Now let's talk about the 2012 vote. As you may know, there have been efforts in Florida to purge the voter rolls. This was done by the GOP. And Barack and his Justice Department were going to save the day! But Barack being Barack, a funny thing happened on the way to justice . . . Ed Hightower (WSWS) reports:
The decision to collaborate with Florida’s voter purge is the latest evidence that the 2012 presidential election will be the most antidemocratic such election at least since the US Supreme Court helped George W. Bush steal the presidency by halting a state-required vote recount in the 2000 presidential election.
It is worth noting that in that election, Florida election officials, under the direction of Governor Jeb Bush, brother of then-candidate George W. Bush, targeted 12,000 supposed felons for removal from the voter rolls in a blatant attempt to keep African Americans away from the polls. Another 48,000 were targeted in 2004, again including huge numbers of eligible voters.
The Obama administration’s backing down has profound political significance. First and foremost, it demonstrates once again that there exists no constituency within the ruling class that supports even the most fundamental of democratic rights. Democrats fear that any substantial protest or fight on the issue of democratic rights could touch off a broader social movement that could easily escape their control.
And then we've got the Syrian War and the US government taking sides and going with the 'rebels.' Chris Marsden (WSWS) explains:
The terrorist assassination in Damascus of three leading figures in the Syrian government took place in the government’s National Security building, targeting a meeting of the cabinet at which Syrian President Bashar Assad himself was supposed to be present. It killed Assef Shawkat, the deputy head of the armed forces and Assad’s brother-in-law, Defence Minister Dawoud Rahja and Chief of Crisis Operations Hassan Turkmani. Interior Minister Mohammad Shaar, head of intelligence Hisham Bekhtyar and other top officials were wounded.
The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the Liwa al-Islam (Brigade of Islam) both claimed responsibility, with the FSA stating that powerful bombs had been planted utilizing drivers and bodyguards working for Assad’s inner circle.
The bombing of such a strategic centre of the Baathist regime could not have been carried out without high-level intelligence, contacts and trained operatives. It is hard to believe that it would have taken place without the knowledge and possibly the active connivance of the United States, Britain and other European imperialist powers that are directing the insurgency. Syria today is awash with advanced weaponry and military trainers and intelligence agents—funded to the tune of hundreds of millions by the United States, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.
At World Can't Wait, Tom Junod explains how Barack 'betters' Bush -- openly killing Americans:
It was a pre-emptive strike against a pre-emptive strike.
When Nasser al-Awlaki found out in early 2010 that his American-born son Anwar was on American kill list, he responded in a very American way: He sued. "I used every legal means possible to stop the killing of my son," he said in an interview this past spring. Snd so — despite the notoriety of Anwar al-Awlaki and the success of Anwar al-Awlaki in inspiring terrorist attacks against the United States — he contacted the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Constitutional Rights, and they eventually filed a suit that attempted to enjoin the Obama Administration from carrying out its plans to kill him before he could carry out his alleged plans to kill Americans.
Nasser al-Awlaki did not win. Legal pre-emption was no match for the policy of lethal pre-emption. A federal judge ruled in December 2010 that despite the "profound questions" raised by the lawsuit, the father lacked the legal standing to sue on behalf of his son, and that the policy of targeted killing was a political issue outside the purview of the court. The hunt for Anwar al-Awlaki proceeded apace, and he was executed, by drone, on September 30, 2011, in the mountains of Yemen.
So was Samir Khan, an American citizen who'd left Charlotte, North Carolina, to travel by Anwar al-Awlaki's side as an Al Qaeda propagandist and web editor.
And Guantanamo remains open. Andy Worthington (WCW) notes:
Ten and a half years into the Guantánamo experiment, as it becomes ever harder for those who are still appalled by the prison’s existence, and by the failures of all three branches of the US government — under Barack Obama — to close it, my friends and colleagues Jeffrey Kaye and Jason Leopold are to be commended for not giving up, and for digging away at the secrets that still shroud Guantánamo, and that, moreover, are still capable of providing a shock when uncovered, even if they are generally ignored by the mainstream media.
On Wednesday, the mainstream media decided to pay attention for a change, and Jeff and Jason’s report on a drugging scandal at Guantánamo, published on Truthout, where Jason is the lead investigative reporter and Jeff, a full-time psychologist, is also a regular contributor, was picked up by mainstream media outlets including the Associated Press, AFP and Britain’s Daily Mail.
Their article was based on the release of a Pentagon report, “Investigation of Allegations of the Use of Mind-Altering Drugs to Facilitate Interrogations of Detainees” that they requested through Freedom of Information legislation two years ago, and it paints a depressing story of prisoners at Guantánamo being given given powerful anti-psychotic medication and then, on occasions, interrogated, even though they were in no fit state to answer questions competently.
