One year on, still no justice for torture victims12 Nov 2006“Amnesty International is calling on the Iraqi government to publish the findings of its investigation in the so-called al-Jadiriya case in November 2005, involving the detention and torture of suspects under the control of the Iraqi Interior Ministry. The Iraqi authorities quickly announced an investigation after these abuses were revealed, but one year on its findings have still not been disclosed and those responsible for the incarceration, torture and brutal treatment of the detainees have not been held to account.”
Should they stay or should they go?12 Nov 2006Two Iraqi journalists present opposing perspectives on the question of U.S. withdrawal. Arguing that the U.S. must set a deadline, Duraed Salman writes: “Whatever the Americans do, whatever excuse they find for staying on, will be unacceptable to the Iraqis because the main pretext for invading Iraq turned out to be a big lie.” Arguing for the continued presence of the U.S., Haydar al-Musawi writes: “I believe withdrawing the multinational forces from Iraq now would be a disaster, as it could lead to an unstoppable sectarian conflict.”
Best Minds Join Exodus12 Nov 2006“Every day,” writes Iraqi journalist Yasin al-Rubai, “Iraqi families are packing their bags and emigrating to escape the violence tearing their county apart. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates that 1.8 million people have fled to neighbouring countries and 1.6 million have been internally displaced since the fall of Saddam. In 2006 alone, 425,000 Iraqis sought refuge abroad. Among those leaving the country are some of its most able people, such as lawyers, doctors and scientists and academics. Last year, the government sought to stem the brain drain by offering to double the salaries of skilled emigrants. The flight of the country’s best minds exacerbates a skills-shortage problem that emerged in Saddam’s time when hundreds of thousands of able people left the country.”
One of my most memorable teachers…12 Nov 2006Iraqi blogger Zeyad writes of a former teacher recently killed in Iraq. “Despite his acting more like a military officer with conscripts rather than a teacher with students, everyone respected and loved him. Students used to call him Arnoob (rabbit) because he was bald and the hair he had was always up like rabbit ears. Fadhil Al-Dulaimi was killed two weeks ago when a mortar round hit his bedroom while he was sleeping. I last saw him in early 2006.”
Iran Is Key to Course Change on Iraq12 Nov 2006Two political earthquakes hit the United States last week. On Tuesday, the “Democrats took control of Congress, and the following day, Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was replaced by Robert Gates, a member of the senior Bush’s foreign policy team. Both events open up opportunities for Washington to find new avenues to resolve its many problems with Iran. The key to the elections – and to Iran – is Iraq. In light of the soon-to-be published Iraq Study Group report, it is increasingly clear that headway can neither be made on Iraq nor the nuclear stand-off with Iran unless the two are linked.”
Antiwar Voters May Get Less Than They Bargained For10 Nov 2006“Democratic majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld as defence secretary, will not necessarily mean major changes for the war in Iraq,” writes Aaron Glantz. “That’s primarily because it is the president, and not Congress, that supervises the armed forces and prosecutes war.” Glantz quotes Pratap Chatterjee of Corpwatch: “The main control Congress has is financial…Congress can refuse to pay for the war, which is what they did in Vietnam, but they can’t really dictate how it’s waged.”
Iraq’s health minister: 150,000 dead9 Nov 2006Iraq’s health minister, Ali al-Shemari, has estimated at least 150,000 civilians have been killed in the war. He has provided no details. According to AP, “Hassan Salem, of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, said the 150,000 figure included civilians, police and the bodies of people who were abducted, later found dead and collected at morgues run by the Health Ministry.”
What are we to do with all these numbers?
Longley’s Iraq in Fragments opens across US8 Nov 2006Michael Moore calls Iraq in Fragments (the new film by the director of the award winning Gaza Strip) “Stunningly beautiful.” The film makes is debut run in US theatres this month. The films distributor is encouraging people to “PLEASE make it a priority to see Iraq in Fragments as close as possible to the dates listed below…The opening weekend of a film can make or break the length of its run.”
Capital Punishment as a Means of Revenge8 Nov 2006Iraqi rulers have long employed the death penalty as a way of getting back at their enemies. Two Iraqi journalists reflect on their country’s long tradition of capital punishment. “Once, Iraq was famous for its scientists and its love for sciences during the age of the Abbasids,” they write. “Lamentably, it always has been famous for its love of death, too. In modern times, the death penalty has been the hallmark of Iraqi regimes that have ruled by force.”
Sectarian violence forces mixed couples to divorce8 Nov 2006Hundreds of mixed couples have been forced to divorce due to pressure from insurgents, militias or families who fear that they could be singled out, according to Peace for Iraqis Association (PIA), a local NGO devoted to the issue. “Families living in happiness are now victims of sectarian violence,” said Ahmed Farid, a psychologist and spokesperson for PIA. “Children are being forced to see their parents divorced, not because of personal problems but because someone believes that mixed marriages are unacceptable in the circumstances of Iraq.”
Bechtel Departure Removes More Illusions8 Nov 2006The decision of the giant engineering company Bechtel to withdraw from Iraq has left many Iraqis feeling betrayed. In its departure they see the end of remaining hopes for the reconstruction of Iraq. Bechtel, whose board members have close ties to the Bush administration, announced last week that it was done with trying to operate in the war-torn country. The company has received 2.3 billion dollars of Iraqi reconstruction funds and U.S. taxpayer money, but is leaving without completing most its tasks.
