text:
The failure brewing
"'Friends of Libya' meet in Paris for imperialist carve-up" (Bill Van Auken, WSWS):
The "Friends of Libya" conference held in Paris Thursday signaled the beginning of the imperialist carve-up of the oil-rich North African country.
Jointly chaired by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister David Cameron, the conference included participation by those countries which provided the fire-power under the umbrella of NATO and using a United Nations resolution as a cover to bring down the government of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi in a six-month war for "regime change." These include the US, France, Britain, Italy and Qatar. All of them are jockeying to reap the greatest possible return on their "investment" of bombs and missiles that have claimed thousands of lives and left much of Libya's infrastructure in ruins.
Also attending will be Germany, Russia, China, India and Brazil, which abstained on the UN Security Council resolution utilized as a legal fig leaf for the colonial-style war. These countries all fear that their significant investments and deals in Libya will be lost to the intervening Western powers.
In all, the conference included 31 heads of state, 11 foreign ministers and the leaders of the United Nations, NATO and the Arab League, along with the chief figures in the NTC, Justafa Abdul-Jalil, who until February was Gaddafi's justice minister, and Mahmoud Jibril, a free-market economist who was the Gaddafi regime's point man on attracting foreign investment.
On the eve of the conference, President Sarkozy cast the meeting in lofty terms, telling a gathering of French ambassadors in Paris that it would "turn the page on dictatorship and combat to open a new era of cooperation with a democratic Libya."
They're carving it up. The criminals aren't even concerned about being discovered. They're conducting their War Crimes out in the open where anyone can see.
Why bother to hide it?
Whether it's been a Bush or a Barack, they want illegal wars.
That we can't loudly and clearly challenge them in public goes to a failure of those of us on the left.
Friday, September 2, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Troy Yocum completes his Hike for our Heroes tomorrow in Louisville, Human Rights Watch calls out the bombing of northern Iraq, additional info about the 2006 massacre of an Iraqi family by US forces, and more.
Starting in the US, Hike for our Heroes is a non-profit started by Iraq War veteran Troy Yocum who is hiking across the country to raise awareness and money for veterans issues. He began the walk last April. From the Facebook page:
Iraq War Veteran Troy Yocum, his wife Mareike and Emmie the super dog are hiking 7,000 miles across America to help military families in need. They took their first steps of the 16-month cross-country quest on April 17, 2010. Backed by corporate sponsors, many volunteers and support members, Team Hike for our Heroes/Drum Hike are taking on the challenge of raising needed funds by hiking 7000 miles across America. The journey will take 16 months passing through 31 states and 38 large cities. The team will have to average over 20 miles a day while enduring each season. Funds donated go through The Wish Upon A Hero Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization that seeks to supports the community of individuals working online who grant the needs and wants of others making a wish. We believe that no wish is too large, no hero is too small and that everyone can become a hero. The idea for the hike has been evolving since Troy joined the Army in 2001 but it is now when our economy is struggling and military families are in most need that he and his family will put one foot in front of another to connect and help struggling families. Help our mission by making a donation today!
The hike that began in Louisville, Kentucky over a year and a half ago is scheduled to conclude there this Saturday at approximately 1:30 p.m. Ken Neuhauser (Louisville Courier-Journal) notes, "Coincidentally, Louisville native and Iraq war veteran Troy Yocum will complete his 'Hike for Our Heroes' campaign at 1:30 p.m. Saturday across the street at the Louisville Slugger Museum, where he began his 7,000-mile cross-country trek in April 2010. His accomplishment will be recognized as part of the Founder's Day celebration." Devin Katayama (WFPL) reports:
Now he is getting close and he said when he arrives at the finish line at the Louisville Slugger Museum this weekend, he expects a few thousand people to greet him.
"I thought I could finish all 7,880 miles in 15 months and instead we're coming into Louisville around a month and a half late. And that's not a failure in my book. I take from this that perseverance is key to accomplishing any goal and I've been working extra hard this year to make it all the way to the finish line. It's almost surreal to be this close to home. I just passed a sign that said 33 miles and that feels really good," said Yocum.
Late last night, Troy Tweeted, "Feels good to be closing on what has been an incredible journey!" That's tomorrow at approximately 1:30 in the afternoon. His Tweets today include:
WalkAcrossUSA The cart is back for the last miles to the finish line! We hope to live stream tomorrow!!! fb.me/El0WEynl
WalkAcrossUSA Urgent: If you are coming to walk 9 miles, come prepared with its of water. It will be really hot tomorrow!
WalkAcrossUSA This is it my friends, I want to thank you all for the support to get here. To each and every last one of my... fb.me/14dhPzxDQ
Turning to Iraq, Margaret Griffis (Antiwar.com) notes, "A source in Babel province warned that 45 taxi drivers have gone missing in recent months." And Reuters notes 1 corpse was discovered in Kirkuk (stabbed to death) and that 13 of the 35 who broke out of a Mosul prison (see yesterday's snapshot) are still at large while 22 have been captured.
Wednesday's snapshot noted the ridiculous Michael S. Schmidt article entitled "Iraq War Marks First Month With No U.S. Military Deaths" (New York Times) but something was missed (by me) that community member Terrance caught: most months NYT ignores all but combat fatalities when doing their reports. In addition, we'll note this from John Glaser's refutation (Antiwar.com) of the 'milestone' coverage:
Hailed as a victorious milestone, the achievement merely reveals the failure and disgrace of the Iraq War. [. . .] Milestones apparently don't have to consider civilian deaths, which reached 155 in August.
This supposed "milestone" provides comfort the families of service members? On today's Takeaway (PRI), Celeste Headlee addressed the issue with Jack Jacobs and Rossan aCambron. Excerpt:
Celeste Headlee: Also with us is Rossana Cambron whose son Arturo Cambron is serving his third term in Iraq so that's the opinion of a retired army col Rossana, what's your opinion as a mom? Does it make you feel the situation in Iraq is getting safer?
Rossana Cambron: It's a difficult question to answer because if I say "yes" people get the illusion that they can kind of rest, they apply it to their current situation. But as a mother who has a son in the war it only brings it down just a short notch to the concern I feel and the worry I feel. It doesn't really make a significant difference in how much I worry about my son and his safety --
Celeste Headlee: Well --
Rossana Cambron: -- in the overall scheme.
Celeste Headlee: -- have you noticed any change in the past few months in his messages to you when he talks to you? Does he seem to feel like things have gotten improved or safer there?
Rossana Cambron: Well if we compare it to his first deployment which was late '06, definitely there's less combat, there's less mission where he goes out and he doesn't come back and mention maybe a snippet of what he may have experienced. But, again, I don't want to leave the illusion that it's a great relief, that I've stopped worrying or that I can stop not looking out of my window for somebody that's waiting to give me the bad news or walking up my door -- or things like that. It's not like that. It's just a -- shave off a thin layer of the worry that I have every day, the concern I have every day.
Still on violence, Dan Murphy (Christian Science Monitor) reports on a new Lancet study, "The report documented 1,003 suicide attacks in Iraq between 2003-10, which killed 12,284 civilians and injured a further 30,644. The Lancet authors found 108,624 civilian deaths from violence of all kinds in the period. To put that in perspective by adjusting for population, that would be equivalent to 1 million Americans killed in a seven-year period. And the violence has continued. Earlier this week, 28 worshipers were murdered by a suicide bomber at Baghdad's Umm al-Qura mosque."
Reviewing the month's violence and starting with what was reported by the media (and noted in the snapshots). August 1st, 2 dead and four injured; August 2nd, 6 dead and thirty-three injured; August 3rd, 18 dead and eleven wounded; August 4th, 3 dead and fourteen injured; August 5th, 1 dead and fifteen injured; August 6th, 1 dead and three wounded; August 7th, 6 dead and eight injured; August 8th, 8 dead and twenty-four wounded; August 9th, five wounded; August 10th, 1 dead and seventeen injured; August 11th, 5 dead and seventy-one injured; August 12th, five injured; August 13th, 3 dead and thirteen wounded; August 14th, 6 dead and eight injured; August 15th, 75 dead and two-hundred-and-fifty injured; August 16th, 8 dead and thirteen injured; August 17th, 8 dead and twenty-two wounded; August 18th, 10 dead and twenty-one injured; August 19th, 3 dead and six injured; August 20th, four were reported injured; August 21st, 8 dead and twelve injured; August 22nd, 6 dead and eight injured; August 23rd, no reports (the next day will find Reuters dropping back to cover the 23rd) ; August 24th, 8 dead and twenty-four wounded; August 25th, 23 dead and seventy-one injured; August 26th, 3 dead and nine injured; August 27th, 14 dead and twenty-six injured; August 28th, 35 dead and fifty-four injured; August 29th, 6 dead and thirty-eight injured; August 30th, 2 dead and eleven injured; August 31st, 4 dead and thirty-five wounded.
That's 262 dead and 855 injured. Iraqi Body Count counted 395 civilians killed (our 262 count is all killed, not just civilians -- the 262 leaves out Turkish and PKK claims on how many PKK fighters were killed due to the fact that the two sets of number conflict).
AFP notes that the Iraqi Ministry of Health, Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense released their figures for the month and are insisting only 239 Iraqis died in August ("155 civilians, 45 people and 39 soldiers"). But they've been undercounting forever. And with the exception of a pushback (from AFP) earlier this summer, the press just spits out the 'official' count -- from two ministries that don't even have Ministers. (Nouri cannot appoint a minister. He can nominate one. Parliament then decides on the nominee. If Parliament doesn't decide, there's no minister for that department.)
I'm not a fan of Alyona Minkovski or The Alyona Show (if needed, Ava and I can go into that at Third) but there's limited coverage of the WikiLeak released State Dept cable about the 2006 slaughter of an Iraqi family. Of the three choices I'm aware of that are radio or TV, her show was the strongest. She spoke with blogger Kevin Gosztola and we'll skip the whole Christopher Columbus claim of discovery of something already in the public sphere. We'll also skip the b.s. that doesn't address the cable. (But we will note when you yack and yack about others defocusing, why don't you yourself focus.) Excerpt:
Alyona Minkovski: Yeah can you give us a few more of the details that have been released in this cable about this raid?
