A suicide bomber has killed eight people in Iraq's Parliament building, including at least two lawmakers, after penetrating the security of Baghdad's fortified Green Zone.
The bomber exploded a device in a cafe where members of Council of Representatives were eating lunch.
In addition to the eight deaths, 23 people were hurt.
Four years since the "regime change" and there is still chaos.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Four Years On
Four years after the toppling of Saddam Hussein, by the US, life for the Iraqi people can be reasonably described as being "pretty awful".
In the midst of the corruption, revenge killings, sectarian warfare and chaos that the enforced "regime change" has brought about there have been some attempts to instill a spirit of freedom and hope for the future. Yet none of these have captured the hearts or minds of the people of Iraq.
Four years ago Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled, for all the world to see, by US marines; this was a potent symbol of the regime's downfall.
However, nature abhors a vacuum. What was there to replace the regime?
It became all to clear that the US had not thought through its post regime change occupation, and indeed had very naively hoped that democracy "light" would magically take root.
Two months after the statue was felled a replacement statue, called Najeen (survivor), was erected. It shows a woman, supported by a man and a child, holding up an Islamic crescent moon that frames a Sumerian sun.
It failed to inspire and was derided.
The most telling sign of trouble to come is the fact that the "new" Iraq has yet to create a new flag. This failure is the most potent symbol of the failure of the invasion and enforced regime change, the inability to agree on the design of a flag means that the Iraqi's themselves do not see that they they have a future.
A country without a flag, is a country without a future.
In the midst of the corruption, revenge killings, sectarian warfare and chaos that the enforced "regime change" has brought about there have been some attempts to instill a spirit of freedom and hope for the future. Yet none of these have captured the hearts or minds of the people of Iraq.
Four years ago Saddam Hussein's statue was toppled, for all the world to see, by US marines; this was a potent symbol of the regime's downfall.
However, nature abhors a vacuum. What was there to replace the regime?
It became all to clear that the US had not thought through its post regime change occupation, and indeed had very naively hoped that democracy "light" would magically take root.
Two months after the statue was felled a replacement statue, called Najeen (survivor), was erected. It shows a woman, supported by a man and a child, holding up an Islamic crescent moon that frames a Sumerian sun.
It failed to inspire and was derided.
The most telling sign of trouble to come is the fact that the "new" Iraq has yet to create a new flag. This failure is the most potent symbol of the failure of the invasion and enforced regime change, the inability to agree on the design of a flag means that the Iraqi's themselves do not see that they they have a future.
A country without a flag, is a country without a future.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Re Baathification
Most commentators agree that one of the worst mistakes made, post Iraq invasion, by the US and interim Iraq administration was the "de Baathification law" which removed anyone with Baath party connections from positions of responsibility.
This naive and foolish ruling resulted in utter chaos, as there was no one left in positions of responsibility with the ability or understanding to run organisations and government ministries effectively.
Finally someone has seen come commonsense, and Iraq's prime minister and president will introduce legislation to let former members of the Baath party to resume their jobs in the government.
Whether this is measure is enough to pull Iraq out of its engulfing chaos remains to be seen.
This naive and foolish ruling resulted in utter chaos, as there was no one left in positions of responsibility with the ability or understanding to run organisations and government ministries effectively.
Finally someone has seen come commonsense, and Iraq's prime minister and president will introduce legislation to let former members of the Baath party to resume their jobs in the government.
Whether this is measure is enough to pull Iraq out of its engulfing chaos remains to be seen.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Bolton Attempts To Rewrite History
John Bolton's, President Bush's acerbic ex ambassador to the UN, attempted to rewrite history on CNN's Late Edition, by claiming that Bush never said that Saddam Hussein posed an imminent threat.
In answer to a question from Wolf Blitzer, Bolton said:
"He himself (Saddam Hussein) and his regime were the threat to international peace and security. The president never made the argument that he constituted an imminent threat. It was the existence of the regime that was the threat. And that is why it was right to overthrow it".
Unfortunately for Blizter, historical records show that in fact Bush's administration did make that claim.
Donald Rumsfeld, for example, said in November 2002:
"When did the attack on September 11 become an imminent threat? Now, transport yourself forward a year, two years or a week or a month...So the question is, when is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?"
Bolton should know that history can only be rewritten by the winning side; the Neo Cons have lost the argument, and the war, they are in no position to try to rewrite history.
In answer to a question from Wolf Blitzer, Bolton said:
"He himself (Saddam Hussein) and his regime were the threat to international peace and security. The president never made the argument that he constituted an imminent threat. It was the existence of the regime that was the threat. And that is why it was right to overthrow it".
Unfortunately for Blizter, historical records show that in fact Bush's administration did make that claim.
Donald Rumsfeld, for example, said in November 2002:
"When did the attack on September 11 become an imminent threat? Now, transport yourself forward a year, two years or a week or a month...So the question is, when is it such an immediate threat that you must do something?"
