Nouri al-Maliki's, Iraq's Prime Minister, attempt to crush militia strongholds in Basra is failing; members of his own security forces defected and districts of Baghdad fell to Shia militia gunmen.
The Times notes that:
"In Baghdad, thousands of people marched in demonstrations in Shia areas demanding an end to the Basra operation, burning effigies of Mr al-Maliki, whom they branded a new dictator, and carrying coffins with his image on it."
There is now a the very real danger of civil war in the South.
Bush supports al-Maliki's tactics, referring to them as "bold".
Being bold is all very well, but competence is also required.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
The Anniversary
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Bush claims that it has been a success, and was the right thing to do.
Do the Iraqi people agree?
Were they ever asked?
Bush claims that it has been a success, and was the right thing to do.
Do the Iraqi people agree?
Were they ever asked?
Monday, March 17, 2008
The Bleak Future
As the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq approaches people are reflecting on the state of the country post Saddam.
Lufti Saber, once a key lieutenant of the first post-Saddam Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, is quoted in the Telegraph as saying that Iraq would have been better off if Saddam had been left in charge.
"None of these people trust each other.
Everything comes down to that. The whole system is set up to ensure that nobody does anything that somebody else thinks is wrong.
Saddam had a way of rising above that. As soon as he made a decision, it happened. People knew it had to be done. It didn't matter where they were in the country, they knew the floor at work had to be cleaned, just in case Saddam turned up. Now the country is engulfed in chaos and nobody does anything because they all refuse to take responsibility."
He added:
"I never thought I would say it given that he sentenced me to death.
But I find myself wishing Saddam was still here. Only he had the knack of running this god-forsaken country."
In five years time Iraq, if it is still in one piece, will still be a disaster area; no matter who becomes president of the USA.
Lufti Saber, once a key lieutenant of the first post-Saddam Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, is quoted in the Telegraph as saying that Iraq would have been better off if Saddam had been left in charge.
"None of these people trust each other.
Everything comes down to that. The whole system is set up to ensure that nobody does anything that somebody else thinks is wrong.
Saddam had a way of rising above that. As soon as he made a decision, it happened. People knew it had to be done. It didn't matter where they were in the country, they knew the floor at work had to be cleaned, just in case Saddam turned up. Now the country is engulfed in chaos and nobody does anything because they all refuse to take responsibility."
He added:
"I never thought I would say it given that he sentenced me to death.
But I find myself wishing Saddam was still here. Only he had the knack of running this god-forsaken country."
In five years time Iraq, if it is still in one piece, will still be a disaster area; no matter who becomes president of the USA.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pentagon Tries To Bury Report
Unsurprisingly the Pentagon tried to bury the report, released yesterday, that stated that there was no connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida (this of course had been the central plank of Bush's rationale for the invasion of Iraq).
The Pentagon cancelled a planned briefing about the report, and scrapped plans to post its findings on the internet. Unclassified copies of the report would be sent to interested individuals in the mail, military officials told ABC.
Another Pentagon official told ABC that initial press reports on the study made it "too politically sensitive".
Despite the Pentagon's attempts to bury the report, the media are awash with stories about it.
Mission Accomplished!
The Pentagon cancelled a planned briefing about the report, and scrapped plans to post its findings on the internet. Unclassified copies of the report would be sent to interested individuals in the mail, military officials told ABC.
Another Pentagon official told ABC that initial press reports on the study made it "too politically sensitive".
Despite the Pentagon's attempts to bury the report, the media are awash with stories about it.
Mission Accomplished!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
No Link To al-Qaida
A detailed review by the the Institute for Defense Analyses (sponsored by the Pentagon) of over 600,000 Iraqi documents, captured after the 2003 US invasion, has found no evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had any operational links with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network.
The review, "Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents", is not due to be published officially to Congress until tomorrow.
The Defence Secretary (Donald Rumsfeld) claimed in September 2002 that the United States had "bulletproof" evidence of cooperation between the al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein.
Secretary of State Colin Powell claimed that there were many links between Saddam and al-Qaida in a February 2003 speech to the United Nations Security Council designed to rally support for the invasion.
Seemingly all of these statements made by Rumsfeld and Powell were based on false/misinterpreted intelligence.
The review was completed last year. However, it has been sat on since then as people have been reluctant to declassify it.
The review, "Saddam and Terrorism: Emerging Insights from Captured Iraqi Documents", is not due to be published officially to Congress until tomorrow.
The Defence Secretary (Donald Rumsfeld) claimed in September 2002 that the United States had "bulletproof" evidence of cooperation between the al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein.
