The Red States: The central strategic argument of the Obama campaign is flawed. Senator Obama argues that his success in Democratic primary contests held in long-time Red States means he will carry those states in a general election. In reality, there are no "Red States" in a Democratic primary -- there are only Democratic voters who live in Republican states and represent a small percentage of the general election population.
Of the eleven core Republican states that have gone to the polls, Sen. Obama has won ten: Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana. John Kerry lost each of these states by fifteen points or more.
The last time a Democratic nominee won Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, North Dakota, Kansas, and Alaska in the general election was 1964.
Even if Obama is "transcendent," as his campaign has argued, the historic electoral trends and the current political environment suggest that translating those primary wins into November success will be close to impossible.
In short: Hillary is better positioned to carry the battle ground states that Democrats need to win in November and Obama’s victories in deep red states do not .
that's from harold ickes and mark penn's 'The Path to the Presidency' (bloghillary at hillaryclinton.com) and i wanted to note that for a number of reasons including that it offers some basic realities. there's also the fact that i (barely) know harold. if i saw him across a room, i would walk over and say 'hello' because i know him (loosely) for years and years via c.i. mark penn, i do not know. but he's the other reason i wanted to note the above.
if you're a regular reader, you know i was in public relations. you know i made my money and got the hell out. so i've found it very interesting to hear all this talk (especially at the useless nation magazine) about how mark penn was satan incarnate. i didn't work on government projects and mainly worked on products. (a brief period, when i lived in california, was on entertainment). so i've been working all my contacts from that other life to find out what is the deal with mark penn?
what i've heard from people i trust is that (a) he's not evil. his company has worked with clients that i wouldn't if i were still in business. big deal. an argument can be made that some of the food products i worked on contributed to the obesity of america. public relations is public relations and we each pick what we're going to handle and what we aren't. sometimes we take accounts to pay the bills. i do not support some of the work that penn's firm has done but i was in the field and know it's not as simple as panhandle media keeps making it out to be.
i heard glowing reports about mark penn's kindness (that's men and women). he's some 1 who is said to be generous with compliments to people at other agencies. not in a 'raid' them way because at least 2 people telling me about that part of penn run their own agencies. there was no ulterior benefit to penn praising some work that they had done.
in public relations, a lot of people do not go out of their way to praise the competition. public relations is all about illusion. you're making something desirable. you have to sell yourself as well to stay in business - make yourself the 1 to go to. as a result, there's not a lot of back slapping and praise as a rule in the business from outside any agency.
my chief concern was did penn's agency work on selling the illegal war? not that any 1 i spoke with knew. the agency - not penn - had a business relationship with blackwater. that mercenary company is better known today than when the contract was signed. i'm really not sure that many p.r. companies would have turned it down. some would have on principle (if i were still working, i would have). but the fact of the matter is that they were called 'contractors' not just by the press but also by the people. the shift to mercenaries (which is what they are) has been a public awakening for many.
so mark penn's in p.r. and has been made out to be satan. that's not the story i got back from friends still in the industry.
i was waiting on 1 more call before noting that here. (a call from a trusted friend whose friendship goes back many years.) that came this afternoon and i saw the above and thought it was the perfect time to note it.
if the nation magazine or democracy now wants to play offended and claim that mark penn's prolonged the illegal war, they might need to 1st check out their own actions because they haven't done anything to stop the illegal war in years.
it was c.i. writing at the common ills that called out the myth of the great return at the start of november, all through november and in december. where was the nation magazine? silent. where was democracy now? silent. as c.i. pointed out around thanksgiving (either right before or right after) the myth was effecting opinion on the illegal war and the polls were showing that. but democracy now and the nation couldn't be bothered with addressing those lies. so i think it's a bit much for them to hop on their huffy bikes over mark penn.
1 of the reasons i started my own p.r. business was because i didn't want to be told what kind of accounts i had to take. we did well more often than not. but there were many times when i would worry in the early years that i'd made a big mistake. i look at this differently than the likes of panhandle media which begs for money. when you actually have to make money, when you're responsible for paying people and they and their families are depending on whether or not the business stays afloat, there's a difference - a purity level that you may not be able to maintain that lives up to the 'noble' principles of panhandle media.
i turned down my share of accounts. but there were times when i was tempted. i wouldn't have represented blackwater. but not because of panhandle media which did a really poor job on blackwater. (if you'll remember, there was the period where they couldn't decide if blackwater was a good or bad thing.) i would have turned them down because i'd heard about them from c.i. but i'm fully aware that there was what i'll call confusion over them in real time and i'm not going to slam an agency for 1 account.
especially when the other campaign gets a pass. david axlerod is called obama's 'karl rove' and we're supposed to love that. our own karl rove! oh goody! that's what i always wanted for the democratic party, for them to stoop to the g.o.p.'s level.
(that was sarcasm.)
i'm really surprised harold ickes is with hillary's campaign because i really thought he was in pursue your own dream time. i'm not insulting him for that. (i'm there myself.) the fact that he's gone to work on hillary's campaign says a lot.
and the points they are making in the post above are solid 1s.
at 1 point, before becoming dnc chair, howard dean (and others) were floating a method by which dems could win a national presidential election by avoiding completely the states that tend to go republican every race. that was a strategy that was supposed to be considered.
when he became dnc chair, he said (as he had in his presidential campaign) that he wanted to make every state competative and i'm all for that. but i also think we use our pre-existing knowledge.
with the work of howard dean and others, we may see more states turn democratic this year. that would be great. but we need to be looking at the states that vote democratic in the past. we should be seeing who can carry the states that give the electoral college wins. that's the point ickes and penn are making and it's 1 to remember. not the smoke & mirrors about bambi's supposed huge turnout.
'he's packing them in at rallies!' is always the cry. but that doesn't translate into votes which means we need to seriously wonder at some point whether some of the crowds he pulls in at rallies (but not in the voting booths) are the result of some sort of circus-like attraction?
we're supposedly wanting to see a non-republican in the white house, we're not trying to pick a candidate who can spearhead national tent revival tours for the next 4 years. it's something to remember.
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
Wednesday, March 5, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the White House makes a presidential endorsement and then adds a slap, Senator Crazy Goes To Baghdad underwhelmed but it's gearing up for a sequel, the US military acknowledges that 'maybe' there's a ransom involved in the kidnapping of an Archbishop, Hillary Clinton wins primaries in Rhode Island, Ohio and California, and more.
Starting with war resistance. Alexis Alexander tells Rebekah Dillon (Ithica Times), "The peace movement needs to team closely with G.I. war resisters and support them in getting their stories out to the general public." Alexander and several other voices of resistance Dillon speaks with are correct on many points (wrong? whining about a non-existant draft is just wasting everyone's time) but Alexander's point and the others go to the media and no one makes that connection in the article. Alexander rightly states that the peace movement needs to work on getting the stories of war resisters out. But why do they need to work on that?
Because the stories are important, yes. But anyone paying attention in 2007 saw the AP, Reuters and many daily papers (some national, some regional) as well as many TV programs (national like Nightline, as well as regional) cover stories. Where was the coverage not coming from? Take Ehren Watada who is the first officer to publicly refuse to deploy to the Iraq War. Even MTV covered it. (And the coverage did have an effect.) But where was Panhandle Media? CNN covered it, where was Panhandle Media?
It's a question people need to be asking. When CNN covered it on one of their program, they had on three guests. One was a CO, one was Mommy's Pantyhose (spewing his usual hate) and the third? Who was the third guest, brought on to discuss this important issue, does anyone remember? It was Amy Goodman.
CNN was covering it because the court-martial was gearing up and Pacifica's Amy Goodman who has an hour program Monday through Friday entitled Democracy Now! was brought on to CNN as a guest to discuss Watada. (Paula Zahn also featured Watada himself in a separate segment that broadcast.) Wow. That might be a clue that the story is important. Certainly Aaron Glantz was in Tacoma before the court-martial started and reporting. But where was Amy Goodman? Not only did she not go to Washington for the court-martial (which ended in a mistrial over the objection of defense attorneys), she wasn't interested.
Now when Sarah Olson was pimped as the story of the Watada court-martial (by Norman Solomon and everyone else including Phil Donahue -- who did not know the basics about Watada as evidenced by that embarrassing column he wrote where he seemed to think Watada had gone AWOL -- Watada reported for duty every day at the base -- something he continues to do), Goody could gas bag with the best of them. Olson MIGHT have to testify! That was a story. When Olson didn't have to testify, it was the end of the interest in the leadup to the court-martial. After it was over (it ran three days -- Monday through Wednesday), Goody would air a report Truthout did on Thursday. After it was over. Olson was not the story. Olson wasn't even a human interest story. She was a reporter who wouldn't say whether she would testify or not but wanted the whole damn world to be up in arms that she was even asked to testify. She wanted the world to stand up while she refused to take a stand herself (by saying whether or not she'd testify).
Now that was Ehren Watada, one of the best known war resisters. And Democracy Now! wasn't interested in his court-martial. Amy Goodman was more than happy to go on CNN and talk about Watada . . . while not covering his court-martial on her own program. Do you see the problem or are we all going to continue to pretend it didn't happen? James Burmeister self-checked out in 2007 and went to Canada. In June and July he was telling Canadian media about the "kill teams" -- how the US military had teams whose job it was to lay out US property in the open in Iraq for the purpose of shooting Iraqis who picked any of it up. In the fall the Washington Post would report on that story. Panhandle Media could have had the story if they'd bothered to cover war resisters. Burmeister was not covered. Eli Israel, while stationed in Iraq, refused to serve. That's a 2007 story. Where was Panhandle Media's coverage of that? He needed coverage, the military was threatening to come down hard on him. He was refusing while in Iraq. It was news. But not to Panhandle Media. A large number of war resisters stepped out in 2007 and only In These Times covered them. Not The Nation, not The Progressive and certainly not Democracy Now! A viewer or listener of Democracy Now! could easily think that no new war resisters have emerged since the summer and fall of 2006 because that's the last time Goodman elected to interview any.
Alexander is not wrong about the need to get the stories of war resisters out there. But we need to look seriously at why that need exists. The Washington papers, AP, Reuters and AFP were covering the Watada court-martial (others were as well). Where was Panhandle Media during it? It was important enough that CNN invited Amy Goodman on to speak about the topic and she was more than happy to go on CNN. But with the five hours of air time she controls a week, there were other things to do.
The stories do need to be out there. They make a huge difference. But we need to get honest about what has taken place. The Nation no longer uses the term "war resister" in print (though "coward" can and did pop up). The problem is not Real or Big Media which has its faults (to the extreme), the problem goes to Panhandle Media. The Ithica Times notes that it seems like there was more action agains the illegal war and more people against it before it started. Well there was certainly more coverage before it started. But the American public gets obsessed with what's emphasized.
That's how you see a craze for an OJ trial, for example. Our media critics from Little Media have been happy to talk about the tabloid-ization of the news in Big Media. They clearly feels it has an impact. Their argument (a solid one) goes that it steers people away from the stories that matter with distraction. But what has Panhandle Media offered in the last two years? If the Iraq War doesn't seem "important" to some people, take a look at Panhandle Media in the summer of 2006 when they ignored Iraq stories like the gang-rape and murder -- by US soldiers -- of Abeer. They were pushing the elections in Mexico and telling you about the nationwide riots that were going to take place and blah, blah, blah. It never happened. So they moved on to Lebanon. And they ignored Iraq for basically the entire summer. They have not picked their one-time interest back up from the floor. War resisters do matter and their stories do have an impact. But it's not enough to say that the stories need to 'get out.' It also requires looking at who is getting them out.
Agustin Aguayo (who will be speaking this Thursday (March 6th), he and his wife Helga Aguayo will be speaking at UCLA Riverside, in the Interdisciplinary Building at 6:00 pm) is taking his fight for CO status to the US Supreme Court. Where's the coverage of that? Where's the coverage of any of it in our 'brave' and 'independent' media? It's not enough to say these stories need to 'get out.' It requires noting who is not 'getting' them 'out.' The American public is more opposed to the illegal war now than before it started. It is the failure of Panhandle Media to regularly cover it that promotes distractions. Until that is confronted, keep expecting to hear these airy claims of "We need to get the message out" over and over without any change taking place. As they did in 2007 with no coverage (In These Times is an exception), war resisters are still going public this year. And Panhandle Media is still ignoring them.
When we're all ready to confront that reality, we may see a greater interest in the illegal war across the board. The protests that took place for war resisters in Canada are another example. They took place in the US and in Canada. Goodman didn't cover them. One action took place in NYC but even that didn't make it as a segment. After they were over -- having offered no heads up to them ahead of time -- Goody would rush with a quick mention of these national and international protests in a brief headline. She would also be wrong about when they took place in the US. But when no one's calling you out on the 'coverage' you ARE NOT offering, you can get away with that.
War resisters who went to Canada need the coverage right now. They were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use. That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored.There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).Meanwhile IVAW has a DC action this month:In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & AfghanistanMarch 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause. Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible. The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies. It won't be easy but it must be done. Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it." The hearings will be broadcast throughout at the Iraq Veterans Against the War home page an on KPFA March 14th and 16th with Aimee Allison (co-host of the station's The Morning Show and co-author with David Solnit of Army Of None) and Aaron Glantz hosting and the KPFA live stream will also be available at Glantz' War Comes Home.KPFA's Aimee Allison and Aaron Glantz will be covering it. Anyone else? Possibly not. If you listened to Democracy Now! today, apparently there was no news on Iraq. An Iraqi helicopter went missing yesterday (we noted it in the snapshot) and crashed in a sandstorm. 7 Iraqis died in the crash and 1 US service member. It's not mentioned. None of it gets covered. In some of today's reported violence . . .