Kevin Gosztola: Right, in this cable it's a communications log to the Mission in Geneva and he basically placed an inquiry, asking a number of questions about information he had received about multinational forces raid going into a home and, as you said in the set-up of your segment, five children were killed and four women were killed. And they were taken outside of the home and they were lined up and they were handcuffed -- they were in handcuffs -- and they were executed. And the autopsies show from the morgue they were able to see that they were shot in the head and that they were handcuffed. And then afterwards, a[n] airstrike came along and demolished the home so there wasn't any evidence left for any investigators to go [. . .]
And that's about all that was wroth it. Of course there was evidence even with the house demolished. That was the best of the three and, yes, that is very sad. John Glazer (Antiwar.com) wrote about the cable earlier this week noting the dead killed in the 2006 raid:
Mr. Faiz Hratt Khalaf, (aged 28), his wife Sumay'ya Abdul Razzaq Khuther (aged 24), their three children Hawra'a (aged 5) Aisha ( aged 3) and Husam (5 months old), Faiz's mother Ms. Turkiya Majeed Ali (aged 74), Faiz's sister (name unknown), Faiz's nieces Asma'a Yousif Ma'arouf (aged 5 years old), and Usama Yousif Ma'arouf (aged 3 years), and a visiting relative Ms. Iqtisad Hameed Mehdi (aged 23) were killed during the raid.
And this is news and should be treated as such but I want to get back to the Christopher Columbus issue. John Glaser has written on the raid this week and done it very well. If he wanted to claim credit, I wouldn't bat an eye, though I doubt Glaser would take credit for doing more than he did. But to hear the blogger quoted above and the infotainment presenter go on and on about his big discovery and how now we know about a raid --now? Click here for Matthew Schofield's March 19, 2006 report for Knight Ridder Newspapers and this is Schofield's opening:
Iraqi police have accused American troops of executing 11 people, including a 75-year-old woman and a 6-month-old infant, in the aftermath of a raid last Wednesday on a house about 60 miles north of Baghdad.
The villagers were killed after American troops herded them into a single room of the house, according to a police document obtained by Knight Ridder Newspapers. The soldiers also burned three vehicles, killed the villagers' animals and blew up the house, the document said.
A U.S. military spokesman, Major Tim Keefe, said that the U.S. military has no information to support the allegations and that he had not heard of them before a reporter brought them to his attention Sunday.
And we'll drop back to the June 2, 2006 snapshot to note it was covered by the press:
Next, there is Ishaqi which took place in March 15th of this year. For background refer to Democracy Now!'s March report as well as the BBC's report on a tape that has turned up which appears to refute the US military claims. In that incident, the official version is that "four people died during a military operation" when a building that was on fire collapsed on them while the version put foward by Iraqi police is that "US troops had deliberately shot the 11 people." March 23, 2006, Democracy Now! (link is transcript, audio and video) spoke with Matthew Schofield about the story:
AMY GOODMAN: Can you explain exactly what you know at this point?
MATTHEW SCHOFIELD: Well, the story, as you and Juan just outlined it, pretty much goes through the basics of the story. We've talked quite a bit further in the last couple days with people surrounding the story. But what we have is a divergence on the story between the two -- there are two accounts. There's a U.S. military account, and then there's an Iraqi police account of what happened. As you know, the U.S. military account is that after showing up and getting into a shootout to get into this house, the house collapsed during the shootout. People were killed either in the shootout or by the collapsing house. They left. They found four bodies and left. They found this suspect. They arrested him. And that's pretty much that story. The other story is that the house was standing when the U.S. troops went in. They were herded into one room -- eleven people herded into one room, executed. U.S. troops then blew up the house and left. We were talking with the police officer who was first on the scene earlier today. He explained the scene of arriving. He said they waited until U.S. troops had left the area and it was safe to go in. When they arrived at the house, it was in rubble. I don't know if you've seen the photos of the remains of the house, but there was very little standing. He said they expected to find bodies under the rubble. Instead, what they found was in one room of the house, in one corner of one room, there was a single man who had been shot in the head. Directly across the room from him against the other wall were ten people, ranging from his 75-year-old mother-in-law to a six-month-old child, also several three-year-olds -- a couple three-year-olds, a couple five-year-olds, and four other -- three other women.
Lined up, they were covered, and they had all been shot. According to the doctor we talked to today, they had all been shot in the head, in the chest. A number of -- you know, generally, some of them were shot several times. The doctor said it's very difficult to determine exactly what kind of caliber gun they were shot with. He said the entry wounds were generally small and round, the exit wounds were generally very large. But they were lined up along one wall. There was a blanket over the top of them, and they were under the rubble, so when the police arrived, and residents came to help them start digging in, they came across the blankets. They came across the blankets. They picked the blankets up. They say, at that point, that the hands were handcuffed in front of the Iraqis. They had been handcuffed and shot. And the Iraqi assumption is that they were shot in front of the man across the room. They came to be facing each other. There is nothing to corroborate that. The U.S. is now investigating this matter, along with the Haditha matter. That's kind of where we stand right now.
And here's how Democracy Now! covered it in their headlines on March 16, 2006:
US Strikes Blamed for Death of Iraqi Family Members
Meanwhile, a US military attack in the Iraqi town of Balad is being blamed for the deaths of at least a dozen members of the same family. The dead include five children and six women. The Associated Press is reporting the family's house was flattened by an airstrike from a US helicopter. The victims were wrapped in blankets and driven to the Tikrit General Hospital. Ahmed Khalaf, the brother of one of the victims, said: "The dead family was not part of the resistance, they were women and children. The Americans have promised us a better life, but we get only death."
What is new is a development emerging today. Lara Jakes and Qassim Abdul-Zahra (AP) lead with, "Negotiations to keep U.S. troops in Iraq came under new strain Friday in the wake of WikiLeaks' release of a U.N. letter alleging that an Iraqi family was handcuffed and shot in the head in a 2006 raid by American forces -- not accidentally killed in an airstrike." Donald Macintyre and Jerome Taylor (Independent) note, "The incident is raised in a letter from Philip Alston, the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Mr Alston's letter to US officials, which went unanswered, challenges the American military version of events. It says that autopsies carried out in the nearby city of Tikrit showed the victims had been handcuffed and shot in the head. They included a woman in her 70s and a five-month-old. The US military had said that the troops seized an al-Qa'ida suspect from a first floor room after fierce fighting left the house in ruins. US officials originally said five people had been killed, although they later accepted a higher toll of 11." Annie Gowen (Washington Post) adds that Nouri al-Maliki's spokesperson Ali al-Moussawi is stating that the investigation into what happened in Ishaqi will be reopened as a result of the cable. We'll ignore the rhetoric of the spokesperson and note Nouri has some sort of a viral outrage that comes and goes. Now he's outraged. But this slaughter happened a month before he became prime minister-designate (the first time, April 2006) and a month after he was prime minister (May 2006), the US military released their white wash report. In fact, from the June 2nd headlines on Democracy Now!:
Iraqi PM: US Killings of Iraqis "Daily Phenomenon"
Meanwhile, Iraq's Prime Minister has lashed out at the US military over what he has called the "daily phenomenon" of US attacks on Iraqi civilians. In an interview with the New York Times, Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said many troops "do not respect the Iraqi people." Maliki went on to say: "They crush them with their vehicles and kill them just on suspicion. This is completely unacceptable."
Again, it must be a kind of viral outrage that comes and goes. Monday's snapshot noted, "Over the weekend, Al Rafidayn reported that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has refused to meet with Nouri al-Maliki and other politicians. For the last 8 weeks, al-Sistani has refused them. Why? His clerics say that he feels the people's needs are not being addressed and that the government has failed to deliver basic services and to reduce corruption." Aswat al-Iraq reports today Ahmed al-Safi, the Grand Ayatollah's representative, called out today "the absence of trust among political entities" (and it's seen as if the criticism was coming from the Grand Ayatollah). Meanwhile the Great Iraqi Revolution and other youth activists are gearing up for September 9th when they resume protests in Baghdad's Tahrir Square (and elsewhere in Iraq as well). Aswat al-Iraq notes that today Baghdad saw a smaller protest -- "citizens and civil activists" -- calling for US fores to leave, for an end to corruption and for better public services.
Yesim Comert and Ivan Watson (CNN -- link has text and video) reported yesterday afternoon on Kurds protesting in Istanbul. Riot police were sent in, stones and "petrol bombs" were hurled, tear gas was utilized. The reporters note, "The protest in Istanbul Thursday began fairly peacefully. Women in traditional Kurdish costumes led a column of thousands of people, many of them waving BDP flags and carrying banners that said 'peace now immediately' and 'long live the brotherhood of people'." The protests come as these Kurds in Turkey feel the government that has long oppressed them is not following up on the promises of equality and dignity that were made in the last few years. The protests also come as Turkey is in the midst of bombing Kurds in northern Iraq.
Throughout the Iraq War, Turkey has bombed northern Iraq. Starting in 2007, they had approval from Nouri al-Maliki and the US government to conduct the bombings and they also were provided with 'intelligence' by the US military including imagery via US drones flown over the region. As the Turkish press has made clear in the last two weeks, the US continues to provide 'intelligence.' Turkey insists that they are defending themselves from the PKK -- a group of Kurdish people who advocate for and fight for a Kurdish land.
