[uruknet.info] - [daily information from occupied iraq] - [newsletter 01 Feb 2006 - Part One]

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Election Results...
Riverbend, Baghdad Burning
...Theocracies (and we seem to be standing on the verge of an Iranian
influenced one), grow stronger with time because you cannot argue religion.
Politicians are no longer politicians- they are Ayatollahs- they become
modern-day envoys of God, to be worshipped, not simply respected. You
cannot challenge them because for their followers, that is a challenge to a
belief- not a person or a political party. You go from being a critic or
'opposition’ to simply being a hea! then when you argue religious parties.
Americans write to me wondering, "But where are the educated Iraqis? Why
didn’t they vote for secular parties?" The educated Iraqis have been
systematically silenced since 2003. They’ve been pressured and bullied
outside of the country. They’ve been assassinated, detained, tortured and
abducted. Many of them have lost faith in the possibility of a secular Iraq
(...) I try not to dwell on the results too much- the fact that Shia
religious fundamentalists are currently in power- because when I do, I’m
filled with this sort of chill that leaves in its wake a feeling of quiet
terror...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20181&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20181


Afghanistan Five Years Later
Mike Whitney
...Afghanistan has been a policy disaster from the get-go. The country is
ravaged by war and unemployment, security beyond the capital of Kabul is
virtually nonexistent, and malnutrition rates are higher among children
anywhere other than sub-Saharan Africa. Now, Karzai, who has seen his
funding from the US consistently slashed year after year, must take his
begging bowl to the world community; asking for the crumbs they can spare
to bandage his failed-state together. Af! ghanistan excels in one thing
alone; the production and export of opium, a booming business which now
provides 90% of the world’s heroin.
Is this what Bush had in mind when he promised Americans to rebuild and
democratize the battle-scarred country; a modern-day drug-colony, occupied
by legions of indifferent volunteers who rarely venture beyond their US
controlled compounds?...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20176&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20176


It was more than election.. It was a referendum for liberation
Ibrahim Ebeid, Al-Moharer
Hamas is a Palestinian liberation group that has won the election. It is
dedicated to liberate Palestine from the River to the Sea. This election
was indeed a message to the World that the Palestinian people will never
sacrifice their right nor will they give up their hope to liberate their
homeland from the clutches of Zionism and Western Imperialism. This
election was a referendum and a rejection to the Oslo agreement and t! o
all the agreements that followed which were intended to force the
Palestinians to accept the status quo, the rape and the usurpation of their
homeland. The people have said no to liquidations of our historic land, yes
to liberation...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20175&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20175


Dems AWOL on Iraq
Robert Dreyfuss
The spectacle of antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan being forced to leave the
House chamber in advance of President Bush’s speech last night is sad. But
far sadder is the stubborn unwillingness of the Democrats to confront
Bush’s illegal, immoral, and failing war in Iraq. A one-sentence quote from
today’s New York Times says it all. Referring to Senator Harry Reid of
Nevada and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, who spoke in advance
of Bush’s speech, the Times noted: "The Con! gressional leaders steered
clear of the Iraq war in their remarks before the speech."...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20196&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20196


Power Hour Productions Presents
A William Lewis Film
Beyond Treason
This extremely powerful 89 minute film presents comprehensive documentation
from United States Government archives of a massive cover-up, including
military and civilian experimentation, dating back over 60 years. Hear the
testimony of experts and of United States military veterans who demand
answers to questions that the Department of Defense will not address. (...)
From the first Gulf War the VA has determined that 250! ,000 troops are now
permanently disabled, 15,000 troops are dead and over 425,000 troops are
ill and slowly dying from what the Department of Defense still calls a
"mystery disease." How many more will have to die before action is taken?...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20180&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20180


Bush's State of the Union - Endless War and Domestic Repression
Troops Out Now Coalition
Traditionally, the State of the Union address is an opportunity for
Presidents to highlight their accomplishments and to lay out their vision
for the coming years. Tonight, President George W. Bush, in his address,
failed on both counts, because the past year has been one of horrific
blunders on every front, and he has no new proposals to offer, merely a
tired call to "stay the course." The people will give their response to!
Bush's State of the Union speech by making the 3rd anniversary of the
criminal invasion of Iraq, March 18, a day of mass protest to stop the war,
with protests all over the globe, including a massive convergence on Time
Square in New York City...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20171&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20171