And yet the 'leaders' of the left like Tom Hayden still insist that Barack must get your vote. Barack doesn't deserve your vote. He's a Republican in Democrat clothing. Barack out of office means the Democrats have to regroup and go back to core beliefs. Barack with a second term means the Democratic Party becomes more like the Republican Party -- and there's already nearly no difference between the two.
Mitt Romney? If you're for him, good for you. He's a Republican. Doesn't hide it like Barack. Doesn't pretend to be the friend to the little guy like Barack does.
If I vote, I'll vote Jill Stein most likely. But more and more, I'm of the opinion that I just won't vote for president.
Regardless, I will not vote for Barack. He has not earned my vote, he does not deserve it.
Here's C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"
Friday,
July 20, 2012 (and, yes, today is the 20th, not yesterday). Chaos and
violence continue, a document -- a secret document -- Nouri wrote in
2009 just emerged, Ramadan starts Saturday Grand Ayatollah Ali
al-Sistani declares, Iraqis struggle with obtaining basic food stuffs,
we continue covering the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy Martin
Kobler's report on Iraq, we wonder when he'll stop being so squirmy when
it comes to LGBT issues, US Green Party presidential candidate Jill
Stein's running a questionable and ineffective campiagn, and much more.
This
morning there were many interesting articles about Martin Kobler's
presentation on Iraq to the United Nation's Security Council yesterday.
Kobler is the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Iraq. And the
few articles this morning about the presentation were nothing like what
Kobler delivered yesterday. (This afternoon, UPI produced a report that
demonstrated their correspondent saw the actual presentation.) But the
reports this morning were a lot like the press conference Kobler held
after -- about an hour after -- the Security Council presentation. You
have to wonder how editorial boards ever pretend to have an ethical
stature to call others out from when their reporters lie? A press
briefing is not the report Kobler presented to the UN Security Council.
Kobler's report was interesting for what it
said. It was even more interesting for what it didn't say but you
probably needed to hear the report to know that and you probably needed
to have heard the April report to be able to offer context in July.
April 10th was when he made his previous presentation and we covered that in the April 10th snapshot and the April 11th snapshot. His Thursday report we covered yesterday
and we'll continue that coverage now. When we left off yesterday, he
was talking about 12 acts of violence a day and over 1,300
UN
Special Envoy Martin Kobler: Each victim is one victim too many. The
Iraqi authorities must continue to make every effort to identify the
perpetrators of these acts of violence and bring them to justice. These
attacks are intended to ignite further violence. Despite the
sufferings, Iraqis from all walks of life and religious backgrounds must
turn their backs on past divisions and unite for a peaceful future.
Mr. President, human rights are a cornerstone of Iraq's democratic
future and are at the core of United Nations mandate in Iraq. To this
end, UNAMI [United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq] continues to
support activities of the Ministry of Human Rights in ensuring that Iraq
meets its international humanitarian rights obligations. As I informed
the Council members last April, the Council of Representatives endorsed
the appointment of the Commissioners of Iraq's first Independent High
Commission for Human Rights. And I am pleased to further report the
commissioners have now met and started their work. UNAMI and UNDP
[United Nations Development Programme] are supporting the Commission in
this process. The findings of the 2011 United Nations report on the
Human Rights Situation in Iraq published in May underlined the fragility
of human rights situation in Iraq. The report's conclusions largely
coincided with the Ministry of Human Rights own findings. While it is
recognized that the government of Iraq has made progress in implementing
measures to protect and promote human rights, the impact on the overall
human rights situation remains limited. The UN is assisting the Iraqi
authorities in strengthening the rule of law and boosting protections
for human rights in Iraq to bring an end to abuses like arbitrary
arrests and detentions. The economic, culture and social rights of
Iraqis are also a matter of real concern. Poverty, high unemployment,
economic stagnation, environmental degradation and a lack of basic
services continue to effect large sections of the population. It is
vital that Iraqis -- in particular, vulnerable groups -- be provided
with better access to basic services, social welfare and community
development programs and opportunities for education. Nothing less is
required in order to provide for the success of future generations. The
rights of all Iraqis -- including minorities -- must be protected as
stipulated in the Iraqi Contrib -- Iraqi Constitution. Mr. President,
Iraq retains the death penalty for a large number of crimes. I
therefore reiterate the call by the Secretary-General [Ban Ki-moon] and
the High Commissioner of Human Rights for the government of Iraq to
establish a moratorium on all executions with a view to their
abolition. I welcome that the authorities of the Kurdistan Region
continue to implement a moratorium on carrying out executions which has
been in place since 2007.
