Salvadors Blog

Iraq discussion, part II

2005-06-16T21:22:00.000Z

Thank you again for coming back here and going on with the discussion. Never had such a long "talk" with a soldier before.

To your points:

"I don't deny that there are obvious hidden agenda's and undeniable benefits for the US and various other "coaltion" countries to have a military presents in Iraq. And you're absolutley right in your observance of certain "developed" military bases throughout Iraq and Afghanistan."

Good to hear that from you, because the news- media nearly never talks about this issue. It seems not to be fitting into their frame.

"I'm not going to deny that colateral damage does not happen in war, unfortunately it does. Colateral damage, no matter how hard any tries, will unfortunately happen."

Yeah and this is the reason why war should be the last choice a gov makes. In my view, the Bush- gov did the opposite, starting the war while the UN WMD inspectors hadn't completed their task. If BushCo had waited, say 3 months, they would have known that there were NO usable WMDs left over in Saddams arsenal. But the point is, that they were never really interested in this so called "thread" and used it as smoke screen for their real agenda.

"I personaly have investigated one incident where an inocent Iraqi was wrongly killed, and I had to be the coordinating authority between the military and his family. That mission was one of the hardest emotionaly that I have had to endure. Being a part of something like that does make you question why you are performing a mission such as I was."

It must be a crazy and VERY bad feeling to be in such a situation... The sad fact is, that incidents like this happen every day in iraq, mostly not with ground troops involved, but though the fire from planes and helis. Whole families are killed in a second and according to Gen. Tommy Franks rules (We don`t do bodycounts) no one writes down how many innoncent civilians become victims.

"But, in the end I still honestly believe that what I am a part of is for the greater good of the entire Iraqi population. I have rebuilt countless schools for children, rebuilt a hospital, and rebuilt an entire village (about 3,000 people)."

I know that the US- forces are doing this, but in fact they destroy much more than they rebuild. And the most work is done not my military personal, but by corrupt contractors, letting the iraqi people pay the double or tripple price they should have to pay for something. I do believe that you are a person with the best intentions, but it is a little bit naive to think that the war and everything happened until now is "for the greater good" of iraqis... How many of them have died since March 20, 2003? How many were maimed? How many lost familie members? Whole cities were destroyed... The only way to transist this war into a good thing would be for the US to withdraw as soon as possible.

"I can say that you are going outside of your lane to imply that I am not a subject matter expert in the affairs that occured in my area. You have no basis for this comment other than you are "assuming" based off of your own interpretation of what you want to believe. I have infact been involved in countless political debates with not just "average" Iraqi's, but also with local government officials within the city of Baghdad. Yes, some of my interpreter's did attempt to tell me what they thought I wanted to hear and not what was actually being said. THose interpreter's were not used again. I had a select few that I would only use, one of which I am still in contact with. THese interpreter's relayed what was said, exactly. So, yes I am a "subject matter expert" in the area that I operated in and I full well now what the climate of the local populace of central Baghdad was when I was there just a few short months ago."

Was this a shiite area? Because if you were in Arimijah or western Bagdad, you would have had trouble just to talk with the people on the street... I am interested in the view of those people. What did they tell you? What was their point of view? Maybe I was a little bit over the top doubting that you are an expert for iraq, but everything I ever heard of US troops in iraq tell me that most soldiers have really no clue what is going on in the heads of iraqis. And don`t forget the propaganda they are telling you to pepp you up and to boost the moral...

"In regards to the elections, it was not the names of the people that were running for office that were with held from the populace, but that the majority of the people had never participated in an election of any type before and many of which could not read."

Sorry to correct you, but the candidates other than those on the top of the lists weren`t known until the last few days before the election. And what about central iraq? Many sunnis just copuldn`t vote because there were no polling centers. 3% of the people in Al Anbar province voted... Is this "democracy"? And again, don`t forget the role that the US is playing in iraqi politics, with the biggest embassy worldwide, the most powerfull CIA station since vietnam and all the money that the iraqis need and the US have.

"You said that the people voted the coalition out of their country. You would be wrong in that statement. THe people voted to elect a provisional government to draft a constitution. And to hold elections again in December (If I remember correctly) at the end of this year. That is exactly what the people did."

Oh, I think this is a missunderstanding from your side. I did`t want to say that the election was about US- removal. But the big iraqi parties, mostly the shiit Dawa and SCIRI, promised to push the US to withdraw. MANY iraqis came to the polls to vote for exactly this reason, just because, as I said before, nearly 70% of iraqis want the US out as soon as possible.

In behalf of the constitution and the next vote: You can bet that these two things are delayed a half year because the constitution commission started its work just a few days ago and it is impossible to form a constitution in 2 (timeline is in August)months. So the two votes will be half a year later on.

"But you need to understand that withdrawing from Iraq will take alot of time. Unfortunately we can't just pull-out over night. You can imagine what the environment could turn into if we pulle dout too quickly. I don't think that is a situation that any of us would want to have happen."

It would be possible to withdraw the troops if the US would pay troops under neutral UN command and from muslim countries (shia and sunni a like in a proportion that fits to the one in the iraqi population). Before this happens, the UN has to manage negotiations between the secular sunni insurgents and the iraqi gov and the shiit parties have to aknowledge that a fair ammount of oil money and political control is given to the sunni community. Many other steps are possible to start a new process without the smell of US- imperial dreams on them. But as long as Bush and his cronies are in power, no such thing will happen and the war will grind on.

"You spoke briefly about the Iraqi security forces treament of their detainee's. You would be correct in saying that their treatment is harsher than most. I have witnessed such abuse and have reported the incident through my chain of command. But, unfortunately due to the recent "hand-over-of-power" we were unable to intervene in a direct manner and stop the abuse from happening."

Yeah these thing are common in the new iraq, no good sign for freedom and democracy to come, huh? Thanks for the reading tip!

"I try to stay as objective as I can with my views, and I appreciate your comments. But, I am a firm believer in what I am apart of, I take the good with the bad and learn from each experiece as much as I can. The current war is definately a difficult situation, and I don't have the answers. But I can say that good things are happening there, whether we see them in the news or not. Unfortunately though, terrible things are still happening to many innocent Iraqi's."

I thank you a lot for your contribution, your thougths and your honesty. It is a good thing for me to speak with a person that has first hand experience with the war I criticize. Stay well, I hope you have not to go again to iraq!

Salvador

My answer to Staff Sergeant Ellifritt

2005-06-14T14:07:00.000Z

Dear Mr. Ellifritt (if this is your real name, one never knows)!

I was very delighted to see your long and in depth comment here on my page. So I decided to give you an answer that fits to your work. But don`t be missled- I use clear and harsh language, not to offend but to make my point. This is nothing personal, but a political debate. Lets roll:

“I first came across your views via a "Soldiers Blog," where you have seemed to attempt to sway some strong opinions. Most noticeably directed towards "Kevin."“

Thank you for contributing here, it is such a rare thing!

„You bring up some interesting arguments ie: CIA level of involvement, and the Allawi/CPA government contract links.“

There is so much more that makes one VERY suspecious to the US- govs declarations about freedom and democracy… Just think of all the lies that were told about „collateral damage“… I just want to mention one, the famous killing of up to 40 „insurgents“ last year near the syrian border… Mark Kimmitt and other mouthpieces declared it a „mayor hit to insurgent transport networks“… but some days later, AP came out with a video obtained from a cameraman killed in the bombing. The material showed – a wedding party! There were children and women all arround and it looked like a tribal marriage, but not like an „insurgent meeting“. The only answer Kimmit gave to the video was: „Bad people have parties too.“ What shall I think of a military and a government that acts so unbelievable cynical, that lies when ever possible? Should I really believe their speeches about „freedom“, while they sponser iraqi militias and hitman from Saddams mukhabarat, bring forward BIG contracts with an iraqi „gov“ that depends on US firepower or just hinder the iraqi forces to buy heavy equipment in larger quantities? All this hints only in one direction: The US- gov plans to stay in iraq with their military (just think of bases like camp vitory- do you want to tell me that these fortresses are NOT permanent), their intelligence services and their friends in the US business like Halliburton, Bechtel or on the side of the hired guns, Blackwater. The war you were fighting (and will possibly fight again in) is an imperial project with the intention to controll THE MAIN oil hub of the planet. Do you know that the US sucks up 25% of world oil production? Are you familar wih the concept of „oil peak“? Do you know that main powers like china and india are heavily modernizing, bringing them in dependence of middle eastern oil? THESE are the reasons for the war and you can believe me- if there would have been no resistance (or insurgency, if you want) in iraq, Rummie and his buddies would have implemented Chalabi and his „Free iraqi forces“ as the new secular rulers of iraq. This was only prohibited by the anti- US fighters and the cleverness of the shiit clerics (main person here: Ayatollah Sistani). Did you know that Paul Bremer was against „one person one vote“ elections for iraq/2004? He said it would be nearly impossible to do so and had plans to implement „councils“ that would be announced and not directly voted for…

„But as a recently returned soldier, I want you to know that you are no where near the truth in reference to the insurgency and their tactics or the involvement of Al-Jazzeera. First, the insurgency's tactics are based on blind suicidal attacks with no sort of military tactic whatesoever (for the most part ... there are the occasional vet's from Chechnyia who can actually fight).“

I guess you were missled by the same propaganda I see every day… It is a FACT that the most attacks on US- forces are NOT suicidal, but of military stile, like exploding IEDs with remote controlers, lobbing mortars and rockets, firing RPGs or small arms fire from sniper lookouts and so on. There is no need of a greater tactic if you have a group of 5 to 10 people, just lay a trap, hit and run. Thats classical guerillia warfare man. I thougth you would know that as a soldier. Just one question: If the main body of the resistance (sunni nationalists/ pan arabs, former baathists) are „suicidal“, why can they still go on fighting? I guess you overestimate the role that Al Qaida and other islamist extremists play in iraq… thats the US- gov line tho show the public that iraq is part of the war on terror, but in every expertise about the insurgency you can read that those rarely trained, martyrdom seeking al Zarkawie people are a MINORITY, maybe numbering just up to a few thousands of an insurgency that is estimated by the US- military to have a size of up to 20.000 fighters.

„I have been involved in multiple close quarter fights with the enemy. It wasn't air suppuriority, or a heavy-handed tank that won the battle, but the ability to actually hit what I was aiming at with my M-4 rifle.“

And I bet you would run into such dogfights without the knowledge that the „enemy“ (the real enemy are the US- fores in iraq, THEY are alien there) could operate in a free way because there is no air support or heavy fire support… lol It maybe true that you faught against unskilled jihadis, but these guys are not more than canon fodder in the eyes of the militarily skilled personal under the surface. These are former iraqi professional soldiers and they are the ones hitting the US hard. Or do you think a jihadi from saudi- arabia or afghanistan would know where and how to obtain all the material in need to run a working IED manufacturing side in a country that was controlled until April 2003 by a secular regime? Would they know where to place the IEDs to get maximal effect? Just compare the warfare in iraq and afghanistan and you know that the much more skilled and professional trained „insurgents“ are in iraq. Just because these are former iraqi army or rep. Guard guys.

„The majority of the enemy couldn't hit the broadside of a barn to save their lives, I know from experience as I have had numerous RPG-7 rounds fly over my head instead of impact on the intended target ... me.“

I would like to know how many times US soldiers hit nothing or the wrong target… If I conclude from the damage done to cities like Falludscha or the center of Najaf, I would asume MANY times…

„I know for fact based on inteligence from the "street," that one of the enemies tactical procedures was to wrap their RPG-7 rounds with plastic and dip it in mud, to enable the round to penetrate a HMMWV's "forcefield." Does that type of thinking sound like it would come from an intelligent group of people that are fighting for the greater good?“

It would be good if you could explain me how the use of improvised material tells you anything about the „greater good“ of any action… I suggest that you think the other way round: What does the use of cluster bombs, Napalm (no called Mark- 77), DU ammo, white phosphor or tactics like indiscrimate raids, unrightfull detention and torture tells us about the „greater good“ behind US actions in iraq?!

„Yes, we have a technical and tactical superiority over the enemy, any fighting force that wants to succeed must have those things to win. But, without inteligent and masterful soldiers to operate that equipment, perform those manuever's, or fire those weapons ... we wouldn't get very far.“

And as I see it right, you didn`t get very far… Just remember general John Sattler, claiming that the (criminal) attack against Falludscha has „broken the back of the insurgency“… That was in November 2004 and in May 2005, 80 US- soldiers were killed in iraq… The skills of many US- soldiers are perfect in one way: Provoking the iraqi population with „collateral damage“, rude behaviour and constant raids netting the wrong people up and detaining them for an unknown time.

“2nd, as far as Al-Jazeera ... I have personaly been witness to observing them waiting idly-by anxiously awaiting a coalition convoy to come rolling into an ambush. Their only objective ... to get good video footage to sell to the masses.“

I said it before in Kevins blog: Al Jazeera is BANNED from working in iraq. There are no Al Jazeera jurnos there and sure as hell they don`t travel arround in trucks marked with „Al Jazeera“… Maybe you saw that before Al Jazeera was finaly banned in August 2004?

„I have watched them video tape one of my fellow soldiers of my Infantry Battalion burn to death in a HMMWV that was disabled in an ambush. Where is their humanity?“

It is the job of a jurno to cover things man. If you can`t handle that, it`s your prob. And I am really not sure that insurgents are dull enough to tip Al Jazeera of any attacks, cause you can be sure as hell that CIA/ NSA is checking their communications all the time, at least since the war in Afghanistan. Remember: The resistance has their own cameraman, as you could check if you visit pages like www.globalterroralert.com and similar ones.

„3rd, the majority of the Iraqi people do have a voice. I was there for the elections, in Sadr City. I saw the looks on their faces, the smiles, the cheers, the jubilation. I had an elderly Shiite female come running out of her house with a child in her arms screaming with tears running down her face, only wanting to hug me and kiss my face. Apparently she was a little over-joyed with the reality that for the first time in her life she actually did have a voice.“

Very nice, but it would be amusing to see the reaction of this women today… They voted for an end of the occupation: NADA. They voted for an end of violence: NADA. They voted for an improvement of their life: NADA. Btw. Did this women know for what politicans she was voting? Because the names on the lists were witheld until the last minutes… And what would you think of an US- election if some group, may it be the blacks or the hispanos, was excluded to vote because the security in their communities was so BAD that it wasn`t even possible to open the poll stations? And what is the use of an „elected“ government, when it is in fact not much more than a puppet, depending on US funding, US security, US advisers, US contractors, US intelligence and US training of its troops? The Bush gov has no intention to file a withdrawing plan for iraq and just after the elections the iraqi parties demanding such a thing closed their big mouthes and bagged for a longer time frame of „Multi national forces assistance“…lol That is a „independent“ gov, legitimated by iraqis? Don`t try to fool me.

„I could write for hours about the hundreds of encounters that I had with Iraqi's, real Iraqi's ... not the biased version of what the media would have you believe; and their love for America and what it stands for.“

I guess you are the victim of self-deception … The last polls I saw showed that 70% of the iraqis wanted an end of the occupation as fast as possible. At least since Abu Ghraib, no one in iraq but your translators and quislings like those assheads from „Iraq the modell“ (I bet you think they are representative?) have any feeling like „love“ for you. More than half of the sunni population of iraq (2 million people) think that attacks against US- troops are justified. And MANY schiits think this too, thanks to the heavy handed tactics used against as Sadr.

„Most of all, their love for American soldiers who have given them something that they never had before, a chance of having a say in their own future.“

The US decided to invade without asking and now they install a „democracy“ heavily dependend on US „aid“. Don`t assume that you can trick the majority of iraqis with this talk about „having a say in their future“… Its Bush and his cronies who have the say and this will never change until they are kicked out of the country. Just remember Afghanistan… Karzai the puppet was in Washington a few days ago and he demanded more control of his gov for the movements of US- forces in the country he „governs“… Guess what Bushs answer was? Same with iraq- or was the iraqi gov asked if the US was permitted to do the last offensive against Al Qaim and other Anbar regions and villages? Man, the iraqi „gov“ would be slaugthered in 2 months if there wouldn`t be such a thing as the „green zone“ and the US- soldiers doing indirect bodyguard jobs for them.

