Tag Archives: iraq

International, U.S.

War on Terror: The United States is the biggest terrorist, handcuffs then executes Iraqi children, United Nations makes threats wants answers

“…a State party can be held responsible for violations of rights under the Covenant where the violations are perpetrated by authorized agents of the State on foreign territory…”-2006 UN memo to Secretary of State Rice, concerning execution of Iraqi children

A 2006 United Nations memo to then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, has been made public by Wikileaks.

In the memo the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, demands an explanation as to why, on 15 March 2006, an entire Iraqi family was handcuffed and executed by U.S. forces.  That included two children aged five years, two children aged three years and one five month old baby!

After the executions the house was bombed, Iraqi TV has video of the aftermath.

The memo suspects that it was done in retaliation for two U.S. multi-national forces (MNF) troops being killed the week before.

Officially the U.S. claims the family was killed in a gunbattle.  The U.S. led MNF were attempting to arrest one suspect.

The problem is that autopsies showed all the family members had been handcuffed and shot in the head.

The United Nations asked Secretary of State Rice four questions: 1; “On what basis was it decided to kill, rather than capture, members of the Mr. Faiz Harrat Al-Majma’ee’s family.” 2; “What rules of international law does your Excellency’s Government consider to govern these incidents?” 3; “What procedural safeguards, if any, were employed to ensure that these killings complied with international law?” 4; “Does your Excellency’s Government intend to provide compensation…”

The UN memo mentions that this isn’t the only case of summary executions at the hands of U.S. forces.

Secretary Rice was also reminded of UN resolution 59/191: “States must ensure that any measure to combat terrorism complies with their obligation under international law, in particular international human right, refugee and humanitarian law.”

After all, the United States is a shining example of the Rule of Law, is it not?

International, U.S.

U.S. officials say Iraq has agreed to let U.S. troops stay longer, Iraqi officials say Bull Shit!

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told the Stars & Stripes newspaper that  Iraq has agreed to extend U.S. military presence beyond the 2011 deadline.

Iraqi officials responded with: “We have not yet agreed on the issue of keeping training forces, the negotiations are ongoing, and these negotiations have not been finalized.”-Ali Mussawi, advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Another Iraqi official said this on Iraqi TV: “The Iraqi government denies what the American Defense Minister Leon Panetta said that Iraq agreed to extend the presence of U.S. troops in the country after 2011.”

Recently many Iraqi officials have promised that military action would be taken against U.S. troops if they stayed.

 

U.S.

U.S. Army suicides break record again

“There’s actually two things that we’re doing; one is we’re returning them back, we’re letting them have a little break and returning them back to the battle zone.  And if they’re not going back, if they’re being discharged, or staying in the service away… we’re trying to tell them they’re not sick.  If they insist that they’re sick or stressed we’re giving them a lot of anti-psychotics medication.”–Karen Kwiatkowski, former Pentagon official

Despite claiming to have increased efforts to solve the suicide problem, the U.S. Army hit another record in July, 2011: 22 active-duty soldiers and ten reservists killed themselves, the highest number for any month since the U.S. Army began publishing monthly suicide reports in 2009.

So far 160 active-duty and reserve Army soldiers have committed suicide this year.  That’s not counting veterans.

Percentage wise the U.S. Marine Corps isn’t far behind the U.S. Army.  Each of the past six years has seen a record number of active duty and reserve suicides.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Israel to stock up on used U.S. military equipment, U.S. can’t afford to ship it all home from Iraq

Israeli media reporting that the Israeli government plans to expand their military equipment inventories by buying used U.S. equipment now in Iraq.

The report says the Israel purchase of U.S. military gear will help out the U.S. Department of Defense, because apparently the U.S. can’t afford to ship all that equipment back home from Iraq.

The equipment includes everything from vehicles to ammo.

It’s not just Israel that the U.S. will sell to, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are customers as well.  This is just another sign the United States is hurting for cash.

 

International, U.S.

United Police States of America & Hypocrisy in the War on Terror: Convicted U.S. soldier who led abuse at Abu Ghraib released from prison early

U.S. Army Reserve specialist, Charles Graner, led a six member team at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.  Maybe you’ve forgotten all those pics of prisoners being terrorized by U.S. soldiers?