Shias Head for Uncertain Govt
Dahr Jamail, Inter Press Service
Six weeks after parliamentary elections, occupied Iraq is still struggling
for a viable government, as violence and instability worsen. The results of
the Dec. 15 elections have still to be finalised, but it is clear that the
United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), a Shia fundamentalist coalition, won at least
128 seats in the 275-seat national assembly (...) This means that the
dominating Shia alliance is pro-Tehran, and that Iranian influence will
continue to! grow in Iraq. On a recent visit to Iran, Shia cleric Muqtada
al-Sadr declared that his Mehdi Army and millions of followers would fight
for Iran if it was attacked by a foreign power. The largest Shia party, the
Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), has strong Iranian
links...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20186&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20186


Tomgram: Thomas Powers on Spying, Lying, and Saying No
Tom Engelhardt & Thomas Powers
The challenges posed to American democracy by secrecy and by unchecked
presidential power are the two great themes running through the history of
the Iraq war. How long the war will last, who will "win," and what it will
do to the political landscape of the Middle East will not be obvious for
years to come, but the answers to those questions cannot alter the
character of what happened at the outset. Put plainly, the President de!
cided to attack Iraq, he brushed caution and objection aside, and Congress,
the press, and the people, with very few exceptions, stepped back out of
the way and let him do it...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20182&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20182


Screw You George W. Bush! And While We are on the Subject…
Jesse, Editor, TvNewsLIES
Screw you George W. Bush for pretending to be an American while your
Gestapo hauled off an American citizen for wearing a tee-shirt and
exercising her Constitutional rights. And Screw you George W. Bush for not
mentioning any of the real threats to the lives of Americans such as your
administration’s involvement in the events of 9/11, your environmental
policies that are accelerating global warming, your health care policies
that! ensure fewer Americans have access to health care, and your economic
policies that ensure Americans that they will have to work much harder for
their entire lives in order to stay fed and housed...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20177&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20177


COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO BUSH WAR CRIMES AND CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY TO
PRESENT PRELIMINARY FINDINGS
International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity
The International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity by the
Bush Administration will present its preliminary findings on whether the
Bush Administration has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Its areas of indictment are: 1) war, 2) torture, 3) global environment, 4)
global health, and 5) the administration’s response to K! atrina...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20193&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20193


The True State of the Union
More Deception from the Bush White House
PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
Gentle reader, if you prefer comforting lies to harsh truths, don't read
this column. The state of the union is disastrous. By its naked aggression,
bullying, illegal spying on Americans, and illegal torture and detentions,
the Bush administration has demonstrated American contempt for the Geneva
Convention, for human life and dignity, and for the civil liberties of its
own citizens. Increasingly, the US is isolated! in the world, having to
resort to bribery and threats to impose its diktats. No country any longer
looks to America for moral leadership. The US has become a rogue nation...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20185&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20185


Legislation in Iraq seeks to limit NGOs
Meredith Mackenzie
Iraq`s transitional government is considering draft legislation that would
severely limit the role of foreign non-governmental organizations in the
country, a copy of the document obtained by United Press International
shows (...) Critics say the 11-page draft is ambiguous as it fails to
distinguish between social groups and tax-exempt NGOs that serve a public
purpose. Its membership clause says all founding members of a new
organization must be Iraqi cit! izens and non-Iraqis may only constitute
one-fourth of the total membership. Other restrictions on membership may be
violations of international law, critics say, as they discriminated based
on gender and religion. Chapter 2, Section 1, Article 6, of the document
says: 'It is impermissible to condition membership on differentiation based
on religion, race ... sex or social status.' Rutzen says this could
prohibit an all-woman or all-Christian NGO in Iraq...


<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20187&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20187


14 US House Reps Want Bush Impeach Probe
17 Total Call for Bush to Resign or Be Impeached
Matthew Cardinale, Editor, Atlanta Progressive News
The number of US House Representatives who have signed on to H. Res
635–supporting a probe looking into the grounds for impeaching Bush–has
jumped to fourteen (14), including US Rep. John Conyers who initially
sponsored the bill, Atlanta Progressive News has learned. The total number
of Members of US Congress who want Bush’s impeachment or resignation is
actually! seventeen (17), including 14 co-sponsors of H. Res 635, plus US
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) who called for Bush’s impeachment over wiretapping,
and US Reps. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) and Bobby Rush (D-GA) who have called
for Bush to step down...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20188&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20188


American "democracy" on display
Eli Stephens, Left I on the News
The mother of a soldier killed in an ongoing war cannot attend the State of
the Union address as an invited guest of a member of Congress, wearing the
clothing of her choice, without getting arrested. This is the country that
is going to teach Iraq, or Palestine, or Iran, or anyplace in the world,
about democracy?...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20174&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20174


