News & Views 11/02/07

Photo: Men carry the body of one of three brothers killed during a raid in al-Wasti neighbourhood in Kirkuk, 250 km (155 miles) north of Baghdad, October 31, 2007. The family of the victims said the three men were killed during a joint raid by the U.S. and Iraqi military early on Wednesday in Kirkuk. The U.S military did not immediately comment on a query made by Reuters about the incident. REUTERS/Slahaldeen Rasheed (IRAQ)

REPORTS – LIFE IN IRAQ

This is just plain not true: Friday Iraqi death toll near record low

Police found the bodies of six victims of sectarian violence dumped in three Iraqi cities Friday. There were no reported shootings or bombings, and it was only the second day this year that the sectarian death toll fell below 10, according to an Associated Press count. [See the post below for reports of shooting and bombings, and the casualties they caused. I did not find reports of six bodies found dumped – only found reports of three bodies found in Baghdad. – dancewater]

Iraqi Shiites protest against US raids

Hundreds of Shiites protested in the centre of the southern Iraqi city of Basra after Friday prayers against recent US military raids targeting followers of radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. "No! No! to America. No! No! to occupation," shouted demonstrators who gathered in Basra's central Al-Timaima neighbourhood, an AFP correspondent reported. The were protesting against recent American military operations in the central Shiite cities of Diwaniyah and Karbala. "We condemn and denounce these raids targeting Sadrists," said Ali al-Suaidi, an official from Sadr's office in Basra, as protesters behind him shouted "Hell to occupiers and Baathists!" American and Iraqi forces have carried out a series of raids in Diwaniyah and also in Baghdad, but say these operations are aimed at nabbing "rogue" militants who have broken away from the main Sadr movement.

Repression against Sadrists leads to upheaval - Sadr's office

Hundreds of Sadrists staged a massive demonstration in the city of Basra after the Friday prayers, calling for stopping the arresting campaign and repression against elements of the Sadrists bloc, asserting that this could lead to an upheaval. "The demonstration staged to support the innocent Sadrists in the cities of Al-Sadr, Karbala and Diwaniya, who are subjected to repression and arresting campaigns by forces of the Baghdad law-imposing plan," A leading Sadrist figure and the leader of the protest Ali al-Saaidi said during the demonstration. The protest started from al-Sadr's office till al-Arousa square in central Basra. "The outcome of such acts could lead to an upheaval and no one could know its consequences," he noted. "Iraqis and Sadrists will not give up freedom and will not accept lowness and shame," al-Saaidi underlined. The Sadr bloc's political board last week urged its followers to abandon all arms throughout Iraq. The Sadrists announced also they are resolved to leaving no stone unturned to stop Iraqi bloodshed.

197 detainees freed, 53 families returned to Diala

Police forces in Diala province have released 197 detainees, after no charges were confirmed against them, while 53 displaced families returned to Baaquba and Khalis, a police source said on Friday. "A total of 197 detainees were set free during October 2007, after no charges were confirmed against them," the source, who preferred not to be named, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). "All of them were prisoners in Bucca detention center in Basra, Karkoush prison in Balad Rouz and the Diala police department," he added. Meanwhile, the source said that "53 displaced families returned to Diala on Thursday morning, highlighting that 47 families returned to Shuwaikherat village in Khalis, north of Baaquba, and 6 families returned to al-Aihemar village, north of Baaquba.

Iraqi state TV shows live prayers from Sunni mosque

Prayers from a Sunni mosque in Baghdad were broadcast live on Iraqi state television on Friday for the first time since the U.S.-led invasion of 2003 in an effort to promote national reconciliation. While security in Baghdad has improved since Washington sent 30,000 extra troops to quell violence, politicians from rival sects are at loggerheads and Iraqis fear fighting between the country's increasingly divided communities could erupt. Nawfal Abd Dahash, manager of the state-run Iraqiya television channel, said they had decided to broadcast Friday prayers from the Umm al-Qura mosque in the Baghdad district of Ghazaliya with no government interference. "We will start doing live broadcasts from mosques from both sects. This is to enhance national unity and to prove that there is no difference between Shi'ites and Sunnis," he told Reuters. Prayers from Shi'ite mosques have been broadcast by Shi'ite television channels regularly over the past four years. A Sunni Arab channel has also shown live prayers. But Dahash said the state channel had not shown Friday prayers live from any mosque since Saddam Hussein was in power.