That's
not the end of his report. We'll continue noting from there in order
but we're breaking parts up. It was interesting how in both the written
report (July 11th) and the oral report Kobler gave yesterday, the
Russian bikers were ignored. 5 men threatened with the death penalty, 5
men arrested and beaten. An international incident and not a word on
it. But Kobler wasn't very interested in words. There was time to
whine about his budget taking a 20% cut next year but not time to note,
as the written report did:
Journalists
and media professionals in Iraq continue to face arbitrary arrest and
detention and to suffer from intimidation and attacks as a result of
their profession. During the reporting period, UNESCO and UNOPS [United
Nations Office for Project Services] trained 240 media professionals in
Basra, Erbil and Baghdad on security, self-protection, risk management
and trauma first aid to enable them to cope with existing professional
threats and risks.
The
issue so bothered Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he raised it twice
in the written report (the first time is quoted above). When Kobler
states he's repeating the Secretary-General's point about stopping death
penalty, he's referring to the written report (it's the 72nd paragraph
in the written report).
Iraq being discussed
before the UN. That means what topic gets touched on that the US media
usually ignores? Chapter VII. Iraq was placed in that status by the
UN as a result of Iraq's war on Kuwait.
Speical
Envoy Martin Kobler: Let me now turn to some of the regional and
international developments pertaining to Iraq. As you know, Prime
Minister Maliki's visit to Kuwait in March was followed by the historic
visit of the Emir of Kuwait [Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah] to
Baghdad to attend the Arab League Summit. These two visits have
markedly improved bi-later relations between Kuwait and Iraq and
facilitated the resumption of the meetings of the Joint Ministerial
Committee. Iraq has also taken decisive steps to finalize the
Iraqi-Kuwait border maintenance project in accordance with Resolution
833. At the request of both parties, the United Nations is preparing
now for maintenance work to start by 31st of October provided that key
prerequisites -- like the removal of obstacles on the borders -- are met
bringing all Chapter VII obligations pertaining to Kuwait to a
satisfactory close will boost prospects for bilateral trade,
investment, promote regional cooperation and lead to the restoration of
Iraq's rightful standing within the international community. In this
regard, I would also like to take the opportunity to welcome the
adoption of on 28th of June by the Council of Representatives of a law
ratifying the additional protocol to the Comprehensive Safeguards
Agreement of the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and encourage
the government of Iraq to take the remaining steps to ensure its entry
into force as soon as possible. Mr. President, the intensity and
frequency of sand and dust storms mainly generated from inside Iraq has
increased in recent years. They have significant impact on public
health in Iraq and in the wider region -- especially for the most
vulnerable -- and they effect transport and trade. During my visit to
Kuwait in June and following an offer by the Emir of Kuwait to invest a
portion of Iraq's outstanding war compensation funds back into Iraq, I
proposed an environmental fund to combat sand and dust storms. If Iraq
and Kuwait agree, the fund could be used to undertake activities to
reduce this health hazard which is impeding daily life in the region.
Such activities might include improving water resource management, anti
desertification, re-forestification and agricultural projects. Mr.
President, needless to say that the ongoing violence in Syria is a
source of deep concern given the potential for the spread of instability
and violence, humanitarian fall out and political repercussions. The
UN system in Iraq is putting in place contingency plans for possible
humanitarian emergency. In this connection, I recently visited a
refugee camp in the Kurdistan Region for those displaced by the conflict
in Syria. So far, with 7,000 refugees, their number are manageable.
On 10th of July, the United Nations and League of Arab States
Joint-Special Envoy for Syria, Mr. Kofi Anan, visited Iraq and met with
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The government of Iraq was very clear
on the policy of a political transition that is Syrian-led and
Syrian-owned and ensures that the legitimate and democratic aspirations
of the Syrian people are fully realized.
So
there's a refugee camp in the KRG. And the KRG has a moratorium on the
death penalty. Wonder how much bleaker the state of Iraq would be
reported to the Security Council as being if the Special Envoy didn't
keep including the semi-autonomous KRG region?
As he continues, he'll note some basic numbers.
