Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Iraq is slammed with
bombings (refuting all of the claims made by Antony Winken Blinken and Nod --
see yesterday's snapshot), Kurdish President Massoud
Barzani delivers a speech and the press notes the message to Nouri but misses
the message to the US, Cindy Sheehan continues her war tax resistance, the US
State Dept pretends to be 'concerned' about events in Iraq, and more.
Today Iraq was slammed with bombings. Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) observes,
"Tuesday's violence was surprisingly widespread, striking not just the capital,
but locations to the east, west, north and south. Medical authorities predicted
the death toll would rise because many of the wounded are in serious
condition." In a text, photo and video essay, ITV's Bill Neely
explains, "They are snapshots of a forgotten conflict; one that most people
can't bear to read or think about any more. This is Iraq. And this is
carnage. Another day of slaughter in the land many in the West like to argue is
better, safer, calmer now."
Early on, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) counted "at least 38 dead
and 171 injured" as violence exploded "in Baghdad, Kirkuk, Karbala, Hilla,
Tikrit, Baiji, Ramadi, and Falluja." AKI noted the bombings "killed 13 in
Kirkuk, 13 in Karbala, 6 in Baghdad, 2 in Ramadi and 2 in Mahmudiya." Patrick J. McDonnell and an unnamed Iraqi
correspondent (Los Angeles Times) note, "The attacks were
apparently aimed at a range of targets: Shiite Muslim pilgrims, Iraqi police, an
army patrol, government officials and guards outside a Christian church in
Baghdad." Richard Spencer (Telegraph of London -- link
is text and video) notes, "In most of the cases, the targets seem to have
been civilians and police, but a motorcade carrying the governor of Anbar
province, a Sunni heartland west of Baghdad stretching to the Syrian border, and
long a haven for al-Qaeda, was also hit. A bodyguard was killed." Governor
Qassim Fahdawi,. Al Rafidayn
reports, is the Anbar Province governor who survived an assassination
attempt in Ramadi (car bombing). AGI notes the claim that Baghdad
security forces "managed to defuse 6 car bombs" before they went off. Salam Faraj (AFP) notes that in addition to bombings --
including one "in the center of the capital" -- a Baghdad church was attacked
with 3 people shot dead. Catholic Culture explains it was the St.
Matthew Baghdad Church, a Syrian Orthodox Church. The Telegraph of
London offers video of the aftermath of the Kirkuk bombings. Lindsey Tugman (CBS News -- link is text and video)
reports on the Kirkuk bombing, "Security teams, backed by ambulances and
fire engines, who rushed to the scene in southern Kirkuk, examined the vast
damage and wrecked vehicles, some still smoldering." The Australian quotes Kirkuk police
officer Mohammed Sobheh stating, "We lost everything. Not one of my colleagues
is alive; they were all killed. I will never forget their screams as long as I
live." Sky News runs Sammer N. Yacoub's AP report
quoting wounded cameraman Saman Majid explaining of the Kirkuk attack, "I
quickly got out of my car to see burned bodies trapped inside the cars. Dozens
of cars were on fire. It was a scene from hell, where there is only a huge fire
and dead people and nothing else." A Kirkuk shop keeper tells Peter Biles (BBC News -- link is
video) that, "A car parked here. We shouted for security because it looked
suspicious. But no one from the police responded. A few minutes later it
exploded." BBC News offers a photo essay of the aftermath in
various cities.
Alice Fordham (Washington Post) provides
this context, "The violence followed the mass killing of more than 20 police officers in Anbar provinces
this month and an attack on police cadets in February. The wave of attacks is
worrying Iraqi and Western officials alike." Late in the day, Trend News Agency was noting, "At least 56 people
died in bombings in seven Iraqi cities on Tuesday, on the ninth anniversary of
the United States-led invasion. Nearly 150 people were wounded, dpa reported." Jill Reilly (Daily Mail)
notes of Karbala provincial council member Shadhan al-Aboudi, "Mr al-Aboudi
immediately blamed the attacks on al Qaida, the terror network which officials
believe is behind the recent violence with the aim of forcing the Arab League's
summit in Baghdad next week to be cancelled for the second year in a row."