Iran-Iraq Border Trade Heavy but No Weapons Found

Business is booming on the Iran-Iraq border. Despite a war in one country and Western sanctions against the other's nuclear program, trucks full of everything from fresh produce to furniture and clothes to consumer electronics trundle to the 1,400 km (900 mile) frontier every day. But British officials say along with trade in legitimate goods, which has grown in the past year, there is also a steady flow of "lethal aid" from Iran to Iraq, including rockets and explosives used to make road-side bombs. Iran denies arming Iraqi Shia Muslim militias, which have carried out scores of deadly attacks against British and American troops in Iraq. But British officials are sure Iranian weaponry is coming through. As evidence they mention rocket shrapnel that bears Iranian markings, but at the same time say they have no concrete proof that Iran is supplying Iraq. "It's fair to say that no one has caught anyone red-handed bringing in lethal aid across the border," said Major Anthony Lamb, who oversees training of Iraqi border enforcement units. "Hundreds of searches are carried out every day, but as yet, there hasn't been a direct seizure of lethal aid."

Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Iraq

Having survived the hell of Fallujah, I returned to Baghdad to find that most of the remaining NGOs in Iraq were either pulling out completely or leaving behind a skeleton crew. There was even talk of a UN airlift to fly remaining members of international development organizations out of Iraq if necessary. Others spoke of the possibility of the Baghdad airport being closed down for security reasons. All of us were appalled when we found CNN on the satellite TV channels declaring that the cease-fire in Fallujah was "holding."

Other corporate media outlets like National Public Radio and the New York Times had their reporters happily embedded with the troops, obediently regurgitating the military press releases for U.S. audiences. In my gut, I was beginning to experience a feeling of being trapped. Conditions, particularly those related to mobility, were growing increasingly restrictive. Planes entering and exiting Iraq had to use corkscrew descent and ascent. The road to Amman was virtually impassable for any Westerner because of the threat of kidnapping. It was fear of being kidnapped that forced me to consider abandoning my mission and leaving Iraq.Most of us had decided to take it a day at a time. Our strategy was to stock up on provisions and sit tight in our apartment in the Karrada district of Baghdad. Many of our Iraqi friends and interpreters had received death threats for working with us, more and more Iraqis were staying at home, and all of us were afraid.

IRAQ: Where Better Security Brings No Reassurance

The much touted "surge" of U.S. troops in Baquba has caused more problems that it has solved, residents say. Baquba, capital city of Iraq's Diyala province located 65 km northeast of Baghdad, has long been a volatile city plagued by rampant violence and administrative chaos. In January this year, the Bush administration announced a "surge" of 20,000 additional U.S. troops to be sent into Baghdad, Diyala and al-Anbar province (to the west of Baghdad) to increase security. The total number of U.S. troops in Iraq is now 169,000, the highest through the occupation. This is augmented by at least 180,000 private personnel through contracts paid for by the U.S. government. Estimates of the total number of mercenaries in Iraq vary between 50,000 and 70,000. But despite such numbers, Diyala is controlled by criminal gangs, militias, al-Qaeda like forces, and only on occasion – as at present -- by U.S. forces. Between all of these, normal life has come to a halt. Amidst the fear and violence, streets remain empty, even of Iraqi army or police.

"All of my neighbours initially hailed the U.S. surge in the city," Jabbar Kadhim, a local grocer told IPS. "We see no hope in the (Iraqi) government." U.S. forces took over the entire city and blocked all roads." Given the high presence of the U.S. military, security seems better for now. But facing restrictions of movement, in the middle of high unemployment, people also fear the greater violence that could return once the troops withdraw. "We felt safer seeing the U.S. army, but we know, and the Americans know that militants come back to the city once the U.S. army retreats," said a resident who would not give his name. Others say that the U.S. 'surge' has brought its own problems – and is motivated. Residents have become suspicious of all moves. "In order to create a reason for the coalition forces to stay in Iraq, they create an enemy and fight him," said Mudhafer Razaq, who has lost his trading business. "They direct the militants to destroy the city, and then they come to fight the militants. This way, people will ask for the help of the coalition forces."

REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS

Sadr City MP a 'man of the people' fighting occupation

As he strolls through a bustling street in Baghdad's Sadr City, Falah Hassan Shanshal shakes hands, waves to locals on the cafe terraces and beams at everyone he meets. But to survive in this notorious district of Baghdad, charm is not enough. Shanshal is an MP for Sadr City, the heart of Shiite radicalism synonymous with misery and a no-go area for many. "I am a child of this district, the town of the poor," he says, asked about his popularity in this battleground of political ideology. He portrays himself as the defender of Iraqi sovereignty confronting the American "occupier", a theme which has much resonance with the locals of this huge shantytown in northeastern Baghdad, the bastion of anti-American firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. Abandoning the thundering four-wheel drives of his official convoy and dressed in black shirt and trousers, he strolled with an AFP journalist along one of the streets of Sadr City. Here, there are no longer any people who thank the Americans. The people were happy to see the end of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship," he says. "But today, they think of the Americans as an occupying force."