Special
Envoy Martin Kobler: Mr. President, the United Nations in Iraq also
continues to support the development of effective, accountable and
transparent state institutions. My new deputy and resident humanitarian
coordinator for Iraq, Ms. Jacqueline Babcock, took up her duties on
13th of May. She has already shown her determination and leadership in
coordinating the UN country team to deliver as one. I have asked her to
ensure that the country team strengthens its presence and activities
across the country. This is taking shape in Basra. There, the UN funds
and programs can assist in bringing the quality of life in this oil rich
province to those levels found in other oil rich countries in the
region. Mr. President, let me briefly highlight two of the priority
areas with important political, security and development implications
where the UN system in Iraq is working together. Iraq is one of the
most youthful countries in the world with 50% of the population under
the age of 18. At the same time, the unemployment rate for youth is
more than double the domestic average with 23%. The UN system is
supporting programs aimed at increasing youth participation in social,
political and economic spheres. Building on the International Year of
Youth 2011, the UN is supporting civil-society groups to strengthen
their role in ensuring democratic spaces and freedom. The third UNDP
National Development Report focuses on youth and will be published later
this year. As with youth, women are important actors in Iraq's
development. Yet the illiteracy rate among Iraqi women is more than
double that of Iraqi men. In my meetings with the Iraqi governmental
interloculators, as well as women's civil-society organizations, I
advocate for the adoption and implementation of the proposed National
Strategy on the Advancement of Women. The UN family is working to
support women take up their role also in political and economic life.
The UN is also continuing to implement Security Council Resolution 1322
and to encourage the government to fulfill its committment in this
regard.
Now we're
getting to Camp Ashraf. Camp Ashraf were approximately 3,500 residents
who were Iranian dissidents. They came to Iraq in the 80s and had
protection up to the Iraq War. When the US-launched war toppled the
government of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, the US government --
largely via US military officers -- began a dialogue with the residents
which resulted in their surrendering their arms and becoming protected
persons under the Geneva Agreement and international law. Though never
legally revoked, that protection would be ignored once Barack Obama was
sworn in as US president. Nouri would twice attack the camp resulting
in multiple deaths and a large number of wounded. Humanitarian
organizations -- Amnesty, for example -- would decry the attacks but the
US government would remain silent. When you read over Kobler's remarks
in a second, focus on what's really harming Camp Ashraf right now.
UN
Special Envoy Martin Kobler: Finally, Mr. President, I still remain
very concerned by the lack of progress in resolving the issue of Camp
Ashraf. 2,000 residents of Camp Ashraf have relocated to Camp Hurriyah
[Liberty] in the last months. Approximately 1,200 remain in Camp
Ashraf. The several deadlines set by the government of Iraq have been
extended. I thank the government of Iraq for their flexibility in this
regard and I appeal to the Iraqi authorities to continue the process to
resolve the relocation peacefully. Our committment is strictly
humanitarian, to facilitate a voluntary, temporary relocation of
residents to Camp Hurriyah as the first step of resettlement to
countries outside of Iraq; however, the success of a facilitator depends
at least on good will. Their can be no facilitation without
constructive and practical dialogue. We are faced with three main
challenges. First, recent weeks have witnessed difficulties in
maintaining dialogue between UNAMI and the residents and between the
residents and the government of Iraq reinforcing a perception that the
residents lack genuine will to participate in the process faciliated by
UNAMI. Second, responsiblity also falls on the many international
supporters. It is of great importance that they contribute to
positively influence the residents' position. And third, to date
almost no memeber-state has stepped forward to offer resettlement to
eligible, former Ashraf residents. There must be a way out of Hurriyah
in the foreseeable future. Without prospect for resettlement, the
ongoing process runs the risk of collapsing. The tempoary transit
location at Camp Hurriyah has the capacity to accomodate the remaining
1,200 residents and meets acceptable humanitarian standards. Both UNAMI
and UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] have
devoted substantial energy and resources to resolving this issue. More
than 100 staff are dedicated to the project in the meantime. I appeal
to the government of Iraq to be generous -- particularly in terms of
humanitarian needs like water and electricity and to avoid violence
under any circumstances. I also appeal to camp residents to abide by
Iraqi laws and avoid provocation and violence. Time is running out to
find a sustainable solution. The government's patience is wearing thin.
I would therefore like to echo the Secretary-General and urge Camp
Ashraf residents to cooperate with the Iraqi authorities and to relocate
from Camp Ashraf to Camp Hurriyah. It is also imperative that third
countries step forward to accept eligible residents for resettlement as
soon as possible without which there can be no durable solution.
The residents have stopped moving to Camp Liberty. They want to take items such as generators. Why?
Nouri doesn't want them to take items such as generators. Why?
Because both sides don't believe that the Camp Ashraf residents will soon leave Camp Liberty. Why don't they believe it?
Because
no one's left so far and that's because other countries aren't willing
to take them in. In Nouri al-Maliki's view, Camp Liberty is just a
place to store Camp Ashraf residents for another lengthy period. In his
view, he's being conned and then in a year or two, he'll be told
they'll be moved somewhere else in Iraq. It's a view Camp Ashraf
residents can share. Because both they and Nouri have seen 1200 moved
and not resettled anywhere. They're just remaining in Camp Liberty, the
same way they remained in Camp Ashraf. If Nouri (or the government in
Tehran) is to believe that the residents are being resettled, they're
going to have to see some resettled. It's not that complicated.