Remember, when you have a ready-made 'bad guy' that you can always rush to
blame, you never have to examine what it is that keeps courting these attacks.
Sahar Issa (McClatchy Newspapers) speaks with
someone who wants to look a little further than al Qaeda in Mesopotamia:
A security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he
was not authorized to speak to reporters, told McClatchy that while the attacks
had the hallmarks of al Qaida, they also could be the result of infighting among
Iraqi political parties trying to undermine one another's credibility just
before the summit meetings.
"It seems they (the political parties) will never stop. They will
continue this war for supremacy until the very end. So until political issues
are resolved at the top level, we will see no peace." he said.
Read
more here:
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/03/20/142574/bombings-in-iraq-kill-50-heighten.html#storylink=rss#storylink=cpy
Sahar Issa: [. . .] And I think insurgents want to remind people
that although nine years have passed, everything in Iraqi politics today stems
from an occupation of the country.
Lisa Mullins: The fact that the explosions are continuing now in
such large numbers, what's the potential that this will derail the Arab League
Summit next week?
Sahar Issa: The Iraqi government has taken this into consideration,
I believe, because they have given two days holiday and there is a high
possibility -- in fact, it is expected -- that a curfew will be announced. In
which case, if people want to arrange bombings, it is going to be very
difficult. But I don't believe it will be derailed, I believe it will take
place. The Iraqi government looks to the summit to give it legitimacy in the
Arab world. I doubt very much that it is going to let this opportunity slip
between its fingers.
Lisa Mullins: Even if it has to embrace this opportunity and hold
the summit against a backdrop of bombings?
Sahar Issa: They will want to keep it. It remains for the guests
to decide whether they want to come to the site of bombings or
not.
A week ago, we noted, " Dar Addustour
notes that the Cabinet has agreed to foot the bill for the Summit which,
according to Nouri's spokesperson Ali al-Dabbagh, will cost $100 billion dinars.
That would be $86,073,447.54 in US dollars." Today Jack Healy (New York Times) reports,
"Iraq is spending about $500 million on the meeting, for extensive security plus
everything from hotel renovations and overtime to catering, stationery and new
sod and palm trees on the road fromt he airport. Foreign Minister Hoshyar
Zebari called the price tag 'an investment for the country'." I'm sure his
figure is correct -- and not just because the cost has increased as the
government has added this closure and that. Al Bawaba
News adds, "The government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, announced a
week-long holiday in Baghdad, from 25 to 31 March, during which government
offices will be closed. A curfew will be imposed on March 29 in some areas of
the capital to secure the arrival of Arab leaders. The roads near the fortified
Green Zone where the summit is to take place will be barred and the residents
will be encouraged to stay home." Al Rafidayn
notes that, after today's wave of attacks, the government decided to stop
work this Sunday and declare a holiday beginning March 25th (the Summit is
scheduled to run the 27th through the 29th) and that the move comes as Iraqis
are already complaining about "security measures" for the summit which are
already causing big traffic news. Prior to today's decision to impose a week
long holiday, barricades were already going up throughout Baghdad, it had
already been announced that Baghdad International Airport would be closed and
Baghdad was already set to be closed to non-official vehicular traffic. Sam Dagher, Munaf Ammar, Ali A. Nabhan and Jabbar
Yaseen (Wall St. Journal) quote cab driver Ashraf Mohammed
delcaring today, "The Arab summit is worth nothing as long as the people
continue to pay the price." Response to the attacks came from around the
world. France's Foreign Ministry issued the following
statement:
France utterly condemns the attacks
perpetrated this morning in several cities in Iraq which left several dozen
people dead and around a hundred injured.
It extends its condolences to the Iraqi
people and to the families of the victims and expresses its solidarity with the
Iraqi authorities in their fight against terrorism.
In this context, we urge all Iraqi political
actors to engage in dialogue in order to safeguard the country's national unity
and stability.
France stands alongside Iraq and reaffirms
its full support for all democratic political forces and the Iraqi government
engaged in the efforts to ensure the recovery, stability and security of
Iraq.
