OpEdNews - Diary: Dahr Jamail: IRAQ IS A LIVING HELL

"Every day the U.S. troops raid so many houses in my area and arrest so many innocent people. Yet, when the Americans arrest one of the [Shia] militia members they release him the very next day! Why?

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DIANE'S NEWS CLIPS begins here :)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~> Submitted by: http://eddiestinson@gmail.com "Today Is Better than Tomorrow" Dahr Jamail: IRAQ IS A LIVING HELL The situation in Iraq has reached such a point of degradation and danger that I've been unable to return to report -- as I did from 2003 to 2005 -- from the front lines of daily life. Instead, in these last months, I have found myself in a supportive role, facilitating the work of some of my former sources, who remain in their own war-torn land, to tell their hair-raising tales of the new Iraq. While relying on my Iraqi colleagues to report the news, which we then publish at Inter Press Service and my website, I continue to receive emails from others in Iraq, civilian and soldier alike. What I know from these emails is that the articles on Iraq you normally read in your local newspaper, even when, for instance, they cover the disintegration of the Iraqi health system or the collapse of the economy, are providing you, at best, but a glimpse of what daily life there is now like. After all, who knows better what's happening than those who are living it? I thought I might just give you a taste of the sort of private communications I read every day. Take my primary interpreter during my eight months in Iraq, Abu Talat. He was finally forced, like hundreds of thousands of his fellow Iraqis, to flee to a neighboring country due to the nightmarish security situation in Baghdad. Without a regular income, he struggled even to pay the rent for an apartment in a Syrian city, and finally had little choice but to return to Baghdad to sell what was left of his belongings. On November 18th, he wrote me from there: ......................snip............................ EXCERPTS: "It is worse than ever. The problem is that our U.S. government and the Iraqi 'Government' tell the world that things are improving here when they are not. All of the rebuilding bull crap is nothing but a scam that is worse than the oil-for-food program [of the post-Gulf War I years]. We have ONE hour of electricity a day now. I have power to turn on some lights and my computer by way of a little generator that I hooked up to my office today. A gallon of gas costs over $4 now, when the salary of an engineer is less than $200 a MONTH." ......................snip............................ "Life here in Iraq has become impossible because of the militias, sectarian violence, and the occupation [U.S.] forces. Every day we see the dead bodies near our homes which have been killed by militias. We watch how the U.S. troops see these dead bodies and... do nothing to stop this violence. Two of my brothers just left their houses and rented a new place because they were living in a Shia area. They had to run away just because they are Sunni. "Every day the U.S. troops raid so many houses in my area and arrest so many innocent people. Yet, when the Americans arrest one of the [Shia] militia members they release him the very next day! Why? [snip] Read more accounts/ full article: http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?pid=146171 _________________________________ IF LINK DOESN'T WORK, THEN PASTE ARTICLE LINK(S) INTO YOUR BROWSER -- OR GO DIRECTLY TO >> http://www.truthout.org Gulf States Announce Nuclear Plan http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106L.shtml Six oil-rich Gulf nations have said they are considering seeking nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Officials from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE also urged a peaceful settlement to the crisis over Iran's nuclear program. The six Arab states said they were exploring the possibility of creating a shared nuclear program. ----- Jonathan Chait | The Bubble Boy in the Oval Office http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106C.shtml "Indeed, everybody seems to understand that if you want to help amend the disaster in Iraq, the No. 1 rule is that you can't acknowledge it's a disaster in Bush's presence," writes Jonathan Chait. "Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes, the court stenographer of the Bush administration, recently reported that this was a key factor in the hiring of Defense Secretary Robert Gates." ----- Niall Ferguson | Baker-Hamilton's Fine Print: Stay in Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106S.shtml ----- Iraqi Exodus Could Test Bush Policy http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106T.shtml ----- William Fisher | Three Years Too Late http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106A.shtml ----- Climate Scientist Says "Kyoto" Barred http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/121106EA.shtml A federal climate scientist in Boulder says his boss told him never to utter the word Kyoto and tried to bar him from using the phrase climate change at a conference. The allegations come as federal investigators probe whether Bush administration officials tried to block government scientists from speaking freely about global warming and attempted to censor their research. ----- Talks Under Way to Replace Iraq PM http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106J.shtml Major partners in Iraq's governing coalition are in behind-the-scenes talks to oust Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki amid discontent over his failure to quell raging violence. The talks are aimed at forming a new parliamentary bloc that would seek to replace the current government and that would likely exclude supporters of the radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, who is a vehement opponent of the US military presence. ----- Frank Rich | The Sunshine Boys Can't Save Iraq http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106O.shtml "As bad as things may seem now, they can yet become worse, and not just in Iraq. The longer we pretend that we have not lost there, the more we risk losing other wars we still may salvage, starting with Afghanistan. The members of the Iraq Study Group are all good Americans of proven service to their country. But to the extent that their report forestalls reality and promotes pipe dreams of one last chance for success in this fiasco, it will be remembered as just one more delusional milestone in the tragedy of our age," writes Frank Rich. ----- Bob Herbert | The Time Is Now http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106B.shtml ----- Hundreds of Thousands Jam Beirut to Urge Government's Ouster http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106N.shtml ----- Sheehan Among Four Convicted of Trespassing http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106R.shtml ----- The New York Times | The Road to Reliable Elections http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/121106K.shtml ----- Congress OKs Drilling off Florida http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/121106EB.shtml _________________________________ [NEWSDISSECTOR] Is White House Orchestrating Rage? RIGHT RAGE DRIVES NEW WAR FRENZY IMPEACH THIS! | STILL DEBATING IRAQ http://www.newsdissector.com/blog/2006/12/11/is-white-house-orchestrating-rage/ _________________________________ Submitted by: .ron corvuswire@verizon.net Soldier's Casket on Baggage Cart Excerpt: Cynthia Hoag, 56, a former Army reservist, said she was waiting for a flight at Rochester International Airport on Oct. 27 when she saw the coffin taken off a commercial flight along with passengers' luggage. A uniformed Soldier accompanied the coffin as it was placed in a baggage car and transported to another flight, she said. "At the very least, couldn't there have been a hearse to transport the fallen Soldier?" Hoag asked in an essay in Tuesday's Democrat and Chronicle newspaper. "At the very least, couldn't there have been a group of Soldiers to receive one of their own? http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,119839,00.html?ESRC=dod-b.nl _________________________________ IRAN'S OIL BOURSE: A Threat to the U.S. Economy? While Iran's nuclear program has become a major focus of the international media, there are many who strongly believe that the program is only a cover for the U.S. government's true motive in a possible attack against Iran. http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2586 ----- IRAN REPLACES DOLLAR WITH EURO IN MOST OIL DEALINGS http://www.mehrnews.com/en/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=416994 ----- Robert Fisk: THE ROMAN EMPIRE IS FALLING - SO IT TURNS TO IRAN AND SYRIA ..................snip....................... The Roman Empire is falling. That, in a phrase, is what the Baker report says. The legions cannot impose their rule on Mesopotamia. Just as Crassus lost his legions' banners in the deserts of Syria-Iraq, so has George W Bush. There is no Mark Antony to retrieve the honour of the empire. The policy "is not working". "Collapse" and "catastrophe" - words heard in the Roman senate many a time - were embedded in the text of the Baker report. Et tu, James? http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2592 ----- A CONGRESS OF WHORES AND PIPSQUEAKS How pathetic can it get? 140,000 American troops are stuck in the mess that a lying and endlessly deceitful president has made in Iraq, over half a million innocent Iraqis have been killed since the politically-motivated 2003 US invasion, a group of very Establishment, middle-of-the-road politicians of both parties has declared the war an unmitigated disaster and called for a pullout of troops, the president has nixed their call for withdrawal and regional negotiations, and what is Congress doing about it? http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2593 ----- AIPAC Says Jump And] US Congress Bans Talks With Hamas WASHINGTON One day after the special US study group on Iraq submitted the Baker-Hamilton report recommending President George W. Bush's administration to push harder towards an Israeli-Palestinian agreement, the United States Congress passed a bill forbidding the US administration to hold talks with the Palestinian Hamas government. The bill must still be approved by President George W. Bush. http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2594 ----- Baker vs. "The Lobby" .......................snip.................... The tension between the Bush administration and the members of the Iraq Study Group, illustrates the widening chasm between old-guard U.S. imperialists and "Israel-first" neoconservatives. The divisions are setting the stage for a major battle between the two camps. The winner will probably decide US policy in the Middle East for the next decade. http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2603 ----- .................snip................ In the West Bank: Settlers kidnap Nablus man, and he is still not heard from: "Israeli settlers in the northern West Bank have kidnapped a Nablus man, as reported by resident eyewitnesses. A social worker and education director was taken by settlers from Shilo Settlement between Nablus and Ramallah yesterday." A group of settlers dragged him from his farm into a car and took him to the settlement. Residents went to the settlement, and failing satisfaction, filed a complaint with Palestinian authorities. "It seems that" the man was taken by Israeli police out of the settlement. Palestinian police are trying to find out what happened, but the Israelis have yet to directly respond. (6) http://www.ziopedia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2606 _________________________________ Health officials are renewing warnings that the popular versions of traditional Hispanic fresh cheeses made from raw milk can seriously sicken people and even cause death. Imports of unpasteurized cheeses from Mexico continue despite frequent health warnings about consuming the products, according to a new scientific report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reported AZCentral.com. Full Story >> http://www.azcentral.com/home/food/articles/1130mexcheese1130.html _________________________________ http://www.foreignpolicy.com | http://meaningoflife.tv | http://prorev.com _________________________________ HAVE YOU MAILED OUT YOUR CHRISTMAS GIFTS YET? Okay, there's less than two weeks before the big day. And we're all working on getting packages and cards out on time. But that doesn't mean you have to skip the details. The U.S. Postal Service can stamp your Christmas cards with a special postmark. How about one from Bethlehem, IN, or Rudolph, OH? A nice little touch like this just adds to the holiday cheer. Your friends and family will love it. But you better hurry. Cards stamped with the special postmark must be sent by Dec. 15. For more information, visit the Postal Service's special page: http://www.usps.com/news/2002/press/pr02_093_print.htm Be sure to listen to me Monday through Friday. Use my map to find me near you http://www.komando.com/listen/index.aspx _________________________________ eHEALTHY NEWS The U.S. Legal System Helps Attorneys, Harms Your Health - Why the 40 percent of medical malpractice suits that are completely groundless are putting your health at risk. click here ----- Another Antibiotic Bites the Dust - This antibiotic was shown to cause deadly blood sugar fluctuations and has finally been pulled from the market. Can you name the 16 other drugs that have also been pulled off the market in the last ten years? http://www.mercola.com/2006/may/27/another_antibiotic_exits_the_consumer_marketplace.htm _________________________________ VIDEO: Ask The Fruitcake Lady 3:23 12/8/2006 - This is pretty funny, people on the street seek advice from the fruitcake lady. Dont let her appearance fool you, she does not hold back at all. http://www.break.com/index/ask_the_fruitcake_lady.html _________________________________ NationalGeographic.com http://lava.nationalgeographic.com/pod/ _________________________________ NASA Astronomy picture of the day http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html _________________________________ Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything, That's how the light gets in. ~Leonard Cohen