The PKK is one of many Kurdish groups which supports and fights for a Kurdish homeland. Aaron Hess (International Socialist Review) described them in 2008, "The PKK emerged in 1984 as a major force in response to Turkey's oppression of its Kurdish population. Since the late 1970s, Turkey has waged a relentless war of attrition that has killed tens of thousands of Kurds and driven millions from their homes. The Kurds are the world's largest stateless population -- whose main population concentration straddles Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria -- and have been the victims of imperialist wars and manipulation since the colonial period. While Turkey has granted limited rights to the Kurds in recent years in order to accommodate the European Union, which it seeks to join, even these are now at risk." The Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq has been a concern to Turkey because they fear that if it ever moves from semi-autonomous to fully independent -- such as if Iraq was to break up into three regions -- then that would encourage the Kurdish population in Turkey. For that reason, Turkey is overly interested in all things Iraq. So much so that they signed an agreement with the US government in 2007 to share intelligence which the Turkish military has been using when launching bomb raids. However, this has not prevented the loss of civilian life in northern Iraq. Back to Aaron Hess, he noted, "The Turkish establishment sees growing Kurdish power in Iraq as one step down the road to a mass separatist movement of Kurds within Turkey itself, fighting to unify a greater Kurdistan. In late October 2007, Turkey's daily newspaper Hurriyet accused the prime minister of the KRG, Massoud Barzani, of turning the 'Kurdish dream' into a 'Turkish nightmare'."
Nouri's been very good about keeping the press out of the PKK camps. The Times of London, which is no longer in Iraq, repeatedly went to the area to report on what was taking place there and visited the rebel camps. Many other outlets just followed Nouri's dictate. Those who did report from the camps were able to demonstrate that (a) this wasn't taking place in hiding and (b) the mountains had other inhabitants as well.
Nouri's turning those mountains in northern Iraq into a no-press zone was very effective in covering up the toil the bombings were taking on civilians in the region.
This go round, what's really different is that the press paid attention to the fact that farmers and shepherds were being displaced, turned into refugees as they were forced to flee their villages due to the bombings. What's really different is that the deaths of civilians are finally getting attention. And when Turkey issues their ridiculous 'we didn't kill those civilians, that bomb must have been dropped by someone else' claim (see "Mars Attacks Iraq"), it only ensures that the bombings receive even more attention.
As long as Turkey could assert that they were just bombing rebels and it was in response to what rebels had done (and as long as everyone agreed to play stupid and pretend that the PKK sprung from the head of Zeus yesterday and that the Turkish government's actions didn't in fact create the PKK), everyone could just focus on how many bombs dropped and the claims by the Turkish military of killed X number of rebels and the holler back from the PKK of 'no, you didn't.'
The Turkish government seems genuinely baffled that something they've been doing repeatedly for years now is all the suddent a hot issue. At the start of this week, New Sabah did an article on some of the Turkish news coverage of the bombings and noted the Turkish government's stated position that the PKK were terrorists and that Iraq must "clean your land of these terrorists or we will do it for you."
That bully talk used to go over well but now as the bombings create refugees -- forcing hundreds of families to flee -- and as the dead includes not only civilians but small children, the bully talk really isn't being applauded by those who once cheered Turkey on.
And it also doesn't help Turkey's case that northern Iraq is also being bombed by the Iranian military who are also targeting Kurdish rebels. So you've got two countries terrorizing the people of Iraq and destroying the land with these bombs -- as in turning into pockmarked fields -- and probably creating long term health issues because these bombs are probably going to effect the environment. [Today the Great Iraqi Revolution notes, "Imagine if we were not bombed with the lethal American weapons, we would not have had hundreds of thousands of malformed and disabled Iraqi children. Again the Iraqi will beat all odds, great voice and performance."] Even without Iran, the bully position that Turkey's government has taken would probably have gotten old by now on its own and people's patience would have worn thin as well. But Turkey truly seemed to believe that they could continue bombing year after year and the international community would never object.
Those days, as the Turkish government is learning, are over. Human Rights Watch issued the following today:
(Beirut) – Iran and Turkey's cross-border attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan have killed at least 10 civilians and displaced hundreds since mid-July 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Some of the attacks may have been carried out without sufficient attempts to ensure minimal impact on civilians, Human Rights Watch said.
Both Iran and Turkey say that their military operations, including artillery and aerial bombardments, are aimed at armed groups operating out of Iraqi Kurdistan along the northern and eastern borders. When Human Rights Watch visited those areas in August, Iraqi residents and officials said that many of the targeted areas are purely civilian and are not being used by the armed groups.
Evidence suggests that the regular Iranian bombardments may be an attempt to force Iraqi civilians out of some areas near the Iranian border.
"Year after year, civilians in northern Iraq have suffered from these cross-border attacks, but the situation right now is dire," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Iran and Turkey should do all they can to protect civilians and their property from harm, no matter what the reason for their attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan."
Iran started its cross-border attacks in northern Iraq in mid-July, claiming to be targeting an armed group associated with the Iranian Kurdish Party for Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK) operating in the mountainous border region. Beginning on August 18, Turkey carried out attacks across its border with Iraq, targeting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an armed group affiliated with PJAK that is fighting its own decades-long conflict with Turkey.
Shelling by Iran
Since mid-July, Iran's operations against PJAK inside or near villages close to the Iranian border have led to the displacement of hundreds of families, caused the deaths of at least three villagers, and wounded an unknown number of people, according to international humanitarian aid organizations, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials, and media reports. Farmers from the border regions told Human Rights Watch in early August that the shelling had damaged their homes and that they saw Iranian soldiers cross the border into Iraq and kill farmers' livestock. The attacks on civilians and their property that they described were similar to attacks documented by Human Rights Watch in June 2010.
Human Rights Watch visited the Choman and Qalat Diza districts and Qasre, Sangasar, and Zharawa subdistricts between July 26 and August 6 and interviewed more than a dozen displaced villagers as well as others in villages still being shelled. All villagers interviewed said that Kurdish armed groups had never been in their areas and that there were no other military targets in the vicinity at any point before or during the shelling. The affected areas are in the Qandil Mountains, along the eastern borders of Erbil and Sulaimaniyaprovinces, in the region administered by the KRG.
In the crowded Gojar tent camp in Sulaimaniya province, Fatima Mahmoud, 70, told Human Rights Watch she fled there with 11 family members in late July, after two Iranian shells struck her house in the village of Sune, 30 kilometers west of Qalat Diza. She said the village mosque and school were also damaged by shelling.
"It has been more than six years that Iran has been shelling our area, but this year, it was unbelievable," she said. "I don't know why Iran is shelling our village – we have never seen any PJAK members at all. I have never seen any [PJAK] members in our village."
Attacks by Turkey
On August 18, Turkey began a bombing and artillery campaign against the PKK, which it blamed for earlier fatal attacks in Turkey. On August 21, according to Iraqi officials, Turkish warplanes bombed a vehicle carrying civilians. The attack killed seven members of the same extended family according to relatives of those killed, local officials, and media workers. Turkey denied its planes were responsible.
The family group, which included four children, was driving on a highly travelled main roadway in a white 2011 Nissan pickup truck from the village of Bole to Rania to visit relatives. Shamal Hassan told Human Rights Watch on August 29 that the attack instantly killed his wife, Rezan, and his daughters, Solin, two months old, and Sonya, 18 months old. The attack also killed his wife's parents and two other children.
An emotional Hassan told Human Rights Watch, "The attack was so destructive that we couldn't recognize their bodies. I want the international community to hold Turkey accountable. They ruined my life."
Media photos released by multiple Iraqi Kurdish news organizations of the scene corresponded with Hassan's description, and showed charred and disembodied children and adults splayed on the ground near the remnants of a destroyed vehicle. Human Rights Watch could not independently verify the authenticity of the photographs. There has been no evidence of any military target in the vicinity.
While the Turkish military said that it has killed more than 145 suspected PKK militants with artillery fire and airstrikes in northern Iraq since August 17, it has denied that its warplanes killed the family, saying only that news footage of the destroyed vehicle was not consistent with damage caused by Turkish aerial bombardment. However, Turkish officials have stated that Turkish warplanes were bombing multiple military targets, such as anti-aircraft guns and ammunitions caches, in the area at the time.
Iraqi political and military officials have repeatedly blamed Turkish warplanes for the attack. An August 28 statement from the KRG stated that "[KRG] President Barzani strongly condemned Turkish military attacks," which it said were responsible for the seven deaths.
Civilian Displacement
Abdulwahid Gwani, mayor of the Choman district, which has been particularly hard-hit by Iranian shelling, told Human Rights Watch that the attacks by Iran and Turkey had cumulatively killed 9 civilians and displaced 325 families from Choman and 500 families in the Sidakan area.
"They [Iran and Turkey] don't differentiate between civilians and armed groups, and the bombardments are more intense compared with last year," Gwani said. "We notice that the Turkish bombardments are more random this year – they used to target specific locations in previous years but now it is kind of arbitrary."
Earlier in August, Gwani and several displaced villagers told Human Rights Watch, the attacks forced hundreds of poor farmers to leave their crops unattended, destroying much of this year's harvest. A number of farmers told Human Rights Watch that because there has been shelling each year during the short planting and harvesting season, they believed it showed an intentional effort to drive civilians from the area by harming their livelihood.
As in past years, aid organizations and local municipalities have struggled to meet the displaced families' basic needs. The Kurdistan government does not keep an official registry of displaced villagers.
The representative of an international humanitarian aid organization working in the affected areas told Human Rights Watch on August 30 that the attacks have led to the displacement of 450 families, but that this number includes only families who have resettled in tent camps, and not those still moving around, staying with their families, or elsewhere. A delegation of Iraqi civil society organizations from Baghdad visited the areas on August 3 and reported the displacement of "up to 750 families from the areas of Choman, Sidi Khan and Haji Omran."
The International Organization for Migration told Human Rights Watch on August 26 that it has so far distributed aid to approximately 295 families in tent camps – 275 families in Sulaimaniya and 20 in Erbil – but that another roughly 300 families from Erbil have been displaced and may require future aid.
