d. green

brett barrouquere

revenge news

that's Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Fake Ass Jeans."

isaiah's planning on doing several of these.  good.  fake ass really would be barack's brand.

i'll close guantanamo - he said.

it's still open.

he's just a damn liar and a republican couldn't have been any more right wing than barack's turned out to be.

now for the important news:

SUNDAY MARCH 9TH.


i had 16 e-mails asking me that - when does 'revenge' return with new episodes on abc?

march 9th.

oliver martinez is joining the cast.

he's sexy.  (see 'unfaithful' if you doubt it.)

he'll be playing pascal lemarchal.

that means he's frenchie's father.  margaux lemarchal.

oliver's not even 50 - and could pass for 40 or 41 - while karine vanasse is 30.  only in hollywood.

(karine plays margaux.)

i won't complain too much.

again, he's very sexy.

(and with halle berry in real life.  they have a child together and got married last year.)

the other big revenge news is that abc has teamed with marvel to do a graphic novel (to be out next fall) that will track emily's pre-hampton life.  presumably, we'll see her in juvie and then see some of the training in martial arts and other things she received.

the graphic novel?

i see it as a sign that abc's committing to another season of 'revenge.'


let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'

Monday, February 17, 2014.  Chaos and violence continue, the assault on Anbar continues, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr's weekend statement is greeted with dismay and requests, Nouri attempts to use the federal budget to blackmail the Kurds, and more.

Saturday brought the shocking news that cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr was stepping away from politics. Alsumaria reported he released a statement Saturday evening announcing he was closing all of his offices and retiring from all things political.  Aswat al-Iraq quoted from Moqtada's staemtne, "I declare that I will not interfere in all political matters, in addition that not bloc will represent us in any position inside the government or outside it or the parliament."  Trend News Agency notes that Moqtada has stated "his satellite channel Al-Adwaa and a Quran radio station would remain open."  Sunday, All Iraq News reported that Sadr bloc MPs Hussien Alwan al-Lami,  Hussien al-Mansouri and Hussien Hamim held a press conference and declared that, in respect of Moqtada's decision, they were resigning from Parliament. World Bulletin notes three more resigned for a total of six MPs.  NINA reports it is thought 18 MPs have resigned or will be resigning.

That's not that many.  If there were 9 MPs in the Sadr bloc, maybe.  But there are forty.  Six of the 40 hold Cabinet positions.  Al Mada reports there is confusion about nearly everything -- Moqtada's announcement, the meaning of it, supposedly 15 MPs resigning.  Kitabat notes that some are saying 18 MPs have resigned.

Some outlets are reporting claims that Moqtada made the decision to retire from politics months ago.

The Sadr bloc employees voted last week for the controversial pension law for MPs -- a law that was seen as corrupt and had caused controversy for over a year now and last week's votes led to massive protests. Press TV explains:


Press TV got in contact with several MPs from the Sadr movement. They were all reluctant to speak about the issue, with some of them saying Muqtada Sadr's move was a surprise to them. Some believe that the move is due to Muqtada Sadr's parliamentarians’ stance on a recent pension law. The law, which has drawn protests, is seen by ordinary Iraqis as a way for politicians to lead a more lucrative life style. It’s said that Sadr's parliamentary representatives were told not to vote on the law, but in secrecy they did any way. 

Whether or not the vote on the pension law impacted his decision, it is apparently weighing on his mind. Kitabat reports Moqtada is expected to make a statement tomorrow addressing the issue of the pension law.


The Independent's Patrick Cockburn types:

It is unclear if Mr Sadr’s withdrawal will be permanent or temporary, though a Sadrist official emphasised that it was wrong to use the word “retirement” to describe Mr Sadr’s departure from politics. He added that Mr Sadr’s disillusionment with Iraqi politics went beyond the issues of corruption and excessive parliamentary pay and he was disappointed that so many people “are sympathetic to sectarian policies”. He has accused the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, of playing the sectarian card in the upcoming election by presenting himself as the leader of the Shia community in the face of an attack by the Sunni minority.

That would be an attack on the Sunni minority -- on.  But the only thing Paddy's ever on is Nouri's crotch.   As usual, he uses his space not to report on Moqtada but to repeat lies and attacks on the Sunni population.  His hostility, his bias, is well known.  Mushreq Abbas (Al-Monitor) offers a more honest approach:

Although the statement did not give clear reasons for this decision, there were signals alluding to its motives such as “ending corruption” in the name of Sadr's offices inside and outside Iraq, “ending the suffering of the Iraqi people,” disengaging from “politics and politicians” and saving the reputation of the Sadr family, which is revered.
These signals, in addition to leaks coming from people close to Sadr, pointed to an internal crisis between Sadr and his movement, ranging from Sadr’s loss of confidence in his offices, his associates and the political bodies that operate under his command; the discovery of financial corruption and the use of Sadr’s name in illegal acts, in addition to the fact that some of Sadr’s 40 members of parliament signed the controversial pension law, which provided exceptional privileges to parliament members and senior state officials. That law angered the street and infuriated top Shiite cleric Ali al-Husseini al-Sistani, who called on the public not to elect the forces that voted for the law.
But those reasons do not seem to justify Sadr’s major step, especially given that he could have expelled any deputy or figure in his movement without the need for dissolving it. And he could have made significant changes in the Sadrist current’s work and orientations.


