Now I am sure of it. First, watch this: Notice a couple of things: 1) the footage of the attack was shot in daylight. That is *not* how you would conduct any real anti-insurgency raid (they happen at night). From the footage one can only conclude that even small arms fire (nevermind MANPADs) could have easily taken out these helicopters (had any insurgent force been there to begin with, of
Press TV reports: A senior Shia cleric has issued a religious decree prohibiting Iraqis from signing a controversial security agreement with the US. Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Kazem al-Husseini al-Haeri issued a fatwa (decree) against the US-proposed Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). The cleric said that the agreement was in violation of the Islamic law, calling it a humiliating pact that would undermine Iraq’s sovereignty. The US Joint Chiefs of Staff,
Al-Manar reports: Muslim Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr urged Iraqi lawmakers on Saturday to reject a planned US-Iraqi security deal as tens of thousands of his followers poured on to the streets of Baghdad in a massive anti-American protest. “When the agreement is in your hands, the destiny of Iraq and its people is also in your hands,” Sadr said in a statement, speaking to MPs, whose approval is necessary once
from Raed Jarrar’s blog via Palestinian Pundit: I read about a leaked copy of the US-Iraqi agreement a few days ago when a radio station in Iraq mentioned some of its details, then it was mentioned in some Arab newspapers like Al-Qabas and Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. A couple of days ago, one Iraqi website (linked to an Iraqi armed resistance group) published the leaked draft on their web page for less
(click on image for a better view)
Bringing Ireland to Baghdad: How the Resistance Will Eventually Kick the Americans Out By Gary Brecher for AlterNetIt’s very easy to see what’s up in Iraq right now — if you’re willing to face it. The trouble is, most “experts” aren’t willing. That has been the pattern right from the beginning. We didn’t want to admit there even was an insurgency, and even now, nobody misses a chance to declare
Press TV reports: US officials and heads of four Kurdish anti-Iran groups have held a secret meeting in the Iraqi city of Sulaimaniyah, a Kurdish website says. The two-day meeting was aimed at coordination of the US and the anti-Iran groups on mounting more pressure on the Islamic Republic. Ten American military officers and leaders of four Kurdish terrorist groups attended the meeting in the Palace Hotel in Sulaimaniyah, northern
First, please take a look at this al-Jazeera report: First, a superficial impression: the contrast between the dignified attitude of Salah al-Obeidi (the Sadrist spokesman) and the petty bickering of the two other participants of this show. Second, listening to this conversation I think that one can only come to one objective conclusion: the only real patriots are the Sadrists. The Kurds are clearly sold to the Americans. Considering how
Press TV reports: Iraq’s influential leader Moqtada al-Sadr has announced plans to set up a new resistance group to fight US occupation in the country. “The resistance will be carried out exclusively by a special group which I will announce later,” Sadr said in a statement read out at a mosque in the holy town of Kufa. The cleric vowed to uphold resistance against the occupiers until the liberation of
The Jewish Daily Forward reports that Congress has passed a resolution demanding that Iraq recognize Israel or loose billions of dollars in US aid: To the many challenges facing the fledgling Iraqi government, Congress may soon add this: Recognize the State of Israel and establish diplomatic ties with Jerusalem, or else risk losing some of the billions in aid that Baghdad receives from the United States. A nonbinding resolution demanding
Alalam News reports: Iraq’s Premier Nuri al-Maliki said on Friday that negotiations with the US on a security agreement that extends US presence in the war-torn country beyond 2008 has reached a “dead end.” Maliki said that the talks have failed because of US demands that infringe Iraq’s sovereignty. During a visit to neighboring Jordan, Maliki told journalists: “We have reached a dead end, because when we started the talks,
Real News Network has recenlty began showing better and better reports about the Middle-East (Pepe Escobar’s analyses are particularly interesting). Take a look at these two: These two reports make one thing absolutely clear: there is no way in hell the USA is going to get its wish in Iraq. More importantly, if the USA persists in pushing al-Maliki to sign the US SOFA it will totally discredit him and
Press TV reports: Iraqi MPs adamant against US pact: The Iraqi Parliament wants US forces out of Iraq. The majority of Iraqi parliamentarians have written to the US Congress rejecting a long-term security deal, if US forces don’t leave Iraq. New York Times reported that Rep. William Delahunt, a Democrat from Massachusetts, released excerpts from a letter he was handed by Iraqi parliamentarians laying down conditions for the security pact
By Patrick Cockburn for The Independent The US is holding hostage some $50bn (£25bn) of Iraq’s money in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to pressure the Iraqi government into signing an agreement seen by many Iraqis as prolonging the US occupation indefinitely, according to information leaked to The Independent. US negotiators are using the existence of $20bn in outstanding court judgments against Iraq in the US, to pressure
Press TV reports: A senior Iranian cleric says the US should withdraw its troops from Iraq if Washington seeks to survive the quagmire in the country. The military agreement that the White House wants the Iraqi government to sign is ‘impractical’, said Tehran’s interim Friday prayers leader Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati with regards to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) drawn up by Washington. The US echelons are currently negotiating with
Press TV reports that Maliki will travel to Tehran this Sunday for the discussion of “a further expansion bilateral ties” and that he will meet with both President Ahmadinejad and, more importantly, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. So what are they going to discuss? Opening an Iraqi chamber of commerce in Tabriz or maybe expanding cultural ties? Hardly. There is no doubt in my mind at all that what will really
Press TV just published the following on its website: Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has set four conditions for any security pact between the US and Iraq, top Iraqi politician says. “The cleric stressed that any long-term pact in Iraq should maintain four key terms including safeguarding Iraqis’ interests, national sovereignty, national consensus and being presented to the Iraqi parliament for approval.” leader of the largest bloc in Iraq’s parliament,
Press TV reports: A top Iraqi member of parliament says the United State has asked the Iraqi government to establish 50 military bases throughout Iraq. The draft submitted by the US has demanded building 50 military bases, controlling of airspace by American forces and launching military operations from the bases without prior permission from the Iraqi government, Hassan Al-Sunaid, an Iraqi lawmaker and a member of Prime Minister Nouri Al
(Thanks to Toufic for this contribution!) Bush wants 50 military bases, control of Iraqi airspace and legal immunity for all American soldiers and contractors By Patrick Cockburn for The Independent A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election in November. The terms of the impending deal, details of which have been leaked to
It’s official now: even the Iraqi government has rejected the US SOFA. The former Prime Minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari also condemned the SOFA as “undermining the Iraqi sovereignty”. Of course, that rejection should not be seen as some sudden outburst of patriotic fervor: the Maliki regime is a US stooge and that did not change overnight. But even a US stooge cannot openly defy a united Shia opposition to the SOFA.