Bombings?
Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports two Baghdad bombings that left two people wounded, fuel truck bombings that wounded two fire fighters, a Baghdad bombing that wounded two more civilians, the deaths of 2 US collaborators in Salahuddin Province via a car bombing attack on an "Awakening" council, a Sinjar bombing that left one person wounded, a Nineveh Province bombing that wounded five people and a Diyala Province bombing that wounded a member of an "Awakening" council.
Shootings?
Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a truck driver shot dead in Baghdad, a Baghdad dry-by shooting that wounded one person, Dr. Abdul Sattar Tahir Sharif was shot dead in Kirkuk and, dropping back to Tuesday night, a home invasion in al Bastamli village resulted in a husband and wife being shot to death and their three children wounded.
Kidnappings?
Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 4 truck drivers from Syria were kidnapped in Baghdad.
Corpses?
Laith Hammoudi (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 4 corpses discovered in Baghdad 3 in Mosul.
Staying with abductions, Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho was kidnapped Friday. As noted in yesterday's snapshot, Asia News reports, "The men who have the fate of Msgr. Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul in their hands since February 29th last, have raised the ransom and dictated 'political conditions' for his release, according to AsiaNews sources in Iraq, close to mediators who are negotiating his safe return. Late yesterday afternoon another phone call was made. The group which holds the bishop hostage, used Msgr. Rahoo's mobile phone to communicate, but has still given no proof of his wellbeing. 'It almost seems as if his release -- anonymous sources in Mosul tell -- is of secondary importance in their demands and the conditions which they have imposed greatly complicate matters, leading us to think that they are not just simple criminals interested in money'. Concern is increasing for the 67 year-old hostage who suffers ill health, for which he needs daily treatment." Aid to the Church in Need has issued a press release stating the ransom is one million in US dollars and their source is Bishop Anreas Abouna in Baghdad who explained to them, "The people who are dealing with the kidnappers have told them it is impossible to afford the ransom. The mediators asked to hear the voice of the archbishop but they weren't allowed." Today, Reuters reports that US Maj-Gen Mark Hertling has declared that there might be a ransom (might be?) and that the Archbishop "could easily be killed, and that would be really unfortunate." Unfortunate are half-assed statements from Hertlin.
He wasn't the only one trying to get out his talking points today. At the Pentagon today, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Michael Mullen (Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) held a joint-press conference. Sounding like he was prepping to take over the John McCain role in Senator Crazy Goes To Baghdad, Mullen went on and on about his recent 'walks' in Iraq and -- apparently they have no new script -- "there shops were open, people were out, life was coming back." For those who have forgotten the original, Senator Crazy Goes to Baghdad opened April 1, 2007. On April 2, 2007, Flashpoints' Robert Knight panned the would-be blockbuster noting:
And finally there was yet another major American deployment Sunday in a Baghdad market where Senator John McCain engaged on a walking tour to promote the Bush administration's current escalation in Iraq. McCain, in defiance of various independent reports that Iraq's daily death toll actually increased last month, nevertheless declared that the so-called 'surge' was "making progress" and that Americans were "not getting the full picture of what is happening in Iraq"; however a zoom out from McCain's photo op shows that he was actually surounded by orbiting F16 fighter planes, three Black Hawk attack helicopters, 2 Apache gun ships, more than 100 US troops, snipers and armed vehicles, a flak jacket and personal body armour. The presidential contender and Congressional comedian concluded his celebration of April Fool's Day by declaring with a straight face that "There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods today. These and other indicators and reasons for cautious optimism about the effects of the new strategy."
Michael Mullen's attempt at emerging starlet in a summer blockbuster probably won't take any better than Senator Crazy's attempt did. Like Senator Crazy, Mullen wasn't just breezing through, he was heavily guarded/protected. The lesson appears to be that, one month shy of a year later, if you have US troops accompanying you in large numbers, you can safely walk around two tiny areas of Iraq. Mullen's announced he was against any timetable for withdrawal (putting him at odds not only with the people of the US but Iraq as well) but did remember that the military is under civilian control in the United States by nothing that the next president, "whoever that might be, he or she will make that decision and we'll move accordingly."
Whomever the next US president will be. At the White House today, the Bully Boy met with Senator Crazy to offer his glowing endorsement which did not include, but probably should have, "The American people have had a power-hungry fool for nearly 8 years, why not someone insane?" Instead the Bully Boy dismissed notions of "change" by noting he ran on that in 2000 but obviously not in 2004 and declared of McCain, "He's a President, and he's going to be the President who will bring determination to defeat an enemy, and a heart big enough to love those who hurt." Senator Crazy is apparently running on the "Love It Away (So Cheer Up)" platform -- who knew he was an Ashford & Simpson fan? Bully Boy declared, to questions about a possible McCain running mate (McCain sewed up the nomination in yesterday's primaries), "People don't vote for Vice Presidents --- as much as I hate to say that for those who have been candidates for Vice President --- they're going to vote for who gets to sit inside that Oval Office and make decisions on how to protect the country and keep taxes low and how to have a culture that respects the dignity of every human being." Having used Dick Cheney's experience to shore up his own lack of it, Bully Boy still needs to pretend that didn't matter. He's lived in the Land of Delusion for some time. On the day Bully Boy was giving his endorsement of McCain, White House flack Dana Perino was declaring, "But there are differences that we have with Senator McCain. There's no doubt about that. That's plain for everybody to see." Ah, a 'unity' campaign.
On the Democratic side, Senator Barack Obama won the state of Vermont yesterday. Senator Hillary Clinton was said to need either Ohio or Texas victories. Some argued she needed both. Clinton won Ohio and Texas as well as Rhode Island yesterday. The Obama team is attempting to spin those wins as unimportant and are now whining about how they were behind a month ago in Texas. The polls had Obama with a lead at various points over the last weeks. As his campaign repeatedly noted, he had record crowds turning out to see him . . . They just didn't turn out in record numbers to vote. Or maybe it's an indication that he should focus not on a presidential campaign but on inspirational workshops across the country? Barack was the front runner before polls closed on Tuesday. He lost three states -- two of them huge states (Ohio and Texas). Falling back now on "We were behind at one point" is beyond stupid. The Obama campaign's Melissa Harris-Lacewell, aka Professional Lie Face, was no PBS's The Charlie Rose Show yesterday (before the results from Texas were in) and she floated the threat that if Obama is not GIVEN the nomination by the Democratic Party, African-American voters will walk. Harris-Lacewell does not speak for all African-American voters but if she wants to pretend she does and float that card, the DNC will factor in the Latino turnout so far this year which has been huge and the fact that Latinos are the emerging minority population in this country in terms of size demographics. It's not a card the Obama campaign can play and should Obama not secure the nomination, it's not a card that the candidate himself would play. Harris-Lacewell likes to play pit-bull for the campaign (while not disclosing that she's working for the campaign) and someone in the Obama campaign needs to yank her leash pretty quick. If Obama's seen by his White Republicans and Independents flocking to Democratic primaries and caucuses to support him as making any kind of a race-based argument, his support (however great or small it is) will dry up real quick among those factions. To stem the damage already done by Melissa Harris-Lacewell's threat (which is an unrealistic one), the Obama campaign should immediately issue a statement and, if they don't, the press should begin asking the campaign whether they support Harris-Lacewell's threat or not. While all other commentators noted the very weak and discomforting concession speech Obama gave (before the Texas vote was known), Harris-Lacewell insisted the speech was fine and the only problem was that the "inter-racial" backdrop that's usually on stage behind Obama was not present when he was speaking. Props make the man?
The next primary focused on is in Pennsylvania and that state's governor, Ed Rendell, issued the following statement today:
"Last night made clear that there has been a momentum shift in this race. Despite being outspent two-to-one, despite Sen. Obama benefiting from outside political funds, and despite all of the glowing press coverage he received leading up to March 4th, voters ultimately chose Senator Clinton. I am confident that Hillary is heading into Pennsylvania with momentum and a new energy.
"The people of Pennsylvania are focused on the two largest issues facing our nation - the state of our economy and national security. On both counts, Pennsylvanians understand how important it is to elect someone who is truly ready to become President and Commander-in-Chief. Hillary is ready to lead our nation, returning us to both prosperity and peace.
"We look forward to making our voice heard in the coming days and playing our part in determining the Democratic nominee. And when we do, the people of Pennsylvania will send a clear message -- we want a President who is ready, not one we hope will one day be ready."
On Monday, Barack was pressed on his campaign's communications with the Canadian government (that the remarks in last week's debate about NAFTA were just for-show for the American public and nothing for the Canadian government -- which supports NAFTA -- to worry about) and on his decades long friendship with Antoin "Tony" Rezko whose federal trial is beginning. Obama ended the press conference quickly and in a huff. As Andrew Stephen (New Statesman) observes today, "What remains to be seen is whether this was just a bad week for Obama and a good one for Clinton. Most worrying for Obama's supporters is that he wilted under the pressures of a routine, albeit hostile, press conference. If he is so fragile that he can be rattled by questioning from a handful of Chicago reporters (who have his measure by now) can he survive pressures in the White House? There is a growing acknowledgement that he has been accorded a uniquely easy ride by the media, and that is changing; Rezko's trial will now proceed and his lawyers say they want to call Obama as a witness, a prospective nightmare for him."
3/05/2008
3/04/2008
hillary's back!
HILLARY Clinton is back in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination with American media calling wins for her in the Rhode Island and Ohio primaries. But just as the Democratic race gets more interesting, the Republicans' is over. Eight years after he first set out to hold the position, John McCain is officially the Republican Party's presidential candidate.
Senator McCain has had the nomination all but sown up, but internal rival Mike Huckabee's refusal to withdraw from the race has stopped Senator McCain from claiming the title. Until now. While Senator McCain has already turned his attention from Mr Huckabee to potential Democratic opponents, he can now claim the support of the entire Republican party.
If Senator Clinton takes Rhode Island and Ohio as early counts suggest, she will have broken a 12-state winning streak by rival Barack Obama.
that's from kate rose's 'Hillary Clinton's back; John McCain is Republican choice' (australia's herald-sun). that makes me so happy. let's all share a good laugh over isaiah's latest comic that went up this morning 'pinocchio obama:'
here's whiny bambi from newsday saying he might not do as well today as he had strutted around earlier claiming, 'There's no doubt that if you're being attacked everyday that it creates a sense of turbulence in the minds of people.' you think?
crap ass democracy now has schilled for him every damn day. common dreams hasn't posted a pro-hillary column in weeks and even when it last did (erica jong's), it was 1 column in a glob of pro-bambi columns. the nation has trashed hillary non-stop. the progressive has trashed hillary non-stop. buzzflash has done it. go down the list. they have all gone gunning non-stop for hillary. bambi gest 1 bad day and suddenly it's weep and whine. get over it, you big cry baby.
i think that if he can't pull off all 4 states tonight, he's not the messiah that will lead us all to the land of bi-partisanship. oops!
i think bambi lost his halo. hillary won rhode island and is predicted in ohio. i think when you've had the gravy train bambi's had and you're still fighting tooth and nail for votes, you're not the nominee.
from a public relations standpoint, he should be wiping the floor with hillary. that's not happening and you better believe that everything that came before his snit-fit on the airplane yesterday (resulting in a taste of bad publicity) is the eaisest it can be. no candidate has ever had it that easy - not even bully boy in 2000. and bambi's still losing to hillary?
some 1 needs to tell him that if it's time for some 1 to drop it, it's time for the senator who hasn't completed his 1st term to drop out.
and look, here's john nichols at the nation saying 'now it gets dangerous.' poor little limp john nichols. he thought he'd be nutting tonight over bambi's victory dance. he'd be picturing bambi's buns in a tight pair of slacks while he twisted his own nipples and moaned 'bambi, oh, bambi.' instead, hillary's still in the fight and john nichols writes an insane column because he is F**KING NUTS!'
hillary needs to drop out, nichols argues, because this is like humphrey and mcgovern in 1972. it's nothing like that you stupid f**king idiot.
it's about a real democrat (hillary) and a faux 1. it's about real democrats turning out for hillary and republicans, communists, socialists and registered independents turning out for obama.
hillary is the party's choice.
get used to it.
john nichols (worth less than 5 cents) isn't the only nation writer who's been going after hillary. there's been the airs (berman and mebler), there's been self-hating lesbian laura flanders (i'd like to know when that socialist became an america, forget democratc, since she was a citizen of england), professor patti williams, fat girl katha pollitt (who wasn't a democrat when she was attending all those socialist meetings not all that long ago), katrina vanden heuvel, richard kim (who i'll assume is a self-hating gay man) and on and on and on. every day they post their poison about hillary clinton. every damn day you visit the nation and will find at least 3 posts telling you hillary is evil.
screw those losers. when's the last time they picked a winner? let's close with c.i.'s 'iraq snapshot:'
Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, a US service member dies in Iraq, Carl Levin wastes time in the Senate, Iraqi soldiers attack journalists and more
Starting with war resistance. Agustin Aguayo was wrongfully denied CO status. Aguayo served in Iraq and, while serving, had a spiritual awakening/strengthening that led to him refusing to even load his pistol. Instead of granting him the CO status he so obviously qualified for, the US military decided to deploy him to Iraq a second time. To demonstrate how seriously he took his beliefs, Aguayo self-checked out. Though gone for less than the 30-day rule (Aguayo turned himself in), he was prosecuted for desertion in a court-martial in Germany. (You generally have to be gone for more than 30 days to be prosecuted for desertion, otherwise the status is AWOL.) Aguayo continues to pursue his CO status. And he continues to speak out. This Thursday (March 6th) he and his wife Helga Aguayo will be speaking at UCLA Riverside, in the Interdisciplinary Building at 6:00 pm.