Anbar leaders seek US compensation for Qaeda fight

Sunni leaders from Iraq's Anbar province on Friday said they want billions of dollars as compensation for joining U.S. forces in the fight against al Qaeda militants. Sheikh Ahmed Abureeshah, a local tribal leader, said Anbar needs some $2 billion to rebuild roads, communications networks and other infrastructure that were destroyed before tribal leaders sided with American troops to fight al Qaeda in Iraq militants. Anbar province was once a stronghold for al Qaeda in Iraq and the site of some of the worst fighting during four years of war. But it is now relatively safe, thanks to cooperation between local residents and U.S. authorities. "Al Qaeda followed your army to Iraq after they attacked you here in the United States," Abureeshah said through an interpreter. "The people of Anbar united with the American army and they started fighting al Qaeda together, and they have been successful," he said. "So we are asking now that we compensate this province for all of the destruction they have faced." Pentagon spokesmen were not immediately available to comment on the request to compensate Anbar for cooperating with U.S. and Iraqi troops. Abureeshah was part of an eight-member Anbar delegation that met this week with President George W. Bush, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and members of Congress. Anbar Gov. Maamoon Sami Rasheed said the province also would like American corporate investments to help revive its flagging economy. He said he was especially interested in U.S. oil company money for petroleum and natural gas reserves in the province's southern Akaz region.

REPORTS – US/UK/OTHERS IN IRAQ

Turks demand action, not words on Kurdish attacks

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Friday branded the Kurdish PKK guerrilla force a "terrorist organization" and a "common enemy" of the United States, Turkey, and Iraq, but in crisis talks with Turkish officials, she stopped short of committing Washington to any form of military retaliation against the PKK. Turkey has threatened to launch military operations alone if necessary, and officials indicated they were not satisfied. "This is where the words end, and the action needs to start," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan told reporters. "Her words were good to hear, but words offer nothing new," said another government official, who spoke anonymously because he is not an authorized spokesman.

US declares PKK 'a common enemy'

The US says it shares with Turkey an enemy in the Kurdistan Workers' Party in northern Iraq. Ms Rice said the fight against the Kurdish separatist rebels would require persistence and commitment, after talks with the Turkish government in Ankara. The meeting was aimed at averting major military operations by Turkey against PKK fighters based in northern Iraq. Turkey has threatened to send in troops if it does not see any concrete action. Nearly 50 Turkish soldiers have died in clashes with Kurdish fighters in the last month and the government is under huge public pressure to respond with force. Speaking at a news conference after talks with the Turkish president, prime minister and foreign minister, Ms Rice said the US was committed to redoubling its efforts to eliminate the threat to Turkey from the PKK.

Macedonia ups Iraq force to boost NATO credentials

NATO membership candidate Macedonia will almost double its 44-man force in Iraq soon, ahead of an expected invitation to join the alliance next year, officials said on Friday . [There was a photo today of Turkish people protesting against the PKK, and a sign said that Macedonia supports Turkey. – dancewater]

US sees decline in Iran-linked bombs found in Iraq

The number of armor-piercing bombs in Iraq that the United States says have been provided by Iran has declined in the past few months, a senior U.S. commander said on Thursday. Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, the U.S. top commander in Iraq for day-to-day operations, said it was too soon to say whether the drop meant Iran had cut back on smuggling arms into Iraq. Washington accuses Iran of supplying so-called explosively formed penetrators or projectiles (EFPs), a particularly deadly form of roadside bomb, to extremists in Iraq, mainly Shi'ite militias. Iran denies fueling violence in Iraq. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said he was sure Iran's elite Qods force knew about the weapons smuggling and believed top Iranian leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were probably aware of it too. He said he understood that, behind the scenes, the Iranians had given assurances to Iraq that the flow of arms would stop. "I don't know whether to believe them. I'll wait and see," Gates said. [See article above about NO WEAPONS FOUND. – dancewater]

More infiltrators arrested in southern Iraq

Iraqi police have arrested 267 infiltrators who had entered the southern city of Basra illegally, the head of national police force in the city said. The officer, refusing to be named, said Basra police have intensified their activities and patrols recently as part of a comprehensive campaign to restore stability. “Crime levels in October declined in Basra in comparison with the previous month,” he said. However, he added, the police have failed to limit kidnapping. He said there were more kidnappings in October than in September. Security is reported to be worsening in Basra, Iraq’s third largest city and the main source of its oil exports. British occupation troops have withdrawn to their barracks and residents say they have even stopped patrolling highways and restive spots in the city. There were 27 murder cases in Basra in October, the police commander said. And 40 bodies were collected dumped on pavements and squares in the city, he added.

