News & Views 11/28/07

Photo: In this photo released by the U.S Air Force, Sunni tribal leaders sign a security pact in Hawija, 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2007. Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents signed a security pact with American forces Wednesday in this dusty farming community U.S. officers describe as the last gateway for militants flowing northward in Iraq. (AP Photo/ U.S. Air Force, SSG Samuel Bendet)

REPORTS – LIFE IN IRAQ

UN Has New Concern About Baghdad Cholera

The United Nations raised new concern Wednesday about a possible cholera outbreak in Baghdad ahead of the rainy season, saying the capital accounts for 79 percent of all new cases despite a national decline. The Iraqi Health Ministry reported that two boys in a Baghdad orphanage died of cholera this month and six other children there had been diagnosed with the disease, which was first detected Aug. 14 in the northern city of Kirkuk. The U.N. Children's Fund said 101 cases had been recorded in the capital, most in the past three weeks, making it the source of 79 percent of all new cases. It said no single source for the outbreak had been identified, but the main Shiite enclave of Sadr City was among the areas hardest hit. "While national caseloads are declining, we are increasingly concerned about a possible outbreak in Baghdad," UNICEF said in a statement. "UNICEF is working with WHO to try to limit the spread in the capital and treat the sick as Iraq's rainy season sets in." The humanitarian organization said it was providing oral rehydration salts and water purification tablets for families, as well as jerry cans at water distribution points. It also was transporting 47,552 gallons of safe water per day to Baghdad's most affected districts, including schools and other institutions. UNICEF said the recent case in the orphanage "raises concerns for all children in institutions and schools in Baghdad," and it issued an urgent appeal to "Iraq's government to clean water storage tanks in all institutions as one preventive measure.

Iraqi journalist's family 'safe'

The family of an Iraqi journalist - who he claimed had been killed by gunmen in Baghdad - have appeared on Iraqi television, apparently safe and well. Dia al-Kawwaz, who lives in Jordan, said that several members of his family were killed by Shia gunmen on Sunday. But a taped report on the US-owned al-Hurra TV showed his family, none of whom seemed distressed or injured. Mr Kawwaz' sisters denounced his actions, saying there had never been any sort of threat against them. One of his brothers-in-law suggested that he had made the story up for political reasons.

Grim View of Iraq Dangers in Survey of Journalists

In a newly released survey, American journalists in Iraq give harrowing accounts of their work, with the great majority saying that colleagues have been kidnapped or killed and that most parts of Baghdad are too dangerous for them to visit. The survey was conducted by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, an arm of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center in Washington. Of the 111 journalists who participated, half had spent at least nine months in Iraq, and three-quarters had experience reporting on other armed conflicts. Most of the journalists were surveyed in October, one of the least deadly months in Baghdad in recent years. Almost two-thirds of the respondents said that most or all of their street reporting was done by local citizens, yet 87 percent said that it was not safe for their Iraqi reporters to openly carry notebooks, cameras or anything else that identified them as journalists. Two-thirds of respondents said they worried that their reliance on local reporters — including many with little or no background in journalism — could produce inaccurate or incomplete news reports.

FEATURE-Al Qaeda haven no more, Iraq's Falluja rebuilds

Falluja, once the heart of Iraq's bloody insurgency, is hoping to trade mortar bombs for bricks and mortar as it seeks to heal its wounds and return to normality. With a greater number of police officers on the streets, there are signs that the city is on its way to achieving it. By day, people, cars and minibuses compete on the streets as police try to direct the teeming traffic. At night, men relax outdoors on plastic chairs, smoking and talking. Driving is still banned, but people ride bicycles and children play street soccer under the glow of recently installed solar-powered street lights. The city is undertaking public works projects big and small. In the western part of the city, minaret towers are being erected above a new mosque in place of a building destroyed in an air strike.