Gulf Daily News quotes analyst Ali Ammer stating, "Sadr's decision will definitely play into the hands of Al Maliki in the next election in one way or another."  WG Dunlop (AFP) speaks with a number of observers to get their take and we'll note this one:

Sadr “usually backs out of the political limelight when he is physically threatened” or “when the Sadrist movement has to do something politically expedient that Sadr wants to disassociate from,” said Michael Knights, a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Of Sadr’s possible return, Knights said: “Nothing is permanent in Iraq except death.”

Abdul Rahman al-Rashed (Asharq al-Awsat) offers:

Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr surprised us when he announced he was quitting politics, urging his followers to also refrain from getting too engaged here. Does his decision imply a secret agreement whereby one of the remaining candidates has a better chance of winning Iraq’s upcoming elections? Perhaps it is part of a deal in which Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki wins because he does not have to stand against Sadr. Perhaps Sadr is angry at his movement’s representatives in parliament, or perhaps it is a tactical decision in the run-up to the elections.
We simply don’t know. But what is certain is that by quitting politics, he has disrupted the calculations and forecasts of observers. Sadr’s many followers will not hesitate to vote in the upcoming elections due to be held in a few weeks. Now that he has quit politics, the question is: Who will his millions of followers vote for? These people are capable of shifting the outcome of the elections.


This isn't Moqtada's first attempt to step away from politics or even his first attempt in the past six months. Last August, he announced he was stepping away from politics.  Shortly after, he changed his mind. From the September 12th snapshot:

Turning to Iraqi politics, Kitabat reports cleric and movement Moqtada al-Sadr has finished trips to Lebanon and Jordan and paid his respects to his late father at the Najaf shrine and is now ready to re-enter political life.  Moqtada has surprised many by announcing he was stepping away from politics.  Iraqiya leader Ayad Allawi publicly called for Moqtada to return to politics.  Allawi's sentiments were echoed by Iraqis of all sects, not just Shi'ite members of Moqtada's movement.  In a statement issued today, Moqtada acknowledged those calls and announces he will heed them.

Some felt the move was a stunt and said so in real time.  Whether it was a stunt or not (it felt like a real announcement and decision to me when he announced he was walking away from politics), the move underscores how important Moqtada has become to Iraqi politics and how he could command respect in the role of prime minister.  Because of the stances he has taken in the last three years, Moqtada the politician is seen as fighting for the interests of Iraq.  That's a huge shift from the early years of the war when Moqtada was seen by many Iraqis as only interested in Shi'ites (and only in fundamental ones at that).



Friday's snapshot noted Nouri has  warrants out for various political rivals.

Moqtada's announcement in August followed Nouri declaring Moqtada was responsible for the violence.

Knights (as noted above) said Moqtada usually resigns at times such as when he's physically threatened.  An arrest warrant might do that.  An arrest warrant or the fear of one might also explain why Saturday's statement by Moqtada included this, "By this decision, I want to end all evils that were committed or may be committed under Sadrist Foundation, inside Iraq or abroad."

Or this could be a bold political step.

This could, for example, be a step towards the post of prime minister.  The winning bloc or slate could pick anyone to be named as prime minister-designate.  This might be part of a deal not yet exposed which allows Moqtada the chance of being prime minister.

Or it might be about setting him up in an even higher role.

Yes, there is higher than prime minister.

Nouri has been prime minister for two consecutive terms and has used the office to attack many of his political rivals.

Many.

Not all.

Who's the person even a rabid dog like Nouri knows that he better not bark at?

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Moqtada may be angling for that position.  The Grand Ayatollah is 83-years-old.  His health is always the source of rumors in Iraq.

Moqtada's time in Iran before returning to Iraq a few years ago was spent advancing his religious studies.

This may be Moqtada's move towards the highest office possible in Iraq.

Or he may have just tired of the nonsense.

This December 2013 interview can argue that case (as well as back up those who claim Moqtada made his decision some time ago).  He notes frustrations.  He notes a refusal, in 2012, to pull together (in the vote against Nouri).  He expresses frustrations with the process itself and that even a new election law would not eradicate the problems.