„Not being oppressed under a tyrant who tortured and murdered whenever he or his sons wanted to, I have seen that evidence also.“

And I have seen the avidence of torture from the new „democratic“ government of iraq in the TV- show „Terrorism in the hands of justice“… Do you know that program? Ever heard of their methods? And this is what the iraqi quisling forces are doing regularly to people they detain, as HRW and other organisations stated a few months ago. Not to speak about the US arrest centers like Abu Ghraib… In the behalf of Saddam and his henchman: Yeah, he was an evil asshole. But in the last years of his reign, he was not more brutal as many other regimes arround the world about which the US is doing nothing about. It is illegal to invade a country without UNSC permission and this has good reasons. The US gov thougth they could ignore all the warnings from all over the world and now their troops are bogged in a mud that they will never come out victorious. The invasion and the war of occupation killed tens of thousands of people, a report in "The Lancet" said up to 100.000. And before you attack this study now, inform yourself about their methods- these were exactly the same as were used to extrapolate the number of victims in Kosovo and other regions. In that circumstances, no US- „patriot“ had any problems with such reports… but when you are confronted with the thousands of innoncent victims of your actions, you try to play it down or ignore it totaly. Just one question, what do you think: How many people died in vietnam while the US was fighting its „just“ war over there?

“The WMD subject was wrong, a mistake was made. We believed one thing but found out that that wasn't true.“

Yeah, killed thousands of people for a „mistake“… lol Ever heard of the Downing street memo published some weeks ago by the british Sunday Times? It was written by an expert in B.Liars gov and it proofed that „the facts were fixed arround the policy“… Could you please tell me, why the Bush admin was so eager to attack, that they couldn`t await the end results of the weapons inspectors? I tell you they KNEW that Saddam had no WMD tech that was any thread to the US or any other country. In the mentioned memo, they even say that Saddam has LESS WMD than Lybia! It was all a geostrategical action and the WMD case was, as Wolfowitz stated, the thing on that everybody could agree as reason for a war. Your president is lying in your face and you suck it all up man… He was lying about the time he decided to attack, he was lying about the reasons for the war, he was lying about the „Al Qaida“ links between Saddams regime and Osama… And today he is lying all the way though the war, telling you that an increase in insurgent attacks are a sign that they are „desparate“… Bush came to iraq and served the troops a plastic turkey, he told you „mission accomplished“ while the war was going on, he praised the corrupt criminal, former baath hitman Allawi, who is alleged by an australian jurnos story to have killed 8 prisoners by his own hands… Your president is a criminal and you should come to terms with this FACT.

„But, we have still given the people of Iraq a voice, something that they haven't had in half a century.“

A great „voice“ that transits in the form of government I described above… If you were really caring what iraqis want, you would pay them 50 billion Dollars compensation for war, say sorry, go to the UNSC to recruit muslim troops for a security detachment and leave as soon as you could. But your president and his war criminal gov. love it to spend 4 billions of tax payer dollars per month for the occupation of iraq, while 35 million people in the US life under the poverty line… Think a moment, what would be the more rational choice: To give the 300 billion dollar this war has consumed to iraqis to make them the best friends the US will ever have or to bomb their cities to rubble, kill tens of thousands of iraqs people and make them the worst enemies since Charlie? Before you come back with the evil Saddam once again- what is with the fucking president of Uzbekistan, Islam Karimov, who ordered a mass murder last month that killed up to 500 peacefully demonstrading civilians? All that happended, while US- troops were in that country, doing their job for the supply of Afghanistan… Yes, before you ask- the german gov has troops there too and they did`t do more than „showing their unhappyness“ with Karimovs crimes. The hypocricy of the Schroeder gov. is a punch in the belly as it is the criminal energy of the Bush- junta.

„The news does not tell the whole truth, don't be afraid to listen to a subject matter expert.“

I doubt that US- soldiers in iraq are „experts“ on the matter of what is happening there. You have rarely contact with iraqis because you don`t speak arabic and most of them don`t speak english. Maybe you trust your translators but I bet they often don`t tell you what the iraqis on the street talk about you, because that could make you VERY angry. And in fact, you are not only seperated from the iraqi population, but you are bombarded with the typical brass- propaganda to hold up the moral of the troops. Why did the military block the access to pages like icasualties.org from the iraqi bases internet connections? Why do you hear all the pepp- up talk like that of the earlier mentioned General about „braking the back of the insurgency“? The military is a structure full of „patriots“ who will never dispute claims by their own „commander in chief“ if it is not 100% clear that they are wrong or outright lies… And that is exactly the structure you and Kevin are in… You should read this - cbftws blog ,not the last postings, but those from 2004… This guy is a hell of a reflected soldier and he got problems with his brass for talking the truth about some operation because he was angry that the major US- networks and the military just faked and manipulated news about a heavy fight he was in. Such manipulation and psy- Ops BS is going on all the time and you are, if not part, but victim of it.

To conclude, I would recommand you to develop a more balanced view of the „operation iraqi freedom“, the interests that stand behind it, the moral issues tightly connected with the question of war of aggression, the question who you fight over there (oh, I nearly forgot- look here and you will be surprised:
Good and honest iraqis fighting US!- General) and finanly the question why you are doing this at all. Become a conscientious objector and do the right thing!

Salvador

Just for Kevin to remember my points!

2005-06-13T16:36:00.000Z

Kevin and any other american patriot is invited to give his comments here. Just to show them what freedom of speach means in a world without Faux- news, newsweek bashing and permanent Stars and stripes propaganda!

Here are my comments from Kevins blog:

Yeah Kevin, everytime a Al Jazeera news truck is arround, something bad will happen...

But- whats that... in FACT Al Jazeera was BANNED from Iraq by the iraqi "government"... how can they have trucks rolling arround when they are BANNED out of the country? lol

Another thing: If you have those IED-jammers, why do I hear constantly about US- Humvees or tanks blown up? Why were MOST of the US- soldiers killed in may victims of IED`s?

One last point: Why are you so fucking arrogant in your position to the insurgents? Try a moment to place yourself in their boots, armed with tiny infantry weapons, some rocket lunchers and stuff, fighting an army with the best and most up tp date equipment in the world... Would you do dogfights against them? Or would yoo try to sniper them from a hidden postion or blow them up with remote controlled bombs... It is a stupid thing to pretend that the enemy is chicken-hearted without considering their abilitys. You can be sure as hell: If the isurgents have had Abrams tanks, Appache attack helis, A- 10 air support, modern communication systems and style of the art weapons, you would meet them every day in the open, just because the HATE your guts and want the US- occupation out of THEIR country. I would advise you to stop sucking all the propaganda BS from your brass about the enemy and begin to think for yourself. The general rejection of war you developed because friends of you died should be transformed to a more political position. Why are you there? Where are the WMD`s? Why haven`t you seen any hints of a Saddam Al Qaida link yet? What is the real goal you are fighting for? Freedom for iraqis? Just look at "Terrorism in the hands of justice" and you`ll know from the swollen faces of the tortured so called "insurgents" what a kind of "freedom" and "democracy" you and the other troopers brougth to iraq. What about oil? What about geostratigical influence? Ever thought about THAT?

What? Allawi is history? You are telling me NEW things... lol lol

I haven`t seen any new report about the jazeera ban, but it was a permanent ban and I don?t think that the new shiit dominated "government" has any interest in a sunni- station from Kathar...

I had to stop my last posting, so I will resume it here:

The "government" is not a democratic and legitim one because the US "rules" the country, not only via the army, but also via CIA (biggest CIA station ever since vietnam) and the "new" iraqi mukhabarat that is AT THE MOMENT under US CONTROL! The iraqi "gov" complained about that, but the CIA has no intention to give the power about that agency back to iraqis. Did I mention all the US- "Counselors" all around in the "gov" of iraq? And what about the paperwork? Did you know that the CPA and the Allawi "gov" settled dozens of contracts with US- firms shortly before they had to "transist" power?

To the insurgents: Come on, don`t tell me BS like you were fronting them only with a M4... What about your Body armour? Your high tech communications? Your air support ready in 10 minutes? Your medivacs constantly waiting to copter you out? The firepower of your mounted guns on the Humvees? Little difference, huh?

Last point: Your manipulation of my first posting stinks man. Is this the "freedom of speech" you bring to iraqis? I give you the URl of my blog and the guarntee that you can post whatever you want in the comment section. THAT is freedom, not such stupid faking of postings!

Eine etwas andere Bush- Rede

2005-01-27T08:38:00.000Z

Eine sehr provokative und leider nur allzu wahre Analyse der Ergebnisse des Irak- Krieges, verpackt in eine von Prof. Juan Cole geschriebene, parodistische Bush- Rede:

Meine Mitbürger!

Ich will, dass wir gegen den Irak Krieg führen. Aber ich will, dass wir dabei unsere Augen offen haben und völlig realistisch sind.

Ein Krieg gegen den Irak wird teuer sein. Es wird sie, die Steuerzahler, innerhalb von 5 Jahren ungefähr 300 Milliarden $ kosten. Ich weiß, dass Wolfowitz Ihnen sagt, dass Iraks Öleinnahmen für all das ausreichen werden, aber das ist lächerlich. Der Irak pumpt innerhalb eines Jahres nur Öl im Wert von ungefähr 10 Milliarden $ und dieses Geld wird er allein schon brauchen, um die neue, von uns installierte Regierung zu finanzieren. Nein, wir werden dafür bezahlen müssen, wir selbst. Ich werde Sie um 25 Milliarden $, dann 80 Milliarden $, dann weitere 80 Milliarden $ bitten. Und so weiter. Ich werde Sie häufiger um Geld anpumpen als dieser arbeitslose Verwandte, den Sie nicht mögen. Die Kosten des Krieges werden mein bereits jetzt massives Haushaltsdefizit von ungefähr 370 Milliarden $ bis auf mehr als 450 Milliarden $ pro Jahr in die Höhe zu treiben. Nur damit Sie es richtig verstehen, ich werde die Steuern der Superreichen senken, während ich gleichzeitig diesen Krieg führe. Dann werde ich mir das Geld leihen, um diesen Krieg zu betreiben und für die anderen Tätigkeiten der Regierung aufzukommen. Und Sie und Ihre Kinder werden diese Schulden in den nächsten Jahrzehnten abzahlen. Während dessen wird der Dollar nicht allzu gut dastehen, wenn Sie Produkte in Übersee kaufen, weil Defizite wie die beschriebenen unsere Währung schwächen werden. (Und ich habe die Dinge so geregelt, dass die meisten Dinge, die Sie kaufen werden, aus Übersee kommen) Wir werden die Zinssätze höher behalten müssen, als sie sonst gewesen wären und die Wirtschaft muss im Zustand der Rezession bleiben, weil sonst meine Kriegsdefizite starke Inflation verursachen würden. So werde ich sie, Ihre Kinder, und Ihre Enkel in große Schwierigkeiten stürzen, um diesen Krieg zu führen. Ich werde es tun und so werden nicht viele neue Arbeitsplätze geschaffen werden, vielmehr werde ich die Situation als Entschuldigung benutzen, um Regierungsdienstleistungen zu kürzen, auf die Sie angewiesen sind. Für die Superreichen, oder wie ich sie nenne, "meine Basis", wird dieser Krieg im Irak eine echte Inspiration sein. Wir werden ihn nutzen, um das Defizit so auszubauen, dass sich die Demokraten und die mitfühlenden Republikaner im Kongress nicht trauen können, irgendwelche neuen Programme zur Förderung des Mittelstandes zu schaffen. Wir alle wissen, dass die Superreichen - ungefähr 3 Millionen Menschen in unserem Land von 295 Millionen - für jene Programme würden bezahlen müssen, da sie 45 Prozent des privaten Vermögens besitzen. Ich werde dafür sorgen, dass sie lange Zeit von solchen Unbequemlichkeiten verschont werden.

Außerdem wird dieser Krieg im Irak, von dem ich möchte, dass sie ihn als Teil des Krieges gegen den Terror autorisieren, viele amerikanische Leben kosten. Zu dem Zeitpunkt meiner zweiten Antrittsrede werden mehr als 1,300 tapfere Männer und Frauen der US- Streitkräfte infolge dieses Krieges im Irak tot sein, und 10,371 werden verwundet sein, viele von ihnen für ihr Leben gezeichnet. Amerikas Straßen und Obdachlosenasyle werden dann wahrscheinlich mit einigen dieser verwundeten Veteranen überschwemmt werden. Diese Soldaten, denen ein oder auch zwei Beine fehlen und die oft schwere psychologische Probleme haben, werden Schwierigkeiten haben, Arbeit zu finden Und sie werden sogar noch mehr Schwierigkeiten haben, die Jobs zu behalten, die sie finden. Sie werden für den Rest ihres Lebens traumatisiert sein von dem Horror, den sie im Irak sehen und manchmal auch selbst auslösen werden. Aber gut, wir haben ein Sprichwort in Texas. Ich denke, dass sie in Arkansas es auch kennen. Man kann kein Omelett machen ohne… Man muss ein paar Eier zerbrechen, um ein Frühstück zu bekommen.

Ich weiß, dass Dick Cheney und Condi Rice durchs Land gezogen sind, um ihre Kinder durch bedrohliche Reden über irakische Aromwaffen zu ängstigen. Ich muss Ihnen bekennen, dass mein CIA Direktor, George Tenet mir sagt, dass die Beweise für diese Behauptungen nicht ausreichen. Tatsächlich muss ich offenherzig sein und sagen, dass der Nachrichtendienst des Außenministeriums nicht glaubt, dass Saddam viel von seinem Programm für chemische Kampstoffe übrig behalten hat. Vielleicht zerstörte er das Zeug und will es nicht zugeben, weil er Angst hat, dass sich ohne diese Mittel die Kurden und Schiiten gegen ihn erheben. Wie auch immer, der Irak stellt keine unmittelbare Bedrohung für die Vereinigten Staaten dar und hat wahrscheinlich nichts Nützliches aus seinen Waffenprogrammen der 1980er Jahre übrig.

Hinzu kommt, dass es keine operative Verbindung zwischen einem weltlichen arabischen Nationalisten wie Saddam und den religiösen Verrückten von al-Qaida gibt. Sie haben voreinander Angst und hassen einander mehr, als sie uns hassen. Tatsächlich muss ich vollkommen ehrlich sein und zugeben, dass, wenn wir Saddams weltliche arabische nationalistische Regierung stürzen, Iraks sunnitische Araber ernüchtert und voller Verzweiflung sein werden. Sie werden sich wahrscheinlich Al Qaida als einer Alternative zuwenden. Also, Leute, was ich vorhabe, könnte 5 Millionen Iraker in die Hände von Personen spielen, die darauf bestehen, dass sie sich sofort einem neuen al-Qaida Ableger anschließen. Oder auch anderen Gruppen.

Also, warum will ich Krieg führen? Seht Leute, ich werde es ihnen nicht erzählen. Ich muss es ihnen nicht erzählen. Es gibt wenig Transparenz bei diesen Dingen innerhalb der Regierung, weil wir eine Art verstecktes Imperium aus dem Präsidialbüro heraus steuern. Nach 20 oder 30 Jahren wird es rauskommen. Bis dahin werden Sie mir einfach vertrauen müssen.

