IRAQ ELECTION CHAOS: CANDIDATES DISQUALIFIED
May affect US withdrawal
"Iraq's election results have been thrown into further doubt after 52 candidates were disqualified... The US (is) concerned that the inconclusive result and power vacuum will hold up the withdrawal of its remaining combat forces... The US is expected to withdraw its remaining troops by the end of 2011 under the terms of a status of forces agreement signed by George Bush before he left the presidency.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/26/iraq-election-candidates-disqualified
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
MALIKI HAS TORTURE PRISON FOR SUNNIS
Threat to forming a viable government
"Hundreds of Sunni men disappeared for months into a secret Baghdad prison under the jurisdiction of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's military office, where many were routinely tortured... the 431 prisoners had been subjected to appalling conditions... one of them, a former colonel in President Saddam Hussein's army, had died in January as a result of torture... "More than 100 were tortured. There were a lot of marks on their bodies. They beat people, they used electricity. They suffocated them with plastic bags, and different methods... they were handcuffed for three to four hours at a time in stress positions or sodomized".... (the revelation) would likely compromise the prime minister's ability to put together a viable government coalition.."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-prison19-2010apr19,0,5706408.story
Threat to forming a viable government
"Hundreds of Sunni men disappeared for months into a secret Baghdad prison under the jurisdiction of Prime Minister Nouri Maliki's military office, where many were routinely tortured... the 431 prisoners had been subjected to appalling conditions... one of them, a former colonel in President Saddam Hussein's army, had died in January as a result of torture... "More than 100 were tortured. There were a lot of marks on their bodies. They beat people, they used electricity. They suffocated them with plastic bags, and different methods... they were handcuffed for three to four hours at a time in stress positions or sodomized".... (the revelation) would likely compromise the prime minister's ability to put together a viable government coalition.."
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq-prison19-2010apr19,0,5706408.story
Monday, April 05, 2010
VIDEO GAME: KILLING CIVILIANS
"... US air crew falsely claiming to have encountered a firefight in Baghdad and then laughing at the dead after launching an air strike that killed a dozen people... Among the dead were a 22-year-old Reuters photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen, and his driver, Saeed Chmagh, 40. When Saeed is crawling, clearly unable to do anything, their response is: come on buddy, we want to kill you, just pick up a weapon ... It appears to be a desire to get a higher score, or a higher number of kills...."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/05/wikileaks-us-army-iraq-attack
"... US air crew falsely claiming to have encountered a firefight in Baghdad and then laughing at the dead after launching an air strike that killed a dozen people... Among the dead were a 22-year-old Reuters photographer, Namir Noor-Eldeen, and his driver, Saeed Chmagh, 40. When Saeed is crawling, clearly unable to do anything, their response is: come on buddy, we want to kill you, just pick up a weapon ... It appears to be a desire to get a higher score, or a higher number of kills...."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/05/wikileaks-us-army-iraq-attack
Friday, April 02, 2010
OF 800 CLAIMS FOR KILLED CIVILIANS, MANY NOT PAID
"More than 800 complaints have been filed by families of civilians killed in US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan... many of the claims were denied under the "combat exemption" clause to the Foreign Claims Act (FCA), "which provides that harm inflicted on residents of foreign countries by US soldiers during combat cannot be compensated under the FCA, even if the victims had no involvement whatsoever in the combat"... Due to the claim denials, many innocent civilians were not compensated for their harm or were referred to the Commander's Emergency Response Program for a discretionary condolence payment that is subject to an automatic 2,500-dollar limit per death..."
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100402/twl-us-iraq-afghanistan-unrest-lawsuit-7e07afd.html
"More than 800 complaints have been filed by families of civilians killed in US military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan... many of the claims were denied under the "combat exemption" clause to the Foreign Claims Act (FCA), "which provides that harm inflicted on residents of foreign countries by US soldiers during combat cannot be compensated under the FCA, even if the victims had no involvement whatsoever in the combat"... Due to the claim denials, many innocent civilians were not compensated for their harm or were referred to the Commander's Emergency Response Program for a discretionary condolence payment that is subject to an automatic 2,500-dollar limit per death..."
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20100402/twl-us-iraq-afghanistan-unrest-lawsuit-7e07afd.html