Many politicians and political blocs urged Moqtada to reconsider.  NINA reports:

The MP, of the Iraqiya coalition, Etab al-Duri warned from the consequences of Muqtada al- Sadr's retirement from the political life .
She said in a press statement : "al-Sadr and his moderate, impartiality and patriotism stands is a safety valve for the political process and the unity of the country."
She added : " His retirement from political life would upset the powers' balance within the political process , which will cause crack and deteriorate more than it is now."

All Iraq News adds that Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi's Motahidon Alliance is asking Moqtada "to reconsider" and stating their belief that if Moqtada sticks to this decision Iraq will suffer.  Ayad Allawi has also expressed his belief that Moqtada should reconsider.  Alsumaria quotes Allawi, head of Iraqiya in 2010 when it won the parliamentary elections, saying Moqtada's absence would leave a serious void.  Alsumaria notes the growing chorus calling for Moqtada to reconsider.

Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq MP Humam Hamoudi spoke for many today.  All Iraq News notes he declared that Iraq will not benefit from a third term for Nouri al-Maliki.  The chief thug and current prime minister of Iraq Nouri is in the news cycle for various reasons.  Iraq Times notes one of the main ones, reports that his son-in-law Yasser al-Maliki has purchased a small villa on the outskirts of London.  Arab social media noting the report tends to note that the property is purchased with stolen money, that Iraqis still lack dependable electricity while Nouri attempts to play to the manor born, that Nouri fainted in public recently, that Dawa (his political party) is prepping a list of names for the post of prime minister and his is not on the list due to the failures exposed by his assault on Anbar.

AFP reports today, "Iraqi soldiers and police backed by helicopters and tanks on Monday battled militants for control of a northern town that has repeatedly changed hands in recent days, officials said."  They're referring to Sulaiman Bek but they could be referring to Falluja or Ramadi, it doesn't matter.  When you declare you're going to root out 'terrorists' in Anbar Province and the result instead is the people -- who you target with collective punishment -- rise up against you and do so successfully, that goes to what a failure you are as a leader.

And only a real idiot would reveal their weakest spots.  That's what Nouri's done.

Many in Iraq have long feared Nouri's loony, paranoid remarks -- a crazed world where Iraq's neighbors rooted for its defeat and flooded Iraq with money and foreign fighters.

If true, foreign fighters now know where to go -- the weak spots have been revealed.


Nouri The Incompetent.



AKE's John Drake Tweeted today:

1. John Drake ‏@johnfdrake 16h

   Not including militants, I counted at least 159 people killed and 269 injured in #Iraq violence last week. True figure likely higher.

   Expand         

Violence continued today.


Bombings?

National Iraqi News Agency reports a roadside bombing south of Mosul left "two technicians of the North Oil Company" wounded,  2 eastern Baghdad car bombings (Ur district) left 11 people dead and forty injured, an al Qayyarah roadside bombing claimed the lives of 2 adults and 1 child and left four police injured,  a south of Mosul roadside bombing left 1 child dead and the mother injured,  a Baghdad car bombing (al-Ghazaliya area) left 1 person dead and four more injured, a Ramadi car bombing left 3 police dead and six more injured,  and an  Aljnobh roadside bombing claimed the lives of 2 Iraqi soldiers with three more injured.  Duraid Adnan (New York Times) reports that Baghdad had more bombings than just in Ur:  a Karrada car bombing left 9 dead (thirty injured), a Ghazaliya bombing left 4 dead (fifteen injured), an al -Amil bombing left 2 dead (and nine injured).




Shootings?


National Iraqi News Agency reports 1 police member was shot dead in southern Baghdad (Dora district),  1 person was shot dead in Tarmiya,  a Wadi Hajar battle left 1 police member dead and another injured, a Riyadh battle left 3 Iraqi soldiers dead and five more injured,  "the Mukhtar of Besrj villaged Ahmed al-Abded" was shot dead in Besrj village, the Ministry of the Interior announced 10 suspects were killed by security forces in Anbar, and, dropping back to late last night, 2 Sahwa were shot dead in Shamsiah Village.


 While Nouri's declared war on Anbar Province, he's a left a lot of people noticing how little he does.  Rudaw reports Nineveh Province is talking semi-autonomy:

Iraq's Sunni Nineveh province says it is considering autonomy from the Shiite-led government in Baghdad and trying to work out territorial divisions with the autonomous Kurdistan Region. As violence in Iraq continues to worsen, and the autonomous Kurdistan Region remains Iraq’s only stable and economically prosperous portion, other regions in the country have been considering different models of self-administration. 
"The provincial administration has started negotiation with the Kurdistan Region for implementing the project of turning Nineveh into an autonomous region," said Nineveh governor Athil Nujaif. 
"It's aimed at improving the situation of Nineveh administratively and offering services, not for sectarian separation," he added.