Bolton should know that history can only be rewritten by the winning side; the Neo Cons have lost the argument, and the war, they are in no position to try to rewrite history.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Ramadan Executed
Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam Hussein's former vice president, was hanged this morning.
In order to prevent a repeat of the shambles of the execution of Barzan Hassan, who was decapitated, Ramadan was weighed before the execution and the appropriate size rope was chosen.
Ramadan was sentenced to life in prison in November 2006. However, in December 2006 the appeals chamber decided the original sentence was too lenient and ordered the court to resentence him.
The decision to execute him has been criticised by coalition officials, non governmental groups in Iraq and some members of Iraq's legal advisory community who have suggested that the judges came under pressure from politicians.
In order to prevent a repeat of the shambles of the execution of Barzan Hassan, who was decapitated, Ramadan was weighed before the execution and the appropriate size rope was chosen.
Ramadan was sentenced to life in prison in November 2006. However, in December 2006 the appeals chamber decided the original sentence was too lenient and ordered the court to resentence him.
The decision to execute him has been criticised by coalition officials, non governmental groups in Iraq and some members of Iraq's legal advisory community who have suggested that the judges came under pressure from politicians.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Saddam's Aide Dies
Saadoun Hammadi, a Shiite official in Saddam Hussein's government and a senior Iraq Baath Party leader, has died in a hospital in Germany.
Hammadi, 77, was released from a prison camp in Iraq in February 2004 after being held by American troops for nine months.
He was believed to have had leukemia.
Hammadi, 77, was released from a prison camp in Iraq in February 2004 after being held by American troops for nine months.
He was believed to have had leukemia.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Death Sentence Confirmed
An Iraqi appeals court has upheld the death sentence against Taha Yassin Ramadan, Saddam Hussein's former vice president.
Taha Yassin Ramadan was convicted in November, along with Hussein and six others, for the killing of some 140 Shi'a in the 1980s.
He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was later raised by a higher court and automatically sent to an appeals panel.
Ramadan's execution is to be carried out within 30 days.
Human Rights Watch has called for the death sentence against Ramadan to be repealed.
Taha Yassin Ramadan was convicted in November, along with Hussein and six others, for the killing of some 140 Shi'a in the 1980s.
He was initially sentenced to life in prison, but that sentence was later raised by a higher court and automatically sent to an appeals panel.
Ramadan's execution is to be carried out within 30 days.
Human Rights Watch has called for the death sentence against Ramadan to be repealed.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The Illegal War
Hans Blix, former UN weapons inspector, waded into the row about the legality of the Iraq war by saying that Prime Minister Tony Blair and his government "exercised spin" in exaggerating the case for the war in Iraq.
He went on to describe the conflict as "clearly illegal".
He said that pre-war intelligence, eg the UK government dossier which claimed Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and could deploy some within 45 minutes, appeared to have deliberately overstated the case for war.
Mr Blix said that he believed that the occupation of Iraq, overall, had been a complete failure.
"I think everything in Iraq after the invasion has been a tragedy. The only positive thing, I think, is the disappearance of Saddam Hussein."
Let us trust that the leaders who took us into this failed occupation leave office soon.
He went on to describe the conflict as "clearly illegal".
He said that pre-war intelligence, eg the UK government dossier which claimed Saddam Hussein had stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons and could deploy some within 45 minutes, appeared to have deliberately overstated the case for war.
Mr Blix said that he believed that the occupation of Iraq, overall, had been a complete failure.
"I think everything in Iraq after the invasion has been a tragedy. The only positive thing, I think, is the disappearance of Saddam Hussein."
Let us trust that the leaders who took us into this failed occupation leave office soon.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Iraq's Refugee Crisis
Channel Four have produced a damning report on the worsening refugee crisis in Iraq.
Millions of refugees are fleeing the conflict in Iraq country. Where is the coalition of the willing when it comes to their care?
Read and watch the report here Channel Four.
Millions of refugees are fleeing the conflict in Iraq country. Where is the coalition of the willing when it comes to their care?
Read and watch the report here Channel Four.
Halliburton Move
Halliburton announced on Sunday that it plans to open a new corporate headquarters in Dubai.
Some US lawmakers have raised concerns that Halliburton, which is the Pentagon's largest contractor in Iraq and holds a logistics contract valued at over $25BN, might be able to reduce its tax burden by moving its headquarters to Dubai.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., asked whether it might really be a back-door way to enable Halliburton to expand its business dealings with Iran or avoid paying U.S. taxes.
Halliburton used to employ US Vice President Dick Cheney.
Some US lawmakers have raised concerns that Halliburton, which is the Pentagon's largest contractor in Iraq and holds a logistics contract valued at over $25BN, might be able to reduce its tax burden by moving its headquarters to Dubai.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., asked whether it might really be a back-door way to enable Halliburton to expand its business dealings with Iran or avoid paying U.S. taxes.
Halliburton used to employ US Vice President Dick Cheney.
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