Government Reactions
In August, the Iraqi government summoned both Iran's and Turkey's ambassadors in Baghdad because of concern about the operations, and both the Iraqi and KRG parliaments have strongly condemned the attacks.
On July 27, an Iraqi parliamentary official who declined to be named told Human Rights Watch that, during a meeting with a high-level Iranian diplomat that day, the diplomat stressed the "importance to Iran" of creating a buffer zone along the Iranian border "with no residents." The official said that the diplomat also suggested deploying the Iraqi army to the area, instead of the Kurdistan regional forces who now patrol the border, because the Iraqis are not "as close" to the Kurdish residents.
Officials of both the KRG and the central government in Baghdad have told Human Rights Watch in recent weeks that Iran and Turkey have been defiant and dismissive in their private responses. Publicly, both countries contend that they have a right to attack the armed groups inside northern Iraq and both countries deny targeting civilians.
At an August 21 news conference in Turkey, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ said that the militaryoperations "will continue without hesitation when necessary." The governor of Iran's West Azarbaijan Province, Vahid Jalalzadeh, told Iranian state television on August 6 that, "The operation against the group [PJAK] will continue until all members are killed," but called reports of Iranian soldiers crossing into Iraq "rumors."
The PKK and PJAK both openly admit to multiple guerrilla attacks against Turkish or Iranian soldiers in a self-proclaimed struggle for ethnic equality for Kurds in those countries. Both are considered terrorist organizations by the United States and European Union.
"The evidence suggests that Turkey and Iran are not doing what they need to do to make sure their attacks have a minimum impact on civilians, and in the case of Iran, it is at least quite possibly deliberately targeting civilians," Stork said. "Regardless of their reasons for carrying out attacks, they need to respect international humanitarian law."
There are many changes that the latest wave of bombings didn't anticipate. Sazan M. Mandalawi (niqash) reports:
Just like their neighbours in other countries, young Kurdish people in Iraq are using the Internet and social media to call for political action. A recent protest in Erbil against Turkish bombing in the area saw protests swiftly organised: NIQASH was there from the beginning.
Shko Nawroly knows only too well why he is taking part in a protest against Turkish military ingressions into Iraq. "I was born in Iran because my parents were Peshmergas [Kurdish freedom fighters] and they had to run away from Saddam's bombing," explained Nawroly, referring to former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's persecution of the Kurdish people in Iraq's north.
"So I know how it feels when you have to flee to survive bombing and air attacks. And I know how it feels when your family is massacred. And this is why I decided to take part in organizing the protests against the bombing raids carried out by the Turkish warplanes on Kurdish soil," the 23-year-old said passionately. "And as a human being it's a moral responsibility."
But unlike their parents and grandparents who fought on the mountains, today's Kurdish youth are using education, technology, the Internet and social networks as well as peaceful rallies to prevent history repeating itself.
the courier-journal
ken neuhauser
wfpl
devin katayama
margaret griffis
john glaser
celeste headlee
annie gowan
lara jakes
qassim abdul-zahra
new sabah
niqash
sazan m. mandalawi
yesim comert
ivan watson
Posted by Elaine at 11:00 PM Links to this post
Every thing he touches
Does Barack destroy everything he touches?
Matthew L. Wald (New York Times) reports:
A Silicon Valley maker of solar power arrays that was started with high hopes and $527 million in loans from the federal government said on Wednesday that it would cease operations. The failure of the company — and the loss to taxpayers — is likely to renew the debate in Washington about the wisdom of clean energy subsidies and loan guarantees.
Darren Goode (POLITICO) adds:
The administration has touted the company as a successful recipient of stimulus funds, and its Fremont, Calif., manufacturing plant received a visit just last year from President Barack Obama.
But on Wednesday, the company announced that it has suspended its manufacturing operations and intends to file a petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief.
Every thing he touches, every thing.
It's as if he's cursed for lying. He claims the economy has improved and the economy gets worse.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011. Chaos and violence continue, Ayad Allawi weighs in, weasel words are the favorite press tool, Dan Choi fights for First Amendment rights and much more.
Law and Disorder Radio --is a weekly hour long program that airs Monday mornings on WBAI and around the country throughout the week and is hosted by attorneys Heidi Boghosian, Michael S. Smith and Michael Ratner (Center for Constitutional Rights). On the first half of this week's show explore issues of media and dissent. A.N.S.W.E.R.'s Brian Becker speaks about the disinformation media campaign on the Libyan War and its future implications for the next DC desired 'regime change.' We'll note this section.
Michael Smith: Brian, the United States, although it is supporting the war there and is actually having the CIA fly predator drone assassination planes, but the Congress has never declared war against Libya. And [US Senate Majority Leader Harry] Reid, the head of the Democratic Party in the Senate, said, 'Well this war's going to be over with so quickly we don't have to declare war.' But the Constitution of the United States says quite clearly that Congress must declare war. Nonetheless, they're going abou supporting the overthrow -- regime change is what Obama articulated -- without doing that. What's your reaction to that?
Brian Becker: Well Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution makes it clear that only Congress has the right to declare war. This is clearly a war when you drop thousands of bombs and missiles. And the Americans are doing most of the bombing, by the way. It's not simply "leading from behind" -- that's partly public relations by the Obama administration. The bulk of the sorties are carried out by American aircraft. Very few voices in Congress -- Dennis Kucinich was one who clearly made the point and has demanded that the Obama administration be held accountable for what is basically a violation of the Constitution. Obama even went beyond what George W. Bush did in one sense. In Iraq, Bush demanded and got from Congress something of a blank check for later military operations -- that was the vote in October of 2002. In the case of Libya, the Obama administration said, 'Well, we don't even have to introduce any legislation that would give us any kind of pretext or premise for engaging in military hostilities" because they said that the bombing of Libya doesn't "constitute a hostility in the traditional sense in which the word hostility is meant." I mean that's real, true double-speak. I think a lot of people don't realize the extent to which that this is not simply NATO supporting a rebel force but the entire operation is a NATO operation. The Guardian newspaper on August 23rd says, for instance, and I'll quote you, "British and NATO military commanders are planning what they hope will be the final onslaught on Col Gaddafi's forces to put an end to put an end to all resistance from troops loyal to the Libyan leader." And then they go on and describe -- and this has come out only in the recent days -- how French and British and, in particular, a British commando unit have actually been leading the troops into battle. Giving the advice, yes, but also leading them into battle and coordinating with the US, the British and the French airforce for pin-point, precise, military bombing campaigns against Libyan resistance forces. And so leading from behind is just more euphemistic language designed to conceal what is, one, an illegal war as you suggest -- or certainly as I would assert because it has no authorization -- certainly the [UN[ Security Council isn't a legal entity that gives the United States executive branch the authority to carry out wars of agression. But it's not simply supporting people in the field who have a beef or a grievance or are in armed struggle against Gaddafi. If it was them and them alone, they would never have survived -- succeeded, to the extendt that they are succeeding. This is the military efforts by the Pentagon and their colleague in Britain and France to overthrow an independent government and they're using disaffected Libyans as foot-soldiers in this battle.
Michael Smith: I would add that the United States when it was formed, when the Declaration of Indepence was issued in 1776, it was issued on the basis that the people in this country had a right to determine for themselves what type of a government they had. Whether you agree or disagree with the Gaddafi government, that would be, I would say, the business of the Libyan people, not the American government. And the principal of self determination which was a great principal that was established in the American Revolution two hundred years ao is the princpal that's been violated now, wouldn't you agree?
Brian Becker: I would and I think that we need -- political people need to recognize that the last century has been the era of imperialism. The slogan of self-determination has no credibility except in that struggle against imperialism.
A.N.S.W.E.R. will be taking part in two October actions:
Join us in DC to say "Bring the troops home now!"
Washington, District of Columbia, October 6, 2011
Protest & Die-In on 10th Anniversary of Afghanistan War
San Francisco, California, October 7, 2011
On the subject of protests, Randy Furst (Minneapolis Star-Tribune) reports at least 200 people turned out yesterday to protest (weakly) against War Criminal (strong War Criminal) Barack Obama as the US president breezed through town to speak to the VFW. They "shouted slogans and denounced his polices on Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya." But like battered spouses, when Furst spoke to them, they weren't sure they could deny Barack their vote. Really? Men and women and children are dying in these wars. Wars you supposedly oppose. And you can't put it on the line to say, "End the war or don't get my vote?" How very pathetic. If true. But is it true? Tim Nelson (Minnesota Public Radio) puts the turnout at "more than a hundred" and portrays the same situation that Furst does. Protesters too in love with Barry to protest much.
They sell us the president
The same way they sell us our clothes and our cars
They sell us every thing from youth to religion
The same time they sell us our wars
-- "Lives in the Balance," written by Jackson Browne, first appears on Jackson's Lives In The Balance album.
And Fight Back! reports a much more lively, more passionate, and seriously opposed to war protest than do the other two outlets. Excerpt from Fight Back!'s coverage:
Jess Sundin, one of the raided activists, said, "In his address to the American Legion, the president sought support for his policies of war. Outside the hall, protesters, including organizations of veterans and military families whose voices exposed the human costs of these wars, not only on the people of Afghanistan or Iraq, but also on the troops sent to fight these wars."
She added, "We are coming out to protest because Obama's policies of endless war and Wall Street bail outs have failed to meet the needs of the majority of people at home, while costing countless lives abroad. We stand up together to support our community members who have been targeted with repression for speaking out against these policies. We demand an end to attacks on activists, an end to U.S. wars, occupations and bombings around the world and we demand funding of human needs here in our own country."
How could the other two get it so wrong? Oh, yeah, they're not fans of protest. They don't like protest and both outlets did their part to create the Cult of St. Barack so presenting 'reluctant' protesters as the norm certainly allows them to play it as "so good even his opponents have a hard time protesting his wars." I don't think it's reporting, I think it's indoctrination, an attempt at controlling the masses. (To be clear, the people in those other two outlets coverage do exist. To afraid to deny Barack their vote. But Fight Back! offers a real look at the protests which means either someone didn't want to really do the work required or they deliberately distorted it in the media's continued efforts to restore and refinish Brand Obama.