Juan Coles blog

Amoklauf eines US- marines

2005-01-12T15:49:00.000Z

Irak Veteran läuft Amok

Es war Nacht, als am Sonntag dem 9.1.2005 das Leben des 19 jährigen Irak- Veteranen Andres Raya ein ebenso tragisches wie spektakuläres Ende fand. Raya, der erst im September aus dem Irak in die USA zurückgekehrt war, lieferte sich einen heftigen Schusswechsel mit den Polizisten der Ortschaft Ceres (Nordkalifornien), wie der lokale Nachrichtensender 30abc berichtete. Während des Gefechtes tötete der aus den Reihen der Marines stammende, in Camp Pendleton stationierte Soldat den Polizei- Offizier Sergeant Howard Stevenson und verwundete einen weiteren Beamten schwer. Die Auseinandersetzung war offenbar geplant, wie der Lokalsender KXTV meldete- so soll Raya vor einem Getränkeladen einen Schuss abgegeben haben, um dann den Ladenbesitzer zu bitten, die Polizei zu rufen. In einem Überwachungsvideo sei zu sehen, wie Raya auf die Ordnungshüter wartet- nach den Aussagen von Augenzeugen soll Raya über 60 Schuss abgegeben haben, bevor er vom Tatort flüchtete.

Laut den Recherchen des Journalisten Ernesto Cienfuegos, die im unabhängigen Nachrichtendienst „La Voz de Aztlan“ erschienen, starb Raya mit mehr als 18 Kugeln im Körper, nachdem er den zusammengezogenen Kräften der Ortspolizei und der California Highway Patrol eine dreistündigen Verfolgungsjagd durch ein nahe dem Tatort gelegenes Wohnviertel geliefert hatte. Der für seine Tapferkeit im Krieg ausgezeichnete Raya benutzte für seine Tat laut „La Voz de Aztlan“ ein SKS Sturmgewehr, mit dem er sogar noch Widerstand geleistet haben soll, nachdem er schon tödlich verwundet worden war. Die Mutter des Soldaten, die aus Mexiko stammende Julia Cortez Raya, sagte Cienfugos, ihr Sohn habe am Angriff auf Falludscha teilgenommen und sei verändert zurückgekehrt. Der junge Marine soll seiner Familie und Freunden von schrecklichen Alpträumen und Schlaflosigkeit berichtet haben, angeblich äußerte er außerdem den Wunsch, nicht in den Irak zurückkehren und weiter töten zu müssen.

Auch wenn die Angaben von „La Voz de Aztlan“ wegen ihres eindeutig kriegskritischen und pro-mexikanischen Charakters mit Vorsicht betrachtet werden sollten, so lässt sich doch aus den vorhandenen Informationen das Bild eines jungen Mannes gewinnen, der erst vor zwei Jahren die Highschool abgeschlossen, aber schon die schrecklichen Grausamkeiten des Krieges gesehen hatte und daran zerbrochen war. Es ist bezeichnend, dass die sonst so an Amokläufen, Morden und anderen schrecklichen Ereignissen interessierten US- Massenmedien dem Vorfall kaum Aufmerksamkeit schenkten, passt der Tod von Raya und Stevenson doch gar nicht in das von den patriotisch gestimmten Sendern und Zeitungen gepflegte Bild der US- „Helden“, die tapfer im Irak gegen den „Terror“ kämpfen.

Bedauerlicherweise werden sich ähnliche Ereignisse in Zukunft wohl sehr viel häufiger ereignen, leiden doch laut einer US- Militärstudie bis zu 17% der aus dem Irak heimkehrenden Soldaten an posttraumatischen Belastungsstörungen, Depressionen und anderen schweren psychischen Problemen. Wie im Falle des Vietnam- Krieges steht auch heute wieder zu befürchten, dass gut im Umgang mit Waffen geschulte und ans Töten gewöhnte Veteranen durchdrehen, weil sie mit ihren Erlebnissen und Taten nicht mehr fertig werden. Ist all dies schon schrecklich genug, so wirft es erst recht ein beängstigendes Licht auf die geistige Verfassung hunderttausender Iraker, etwa der Einwohner Falludschas, die unter diesem Krieg noch sehr viel mehr leiden als die im Lande befindlichen Okkupations- Soldaten.

Salvador

This is the end of the english version

2005-01-12T14:34:00.001Z

Hi to all (few) readers of this blog.

I decided to change the language here to german because I have the feeling that nearly no english readers pass by. In an attempt no renew the blog, I will change to german soon.

I thank everyone who has visited this blog and I hope that the traffic will jump up as I write in my mother- language now.

Salvador

Allawi the liar

2004-10-31T17:25:00.000Z

Allawi claimed today that his security forces had captured 3000 "gunmen" who were followers of former iraqi deputy president Ibrahim al Duri- here is the original AFP- bulletin: klick!

Isn`t this a big story, friends? The US- military claims that the body of the insurgency consists of 12.000 to 20.000 "hardcore militants"- if Allawis information would be correct, his security forces would have captured between 25% and 15% of the iraqi insurgency- everyone would think that the western media should give the Allawi speach a big part of their attention. But what happens? Have a look at BBC`s portrayel of the report:

He said a few cells of supporters of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's right-hand man Izzat Ibrahim had been detained in recent weeks, among them two senior aides.

link

Why don't they mention the number 3000? Why do they speak of "cells" when Allawi claims that his police has captured 3 BRIGADES of fighters? Is it because the journalists think that their audience shouldn`t be properly informed about the iraqi success? Or is it because they KNOW that Allawi is outright lying and don`t wont to show this to the people in the west because it could harm Allawis creditability and via that way the standing of his friends (i.e. puppet players)George and Tony?!

Salvador

"thetruthaboutiraq" - They try to cover it up!

2004-10-21T13:52:00.000Z

This text is an update for everyone who read my piece about Steven Moore and his fake- organization- if you don't know what I mean, look here

link

To the point: Mr. Moore must have read the article about him and "thetruthaboutiraq", maybe he followed a link I gave to the readers of his Blog in the comment section. After that, he decided probably to cover-up his tracks and so he made sure that Numbergreen, the business which provided a preview of the Gorton & Moore Int. webpage on their account, deleted it on Oct. 20. The date can be confirmed because I checked the page in the morning of that day and the Gorton/Moore page was still activated. The google cache states that "This is G o o g l e's cache of http://www.numbergreen.com:16080/gm/clients.html as retrieved on 20 Oct 2004 08:39:34 GMT"- to this moment, the page was enabled.

In my view, this attitude shows that Moore has something to hide- namely that he is nothing more than a PR- agent working for Gorton & Moores "campaign client" Paul Bremer.

Moore is constantly deleting all my comments in his blog, claiming that I would be a coward, who is afraid of giving his real name- it's true, I am posting under the nick "Salvador", but what has this to do with my allegation that "thetruthaboutiraq" is a fake organization? If Moores team is really "just some dedicated people who want people to feel good about bringing democracy to Iraq" (klick!), why doesn't he comment only one sentence to his contract with the Gorton/ Moore "campaign client" Paul Bremer?!

I would appreciate it if some of you could visit "thetruthaboutiraq" and comment on the blog- that would be a first step to blow this attempt to manipulate the american public.

Salvador

Another comment that will be deleted by the coward Steven Moore

2004-10-21T13:34:00.000Z

You are such a coward, Steve... With the deleting of the "Morton/Goore" page from the "numbergreen" account you proofed that you have something to hide- and I know what it is...:-))

For everyone who wonna check my accusations, look here:

link

-->this one proofs that the numbergreen page was changed yesterday, October 20.

link

---> And this one shows that numbergreen hosted the construct of the Gorton/Moore page. Everything about Paul Bremers ("campaign client")connection with G/M is still there. You can't delete the google- cache, Steve!

Steve, this deleting orgy will not help you, even when the cache is updated- I saved it on my hard disk. ;-)

Another comment for Steven Moore

2004-10-20T14:52:00.000Z

Hey Steve, as I said before: Read the laws before you crack them!

Quote:

Prohibitions on Direct Election Activity
Because contributions to a §527 orgnaization are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission, these organizations may not make any expenditures involving express advocacy for the election or defeat of any candidate for federal elective office. Depending on the outcome of the court challenges to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, §527 organizations may also be prohibited from certain types of “electioneering communications” immediately prior to elections. Although not the traditionally understood definition of express advocacy, BCRA operates under the presumption that any communication that mentions or refers to a specific candidate for office is considered express advocacy for the election or defeat of a candidate. As such any communication within 30 days of a primary and 60 days of a general election, targeted at the relevant electorate, is considered an “electioneering communication” and subject to limits under the FEC regulations.

/Quote

linkYour runt against Kerry is outstanding crude- this talk about Chamberlain isn't in any way fitting, because the war against Saddam (your Hitler)is OVER and not yet to BEGIN.

And this curd that a troop removal would "destroy our credibility in the islamic world"- gosh Steve, the US have no credibility any more after Abu Ghraib and the destruction of Nadschaf and Falludscha. BTW.- who "abandoned" the kurds and shiites in 1991?! Wasn't it the GOP, with Bush sen. as president, Cheney as secretary of defense and Powell as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?!

Afghanistan: Kerry is totaly right about that- the Taliban and Al Qaida are active there, their leadership hides in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the poppy growing extended about 75% since Bush "liberated" the country, the warlords are in charge of the politics and Karzai is just a puppet pretending to govern but depending on Khalizad and his orders. Should I quote some of the Bush- speeches from 2001? In that time, Afghanistan was the centre of evil- but today, the head of Al Qaida (bin Laden) and of the Taliban (Mullah Omar)are still on the loose.

To shroud that fact, the US- government is creating Zarkawie as the new "mastermind of terror", but we don't know if that guy is still alive! Until the invasion of Iraq, the CIA and other US services argued that he had lost a limb in Afghanistan and was treated in a Baghdad hospital- but today, they tell us that the guy in the beheading video of Nick Berg was Zarkawie- with two legs, not even hobbling or anything! What should we believe?

Islamic extremists: You chatted with them and are still alive? Remarkable, I thought they "believe" that non- muslims "should be killed"?! This kind of demonisation is ignorant- the main goal of the extremists is not to kill every christian or jew ("people of the book"- they are protected through some suras of the Quran)but to fight their own governments, who are corrupt, dictatoric and SUPPORTED by G.W. Bush.

Now to the "best" part of your piece:

"Kerry should go have such a conversation. But he has never bothered to go to Iraq. Or to Pakistan. Or to Indonesia. Or even to Afghanistan, his center of the war on terror."

Tell me Steve, in which country was Bush before he was selected by the supreme court? 0:

Salvador

Another comment that could be deleted

2004-10-17T11:29:00.000Z

Hi Steve!

What makes my criticism against you and your page to a "bizarre conspiracy theory"? Isn`t it true that Paul Bremer is a "campaign client" of Gorton/Moore? Isn`t it true that you worked for him in Bagdad? Isn`t it true that you are a "puplic relations specialist"? Isn`t it true that you registered the adress of your business as "registrant street" for "thetruthaboutiraq.org"? Isn`t it true that you and your partner Gorton are spin docs, a profession that works in the shaddows to form the public opinion? If one uses logic there can be no doubt about the charakter of your "organization"- a PR- offensive for the republican party and the Iraq- policy of president Bush.

In behalf of my real name: Why is that important for the answering of my questions? I think you want to portray me as a coward who can present his "bizarre" questions only from the save haven of anonymity- but this strategy will not work because every intelligent reader of your page will come up with the same questions about you and your "organization".

My little war against "thetruthaboutiraq"

2004-10-15T08:54:00.000Z

Hi palls!

Steven Moore cowardly deleted my comments on his blog and so I`m archiving them here

Hey Steve!

As its customary for Bush- republicans, you throw labels arround (left, attacking the messenger etc.) and think thats enough to discredit my critical position to your so called "organization". When I start to discuss the "message" you try to bring out (as I did yesterday in a comment) you delete it- thats the only way you can hope to hide the human and geostrategical disaster in Iraq that you promote here.

To your staff:

Steven Moore: Why are you hiding the fact that Paul Bremer is a CLIENT of your business? And what was the reason for you to give the office of Gorton/Morre Int. as registration adress for this page? If it is (as you say)that "thetruthaboutiraq" is just a group of "dedicated people who want people to feel good about bringing democracy to Iraq" why are you using your business adress?! And whats up with the contact adress "330 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 101"- what has Scott & Cronin LLP to do with "thetruthaboutiraq"? Can't see anyone from THEIR staff on YOUR list!

Rich Masterson: Hey, thats a big shot! If he is so "dedicated" to your goal, he should spent some of the big money he makes with Masterson Development to the case! Why are you waiting for donations of some middle class softies if you have a millionaire in your team?

Joan Sammon: She should think about the "sacrifice" of the at least 28.000 Iraqis that died in this war. These people hadn't only old highschool friends, but mothers, fathers, children and so on...

Bryan Merica: Its not surprising that he is in your "organization" because Gorton/Moore is a client of his Idego group. In addition, you are located in the same business building- what a coincidence!

By the way: I never thought that you were hiding your republican conviction- i thought (and still think) that "thetruthaboutiraq" is nothing else than a PR- operation funded by the GOP via Gorton/Moore Int. And I'm sure that you are getting money for this work here Steve- don't deny it any longer! You got money for consulting Paul Bremer and you get money for this page- all this talk about a "not-for-profit organization" you worked for in Iraq is camouflage, the International republican institute is nothing more than a proxy of the GOP.

Salvador

"TruthaboutIraq.org"

2004-10-01T20:18:00.000Z

Yesterday, I stumbled incidentally about a webpage called "The truth about Iraq" (http://www.thetruthaboutiraq.org). On this page, a mostly anonymous "team comprised of experts with specific and relevant experience", lead by Steven Moore, a "political consultant" who "advised" the so called american "ambassador" Paul Bremer about iraqi public opinion, vows to "remind Americans that they can be proud of the good work being done in Iraq by the US and Coalition Forces".

The page consists of the typical republican propaganda about Iraq, but that's not surprising, because Moore worked for Bremer and via that way for the Bush administration. The real haunting fact is, that Moore is much more than "a public relations specialist" (http://archive.tol.cz/Publications/RPE/RPE.960709.html) with private interest in Bush disinformation about Iraq. He gives "1415 L Street, Suite 430" in Sacramento, CA. as the registration address of the page (http://reports.internic.net/cgi/whois?whois_nic=thetruthaboutiraq.org&type=domain), but that is not his own apartment, but the place of his business, "Gorton & Moore International". As one can see on this page (http://www.numbergreen.com:16080/gm/clients.html), Gorton & Moore (former known as "California Group") has worked for Governor Schwarzenegger, Governor & Senator Pete Wilson and, most interesting -Ambassador Paul Bremer-! I guess from these facts we can conclude that "The truth about Iraq" is a PR- offensive, financed or supervised by the GOP or the Bush- government itself. Moore tries to hide the connection between "The truth about Iraq" and "Gorton & Moore International" by giving "330 Encinitas Blvd., Suite 101" in Encinitas, CA, as contact address. But that dosen`t make ist better, because that place is the office of "Scott & Cronin LLP" (http://www.thinkcpa.com/index.htm), a Certified Public Accounting firm, which has a branch for "political services", as can be seen at http://www.thinkcpa.com/html/services.htm , where Nancy Haley, the political division director of Scott & Cronin , hugs her client Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The truth about "The truth about Iraq" is, that it is a PR- coup with strong ties to or even backup from Schwarzenegger and/or the GOP. Mr. Moore was back from Iraq in May 2004, but he started his page at the beginning of September- early enough to have influence on some undecided voters for the presidential elections?!

Irak Manifest (only for german readers- sorry!)

2004-08-23T14:16:00.000Z

Irak- Manifest

Der Irak- Krieg aus antiimperialistischer Perspektive

„Imperialismus“ – ein alter Hut?!

„Imperialismus“- ist das nicht ein Schlagwort der 68er, eine im 21 Jahrhundert nicht mehr anwendbare, weil auf vergangene Zustände zugeschnittene Phrase, die jedem 3 Welt- Diktator eine gute Ausrede bietet, um eigene Mißerfolge und Fehlleistungen auf die westlichen „Imperialisten“ zu schieben?