And outside the US, war resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use. That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored.
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).
Meanwhile IVAW has a DC action this month:
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause. Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible. The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies. It won't be easy but it must be done. Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it." The hearings will be broadcast throughout at the Iraq Veterans Against the War home page an on KPFA March 14th and 16th with Aimee Allison (co-host of the station's The Morning Show and co-author with David Solnit of Army Of None) and Aaron Glantz hosting and the KPFA live stream will also be available at Glantz' War Comes Home.
Today Navy Admiral William J. Fallon appeared before the US Armed Services Committee and he was present to give an update/assessment on the ongoing, illegal war but the senators largely wasted the hearing by whining about the visit of Iranian president to Iraq and no one whined louder than the committee chair Carl Levin. Fallon delivered his [PDF format warning] prepared remarks which included claiming he was able "to report significant progress in security in Iraq. . . . The most significant development in Iraq over the last year has been a dramatic decrease in violence. By almost every measure, the security situation has improved significantly." Had Levin and others paid attention they could have questioned that laughable assertion. Fallon also praised the 'importance' of the "Awakening" council and claimed there were over "90,000 Iraqi men" who had signed up -- left unstated were issues involving the crimes those thugs are accused of as well as the walk-out so many of them are taking part in. But Carl Levin wanted everyone to know he did not like the fact that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Iraq -- a country that borders Iran. And isn't that more important than examining what's being 'achieved' by the illegal war? Fallon was spinning wildly: "The recent passage of the 2008 National Budget, Provincial Powers, Amnesty, and de-Ba'athification laws are significant accomplishments. The Presidency Council returned the Provincial Powers Law to the Council of Representatives but with the assurance that preparations for provincial elecitons this fall should continue." Where to begin? How about the fact that the "Provincial Powers" legislation was not 'returned' -- the Presidency Council said "NO." Call it a veto, call it whatever, but it was not 'returned' as though it just needs a little fine tuning. Why Carl Levin couldn't do his damn job is a question only he can answer; however, while he spent today frothing at the mouth over Iran, it should be noted that the US State Department's deputy flack Tom Casey came off calm by contrast in a State Dept press confrence yesterday when he noted of Iran that it "has an oustanding offer on the table to negotiate with us and to work out an arrangement that allows them to have a full civilian nuclear program while assuring us that they're not using that as a diversion or cover for building a nuclear weapon." There is no proof that Iran is attempting that and there's no strong evidence that even indicates it is likely. But even raising those elements (of administration spin), Casey still came off less foaming at the mouth than did Levin.
On Ahmadinejad, Liz Sly (Chicago Tribune) reports today that, "During his visit, the first by an Iranian president since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Ahmadinejad was feted by Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish leaders. Even the Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, turned up to greet him, though he was an hour late. In addition to the $1 billion loan, the two countries negotiated seven deals on economic and cultural cooperation. In a statement on his Web site, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the two sides also reached an agreement 'to secure their borders ... to prevent infiltration of terrorists and smugglers'." Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) explains, "To have Ahmadinejad safely cruise around Baghdad, the capital shut down. I walked into the office on Sunday and our newsroom was empty, nearly our entire staff didn't make it to work. Hussein, one of our Iraqi reporters, tried to take a taxi. No vehicle traffic was allowed on the roads to secure Ahmadinejad's path to President Jalal Talabani's compound." Allen Pizzey (CBS News) observes, "For a send-off, Ahmadinejad didn't get just one 'kiss for luck'; he got four, when he was welcomed by U.S.-backed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who threw in a symbolic hug by standing impassive while the Iranian leader told a joint press conference: 'The Americans have to understand the facts of the region. Iraqi people do not like America." Joining Carl Levin in frothing at the mouth today was Lt. General Ray Odierno who met with the Bully Boy of the United States at the White House yesterday and spoke at the Pentagon today. Aamer Madhani (Baltimore Sun) quotes Odierno stating today of Iran's influence on Iraq that it was "what I worry about most." Andrew Gray (Reuters) notes that Odierno accused Iran of being behind rocket attacks in Iraq as he stated, "That's because it was being done by Iranian surrogates. And when the government of Iraq holds a meeting, there tends to be rocket attacks. Why's that? Because it's done by Iranian surrogates." Good of Carl Levin to help Odierno advance his itch for war with Iran today. He might have better used his time -- and the committee's -- by questioning the measures of 'success' because there is no progress in Iraq, there is no advance.
Violence didn't disappear, didn't vanish. The escalation Bully Boy pushed through last year -- with Dems in Congress waving through (symbolic measures do nothing) -- reduced some violence as did the cease-fire with Muqtada al-Sadr. But only in sections of Iraq. The "Awakening" Councils are fueling more tensions and Mosul's been in the US military's cross-hairs for how long now? More US troops were put on the ground in Iraq and not only did the puppet government not accomplish anything, but violence didn't go away.
One of today's biggest 'surge' cheerleaders is US Senator John McCain who is running to become the GOP's presidential nomination for the November general election. He loves the escalation. He thinks it's both amazing and a miracle. Or that's what he says. Or what he says now. Dropping back to the August 4, 2006 snapshot for this from the August 3, 2006 US Senate Armed Services Committee:
Senator John McCain: So, General Abizaid, we're moving 7,500 troops into Baghdad, is that correct? General John Abizaid: The number is closer to 3,500. [. . .] McCain: And where are these troops coming from? Abizaid: Uh, the troops, the Styker Brigade, is coming down from Mosul. McCain: From Mosul? Is the situation under control in Ramadi? Abizaid: Uh, the situation in Ramadi, is better than it was two months ago. McCain: Is the situation under control in Ramadi? Abizaid: I think the situation in Ramadi is workable. McCain: And the troops from Ramadi came from Falluja, isn't that correct? Abizaid: I can't say senator, I know that -- McCain: Well that's my information. What I' worry about is we're playing a game of whack-a-mole here. We move troops from -- It flares up, we move troops there. Everybody knows we've got big problems in Ramadi and I said, "Where you gonna get the troops?" 'Well we're going to have to move them from Falluja.' Now we're going to have to move troops into Baghdad from someplace else. It's very disturbing.
A functioning press would be asking Senator Crazy how the 'surge' is in any way different than what he was complaining about in August 2006? Answer: It isn't. There has been no peace. There has been no end to the violence. What's happened is a cease-fire and a huge addition of US troops added on the ground still couldn't stop the daily violence. Is Senator Crazy cheerleading today to be a 'good soldier' for the White House or is he unable to remember the criticism he offered in 2006?
Today Solomon Moore and Mudhafer Al-Husaini (New York Times) report: "Iraqi soldiers attacked a group of Iraqi and American journalists as they photographed the area. Five soldiers stomped on an Iraqi journalist with their combat boots as he lay on the ground, reporters there said. They said that he cried, 'Why are you doing this?' and added, 'I am an Iraqi too!' Iraqi soldiers confiscated the cameras of many Iraqi journalists at the scene. When they tried to do the same with a photographer for The New York Times, American soldiers intervened and prevented the Iraqi soldiers from arresting his bodyguard." Let's drop back to January 25, 2007 when Damien Cave and James Glanz (New York Times) reported: "One Iraqi soldier in the alley pointed his rifle at an American reporter and pulled the trigger. There was only a click, the weapon had no ammunition. The soldier laughed at his joke." Where would anyone get the idea that attacks on the press are okay? Yes, the US military has attacked the press but Iraqi thugs employed by the puppet government in Baghdad need only look to their puppet-head. Nouri al-Maliki's really lucky most Americans don't give a damn about him. If they did, the puppet would have been thrown out of office long ago because he's 'leadership' has been an absolute failure. Let's look at one of his early 'plans,' no, not the 24-point 'plan' he announced as he was being installed prime minister. Let's focus on the 4-point 'plan' and it's easy to forget that 'plan' because the press certainly did. But even when they had a little interest in it, they refused to note all four parts of the 'plan.' As noted in the October 3, 2006 snapshot, the third plank in the al-Maliki's 'peace' 'plan' was an attack on journalism and journalists. And if you drop back to a 'great day' (according to al-Maliki) you'll see that on September 7, 2006 al-Arabiya satellite network was shut down by Iraqi police on the orders of al-Maliki. The puppet's reign has been about very little but one hallmark has been the disdain (to put it mildly) for a free press. At the start of the month, Iraqi correspondents Laith and Jenan (Inside Iraq, McClatchy Newspapers) wrote that "no protections measures have taken by Iraqi government to stop this series" of jounalist killings "I thought that the Iraqi government is watching this killing series with careleness and they don't do much to protect the life of journalists except for condemning and condolences which do nothing to save the precious lives of the Iraqi journalists but today I found out that I was wrong." What had changed? Najaf announced land set aside for journalists -- for dead journalists. Meanwhile on the most recent attack, Middle East Online is recommended by Laura posting to Laith and Jenan's post and, at MEO, they note that the Iraqi soldiers' attack on a journalist took place in front of a photographer for AFP and that the country's Journalistic Freedom Observatory wants an immediate investigation after journalists "were beaten, insulted and humiliated". Reporters Without Borders notes, "Reporters and cameramen working for various Iraqi and foreign news media were beaten and insulted by Iraqi soldiers yesterday in the central Baghdad district of Al-Ghadir. Associated Press cameraman Saad Kazem Hussein told the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory that an Iraqi general ordered his troops to attack the journalists, who were photographing the scene of a bombing. 'The soldiers also fired in the air,' said an AFP phographer who was there. Four camers were confiscated, according to a third journalist who asked not to be identified." In addition, Reporters Without Borders notes, "Omar Ashti, a reporter with Hawlati, an independent weekly based in the Kurdish city of Suleimaniya (330 km north of Baghdad), was released on bail following his arrest on 10 February by security forces controlled by the Kurdish autonomous government, Reporters Without Borders learned [Monday]. He is now awaiting trial on a charge of libel in connection with an article at the end of last year in which he criticized the Kurdish government." And on a similar note the Associated Press' Bilal Hussein remains imprisoned. Bilal, a Pulitzer winning photographer, was taken into US military custody on April 12, 2006 and has been a prisoner ever since. Next week, he will have been imprisoned 23 months. Free Bilal
At the Pentagon today, Lt. General James Dubik gave a press briefing via videolink from Iraq. He was chatty and happy sharing that today was "the anniversary" of his engagment to his wife and "I did remember that it was in Hawaii". Yet when asked at what point the Iraqi military would take over their own air space, he took a lenghty pause. Possibly he was wondering how much was known about the Iraqi helicopter that went missing? Reuters notes that it crashed and 8 people died including a US service member.
In other violence reported today . . .
Bombings?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two police officer and a civilian, a Diyala Province roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier and left two more wounded. Reuters notes a Mosul roadside bombing that left five people wounded.
Shootings?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a man shot-dead outside of his Baquba home, while unknown assailants ("wearing Iraqi army uniforms") grabbed a man in Diyala Province and later disposed of his dead body, 1 police oficer and 3 bodyguards were shot dead in Basra, 2 people ("relatives of a leader of an awakening council") were shot dead in Salahuddin. Reuters notes a police officer was shot-dead outside his Mosul home.
Corpses?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 2 corpses discovered in Baghdad.
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho was kidnapped Friday. The Arab American Institute (AAI -- via UN Observer) states, "Sadly, this incident is evidence of a grave situation faced by most Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion. The suffering of the entire Iraqi people is widespread, defining daily life in most areas of the country. This is due to the lack of a plan to secure the peace. While all Iraqis live in fear, the circumstances facing minority populations is worse. With no political factions or large private militias to protect them, Iraq's embattled minorities are at the mercy of their environment. As the abduction of Archbishop Paulos and the murder of his colleagues show, when there is no security, there is too little mercy." Reuters reports that Nouri al-Maliki is making noises that Archbishop's release is "a top priority." But Asia News' reporting indicates that a lot more is known than al-Maliki lets on including a ransom. Asia News reports, "The men who have the fate of Msgr. Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul in their hands since February 29th last, have raised the ransom and dictated 'political conditions' for his release, according to AsiaNews sources in Iraq, close to mediators who are negotiating his safe return. Late yesterday afternoon another phone call was made. The group which holds the bishop hostage, used Msgr. Rahoo’s mobile phone to communicate, but has still given no proof of his wellbeing. 'It almost seems as if his release -- anonymous sources in Mosul tell -- is of secondary importance in their demands and the conditions which they have imposed greatly complicate matters, leading us to think that they are not just simple criminals interested in money'. Concern is increasing for the 67 year-old hostage who suffers ill health, for which he needs daily treatment."