Iraqi Government Reopens Landmark Street

The smell of grilled fish and the sound of children's laughter provided moments of joy for many Iraqis Saturday as the government reopened Abu Nawas Street, a famous riverside promenade that has been largely barricaded from the public since the U.S.-led invasion. The Iraqi government hailed the renovation of the street - named for a ninth century poet and once known for its art galleries - as a sign of improved security. But the presence of U.S. troops and armed private security guards underscored the fragility of the new signs of calm. Lt. Gen. Abboud Qanbar, the Iraqi commander for Baghdad, recalled the concrete barriers that once lined the street before a U.S.-Iraqi security operation began in mid-February to quell spiraling violence. "The reconstruction of Abu Nawas is considered one of the bright results," he said during the opening ceremonies. But he warned the fight was not over, saying "we realize that the enemy will not lay down his weapons as easily as some would think, but we are determined to defeat them."

REPORTS – IRAQI MILITIAS, POLITICIANS, POWER BROKERS

Iraq politicians oppose US pact

Iraqi opposition groups have criticised moves towards a long-term US-Iraqi pact following the expiry of the UN mandate governing foreign troops in Iraq. On Monday US and Iraqi leaders signed a "declaration of principles" on enduring military, political and economic ties. Sunni Arab and Shia politicians said it would lead to what they described as "US interference for years to come". The Iraqi parliament will have to approve any final agreement before it can come into force. The declaration was signed separately by President George W Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki on Monday. MPs from the Shia bloc loyal to the cleric Moqtada Sadr expressed deep reservations about the agreement. The declaration of principles sets the framework for negotiations next year on a long-term bilateral relationship, including the presence of US troops and economic ties. It sets a 31 July 2008 target date to formalise US-Iraq relations, allowing for the expiration of the renewable UN mandate authorising the presence of US-led multinational forces in Iraq. The Sunni group the Association of Muslim Scholars said the Iraqi signatories of the declaration would be looked on a "collaborators with the occupier".

MNF anti-parliamentarian practices obstruct quorum ascertainment- source

Multi-National Force (MNF) practices against Iraqi parliamentarians prevented the ascertainment of the quorum in the parliament, a media source from the deputy speaker's office said on Wednesday. "Some parliamentarians walked out of the session in protest of the practices of MNF personnel assigned to protect the parliament's building," the source told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) by phone. The source indicated that the parliamentarians found the practices offensive and refused to return to the parliament, resulting in an absence of the quorum. Today's agenda included a second reading of the accountability and justice law, an alternative to the controversial debaathification law, and a second reading of two other bills. "Only 50 parliamentarians attended the session, which prompted the parliament to delay deliberation on the accountability law, the source indicated.

REPORTS – US/UK/OTHERS IN IRAQ

U.S. Military Announces Final Plans on Sunni Patrols

The American military expects to add roughly 10,000 people to its roster of unofficial security guards who act as paid neighborhood watchdogs here, and will then cap the program, a military official said today. The guards were hired by the tens of thousands earlier this year, when American forces offered tribal sheiks money in exchange for information about terrorist and other criminal activities. About 77,000 people, who are alternately called volunteers, concerned local citizens, or members of awakening councils, have joined, the vast majority of them Sunnis. The program has been credited with helping to sharply drive down violence nationwide, but also stirred concerns among Shiites that the Sunnis would use the money and training to re-form militias. About 60,000 of the guards are paid $300 a month, while the rest are still in the process of being enrolled, according to Rear Adml. Gregory Smith, a spokesman for the multinational forces. “Our intent was not to send the message that this was a job creation program,” Admiral Smith said today. The program was expected to grow by another 10 percent to 15 percent, tops, he said. The military said it did not want the number of volunteers to exceed 100,000, a figure that is being neared. Earlier this week the Iraqi government announced that it would start paying the guards’ salaries sometime next year. [The main reason this has worked at reducing violence is because it is a job creation program. – dancewater]

