tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812043282272915800.post6327109545693602857..comments2024-02-15T21:24:23.524-08:00Comments on Today in The Endless War: War News for Wednesday, March 09, 2011Cervanteshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11302076828795198187noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812043282272915800.post-16996219692358328872011-03-09T14:31:45.075-08:002011-03-09T14:31:45.075-08:00At least nine local officials, including two provi...At least nine local officials, including two provincial governors, also announced that they would step down in response to protesters’ demands for substantial government reform.<br /><br />The resignations came in the wake of Iraq’s “Day of Rage” demonstrations on February 25, when thousands of people in towns and cities took to the streets, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding change.<br /><br />Shiltagh Aboud, the governor of Basra, announced his resignation last week following weeks of protests in which angry residents called for provincial officials to go and demanded better living conditions. Basra, home to the country’s biggest oil fields, is the main revenue earner for Iraq but locals maintain the oil wealth has not benefited ordinary citizens.<br /><br />Basra had a budget of 800 billion Iraqi dinars (more than 680 million US dollars) for local projects in 2010, according to the parliament’s economic committee. Residents say, however, that rubbish remains piled up in the main streets; the sewage system is poor and there is little access to clean drinking water or an adequate electricity supply.<br /><br />“Where has our budget gone? Where has our wealth gone?” Hassan Shakir, a 35-year-old teacher in Basra, said. “Before [the US-led invasion of] 2003, I had more electricity than I have now. Our conditions are deteriorating while our millions of dollars are disappearing.”<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://iwpr.net/report-news/iraq-protests-prompt-early-local-election-calls" rel="nofollow">Iraq protests</a>Dancewaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733269960341895623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812043282272915800.post-42687765834162277202011-03-09T14:28:47.316-08:002011-03-09T14:28:47.316-08:00Link to above post<a href="http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/2011/02/why-the-lying.html" rel="nofollow">Link to above post</a>Dancewaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733269960341895623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812043282272915800.post-25872183082468307602011-03-09T14:28:09.179-08:002011-03-09T14:28:09.179-08:00Why the Lying??
Two stories were told about a ...Why the Lying??<br /><br /> <br /><br />Two stories were told about a "mass grave" that was uncovered in Diyala.<br /> <br />General Abdulhussein al Shammeri, police chief of Diyala province told AFP, "We found 153 bodies of men, women and children. Of the men, some were in civilian clothing; others in army or police uniforms. We were able to uncover this mass grave as a result of confessions made by a suspect we detained some two weeks ago".<br /> <br /><br />To al Mashriq newspaper he added, "Most of them were blindfolded and had their hands tied behind their backs – the hallmark of Qaida assassinations. We believe they were victims of al Qaida.<br /> <br />The area in which the "mass grave" was found was a well known Qaida hot bed, especially during 2006 and 2007. It lies 35 miles to the northeast of Baghdad, 12 miles to the south of Baquba, Diyala's provincial capital.<br /> <br />This was the story that major Iraqi press adopted – And why not? A named source – a general no less, gave the information.<br /> <br />But another story was told by Reuters:<br /> <br />One hundred and fifty three individual graves had been unearthed yesterday and today….. A tribal leader in the area had told Reuters that the site was well known as "the cemetery of mujahideen" – a reference to the al Qaida fighters who battled U.S. and Iraqi forces.<br /> <br />This great big discrepancy – Why?? Could it be two different sites, a mass grave and a cemetary - or what?? - I couldn't help myself – I had to check.<br /> <br />I called our Diyala stringer and this is what I got:<br /> <br />"I was there. I saw them myself. It was incredible – the way they were each buried - individually, according to the word of Islamic tradition: their faces towards the Kaaba (Mekka), the libna (mud brick) under the head, the white shroud – complete to the smallest detail.<br />"Since when did al Qaida burry its victims observing such details?? No – These were Qaida fighters for sure".<br /> <br />SO – I ask: What benefit would security forces gain by distorting this story? Is it to sow more hatred for al Qaida? And if this story – this unashamed statement by a General, is a lie – Then what else is a lie? And to what end? <br /> <br />Is this how the Iraqi security forces hope to gain the trust of the Iraqi people? And if we can't believe a General - a chief of police of a province ….???Dancewaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733269960341895623noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8812043282272915800.post-18339928495524503842011-03-09T14:25:48.939-08:002011-03-09T14:25:48.939-08:00After one year of her participation in the last pa...After one year of her participation in the last parliamentary election in March 7th 2010, Hiyam Tawfiq is completely disappointed because she feels that she had been deceived by the promises of the Iraqi political party she voted for. Her frustration and disappointment led here to Tahrir square in downtown Baghdad to join few hundred Iraqis organized a demonstration in March 7 2011; one year after the election. They call their demonstration THE DAY OF REGRET referring to their regret for participating in the parliamentary election. The demonstrators were confined to certain area of the square designated by yellow police tape and surrounded by dozens of Iraqi security forces who were searching those who join the demonstration.<br />“I feel a volcano inside me because of my anger that can damage the whole Green Zone if I release it”, said Hiyam, a 34 years former employee in the high electoral commission that prepared for the election.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/2011/03/day-of-regret-.html" rel="nofollow">Day of Regret</a>Dancewaterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16733269960341895623noreply@blogger.com