Saddam Refuses to Attend Trial Session
HAMZA HENDAWI, The Associated Press
Saddam Hussein and four other defendants refused to attend their trial
Wednesday, and their defense attorneys boycotted the proceedings, demanding
the removal of the chief judge they claim is biased against the former
Iraqi leader. Chief judge Raouf Abdel-Rahman pressed ahead with
court-appointed defense lawyers and only three defendants present, hearing
five prosecution witnesses. After a 4 1/2-hour session, the trial was
adjourned until! Thursday...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20172&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20172


The State of the Union speech: Bush repeats litany of lies on Iraq war
By Patrick Martin, WSWS
...Bush did not attempt to defend the lies he used in 2003 to justify the
invasion of Iraq—the long-disproven claims that Iraq was connected to the
9/11 attacks, that Saddam Hussein possessed a huge arsenal of weapons of
mass destruction, and that he might supply those weapons to Al Qaeda.
Instead, he utilized a more recent concoction, rolled out by administration
spokesmen over the past several months, centering on the! claim that if the
US were to withdraw from Iraq, Osama bin Laden and Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi
would immediately come to power in Baghdad. This was combined with the
mindless argument that since so many American soldiers have already lost
their lives in Iraq, more Americans and Iraqis must die to "finish the
job." Bush read from a letter by a soldier slain in Iraq and then led a
standing ovation to the soldier’s family, seated in the gallery—not far
from where Cindy Sheehan, the mother of another soldier-victim in Iraq, was
hauled off to jail less than an hour before...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20169&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20169


What Really Happened
Cindy Sheehan
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the
Union address last night. I am speechless with fury at what happened and
with grief over what we have lost in our country. There have been lies from
the police and distortions by the press (shocker). So this is what really
happened: This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC,
where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann
Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanag! h, Lynn brought me a ticket to the
State of the Union address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that
said: 2245 Dead. How many more?...


<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20170&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20170


Iraq Sunni bloc threatens revolt
BBCNews
Iraq's main Sunni Arab alliance has threatened to start a campaign of civil
disobedience if concerns about attacks on its community are not addressed.
The Iraqi Accord Front called for Interior Minister Bayan Jabr to resign,
the disbanding of militias and the release of all Iraqi detainees. The
demands came as the governing Shia and Kurdish alliances discussed the
formation of a coalition government...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20192&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20192


Police State Suppressing World Can't Wait Action in Cleveland
Carol Fisher, -Received via e-mail at Axis of Logic
The following is a first-hand account of police harrassment and brutality
against a World Can't Wait organizer in Cleveland. If anything like this
happens to you, let us know asap! Contact
<mailto:info at worldcantwait.org >info at worldcantwait.org . My name is Carol
Fisher, and I am on the staff of Revolution Books in Cleveland OH. At the
bookstore we have been immersed in building and supp! orting the
initiatives of World Cant Wait. Yesterday, 1.28.06, while putting "Bush
Step Down" posters on telephone poles along a major thoroughfare on a sunny
Saturday afternoon, I was brutalized by Cleveland Heights police, charged
with 2 counts of felony assault and held incommunicado under police custody
in the hospital!

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20173&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20173


Woolsey Statement regarding Cindy Sheehan
Representative Lynn Woolsey
US Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today issued the following
statement regarding Cindy Sheehan's arrest in the gallery of the House of
Representatives before the State of the Union address. Mrs. Sheehan was
Rep. Lynn Woolsey's guest to the President's State of the Union address.
"Since when is free speech conditional on whether you agree with the
President? Cindy Sheehan, who gave her own flesh and blood for this
disastrous war, did ! not violate any rules of the House of
Representatives. She merely wore a shirt that highlighted the human cost of
the Iraq war and expressed a view different than that of the President.
Free speech and the First Amendment exist to protect dissenting statements
like Ms. Sheehan's last night"...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20197&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20197


Ethnic Tensions Rising in Kirkuk
City’s ethnic and religious groups are warning of creeping sectarianism.
Samah Samad in Kirkuk (ICR No.162, 1-Feb-06)
...The province of Kirkuk - home to about a million Turkoman, Arabs,
Assyrians, Chaldeans and Armenians - is sometimes referred to as a little
Iraq or as Iraq's melting pot, but some believe the area, in particular the
city of Kirkuk, is a powder keg waiting to explode. The situation has
worsened since Iraq changed from a one-party dictatorship under Sad! dam's
Ba'athist regime, maintain local leaders and residents. Political parties
in Kirkuk, most of which represent ethnic or religious groups, are battling
for control of the city and its surroundings...

<http://www.uruknet.info/?s1=1&p=20195&s2=02>Read the full article / Leggi
l'articolo completo: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=20195




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