6000 Sunnis Join Pact With US in Iraq

Nearly 6,000 Sunni Arab residents joined a security pact with American forces Wednesday in what U.S. officers described as a critical step in plugging the remaining escape routes for extremists flushed from former strongholds. The new alliance — called the single largest single volunteer mobilization since the war began — covers the "last gateway" for groups such as al-Qaida in Iraq seeking new havens in northern Iraq, U.S. military officials said. U.S. commanders have tried to build a ring around insurgents who fled military offensives launched earlier this year in the western Anbar province and later into Baghdad and surrounding areas. In many places, the U.S.-led battles were given key help from tribal militias — mainly Sunnis — that had turned against al-Qaida and other groups. Extremists have sought new footholds in northern areas once loyal to Saddam Hussein's Baath party as the U.S.-led gains have mounted across central regions. But their ability to strike near the capital remains.

IRAQI REFUGEES

IRAQ-SYRIA: More Iraqi refugees leaving Syria than entering

For the first time since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, figures from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Damascus suggest that more Iraqi refugees are leaving Syria to return home than are entering the country. On 27 November, the first Iraqi government-sponsored convoy of 17 coaches left Damascus for Baghdad, transporting up to 800 refugees back to Iraq. According to UNHCR estimates, 1,500 Iraqis are now returning to Iraq each day from Syria, while only 500 new refugees are arriving in Syria from Iraq each day. The Iraqi government says 45,000 refugees returned to Iraq during October alone. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is set to greet the convoy when it arrives in Baghdad later on 28 November, using it to highlight the security gains across the country that followed the US troop surge earlier this year.

….. "I'm leaving because I've heard the security situation is improving," said Ahiaf Ahmad as he waited to board his bus. "If it's good I'll come back and get my family as well." Nevertheless, a recent report by the UNHCR suggested that many refugees are returning to Iraq against their will as a result of financial and legal difficulties. "The majority of people are going back either because they're running out of savings and making ends meet has finally become impossible, or for the first time we're finding that people are not able to renew their visas, and they're getting an exit stamp in their passports," said Sybella Wilkes, spokesperson for the UNHCR in Syria. As buses departed on 27 November, some refugees expressed frustration that their life in exile had become virtually impossible. "We've received no help from anyone here," said Khadoum Mohammed, saying the soaring cost of living in Syria, where rents have more than doubled and basic commodity prices increased, had become financially unsustainable for him.

IRAQ-JORDAN: Iraq to give US$8 million to Jordan for hosting refugees

The Iraqi government will give Jordan US$8 million to help host the estimated 500,000 Iraqi refugees now living in the country. The Iraqi ambassador to Jordan, Saad Hayani, said the money was to support education and health institutions which have come under financial pressure owing to the influx of Iraqi refugees since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. The money will be presented on 28 November during an official meeting between Jordanian Finance Minister Hamad al-Kassasbe and his Iraqi counterpart, Bayan Jabr Solagh. Most Iraqis in Jordan live in the main cities of Amman, Zarqa and Irbid. Jordan has recently allowed nearly 50,000 Iraqi residents to be enrolled in schools without the need to obtain permanent residency. Hayani said more financial aid would be given to Jordan in the near future, but he pointed out that the priority was to restore security and stability in Iraq to allow the estimated 4.2 million Iraqi refugees living outside Iraq - mainly in Syria and Jordan - to return home.