Why
are so many nations so reluctant to take them? Because the US
government refuses to do their job. Camp Ashraf residents are part of
the MEK. The MEK is considered a terrorist group by the US government
-- the Clinton administration put them on that list in the late 90s in
an effort to make an overture to the government of Iran. Though ordered
by a federal court to resolve the MEK status quickly, the State Dept
refused and now has until October to do so or the court will impose a
punishment. (Whether Barack Obama is re-elected president or not,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has already stated she will not serve
a second term in her post. An October deadline from the court is a
joke because the administration will treat it as such -- either because
they will quickly become a lameduck one or because they will be looking
for a new Secretary of State.) Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and
those under them have repeatedly and falsely equated MEK and Camp
Ashraf residents as one grouping.
The US
government does not recognize the MEK as protected persons. The US
government does recognize Camp Ashraf residents as protected persons.
This issue should have been resolved a long time ago, the US government
made promises and needs to keep them. The easiest way is to create an
excpetion for the Camp Ashraf residents. That's 3,200 people
currently. They are all in Iraq. Those in Iraq transferring out would
not be considered "terrorists." This is due to where they were located,
due to the stationary aspect of their location and due to the fact that
the US government already gave them protected persons status. That
status expires only when they are out of Iraq so it is in the US
government's best interests to get them out of Iraq quickly. The State
Dept could easily create a subgrouping of those residents in Iraq to
allow other countries to take them in.
The
refusal to do so means the Barack Obama administration will likely have
blood on their hands because one side will likely explode in a very
short time. This has been going on too long and neither Nouri nor the
residents are seeing any progress. If the US government can not
seriously assist the Camp Ashraf residents by creating a
subgrouping/classification for them and violence takes place, those
deaths -- Iraqis or Ashraf residents -- will be the responsibility of
the US White House.
There was a lot mentioned
in the report. A lot overlooked as well. As he winds down, Kobler
makes the decision that UNAMI itself -- and its budget -- is more
important than any Iraqi topic that he could include in the final
moments.
Special Envoy
Martin Kolber: Mr. President, in my introduction, I posed the question
of whether the people of Iraq still need UNAMI? I am convinced that
UNAMI is needed more than ever to help Iraq complete its transition to a
stable and prosperous democracy. UNAMI has the legitimacy and the
standing to represent the international community in Iraq. Iraqis from
all communities look to UNAMI to protect their aspirations and to ensure
their needs are met. With Security Council support, UNAMI will
continue its efforts to address the many outstanding issues crucial to
securing Iraq's future. The substantial cut of 20% of UNAMI's budget in
2013 requires that we do more with less. In this context, the mission
may need to reconsider some areas of operation. Mr. President, I
should like to sincerely thank the members of the council for their
continued support, the government of Iraq and the wider membership of
the United Nations as well as the staff of UNAMI for their unrelenting
commitment and dedication to implement our mandate. Thank you very
much.
And that was
it. Last April, in his presentation to the UN Security-Council, he
refused to note the targeting of Iraq's LGBT community. In the written
report (written in March), there was a passing reference ("perception of
their sexual orientation") with the promise that the UN was in the
process of corroborating the reported deaths and would address it when
they had. It's months later, presumably the UN has been able to
corroborate those reports in some fashion by now. So why can't Martin
Kobler talk about it? It's not even in the written report (which was
published July 11th). There is no mention made of it. If Martin Kobler
wishes to represent Iraqis, he needs to represent all Iraqis. He needs
to find it in his comfort zone to use the terms "gay" and "lesbian."
If that's too much work for him, if it's too much of a stretch, he needs
to find a new position. The United Nations was silent as young
Iraqis were targeted -- males and females -- because they were believed
to be gay or to be Emo or both. Rolling Stone and NME covered it. But
the United Nations stayed silent. The US State Dept covered it in their
own human rights report. But the United Nations stayed silent. That's
unacceptable.
It's especially unacceptable considering the United Nations' supposed position on this issue. As we noted when Kobler gave his last report to the Security Council:
Last month, Igor Volsky (Think Progress) noted
(March 7, 2012), "Earlier today, the UN Human Rights Council held the
first hearing 'to discuss discrimination and violence against LGBT
people." UN Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon issued a special message to
the council, decrying violence against the LGBT community as a
'monumental tragedy' that is a 'stain on our collective conscience' and a
'violation of international law' [. . .]" and he quotes UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon stating, "To those who are gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender, let me say -- you are not along. Your struggle
for an end to violence and discrimination is a shared struggle. Any
attack on you is an attack on the universal values the United Nations
and I have sworn to uphold."