Atheel al-Nujaifi is a political rival of Nouri al-Maliki -- Atheel's brother is Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi.

Currently the Kurdistan Regional Government is the only semi-autonomous area of Iraq.  Erbil is the capitol and it is in conflict with the desires of the central government based out of Baghdad -- the desires, but not the laws because Nouri promised he'd get a national oil and gas law passed -- he promised it in 2007 -- but he never did.  And under existing law?  The KRG can do what it wants with its oil.

One thing it wants to do is sell oil and gas to Turkey.  Aswat al-Iraq reported Saturday that Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to discuss both sides continued support for "the agreement signed with the Kurdish region on energy."  Nouri doesn't want that agreement honored.

Today, a Kurdish delegation, headed by Prime Minister Barzani, et with Nouri.  NINA notes that the issue of the federal budget for 2014 was discussed.  Nouri's repeatedly attempted to blackmail the KRG with the federal budget.  Thus far, it has not worked.  Al Mada notes this was the second meet-up between Barzani and Nouri in less than a month.

Rudaw reports of the meet-up that it "failed in a breakthrough over an agreement that would allow the autonomous Kurdistan Region to export its own oil through a pipeline to Turkey, sources said following a fifth round of talks. However, Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) both vowed to continue talks to resolve differences."  Reuters notes

Baghdad has threatened to sue Ankara and slash the autonomous region’s share of the national budget if exports go ahead through the pipeline without its consent.
The pipeline was completed late last year, and oil has since been pumped through it into storage tanks at Turkey’s Ceyhan, but exports from the Mediterranean port are on hold to give diplomacy a chance.
Negotiations have carried on for months with little progress.
As Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani and Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami headed for Baghdad, however, one industry source said he foresaw a breakthrough “in a week or two,” adding, “If it takes any longer than that, there is a problem.”




Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Fake Ass Jeans" went up earlier today.  Reminder, do you have a question about Iraq?  If so . . .




Are you curious about the political/economic relations between the U.S. and Iraq? Do you want to know more about cultural and educational programs?
Well, here’s your chance! Post your questions to Ambassador Stephen Beecroft on our Facebook page or send them to USEmbassy2014@gmail.com. The deadline for submitting your questions is March 1, 2014. We will post the Ambassador’s answers to the most popular questions on the Embassy’s Facebook page and Youtube channel.  



We'll close with this from BRussells Tribunal:

A call to peace organisations and international NGOs, academics, politicians, journalists and all people of good faith:

ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE FOR IRAQ.

You are cordially invited to attend the IRAQ COMMISSION on April 16-17, 2014 in Brussels. Together with Iraqis, lawyers, academics and activists worldwide   we will try to develop a legal roadmap for future legal and civil actions against the planners and executors of the illegal war and occupation of the sovereign nation Iraq. (confirmed participants from the USA, Malaysia, India, Canada, the UK, Spain, Sweden, Jordan, Algeria, France,  ...)

Confirmed speakers are:

MICHEL CHOSSUDOVSKY (Director Centre Global Research – Canada) ROSS CAPUTI (US-marine during the second siege of Falluja in 2004 – US – see also his letter to John Kerry) SABAH AL-MUKHTAR (President of the Arab Lawyers Association – Iraq - UK) CURTIS F.J.DOEBBLER (Law practitioner before the International Court of Justice, the African Commission and Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights, the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission and Court of Human Rights, the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, and the United Nations Treaty bodies – US), NILOUFER BHAGWAT (Vice President of the Indian Lawyers Association - India) INDER COMAR (Legal Director at Comar Law + lawsuit in San Francisco against   the planners of the Iraq War, including Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell and Wolfowitz - California) DAHR JAMAIL (Journalist who was one of the few un-embedded journalists to report extensively from Iraq during the US occupation - US) LINDSEY GERMAN (Convenor of the British anti-war organisation Stop the War Coalition – Iraq - UK) JOSÉ ANTONIO MARTÍN PALLÍN (He is judge emeritus and was a public prosecutor at the Supreme Court. He presides over the Spanish Human Rights Association - Spain) HAIFA ZANGANA (Iraqi novelist and artist, columnist for al-Quds newspaper – Iraq - UK) Dr. ZULAIHA ISMAIL (Executive Director of the Perdana Global Peace Foundation. Member of the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission (KLWCC) – Malaysia) EMAN AHMED KHAMAS (Iraqi activist – Iraq - Spain)

To register for the Iraq Commission, please contact the BRUSSELLS TRIBUNAL at  iadlbrussellstribunal@gmail.com

iraq
asharq al-awsat
mushreq abbas
trend news agency

national iraqi news agency
alsumaria
all iraq news

 the new york times
 duraid adnan

iraq times
world bulletin

press tv

afp

w.g. dunlop