How to Help Iraqi Refugees

ANOTHER Way to help: The Collateral Repair Project

COMMENTARY

The Iraqi Miracle – From Invasion to “Partnership”

What the U.S. had in mind for Iraq was already clear in the Fall of 2001, even though it would take another year and a half to implement the attack, mercilessly known as shock and awe. By the time of the attack, many millions of U.S. citizens knew full well the real motivation behind it. Not that it mattered, or could matter. The propaganda campaign waged by the government proved too effective for the scared, at large population. Their gullibility level was pushed to record heights by the administration’s deep handbag of shifting rationalizations and calls to patriotism. In short, the population was overmatched. With some admirable exceptions, congresspersons, not known for gullibility, went along for different reasons. Ultimately not to stick their necks out. A politician’s main job is to stay elected. This is true because they are not limited to a single term. If they were limited to a single term they might be more inclined to assert their individuality. The usual argument against the single term limit is that by then they are just learning their way around. But that’s the trouble – that there is a “way around”. That means knowing who to kiss up to, who’s useful, who will deal and who will pay. Do we really think that if we had a totally new Congress nothing could get done, because nobody knows their way around? We did have an all new Congress in this country. Once. The media, again with a few admirable exceptions, took the occasion to demonstrate their compliancy. Distinguished less by gullibility than by hard-boiled cynicism, they nonetheless faithfully repeated every administration handout without challenge, indeed, without comment. Now what was it that was so clear to some from the very beginning? That a takeover of Iraq was a natural way to establish a permanent military presence in the heart of the resource-rich Middle East. This was not a departure from longstanding American foreign policy goals but merely its latest iteration. Iraq happens to harbor the second largest proven oil reserves and oil just happens to be entering its scarcity mode.

Bush Gets “Preferential Treatment” for U.S. Companies in Iraq

Bush just pulled the knee strings on his puppet in Iraq, and Nouri al-Maliki did the jig. The prime minister signed on to a deal laying the groundwork for the long-term presence of U.S. troops there. Permanent military bases, anyone? To inaugurate the pact, U.S. troops in Baghdad killed three women on a bus that was approaching a U.S. roadblock. The arrangement with the Maliki government will ultimately take the place of the U.N.-sanctioned presence of U.S. troops there, which itself is a blot on the U.N.’s record. And part of the “enduring” relationship that Bush and Maliki laid out in this pact has nothing to do with the presence of U.S. troops, but with the profits of U.S. corporations. The deal would give “preferential treatment for American investments,” AP reports, adding nonchalantly that this “could provide a huge windfall if Iraq can achieve enough stability to exploit its vast oil resources.”

Iraq and the Democrats 2008: Uh Oh!

Since 2003, the central theme of the Democrats' opposition to the war was that it was mismanaged, that the Bush administration didn't send enough troops to do the job, and that big mistakes were made. All true. But few Democrats, except for the hardy band of progressives, denounced the war for what it was: an illegal war of aggression against a country that represented no threat to the United States. Many Democrats, including the leading ones running for president, have based their opposition to the war on the notion that U.S. forces are stuck in the middle of a civil war between Iraqi factions determined to destroy each other. It's an unwinnable war, and we have to leave, they say. Far less often do we hear that the war in Iraq was a naked attempt by the United States to plant its flag at the heart of the world's oil region. Rarely do the Democrats explain - as General Wesley Clark now does, explicitly - that the war in Iraq was only the first of seven wars and regime change operations that were planned for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Lebanon to remake the Middle East. And never, ever do the Democrats explain that a big reason for going into Iraq was to eliminate one of Israel's chief regional enemies, in a war designed by neoconservatives closely allied to the Israeli right. So what happens to the Democrats if the unwinnable war starts to look, well, winnable?

RESISTANCE

We Support the Troops Who Oppose the War

On the weekend of 13-15 March, 2008, Iraq Veterans Against the War will assemble history's largest gathering of US veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Iraqi and Afghan survivors. They will provide first hand accounts of their experiences and reveal the truth of occupation. We support Iraq Veterans Against the War and their Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan Investigation. Join us in supporting the effort to reveal truth in the way that only those who lived it can.

Please go to this website to sign the petition.

Quotes of the day: A person will worship something, have no doubt about that. We may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts, but it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts will determine our lives, and our character. Therefore, it behooves us to be careful what we worship, for what we are worshipping we are becoming. - Ralph Waldo Emerson