Switching to the UK, London's First Out Cafe is hosting Bradley Secker's photo exhibit of LGBT Iraqis in Syria: "His primary aim was to create a photo essay with writtne, first hand testimonies. Accompanying the images, a short documetary film has been made to further highlight the issue in another medium. Through photos and interviews, the individual accounts are posing questions as to how, and why, such acts of violence and brutality can be overlooked in a new 'free' Iraq." August 22nd, Bradley Secker posted a photo from the exhibit to his blog and explained:
After being left for dead by militia men in Iraq for photographing a story about the treatment of gay men, Nasser fled to Damascus, Syria, barely alive. 18 months later he is robbed in Damascus, everything he had stolen by a boyfriend. He was feeling betrayed and impatient, and tired of waiting to hear of news of resettlement to another country through the United Nations.
Nasser wanted to go to Bulgaria, smuggling himself into the European Union illegally.
Instead he went back to Iraq to get new documents, risking his life doing so.
Arriving back in Iraq Nasser was kidnapped and has dissapeared. His whereabouts, his survival; unknown.
I just had a phone call from someone in Iraq telling me that Nasser had been taken away, and that his friends are worried he might have been killed for real this time.
In the search to make a new start, Nasser; a very brave, quiet and confident man may have lost his life and become another number added to the countless others killed because of their sexuality in Iraq. Sexual genocide continues.
He may be alive, held somewhere.
If he's alive, his courage will allow him to break out, escape, and start the new life he has been wishing for.
Sexual genocide does take place in Iraq. And, fortunately, this year the UN decided that equality means equality and, in June, as Jill Dougherty (CNN) reported, their "Human Rights Council passed a resolution [. . .] supporting equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation." That was one of two steps that allowed the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to cover the status of LGBT Iraqis in [PDF format warning] "2010 Report on Human Rights in Iraq" released earlier this month. From that report:
Article 17 of the ICCPR mandates the right of privacy. This provision, specifically Article 17(1), protects private adult consensual sexual activity, including homosexual behaviour.
In 1994 the Human Rights Committee considered the case of Toonan v Australia. The committee concluded that the criminalisation of sexual acts between consenting adults was a breach of a right to privacy and that the right to be free from
discrimination on grounds of sex included sexual orientation. Since then, the committee has developed and consolidated its own jurisprudence. During the Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in February 2010, Iraq expressly and officially rejected calls by UN member States to act to protect persons on account of their sexual preferences, and to investigate homophobic hate crimes and to bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice.
UNAMI continued to receive reports during 2010 of attacks against individuals based on their perceived or actual sexual orientation. The topic of homosexuality is largely taboo in Iraq and seen as incompatible with the country's culture and religion.
Members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community usually keep their sexual orientation secret and live in constant fear of discrimination, rejection by family members, social ostracism, and violence. The Iraqi Penal Code does not expressly prohibit homosexual relations between consenting adults. However, a variety of less specific, flexible provisions in the Iraqi Penal Code leave room for active discrimination and prosecution of LGBT persons and feeds societal intolerance. Police and courts regularly take into account the alleged homosexuality of the victim as a mitigating factor in relation to crimes committed against persons on account of their perceived or real sexual orientation.
Reports published by Ali Hilli, the pseudonym of the sole publicly known representative of the Londonbased Iraqi LGBT, state that on 16 June, 12 police officers burst into a "safe house" in Karbala' and violently beat up and blindfolded the six occupants before taking them away in three vans. The same report states that the police confiscated computer equipment found in the house before burning it down. The six people arrested reportedly included three men, one woman and two transgender people. Two days later, one of the men turned up in hospital with a throat wound claiming he had been tortured. UNAMI has not been able to ascertain the whereabouts of the other five individuals.
UNAMI continued to follow the cases of ten men who were persecuted in Baghdad because of their perceived or actual sexual orientation. As previously reported, the men had suffered extreme forms of violence and abuse at the hands of members of the Mahdi Army, police officers, religious leaders and local criminal gangs, which had forced them to flee to a neighbouring country in May 2009 from where they hoped to seek protection in third countries. While one of these cases was subsequently resettled through UNHCR, some of these men subsequently returned to Iraq because they claimed they lacked funds and adequate means of support. One of them contacted UNAMI stating that he was homeless and alleging that he was being subjected to further acts of violence. He reported that he could not return to his family who had threatened to kill him because of his sexual orientation.
While this became a big issue, the New York Times couldn't lead or do much for coverage. The Denver Post could and did lead on the subject. The New York Times? It was as though it was the 80s all over again, when AIDS moved from new disease, to vastly growing outbreak to a crisis. And all the while the New York Times wanted to look the other way, especially on the op-ed (opinion and editorials) pages. It was just too 'icky' for the straight-laced and sexually repressed Times apparently. And in the years between, they have begun to publish smiling photos of same-sex consumers who wish to announce marriage but that's about the marriage industry, it's not about equality or any real concern for all. That was made clear when the 'brave' staff of the paper just couldn't bring themselves to provide some serious coverage of the assault on Iraq's LGBT community.
Tim Arango is back in the US for a rest (like so many foreign reporters covering Iraq, he's been out for the month of August) which means Michael S. Schmidt gets to face my wrath today instead. And he can take comfort in the fact that (a) he's just written the perfect piece for the Times and (b) my hatred of it won't do a thing to change the way its embraced by the Grey Lady. "Iraq War Marks First Month With No U.S. Military Deaths" gushes the headline -- and sadly, the headline writer properly summarized Schmidt's article. Really? That's a milestone?
Hmm. Not seeing it. In fact, there's sort of a stink wafting from the article, a We're-so-much-damn-better-than-everyone-else-in-the-world. In other words, a "milestone" in Iraq would be a month when no Iraqis were killed. That would be a "milestone." This? Not so much.
Leave aside the wounded this month -- the New York Times certainly did, never reporting on any of them -- and the attacks on US forces -- ibid -- and the fact that the administration wanted US troops confined on bases for all but "essential missions" this month (after the heavy death toll in July). Set all of that aside. And grasp that since the Iraq War "ended" (Barack's August 31st declaration of the end of combat operations), the Pentagon says [PDF format warning] 56 US military personnel have died. In one year. In one year since the illegal war supposedly ended. The 56 who died in the last 12 months are still dead. If they'd all died in June or all died in January or at a rate of a little over 4 each of the 12 months, they'd still be dead.
And grasp -- even though the New York Times can't -- that is the real story. Grasp that it takes a lot of Dumb Ass on the one year anniversary of Barack's speech declaring an end to combat operations in Iraq to fail to write the story that needed to be written, the story that noted the US death toll in the year since Barack's announcement.
By all means, instead write a crappy, ill-focused article that attempts to ride a wave of Operation Happy Talk. Pretend that the US "milestone" is really the story of Iraq. Pretend the entire country's empty except for US forces. If you can do all that, you can stomach Schmidt's article. If you can't, if context or perspective are 'hang ups' you have trouble letting go of, be prepared to read the article slowly, in slack-jawed wonder.
(Schmidt can also take comfort in the fact that context has never been the paper's strong suit in their Iraq reporting. The Los Angeles Times -- Alexandra Zavis, Tina Susman, Ned Parker and others -- has always mastered context better than any other outlet when it came to Iraq War coverage.)
Are US troops staying in Iraq? Oh the fun never ends when watching US outlets cover that one. It's especially cute to listen or read denials from Americans who don't read Arabic. They mock US Secretary of State Leon Panetta, for example, and don't have the first clue that Arabic media reported and quoted accurately what English media bungled. Add UPI to the clueless list. Today they trumpet that the US State Dept insists that Iraq hasn't made a request to extend the SOFA. No, they haven't. Nor are they planning to. Arabic media has made a huge deal out of Jalal Talabani's house parties -- the big meet-ups he's hosted. It's not been so newsy to US outlets. But in the last meeting at the start of this month, that's when the "trainers" was agreed to.
"Trainers" don't require a SOFA. Among the hold ups currently is determining -- the US and Iraq -- whether "trainers" require a vote by Parliament or not.
Also on this topic, UPI headlines another report "Maliki reportedly says he wants U.S. out" and it's good for the press to be skeptical -- journalists are supposed to practice a healthy skepticism. However, for UPI, the issue is that Press TV reported it and that's why they're skeptical.
What makes Nouri al-Maliki, a known liar, a trusted source?
Even while Radio Netherlands is noting: "The outgoing UN Special Representative for Iraq, Dutchman Ad Melkert, has taken the unusual step of openly contradicting the Iraqi government. Mr Melkert has publicly aired his disagreement with statements made by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki about the position of Iranian refugees in Iraq's Ashraf refugee camp."
For more on the UN's public rebuke when Nouri insisted upon lying publicly, see Monday's snapshot. And remember Lara Jakes (AP) reported Melkert "bluntly disputed" the version of events Nouri was insisting took place in their final meeting (the UN Secretary-General has a new special envoy to Iraq) . Jakes notes, "The public disavowal was rare for the U.N. office in Baghdad, which goes to great lengths to avoid engaging in political disputed."
Nouri gets treated as a trusted source -- on this topic, even more amazing. This is the same Nouri who was publicly rebuked by the Iraqi Parliament at the end of 2006 for extending the mandate for US troops to remain on Iraqi soil without consulting or informing the Parliament? The same Nouri who was again publicly rebuked by the Iraqi Parliament at the end of 2007 when he yet again extended the mandate for US troops to remain on Iraqi soil without the consent of Parliament?