Is Kobler not part of the UN? Has he sworn to do the same.
We
got a little talk about women in this presenation. That is new.
Previous presentations to the Security Council by the Special Envoy to
Iraq frequently left women out. But apparently, something more "gross"
and "disgusting" than women has been found by the office of Special
Envoy: Iraq's LGBTs.
It was really
disgusting to hear Kobler prattle on about violence and minorities and
never once note the attacks on Iraq's LGBT community. It was
disgusting.
You may remember that
Kobler silence on LGBT was an issue that continued past the two
snapshots on the April report. You may remember my noting UN friends
swore he'd include it when the figures were verified. The figures were
verified -- I've 'verified' that with UN friends this morning. And
still Kobler said nothing. There was time for budget and shout-outs,
but no time for Martin Kobler to find his comfort level with gays and
lesbians.
Martin Kobler better start
representing all of Iraq or become the leading face of homophobia in the
United Nations. On that last possibility, he's already well on his
way.
As the Washington Post notes, the holy day of Ramadan is arriving. Alsumaria reports that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has declared Saturday to be the first day of Ramadan. Al Mada carries a Ramadan greeting congratulating
all Iraqis and asking for their blessing in the coming year with God
Almighty strengthening their path to justice, freedom and security. Kitabat notes
that there are calls for the government to grant leave for employees on
days when the temperature reaches 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees
Fahrenheit). While the sun is up, those observing the Muslim holiday
are supposed to fast. Before sunrise and after sunset, those observing
the holiday can eat. However, food prices are rising in Iraq. Alsumaria is the latest this week to report
on the sharp increase in prices for basic items such as lentils. The
Ministry of Commerce is insisting that they got materials to the stores
in time so any increase in prices is not their fault. The article also
notes that the high prices might make Ramadan slowly disappear as a part
of Iraqi life -- as other habits have been forgotten in Iraq. It seems
unlikely that Ramadan could disappear from Iraq but then come reports
about how hard it is for some to observe it.
Al Mada notes
that unemployment is also a huge issue during the holy month and only
more so when the food prices increase. They speak with Hani Rseg who is
a construction worker and tells the paper that he didn't get any wages
for four months because contractors rarely get paid on time and when
money did come in, there was electricity, gasoline, water and other
things to pay for and only now is he able to shop for Ramadan. Police
officer Ahmed Radhi al-Hleaj states that he's paying a car loan and
wouldn't be able to afford Ramadan except that he's taken on a second
job working as a taxi driver.
Rahim Ruhayem (BBC News -- link is video) reports on Iraq's ration systems.
Rahim Ruhayem (BBC News -- link is video) reports on Iraq's ration systems.
Rahim
Ruhayem: In distribution centers, few complain about waste or
abundance. Dawood is a construction worker in central Baghdad and he's
come to collect his monthly share. He told me the distribution system
is gradually fading away.
Dawood:
It's getting less and less, year by year, month by month. And there is
no variety. We get cooking oil. Sometimes rice, flour. No tea, no
washing powder, no salt. Many things have been scrapped. And they will
probably cancel the rest too. The whole thing will be finished soon.
We better get used to it.
Rahim
Ruhayem: The government insists it has no plans to end the system, it
only talks of reform over the coming years. At a cost of about five
billion dollars a year, the Iraqi state hands out food to its people.
But some of these people need it a lot more than others. 23% of Iraqis
live below the poverty line. If the government wants to reform the
system, it has a delicate balance to strike between encouraging
productivity and less reliance on the state on one hand while making
sure on the other not to jeopardize the food security of those most in
need. Rahim Ruhayem, BBC News, Baghdad.
Census numbers might change the ration-card numbers but, as Al Mada points out, Iraq has not had a census since 1997 and both the 2007 and 2009 censuses were postponed (by Nouri). Today, Al Mada reports,
a member of Parliament's Finance Committee told the paper that the
government does not know the actual population in Iraq and depends upon a
random and inaccurate figure based on indicators and that their is a
wide difference between the Ministry of FInance's figure and the ration
card number and between the Ministry of Plannin's figure and the ration
car number.
Earlier this week, as continued unemployment was met with soaring food prices, Al Mada reported
that there are accusations in Hilla that food merchants are
intentionally introducing small amounts of food to the markets in order
to artifically pump up the prices by creating scarcity. This comes as
Babylon Province sees less and less items for sale that can be purchased
with ration cards. True or false, the federal government should be
addressing this item though they will most likely ignore it. If it
isn't true, the rumors will still take root because food prices are
increasing, ration items are becoming scarce and hunger isn't something
people can overlook the way they might endure electricity outages. So
as the hunger and anger builds, even if the rumors are false, a need to
hold someone accountable can build and, if it does, it could leave
food merchants targeted. If the rumors are true, the federal government
needs to deal with it (a) to show that it can deal with something, (b)
the economy cannot take higher prices (unless Nouri intends to expand
the ration card system) and (c) the federal government still has the
power to set controls on various aspects of retail within the
country. In addition, Nasiriyah reported
that in an effort to try to reach 12 hours of electricity a day for the
holy month of Ramadan, Iraqi is increasing energy imports from Iran.