US Foreign Policy Set to Change Dramatically8 Nov 2006The abrupt replacement of Pentagon chief, Donald Rumsfeld, by former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director Robert Gates, combined with the Democratic sweep in Tuesday’s mid-term elections, appears to signal major changes in United States foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East.
Democrats win twice as Rumsfeld resigns7 Nov 2006“The termination (surely a more accurate term for his departure) of Rumsfeld is really the termination of a symbol. Rumsfeld is a symbol of failure in Iraq just as he is a symbol of a history of convenient relationships between the United States and the kinds of tyrants it often claims to deplore.”
Military families applaud Rumsfeld resignation7 Nov 2006Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), an organization of over 3,100 military families who are opposed to the war in Iraq, welcome the resignation of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. “Donald Rumsfeld sent our loved ones off to a war based on lies, and, adding insult (and injury) to injury, he did it on the cheap – many troops lacked proper body armor, armored vehicles and so much more,” said Nancy Lessin of Boston, Massachusetts, co-founder of Military Families Speak Out whose step-son served with the Marines in Iraq in spring, 2003.
Outlaw Empire Meets the Wave: 5 Questions for Our Future7 Nov 2006“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen an election like midterm 2006. This strange phenomenon has been building since the moment that George W. Bush stood under that “Mission Accomplished” banner and declared ‘major combat operations have ended.’” Tom Engelhardt traces more than a decade of events leading to yesterday’s democratic victory and wonders what’s next for America’s Iraq policy.
NGO’s demand resumption of Iraq aid funding from European Union7 Nov 2006Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Iraq are calling upon ECHO (the European Union’s Humanitarian Aid department) to reconsider its current withdrawal of humanitarian aid to Iraq and provide adequate funding for emergencies and humanitarian aid. The call has been signed by the NCCI (NGOs Coordination Committee in Iraq—comprising 50 NGOs) and European NGOs from 15 member states.
Protecting Neither Facilities nor People7 Nov 2006After the invasion in 2003, Jamail and al-Fadhily write, “The U.S. occupation authorities and the Iraqi leaders working with them set up new army and police forces under supervision of the Multi National Forces (MNF). It was decided that each ministry could establish its own protection force away from the control of the ministries of interior and defence.” Today, senior Iraqi leaders say, “The Facilities Protection Service created in 2003 has become the principal set of death squads in Iraq, senior leaders say.
Tuesday, November 76 Nov 2006Since 2002, the Christian Science Monitor’s Scott Peterson, a veteran Iraq correspondent, has been following one Iraq family, the Methboubs (one Iraqi widow and her eight children) and documenting their experiences through personal and national tumult. Today’s update on the family is titled: “Desperate to leave, Iraqi family finds solace in new baby.”
Some questions to ask about the Saddam Hussein trial6 Nov 2006“Can any human power at this point deliver “just desserts” to someone who has committed actions like those undertaken by Saddam, Joseph Kony, or other perpetrators of extremely harmful deeds? How would we even start to think about what ‘just desserts’ might be in such cases?” Blogger and Christian Science Monitor columnist Helena Cobban suggests a framework for analyzing the Saddam Hussein verdict and its effects in Iraq.
Country’s healthcare system rapidly deteriorating6 Nov 2006Iraq’s healthcare system is continuing to deteriorate as not enough qualified staff or equipment is available, according to the Iraqi Medical Association (IMA). “Doctors are facing serious challenges, further exacerbated by poor resources offered by the government,” said Farouk Najji, a clinician and senior member of IMA. According to the Ministry of Health, the US government has spent nearly US $1 billion on Iraq’s healthcare system but more than $8 billion is required over the next four years to fund the current healthcare structure.
A Convenient Verdict?6 Nov 2006“Saddam Hussein doesn’t have many friends here,” writes Emad Mekay from Cairo, “but the death sentence handed down Sunday against the former Iraqi president has invited accusations that the announcement was timed to influence the U.S. congressional elections set for Tuesday, only two days after the verdict…It is not the first time legal maneuvering in the case seems to have been scheduled for maximum benefit to the Bush administration. In August, the trial recessed only to reconvene on Sep. 11, the anniversary of the al Qaeda terror attacks on the United States.”
Dujail Verdict Unsound6 Nov 2006“The guilty verdict in the trial of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and seven other defendants for crimes against humanity against inhabitants of the Iraqi town of Dujail is undermined by serious flaws in the proceedings, according to research undertaken by Human Rights Watch over the past year.”
Two TV stations closed for showing Iraqis protesting against death sentence for Saddam5 Nov 2006“Reporters Without Borders today condemned the Iraqi governments decision yesterday to close down two privately-owned TV stations for inciting violence and murder by screening footage of protests against former President Saddam Husseins death sentence. The main daily newspapers have also been suspended for three days beginning yesterday under a curfew decreed prior to the verdict.”
Monday, November 65 Nov 2006As it was under the rule of Hussein, Iraqis are still victims of gov’t forces. While the world is focused on Saddam Hussein’s death sentence, the Iraq of the day before the sentence (and the day before that and the day before that…) is still there, behind the headlines. That means, among many other terrible realities, death squads.
The Saddam Hussein Verdict5 Nov 2006On Sunday, November 5, 2006, the High Tribunal in Iraq sentenced the deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to death by hanging for ordering the murder of 148 Shi’ite residents of Dujail in 1982. The verdict marked the end of a dramatic and dramatically flawed trial.
Electronic Iraq