Wer so argumentiert, der hat weder den allgemeinen Imperialismus- Begriff, noch Lenins gleichnamige Theorie verstanden. Denn Imperialismus, also die „Bestrebung einer Großmacht, ihren politischen, militärischen und wirtschaftlichen Macht- und Einflußbereich ständig auszudehnen“[1] läßt sich auch im Jahre 2004 überall auf der Welt beobachten. Das ein Staat nur zur Großmacht aufsteigen kann, wenn ihm ausreichend moderne Produktionsmittel und ausgebildete Arbeitskräfte zur Verfügung stehen, dürfte klar sein- dass Lenins Beschreibung des Imperialismus als „Höchster Entwicklungsstufe des Kapitalismus“ also zutrifft, kann aus dem Bestand der heutigen Imperialmächte, die allesamt hochentwickelte Industriestaaten sind, gefolgert werden. Die enge, organische Verbundenheit der kapitalistischen Vergesellschaftung und der imperialen Ausbreitungs- und Hegemonialbestrebungen kann aus einer antiimperialistischen Perspektive nicht in Zweifel gezogen werden, weshalb Kritik am Imperialismus immer auch gleichzeitig Kritik an der vorherrschenden Form der Reproduktion, dem Kapitalismus, ist.

Der Irak – Schlüsselposition im Kampf um die Vormacht

Wenn nun die Feststellung stimmt, dass Imperialismus immer noch eine wichtige und richtige Analysekategorie bei der Betrachtung internationaler Beziehungen ist, so drängt sich dem tagespolitisch interessierten Beobachter sogleich die Frage auf, wie der Irak- Krieg der USA unter diesem Gesichtspunkt einzuordnen ist.
Warum hat die Bush- Regierung den völlig verarmten, wirtschaftlich ruinierten, militärisch seit einem Jahrzehnt auf dem Zahnfleisch gehenden Irak unter Saddam Hussein zur weltbedrohenden Gefahr aufgebaut? Warum rollten US- Panzer durch irakischen Wüstensand und über die Körper irakischer Soldaten?

Die bekannteste und einfachste Antwort auf diese Frage kommt in dem Slogan „Kein Blut für Öl!“ zum Ausdruck, der bei vielen Anti- Kriegsdemonstrationen im Februar 2003 zu hören war. Die Annahme, der Krieg werde nur wegen der Kontrolle über das irakische Erdöl geführt, ist sicher naheliegend, bedarf aber einer weitergehenden, kritischen Untersuchung. Es ist keine Frage, dass die modernen Industrien, ja die gesamten Ökonomien der hochentwickelten Staaten in ungeheurem Maße auf Öl als Grundlage von Mobilität, Energiegewinnung und Herstellung verschiedenster Produkte angewiesen sind- aber lohnt es sich dafür, einen Krieg mit einem Staat zu führen, der mangels eigener wettbewerbsfähiger Industrie sowieso gezwungen ist, seine tägliche Fördermenge von vielleicht 3 Millionen Barrel zu verkaufen? Warum Krieg gegen das baathistische Regime führen, wenn dieses schon aus Gründen der Selbsterhaltung darauf angewiesen ist, die Ölexporte fließen zu lassen? Tatsache ist, dass die USA auch Ende der 90er und Anfang des neuen Jahrhunderts einer der größten Abnehmer irakischen Öls waren und offenbar gar kein Problem darin sahen, auf diese Weise ihrem ärgsten Feind Milliarden Dollar in die Taschen zu spülen. Weshalb also ungeheurere Summen und das Leben von 250.000 Soldaten riskieren?

Hier kommen nun geostrategische, also originär imperialistische Zukunftsprojektionen ins Spiel: Die Nachfrage nach Öl nimmt durch die Entwicklung von Staaten wie China, Indien, Indonesien usw. stark zu, während die etablierten Industriestaaten ebenfalls steigenden Bedarf haben, allen voran die USA, die allein 25% der Weltfördermenge verbrauchen. Gleichzeitig nimmt die Förderleistung von alten Ölquellen mit der Dauer ihrer Ausbeutung ab, ein Effekt der mit dem sogenannten „oil peak“ Phänomen zusammenhängt – Wenn über 50% des förderbaren Öls ausgebeutet wurde, wird es aufgrund physikalischer Bedingungen immer schwieriger und kostenintensiver, weiterhin Öl aus einer solchen Quelle zu fördern. Viele wichtige Quellen, z.B. die texanischen oder die in der Nordsee gelegenen haben den Peak inzwischen erreicht, während die Exploration neuer Quellen mit dem Wachstum des Verbrauchs nicht mehr mithalten kann. In einigen Jahren wird also eine weiter ansteigende Nachfrage einem sinkenden Angebot gegenüberstehen und die Staaten mit den wettbewerbsfähigsten, da noch nicht vom „oil peak“ betroffenen Quellen, werden enorm an Wichtigkeit gewinnen.

Diese Staaten befinden sich zum größten Teil im Mittleren Osten, weil dort die größten Ölreserven der Welt liegen und der „peak“ der Produktion daher noch länger auf sich warten lassen wird. Vor allem der Irak ist unter Berücksichtigung der oben geschilderten Problematik interessant, weil er einerseits die weltweit zweitgrößten Ölreserven besitzt und andererseits durch die Kriege und Mißwirtschaft der Saddam- Diktatur die Förderung bisher weit unter ihren Möglichkeiten erfolgte. Aus Sicht eines auf Ölimporte verstärkt angewiesenen Landes, dessen eigene Quellen langsam aber stetig versiegen, ist es also von entscheidender Bedeutung, im mittleren Osten, speziell im Irak präsent zu sein und eine politische, wenn nicht gar eine direkte Kontrolle über die Ölvorräte der Region ausüben zu können. Dieser Kontrolle stand Saddam Hussein im Wege, der zwar auf den Verkauf von Öl angewiesen war, aber als Unsicherheitsfaktor in der Region wirkte und außerdem durch seine „bad governance“ einen Ausbau der irakischen Förderleistung verhinderte. Durch die direkte militärische Präsenz, welche die USA im Irak ausüben, kann auch großer Druck auf die Nachbarstaaten des Irak ausgeübt werden, die für die Ölförderung ebenfalls von enormer Bedeutung sind. Die US- Truppen stehen mitten in der ölreichsten Region der Welt und können von diesem Stützpunkt aus rundherum intervenieren, falls es die US (Öl)interessen erforden.

Auch sollte nicht vergessen werden, dass durch die Präsenz der USA nicht nur die Ölimporte der Supermacht gesichert, sondern auch die Lieferungen an andere Großmächte, z.B. China, kontrolliert werden können. Wenn die US- Regierungen es also in Zukunft für nötig halten, der aufstrebenden Macht China Steine in den Weg zu legen, so kann die Position im Irak dazu dienen, die Lieferungen an das Reich der Mitte einzuschränken. Gleiches gilt natürlich, auch wenn es in den Medien gern verschwiegen wird, für die EU und Japan, die durch ihre wirtschaftliche Potenz als Konkurrenten den USA sogar ernst zu nehmender sind als das immer noch durch enorme innere Probleme gebeutelte China. Der Irak- Krieg erscheint unter diesem Gesichtspunkt nicht nur als Krieg zur Sicherung der steigenden US- Ölimporte, sondern auch als Mittel, eine politisch- ökonomische Waffe gegen die Konkurrenten auf den Weltmärkten in die Hand zu bekommen.

Es zeigt sich also, dass der Slogan „Kein Blut für Öl!“ zwar eine starke Simplifizierung darstellt, im Kern jedoch eine tiefere Wahrheit enthält. Es stellt sich allerdings die Frage, ob eine solch monokausale, allein auf die Förderung, Kontrolle und den Handel mit Öl konzentrierte Analyse tatsächlich das ganze Bild zeigt. Kann es nicht auch noch andere Gründe geben als das Öl?! Ja, es kann sie geben und es gibt sie auch- es ist allerdings schwer zu beurteilen, wie wichtig sie jeweils sind und wie viel sie zur Entscheidung der US- Eliten für diesen Krieg beigetragen haben.

Ergänzungen zur rein imperialismustheoretischen Betrachtung

Ein Grund für den Krieg, der vor allem von Fanatikern aller Coleur immer wieder angeführt wird, teilweise im Sinne einer Verteufelung (Islamisten, Rechtsextreme, Nationalbolschewisten), teilweise aber auch mit positiven Tönen (Antideutsche, Zionisten, orthodoxe Juden), ist die Rolle Israels in der Machtkonstellation des Nahen und Mittleren Ostens sowie die Bedrohung des jüdischen Staates durch den Irak. Wie stark Israel und die jüdischen Lobbyisten dieses Landes in den USA Einfluß auf die Vorbereitung und Durchführung des Krieges genommen haben, kann nur spekuliert werden. Tatsache ist, dass Israel in Saddam Hussein und dieser in dem seinem Duktus nach „zionistischen Gebilde“ jeweils einen Todfeind erblickt hat. Die Ausschaltung des baathistischen Iraks durch die USA ist also auf jeden Fall im Interesse Jerusalems- ob möglicherweise auch die Phantasie über eine Pipeline Kirkuk – Haifa und die Möglichkeiten, aus einem US kontrollierten Irak heraus geheimdienstlich zu agieren (der Mossad soll im Kurdengebiet recht aktiv sein) eine Rolle spielten, kann abschließend nicht beurteilt, sehr wohl aber vermutet werden.

Ein weitere, häufig angebrachter These über die Ursachen des Irak- Krieges ist eine psychologische: Der Hass des US- Präsidenten G.W. Bush auf Saddam Hussein, der angeblich 1994 versucht haben soll, Bushs Vater in Kuweit ermorden zu lassen. Auch der Ärger von Teilen der politischen Elite (Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz) die schon unter Bush sen. aktiv waren und den Irak möglicherweise als „unfinished job“ betrachteten, könnte eine Rolle gespielt haben. In konstruktivistischem Sinne könnte selbst die aus der US- Propaganda bekannte Behauptung von der „Befreiung des irakischen Volkes“ und der Einführung von „Demokratie und Freiheit“ im Mittleren Osten Einfluß gehabt haben, wenn ja dann allerdings nur einen sehr untergeordneten.

Nicht vergessen werden sollten auch die Interessen der nicht direkt im Ölbuisness involvierten Teile der US- Wirtschaft. Vor allem die Rüstungsindustrie (General Electrics, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin usw.) und deren teilweise mit der Regierung Bush verquickte Finanziers (Carlyle Group) freuen sich über jede im Irak verschossene Rakete, jeden irakische Kinder tötenden Bombenabwurf und sogar (klammheimlich natürlich!) über vom irakischen Widerstand zerstörtes US- Kriegsmaterial, das schließlich ersetzt werden muß. Hier geht es um Milliardensummen und eine Einflußnahme der Rüstungslobbyisten für den Krieg ist mehr als wahrscheinlich, wenngleich fast unmöglich nachweisbar.

Widerstand im Irak: reaktionärer Terrorismus oder progressive Befreiungsbewegung?

Kommen wir nun zur schwierigsten Frage, die im Zusammenhang mit dem Krieg im Irak aus antiimperialistischer Sicht gestellt werden kann- wie ist der Widerstand gegen die US- Besatzung des Landes zu beurteilen? Wie kann man Untergrundkämpfer unterstützen, die sich gegen die versprochene Demokratisierung des Landes wehren, die hunderte Menschen bei schrecklichen Selbstmordattentaten in den Tod reißen, die kein erkennbares politisches Konzept zur Gestaltung des Nachkriegsirak haben?!

Eine Antwort auf diese Frage ist nur möglich, wenn eine genaue Unterscheidung der agierenden Gruppen vorgenommen und eine über die Verhältnisse des Irak hinausreichende Position eingenommen wird-

Zunächst zur Differenzierung- Entgegen den Behauptungen der US- Okkupanten hat sich in den letzten Monaten gezeigt, dass der Widerstand weder von „Former regime elemets“ auch „die hard baathists“ genannten, der Dikatur des Saddam nachtrauernden Schergen, noch von ausländischen der „Al Qaida“ nahestehenden Terroristen dominiert wird, sondern von religiösen und nationalistischen Gruppen, von denen an erster Stelle der schiitische Prediger und Politiker Muqtada al Sadr mit seiner Miliz, der „Mehdi- Armee“, zu nennen ist. Sicher gibt es auch Baathisten und ausländische Islamisten im Widerstandskampf, doch diese Elemente unterscheiden sich nicht nur ideologisch von den Hauptkräften des Widerstandes, sondern auch in der Wahl ihrer Mittel. Die grausamsten und am meisten Opfern fordernden Anschläge gegen irakische Zivilisten werden abwechselnd dem Jordanier Al Zarkawie zugeschrieben oder regimetreuen Mukhabarat Agenten Saddam Husseins. Was hieran wahr ist oder nicht kann nicht abschließend geklärt werden, Tatsache ist jedoch, dass in Städten wie Falludscha, Ramadi, Samarra usw. ein neues irakisches Nationalgefühl entsteht, dass religiös grundiert ist und sich in Abgrenzung zu den „ungläubigen“ Besatzern definiert.

Wie kann eine antiimperislistische, progressive und marxistische Politik die Unterstützung solcher reaktionärer Kräfte nun betreiben und rechtfertigen? Dies ist nur möglich, wenn eine eindeutige Abgrenzung von den gesellschaftspolitischen Zielen des Widerstandes erklärt und eine Unterstützung nur im Bereich des Kampfes gegen die US- Imperialtruppen gewährt wird.
Denn die Besatzung des Iraks war ein Verbrechen, das bis heute anhält und in seinen Folgen eine Unmenschlichkeit erzeugt hat, die kein den Rechten von Menschen und einem guten Leben für alle verpflichteter Antiimperialist hinnehmen kann. Die USA haben den Irak erobert, nicht um den Bürgern dieses Landes zu helfen, sondern um ihre imperiale Macht auszubauen und den Irakern die „Segnungen“ einer totalen kapitalistischen Durchdringung ihrer sozialen Beziehungen aufzuoktroyieren. Der Irak ist heute ein Land mit 70% Arbeitslosigkeit, in dem ausländische, vor allem amerikanische Firmen riesige Gewinne machen und Gelder, die das irakische Volk beim Wiederaufbau der Infrastuktur, der Gesundheitsversorgung und der Bildungssysteme dringend braucht, außer Landes schaffen. Die neue, durch den „Pro- Konsul“ des Iraks Paul Bremer (er wurde von UN- Sonderbotschafter Brahimi als „Diktator des Iraks“ bezeichnet!) eingeführte und durch die jetzige „Übergangsregierung“ nicht aufhebbare Wirtschaftsgesetzgebung ist marktradikal und versucht, eine staatskapitalistische Planwirtschaft mit einigen Exekutivbefehlen zum neolibearlen Muster eines Nachtwächterstaates umzumodeln, ohne Rücksicht auf die irakische Bevölkerung und ihre Bedürfnisse.

Die UN hat auf Druck der „Koalitionskräfte“ deren Verbrechen im Irak legitimiert und so besteht für die Iraker keine Hoffnung auf Hilfe durch die Weltorganisation. Vielmehr wäre ohne den Widerstand damit zu rechnen, dass es scheindemokratische, von den US- Besatzern auf die eine oder andere Art manipulierte Wahlen gibt, die dann eine US- Ausführungsstelle, genannt „irakische Regierung“ legitimieren und das Land für Jahrzehnte in kaum mehr überwindbare Dependenz zu den USA führen. Dies kann weder im Interesse der irakischen Bevölkerung liegen noch ist es aus antiimperialistischer Sicht erträglich.