Maria Lauterbach is the US marine who vanished while pregnant. She was murdered. See the January 10th snapshot, the January 11th snapshot, the January 14th snapshot, the January 16th snapshot and the January 22nd snapshot. Maria's presumed murderer wasn't just anyone, he was someone she had stated raped her, stated to her commanding officers and she wasn't protected. They can argue that point all they want but Maria did accuse the man thought to have murdered her with rape and the US military didn't do anything. A hearing was coming up when she disappeared but . . . strangely . . . that didn't make the military take any more interest in him than they did prior. They treated it like it wasn't their problem. They acted as if it was Maria's problem. Jessica Pupovac (In These Times) examines the effects Maria's story is having which includes activist Susan Avila-Smith currently advising those who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST) to be temporarily silent: "It breaks my heart to do that but I want to get them out alive and that's my main goal." Sgt. Myla Haider explains how investigations work (or don't) and notes, "The investigators themselves, when working on cases, tended to focus on reasons a victim could be lying. . . . [and use] tag team interviews [where] one agent after another is sent in there to 'get the truth' out of the victim. On occasion, that results in the victims becoming very upset." VETWOW is one organization that helps those with MST and Suzanne Swift is a strong example of how the US military refuses to do anything (Swift was assaulted and harassed, went through channels and was sent to 'training' on how not to be 'tempting' -- when the military refused to stop the abuse, Swift self-checked out).
Senator McCain has had the nomination all but sown up, but internal rival Mike Huckabee's refusal to withdraw from the race has stopped Senator McCain from claiming the title. Until now. While Senator McCain has already turned his attention from Mr Huckabee to potential Democratic opponents, he can now claim the support of the entire Republican party.
If Senator Clinton takes Rhode Island and Ohio as early counts suggest, she will have broken a 12-state winning streak by rival Barack Obama.
that's from kate rose's 'Hillary Clinton's back; John McCain is Republican choice' (australia's herald-sun). that makes me so happy. let's all share a good laugh over isaiah's latest comic that went up this morning 'pinocchio obama:'
here's whiny bambi from newsday saying he might not do as well today as he had strutted around earlier claiming, 'There's no doubt that if you're being attacked everyday that it creates a sense of turbulence in the minds of people.' you think?
crap ass democracy now has schilled for him every damn day. common dreams hasn't posted a pro-hillary column in weeks and even when it last did (erica jong's), it was 1 column in a glob of pro-bambi columns. the nation has trashed hillary non-stop. the progressive has trashed hillary non-stop. buzzflash has done it. go down the list. they have all gone gunning non-stop for hillary. bambi gest 1 bad day and suddenly it's weep and whine. get over it, you big cry baby.
i think that if he can't pull off all 4 states tonight, he's not the messiah that will lead us all to the land of bi-partisanship. oops!
i think bambi lost his halo. hillary won rhode island and is predicted in ohio. i think when you've had the gravy train bambi's had and you're still fighting tooth and nail for votes, you're not the nominee.
from a public relations standpoint, he should be wiping the floor with hillary. that's not happening and you better believe that everything that came before his snit-fit on the airplane yesterday (resulting in a taste of bad publicity) is the eaisest it can be. no candidate has ever had it that easy - not even bully boy in 2000. and bambi's still losing to hillary?
some 1 needs to tell him that if it's time for some 1 to drop it, it's time for the senator who hasn't completed his 1st term to drop out.
and look, here's john nichols at the nation saying 'now it gets dangerous.' poor little limp john nichols. he thought he'd be nutting tonight over bambi's victory dance. he'd be picturing bambi's buns in a tight pair of slacks while he twisted his own nipples and moaned 'bambi, oh, bambi.' instead, hillary's still in the fight and john nichols writes an insane column because he is F**KING NUTS!'
hillary needs to drop out, nichols argues, because this is like humphrey and mcgovern in 1972. it's nothing like that you stupid f**king idiot.
it's about a real democrat (hillary) and a faux 1. it's about real democrats turning out for hillary and republicans, communists, socialists and registered independents turning out for obama.
hillary is the party's choice.
get used to it.
john nichols (worth less than 5 cents) isn't the only nation writer who's been going after hillary. there's been the airs (berman and mebler), there's been self-hating lesbian laura flanders (i'd like to know when that socialist became an america, forget democratc, since she was a citizen of england), professor patti williams, fat girl katha pollitt (who wasn't a democrat when she was attending all those socialist meetings not all that long ago), katrina vanden heuvel, richard kim (who i'll assume is a self-hating gay man) and on and on and on. every day they post their poison about hillary clinton. every damn day you visit the nation and will find at least 3 posts telling you hillary is evil.
screw those losers. when's the last time they picked a winner? let's close with c.i.'s 'iraq snapshot:'
Tuesday, March 4, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, a US service member dies in Iraq, Carl Levin wastes time in the Senate, Iraqi soldiers attack journalists and more
Starting with war resistance. Agustin Aguayo was wrongfully denied CO status. Aguayo served in Iraq and, while serving, had a spiritual awakening/strengthening that led to him refusing to even load his pistol. Instead of granting him the CO status he so obviously qualified for, the US military decided to deploy him to Iraq a second time. To demonstrate how seriously he took his beliefs, Aguayo self-checked out. Though gone for less than the 30-day rule (Aguayo turned himself in), he was prosecuted for desertion in a court-martial in Germany. (You generally have to be gone for more than 30 days to be prosecuted for desertion, otherwise the status is AWOL.) Aguayo continues to pursue his CO status. And he continues to speak out. This Thursday (March 6th) he and his wife Helga Aguayo will be speaking at UCLA Riverside, in the Interdisciplinary Building at 6:00 pm.
And outside the US, war resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (http://us.f366.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use. That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored.
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).
Meanwhile IVAW has a DC action this month:
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause. Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible. The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies. It won't be easy but it must be done. Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it." The hearings will be broadcast throughout at the Iraq Veterans Against the War home page an on KPFA March 14th and 16th with Aimee Allison (co-host of the station's The Morning Show and co-author with David Solnit of Army Of None) and Aaron Glantz hosting and the KPFA live stream will also be available at Glantz' War Comes Home.
Today Navy Admiral William J. Fallon appeared before the US Armed Services Committee and he was present to give an update/assessment on the ongoing, illegal war but the senators largely wasted the hearing by whining about the visit of Iranian president to Iraq and no one whined louder than the committee chair Carl Levin. Fallon delivered his [PDF format warning] prepared remarks which included claiming he was able "to report significant progress in security in Iraq. . . . The most significant development in Iraq over the last year has been a dramatic decrease in violence. By almost every measure, the security situation has improved significantly." Had Levin and others paid attention they could have questioned that laughable assertion. Fallon also praised the 'importance' of the "Awakening" council and claimed there were over "90,000 Iraqi men" who had signed up -- left unstated were issues involving the crimes those thugs are accused of as well as the walk-out so many of them are taking part in. But Carl Levin wanted everyone to know he did not like the fact that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited Iraq -- a country that borders Iran. And isn't that more important than examining what's being 'achieved' by the illegal war? Fallon was spinning wildly: "The recent passage of the 2008 National Budget, Provincial Powers, Amnesty, and de-Ba'athification laws are significant accomplishments. The Presidency Council returned the Provincial Powers Law to the Council of Representatives but with the assurance that preparations for provincial elecitons this fall should continue." Where to begin? How about the fact that the "Provincial Powers" legislation was not 'returned' -- the Presidency Council said "NO." Call it a veto, call it whatever, but it was not 'returned' as though it just needs a little fine tuning. Why Carl Levin couldn't do his damn job is a question only he can answer; however, while he spent today frothing at the mouth over Iran, it should be noted that the US State Department's deputy flack Tom Casey came off calm by contrast in a State Dept press confrence yesterday when he noted of Iran that it "has an oustanding offer on the table to negotiate with us and to work out an arrangement that allows them to have a full civilian nuclear program while assuring us that they're not using that as a diversion or cover for building a nuclear weapon." There is no proof that Iran is attempting that and there's no strong evidence that even indicates it is likely. But even raising those elements (of administration spin), Casey still came off less foaming at the mouth than did Levin.
On Ahmadinejad, Liz Sly (Chicago Tribune) reports today that, "During his visit, the first by an Iranian president since the Islamic revolution of 1979, Ahmadinejad was feted by Iraq's Shiite and Kurdish leaders. Even the Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashimi, turned up to greet him, though he was an hour late. In addition to the $1 billion loan, the two countries negotiated seven deals on economic and cultural cooperation. In a statement on his Web site, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said the two sides also reached an agreement 'to secure their borders ... to prevent infiltration of terrorists and smugglers'." Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) explains, "To have Ahmadinejad safely cruise around Baghdad, the capital shut down. I walked into the office on Sunday and our newsroom was empty, nearly our entire staff didn't make it to work. Hussein, one of our Iraqi reporters, tried to take a taxi. No vehicle traffic was allowed on the roads to secure Ahmadinejad's path to President Jalal Talabani's compound." Allen Pizzey (CBS News) observes, "For a send-off, Ahmadinejad didn't get just one 'kiss for luck'; he got four, when he was welcomed by U.S.-backed Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who threw in a symbolic hug by standing impassive while the Iranian leader told a joint press conference: 'The Americans have to understand the facts of the region. Iraqi people do not like America." Joining Carl Levin in frothing at the mouth today was Lt. General Ray Odierno who met with the Bully Boy of the United States at the White House yesterday and spoke at the Pentagon today. Aamer Madhani (Baltimore Sun) quotes Odierno stating today of Iran's influence on Iraq that it was "what I worry about most." Andrew Gray (Reuters) notes that Odierno accused Iran of being behind rocket attacks in Iraq as he stated, "That's because it was being done by Iranian surrogates. And when the government of Iraq holds a meeting, there tends to be rocket attacks. Why's that? Because it's done by Iranian surrogates." Good of Carl Levin to help Odierno advance his itch for war with Iran today. He might have better used his time -- and the committee's -- by questioning the measures of 'success' because there is no progress in Iraq, there is no advance.
Violence didn't disappear, didn't vanish. The escalation Bully Boy pushed through last year -- with Dems in Congress waving through (symbolic measures do nothing) -- reduced some violence as did the cease-fire with Muqtada al-Sadr. But only in sections of Iraq. The "Awakening" Councils are fueling more tensions and Mosul's been in the US military's cross-hairs for how long now? More US troops were put on the ground in Iraq and not only did the puppet government not accomplish anything, but violence didn't go away.
One of today's biggest 'surge' cheerleaders is US Senator John McCain who is running to become the GOP's presidential nomination for the November general election. He loves the escalation. He thinks it's both amazing and a miracle. Or that's what he says. Or what he says now. Dropping back to the August 4, 2006 snapshot for this from the August 3, 2006 US Senate Armed Services Committee:
Senator John McCain: So, General Abizaid, we're moving 7,500 troops into Baghdad, is that correct? General John Abizaid: The number is closer to 3,500. [. . .] McCain: And where are these troops coming from? Abizaid: Uh, the troops, the Styker Brigade, is coming down from Mosul. McCain: From Mosul? Is the situation under control in Ramadi? Abizaid: Uh, the situation in Ramadi, is better than it was two months ago. McCain: Is the situation under control in Ramadi? Abizaid: I think the situation in Ramadi is workable. McCain: And the troops from Ramadi came from Falluja, isn't that correct? Abizaid: I can't say senator, I know that -- McCain: Well that's my information. What I' worry about is we're playing a game of whack-a-mole here. We move troops from -- It flares up, we move troops there. Everybody knows we've got big problems in Ramadi and I said, "Where you gonna get the troops?" 'Well we're going to have to move them from Falluja.' Now we're going to have to move troops into Baghdad from someplace else. It's very disturbing.
A functioning press would be asking Senator Crazy how the 'surge' is in any way different than what he was complaining about in August 2006? Answer: It isn't. There has been no peace. There has been no end to the violence. What's happened is a cease-fire and a huge addition of US troops added on the ground still couldn't stop the daily violence. Is Senator Crazy cheerleading today to be a 'good soldier' for the White House or is he unable to remember the criticism he offered in 2006?