Graner was found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison.  Now he’s being released after only 6 and a half years.  Iraqis have warned the U.S. should be prepared for riots against U.S. troops, at the news of Graner’s early release.

I wonder how all those people still imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay (GITMO) would react to hearing that a convicted U.S. terrorist is being let loose after serving less time than they’ve spent at GITMO, and they still haven’t been charged with anything!!!

International, U.S.

Iraqi Prime Minister succumbs to demands of president Obama, will ask for U.S. troops to stay

Iraqi Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki, told the newly appointed U.S. Secretary of Defense, Leon Panetta, that he will ask for U.S. troops to stay beyond the original withdraw date.

The Prime Minister said it would be contingent upon the Iraqi Parliament to approve such a request.  At least half the members of the Iraqi Parliament have warned of dire consequences if the United States keeps troops in Iraq.

Leon Panetta was in Iraq on July 11, to push the Iraqis to keep U.S. troops in their country, despite the promised pullout by the end of the year.

 

International, U.S.

100 Iraqi politicians sign letter of warning, the U.S. better leave or else

Despite repeated public statements, protests and even attacks against U.S. troops, U.S. officials are still haranguing the Iraqi Prime Minister about letting them stay.

U.S. Admiral Mike Mullen admitted that his staff is having a hard time convincing the Iraqi officials that the United States should stay past their agreed upon withdraw date.  The U.S. is now taking the stand that Iraq has serious security gaps, that only the U.S. can fill.

In response to the continued efforts of the Obama administration to renege on the promised withdraw date, 100 Iraqi lawmakers signed a letter of warning, which basically said if the U.S. gets its way all hell will break loose in Iraq, with the focus of that hell upon U.S. forces.

 

 

International, Opinion, U.S.

War on Terror will cost U.S. taxpayers $4 trillion, and that’s just for Iraq and Afghanistan

Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies “Costs of War” study says the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan could hit $4.4 trillion and could last until 2020.

And for those that think war is good for the economy, the study said war spending makes up only a half a percent, per year of total GDP for the U.S.

The study also compared lives lost during the September 11, 2001 attacks, to the amount of lives lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.  2,995 people were killed on 9/11.   According to U.S. sources as many as 258,000 people have been killed, in the War on Terror, as a direct result of combat, even more have died indirectly, 365,000 have been wounded, 7.8 million people are refugees.

Realize that Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, and that most Afghans didn’t even know about 9/11, and you really have to question the motives of our leaders.  Now President Obama wants to refocus the War on Terror onto the United States itself!

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Iraq caves to U.S. pressure, might allow U.S. troops to stay beyond current withdraw date

June 30, Japan:  In an exclusive interview, NHK discovered that the Iraqi government might let U.S. troops stay.  For months U.S. officials have been pushing Iraq to ‘request’ that U.S. troops be kept past the current withdraw date.

Under the terms of the last agreement, the only way that U.S. forces would stay, is if the Iraqi government requested them to stay.  Officially Iraqi officials have stated that they want the U.S. out.

Iraqi government spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, told NHK that some Iraqi officials now believe their troops need more U.S. training.  This is exactly the reasoning U.S. officials have been telling Iraqi officials to use.

The Iraqi Parliament is set to vote on the issue, it’ll take a majority of support for the request to become official.

Several militia groups, some very powerful, stated they will go on the war path if U.S. troops do not leave by the end of 2011.  Already attacks against U.S. troops have increased since Defense Secretary Robert Gates began pressuring the Iraqi government to let U.S. troops stay.  June, 2011, has become the deadliest month for U.S. forces since 2009.  Some economist say the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the U.S. economy $3 trillion.

International, U.S.

Iraq and Afghan war vets suffer from lung problems, military doctors back it up

A New York Times report says as many as 80,000 U.S. war vets suffer from lung problems like asthma and bronchitis.

The report says the problems began while ‘in theater’ (while deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan), but have continued since returning home.

Causes could be anything from dust storms to toxic chemicals being used on U.S. military bases.  U.S. military medical personnel are calling for an investigation: “I’m concerned that this exposure is not getting the serious review it needs.”-Captain Mark Lyles, Center for Naval Warfare Studies in Newport, Rhode Island.