Ein Staat der ohne Rücksicht auf das Leben und das Wohlergehen von 25 Millionen Irakern Krieg führte und weiterhin führt, darf nicht auch noch ungestraft mit seinen Verbrechen davonkommen und aus ihnen Gewinn ziehen. Vielmehr muß der Kampf gegen die Besatzung geführt werden, am besten von Kräften der irakischen Linken- da diese jedoch bisher völlig paralysiert ist oder sogar mit den Okkupanten zusammenarbeitet (KP des Irak), liegt die einzige Alternative in der Unterstützung der Kräfte, die auf eine rationale Art (keine Selbstmordattentate und Massenmorde!) gegen die USA kämpfen- dies jedenfalls so lange, bis sich aus den Notwendigkeiten der gesellschaftlichen Krise im Lande eine progressive, sowohl gegen die US- Imperialisten als auch gegen religiöse Fanatiker und ihre steinzeitlichen Vorstellungen gerichtete Bewegung gebildet hat.

Ein militärischer Sieg der Widerstandskämpfer gegen die haushoch überlegenen Söldner der US- Kapitalfraktionen scheint unmöglich, daher bietet sich nur an, einen Guerilliakrieg zu führen, der in seiner Dauer und seiner Intensität die Stimmung der US- Bevölkerung gegen den Krieg wendet und die politischen Klassen der USA schließlich zu einer Aufgabe ihrer imperialen Ziele im Irak zwingt, ähnlich wie im Vietnam Krieg erst der Druck der „Heimatfront“ zum Rückzug der US- Truppen führte. Dabei sollte jeder aufrechte Antiimperialist die legitimen, wenn auch ideologisch fehlgeleiteten irakischen Widerstandskämpfer unterstützen, sowohl moralisch als auch finanziell.

Nun zu der bereits erwähnten, für eine Unterstützung des irakischen Widerstandes trotz seiner in großen Teilen reaktionären Vorstellungen nötigen, über den Irak hinausgehenden Perspektive:

Was geschieht mit dem die Welt momentan beherrschenden, große Teile der Menschheit auf verschiedene Weise ausbeutenden und unterdrückenden System der kapitalistischen „Verwertung des Wertes“ (Robert Kurz), wenn die diese Ordnung militärisch garantierende Vormacht USA mit einer so weitreichenden imperialen Zielsetzung wie im Irak scheitern sollte? Schließlich ist der Irak nicht Vietnam, dass außer seinen Reisfeldern wirtschaftlich kaum etwas zu bieten hatte, sondern das Land mit den zweitgrößten Ölreserven der Welt. Sollte die Sicherung des irakischen Öls also scheitern, wird dies (wie jetzt schon anhand der Rekordpreise für Öl erkennbar) konkrete wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen auf die USA und alle anderen von Ölimporten abhängigen Industriestaaten haben, mit recht hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit sogar zu einer Rezession führen. Eine Rezession würde jedoch die schon jetzt überall grassierende Systemkrise (3 industrielle Revolution, Überflüssigwerden von immer mehr Arbeitskräften) enorm verstärken und die Probleme der kapitalistischen Wirtschaftsweise auch den heute noch innerhalb des Systems funktionierenden Menschen vor Augen führen- eine Umwälzung ungeheuren Ausmaßes in den kapitalistischen Zentren könnte losgetreten werden, vor allem wenn man die nur noch schwer auszubalancierenden Verbindlichkeiten der USA und ihrer Weltmarktkonkurrenten betrachtet. Die Blase der zukünftige Wertschöpfung durch Kredit vorwegnehmenden Spekulation ist jedenfalls zum Platzen gefüllt.
Eine Niederlage der USA im Irak würde jedoch nicht nur realwirtschaftlich, sondern auch psychologisch eine weltweite Veränderung anstoßen und die Bildung wirklich emanzipatorischer Bewegungen mit antikapitalistischer Zielsetzung befördern.

Unter diesen Gesichtspunkten kommt es zu der paradoxen Situation, dass der imperiale US- Krieg im Irak gegen großteils reaktionäre Kräfte am Ende zu einer Revolutionierung des Bewußtseins weltweit führen und als Auslöser für die so oder so bevorstehende Systemkrise wirken könnte. Der irakische Widerstand verdient unsere Unterstützung also nicht wegen seiner ideologischen Ausrichtung, sondern weil er den US- Imperialisten Steine in den Weg legt, das irakische Volk vor den „Segnungen“ des Kapitalismus bewahrt und eine positive Überwindung der kapitalistischen Zwangsherrschaft über die Menschheit möglich machen könnte.

Salvador

23.08.04

Tired and not motivated

2004-07-26T09:36:00.000Z

Hi folks-

the activity in this blog has slowed down the last weeks and this situation will hold on some time. I´m in the high end of this university period and there are some tests and works to be down. Come arround in August, I`ll have more time than and there will be regular updates.

So long!

Have fun!

2004-07-08T08:12:00.000Z

"Wait, I'm not a dictator!" you cry! Well lets look at the check list: Unelected? Check! Use wars and xenophobia to boost popularity? Check! Total control of the media so they never say a bad word against you? Check! Kill scores of innocent people to get what you want? Check! Do anything to get your hands on oil? Check! Inhumane treatment of prisoners? Check! Face it, you're a dictator, and no amount of gloss will hide that fact? or the fact you're a borderline retard who looks like a monkey!

What tin-pot dictator are you? Take the "What Dictator am I?" test at PoisonedMinds.com

A soldiers life

2004-07-02T13:47:00.000Z

Tim's last kill

As a child Tim Eysselinck was obsessed with toy soldiers, John Wayne and guns. As an adult he became a US soldier, a keen hunter and toured the world clearing mines. Then he shot himself dead after returning from Iraq. His mother Janet Burroway reflects on the life of 'a fiercely honourable boy'

Friday July 2, 2004
The Guardian

I have today cancelled the subscription of my son Timothy Alan Eysselinck to American Rifleman, and removed his name from the National Rifle Association mailing lists, lobbying efforts, fund solicitations, and so forth. Tim has been a lifetime member of the NRA, a registered Republican, an avid hunter of both small and big game, a ranger and a captain in the US army, and a civilian contractor for humanitarian de-mining. Because he was deployed or employed all over the world, his NRA mail still comes to the house in Tallahassee where he spent part of his childhood and his adolescence, but as he shot and killed himself on April 23, the messages are no longer received.
I have been looking over the most recent issue of Rifleman, trying to grasp why a fiercely honourable boy fell in love with objects manufactured to destroy, and why such boys continue to believe that such objects foster integrity and peace. But my mind is not adequate to the task, and the magazine is not intended to explain to the unconverted.

We came to England when Tim was 15 months old, I to teach at the University of Sussex and his father to direct the Gardner Centre for the Arts in Brighton.

I have a black-and-white snapshot of Tim and his little brother Alex, both of them fair-haired and long-lashed, squatting in an orchard full of daffodils in the Sussex countryside where we lived until Tim was eight. I also own a colour photograph taken in the African savanna of Tim, now grown, kneeling over the carcass of a kudu, surrounded by his wiry Cameroonian guides. Now, looking at the toddler in the daffodils, I can see the clear lineaments of the hunter's face. But squatting beside him I had no premonition of which planes, tilts, colours of that cherub head would survive.

Tim was a loving and obedient child, fascinated none the less with all things military, tactical, strategic, ballistic. He could spend hours repositioning the limbs of a plastic soldier or reproducing the patina of wear on a toy ammo belt. As a teenager he sought discipline and rigour, to the wonder of my friends.

He lit with enthusiasm for his most demanding teachers, praising their strictness. He was modest, intense, and had few but deep friendships. He was, like his brother, proud of his Scottish heritage and the grandmother who was "pure-bred McKenzie", but of the two McKenzie mottos it was clear that Tim espoused the Celtic that translates, "All for the king," whereas Alex and I wore the Latin badge "Luceo non uro", meaning "light not heat", or, "I shine not burn".

Tim, who described himself as a fiscal conservative and social liberal, held tolerant attitudes with regard to sex, race and religion. His politics, however, emanated from a spirit of gravity rather than irony. In puberty he developed no interest in sports but read voraciously, mostly adventure novels, admired John Wayne's acting and his politics, and more than once to my despair quoted, "My country right or wrong."

For a period he enjoyed goading my Democrat and Labour friends with army swagger. At 18 he came home at three one morning, in tears because he could not go to defend England's honour in the Falklands. I had to be aware of my own contradictions in his presence: a feminist charmed by his machismo, a pacifist with a temper.

We came to acknowledge that, mother and child, we could not only not share, but could not respect each other's world views. Our task was to love each other in the absence of that respect. It was a tall order. We agreed that we did pretty well at it. And Tim was broad-minded enough to observe once, "It's a good thing it's you who's the liberal, mom. If I was the parent, I wouldn't want to let you be you the way you've let me be me."

Tim took a degree in history at the University of Florida, where he was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps, then spent four years stationed with the army in Hawaii, where he described himself as a "warrior without a war".

He left to work for a security corporation guarding the embassies and multinationals in Cameroon, and, as a US army reserve officer in Stuttgart, was sent to Bosnia, the Republic of Congo, and then to Namibia, where he learned the skill of de-mining. In Windhoek, the Namibian capital, he married on the eve of the millennium, became a stepfather and later a father to a daughter, who is now three and a half.

In August last year, having completed a two-year humanitarian de-mining project on the Ethiopian-Eritrean border (his family spent that time in Addis Ababa), Tim was offered his choice of a desk job in Washington or a mine-clearing contract in Iraq. His wife agreed to return to Windhoek and honour his desire for a limited tour at the front.

In Baghdad, Tim headed a $7m project with eight civilian colleagues, a sniffer dog team and a crew of 90 Iraqis who, he said, were the best he had ever worked with - the most dedicated, the most disciplined. They gave him hope for the governmental handover because, Sunni, Shia and Kurd, they worked side by side in mortal danger with mutual trust.

In the "green zone" where coalition officials live and work in Baghdad, and in the field, Tim carried two pistols and a machine gun; I paid no attention to what kind or calibre. He spent his days blowing things up - some mines, but more often unexploded ordnance from US cluster bombs - to clear building sites for housing and schools and, in one instance, a soccer field.

In January my son came to Tallahassee for a day, en route from Namibia back to Baghdad by way of a de-mining conference in Tampa. He was gorgeous in Iraqi guise - tanned, bearded, and with a full head of hair in place of his usual crewcut; my husband Peter said that I fell in love with him all over again. The three of us shared the irony that Tim's brother Alex - that erstwhile punk and eternal pacifist - was now on the front line as supervisor of the Piccadilly Circus station of the London Underground, not only chasing buskers from the tunnels where he used to busk, but uniformed, drilling his crew in emergency evacuation.

Tim was missing his family in Namibia and thought his Iraqi team was on the verge of self-sufficiency. But he also worried that they would become targets of the insurgents in Iraq, and he was both despondent and enraged by the Bush administration and its regime (then under Paul Bremer) in Baghdad: "The corruption, the incompetence, the greed, the lies, the brute stupidity."

I confess I was elated to hear this. I did not then know that one of his men had lost a leg in a de-mining accident, nor that their compound was fired on daily, nor that he had been treated for depression in Ethiopia the year before. Nor did I suspect that his plane, while taking off from Baghdad, had had to weave to dodge a missile.

I had, like a good liberal mom, let him choose his views and his life, and now first-hand experience was bringing him round to mine. With better hindsight, my brother pointed out, "Tim was someone who thought that with ideals and a gun you could fix things." He had put his life at the service of a government that stood on just such a belief, and his disillusionment cut deep.

Back in Iraq, a note in his appointment calendar for January 10 reads: "All mistakes anyway everything crazy now I hope I can make it home safe." In late February, Tim completed his tour and rejoined his family in Windhoek, and he spent a couple of weeks in the jubilation of freedom.

But his re-entry to the low-level chaos of family life was hard. He was obsessively irritable in small ways. He became a news junkie. Madrid was attacked, the Spanish pulled out of Iraq, Falluja fell apart, hostages were taken. If all the contractors left, how could there be reconstruction? Tim's work would have come to nothing but danger for the troops who trusted him. He obsessively emailed his men, but they were busy staying alive and answered at a lag if at all. He consoled himself with hunting on a gamefarm in Namibia, sending proud pictures of himself with a downed warthog, a springbok, a magnificent kudu.

Then, on Thursday April 22, hunting with an unfamiliar rifle in the wrong light, he wounded a gemsbok that he could not track. On his return, inconsolable, he told his stepson that he had found a tooth, which meant that he had hit the animal in the face. He had had to leave it, like his men in Iraq, to its fate.

Tim shot himself on the Friday evening in the dining room of his house in the Windhoek hills called Eros. It was a clean kill. The trajectory took the bullet through Tim's cranium, a black and beige Herrera-patterned curtain, and out through a rectangular window pane, so that the best friend of his widow was able to pick up the pieces of his brain and her sister to mop the blood from the carpet.

A week later Alex would stand in front of that window in full McKenzie kilt regalia, on his way to his brother's funeral - bringing together Tim's Scottish heritage and his choice of Africa as homeland.

No one will ever know what exploded in Tim's mind. And no one will know how many children for decades to come in Namibia, Angola, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Iraq will retain all four limbs because my kid, who loved weapons, accidentally stumbled into the profession of getting rid of them.

We do know, however, from the Namibian police, that the last gun he held was a 45-calibre Norinco model 1911 (nicknamed "Government"), serial number 901233.

They prised it from his cold, dead hand.

guardian.co.uk

Legaly but not physically- bogus!

2004-06-22T14:24:00.000Z

U.S. to Hand Over Legal Custody of Saddam

Tuesday June 22, 2004 3:01 PM

By JIM KRANE

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - The United States will hand legal custody of Saddam Hussein and an undetermined number of other former regime figures to the interim Iraqi government as soon as Iraqi courts issue warrants for their arrest and request the transfer, a U.S. official said Tuesday.

However, the United States will retain physical custody of Saddam and the prisoners, while giving Iraqi prosecutors and defense lawyers access to them, the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Americans will continue to keep Saddam and others locked up and under U.S. guard because the Iraqi government does not yet have capacity to hold such prisoners, the official said.

``Before we turn over any of the detainees, we have to make sure there is valid Iraqi court order that authorizes the government to detain those individuals,'' the official said. ``Once the security detainees are turned over to the Iraqi government, they become criminal detainees subject to criminal due process protections.''

Saddam will be in the initial group of prisoners turned over, he said.

Last week, Salem Chalabi, the official in charge of setting up a war crimes tribunal, said he expected the Iraqis to issue the necessary warrants before the transfer of sovereignty June 30.

the guardian

This is the way the whole "power transfer" will take place: The "legal" might is shifted to the "iraqi caretaker government", but the physical power will stay in american hands until (and that will never happen) the puppets have enough firepower to protect themselve and their american "guests" in the republican palace (green zone) of Baghdad.

Change in resistance tactic?

2004-06-17T07:35:00.000Z

In the last few days I was very busy, so I couldn`t post. Now I`m back with an analysis about the current situation in Iraq:

The average of attacks against US- targets has downed since the begin of June. Until now, "only" 26 "coalition" forces were killed. But it is not as the US- command could take this on their own account, because obviously the focus of the resistance has changed to the so called "caretaker government" and to "contractors".

The resistance killed the iraqi vice- deputy of state and another high ranking official of the department of culture. They also targeted the oil industry and nearly stopped the export by blowing up the pipe to the Basrah oil terminal and the lines from Kirkuk to the Turky ports. This will cost the "government" up to 600 Million Dollars until the damage is repaired. And there is no chance to protect the pipelines adequately because they are to long and there is to less personal to do the task.

On Monday, a suicide bomber killed 16 people, 5 of them "contractors" (aka soldiers of fortune)who should build up the shattered energy system of Baghdad. After the attack, a crowd of angry young Iraqis destroyed the cars of the "contractors" and shouted slogans like "America is the enemy of god!".

I guess the violence against the puppet regime will increase in the lasting two weeks before the "power transfer" (what a bogus!) will take place. Today, a big car bomb killed at least 30 people waiting in front of an "Iraqi defense force" recruiting center in Baghdad. The situation will worsen in the coming months and I predict that a second "Ramadan offensive" (this years Ramadan: 15 October to 13 November) will be able to push the "caretaker government" out of their fortified palaces.