Alsumaria notes that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is calling on Iraqi Muslims to watch the crescent moon this evening to determine whether Ramadan is starting.
Yesterday,
Nouri al-Maliki attempted to seize control of the news cycle but, as is
so often the case with Nouri, lost instead. He insisted that the White
House had conveyed, in a letter, their support for his attempts to
cancel the October contract the Kurdistan Regional Government signed
with ExxonMobil. No such thing happened. But some outlets live to be
sucker-punched. Let's note one of the few who realized that journalism
involves skepticism of official statements. Here's Kristin Deasy (Global Post) on those claims:
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed late Thursday to have received a message from US President Barack Obama indicating that the US sided with Baghdad in its deepening row with Kurdistan over the management of the northern region's oil resources, reported Reuters.
The message from Baghdad -- which did not quote the alleged Obama letter directly or provide any copy of it -- welcomed the "positive" US position on the matter, which it said was "in the same manner as the Iraqi government is seeking," said Reuters.
To repeat, in the United States, there is no state control over oil companies. In Iraq, Nouri's lies can fly somewhat because that country has a history of nationalized oil companies. As a result, a casual news consumer would hear of Nouri's claim and think nothing of it. But in the US, where it's far more likely that a multi-national oil company will control the government than the goverment ever control an oil company, that claims is laughable on its face.
In October, ExxonMobil and the KRG signed their contract. Nouri's Baghdad-based government played angry, spurned lover sending one letter after another to ExxonMobil, each basically screeching, "How could you! After all we've been through!"
As Iraq's Minister of Oil confirmed in early 2012, ExxonMobil elected to ignore those letters and not respond. And Nouri had nothing else to offer. So last month he began making noise that the US government -- specifically the White House (Nouri has always been hugely unpopular in the US Congress) -- should break ExxonMobil's contract.
Which again demonstrates how stupid and not ready to be prime minister Nouri actually is. The White House has no control over ExxonMobil. And this was conveyed to Nouri -- as the Iraqi press noted. But with US Vice President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Antony Blinken in Iraq, Nouri decided to spin the visit. It would have been laughable on any day but it was especially laughable yesterday when another major multi-national oil corporation elected to bypass Baghdad and sign with the KRG. David R. Baker (Fuel Fix) notes:
Chevron Corp. will hunt for oil in northern Iraq's Kurdish region — the company's first major effort in the volatile country since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The deal, made public Thursday, lands Chevron squarely in the midst of post-war Iraq's bitter oil politics, with rival regions and ethnic groups fighting over how to develop the country's vast petroleum reserves. Chevron faces significant risk, and the potential of great reward.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed late Thursday to have received a message from US President Barack Obama indicating that the US sided with Baghdad in its deepening row with Kurdistan over the management of the northern region's oil resources, reported Reuters.
The message from Baghdad -- which did not quote the alleged Obama letter directly or provide any copy of it -- welcomed the "positive" US position on the matter, which it said was "in the same manner as the Iraqi government is seeking," said Reuters.
To repeat, in the United States, there is no state control over oil companies. In Iraq, Nouri's lies can fly somewhat because that country has a history of nationalized oil companies. As a result, a casual news consumer would hear of Nouri's claim and think nothing of it. But in the US, where it's far more likely that a multi-national oil company will control the government than the goverment ever control an oil company, that claims is laughable on its face.
In October, ExxonMobil and the KRG signed their contract. Nouri's Baghdad-based government played angry, spurned lover sending one letter after another to ExxonMobil, each basically screeching, "How could you! After all we've been through!"
As Iraq's Minister of Oil confirmed in early 2012, ExxonMobil elected to ignore those letters and not respond. And Nouri had nothing else to offer. So last month he began making noise that the US government -- specifically the White House (Nouri has always been hugely unpopular in the US Congress) -- should break ExxonMobil's contract.
Which again demonstrates how stupid and not ready to be prime minister Nouri actually is. The White House has no control over ExxonMobil. And this was conveyed to Nouri -- as the Iraqi press noted. But with US Vice President Joe Biden's National Security Adviser Antony Blinken in Iraq, Nouri decided to spin the visit. It would have been laughable on any day but it was especially laughable yesterday when another major multi-national oil corporation elected to bypass Baghdad and sign with the KRG. David R. Baker (Fuel Fix) notes:
Chevron Corp. will hunt for oil in northern Iraq's Kurdish region — the company's first major effort in the volatile country since the 2003 invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.