Secretary of State Colin Powell claimed that there were many links between Saddam and al-Qaida in a February 2003 speech to the United Nations Security Council designed to rally support for the invasion.
Seemingly all of these statements made by Rumsfeld and Powell were based on false/misinterpreted intelligence.
The review was completed last year. However, it has been sat on since then as people have been reluctant to declassify it.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Saddam's Spies
Documents seized from Iraq's intelligence ministry, and other government buildings in Iraq, have revealed a large scale spying operation carried out by Saddam Hussein on American soil.
At least a dozen spy cases are being brought by the Justice Department, a number not seen since the the Cold War.
The operation included "sleeper" agents who were told to blend in to American society until they received orders from the intelligence ministry in Baghdad.
Saddam's agents were not spying on the US, in the "traditional" James Bond sense, but on opposition groups; additionally the agents were used to try to influence US policy.
At least a dozen spy cases are being brought by the Justice Department, a number not seen since the the Cold War.
The operation included "sleeper" agents who were told to blend in to American society until they received orders from the intelligence ministry in Baghdad.
Saddam's agents were not spying on the US, in the "traditional" James Bond sense, but on opposition groups; additionally the agents were used to try to influence US policy.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Irony
President Bush strongly urged Turkey to withdraw its forces from northern Iraq and end an offensive against Kurdish rebels there "as quickly as possible."
He said he agreed with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, "who said the incursion should be limited and should be temporary in nature."
"The Turks need to move quickly, achieve their objective and then get out ... as quickly as possible," said Bush.
Source AFP
Does Bush not see the irony of his advice?
Maybe this will help:
He said he agreed with Defense Secretary Robert Gates, "who said the incursion should be limited and should be temporary in nature."
"The Turks need to move quickly, achieve their objective and then get out ... as quickly as possible," said Bush.
Source AFP
Does Bush not see the irony of his advice?
Maybe this will help:
Friday, February 29, 2008
Chemical Ali To Be Executed
The protracted wait for confirmation of the death sentence on Chemical Ali is now over, Iraq has approved the execution of Ali Hassan al-Majid for ordering gas attacks on Iraqi Kurds in the 1980s.
An Iraqi official issued the following statement:
"The presidency has approved Chemical Ali's execution."
Under Iraqi law, Ali should have been executed by October 4, 30 days after his sentence was upheld by the Iraq Supreme Court.
No date has been set for the execution.
An Iraqi official issued the following statement:
"The presidency has approved Chemical Ali's execution."
Under Iraqi law, Ali should have been executed by October 4, 30 days after his sentence was upheld by the Iraq Supreme Court.
No date has been set for the execution.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
The Mystery of The Disappearing Cigar Case
In a plot totally unlike the complexity or interest of an Agatha Christie plot, Boris Johnson (candidate for London's mayor) has found himself under police investigation for "stealing" the red cigar case of Tariq Aziz in May 2003.
Scotland Yard wrote to Mr Johnson demanding that return the red leather case, which he took from the bombed out home of Tariq Aziz in May 2003 (Aziz had surrendered to the US military days earlier).
Read the letter here.
Mr Johnson has now agreed to give back the case. However, he was somewhat surprised to find himself the subject of an investigation; given that he has never attempted to conceal the fact that he took the case. Indeed, he even wrote about it in The Daily Telegraph in 2003.
Mr Johnson's campaign team suspects dirty tricks by his opponents in May's mayoral election.
Scotland Yard now admit, privately, that they have handled the whole affair very badly.
A senior source is quoted in The Telegraph as saying:
"It is fair to say that the issue should have been handled differently. It should have been referred higher up. More senior officers should have been involved. It has not come out the way we would have wanted it to."
A complete waste of time and money!
Scotland Yard wrote to Mr Johnson demanding that return the red leather case, which he took from the bombed out home of Tariq Aziz in May 2003 (Aziz had surrendered to the US military days earlier).
Read the letter here.
Mr Johnson has now agreed to give back the case. However, he was somewhat surprised to find himself the subject of an investigation; given that he has never attempted to conceal the fact that he took the case. Indeed, he even wrote about it in The Daily Telegraph in 2003.
Mr Johnson's campaign team suspects dirty tricks by his opponents in May's mayoral election.
Scotland Yard now admit, privately, that they have handled the whole affair very badly.
A senior source is quoted in The Telegraph as saying:
"It is fair to say that the issue should have been handled differently. It should have been referred higher up. More senior officers should have been involved. It has not come out the way we would have wanted it to."
A complete waste of time and money!
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