Today Solomon Moore and Mudhafer Al-Husaini (New York Times) report: "Iraqi soldiers attacked a group of Iraqi and American journalists as they photographed the area. Five soldiers stomped on an Iraqi journalist with their combat boots as he lay on the ground, reporters there said. They said that he cried, 'Why are you doing this?' and added, 'I am an Iraqi too!' Iraqi soldiers confiscated the cameras of many Iraqi journalists at the scene. When they tried to do the same with a photographer for The New York Times, American soldiers intervened and prevented the Iraqi soldiers from arresting his bodyguard." Let's drop back to January 25, 2007 when Damien Cave and James Glanz (New York Times) reported: "One Iraqi soldier in the alley pointed his rifle at an American reporter and pulled the trigger. There was only a click, the weapon had no ammunition. The soldier laughed at his joke." Where would anyone get the idea that attacks on the press are okay? Yes, the US military has attacked the press but Iraqi thugs employed by the puppet government in Baghdad need only look to their puppet-head. Nouri al-Maliki's really lucky most Americans don't give a damn about him. If they did, the puppet would have been thrown out of office long ago because he's 'leadership' has been an absolute failure. Let's look at one of his early 'plans,' no, not the 24-point 'plan' he announced as he was being installed prime minister. Let's focus on the 4-point 'plan' and it's easy to forget that 'plan' because the press certainly did. But even when they had a little interest in it, they refused to note all four parts of the 'plan.' As noted in the October 3, 2006 snapshot, the third plank in the al-Maliki's 'peace' 'plan' was an attack on journalism and journalists. And if you drop back to a 'great day' (according to al-Maliki) you'll see that on September 7, 2006 al-Arabiya satellite network was shut down by Iraqi police on the orders of al-Maliki. The puppet's reign has been about very little but one hallmark has been the disdain (to put it mildly) for a free press. At the start of the month, Iraqi correspondents Laith and Jenan (Inside Iraq, McClatchy Newspapers) wrote that "no protections measures have taken by Iraqi government to stop this series" of jounalist killings "I thought that the Iraqi government is watching this killing series with careleness and they don't do much to protect the life of journalists except for condemning and condolences which do nothing to save the precious lives of the Iraqi journalists but today I found out that I was wrong." What had changed? Najaf announced land set aside for journalists -- for dead journalists. Meanwhile on the most recent attack, Middle East Online is recommended by Laura posting to Laith and Jenan's post and, at MEO, they note that the Iraqi soldiers' attack on a journalist took place in front of a photographer for AFP and that the country's Journalistic Freedom Observatory wants an immediate investigation after journalists "were beaten, insulted and humiliated". Reporters Without Borders notes, "Reporters and cameramen working for various Iraqi and foreign news media were beaten and insulted by Iraqi soldiers yesterday in the central Baghdad district of Al-Ghadir. Associated Press cameraman Saad Kazem Hussein told the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory that an Iraqi general ordered his troops to attack the journalists, who were photographing the scene of a bombing. 'The soldiers also fired in the air,' said an AFP phographer who was there. Four camers were confiscated, according to a third journalist who asked not to be identified." In addition, Reporters Without Borders notes, "Omar Ashti, a reporter with Hawlati, an independent weekly based in the Kurdish city of Suleimaniya (330 km north of Baghdad), was released on bail following his arrest on 10 February by security forces controlled by the Kurdish autonomous government, Reporters Without Borders learned [Monday]. He is now awaiting trial on a charge of libel in connection with an article at the end of last year in which he criticized the Kurdish government." And on a similar note the Associated Press' Bilal Hussein remains imprisoned. Bilal, a Pulitzer winning photographer, was taken into US military custody on April 12, 2006 and has been a prisoner ever since. Next week, he will have been imprisoned 23 months. Free Bilal
At the Pentagon today, Lt. General James Dubik gave a press briefing via videolink from Iraq. He was chatty and happy sharing that today was "the anniversary" of his engagment to his wife and "I did remember that it was in Hawaii". Yet when asked at what point the Iraqi military would take over their own air space, he took a lenghty pause. Possibly he was wondering how much was known about the Iraqi helicopter that went missing? Reuters notes that it crashed and 8 people died including a US service member.
In other violence reported today . . .
Bombings?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a Baghdad roadside bombing that wounded two police officer and a civilian, a Diyala Province roadside bombing claimed the life of 1 Iraqi soldier and left two more wounded. Reuters notes a Mosul roadside bombing that left five people wounded.
Shootings?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports a man shot-dead outside of his Baquba home, while unknown assailants ("wearing Iraqi army uniforms") grabbed a man in Diyala Province and later disposed of his dead body, 1 police oficer and 3 bodyguards were shot dead in Basra, 2 people ("relatives of a leader of an awakening council") were shot dead in Salahuddin. Reuters notes a police officer was shot-dead outside his Mosul home.
Corpses?
Mohammed Al Dulaimy (McClatchy Newspapers) reports 2 corpses discovered in Baghdad.
Archbishop Paulos Faraj Raho was kidnapped Friday. The Arab American Institute (AAI -- via UN Observer) states, "Sadly, this incident is evidence of a grave situation faced by most Iraqis since the U.S.-led invasion. The suffering of the entire Iraqi people is widespread, defining daily life in most areas of the country. This is due to the lack of a plan to secure the peace. While all Iraqis live in fear, the circumstances facing minority populations is worse. With no political factions or large private militias to protect them, Iraq's embattled minorities are at the mercy of their environment. As the abduction of Archbishop Paulos and the murder of his colleagues show, when there is no security, there is too little mercy." Reuters reports that Nouri al-Maliki is making noises that Archbishop's release is "a top priority." But Asia News' reporting indicates that a lot more is known than al-Maliki lets on including a ransom. Asia News reports, "The men who have the fate of Msgr. Paulos Faraj Rahho, Chaldean Archbishop of Mosul in their hands since February 29th last, have raised the ransom and dictated 'political conditions' for his release, according to AsiaNews sources in Iraq, close to mediators who are negotiating his safe return. Late yesterday afternoon another phone call was made. The group which holds the bishop hostage, used Msgr. Rahoo’s mobile phone to communicate, but has still given no proof of his wellbeing. 'It almost seems as if his release -- anonymous sources in Mosul tell -- is of secondary importance in their demands and the conditions which they have imposed greatly complicate matters, leading us to think that they are not just simple criminals interested in money'. Concern is increasing for the 67 year-old hostage who suffers ill health, for which he needs daily treatment."
Maria Lauterbach is the US marine who vanished while pregnant. She was murdered. See the January 10th snapshot, the January 11th snapshot, the January 14th snapshot, the January 16th snapshot and the January 22nd snapshot. Maria's presumed murderer wasn't just anyone, he was someone she had stated raped her, stated to her commanding officers and she wasn't protected. They can argue that point all they want but Maria did accuse the man thought to have murdered her with rape and the US military didn't do anything. A hearing was coming up when she disappeared but . . . strangely . . . that didn't make the military take any more interest in him than they did prior. They treated it like it wasn't their problem. They acted as if it was Maria's problem. Jessica Pupovac (In These Times) examines the effects Maria's story is having which includes activist Susan Avila-Smith currently advising those who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma (MST) to be temporarily silent: "It breaks my heart to do that but I want to get them out alive and that's my main goal." Sgt. Myla Haider explains how investigations work (or don't) and notes, "The investigators themselves, when working on cases, tended to focus on reasons a victim could be lying. . . . [and use] tag team interviews [where] one agent after another is sent in there to 'get the truth' out of the victim. On occasion, that results in the victims becoming very upset." VETWOW is one organization that helps those with MST and Suzanne Swift is a strong example of how the US military refuses to do anything (Swift was assaulted and harassed, went through channels and was sent to 'training' on how not to be 'tempting' -- when the military refused to stop the abuse, Swift self-checked out).
3/03/2008
who really knows barack?
"MEMO: Questions Sen. Obama Should Answer About Tony Rezko"
To: Interested PartiesFrom: Clinton CampaignDate: Monday, March 03, 2008Regarding: Questions Sen. Obama Should Answer About Tony Rezko
The trial of indicted influence peddler Tony Rezko - longtime friend and political patron of Sen. Barack Obama -- starts today . Sen. Obama's name has already surfaced in pre-trial documents submitted by the prosecution and, according to media reports, is likely to surface again as the trial progresses. Democrats deserve the answers to these questions as they consider their votes:
1. Will Sen. Obama release all documents related to his relationship with Tony Rezko, including all documents related to his controversial land transaction?
Howard Wolfson asked top Obama strategist David Axelrod this question on ABC's This Week and the campaign has yet to respond. [ABC's This Week, 3/2/08]
2. When, specifically, did Sen. Obama become aware of Mr. Rezko's legal problems?
On national television this January, Sen. Obama said "no one had an inkling" of Rezko's legal troubles during the course of their relationship. Actually, it was already widely reported that Mr. Rezko was under investigation for participating in a kickback scheme prior to their controversial land transaction. [CBS, 1/23/08; Chicago Sun-Times, 9/16/05]
3. Sen. Obama has returned money from several individuals who are publicly associated with Mr. Rezko. How much money did Mr. Rezko bundle for Sen. Obama's campaigns in total, including people who are not business associates of Mr. Rezko? How many fundraisers did Mr. Rezko hold for Sen. Obama? Has there been an internal investigation to determine how many straw donors Mr. Rezko used to funnel money to Sen. Obama?
The Obama campaign has returned money from people who are publicly associate with Mr. Rezko. But they have not revealed who much Mr. Rezko bundled for Sen. Obama in total. The Chicago Sun Times reported that the Obama campaign "declined to say" whether they maintained a list of the money that Mr. Rezko raised for Mr. Obama over the course of his career. [Chicago Sun Times, 1/23/08]
4. Much of the upcoming trial involves Mr. Rezko's efforts to control state boards as a means to defraud the state government. Have Sen. Obama and Mr. Rezko ever communicated about potential appointments to Illinois boards and commissions? It's been publicly reported that Sen. Obama lobbied these same state boards to secure contracts for campaign donors. Did Sen. Obama ever confer with Mr. Rezko concerning how to successfully lobby state boards?
The indictment alleges that Mr. Rezko manipulated state government boards to defraud the people of Illinois. At the same time, "Mr. Obama met with three state pension boards," urging them to give contracts to specific firms. Later, employees of these companies "donated more than $300,000 to help Mr. Obama win his seat in the United States Senate in 2004 and set fund-raising records early in the 2008 presidential race." [New York Times, 10/01/07]
5. The New York Times reported that Sen. Obama attended a business meeting on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress potential investors for his business schemes. How many events did Sen. Obama attend on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress investors? What was his role? Why did Sen. Obama agree to attend?
The New York Times reported in June that "Former Rezko associates said that Governor Blagojevich attended one of the dinners, and that at Mr. Rezko’s request, Mr. Obama dropped in at one for Middle Eastern bankers in early 2004, just as he was starting to pull ahead in the Senate primary. The visits, Mr. Rezko’s partners said, helped impress foreign guests." [New York Times, 6/14/07]
6. How many times did Senator Obama visit Tony Rezko's house? What was the purpose of these visits?
The Times of London reports that "The court is also expected to hear from John Thomas, an FBI mole, who reportedly witnessed Mr Obama and Mr Blagojevich making frequent visits to Mr Rezko." [The Times, 3/3/08]
7. Did Sen. Obama intercede on behalf of Mr. Rezko in any governmental capacity?
The Chicago Sun Times reported that "As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko's successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens." They have not said whether there were any other actions that Obama took for the benefit of Rezko. [Chicago Sun Times, 6/13/07]
when is obama planning on answering those questions? don't democrats have a right to know right now? shouldn't a candidate be vetted?
if he ends up with nomination you think the republicans won't ask those questions? he's avoided answering them all along. it's past time he started getting honest.
i agree with something i heard on cnn regarding tomorrow - if bambi can't win all the states tomorrow, it's going to tell us something.
i also don't think she should drop out regardless of what happens. i think she stands a good chance of raking up some wins tomorrow but i think she owes it to the country to stay in.
i wrote a week or 2 ago about 1 of c.i.'s friends who is a big time supporter of hillary (he's in the entertainment industry) and how he told me that hillary shouldn't drop out because we have no idea what's going to come out in the tony rezko federal hearing.
i agree with that now more than ever.
he's gotten soft and cushy press and who knows what could leak out between now and the democratic national convention (i believe that's in august)?
hopefully, he won't be headed for the nomination but if he is and something comes out, where are the democrats? what's left? you gave bambi the nomination and now he's a national disgrace.
so she does need to stay in.
did you hear what happened when the press finally started doing their job today? they were asking about big tony rezko and about bambi telling canada not to worry about what he says on nafta, he doesn't mean it. well they press asked questions and bambi left in a huff claiming that the 8 questions he took was more than enough. can you say some 1 looks like they're hiding something?
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
Monday, March 3, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the US military and the British military both say "Woopsie," the US embassy in Iraq is a safety hazard, IVAW gears up for this month's action, and more.
Starting with war resistance. Brad McCall is a US war resister in Canada. Saturday and Sunday he offered original poetry at his site. From Sunday's poem:
You just don't realize,
The damage your really inflicting,
You say you're doing your job,
But I know, your really creating pain and suffering.
You wake up at 4 in the morning,
Preparing for a brand new day,
In this hell that they've put you in.
All these people are creating is enmity, and suffering.
McCall made the decision he could not participate in an illegal war. Currently he is in Canada attempting to be granted safe harbor. Just entering Canada was difficult for McCall. He was detained in September by Canadian authorities when he attempted to enter. And, as noted Friday, Courage to Resist interview with war resister Robin Long during which Long shares that McCall had a friend return his car to the US and that when the car crossed the border back into the US "they were holding him at gun point, the guy that was bringing his car back, thinking he was the war resister."
War resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use. That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored.
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).
Meanwhile IVAW has a DC action this month:
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause. Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible. The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies. It won't be easy but it must be done. Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it." The hearings will be broadcast throughout at the Iraq Veterans Against the War home page an on KPFA March 14th and 16th with Aimee Allison (co-host of the station's The Morning Show and co-author with David Solnit of Army Of None) and Aaron Glantz hosting and the KPFA live stream will also be available at Glantz' War Comes Home.
"Some people are going to say that we're not upholding our patriotic duty to America, that we're just demoralizing the troops, but if anything we want to make sure that our troops are taken care of the way they should," Vermont's WCAX (text and video) quotes Iraq veteran Adrienne Kinne explaining at the University of Vermont to a crowd of over 150 as she and three other veterans explained the upcoming Winter Soldier Investigation. Matthew Howard speaks to WCAX's Bianca Slota abouth how service members are encouraged to see "every Iraqi's a threat or terrorist or insurgenty. You know we never hear the term civilian over there." Howard speaks of "the feelings of betrayal, of ultimate betrayal" after serving in a war based on lies. Slota notes, "Their stories ranged from tales of intelligence intercepts from listening in on conversations of aid workers or journalists to tales of leaving injured Iraqi civilians on the side of the road." Sara Buscher (Burlington Free Press) speaks with Matthew Howard who previews the DC action, "We have footage. We have digital cameras and cell phones. The public doesn't know what dead Iraqis look like, what little children look like when they have their brains blown away by 50-caliber machine guns -- what a mosque look like when we use it for target practice." Andy Potter (WCAX text and video) interviewed Drew Cameron last week and Cameron shared his thoughts on the illegal war, "It's sending very young people to do atrocities, things based not on any reality of the security of this country. If anything, it's destroying the military. It's destroying peoples' lives and families' lives, not to mention all the innocent civilians. Massive amount of destruction."