Trust in Nouri doesn't stop continued deployments to Iraq. WJXT reports that 240 members of the Florida National Guard are deploying to Iraq. Ayad Allawi's political slate won the March 2010 elections in Iraq. He weighs in with a column at the Washington Post which includes:
Debate rages in Baghdad and Washington around conditions for a U.S. troop extension beyond the end of this year. While such an extension may be necessary, that alone will not address the fundamental problems festering in Iraq. Those issues present a growing risk to Middle East stability and the world community. The original U.S. troop "surge" was meant to create the atmosphere for national political reconciliation and the rebuilding of Iraq's institutions and infrastructure. But those have yet to happen.
Turning to today's violence, Reuters notes a Baghdad car bombing claimed 3 lives and left twenty injured, 1 corpse discovered in Daquq, a Baghdad roadside bombing injured three people, another Baghdad roadside bombing left eight people injured, a third Baghdad roadside bombing left two people injured and a Daquq bombing in a cemetery which injured "a woman and her daughter."
Turning to the violence of human trafficing, the Pakistan Observer reports, "The deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq and Afghanistan will stay but will exclude those employed in the US military bases in those countries, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said. The Aquino administration reached the decision after Washington's Central Command ordered all contractors last year not to hire third-country nationals whose domestic laws prohibited their citizens from traveling and working in Iraq and Afghanistan, Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said. That ruling would allow some 7,000 Filipino workers in Iraq and Afghanistan to keep their jobs, he said." What's going on? Along with record unemployment among Iraqis in Iraq, several things. From last Wednesday's snapshot:
Today NTD Television reports (link has text and video) that the Iraqi government has decided to begin "deporting foreign workers. With the official unemployment rate at 15 percent and another 28 percent in part-time jobs, their aim is to create more job opportunities for Iraqis as their country rebuilds after years of war." The Ministry of Labor and Social Affair's legal counsultant Hossni Ahmed is quoted stating, "Unemployment rate is very high. Priority should be given to the national laborer. Therefore, we agreed to act on laws and the most important one is the residential law No. 118 of 1968." Though the government made the decision, some Iraqis object. Salam Ahmed is a restaurateur and he states, "I do not support the deportation decision because they work from early morning until 10:00 p.m. They do not complain and they do not say we are hungry and they have no more demands. The salary of a foreign worker is less than the salary of an Iraqi worker." The report notes, "Officials say the government is only issuing work permits to workers at foreign firms that hire at least 50 percent Iraqis for their work force."
Last Tuesday, the International Organization for Migration held a press briefing to announce (link is in Spanish*, FYI) that they were not only providing humanitarian assistance to 35 Ukranian and Bulgarian workers in Iraq but were calling for private companies to follow the rules with regards to national immigration, labor laws and human rights. Why? Because they did several inspections of construction sites and found migrants living there, overcrowded, no light and no ventilation. The 35 workers are part of 271 foreign workers brought into the country at the end of 2010 to work on construction within the Green Zone and hired with the promise of excellent pay but, after working hours and hours for many months, they've only been paid a few hundred dollars a piece. They can't appeal to the subcontractor who hired them. He's skipped out. (After getting his fee from the person subcontracting to him.) He never provided the employees with the work permits he promised and so these people are now undocumented workers, more or less trapped within Iraq, attempting to secure alternate employment. Some are agreeing to take $1,000 and leave the country. (The 35 are continuing to work and do construction.) Remember, this is after months of work with no pay, months of back breaking hours doing construction work. And the $1,000 wouldn't all go to them. Not only would they need to pay for their trip home, they are also being informed that they have to pay various fines due to the fact that they do not have the proper visas (the ones the employer who skipped out was supposed to provide). Meaning that even after the $1,000 is paid, they could immediately be broke due to fines the Iraqi government is attempting to levy against them. IOM's Livia Styp-Rekowska stated that the workers should immediately receive wages for the work they have done, that employers should not threaten to leave the country without paying the workers and that the workers should be assisted with returning home in a safe and dignified manner. That's the press conference. I'm adding that since this is an ongoing problem, one way to deal with it would be for subcontractors bringing foreign workers into the country to have to put up a bond which they would lose if they (a) skipped the country or (b) refused to pay the workers they brought into the country.
People are making a lot of money off of foreign workers but foreign workers rarely see the money, a point driven home by yesterday's Times of India: "JALANDHAR: The local police have booked a travel agent for duping two youths by sending them to Iraq and then leaving them in a lurch. Duped youths Prem Pal and Ripan Kumar of Khojpur village, who returned from Iraq on Saturday, have accused one Tarsem Badhan of cheating them." Today the Times of India reports:
CHANDIGARH: The Union government on Tuesday informed Punjab and Haryana high court that 26 workers, who were sent to Iraq by unscrupulous agents and forced to clear the remnants from the Gulf war there, were brought to Baghdad and the Indian embassy has taken charge of them by arranging for their food and accommodation. The information was provided by joint secretary (consular) P M Meena before the bench of Justice M M Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh in response to a petition filed on the issue.
The Punjab police also informed that eight criminal cases have been registered so far against travel agents "in relation to nine youths."
Sanjeev Verma (Hindustan Times) reports India's Embassy in Baghdad is working on "return tickets and exit visas" for the 33 youth who would otherwise be stranded and that they're also providing lodging and food for 26 of those 33.
Turning to the US where a DC federal court has put a trial on hold. Jessica Gressko (AP) reports that Judge John Facciola has put the case on hold because he feels Dan "Choi has shown, at least preliminary, that he is being treated differently because of the subject of his protests" and "the nature of his speech or what he said." John Riley (Metro Weekly) adds that "the government prosecutor told the court she intended to file a writ of mandamus (or writ of prohibition) against Mag. Judge John Facciola for allowing Choi's defense team to investigate and pursue a defense of vindictive prosecution by the U.S. government against Choi for actions related to his First Amendment rights."
The trial is now on hold. What's going on? Lt Dan Choi is an Iraq War veteran and was a member of the US military until he decided to refuse to live in any closet and came out to the world in order to embrace truth, life and equality back in March 2009.
That was months after Barack I-Will-End-Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell-If-Elected was sworn in. So it shouldn't have been an issue. But after that, he was discharged even though the administration was 'moving' on the issue (largely filing briefs opposing court decisions ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell). Since 2009, he's been one of the most visible protesters against a corrupt and unconstitutional (check the court verdicts) policy. Now he's on trial for civil disobedience and exercising free speech. Towelroad explains, "Lt. Dan Choi's trial began in federal court yesterday for protesting 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' with 12 other activists on November 14, 2010. Choi and the others chained themselves to the White House fence while chanting 'I am somebody,' 'We do this for you' and "President Obama, Silent Homophobia.' Choi faces 6 months in prison or a $5,000 fine for an obscure infraction of Parks and Wildlife federal regulations." Others accepted plea bagains, but Choi has refused to do so. Lou Chibbaro Jr. (Washington Blade) reports:
Choi told reporters at a news conference outside the federal courthouse Monday, after the trial recessed for the day, that he rejected the government's plea bargain offer because he believes the law and regulation used to arrest him is unconstitutional.
"I believe there is no law that, in the history of this country, abridges freedom of speech, assembly, or the right to protest for redress of grievances, which were clear and made plain by all of the defendants," he said.
Unless, out of 'unity,' we've again passed an attack on the Constitution like another PATRIOT Act, Dan is correct. John Riley (Metro Weekly) reported on the trial last night:
After calling six witnesses on Monday, the prosecution completed making their arguments early this morning. Feldman then called Capt. James Pietrangelo, who was arrested with Choi during the March incident, to testify, followed by Choi. Both men testified for more than two hours apiece -- with Choi's testimony running longer than three hours.
On the stand, Choi said the First Amendment provides for the right of people to petition the government for a redress of grievances, which also, he said, is a moral responsibility of patriotic Americans. Choi responded under questioning by Feldman that he believed his actions were a form of speech, and that the government did not have a right to censor them by arresting him.
At times, Choi raised his voice and spoke in such a tone that he almost seemed close to shouting, especially when asked about his arrest. Under cross-examination by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela George, he compared the various protests against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" to the 1960 sit-in by students in Greensboro, N.C., at a Woolworth's department store and said he was "insulted" by his prosecution on federal charges.
Should the verdict be guilty, Dan could be sentenced to six months behind bars. He has four attorneys and last week Steve Rothaus (Miami Herald) spoke with one of them, Norm Kent, about the case and straegy. Sunday, he Tweeted:
ltdanchoi Dan Choi
Tomorrow in court we honor the lessons of MLK by refusing injustice. "Ain't gonna let no hurricane turn me 'round." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1ToocOZk24&feature=share
We invoke Shuttlesworth v Birmingham: "discriminatory enforcement" and "invidious prior restraint." Also, a civil rights correlation.
Eric Tucker (AP) notes of Choi's testimony yesterday:
He said was flabbergasted he was on trial in the first place when people went to the White House to cheer the U.S. military raid that led to the death of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden. He said those people gathered at the same fence but never faced any sanctions.
"What's the difference?" Choi demanded of George at one point. "You have not given me a reason why my free speech should be curtailed and their free speech should be amplified."
And we'll close with this from John V. Walsh's piece at CounterPunch on 'anti-war' Juan Cole:
Cole claims to be a man of the left and he appears with painful frequency on Amy Goodman's Democracy Now as the reigning "expert" on the war on Libya. This is deeply troubling – on at least two counts. First, can one be a member of the "left" and also an advocate for the brutal intervention by the Great Western Powers in the affairs of a small, relatively poor country? Apparently so, at least in Democracy Now's version of the "left." Second, it appears that Cole's essential function these days is to convince wavering progressives that the war on Libya has been fine and dandy. But how can such damaged goods as Cole credibly perform this marketing mission so vital to Obama's war?
Miraculously, Cole got just the rehabilitation he needed to continue with this vital propaganda function when it was disclosed by the New York Times on June 15 that he was the object of a White House inquiry way back in 2005 in Bush time. The source and reason for this leak and the publication of it by the NYT at this time, so many years later, should be of great interest, but they are unknown. Within a week of the Times piece Cole was accorded a hero's welcome on Democracy Now, as he appeared with retired CIA agent Glenn Carle who had served 23 years in the clandestine services of the CIA in part as an "interrogator." Carl had just retired from the CIA at the time of the White House request and was at the time employed at the National Intelligence Council, which authors the National Intelligence Estimate.
