"The puppet government in Iraq has named June 30 as "National Sovereignty Day," and--without mentioning the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis maimed, killed, tortured or made refugees by the U.S. invasion and occupation--thanked the occupiers for placing them in power. "President" Jalal Talabani termed today "a glorious day." "
Jeremy Scahill,Journalist, author, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army"
Yeah "National Sovereignty Day" and "I am not involved in the coup in Honduras" syndrome...
ReplyDelete<p style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style=" color: #404040; font-family: Verdana;">It may not be an end to the occupation but, I hope, at least it will be an end to the violence that follows US patrols and an end to the shootings at checkpoints. </span>
ReplyDeletehttp://media.mcclatchydc.com/smedia/2007/07/16/09/486-20070711-CHECKPOINTS.large.prod_affiliate.91.jpg
ReplyDeleteCould someone decipher the cartoonist's name for me please?
ReplyDeleteR.S. In late 2006 there were 1200 to 1800 violent attacks per week (170 to 260 per day.) In June, 2007, when the surge in operations began, there were 1100 violent attacks per week (160 per day.)
ReplyDeleteOver the last six months there have been 70 to 105 violent attacks a week (10-15 a day.) Recently there have been about 70. May, 2009, had the lowest number of attacks on record.
Attacks refers to the sum of all attacks against {IA + IP + MNF-I + Iraqi civilians.}
The total number of attacks against the IA and IP have collapsed. This said, checkpoints will continue to be attacked by Takfiri wackos intent on mass murdering Iraqi civilians; when they are discovered trying to pass a checkpoint.
One positive action by US forces was patrols, mostly joint patrols with the ISF. Patrols are what help make locals feel safe; and what keeps them safe. Now, many of the IP, local IP in particular, are far too complacent. They think that just because there has been no violence in an area in a couple months or a couple years, there is no need to patrol. Nothing could be farther from the truth. If the wackos see fewer patrols, they will be encouraged to mass murder civilians.
Shooting at checkpoints have always been very rare. Only drivers who disobey traffic rules are shot at (by IA, IP, or MNF-I.) Only the very stupidest of drivers brake traffic rules in that fashion. The reasons the shootings started is because suicide bombers were driving car bombs into civilian population concentrations; hoping to mass murder as many of them as possible. To stop them from reaching their targets, the IA, IP and MNF-I shoot at them. This won't stop. This will continue. They should continue, until there is a massive drop in the number of non Iraqi sunni arabs crossing into Iraq to mass murder Iraqis.
I tried really hard. Impossible!
ReplyDeleteI tried really hard. No way!!
ReplyDeleteJemmy, it is a Bagley cartoon, for the Salt Lake Tribune-
ReplyDeletehttp://extras.sltrib.com/bagley/Archive.asp?Vol=content&Num=2
Thanks, v.
ReplyDelete