There will be no improvement until the american occupants leave Iraq and allow a REALLY open election that can provide legitimacy to a sovereign iraqi government.

German weapons in Iraq!

2004-06-11T12:52:00.000Z

Thank you Heckler & Koch for your gun- technologie and your great success in exporting it arround the world!

Look on the weapon this Sadr fighter is using...

reuters.com

and compare it with this!

roguespearcentral.tripod.com

What do you think? Maybe the militia- men is using an older version of the so called G3, but I'm sure it's a H&K one, cause I was using the "new and better" version G36 in my time at the Bundeswehr and I saw many G3 which were in use by other units.

Small waepons kill more people every year than bombs, rockets and tanks alltogether... and my "peacefull" country gets money out of this murder- buisness... That sucks me, realy... Especially if you have the history of german weapon- producers in mind- slave work and big profit from WW1 and WW2. It's awful and disgusting to the extreme.

Trouble at the university

2004-06-09T13:05:00.000Z

I had a lot of fun today, cause something triggered the fire- alarm at the institue of political science. I sat in a class about international relations, when the sirens began to schriek. We left the room and the building disciplined and soon after that, the fire fighters arrived with 5 big trucks, looking for the fire to battle. They checked the institute, but found nothing- a false alarm. I guess it was the electronic of the fire warning system, which failed. But after this lightly thrilling experience, i can better emagine how the people in war- shattered Irak feel- full of adrenalin and angered to the maximum.

A madman in the white house?

2004-06-08T07:50:00.000Z

unknownnews.net

Bush's Erratic Behavior Worries White House Aides

By DOUG THOMPSON
Publisher, Capitol Hill Blue
Jun 4, 2004, 06:15

President George W. Bush’s increasingly erratic behavior and wide mood swings has the halls of the West Wing buzzing lately as aides privately express growing concern over their leader’s state of mind.
In meetings with top aides and administration officials, the President goes from quoting the Bible in one breath to obscene tantrums against the media, Democrats and others that he classifies as “enemies of the state.”

Worried White House aides paint a portrait of a man on the edge, increasingly wary of those who disagree with him and paranoid of a public that no longer trusts his policies in Iraq or at home.

“It reminds me of the Nixon days,” says a longtime GOP political consultant with contacts in the White House. “Everybody is an enemy; everybody is out to get him. That’s the mood over there.”

In interviews with a number of White House staffers who were willing to talk off the record, a picture of an administration under siege has emerged, led by a man who declares his decisions to be “God’s will” and then tells aides to “fuck over” anyone they consider to be an opponent of the administration.

“We’re at war, there’s no doubt about it. What I don’t know anymore is just who the enemy might be,” says one troubled White House aide. “We seem to spend more time trying to destroy John Kerry than al Qaeda and our enemies list just keeps growing and growing.”

Aides say the President gets “hung up on minor details,” micromanaging to the extreme while ignoring the bigger picture. He will spend hours personally reviewing and approving every attack ad against his Democratic opponent and then kiss off a meeting on economic issues.

“This is what is killing us on Iraq,” one aide says. “We lost focus. The President got hung up on the weapons of mass destruction and an unproven link to al Qaeda. We could have found other justifiable reasons for the war but the President insisted the focus stay on those two, tenuous items.”

Aides who raise questions quickly find themselves shut out of access to the President or other top advisors. Among top officials, Bush’s inner circle is shrinking. Secretary of State Colin Powell has fallen out of favor because of his growing doubts about the administration’s war against Iraq.

The President's abrupt dismissal of CIA Directory George Tenet Wednesday night is, aides say, an example of how he works.

"Tenet wanted to quit last year but the President got his back up and wouldn't hear of it," says an aide. "That would have been the opportune time to make a change, not in the middle of an election campaign but when the director challenged the President during the meeting Wednesday, the President cut him off by saying 'that's it George. I cannot abide disloyalty. I want your resignation and I want it now."

Tenet was allowed to resign "voluntarily" and Bush informed his shocked staff of the decision Thursday morning. One aide says the President actually described the decision as "God's will."

God may also be the reason Attorney General John Ashcroft, the administration’s lightning rod because of his questionable actions that critics argue threatens freedoms granted by the Constitution, remains part of the power elite. West Wing staffers call Bush and Ashcroft “the Blues Brothers” because “they’re on a mission from God.”

“The Attorney General is tight with the President because of religion,” says one aide. “They both believe any action is justifiable in the name of God.”

But the President who says he rules at the behest of God can also tongue-lash those he perceives as disloyal, calling them “fucking assholes” in front of other staff, berating one cabinet official in front of others and labeling anyone who disagrees with him “unpatriotic” or “anti-American.”

“The mood here is that we’re under siege, there’s no doubt about it,” says one troubled aide who admits he is looking for work elsewhere. “In this administration, you don’t have to wear a turban or speak Farsi to be an enemy of the United States. All you have to do is disagree with the President.”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the record.

© Copyright 2004 by Capitol Hill Blue

CHB

A ceasefire without ceasing fire?!

2004-06-03T20:57:00.000Z

Fighting Erupts in Iraq Holy City; Residents Flee

Thu Jun 3,12:20 PM ET

NAJAF, Iraq (Reuters) - Gunfire and explosions erupted in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf Thursday as U.S. forces battled Shi'ite militiamen, sending hundreds of people fleeing from the crowded city-center streets. (...)

Witnesses said the fighting began when two U.S. tanks advanced toward Najaf's cemetery, where some militia fighters are still dug in. There was an exchange of fire for around half an hour. Later the tanks withdrew and residents returned to Najaf's streets. (...)

yahoo/ap

What are these american commanders arround Najaf thinking? Why are they provoking a battle although they agreed with the truce conditions which included a withdrawel of american forces out of the holy towns? What is the goal of such actions? I don't understand it- and I don't understand why the world public isn't condemning this stupid behaviour. In my view, the mahdi militia (man, i don`t love these fundamentalists!)followed the truce more honest than the us- occupation forces...

The same thing in Kufa, as I see it. Why did the americans this last week?

(...)The exchange in Kufa broke out early in the morning when U.S. armored vehicles approached the mosque where al-Sadr usually delivers the noon prayer sermon, an al-Sadr militiaman at the scene told The Associated Press. (...)

usatoday

Is this the american way of standing to a ceasefire?

Information politics a la CPA

2004-06-01T13:23:00.000Z

The first news about the bombing of the PUK- headquarters in Baghdad read that way:

25 killed in explosion as Iraqi president is named

US soldiers were seen rushing to the scene of the explosion - believed to have been a car bomb - and shooting rang out.

The blast blew a huge crater into the ground at the entrance to the political offices. According to Reuters, a senior policeman at the scene said at least 25 people had been killed and many more injured. (...)

guardian

A little bit later, this changed version appeared:

At Least 3 Killed in Baghdad Car Bombing

Tuesday, June 01, 2004

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A car bomb exploded Tuesday in central Baghdad outside the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (search) near the green zone headquarters of the U.S.-run coalition. At least three people were killed and 20 were injured.

(...)

Most of the injured were outside the party offices and were struck by flying glass, said Lt. Col. Robert Campbell of the 38th Calvary Unit in the 1st Calvary Division. He said that at least three people were killed and 20 injured in the blast. (...)

foxnews

And this is how the reuters.com page describes it now:

(...)CAR BOMB
The death toll was unclear in the bombing of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's Baghdad headquarters. A U.S. officer said three people were confirmed dead and 20 wounded, but police at the scene said the toll was considerably higher.

A huge crater was blown into the ground at the entrance to the PUK building, close to the "Green Zone" compound where officials were announcing the deal on the new government. (...)

reuters

Anja Niedringhaus/AP

What do you think- who is right?

I guess the US- spin team in Baghdad thought that such bad news would overdrive the "good news" of the appointment of the new iraqi president. So they ordered an officer to spread the "information" (aka disinformation) that "only" three people had died.

But reuters had spoken with a police man at the scene and they stand by their line, saying that a "considerably higher" number of people were killed, according to their source.

Shiites love Bush...

2004-05-27T21:55:00.000Z

reuters

An Iraqi man sits against a mural based on the scandal of prisoner abuse in the prison of Abu Ghraib in a Shi'ite suburb of Baghdad, May 27, 2004. U.S. Soldiers are working with the Iraqi Civil Defense Corps, Iraqi police, local leaders and citizens to clean up graffiti and paint over anti-Coalition messages. Photo by Ali Jasim/Reuters

reuters.com

Wedding massacre

2004-05-25T11:31:00.000Z

Imam Ali shrine damaged again!

2004-05-25T11:18:00.000Z

ibrinews

reuters.com

Najaf, Iraq, May 25 - A mortar round hit Shiite holiest shrine in the central city of Najaf Tuesday, wounding many people.

According to reports from the scene, loud explosions were heard about one kilometer from the Imam Ali mausoleum and heavy black smoke was seen rising from the area.

Five Iraqi people were killed and 18 wounded in overnight fighting with occupiers in nearby Kufa, after 32 people died in clashes there early Sunday, 20 of them in a US raid on the town's main shrine. (from ibrinews)

What the hell is CENTCOMS excuse for this act of idiotism? Answer: There can be NO excuse!

Are GI's bulletproof?

2004-05-24T15:18:00.000Z

albasrah.net

albasrah.net

albasrah.net

From where are these iraqi "insurgents" getting their armored vests? Maybe from fallen american soldiers, never mentioned in the CENTCOMS propaganda- news?

"G.I.'s Report Killing 36 Insurgents Around Kufa Mosque That Held Arms"

At least 18 Iraqis killed in Sadr City clashes

U.S. Says at Least 21 Rebels Are Dead in Clash in Karbala

U.S. Troops Kill 8 Militiamen in Iraq

US forces kill dozens of Sadr men in southern Iraq

28 Iraqis Killed in Recent Clashes

Do you think that al Sadrs Mahdi fighters are as bad trained and equipted as this numbers suggest? Remember: In April, 1 US- soldier was killed for 10 "insurgents". But the fighting in the shiit towns seems to be without any casualties for the USA. Who believes this anyway?

Freedom and democracy in Iraq...

2004-05-21T09:20:00.000Z

albasrah

Haunting polls for Bush and Bremer

2004-05-21T07:32:00.000Z

FEW IRAQIS SUPPORT U.S. OCCUPATION

(...)An opinion poll found only seven percent of Iraqis now viewed U.S. troops as "liberators," compared to 45 percent six months ago.

The poll was conducted by the Iraq Center for Research and Strategic Studies in April, before pictures of soldiers abusing prisoners drove another wedge between Americans and Iraqis. (...)

yahoo/ap

One should keep in mind that opinion polls in war- zones are not realy reliable. But I think that this ones shows the trend in Iraq clearly- and the situation will worsen when more information about
this or
that
appears in the iraqi public.

Another interesting thing: Achmed Chalabi was dumped by his palls in the pentagon...

Iraq's Chalabi Increasingly Under Fire

By KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Once cozy with the Pentagon (news - web sites), Iraqi National Congress leader Ahmad Chalabi now is under fire — literally.

Iraqi police backed by American soldiers on Thursday raided the home and offices of the controversial figure who provided the Bush administration with prewar intelligence on supposed weapons of mass destruction in Iraq including the now-discredited information about mobile labs whose true use is still a matter of debate. (...)

yahoo/ap

and this searching seems to be only the top of the iceberg of a HUGE scandal...

(...) In fact, sources close to the investigation tell NEWSWEEK that Thursday’s raid stems from a long-running probe by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq into financial corruption and criminal charges linked to the INC and its alleged efforts to profit illegally from Iraq’s reconstruction. Among the documents police were searching for relate to charges that INC officials profited from the introduction of a new currency. According to an official with the Coalition Provisional Authority, an INC-affiliated company was placed in charge of destroying the old currency, but “a lot of money was coming out again into circulation instead of being burned. Some of it had signs of partial burning.” The currency handover was supposed to be a one-to-one exchange, he said, “but we got a lot less in old money then we gave out.”(...)

newsweek

this is Chalabi

yahoo/ap

(...)He is the founder and leader of the Iraqi National Congress, a powerful and influential exile group. He was an enabler who helped the United States justify its invasion of Iraq. He is a secular Shiite Muslim, an exile who fled Iraq as a 14-year-old with his family, which was close to the monarchy. He is a mathematician who received degrees from the University of Chicago and MIT. He is an intellectual, a banker, a diplomat, a raconteur, a gourmand. He also happens to be a convicted embezzler in Jordan with a 22-year sentence waiting for him.
(...)

washington post

Don't count on a frauder- or you'll be frauded and undressed to the underwear...

US- casualties

2004-05-17T08:26:00.000Z

US Military Fatalities: By Month:
Period US

5-2004 - 43

4-2004 - 140

3-2004 - 52

2-2004 - 20

1-2004 - 47

12-2003 - 40

11-2003 - 82

10-2003 - 42

9-2003 - 31

8-2003 - 35

7-2003 - 47

6-2003 - 30

5-2003 - 37

4-2003 - 73

3-2003 - 65

Total - 784

lunaville/17.05.04

I will do a little mental work here: Can one believe the US- statistics about their wounded and dead?!

1)There is a main reason to hide the real number of victims: Propaganda! In the time of electronical mass- media and internet, the dead of one soldier is as important and influential as the dead of dozens in former centuries. The effect of such bad news
is unpleasant for the government, it calls the war effort into question and it boosts the anti- war movement. Clear sign for this development is the emergence of "Bring them home" groups and the growth of relatives that criticise the treatment of the troops (e.g. extension of deployment time). In an ongoing election campaign, the influence of bad news doubles and the attempts of the administration to cover the losses will skyrocket.

We can identify several pentagon tactics to underestimate the casualties:

a) Using mercenaries- the so called "contractors" don't show up in any statistic. No one knows how many of these soldiers of fortune were killed in Iraq since the occupation began. But with a number of about 25.000, we can forecast that dozens, maybe hundreds of them died. Look here for more information!

b)Hiding those heavy wounded soldiers which die in hospitals in Iraq or on US- bases elsewhere in the world (e.g. Ramstein, Germany). One can't say that these guys don't appear in the statistics, but they surely don't appear in the main stream media. The pentagon profits from the lurid media- system, steaming forward and letting "old news" behind.

c)"Non hostile" casualties: 212 us- soldiers died of "non hostile" events like car- crashes, falling from bridges, getting electrocuted etc. But is this true? I guess it's easy to cover a hostile dead with a so called "non hostile". Saying a soldier who was hitten by a mortar was "killed in an accident" isn't difficult. I'm not suggesting that no deadly accindents appear, but is it realistic that 212 soldiers died that way? I doubt it!

2) Another point that makes me wonder about the current official US- losses is, that so many iraqis were killed in the last days, without corresponding US- deads. Is it possible that hundreds of "Mahdi army" fighters were killed in house to house battle as it happened and happens in Nadjaf, Kerbala, Kufa, Nassiriyah, Basra and so forth, sans dispatching any credible amount of GI's?! And what is with pictures like this:

yahoo/ap

or this:

al jazeera

Do you think that american soldiers leave their equipment behind? What's a soldier without weapons and munition in a hostile country- a prime target!

Conclusion: There are more american casualties than declared by the Pentagon and with the war worsening they will improve their strategy to cover the losses up.

Newspeak and cementaries

2004-05-14T12:40:00.000Z

Clashes erupt anew in Najaf - Al-Sadr forces fire from cemetery
Friday, May 14, 2004 Posted: 7:47 AM EDT (1147 GMT)

Urban warfare erupts as U.S. soldiers take on al-Sadr loyalists in Najaf.

NAJAF, Iraq (CNN) -- The sounds of fighting echoed through the streets of Najaf on Friday, the Muslim holy day, as U.S. forces traded fire with the militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Militia forces fired on U.S. troops Friday from a cemetery, according to Maj. Gen. Martin Dempsey, commander of the 1st Armored Division.