It hit this listener like a ton of bricks when it was disclosed in Goodman's interview that Cole was a long time "consultant" for the CIA, the National Intelligence Council and other agencies.
law and disorder radio
michael s. smith
heidi boghosian
the pakistan observer
the hindustan times
towelroad
the washington blade
metro weekly
steve routhaus
eric tucker


Miss Charming, a fresh berry/rose which according to the JHG website is "the perfume of a virgin witch". Does that mean Miss C reinstates my virginity whenever I wear it? I love it when that happens!
Lady Vengeance, a gorgeous rose/patchouli with a caramel glaze, and the one that initiated me into the joys of subtle candy-sweetness in perfume.
Citizen Queen, a leathery rose that the JHG blurb calls "glamorous and intimidating" - and that's a pretty good description of this contemporary take on a classic chypre.
Click on the perfume names to see my reviews.
I have two bottles of Miss Charming, and one bottle each of Lady Vengeance and Citizen Queen (all 1.7 oz). In addition, I have 10 velvet pouches with .07 oz samples of all three eau de parfums. That's 14 prizes to try for! All Juliette Has a Gun items are courtesy of the friendly folks over at LuckyScent.com.
To enter, you must be a subscriber to my YouTube channel, KatiePuckrikSmells. If your Blogger screen name is different from your YouTube name, then please state this in your entry comment. (For instance, my Blogger name is Katie Puckrik, and my YouTube name is KatiePuckrikSmells.) This is important, because the only way I can verify the winners is through their YouTube accounts.
Enter by commenting under this post only, stating which perfume you would prefer to win. For example: "Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is KatiePuckrikSmells." One entry per person.
You can ONLY ENTER by commenting UNDER THIS BLOG POST. Any entries on youtube.com don't count.
I'll try my best to match winners with their perfume of choice. One entry per person, please.
Giveaway closes midnight EST July 10, 2009. Winners will be chosen by a random drawing, and announced on this blog on July 11, 2009. Only one prize per winner.
mailing address. If I don't hear from you within 2 weeks, your prize will go to a lucky alternate winner.
Good luck, Fumeheads - and welcome to my blog!
my blogger name is Wonderful Woman and my Youtube name is Carew.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen.
My name on Youtube is Charliwilde, my blogger name is also Charliwilde!
Please enter me in the Juliette has a gun giveaway, I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance- a scent I love but can so seldom afford!
huge thank yous- and home made chocolate pie for you if Im a winner!
My YouTube username is Deanna6, my blogger name is Deanna.
My youtube Username is hollisterrox0, my blogger name is Diana. lease enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. Thanks soo much! P.s. If i win, please contact me on my youtube channel. THANKS!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is laurafayeee.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is CatCalamity!
please enter me into the juliette has a gun giveaway, i would LOVE to win Lady Vengeance.
Both my blogger name and my YouTube name are Zelzega.
Please enter me into the Lady Vengence category.
Thank you for holding this giveaway !!
My blog name is /lachesis. my YT name is lachesisss. Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance.
Hi there! I'm meghan4mark on YouTube. I would love to be entered to win Miss Charming, or if that is gone, one of the sample bags.
My YouTube name is OneDollarBuddha. I would prefer to win Miss Charming.
I would love to be entered into the "Juliette Has A Gun Giveaway!"
For my taste I think that Miss Charming would be a great fit!
Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. My YouTube name and my name here is donnellylv.
I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance.
Enter me please to the Juliette has a gun giveaway:) I would prefer the Lady Vengeance.
I have tried to enter this for about 30 minutes now. I have no idea what I am doing wrong.
I would love to try Miss Charming in your Juliette Has A Gun Giveaway.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is NorthSouth89.
My youtube user name is cupcakegrl4ever and I would perfer to win Lady Vengence.
Please enter me into your special little competition and giveaway! I would love a go at Lady Vengeance please :).
My YT name is KimmiPea!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance(although I would rather win one of the velvet bags!)! My YouTube name is stargirl937.
Thanks so much, can't wait to see more reviews!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is unluckycharm13.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would be awesome to win Miss Charming.
My YouTube name is FleshEatingFairy.
Hi :) My youtube name is Mickysantos and I'd like to be entere in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I'd love to win Lady Vengeance.
please enter me in the juliette has a gun giveaway. i would like lady vengeance. my youtube name is makeadriup..
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance.
I would like to be entered into the contest and I would l-o-v-e to win Lady Vengence!
I don't think fate will help me twice, but I can try. I would love to win Lady Vengeance, thank you.
Hi there! Love your reviews!!
I would be thrilled if you could please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would love to win Lady vengeance but would be pleased to win anything, really. Who wouldn't?
There was a little confusion about where to post the contest entries. So, the following fumeheads are entered.
Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer the three sample sizes, my you tube usernameis Saritalaa. Thank you!
Please enter me for Lady Vengeance. My youtube name is MarkiSan.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is Kathryncota. Thanks!
Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance, and my youtube username is clearserenity84, thanks so much!
My Youtube name is cloroxcowgirl and I would love to win Citizen Queen!
my youtube name is mightymatanda.
please enter me in the contest, id prefer to winn the small sample sizes to try them out.
Hi! My name on Youtube is DoEverythingGirl. I would like to be entered in the Juliette Has a Gun contest. I would like Lady Vengeance please!
I tried really hard in the last contest, and was unsuccessful, so hopefully I'll have more luck in a random drawing!
I would like to win Lady Vengeance (it sounds delish). My YouTube name is the same as all of my usernames, foreverxdirt. So no mix-ups!
Thanks for hosting this contest! Good luck everyone!
Hello! Please enter me in this giveaway. I would like to win Miss Charming. My username on Youtube is KouUsagi.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance . My YouTube name is butterflyglimmer but my blogger name is DeannaB. Thank you!
Hi My name on youtube is therealoracle. i would like to be entered in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would like Lady Vengeance! Please pick me!! Thanks!
Hi! My name on youtube is kateFAIL.
Hi Katie, my youtubename is Biggan47 and I would like to enter the giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming but I'm a fumehead and I'd love to try any of the JHG fragrances!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway.
I would prefer to win Miss Charming.
My YouTube name is LOV3H3RMADLY.
Hello so thrilled you have a blog now. I would love any of the fragrances.
I'd really like to be entered for the sample bag of all 3. I'm horribly indecisive when it comes to these things, and you have just the remedy lol.
My Youtube name is Vixenkitten04.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I'd love to win Miss Charming, but any fragrance would do. My YouTube name is Meriennee.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is NatsumiXidnan.
I would really love to be entered into the "Juliette Has A Gun Giveaway!"
If i were to win, i would prefer Lady Vengeance but would LOVE any of the three!
Good job on the blog Katie!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance, but any of them would be good. My YouTube name is AleshaDawnP.
Please enter me. I'd love to win Lady Vengeance!
Hello! I would love to be entered in the contest. I prefer 'Miss Charming,' but any would be a delight to win.
My youtube username is alainaisawesome.
I would prefer "Lady vengeance". My youtube username is drakendrones.
I would like to enter into the Juliette has a Gun giveaway.
My youtube username is aleksXbabesz.
It does not matter which one it is but if I had to choose one, I would choose Miss Charming.
Please enter me in the giveaway! My youtube name is TheCheetoBandit. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. Thank you!
Congrats on the fabu blog!!!
I think I'd prefer to win "Miss Charming," but really they all sound delicious.
Hi Katie! Please enter me in the contest. My youtube name is befany14.
My youtube name is BeautyDu.
Please enter me in the contest! Any of them would be fine. My youtube name is skids1805.
my youtube name is blakciwthenvy702. I would like to win any they all sound amazing. thanx for entering me.
I'm entering the contest, olé! My Youtube name is vidabo. Great way to announce the blog. Thanks and good luck to you and all of us.
Oh, if I get drawn, I'd love some Lady Vengeance.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is Spiritfingers186.
Hey Katie, I would love to be entered into your Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would like to win Citizen Queen.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is AppleCopasetic.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen or one of the pouches, if Citizen Queen has been taken. My YouTube name is gabby14333.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My youtube name is oksanakapeniak.
Hi Katie. Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. If I win, I'd love Miss Charming. My youtube name is louise7401.
My YouTube name is "xTenshiko."
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would like to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is "sonyawinder"
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway, I would like to try the Citizen Queen or all three sample sizes... My YouTube username is HowDoIFortune. Thank you!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming OR Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is razzberry06.
Thanks! Keep up the great video reviews!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is ExcellentGerwa.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is margho99. Thanks.
Hi Katie, please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun giveaway. I would love to try the Lady Vengeance fragrance.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway,i would prefer to win Miss Charming !
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway!!! I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance ^_~ My YouTube name is mysteryfangirl.
I love the new website. Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My youtube name is karatechess23.
On youtube I am xxvanillacandycane.
Love your reviews and biting wit! I would prefer Miss Charming or Lady Vengeance. My youtube name is venusapollo.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is azzianmomma.
I'm lemming Miss Charming and Lady Vengeance, but your reviews have spiked my curiosity about all 3.
My YouTube name is soflyashley.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is pyrokitsune1.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is junepeachie.
my youtube name is doriosity as well.
If I posted an entry already can you please delete/ ignore it. When I reloaded the page, my comment didn't show up. Thanks.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is meadow227. Thank You!
Hey my blogger name is Roxy but my youtube account is chyld.
Hey there =] Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun Giveaway. I would really like to win Miss Charming. It seems like it would be lovely. My Youtube name is breebuh! Thank you for the giveaway opportunity.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Citizen Queen. My YouTube name is 3plo.