The deal, made public Thursday, lands Chevron squarely in the midst of post-war Iraq's bitter oil politics, with rival regions and ethnic groups fighting over how to develop the country's vast petroleum reserves. Chevron faces significant risk, and the potential of great reward.
In Iraq where safety has never been secured, Alsumaria reports
a Yezidi girl was burned alive in her Mosul home -- some are saying it
is suicide, no finding has been established yet. Alsumaria notes that
2011 saw 6 confirmed cases of murder and ten case of confirmed suicides
by burning -- in addition there were 85 who were injured by burning.
Yesterday NINA reported 1 Peshmerga died in a Kirkuk sticky bombing and two more were injured.
No emergence of security, no end to the political stalemate. Al Mada reports
the National Alliance (again) discussed their Reform Committee paper.
They've discussed it so much that they must know it by heart. NINA reports
that Iraqiya's Hani Ashur has declared "the reforms paper prepared by
the National Alliance on its way to failure, where there is no agreement
upon [it] even within the National Alliance and it became a mean to buy
time and not for the reforms, it will not see the light or [be] put on
the table of dialogue. The reform paper is not more than an attempt to
melt the crisis and the government is not serious in dealing with it,
and the crisis may [be] back to the first square."
In what may end up being the most explosive political news out of Iraq this week, Al Mada reports
the existence of a document signed by Nouri from October 2009 in which
he secretly asked then-House Speaker Ayad al-Samarri not to question
Hussain al-Shahristani. al-Shahristani is currently Iraq's Deputy Prime
Minister for Energy. Starting in the spring of 2006 (with Nouri's
becoming prime minister), al-Shahristani became the Minister of Oil.
Despite enjoying a great deal of soft press -- from The National Newspaper, Iraq Oil Report
and pretty much everyone else -- al-Shahristani has no major successes
to point to and Nouri conveyed in the letter that asking al-Sharistani
about corruption or violence would be harmful to the government's
interests. (al-Sharistani is a member of Nouri's State of Law
political slate.)
Kim Kelly (The Atlantic) focuses more on the present [art scene] and the emergence of what is thought to be a musical first in Iraq:
She
says her name is Anahita, the 28-years-old voice and vitriol behind
Janaza, which is believed to be Iraq's very first female-fronted,
black-metal band. Allow that notion --Iraq's very first female-fronted,
black-metal band -- to sink in for a moment. Her first recording, Burn the Pages of Quran,
boasts five distorted, primitive tracks that altogether run just shy of
an unlucky 13 minutes. She, along with a handful of other acts hailing
from the Middle East, are repurposing black metal's historically
anti-Christian ferocity to rail against Islam. In doing so, these bands
are serving up another example of how art and dissent can intersect in a region where dissent can sometimes have deadly consequences.
Saturday Anna Breslaw (Jezebel) reports that The Atlantic article might be a hoax and that the photos accompanying it have been used in publications previously for other metal bands. I meant to include that Monday (we noted it Saturday) but kept running out of space.
I'd
also hoped to cover Jill Stein's campaign this week and, at the very
least, run a press release from it. Not doing it. Not interested in the
pretense of Bain and how it just can't be understood! That's b.s. and
Bob Somerby's rightly called it out (Somerby most recently called out
the nonsense today).
If Jill and her campaign think repeating those rumors qualifies as
running for office, they're kidding themselves. And if they think
spending three paragraphs on this rumor and then tossing in one
paragraph on Barack is going to make people think they'll hold both
accountable, consider it again. We already saw 2008 when Rosa Clemente
-- Cynthia McKinney's running mate -- was trashing Hillary Clinton with
lies long after she was out of the race but Rosa never could find the
courage or strength to call out Barack. We're not in the mood for
it. If the Green Party thinks inflating their criticism of Barack a
tiny bit after three and half years of non-stop failures by Barack
qualifies as 'strong,' they're crazier than they think the voters are.
Run a real campaign or get out of the damn race.
Mitt
Romney as president is a question mark. Barack Obama is not. If Dr.
Jill can't call out -- on a daily basis -- the treatement of Bradley
Manning, assissinating American citizens, killing due process and
Barack's war on whistle blowers and the Constitution, she's not fit for
office or, for that matter, for the campaign trail. Green Party needs
to beef up their game and Jill's campaign? It's been 7 days since she
gave the speech in Baltimore. Her campaign is still unable to post
video or a transcript of that speech to her website? Someone's not
looking like a real candidate.