"We are still trying to maintain our distance of sensitive sites, but we never give up the right of self defense," Dempsey said. "Today we were taking effective mortar fire from three different mortar systems in the cemetery.

cnn

Oh man, these imperial dudes are unbelievable! "We will never give up the right of self defense" geeeh!!! That is like the "Newspeak" of Orwells "1984"! As if the iraqis had attacked the united states and the war was "self defense"... Everyone knows that Bush decided to invade the country with accusations based on lies and faked intelligence reports! And now, as some fractions of the iraqi people want to get the occupants out, fascist suckers like these Demsey say that the brutal fight against these people is "self defensive"... Sorry, but thats as hypocritical as the pope. It's the free choice of the american command, if they battle against iraqis who want to be free or if they negotiate like in Falludscha. Why do they run the risk of inflaming general shiit passion in the whole south of Iraq?! Do they think that pictures like this

reuters

are acceptable for the millions of believers who want to be burried on this graveyard themself? Don't forget: Masses of Iraqis have already relatives that were layed to rest there. How would you feal when a 65 tons tank drives over your fathers grave or shoots 120 mm rounds on his tomb?! Awful at least!

Here is the opinion of Iraq- expert Juan Cole:

My own view is that Muqtada has now won politically and morally. He keeps throwing Abu Ghuraib in the faces of the Americans. He had his men take refuge in Najaf and Karbala because he knew only two outcomes were possible. Either the Americans would back off and cease trying to destroy him, out of fear of fighting in the holy cities and alienating the Shiites. Or they would come in after Muqtada and his militia, in which case the Americans would probably turn the Shiites in general against themselves. The latter is now happening.

visit him!

I totaly agree with Mr. Cole. There is no other option than the full retreat of the american and british imperial troops!

Barbarians on all sides...

2004-05-12T16:26:00.000Z

When I heard about the american civilian who was beheaded in Iraq, i felt deep regret for the hostage and fury about those fascist idiots murdering a human like a sheep.

guardian

But about these bad pictures, we shouldn't forget that there are many more, very shocking photos, which are not presented in the public media, cause they "could offend the audience" at their 2000 kcal breakfast or on their comfortable waterbed. These images show the reality of war, "collateral damage" and the fact that there is NO just war at all. Consolidate your stomach-

more blood and thunder here

We have to feel pitty for every victim of this war, but we can't allow our anger to knock down the knowledge about the people who started the murder machine and who are not willing to stop it until their capitalistic interests are fulfilled.

2004-05-10T21:12:00.000Z

The iraqi quagmire is deepening every day... Withdraw the troops now!

2004-05-10T07:58:00.000Z

New Yorker

Cheneys dog "Dave", disappointed because he can't participate in the torture games the other "all american" war- hounds play all day.

Poetry vs. war criminals (german)

2004-05-09T11:23:00.000Z

MSNBC/ AP

Golfkrieg Vol 3.

Fatma und Mohammed müssen leiden
Durch ihre Adern fliesst nur rotes Blut
Um sich am Elend anderer zu weiden
Braucht es nicht mal kalte Wut

Fragt Dick Cheney und Condoleeza Rice
Fragt Halliburton, Chevron und Alcoa
Warum sind eure Herzen rohes Eis?
Warum schlingt ihr wie Kaa die Boa?

Wo liegt der Sinn in Eurer Aggression?
Wie viele Bomben müssen fallen?
Eure Friedensreden- blanker Hohn!
Wonach streckt ihr gierig eure Krallen?

Torture pics torturing Bush and Rumsfeld

2004-05-07T12:08:00.000Z

electronic iraq

Dear readers- now, after the torture- scandal in Iraq has unfolded it's metastases as far as the Pentagon criminals, I will give you an analysis of the siuation, that will include more than an emotional "ARGH!!".

First point: The outrage is appropriate, but in some extend also hypocritical- how can anybody believe that a government which approves the death of tens of thousands of innocents in a brutal war will shy away from torture?! How can a reflective human being think that an administration that invented the concept of "enemy combatants" cares about human rights? How can so called "investigative journalists" fail to probe the reports of unlawfull treatmant which appeared about the sitaution of prisoners in Bagram, Afghanistan?! Maybe it is because a huge percentage of the american population thinks that torture is a "good" way to battle terrorism?

look at this:

cs 2001

Yeah, let's betray our own values to defend them- realy logical...

The head picture shows an Iraqi who was abused with electric shocks and heavy beats on his head. The man will be comatose for the rest of his live thanks to the brain damage that resulted from the treatment he suffered from americans. Is this picture new?! Is it one of those which were aired by CBS?! NO, the cruel photo was shot in January 2004 and it was available since than via internet! But no one, beside some so called "anti americans" believed this footage to be real, every "patriot" wanted to believe that "our guys" are doing a "good job" down there...

And now- the final question: Are these awful actions "individual cases", committed by sadistic soldiers? Or is a system behind them? Was the treatment ordered by intelligence guys? For an answer, look here!

In general, if one considers all the crimes carried out by the CIA and other "services" of the US, no one can wonder that torture is a "normal" part of their "duty".

Appache down?!

2004-05-04T15:18:00.000Z

photo: ap

A speaker of al Sadrs "Mahdi army" claimed that militia fighters have downed an US- Appache gunship in the landscape arround Nadjaf. On the picture one can see a pilot helmet, another pic also from AP, shows a metall fragment, which could be a part of a helicopter. This may be propaganda, but in my view it's unlikly that some poor shiite militiamen have access to hightech equipment like this helmet seems to be. In addition, there were heavy fights arround Nadjaf in the last days, us- troops saying that they killed over 20 "insurgents". Do you think these guys let themselve be slaughtered without shooting back?!

In every case, there is a possibility that the US command in Baghdad wanted to hide the crash and surpressed the information, as they did in the past and will do many more times in the future.

Iraqi resistance fighter celebrating a victory party...

2004-05-03T09:06:00.000Z

from BBC

This picture from Fallujdah shows some fighters with the old iraqi flag. They are celebrating the withdrawel of US- Marines from their city after a four week siege. Over 600 people, many of them civilians, were killed in the severe battles which raged in the central iraqi city of 300.000. The US- military committed war crimes, like bombing high populated areas, destroying mosques and shooting civilians and ambulances.

The Pentagon "plan" to solve the problem in Falludjah consits in the building of a so called "Falludjah brigade", that will be commanded by an Ex- Saddam General who comes from the city. The soldiers of this "brigade" are mostly inhabitants of Falludjah and its surrounding, their loyalty to CENTCOMS or CPA's orders is highliy questionable.

Analysis: These events show the weakness of US- strategy in Iraq. There were only two possibilities to handle the uprising without lower the administrations sights:

1) Going in and battling house to house against people who know their city and use every tactic that degrades the US- high- tech advantage. The results of such an action would have been hundreds of dead marines and thousands of dead inhabitans of Falludscha. An impossible choice if one considers the Bush- andministarations fear of bad (very, very bad!) news.

2) Bombing and straving the city until the resistance is gone- an option without high US- casulties but much more (tens of thousands) civilian victims. A PR desaster of unthinkable dimension, not only in Iraq itself, but worldwide.

With these options gone, the US- command had to make compromises- and they did it as incompetent as we are used to now. What a "good idea" to reinstall a general of the Republican guard and to hope that such a guy would follow Bushs instructions!!! After two days of patroling the city, the soldiers of the "brigade" are absolutly blind to the resistance fighters and not one heavy weapon was delivererd to the Marines. If this is going on for a while, we can expect an amalgamation of the "brigade" and the anti- occupation warriors, a result of a stupid policy that seems to be programmed for total defeat.

Iraqi prisoners tortured by US- soldiers...

2004-04-30T09:40:00.000Z

original page

Man, I am getting realy mad with this. Some 17 US- soldiers, including a female Brigade General, were kicked out of duty because they humilated iraqi prisoners in Abu Ghraib, a prison which was used by Saddams secret police to torture and kill "enemies". I'm not realy surprised about this, but I will give you one question to think about: Is this only the tip of the iceberg?!

More information-

guardian

Comment: I'm too angry to write a comment that makes more sense than "ARGHH!!!"

Pictures - They are not mine!

2004-04-29T21:42:00.000Z

Here is a disclaimer for all pictures I posted since I started the blog- they are not mine! The pics belong to the person or company which offered it in the internet. The pics are not my property, but theirs... If you want to find out, who is the owner of a picture, just look at the "attributes" and find out from which page I linked them. From now on, I will give a copyright information so that no problems with the possessor will emerge.

Iraqis celebrating their new flag...

2004-04-29T13:10:00.000Z

Don't get me wrong, but was it realy clever to invent a new flag for iraq which could be (and surely would be!) interpreted as intentionally similar to the israeli flag?! It was predictable that in the conspiracy- mad iraqi society most people would understand this new national sign as a prove for the "dark jewish powers" behind the american war.

Hi! Lets get friends for ever!

2004-04-29T10:04:00.000Z

They are so stupid... No idea of the islamic culture, no respect for civilians, no fealing of guilt when they scare harmless women and children. Who wonders why the so called "insurgents" fight?!

Dead or alive?!

2004-04-29T08:42:00.000Z

Look out, warmongers! The soldiers of fortune are coming for you...

Do they have an archetype in german history?

2004-04-28T12:26:00.000Z

Something to laugh bitterly - dark times for Iraqs people

2004-04-27T14:06:00.000Z

Yesterday evening, the americans fought a battle outside the shiite holy city of Najaf. Some military spokesman said they killed nearly 60 al Mahdi fighters, but you can't be sure of that- they've lied to often to believe them anymore.

Look here for more information-

guardian

My comment:

I can't believe how stupid this Bushists are. Do they realy think that they can fight against al Sadrs militia only outside the city- center? And how can they be sure that no rocket, tank- round or mortar will fly hells way and hit the Imam Ali mosque?! Everyone should try to emagine what will happen if the holy shrines are hitten... It will be an explosion of anger, hate and revenge- thirst all over the shiit dominated south of Iraq. And thats exactly what al Sadr wants to provoke. Why in gods sake is Bremer too stupid to see this? Why does he allow the hard- headed generals to form a situation in which there is no chance to find a solution? Man, these days are the decisive in Iraq. I predict: In one week, we will know if theres a possibility for peace between occupation troops and normal iraqis, or if the civil unrest errupts everywhere...

4 humvees destroyed, between 2 and 12 GI's dead

2004-04-26T15:11:00.000Z

Have a look at this picture. It shows 4 american hummer which were smashed in a powerfull explosion in Baghdad. The number of american and iraqi casulties isn't clear yet, but if I watch the destruction i assume that more than a few americans died.

Havy weekend in Iraq...

2004-04-25T14:18:00.000Z

Saturday was a real bad day for the american occupation forces in Iraq. They lost 9 soldiers-

five occupants were killed as rockets from a truck hit their base north of Baghdad

two soldiers died as a RPG hit their convoy near Kut

another two, this time sailors, died as suicide- boats exploded near the central oil terminal near Basrah

The death toll of the iraqi people was much higher, 13 died as mortar shells hit a crowded market in Sadr city, and 16 as a bomb striked a bus near Kut. There were many more deaths in several inccidents all over the country. Sunday, the US- command claimed that US- Marines had killed 30 so called "insurgents" near Falludscha.

Read this to get more information:

guardian

My comment: The attacks show an increasing sophistication of the iraqi resistance fighters. The rocket attack which killed 5 soldiers was started from a truck and it seems as the rebells build their own mobil rocket lunchers. The suicide- boat action was a prove that the fighters know how they can hit the US very hard. It was only luck which defeated their attempt to stop the iraqi oil export for months...

All the "collateral damage" under bystanders and civilians will power up the resistance, altough the fighters are responsible for their death. This seems to be a function of the iraqi mind, which blames all the death in the first respect to the american "liberaters".

Ich bin da!

2004-04-23T21:13:00.000Z

Hallo!

"Free" republic

2004-04-23T12:55:00.000Z

I signed in by the conservative discussion network "free" republic. It will be funny to tell all the sick warmongers there what I think about the iraq war and the Bush administration. I guess they will kick me out soon. As my first entry, I postet an article from al jazeera and the other users got realy angry. Look

here

if you want to see their reaction. lol

later:

5 Minutes after I initialy posted this article, my account was deleted. They are realy fast at freepers because they fear that some posters could learn to think...

Riad- where are the dead?

2004-04-22T10:53:00.000Z

Have a look on this picture

and read this from the
"Guardian"

"The afternoon attack, apparently timed to catch staff leaving their offices, killed at least four people. Police were sorting through the debris to recover bodies and survivors; with 148 injured, according to state television"

Can you believe that only 4 people died in this suicide attack yesterday? The bulding is a complex of the saudi police and its front was totaly destroyed. More than 140 people were injured, but the official death toll is still four. Some medics were speaking of ten death, but this wasn't confirmed by the Saudis- and in my opinion, the figure is still too low. In my eyes, this number- "game" is an attempt of the saudi government to hide the real victims and to show that "everything is under controll" in the "kingdom", which is in reality a cruel dictatorship.

Burning abrams

2004-04-21T16:03:00.001Z

This main battle tank was destroyed by iraqi resistance fighters on April 10 at a highway junktion near Baghdad.

Nearly no one ever heard about it because the army represses such information.

Wir

2004-04-21T14:19:00.000Z

here is some german hip- hop from me:

Wir zersprengen unsere Ketten/ um die Welt zu retten/ Gegen Leid, Krieg und Not/ wer uns in den Weg kommt/ ist tot/ Wir besetzen Fabriken/ Ämter und Banken/ und durchbrechen dabei/ alle Schranken der Gedanken/ Wir bilden eine menschliche Wand/ und nehmen unser Leben/ in die eigne Hand/ Wir führen eine Schlacht/ zur Zerstörung der Symbole der Macht/ Wir kämpfen in diesem Krieg/ bis zum Ende/ oder zum Sieg/

Wir geben ohne zu fragen/ was ist unser Haben/ wir heilen eure geistigen/ und körperlichen Narben/ Wir kennen alle Opfer/ wir halten nichts geheim/ wenn ihr wollt/ kommt ihr sogar/ bei der NSA rein/ Wir bringen Hilfe/ zu den Hoffnungslosen/ und sparen uns die scheiss Milliarden/ für Designerhosen/ denn was hat uns/ der Konsumismus schon zu bieten/ ausser Nieten/ wir lassen die Eliten/ hinter uns zurück/ nur wir selbst finden unser Glück/

Und wenn wir dann schliesslich/ in uns ruhn'/bleibt uns/ nur noch eins zu tun/ wir feiern Feste/ auf den Resten der Paläste/ und IHR seid unsere Gäste!

copyright by Salvador (don't touch it or i'll touch you!)

The killing fields of iraq

2004-04-21T10:59:00.000Z

Thank you Mr. Blair!

Your occupation of iraq brought freedom and democracy to the people of Basrah. Without your great war, no one of the now dead and wounded would have had the possibility to experience how it feels to be blown to peaces. I guess it was a very exiting fealing, especially for the 10 school children in their bus.

If you want to know more about these murderous attacks, read here:

"55 dead in Basra blasts"

Not only the war criminals in Downing street and White House are to bash for this events, but also the suizide- bombers. I'm sure that these strange killers weren't Iraqis from Basrah or elsewhere, it's more likely that they came from Saudi Arabia or Jemen and that they wanted to disequilibrate the situation in the shiite south. Every honest human who watches the iraqi mess has to differ between the suizide- idiots and the legitimate resistance against members of the occupying forces. The bombers of Basrah and of all the other towns (Nadschaf- 80 death, Arbil,-100 death etc.) place themselves on one step with the warmongers in Washington and London.