"The soldiers and marines are just doing their jobs, doing what they were trained for or what they were told to do when they got over there. Things that seem really horrible just become routine -- and they are implicitly or explicitly condoned, or encouraged, by the commanders and the policy-makers," Iraq War veteran Kelly Dougherty states walking Ariel Leve through for a major report in the Sunday Times of London which also includes Afghan War veteran Perry O'Brien recalling, "Anyone carrying a shovel or any sort of implement that could be used to bury an IED could be considered a target. After dark, you can shoot anyone who is outside. Or anyone who puts anything on the side of the road can be considered a target. You won't find it in writing, but it's an order indicated to soldiers." Iraq War veteran Jason Washburn remembers one mission: "We kick down the door and all we find are a few women holding babies and a couple of kids. We were ordered to take the babies away and put sandbags on the women's heads, tie their hands behind their backs, put them on their knees facing the wall. Here I am zip-tying these women, and my buddy is standing next to me holding these babies asking what do I do with these kids? We stood there, like, oh s**t, what do we do? The squad leader came in and shouted, 'Everybody is bagged and tagged -- everybody!' So we did it." Michael Kramer (Workers World) reports today on an NYC event last month to get the word out on IVAW's action this month and notes, "IVAW member and war resister Ryan Johnson was able to take part in the program from Canada via a live video feed. He is a member of the Winter Soldier Organizing Committee and described the situation of more than 50 absent without leave war resisters in Canada as they courageously struggle for human rights and against deportation. There is now an IVAW chapter in Toronto. More ominously for the Bush administration and Pentagon generals, an IVAW chapter has recently been formed on the Fort Hood, Texas, army megabase."
Starting with news from the weekend. On Saturday, the UK Ministry of Defence announced, "It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a British airman was killed in Basra, southern Iraq yesterday, Friday 29 February 2008. The ariman, who was attached to 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force, died as a result of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base in Basra." They identified him as Sgt. Duane "Baz" Barwood who is survived by his spouse Sharon and their two children Leanna and Rebecca. Since the start of the illegal war, ICCC's total for British forces who have died in the Iraq is 175. Also on Saturday, Warren P. Strobel (McClatchy Newspapers) reported, "None of the 26 buildings in the new $740 million U.S. Embassy complex in Baghdad is ready to be occupied. Fire alarms intended to safeguard more than 1,000 U.S. government employees aren't working. Kitchens in some of the buildings are fire hazards. A senior State Department official in December certified that embassy construction was 'substantially complete,' but department inspectors found 'major deficiencies' at the unoccupied embassy, according to their inspection report, which Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif, released Friday." Waxman is the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Goverment Reform and at the committee's website they have a list of the "documents," all in PDF format, released by Chariman Waxman identify 'critical' and 'major' deficiencies in the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, raising question about the decision of the State Department to certify in December that the Embassy compound was 'substantially complete'." These documents include the letter he sent to US Secretary of State Condi Rice Friday where he informs her that he's scheduling a committee hearing March 12th that State Dept employees -- specifically the Acting Director for the Office of Overseas Building Operations Richard J. Shinnick -- should be present for and "to advise you that if the State Department does not commit by the close of business on March 3 to provide by March 7 the documents the Committee has repeatedly requested and subpoenaed, I will initiate steps to require the Deputy Secretary to appear with the documents at the Committee's March 12 hearing." Waxman's letter summarizes key events including the July 26, 2007 testimony by the State Dept.'s Charles E. Williams (director for Officie of Overseas Building Operations) which declared that the embassy would be completed in September of that year (cost $592 million). Waxman writes that "Williams's testimony turned out to be highly misleading. The Embassy did not come in on time and under budget in September. Although the price tag has increaed to $736 million, the Embassy is still not complete." He notes the letter he sent October 9th of last year (to Condi) where the issue of the fire protection system was raised, "quoted extensively from a report issued in September 2007 by State Department inspectors who documented widespread deficiencies in the Embassy's fire protection and electrical system" and noted an alleged kickback scheme that was ongoing (one person involved in the alleged kickback scheme "pleaded guilty in federal cout in July 2007"). In terms of the State Dept.'s failure to provide information and produce documents, Waxman notes requests made on July 10th, again on October 9th and again on October 19th; that Rice herself stated in her October 25, 2007 testimony to the committee that "we will get the documents to you, Mr. Chairman" but nothing; which led to the issuing of a subpoena on February 9th requiring that the State Dept produce the documents within seven days. That February 15th deadline passed with no documentation being provided and Waxman is now requesting a commitment (received by today) that the State Dept will produce the requested material by March 7th.
Also on Saturday, Sheryl Gay Stoblerg (New York Times) reported on the trial ballon being floated by the White House and US military command (presumably on orders from the White House) that US troop reduction in Iraq will conclude shortly but may pick back up "before Mr. Bush leaves office, a senior administration official said Friday." For those still not grasping it, Deb Riechmann (AP) reported, "President Bust declined Saturday to promise more U.S. troops withdrawals from Iraq before he leaves office". Sunday saw the arrival in Iraq of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) noted that military and security checkpoints were already set up throughout Baghdad on Saturday in anticipation of Ahmadinejad's Sunday visit and Mike Mullen, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, visiting on Saturday and that both "visits come as violence, which in December reached its lowest level in more than a year, has begun to rise." The BBC puts the Iraqi death toll at 633 for the month of February (an undercount). Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) notes that Ahmadinejad's visit makes him "the first Iranian head of state to visit Iraq in three decades," that some Sunnis protested his trip in Falluja, that the "Shiite ruling elite" listenend attentively, "clearly comfortable" and without need of translation while the US "officials stayed far way from the visiting Iranian delegation" and Ahmadinejad declared in a joint-press conference with Nouri al Maliki, "Iraqis don't like Americans." Michael Theodoulus (The Scotsman) draws a contrast between Ahmadinejad's trip and the trips that the Bully Boy of the United States makes, "The Iranian leader arrived yesterday amid great fanfare on a two-day visit that was pre-announced. By contrast, the US president's visits were hurried and almost furtive. His presence was never revealed before hand for security reasons -- even though the US has 158,000 troops in Iraq -- and he has never stayed overnight." Borzou Daragahi (Los Angeles Times) quotes Ahmadinejad stating, "Iran and Iraq are two friendly nations. Both have a common history and civilization. Both of them have deep, intimate sentimental and social relations." AFP reports that the Iranian president "accused the US on Sunday of bringing terrorism to the Middel East". Caesar Ahmed (Los Angeles Times' Babylon & Beyond blog) offers a partial transcript of the press conference Ahmadinejad held today ("at the home of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani") including the following:
QUESTION: Are Iranian elements targeting members of the Sunni militias of the so-called Awakening movement? AHMADINEJAD: We did not witness nor did we get any complains from the Iraqi side about this issue. There may be a few incidents along the borders. And this is normal. We have laws and everything will be conducted under the umbrella of our laws.
Q: What about the fate of Iraqi soldiers missing from the time of the Iran-Iraq war?
A: There are few missing. Both sides are cooperating to discover the fate of those who are missing.
Q: What about about the American accusations that Iran supports militias in Iraq?
A: We discussed with the Iraqi side the issues that serve the interests of the two countries. We are not committed to answer the demands of others.
AFP reports that "seven pacts" were signed with the Iraqi government today and that Ahmadinejad recommended US forces leave Iraq: "Without the presence of the foreign troops, the region will live in peace and brotherhood." Deborah Haynes (Times of London) quotes Ahmadinejad stating, "We believe that the major powers who have come to the region from thousands of kilometres away should respect the will of nations and leave this region. That's the best service they can offer these nations." CBS and AP cite the network's Allen Pizzey's call that the visit sends the message "that Iran can't be ignored, or even short-changed as a player here."
Friday's snapshot noted the Mosul kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho who remains missing. Independent Catholic News reports, "He had just celebrated the rite of Via Cruis and was on his way back to the Holy Spirit Cathedral when his car was attacked. His driver, Faris, and one of his guards, Rami, were killed. The other guard, Samir, was wounded and was in a very critical condition at the time of this posting. It is not known who has kidnapped 67-year-old archbishop, who is believed to be in poor health and requiring daily medication." ZENIT notes that the funerals for the three men accompanying the Archbishop Friday (all were shot dead) were held on Saturday and that Pope Benedict XVI has repeated his appeal calling for the kidnappers to release Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Melissa Gonzalo (Arizon's 12 News -- link has text video) reports on Iraqis in Arizona and Peter Oraha states, "Make me feel that I want to do something but I'm too far. I couldn't do anything to be honest."
Bombings?
Alexandra Zavis (Los Angeles Times) reports Baghdad bombings claimed 24 lives today and left at least sixty people injured. Reuters notes a Shirqat car bombing claimed the lives of 2 police officers and left nine civilians injured. Today CBS and AP report that US military command is stating "regret over the killing of a teenager Friday by a helicopter gunship" while Reuters reports the British military declared today they were "invetigating whether a woman had been killed and three children wounded by a defective artillery shell it had fired in defence of its base in the Iraqi city of Basra" and there is apparently another child who may dead from that assault according to Iraqi authorities "and a hospital source".
Shootings?
Reuters notes police col. Qassim Abid Filaih and 3 guards were shot dead in Basra.
Corpses?
Reuters reports a discovery of a mass grave in Samarra containing 14 corpses believed to have been "either Iraqi police of members" of one of the "Awakening" Councils.
Turning to US politics. Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont hold Democratic Party primaries tomorrow. Campaigning in Ohio Sunday, US Senator Barack Obama had an Iraqi talking point and it was one David Axelrod (Bambi's Karl Rove) was repeating the same day on ABC. Steven Thomma (McClatchy Newspapers) reports facts aren't Bambi's strong point since he declared that Senator Hillary Clinton should have followed the example of Senator Jay Rockefeller -- chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time -- on the 2002 Iraq vote; Bob Graham was the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Rockefeller voted in favor of the 2002 resolution leading Thomma to penalize them "Five yars for sloppy fact checking." The Chicago Tribune's Frank James disagrees, "I think this is more like 15 yards and loss of a down. The Iraq War vote is only the central premis of Obama's argument for why he should be president. Given that, it seems like he would have absolute command of the facts surrounding the vote. That he doesn't seems curious." Niall Stanage (New York Observer) reports on Gloria Steinem campaigning for Hillary in Austin, Texas. From the article:
There is, she said, "a great deal of pressure at play for her to act like her gender and give in." Several shouts of "No!" came from the crowd. Steinem went on: "It's a way of reinforcing the gender roles, right? Men are loved if they win and Hillary is loved if she loses…But maybe we shouldn't be so afraid of an open convention that actually decides something. After all, it was an open convention in New York City that gave us Abraham Lincoln."
Meanwhile Roseanne Barr notes, "Pigdom lives on. Obama doesn't want to end the war, HE just wants to movie it to pakistan, and those men have nukes . . . our leaders have us at war with a country that has NO ARMY, and they are kicking our asses. . . . YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO WOMEN, NOT SILENCE THEM!!!! HELLOOOOO....!!! HILLARY'S HEALTH CARE PROGRAM IS THE BETTER ONE!!! SHE DIDN'T START THE WAR, AND SHE DIDN'T BLOW ANYBODY!!! SHE DIDN'T VOTE FOR NAFTA, AND SHE DIDN'T INVENT AIPAC." On the issue of Iraq, Joe Wilson (The Huffington Post) explains it:
Barack Obama argues that he deserves the Democratic nomination and Hillary Clinton doesn't because he possesses superior "judgment," as he calls it, on the key issues we face as a nation. As definitive proof he offers one speech he made in 2002 during a reelection campaign for an Illinois senate seat in the most liberal district in the state, so liberal that no other position would have been viable. When he made that speech, Obama was not privy to the briefings by, among others, Secretary of State Colin Powell, in support of the Authorization of Use of Military Force as a diplomatic tool to push the international community to impose intrusive inspections on Saddam Hussein. Would Obama have acted differently had he been in Washington or had he had the benefit of the arguments and the intelligence that the administration was offering to the Congress debating that resolution? During the 2002-2003 timeframe, he was a minor local official uninvolved in the national debate on the war so we can only judge from his own statements prior to the 2008 campaign. Obama repeated these points in a whole host of interviews prior to announcing his candidacy. On July 27, 2004, he told the Chicago Tribune on Iraq: "There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage." In his book, The Audacity of Hope, published in 2006, he wrote, "...on the merits I didn't consider the case against war to be cut-and- dried." And, in 2006, he clearly said, "I'm always careful to say that I was not in the Senate, so perhaps the reason I thought it was such a bad idea was that I didn't have the benefit of US intelligence. And for those who did, it might have led to a different set of choices." I was involved in that debate in every step of the effort to prevent this senseless war and I profoundly resent Obama's distortion of George Bush's folly into Hillary Clinton's responsibility. I was in the middle of the debate in Washington. Obama wasn't there. I remember what was said and done. In fact, the administration lied in order to secure support for its war of choice, including cooking the intelligence and misleading Congress about the intent of the authorization. Senator Clinton's position, stated in her floor speech, was in favor of allowing the United Nations weapons inspectors to complete their mission and to build a broad international coalition. Bush rejected her path. It was his war of choice.