Press TV reported, "Iran's Foreign Ministry has
vehemently condemned terrorist attacks in a number of Iraqi cities which have
claimed the lives of many people, including a number of Iranian pilgrims.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast
noted that the bomb attacks in Baghdad and several other Iraqi cities were in
continuation of certain parties' enmity which have targeted independence, peace,
stability, and peace in Iraq."
Of course, the US government pretended to give a damn as well. Jay Carney
was forced to note -- when asked -- Iraq in the White House press briefing today
while Victoria Nuland was more somber at the start of her State Dept press
briefing in that she was telling jokes about her shoes (that would be yesterday
-- don't we love how they have fun on our tax dollars?).
The State Dept, please remember, gets $6 billion a year just for the
"mission" in Iraq. And yet they no longer produce the weekly reports that they
did before they got the $6 billion yearly, they don't give press briefings just
on Iraq, and they don't feel that they have to answer to either the Congress or
the Special Inspector General for Iraqi Reconstruction as to how they spend the
money. They don't feel they have to answer to anybody. They just spend your
money and pretend to give a damn.
Like today, when Victoria lies and said "we strongly condemn terrorism of
any kind. We condemn today's attacks in Iraq." Let's leave aside the laughable
assertion that the US government condemns terrorism and note some reality for
hacks in the press department -- was it all that long ago that Vicky was working
for Dick Cheney? (oh, my bad, her "makeover" includes the new nickname
"Toria").
When you condemn something strongly? You do it immediately. At the start
of your press briefing. Not over nine minutes into a press breifing and then
only when asked.
The State Dept needs to have the $6 billion pulled, they are not just
ill-equipped to lead anything, they're incompetent and they are arrogant. They
also appear to believe that they are not accountable to the people. Why the
wife of a neo-con, why this woman who worked for Dick Cheney in whoring for the
Iraq War in the lead up was brought into the State Dept by Hillary Clinton is a
question the White House needs to answer. The administration is still --
whether they like it or not -- accountable to the people. Their desire to bring
little Vicky into the fold is something they need to answer to. Again, there is
no difference in the Bully Boy Bush administration and the Baby Barack
administration -- two War Hawks whoring for the same destruction, with partners
from the same dance card. Two wings of the same War Party.
Cindy Sheehan: You know the United States president said today --
he didn't say it today, but the one that we have in office today -- said back in
2002 that the Iraq War was a stupid war but yesterday he made March 19th a Day
of Honor because the US did such great things in Iraq. I want to put their wars
on trial, Joyce. If I have to go on trial to do that then that's what I've been
wanting to do. You know, to me, it just blows my mind that George Bush and Dick
Cheney and Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld and the rest of those War
Criminals and international War Criminals -- and not just crimes abroad, but
crimes in our own country -- they can run around free making all kinds of money
with their books and their appearances and their consulting jobs for the war
machine when they're prosecuting me somebody whose son was killed for their
crimes. So, you know what, Joyce, I hate to use the term of George Bush but I
think, "Bring it on."
Today this was demonstrated yet again. Prasnant Rao (AFP) reports, "Kurd leader Massud
Barzani hinted on Tuesday at a possible break with Iraq's unity government,
complaining that premier Nuri al-Maliki was monopolising power and building an
army loyal only to him." This press release is from the Kurdistan Regional
Government (sent to the public e-mail account):
Salahaddin, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRP.org) – In his annual
message on the occasion of Newroz, the Kurdish New Year, President Barzani said
that power-sharing in Iraq and commitment to the Iraqi Constitution are under
threat and that the Kurds will decide their own course of action if these two
principles are abandoned.
"Iraq is facing a serious crisis. We have
tried our utmost to prevent Iraq from descending into a sectarian conflict and
we have consistently avoided taking sides in this conflict. The Kurds have
played a pivotal role in bringing about the new Iraq, particularly two years ago
when our initiative resulted in the formation of the current government. Had it
not been for our role, one can only guess what an unknown fate would have beset
Iraq. It is very unfortunate that a small number of people in Baghdad have
imposed themselves and monopolized power," said the President.
He said
there are a number of main disputes with the Baghdad government.
"Power-sharing and partnership between Kurds, Sunni and Shiite Arabs, and
others is now completely non-existent and has become meaningless. The Iraqi
Constitution is constantly violated and the Erbil agreement, which was the basis
upon which the current government was formed, has been completely ignored. As
soon as they came to power, they disregarded the Constitution, the previous
agreements that we had, and the principle of power-sharing."