Der leuchtende Pfad

2004-04-20T21:56:00.000Z

some lyriks for my german readers:

Kalter Schlaf in tiefer Nacht
Keuchend bricht der Wind die Bäume
Sie entrannen der blutgen‘ Schlacht
Doch Tote bestimmen nun ihre Träume

Die treuen Kameraden, von Blei zerfetzt
Gebrochene Blicke in unendliche Ferne
Versprengte, von Bluthunden gehetzt
All das unter den Augen der Sterne

Die Sonne des nächsten Tages geht auf
Doch kann sie weder Glieder noch Seelen erwärmen
Alles nimmt seinen vorbestimmten Lauf
Falscher Friede liegt wie ein Eisklotz in Gedärmen

Auch Frauen, Kinder, Alte zittern
Was wird heute mit ihnen geschehen?
Welches Unheil droht von schwarzen Rittern
Die mit Gewehr im Anschlag Streife gehen.

All dies passiert jetzt jeden Tag
In vielen Ländern unserer Welt
Jede Minute sinkt ein Sarg ins Grab
Der Grund dafür, ist meistens Geld

Und natürlich die Macht der Reichen
Des Westens, seiner Marionettendiktatoren
Die goldenen Klodeckel von Ölscheichen
- dadurch wird ständig neuer Hass geboren

In Afrika, in Asien, in Südamerika
Darben die Armen zu Millionen
Wir haben noch mehr, Jahr für Jahr
Ausbeutung muss sich ja lohnen.

Doch wie lange geht das noch gut?
Wie lange werden sich die Armen plagen?
Wann finden sie endlich den Mut
- und beginnen, zurückzuschlagen?!

Carlyle group has fun

2004-04-20T21:37:00.000Z

burning Hummer

Iraqis burning an american humvee.

IFTUS- Fake/ Tophoven entlarvt!

2004-04-20T20:28:00.000Z

Some journalist activities from me- no time to translate them. So it's just for german readers, sorry!

Rolf Tophoven - Propagandist der Dienste?

Zunächst möchte ich eine These aufstellen:

Rolf Tophoven und Iftus arbeiten für den Verfassungsschutz und/ oder andere „Dienste“ der BRD-

Nun will ich versuchen, diese These wenn nicht zu beweisen, dann doch möglichst plausibel zu machen.

1. Tophoven, der in Münster Militärgeschichte und Germanistik studierte, wurde 1986 in dem „Institut für Terrorismusforschung“ in Bonn eingestellt. Er arbeitete als Vize- Direktor und Redakteur des institutseigenen „Terrorismus Informationsdienstes“. Diese Publikation wurde von 1986 bis 1992 an wichtige Personen aus Politik und Wirtschaft verschickt, darunter z.B. die Mitglieder des Verteidigungs und Geheimdienstausschusses des Bundestages. Für ihr Buch „Das RAF Phantom“ nahmen Anfang der 90er die Journalisten Gerhard Wiesnewski (ja, der Wisnewski lol), Wolfgang Landgraeber und Ekkehard Sieker das Institut unter die Lupe, weil sie wissen wollten, wer eigentlich hinter all den „Expertenmeinungen“ zur RAF steckte. Die drei fanden heraus, dass das Institut aus dubiosen Quellen (angeblich „Spenden der deutschen Wirtschaft“, so H.J. Horchem, leitender Direktor) finanziert wurde, keine eigene Forschung betrieb, in enger Verbindung mit den Massenmedien (die WELT schickte z.B. eine Schreibkraft) stand und vor allem massenweise Schlapphüte im Vorstand hatte. Unter diesen Geheimdienstlern waren:

-Heribert Hellenbroich (Präsident des Bundesamtes für Verfassungsschutz und des BND a.D.)
-Hans Josef Horchem (Leiter des Verfassungsschutzes Hamburg a.D.)
-Fritz Walter (Direktor im Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz a.D.)

Für den „Terrorismus Informationsdienst“ arbeitete ausserdem der Journalist Wilhelm Dietl (ehem. Chefredakteur von Quick, heute FOCUS- Reporter), der später das Buch „Die BKA Story“ herausgab. Das Institut wurde 1992 aufgelöst, ganz offenbar weil die „Gefahr“ durch die RAF ausgestanden war. Vorläufig schien niemand mehr den „Experten“ Tophoven und sein „namhaftes“ Institut für Interviews zu brauchen.

2. 4 September 2003. Hotel Margarethenhöhe. Essen.
Eine unbekannte Anzahl seriöser Herrschaften finden sich in der Luxusherberge ein und feiern die Gründung des „Instituts für Terrorismusforschung und Sicherheitspolitik“. Laut WAZ hält der Chef des NRW- Verfassungsschutzes Hartwig Möller eine Rede. Allerdings geht er nur in einem einzigen Satz des zur Verfügung stehenden Manuskripts (http://www.im.nrw.de/sch/doks/vs/konsequenzen_11_9.pdf) auf das Institut selbst ein und legt ansonsten die Probleme der deutschen „Dienste“ bei der Reaktion auf den 11.9. dar. Möller stellt verschiedene Reformansätze für den Verfassungsschutz vor und fordert Veränderungen in den Amtsstrukturen.

Man fragt sich, was der Chef des Verfassungsschutzes auf der Feier eines Institutes macht, welches laut Tophoven "privatwirtschaftlich organisiert und nicht an eine Institution angebunden" 1sein soll. Es ist öffentlich nicht bekannt wer ausser den beiden genannten noch teilgenommen hat (das Hotel verweigerte mir gegenüber jede Auskunft- Grund: „Das ist unsere Geschäftpolitik, keine Kundeninformationen rauszugeben“), man kann jedoch davon ausgehen, das mindestens noch ein Herr namens Dr. Kai Hirschmann anwesend war- er ist Vize Direktor des Iftus und ausserdem Dozent an der Uni Bonn (Vorlesungen über Terrorismus) und an der „Bundesakademie für Sicherheitspolitik“(BAKS) ( www.baks.org), welche sich natürlich in staatlicher Hand befindet. An der Bundesakademie arbeiten massenweise hohe Offiziere und „Experten“.

Zudem kann man davon ausgehen, das Wilhelm Dietl anwesend war, der wieder für eine diesmal „Terror Informationsdienst“ getaufte Publikation schreiben wird. Ausserdem soll laut einem WAZ Artikel der „Terror Experte“ und Berliner Publizist Bernd Georg Thamm für eine Mitarbeit zugesagt haben. Also war der wohl auch anwesend, bei der Gründung unseres netten Instituts (kann man jedenfalls vermuten...).

3. Interessant finde ich das „Motto“ des Iftus:
„Tradition fortführen,
neue Akzente setzen,
Zukunft mitgestalten.“

Zitat von der IFTUS homepage dazu: „Es ist unser Ziel, die Arbeit und Tradition des INSTITUTS FÜR TERRORISMUSFORSCHUNG, das bis Anfang der 90er Jahre bestand, fortzusetzen.“ Wenn ich nur wüsste, wer da ausser Tophoven und Hirschmann noch im Vorstand sitzt... Tippe mal auf Horchem oder eine ähnliche Figur—Personelle Kontinuität muss schon sein...

Fast lachhaft wirkt, was in einem WAZ- Artikel (http://www.waz.de/waz/waz.archiv.frameset.php + „Iftus“) über die Räumlichkeiten des Institutes ausgesagt wird:
„Drei Arbeitsplätze auf 15 Quadratmeter, mehr ist es für den Anfang nicht.“ Ein „Institut“ auf 15 qm? Ein schlechter Scherz, oder? Und wie sollen da drei Leute arbeiten können?

Aber es kommt noch besser: Im selben WAZ- Artikel wird Hirschmann so zitiert: „Finanzielle Interessen spielten bei IFTUS keine Rolle, sagt Hirschmann. Man sei schon froh, dass eine Unternehmensberatung die Räume günstig zur Verfügung stelle.“

Zu den finanziellen Interessen: Was denn nun? Der WDR berichtete: „Da es sich um eine privatwirtschaftliche Einrichtung handelt, braucht das IFTUS natürlich auch "Kunden". "Das können zum Beispiel Privatpersonen, Vertreter der Medien, Unternehmen, wissenschaftliche Einrichtungen und Verbände sein", so der Leiter des Instituts.“ Also keine finanziellen Interessen? Und keine Sponsoren?

Zu der „Unternehmensberatung“: Was für eine Firma ist es denn wohl, die dem Iftus „die Räume günstig zur Verfügung“ stellt? ZUFÄLLIG handelt es sich um eine Firma namens CONSULTING PLUS, die nicht etwa beim Umbau der Verwaltung oder der Rationalisierung hilft, sondern bei „Sicherheitsfragen“ ganz gross ist, auf ihrer homepage „http://www.consulting-plus.de/“ allerdings nur leeres Gefasel über „Vertrauen“ von sich gibt. Bei den Firmenchefs Stefan Bisanz und Uwe Gerstenberg handelt es sich um „Experten“ erster Güte, sie dürfen z.B. in einer Publikation der „BAKS“ namens „Sicherheit und Stabilität“2 einen Artikel „Gesamtschau und Ausblick- Neue Sicherheitsstrukturen als Antwort auf terroristische Anschläge“ veröffentlichen. Vier der anderen Beiträge in dem Band schrieben, wir erraten es schon fast- Rolf Tophoven, Wilhelm Dietl, Dr. Kai Hirschmann und Bernd Georg Thamm.

Also alles wie wir schon erfahren haben: „Das Institut arbeite vollkommen unabhängig, so Tophoven. "Wir sind privatwirtschaftlich organisiert und nicht an eine Institution angebunden." Davon versprechen sich die Initiatoren Freiheit bei ihren Einschätzungen und Analysen.“

Man erhält eine ermässigte Miete von den Spezis Bisanz und Gerstenberg (der übrigens im Kuratorium des „Deutschen Forums Kriminalprävention“ sitzt, einem interessanten Schmelztiegel aller möglichen „Sicherheitsexperten“ - http://www.kriminalpraevention.de) sagt aber in der Öffentlichkeit (Hirschmann zur WAZ): „Wir haben keine Sponsoren, das macht uns unabhängig.“

4. Was soll man von all diesen Informationen nun halten? Es könnte auch ganz einfach ein harmloses Netzwerk von Experten sein, die sich gerne gegenseitig unter die Arme greifen. Wären da nicht die Informationen über das alte Institut und die ganz offensichtliche Absicht, den finanziellen Hintergrund des Iftus bedeckt zu halten...

UND die Seite www.iftus.de! Dort liesst man z.B. unter „Medienpräsenz“:

„Das Institut berät die Medien aus Print, Funk und Fernsehen zu den Entwicklungen des nationalen und internationalen Terrorismus mit fundierten Meinungen und Informationen und steht für Beiträge, Interviews und Kommentare zur Verfügung“.

Unter „Präsenz“ findet man auf der homepage folgendes: „Das Institut für Terrorismusforschung und Sicherheitspolitik wird von Rolf Tophoven und Dr. Kai Hirschmann geleitet; unterstützt durch ein Mitarbeiterteam im Rahmen einer strategischen Partnerschaft.“

Auch eine schöne Bezeichnung für Sponsoring und Abhängigkeitsverhältnisse: „Strategische Partnerchaft“ lol

Über den Hintergrund von „Stefan Bisanz“ und „Uwe Gerstenberg“ habe ich leider noch nicht mehr herausbekommen, aber ich kann mir gut vorstellen, das die beiden aus der Geheimdienstszene stammen: Sie wären nicht die ersten „Sicherheitsberater“, die ihr Handwerk in staatlichen Behörden erlernt hätten...

Ich konnte zwar letztlich keine schlagenden Beweise anführen, aber bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass Tophoven und sein Institut nichts anderes als eine Quelle für „Graue Propaganda“ der Geheimdienste sind. Man kennt zwar den Veröffentlicher, aber nicht die Quelle der Information. Nun erfahren wir also die neusten „fundierten Meinungen und Informationen“ über Al Quiada (RAF ist out!) von Tophoven und die Millionen arglosen Konsumenten werden auch weiterhin alles glücklich schlucken. „Endlich jemand, der mir die bösen Terroristen erklärt!“ Auf die eher rechte bis reaktionäre Ideologie der Institutsführer kann ich nicht mehr näher eingehen, dazu nur ein Zitat aus dem Merkur:

„Hirschmann verweist vor allem auf die ungefähr 200 gewaltbereiten Islamisten in Deutschland. Von ihnen gehe eine Gefahr aus. Sie müsse man „frühzeitig erkennen und verhindern, dass ein Schadensereignis eintritt“. Hirschmann will „auch wartende Terroristen strafverfolgen können, denen konkrete Anschlagsvorbereitungen (noch) nicht nachweisbar sind“. (http://www.merkur.de/aktuell/do03/0911_033701.html)

Also Patriot Act in Deutschland: Und solche Leute sagen den Reportern: „Bestimmte Ansichten vertrete man deswegen (wegen der angeblichen Unabhängigkeit- Salvador) nicht: weder private noch politische.“

So viel zu dem Thema, ich hoffe Ihr surft die angegebenen URL*s mal ab oder versucht, Euch selbst weiter zu informieren. Ich werde bei Gelegenheit ein Update schreiben und einstellen...

Salvador

2004-04-20T18:20:00.000Z

Hy RAZ! What do you think about this page? Isn't it amazing how easy one can edit such a thing? If you want, you can be my co- blogger and we will learn how to use html to make a real big page with all we want.
cu soon

2004-04-20T14:56:00.000Z

Yeasterday evening I ended the reading of a very good sf- novell. It's called "Michaelmas" and it is an utopia about the power of media and electronical manipulation. I will give you a short summary:

Laurent Michaelmas is the best known journalist in the world. He comments on nearly every important event on earth and he is everytime at the location where the action tooks place. What no one knows: With the help of his super- computer DOMINO, Michaelmas rules the world! He can hear every phone call, if it is from an poor worker or from the president of the US. He can fake news and manipulate the life of every person on the world. One day, something happens that is impossible and totaly against Michaelmas interest- a space pilot who was believed to be dead after the explosion of his shuttle reappears and is presented by a scientist in Switzerland. This event threatens to shatter not only the space program of the UN but to push the world back in the time of cold war, which was ended by Michaelmas influence. In this tense situation, the journalist must try to reestablish his controll against unknown odds...

Yeah! That book is realy cool! The author Algis Budrys could be a prophet of some sort- he saw the danger and the great potential of cyberspace and electronical communication in a time (1977), in which the internet was a far dream and the media networks weren't as sophisticated as today. The charakter of Michaelmas is a surprise- everyone would expect a person with this power to be dominant, aggresisive and ignorant to the normal people- but Michaelmas tries to make a better future for all people, not only for himself and a small elite, as the media- workers, PR- agents and spin- doctors do it in the sad reality of 2004.

If you want to know more about the book, take a look here:

sfreviews

Now politics:

- The spanish PM Zapatero has decided to return the troops home from Iraq- that is a very good idea and it was more than time that someone out of the so called "coalition of the willing" took this step. It will bring Bush under more pressure, it is a sign for the iraqi resistance to move on against the illeagal and pervers occupation of their country and it brings Spain back to EU- europe, from which it was seperated by Aznar and his stupid policy.

- I read in an austrian newspaper

Der standard

that nearly 80 Mercenaries died while the fighting in Falludja errupted. This was reported by Robert Fisk, an expert for the Middle east and a formidable journalist, who writes for the Independent.

The Independent

I think this shows with which methods the Bush- junta tries to hide the real victims of their stupid and unnecessary war. If they wouldn't pay these soldiers of furtune 1000 bucks a day, they wouldn't have 104 dead GI's today, but 184!

- Something realy interesting about Guantanamo! Reading is a must!

The Guardian

2004-04-19T17:41:00.000Z

At first I will give you some information about my own person. I'm 22 years old and a student of political science at a large german university. I spend my time with reading, writing, discussions about world policy and having fun with my friends.

2004-04-19T17:36:00.000Z

Hi palls! This is my first blog and I will try to give you interesting views, hunting book- reviews and everything else which brings me and you fun.