To: Interested PartiesFrom: Clinton CampaignDate: Monday, March 03, 2008Regarding: Questions Sen. Obama Should Answer About Tony Rezko
The trial of indicted influence peddler Tony Rezko - longtime friend and political patron of Sen. Barack Obama -- starts today . Sen. Obama's name has already surfaced in pre-trial documents submitted by the prosecution and, according to media reports, is likely to surface again as the trial progresses. Democrats deserve the answers to these questions as they consider their votes:
1. Will Sen. Obama release all documents related to his relationship with Tony Rezko, including all documents related to his controversial land transaction?
Howard Wolfson asked top Obama strategist David Axelrod this question on ABC's This Week and the campaign has yet to respond. [ABC's This Week, 3/2/08]
2. When, specifically, did Sen. Obama become aware of Mr. Rezko's legal problems?
On national television this January, Sen. Obama said "no one had an inkling" of Rezko's legal troubles during the course of their relationship. Actually, it was already widely reported that Mr. Rezko was under investigation for participating in a kickback scheme prior to their controversial land transaction. [CBS, 1/23/08; Chicago Sun-Times, 9/16/05]
3. Sen. Obama has returned money from several individuals who are publicly associated with Mr. Rezko. How much money did Mr. Rezko bundle for Sen. Obama's campaigns in total, including people who are not business associates of Mr. Rezko? How many fundraisers did Mr. Rezko hold for Sen. Obama? Has there been an internal investigation to determine how many straw donors Mr. Rezko used to funnel money to Sen. Obama?
The Obama campaign has returned money from people who are publicly associate with Mr. Rezko. But they have not revealed who much Mr. Rezko bundled for Sen. Obama in total. The Chicago Sun Times reported that the Obama campaign "declined to say" whether they maintained a list of the money that Mr. Rezko raised for Mr. Obama over the course of his career. [Chicago Sun Times, 1/23/08]
4. Much of the upcoming trial involves Mr. Rezko's efforts to control state boards as a means to defraud the state government. Have Sen. Obama and Mr. Rezko ever communicated about potential appointments to Illinois boards and commissions? It's been publicly reported that Sen. Obama lobbied these same state boards to secure contracts for campaign donors. Did Sen. Obama ever confer with Mr. Rezko concerning how to successfully lobby state boards?
The indictment alleges that Mr. Rezko manipulated state government boards to defraud the people of Illinois. At the same time, "Mr. Obama met with three state pension boards," urging them to give contracts to specific firms. Later, employees of these companies "donated more than $300,000 to help Mr. Obama win his seat in the United States Senate in 2004 and set fund-raising records early in the 2008 presidential race." [New York Times, 10/01/07]
5. The New York Times reported that Sen. Obama attended a business meeting on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress potential investors for his business schemes. How many events did Sen. Obama attend on behalf of Mr. Rezko to impress investors? What was his role? Why did Sen. Obama agree to attend?
The New York Times reported in June that "Former Rezko associates said that Governor Blagojevich attended one of the dinners, and that at Mr. Rezko’s request, Mr. Obama dropped in at one for Middle Eastern bankers in early 2004, just as he was starting to pull ahead in the Senate primary. The visits, Mr. Rezko’s partners said, helped impress foreign guests." [New York Times, 6/14/07]
6. How many times did Senator Obama visit Tony Rezko's house? What was the purpose of these visits?
The Times of London reports that "The court is also expected to hear from John Thomas, an FBI mole, who reportedly witnessed Mr Obama and Mr Blagojevich making frequent visits to Mr Rezko." [The Times, 3/3/08]
7. Did Sen. Obama intercede on behalf of Mr. Rezko in any governmental capacity?
The Chicago Sun Times reported that "As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko's successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens." They have not said whether there were any other actions that Obama took for the benefit of Rezko. [Chicago Sun Times, 6/13/07]
when is obama planning on answering those questions? don't democrats have a right to know right now? shouldn't a candidate be vetted?
if he ends up with nomination you think the republicans won't ask those questions? he's avoided answering them all along. it's past time he started getting honest.
i agree with something i heard on cnn regarding tomorrow - if bambi can't win all the states tomorrow, it's going to tell us something.
i also don't think she should drop out regardless of what happens. i think she stands a good chance of raking up some wins tomorrow but i think she owes it to the country to stay in.
i wrote a week or 2 ago about 1 of c.i.'s friends who is a big time supporter of hillary (he's in the entertainment industry) and how he told me that hillary shouldn't drop out because we have no idea what's going to come out in the tony rezko federal hearing.
i agree with that now more than ever.
he's gotten soft and cushy press and who knows what could leak out between now and the democratic national convention (i believe that's in august)?
hopefully, he won't be headed for the nomination but if he is and something comes out, where are the democrats? what's left? you gave bambi the nomination and now he's a national disgrace.
so she does need to stay in.
did you hear what happened when the press finally started doing their job today? they were asking about big tony rezko and about bambi telling canada not to worry about what he says on nafta, he doesn't mean it. well they press asked questions and bambi left in a huff claiming that the 8 questions he took was more than enough. can you say some 1 looks like they're hiding something?
let's close with c.i.'s 'Iraq snapshot:'
Monday, March 3, 2008. Chaos and violence continue, the US military and the British military both say "Woopsie," the US embassy in Iraq is a safety hazard, IVAW gears up for this month's action, and more.
Starting with war resistance. Brad McCall is a US war resister in Canada. Saturday and Sunday he offered original poetry at his site. From Sunday's poem:
You just don't realize,
The damage your really inflicting,
You say you're doing your job,
But I know, your really creating pain and suffering.
You wake up at 4 in the morning,
Preparing for a brand new day,
In this hell that they've put you in.
All these people are creating is enmity, and suffering.
McCall made the decision he could not participate in an illegal war. Currently he is in Canada attempting to be granted safe harbor. Just entering Canada was difficult for McCall. He was detained in September by Canadian authorities when he attempted to enter. And, as noted Friday, Courage to Resist interview with war resister Robin Long during which Long shares that McCall had a friend return his car to the US and that when the car crossed the border back into the US "they were holding him at gun point, the guy that was bringing his car back, thinking he was the war resister."
War resisters who have moved to Canada were dealt a serious set-back when the Canadian Supreme Court refused to hear the appeals of Jeremy Hinzman and Brandon Hughey. Today, Canada's Parliament remaining the best hope for safe harbor war resisters have, you can make your voice heard by the Canadian parliament which has the ability to pass legislation to grant war resisters the right to remain in Canada. Three e-mails addresses to focus on are: Prime Minister Stephen Harper (pm@pm.gc.ca -- that's pm at gc.ca) who is with the Conservative party and these two Liberals, Stephane Dion (Dion.S@parl.gc.ca -- that's Dion.S at parl.gc.ca) who is the leader of the Liberal Party and Maurizio Bevilacqua (Bevilacqua.M@parl.gc.ca -- that's Bevilacqua.M at parl.gc.ca) who is the Liberal Party's Critic for Citizenship and Immigration. A few more can be found here at War Resisters Support Campaign. For those in the US, Courage to Resist has an online form that's very easy to use. That is the sort of thing that should receive attention but instead it's ignored.
There is a growing movement of resistance within the US military which includes Matt Mishler, Josh Randall, Robby Keller, Justiniano Rodrigues, Chuck Wiley, James Stepp, Rodney Watson, Michael Espinal, Matthew Lowell, Derek Hess, Diedra Cobb, Brad McCall, Justin Cliburn, Timothy Richard, Robert Weiss, Phil McDowell, Steve Yoczik, Ross Spears, Peter Brown, Bethany "Skylar" James, Zamesha Dominique, Chrisopther Scott Magaoay, Jared Hood, James Burmeister, Eli Israel, Joshua Key, Ehren Watada, Terri Johnson, Clara Gomez, Luke Kamunen, Leif Kamunen, Leo Kamunen, Camilo Mejia, Kimberly Rivera, Dean Walcott, Linjamin Mull, Agustin Aguayo, Justin Colby, Marc Train, Abdullah Webster, Robert Zabala, Darrell Anderson, Kyle Snyder, Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman, Kevin Lee, Mark Wilkerson, Patrick Hart, Ricky Clousing, Ivan Brobeck, Aidan Delgado, Pablo Paredes, Carl Webb, Stephen Funk, Blake LeMoine, Clifton Hicks, David Sanders, Dan Felushko, Brandon Hughey, Clifford Cornell, Joshua Despain, Joshua Casteel, Katherine Jashinski, Dale Bartell, Chris Teske, Matt Lowell, Jimmy Massey, Chris Capps, Tim Richard, Hart Viges, Michael Blake, Christopher Mogwai, Christian Kjar, Kyle Huwer, Wilfredo Torres, Michael Sudbury, Ghanim Khalil, Vincent La Volpa, DeShawn Reed and Kevin Benderman. In total, at least fifty US war resisters in Canada have applied for asylum.
Information on war resistance within the military can be found at The Objector, The G.I. Rights Hotline [(877) 447-4487], Iraq Veterans Against the War and the War Resisters Support Campaign. Courage to Resist offers information on all public war resisters. Tom Joad maintains a list of known war resisters. In addition, VETWOW is an organization that assists those suffering from MST (Military Sexual Trauma).
Meanwhile IVAW has a DC action this month:
In 1971, over one hundred members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War gathered in Detroit to share their stories with America. Atrocities like the My Lai massacre had ignited popular opposition to the war, but political and military leaders insisted that such crimes were isolated exceptions. The members of VVAW knew differently.
Over three days in January, these soldiers testified on the systematic brutality they had seen visited upon the people of Vietnam. They called it the Winter Soldier investigation, after Thomas Paine's famous admonishing of the "summer soldier" who shirks his duty during difficult times. In a time of war and lies, the veterans who gathered in Detroit knew it was their duty to tell the truth.
Over thirty years later, we find ourselves faced with a new war. But the lies are the same. Once again, American troops are sinking into increasingly bloody occupations. Once again, war crimes in places like Haditha, Fallujah, and Abu Ghraib have turned the public against the war. Once again, politicians and generals are blaming "a few bad apples" instead of examining the military policies that have destroyed Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again, our country needs Winter Soldiers.
In March of 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will gather in our nation's capital to break the silence and hold our leaders accountable for these wars. We hope you'll join us, because yours is a story that every American needs to hear.
Click here to sign a statement of support for Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan
March 13th through 16th are the dates for the Winter Soldier Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Dee Knight (Workers World) notes, "IVAW wants as many people as possible to attend the event. It is planning to provide live broadcasting of the sessions for those who cannot hear the testimony firsthand. 'We have been inspired by the tremendous support the movement has shown us,' IVAW says. 'We believe the success of Winter Soldier will ultimately depend on the support of our allies and the hard work of our members'." IVAW's co-chair Adam Kokesh will, of course, be participating and he explains why at his site, "But out of a strong sense of duty, some of us are trying to put our experiences to use for a good cause. Some of us couldn't live with ourselves if weren't doing everything we could to bring our brothers and sisters home as soon as possible. The environment may be unking, but that is why I will be testifying to shooting at civilians as a result of changing Rules of Engagement, abuse of detainees, and desecration of Iraqi bodies. It won't be easy but it must be done. Some of the stories are things that are difficult to admit that I was a part of, but if one more veteran realizes that they are not alone because of my testimony it will be worth it." The hearings will be broadcast throughout at the Iraq Veterans Against the War home page an on KPFA March 14th and 16th with Aimee Allison (co-host of the station's The Morning Show and co-author with David Solnit of Army Of None) and Aaron Glantz hosting and the KPFA live stream will also be available at Glantz' War Comes Home.
"Some people are going to say that we're not upholding our patriotic duty to America, that we're just demoralizing the troops, but if anything we want to make sure that our troops are taken care of the way they should," Vermont's WCAX (text and video) quotes Iraq veteran Adrienne Kinne explaining at the University of Vermont to a crowd of over 150 as she and three other veterans explained the upcoming Winter Soldier Investigation. Matthew Howard speaks to WCAX's Bianca Slota abouth how service members are encouraged to see "every Iraqi's a threat or terrorist or insurgenty. You know we never hear the term civilian over there." Howard speaks of "the feelings of betrayal, of ultimate betrayal" after serving in a war based on lies. Slota notes, "Their stories ranged from tales of intelligence intercepts from listening in on conversations of aid workers or journalists to tales of leaving injured Iraqi civilians on the side of the road." Sara Buscher (Burlington Free Press) speaks with Matthew Howard who previews the DC action, "We have footage. We have digital cameras and cell phones. The public doesn't know what dead Iraqis look like, what little children look like when they have their brains blown away by 50-caliber machine guns -- what a mosque look like when we use it for target practice." Andy Potter (WCAX text and video) interviewed Drew Cameron last week and Cameron shared his thoughts on the illegal war, "It's sending very young people to do atrocities, things based not on any reality of the security of this country. If anything, it's destroying the military. It's destroying peoples' lives and families' lives, not to mention all the innocent civilians. Massive amount of destruction."