IRAQI REFUGEES

Basra shuts doors on fleeing Iraqis

The Province of Basra has made it clear that it has no capacity to accommodate the increasing numbers of Iraqis seeking refuge there, Basra’s deputy governor said. Luay al-Battat said the province’s public services were “very strained” and there were not enough resources to cater for the influx of refugees. The number of Iraqis fleeing their homes to safer areas has soared despite reports that levels of violence have receded recently. U.S. and Iraqi government claims of relative improvement in security have not halted the massive movement of people in the country with Shiites fleeing to predominantly Shiite areas and Sunnis fleeing to predominantly Sunni areas. Minorities like Christians, Sabeans and Yazidis have almost nowhere to go. Escalating sectarian violence and ongoing U.S. military operations are driving Iraqis from their homes. At least two million Iraqis have fled to neighboring Syria and Jordan. But with these countries imposing tough visa restrictions, fearful Iraqis are moving from one province to another in search of safety. Basra is one of several provinces with measures not to accept any more fleeing Iraqis.

US Falls Short of Iraqi Refugees Goal

The United States admitted only 450 Iraqi refugees in October, fewer than half the number it needs per month to meet a goal of 12,000 by the end of this budget year, according to State Department statistics obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

How to Help Iraqi Refugees

ANOTHER Way to help: The Collateral Repair Project

COMMENTARY

NPR gives torture credibility

Good journalists don’t base their stories on highly dubious “facts.” And they try to avoid reports that will encourage violence. Unfortunately, a recent segment on NPR’s Morning Edition (10/26/07) violated both rules. NPR Iraq correspondent Anne Garrels’ report was based around the accounts of three men who were being held prisoner by Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia. The captives were supposedly “renegade” members of Sadr’s militia who said “they were trained in roadside bombs and car bombings in Iran…to attack Americans and sow suspicion and violence between Shiites and Sunnis.” The details of the prisoners’ accounts made up much of Garrels’ report, despite her noting that “the three detainees had clearly been tortured.” “There was blood all over their clothes,” Garrels reported. “They were in such bad shape they couldn’t walk. They had to be dragged onto the chairs, and one of them was just sobbing.” Given the brutal treatment of the three men, there is no reason to put any stock whatsoever in the claims they made in the presence of their captors.

Former envoy: U.S. driving Turkey, Iran together

The retired general who served as President Bush's special envoy to deal with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said the United States has failed to keep its promises to Turkey to confront the Kurdish terrorist group, and Turkey may feel that it has no choice but to attack the PKK's sanctuary in northern Iraq. Retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, in a brief interview, declined to say why he stepped down several weeks ago. But published reports have said that he was frustrated by the Bush administration's failure to act against the PKK. In his first extended comments since his departure, Ralston told McClatchy Newspapers that the United States is unwittingly "driving, strategically, the Turks and the Iranians together" because both nations share concerns about violent Kurdish separatist groups.

Crisis over Turkish Kurdish guerrillas is part of U.S. agenda

The remote and inaccessible mountains in Turkey, Iran and Iraq have never been the exclusive territory of one state. These are dark and difficult mountains where anyone can hide but no government or force can find. Therefore, the transfer of Turkish Kurdish guerrillas to one of Iraq’s mountains does not mean that the nearly 30-year old Turkish crisis has immediately become an Iraqi issue, with its consequences boomeranging on the conditions in the country as a whole. In the shadow of U.S. occupation of Iraq, this issue cannot practically be separated from the U.S. agenda. Ankara can directly negotiate with Washington over the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party or PKK because the Americans are the ones who possess a good picture of PKK’s movements and horizons. And Ankara should remember that the American side has outstanding interests in Turkey whose tide may rise and ebb depending on circumstances. This state of affairs became quite clear when the Turks turned down a U.S. request to use the Incirlik Air Base for attacks on Iraq in 2003.

RESISTANCE

The Roots of the Iraqi Resistance- video

Music: Waterboarding USA

Quote of the day: That's not what I call home. We're really strangers in our country. Oh well, excuse me, I don't think "our" should be used anymore. I'm not sure whose country it is, but it's not mine for sure. ~ A Star from Mosul, a teenage Iraqi woman.