On disputes
between Erbil and Baghdad, the President said: "The resolution of the status of
Kirkuk and other disputed areas has constantly been evaded. We have shown utmost
flexibility and patience and here I want to thank our people for their patience.
We have opted for a resolution based on legal and constitutional means but
others have reneged on their pledges. It is impossible for us to abandon this
issue because for us it is extremely significant and more than being a mere
matter of principle."
He said the other main issue is allocation of
funds for the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces which the Iraqi government has
consistently refused to address, saying, "for the last five or six years funding
for Peshmerga forces has been embezzled."
On the dispute regarding oil
and gas exploration and management, the President defended the legality of the
oil and gas contracts that the KRG has signed.
"None of the KRG
contracts with foreign oil companies is unconstitutional. The main reason behind
this dispute with Baghdad is not a question of legality of the contracts; rather
it is that they don't want to see the KRG make progress and stride forward. "
On monopolization of power in Baghdad, the President stated that power
is being concentrated in the hands of a few people and others in the political
process are being marginalized, including Shiites.
"There is an attempt to
establish a one-million strong army whose loyalty is only to a single person.
Where in the world can the same person be the prime minister, the chief of staff
of the armed forces, the minister of defense, the minister of interior, the
chief of intelligence and the head of the national security council. "
The President dismissed statements that the Kurdish-Shiite alliance is
close to collapse, saying, "We are committed to our alliance with the Shiites
but not with this group of people who have monopolized power and with their
policies have even marginalized other Shiites. The Kurds and the followers of
Ammar Al-Hakim and Muqtada Al-Sadr have always shown solidarity with each
other."
"It is time to say enough is enough. The current status of
affairs in unacceptable to us and I call on all Iraqi political leaders to
urgently try and find a solution otherwise we will return to our people and will
decide on whatever course of action that our people deem
appropriate."
Doesn't Joe Biden's little boy Antony Blinken look like an idiot today?
He really does. And, Joe, the Kurds don't trust your boy Antony. Nor did the
recent reshuffle in power -- which strengthened Massoud Barzani and weakend
Jalal Talabani -- improve US relations with the Kurds. Most importnatly, now
that the US is arming Baghdad, don't ever expect the Kurds -- which the US won't
arm for fear of offending the government of Turkey -- to return to seeing the US
as an honest power broker. There have been too many lies and too many broken
promises. Consider the Kurds today's Native Americans, offered beads and
blankets -- blankets with small pox -- while the US government repeatedly took
from them.
Turning to a functioning branch of the US government, the Congress. First,
Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Her
office notes:
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
CONTACT: Murray Press Office
(202) 224-2834
TOMORROW: Senator Murry to Question Army's Top Brass on their
Handling of the Mental Wounds of War
At Hearing of Defense Appropriations Subcommitte, Veterans Chairman
Murray will press Army Secretary and Chief of Staff on troubled PTSD unit at
Joint Base Lewis-McChord and whether similar problems exist at other
bases
(Washington, D.C.) -- Tomorrow, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA),
Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, will question Army Secretary
John McHugh and Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno on recent shortcomings in
the Army's efforts to properly diagnose and treat the invisible wounds of war.
Specifically, Murray will discuss the forensic psyhciatry unit at Madigan Army
medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord that is under investigation for
taking the cost of PTSD into consideration when making diagnosing decisions.
The Army is currently reevaluating nearly 300 service members and veterans who
have had their PTSD diagnoses changed by that unit since 2007.
WHO: U.S. Senator Patty Murray
WHAT: Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee
Hearing
When: TOMORROW -- Wednesday, March 21, 2012
10:30 AM EST/ 7:30 AM PST -- Hearing start
time
Where Dirkensen 192
Matt
McAlvanah
Communications Director
U.S.
Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834 - press office
202--224-0228 - direct
We'll note that in some way but I believe there's another hearing tomorrow
at the same time. The House Veterans Affairs Committee has issued "Setting the
Record Straight: Veterans and the Path to Prosperity" and we'll close with
that:
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