"The soldiers and marines are just doing their jobs, doing what they were trained for or what they were told to do when they got over there. Things that seem really horrible just become routine -- and they are implicitly or explicitly condoned, or encouraged, by the commanders and the policy-makers," Iraq War veteran Kelly Dougherty states walking Ariel Leve through for a major report in the Sunday Times of London which also includes Afghan War veteran Perry O'Brien recalling, "Anyone carrying a shovel or any sort of implement that could be used to bury an IED could be considered a target. After dark, you can shoot anyone who is outside. Or anyone who puts anything on the side of the road can be considered a target. You won't find it in writing, but it's an order indicated to soldiers." Iraq War veteran Jason Washburn remembers one mission: "We kick down the door and all we find are a few women holding babies and a couple of kids. We were ordered to take the babies away and put sandbags on the women's heads, tie their hands behind their backs, put them on their knees facing the wall. Here I am zip-tying these women, and my buddy is standing next to me holding these babies asking what do I do with these kids? We stood there, like, oh s**t, what do we do? The squad leader came in and shouted, 'Everybody is bagged and tagged -- everybody!' So we did it." Michael Kramer (Workers World) reports today on an NYC event last month to get the word out on IVAW's action this month and notes, "IVAW member and war resister Ryan Johnson was able to take part in the program from Canada via a live video feed. He is a member of the Winter Soldier Organizing Committee and described the situation of more than 50 absent without leave war resisters in Canada as they courageously struggle for human rights and against deportation. There is now an IVAW chapter in Toronto. More ominously for the Bush administration and Pentagon generals, an IVAW chapter has recently been formed on the Fort Hood, Texas, army megabase."
Starting with news from the weekend. On Saturday, the UK Ministry of Defence announced, "It is with deep regret that the Ministry of Defence must confirm that a British airman was killed in Basra, southern Iraq yesterday, Friday 29 February 2008. The ariman, who was attached to 903 Expeditionary Air Wing, Royal Air Force, died as a result of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base in Basra." They identified him as Sgt. Duane "Baz" Barwood who is survived by his spouse Sharon and their two children Leanna and Rebecca. Since the start of the illegal war, ICCC's total for British forces who have died in the Iraq is 175. Also on Saturday, Warren P. Strobel (McClatchy Newspapers) reported, "None of the 26 buildings in the new $740 million U.S. Embassy complex in Baghdad is ready to be occupied. Fire alarms intended to safeguard more than 1,000 U.S. government employees aren't working. Kitchens in some of the buildings are fire hazards. A senior State Department official in December certified that embassy construction was 'substantially complete,' but department inspectors found 'major deficiencies' at the unoccupied embassy, according to their inspection report, which Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif, released Friday." Waxman is the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Goverment Reform and at the committee's website they have a list of the "documents," all in PDF format, released by Chariman Waxman identify 'critical' and 'major' deficiencies in the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, raising question about the decision of the State Department to certify in December that the Embassy compound was 'substantially complete'." These documents include the letter he sent to US Secretary of State Condi Rice Friday where he informs her that he's scheduling a committee hearing March 12th that State Dept employees -- specifically the Acting Director for the Office of Overseas Building Operations Richard J. Shinnick -- should be present for and "to advise you that if the State Department does not commit by the close of business on March 3 to provide by March 7 the documents the Committee has repeatedly requested and subpoenaed, I will initiate steps to require the Deputy Secretary to appear with the documents at the Committee's March 12 hearing." Waxman's letter summarizes key events including the July 26, 2007 testimony by the State Dept.'s Charles E. Williams (director for Officie of Overseas Building Operations) which declared that the embassy would be completed in September of that year (cost $592 million). Waxman writes that "Williams's testimony turned out to be highly misleading. The Embassy did not come in on time and under budget in September. Although the price tag has increaed to $736 million, the Embassy is still not complete." He notes the letter he sent October 9th of last year (to Condi) where the issue of the fire protection system was raised, "quoted extensively from a report issued in September 2007 by State Department inspectors who documented widespread deficiencies in the Embassy's fire protection and electrical system" and noted an alleged kickback scheme that was ongoing (one person involved in the alleged kickback scheme "pleaded guilty in federal cout in July 2007"). In terms of the State Dept.'s failure to provide information and produce documents, Waxman notes requests made on July 10th, again on October 9th and again on October 19th; that Rice herself stated in her October 25, 2007 testimony to the committee that "we will get the documents to you, Mr. Chairman" but nothing; which led to the issuing of a subpoena on February 9th requiring that the State Dept produce the documents within seven days. That February 15th deadline passed with no documentation being provided and Waxman is now requesting a commitment (received by today) that the State Dept will produce the requested material by March 7th.
Also on Saturday, Sheryl Gay Stoblerg (New York Times) reported on the trial ballon being floated by the White House and US military command (presumably on orders from the White House) that US troop reduction in Iraq will conclude shortly but may pick back up "before Mr. Bush leaves office, a senior administration official said Friday." For those still not grasping it, Deb Riechmann (AP) reported, "President Bust declined Saturday to promise more U.S. troops withdrawals from Iraq before he leaves office". Sunday saw the arrival in Iraq of Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Alissa J. Rubin (New York Times) noted that military and security checkpoints were already set up throughout Baghdad on Saturday in anticipation of Ahmadinejad's Sunday visit and Mike Mullen, US Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, visiting on Saturday and that both "visits come as violence, which in December reached its lowest level in more than a year, has begun to rise." The BBC puts the Iraqi death toll at 633 for the month of February (an undercount). Leila Fadel (McClatchy Newspapers) notes that Ahmadinejad's visit makes him "the first Iranian head of state to visit Iraq in three decades," that some Sunnis protested his trip in Falluja, that the "Shiite ruling elite" listenend attentively, "clearly comfortable" and without need of translation while the US "officials stayed far way from the visiting Iranian delegation" and Ahmadinejad declared in a joint-press conference with Nouri al Maliki, "Iraqis don't like Americans." Michael Theodoulus (The Scotsman) draws a contrast between Ahmadinejad's trip and the trips that the Bully Boy of the United States makes, "The Iranian leader arrived yesterday amid great fanfare on a two-day visit that was pre-announced. By contrast, the US president's visits were hurried and almost furtive. His presence was never revealed before hand for security reasons -- even though the US has 158,000 troops in Iraq -- and he has never stayed overnight." Borzou Daragahi (Los Angeles Times) quotes Ahmadinejad stating, "Iran and Iraq are two friendly nations. Both have a common history and civilization. Both of them have deep, intimate sentimental and social relations." AFP reports that the Iranian president "accused the US on Sunday of bringing terrorism to the Middel East". Caesar Ahmed (Los Angeles Times' Babylon & Beyond blog) offers a partial transcript of the press conference Ahmadinejad held today ("at the home of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani") including the following:
QUESTION: Are Iranian elements targeting members of the Sunni militias of the so-called Awakening movement? AHMADINEJAD: We did not witness nor did we get any complains from the Iraqi side about this issue. There may be a few incidents along the borders. And this is normal. We have laws and everything will be conducted under the umbrella of our laws.
Q: What about the fate of Iraqi soldiers missing from the time of the Iran-Iraq war?
A: There are few missing. Both sides are cooperating to discover the fate of those who are missing.
Q: What about about the American accusations that Iran supports militias in Iraq?
A: We discussed with the Iraqi side the issues that serve the interests of the two countries. We are not committed to answer the demands of others.
AFP reports that "seven pacts" were signed with the Iraqi government today and that Ahmadinejad recommended US forces leave Iraq: "Without the presence of the foreign troops, the region will live in peace and brotherhood." Deborah Haynes (Times of London) quotes Ahmadinejad stating, "We believe that the major powers who have come to the region from thousands of kilometres away should respect the will of nations and leave this region. That's the best service they can offer these nations." CBS and AP cite the network's Allen Pizzey's call that the visit sends the message "that Iran can't be ignored, or even short-changed as a player here."
Friday's snapshot noted the Mosul kidnapping of Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho who remains missing. Independent Catholic News reports, "He had just celebrated the rite of Via Cruis and was on his way back to the Holy Spirit Cathedral when his car was attacked. His driver, Faris, and one of his guards, Rami, were killed. The other guard, Samir, was wounded and was in a very critical condition at the time of this posting. It is not known who has kidnapped 67-year-old archbishop, who is believed to be in poor health and requiring daily medication." ZENIT notes that the funerals for the three men accompanying the Archbishop Friday (all were shot dead) were held on Saturday and that Pope Benedict XVI has repeated his appeal calling for the kidnappers to release Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho. Melissa Gonzalo (Arizon's 12 News -- link has text video) reports on Iraqis in Arizona and Peter Oraha states, "Make me feel that I want to do something but I'm too far. I couldn't do anything to be honest."
Bombings?
Alexandra Zavis (Los Angeles Times) reports Baghdad bombings claimed 24 lives today and left at least sixty people injured. Reuters notes a Shirqat car bombing claimed the lives of 2 police officers and left nine civilians injured. Today CBS and AP report that US military command is stating "regret over the killing of a teenager Friday by a helicopter gunship" while Reuters reports the British military declared today they were "invetigating whether a woman had been killed and three children wounded by a defective artillery shell it had fired in defence of its base in the Iraqi city of Basra" and there is apparently another child who may dead from that assault according to Iraqi authorities "and a hospital source".
Shootings?
Reuters notes police col. Qassim Abid Filaih and 3 guards were shot dead in Basra.
Corpses?
Reuters reports a discovery of a mass grave in Samarra containing 14 corpses believed to have been "either Iraqi police of members" of one of the "Awakening" Councils.
Turning to US politics. Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont hold Democratic Party primaries tomorrow. Campaigning in Ohio Sunday, US Senator Barack Obama had an Iraqi talking point and it was one David Axelrod (Bambi's Karl Rove) was repeating the same day on ABC. Steven Thomma (McClatchy Newspapers) reports facts aren't Bambi's strong point since he declared that Senator Hillary Clinton should have followed the example of Senator Jay Rockefeller -- chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee at the time -- on the 2002 Iraq vote; Bob Graham was the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Rockefeller voted in favor of the 2002 resolution leading Thomma to penalize them "Five yars for sloppy fact checking." The Chicago Tribune's Frank James disagrees, "I think this is more like 15 yards and loss of a down. The Iraq War vote is only the central premis of Obama's argument for why he should be president. Given that, it seems like he would have absolute command of the facts surrounding the vote. That he doesn't seems curious." Niall Stanage (New York Observer) reports on Gloria Steinem campaigning for Hillary in Austin, Texas. From the article:
There is, she said, "a great deal of pressure at play for her to act like her gender and give in." Several shouts of "No!" came from the crowd. Steinem went on: "It's a way of reinforcing the gender roles, right? Men are loved if they win and Hillary is loved if she loses…But maybe we shouldn't be so afraid of an open convention that actually decides something. After all, it was an open convention in New York City that gave us Abraham Lincoln."
Meanwhile Roseanne Barr notes, "Pigdom lives on. Obama doesn't want to end the war, HE just wants to movie it to pakistan, and those men have nukes . . . our leaders have us at war with a country that has NO ARMY, and they are kicking our asses. . . . YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO WOMEN, NOT SILENCE THEM!!!! HELLOOOOO....!!! HILLARY'S HEALTH CARE PROGRAM IS THE BETTER ONE!!! SHE DIDN'T START THE WAR, AND SHE DIDN'T BLOW ANYBODY!!! SHE DIDN'T VOTE FOR NAFTA, AND SHE DIDN'T INVENT AIPAC." On the issue of Iraq, Joe Wilson (The Huffington Post) explains it:
Barack Obama argues that he deserves the Democratic nomination and Hillary Clinton doesn't because he possesses superior "judgment," as he calls it, on the key issues we face as a nation. As definitive proof he offers one speech he made in 2002 during a reelection campaign for an Illinois senate seat in the most liberal district in the state, so liberal that no other position would have been viable. When he made that speech, Obama was not privy to the briefings by, among others, Secretary of State Colin Powell, in support of the Authorization of Use of Military Force as a diplomatic tool to push the international community to impose intrusive inspections on Saddam Hussein. Would Obama have acted differently had he been in Washington or had he had the benefit of the arguments and the intelligence that the administration was offering to the Congress debating that resolution? During the 2002-2003 timeframe, he was a minor local official uninvolved in the national debate on the war so we can only judge from his own statements prior to the 2008 campaign. Obama repeated these points in a whole host of interviews prior to announcing his candidacy. On July 27, 2004, he told the Chicago Tribune on Iraq: "There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage." In his book, The Audacity of Hope, published in 2006, he wrote, "...on the merits I didn't consider the case against war to be cut-and- dried." And, in 2006, he clearly said, "I'm always careful to say that I was not in the Senate, so perhaps the reason I thought it was such a bad idea was that I didn't have the benefit of US intelligence. And for those who did, it might have led to a different set of choices." I was involved in that debate in every step of the effort to prevent this senseless war and I profoundly resent Obama's distortion of George Bush's folly into Hillary Clinton's responsibility. I was in the middle of the debate in Washington. Obama wasn't there. I remember what was said and done. In fact, the administration lied in order to secure support for its war of choice, including cooking the intelligence and misleading Congress about the intent of the authorization. Senator Clinton's position, stated in her floor speech, was in favor of allowing the United Nations weapons inspectors to complete their mission and to build a broad international coalition. Bush rejected her path. It was his war of choice.
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