Hi pretty! Please enter me in the Juliette Has A Gun giveaway! I would love to try Miss Charming but really any of the 3 would make my day!! My YouTube name is NerdatHart!
Please eneter me in the Juliette Has A Gun giveaway. I'd love to try Miss Charming but really any of the 3 would make my day!
Please enter me in the contest! I would prefer Citizen Queen. My username is suddenlyIsee18 on Youtube. Thanks!
Hi Kaite! i would like to win Lady Vengeance please! ^_^ keep on smellin'!
I've won before in one of your giveaways.
I'd really like to try my luck again for this fragrance as I love the smell of roses.
My YouTube name is 1piscesish.
Hi :) my name is Danielle, please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway, I would love to win Citizen Queen. my Youtube name is andshewasthemuse. Thanks.
I would like to enter the contest, for lady vengeance, but I wouldn't mind winning any of them.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming or Lady Vengence.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is pinkplease.
Hi Katie! Love your reviews on youtube and I am a recent subscriber. I don't know much about women's perfumes so your reviews really help me with gift ideas for the women in my life.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengence. My YouTube name is atlas407.
My Youtube account name is BlueStarsHalo, Please enter me in this great Juliette Has A Gun Giveaway. I would prefer the sample pouch of all three scents.
What a great way to kick off the month of July!
I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My Youtube name is kathe58.
I'd love to enter the contest to win Lady Vengeance. My youtube name is Miriam89.
Hi Katie! My youtube name is yabelet1 and I'd love to enter in this givaway. I would prefer Lady Vengeance.
I am Lize, aka LIEHIEZE on Youtube.
Last year I was in a store, and I smelled the Juliette has a gun fragrance in Miss Charming.
hi katie, please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would love to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is emmacollinsdesign. Good luck to everyone! thank you!
Hi Katie, Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is blackjadestone. Thanks!
Please enter me in the contest, my youtube name is mpicky.
I would prefer to win Lady Vengance. Thank you!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. My YouTube name is BarbieBia.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is kreativekaren.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is highonsugar25.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is xluvsanya.
Please enter me into the giveaway drawing! My YouTube username is; mimzywhimzy, and I would LOVE to win Citizen Queen! Thank you, and congrats on the faboo new blog!!
My youtube name is the8bitninja and I would enjoy winning Lady Vengeance!
Please enter me in the Juliette Has A Gun giveaway contest. I would love to own the Miss.Charming perfume. My YouTube name is SmokeyStars742.
Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway! I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance. =) My YouTube name is Pullupyoursockslove.
Hi, please enter me in the Juliette HAs A Gun giveaway contest. I prefer to win Lady Vengeance.
Hello, could you please enter me into the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway? I would prefer to win Miss Charming, if possible.
Please enter my in the Juliette has a gun giveaway?
I'd love to win Miss Charming.
My youtube name is cathurnx3.
I would love to be entered in your drawing. I would prefer Miss Charming if I win. My youtube name is JWpianoboe.
Hi! Please enter me in the Juliette has a Gun drawing! I would really love a bottle of Citizen Queen which is amazing!
Hello, please enter me too as I really like this line. I'm lognorupa on youtube.
I wold love to be entered for Lady Vengeance. Thanks!
How exciting that you are launching the blog! I am dellse1 on youtube. I think that citizen queen or the sample pack would be cool. Thanks!
Thank you for being so generous and best of luck with the new blog!
Hello, Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is Stacey98761.
I'd like to enter into the Juliette Has a Gun contest, and I would prefer to win Miss Charming. My YouTube name is also xivorydustx.
Hello Katie, Please enter me in the Juliette Has a Gun giveaway. I would prefer to win Lady Vengeance . My YouTube name is LadyUnintended.
Thanks for the giveaway. Please enter me, I would love to win Miss Charming. youtube name is onetimejames.
My lj is openlyhidden, my youtube is neotsukihime.
Please enter me in the Juliette has a gun drawing. I would prefer Miss Charming, but of course would be thrilled with any of the prizes.
My Youtube username is "persianbilli"
Please enter me in the Juliette has a gun drawing!! I would prefer Miss Charming but anything is fine! My youtube name is asweetnshortworld.


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OMEGA first introduced the Seamaster 300 in 1957 it was a watch designed especially for divers and professionals who worked underwater. More than half a century later, the timepiece makes a comeback in a completely upgraded and enhanced form, ready for a new generation of adventurers.This Seamaster 300 has a blue enamel dial with 18K white gold hands coated with "vintage" Super-LumiNova. The polished ceramic bezel ring has an 850-grade platinum Liquidmetal® diving scale. The 41 mm brushed and polished 950 platinum case is presented on a blue leather strap with platinum stitching.This timepiece will be produced in an edition limited to 757 pieces the limited edition number of each model is noted on the dial (000/757). A transparent caseback makes it possible to see the anti-magnetic OMEGA Master Co-Axial calibre 8401 within.
Notice: The Omega replcia watches on our site was powered by Japanese automatic or Quartz Movement to assure precise time,We also Offer Swiss ETA movement model and the box was offer too(Need add $25 for Box),has a solid 316 stainless steel case in high quality,The Water Resistant is like all AAA replica watches only for live waterproof,If you want know any more information about this OMEGA Seamaster Seamaster 300 Master Co-Axial 41mm Replica 233.93.41.21.03.001,feel free contact us.


I've decided to compile all my training posts, weekly/monthly recaps and other random running related posts onto this page for easier navigation. All my race reports can be found here.
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text:
Nexo Co-Founder Calls for $100k BTC Price Target
Bymike	 June 19, 2021
Co-founder of Nexo, Antoni Trenchev expects BTC to head towards $100,000 as crypto adoption grows.
Trenchev was speaking to Bloomberg about his opinion on the current market. The Nexo co-founder commented on the current state of affairs. Trenchev admitted that bitcoin had benefited handsomely from the "loose monetary authority" when asked about the effects of the FED on the current price action.
When asked about key drivers for bitcoin, Trenchev reiterated the effects of inflation as a key factor. He also stated that the current price range of bitcoin looks to be steady between $32,000 and $40,000. The lack of leverage traders was attributed as one of the reasons for the market recovering at this point.
$100,000 price target
Trenchev commented on his price target of $100,000, saying "leveraged accounts have blown up, there is basically no leverage in the system, so it could build up again which obviously pumps up the price", he also mentioned slow adoption with institutions as a driving factor for accelerated price growth for bitcoin.
Countries adopting BTC
Furthermore, Trenchev also commented on the recent news out of El Salvador. The small country has officially confirmed bitcoin as legal tender within the country, with Tenchev saying he was excited about it.
The Nexo co-founder commented on the possible adoption of bitcoin within other countries, saying "not immediately, El Salvador is a small country, 20% of their economy comes through remittances so for them it makes sense, I see some of the latin countries following it up sooner rather than later."
Finally when asked about other cryptos possibly over-taking bitcoin, Trenchev stated "not at all, bitcoin is the number one currency and is going to maintain that position for a while. I am super excited about ether."
Ethereum Testnets Continue as London Hardfork Approaches
Alec Hogg: China's strong-arming is bad news for Naspers
One of North America's Biggest Miners Harnesses Flare Gas Energy
Amid the ongoing debate surrounding the environmental impact of bitcoin (BTC) mining, light has fallen on Denver-based operation Crusoe Energy. A company that uses energy from flare gas to mine BTC. Reports indicate that, in harnessing flare gas energy, Crusoe Energy has cut carbon dioxide emissions by well over half. Otherwise, equated as removing approximately…
Read More One of North America's Biggest Miners Harnesses Flare Gas EnergyContinue
Central Bank of Bahrain Successfully Completes JPM Coin Test Run
The Central Bank of Bahrain has successfully completed a test of the JPMorgan JPM Coin. The latter was used to send real-time payments to counterparties in the U.S. The Central Bank of Bahrain has announced that it has completed a test of JPMorgan Chase's JPM Coin solution. Published on Jan. 5, the announcement states that…
Read More Central Bank of Bahrain Successfully Completes JPM Coin Test RunContinue
Binance Delisting Chinese Yuan Pairs for OTC Crypto Trading
The world's largest cryptocurrency exchange is continuing to distance itself from Chinese traders with its latest move. In an announcement on Oct 13, Binance stated that it will be terminating Chinese Yuan (CNY) trading at the end of the year. The exchange will also be imposing restrictions on Chinese traders that are located on the…
Read More Binance Delisting Chinese Yuan Pairs for OTC Crypto TradingContinue
MicroStrategy Adds Additional 3,907 Bitcoins to Holdings
Bymike	 August 25, 2021
In a tweet on Tuesday, Michael Saylor announced that MicroStrategy has bought 3,907 Bitcoins and now holds more than 108,00 BTC. Business intelligence company, MicroStrategy, has continued its shopping spree of Bitcoin in 2021 and purchased an additional 3,907 BTC with proceeds from ATM facility sales. This is according to a Tweet sent out by…
Read More MicroStrategy Adds Additional 3,907 Bitcoins to HoldingsContinue
FSCA Welcomes Binance's Amended Offerings for South Africans
The South African Financial Sector Conduct Authority welcomes Binance's action to restrict South Africans from opening new accounts to trade derivatives. Binance has engaged with the South African FSCA, and has announced that its services to South African clients will be redacted. Binance will no longer allow South Africans to trade futures, margins, options, and…
Read More FSCA Welcomes Binance's Amended Offerings for South AfricansContinue
How to Deal With Pump & Dumps: BIC's Video News Show
Bymike	 May 28, 2021
In this episode of the BeInCrypto video news show, host Jessica Walker will address pump and dumps. Crypto pump and dump schemes have increased lately. So, we decided to make a video about them looking into what they are and how to protect yourself. Pump & dump definition Let's start with a definition. Pumps happen…
Read More How to Deal With Pump & Dumps: BIC's Video News ShowContinue

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl