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Kind of hard to keep selling that “we’re winning the surge” meme when the Green Zone is being shelled, isn’t it? CBS’s* Lara Logan reports that 4 soldiers were killed and 31 injured (2 killed and 17 injured, 5-7 seriously in the Green Zone) today. Not surprisingly, Iraqi losses, other than the deaths of a family of four for non-specified reasons in Basra were not mentioned. Gorilla’s Guides lists a far more serious count of 25 dead and 57 wounded, but I can’t be sure if that includes Iraqis in the total.
Throughout the country by 21:30 the GZG authorities admitted to 25 dead and 57 wounded. There is very heavy fighting going on in Sadr city. The Americans have it under siege and are refusing all access to the city. American helicopters have bombed the city repeatedly. American snipers are being deployed on the roof tops. Imam Ali spokesmen say they are now desperately short of medical supplies. The Red Crescent attempts to get emergency medical supplies to the city which we reported yesterday have failed because the Americans will not let them through.
There are reports that the fires caused by the American bombing of the Jameela market are spreading and that there is no water being pumped to the city.
Of course with Petraeus and Crocker testifying in front of Congress, it’s hard to make a convincing argument of the effectiveness of the surge when they can’t even protect the Green Zone from being shelled.
UPDATE: Siun at FireDogLake has more, including the absurdity of blaming Iran for attacks on US forces.
* changed to reflect correct network
No Trackbacks To “More Violence in the Green Zone, Basra“
Surge?
It would be a lot worse if they were not in their final throes.
Please: let us speak out against these war crimes, for that is what they are. Let us not stand by in silence as civilians are brutalized again.
What’s going to happen if the Iraqs assemble in the thousands in Bagdad? I saw an item a day or so ago and haven’t heard anything ever since. If that happens the violence will explode. Wonder what Betrayus will say this week. Just give it six more months? Sigh.
Proof that the surge is working and that the invasion is a total success story to be told by war hawks err…war mongers for generations to come.
A special thank you to:
1. Bush and Cheney
2. The complicit Congress
3. The whores in the media
4. Lobby groups
5. Corporations (Blackwater, KBR….).
Maybe McWarmonger can do another shopping stroll with his jackass friends sometime soon, perhaps buy a few more rugs for 5 bucks! The Green Zone is flowing red with blood, is anyone surprised?
Vic is right. But Mccain can’t go without his babysitters Graham and Lieberman.
Just 6 more months….6 more months and all will be better….
Is Sadr City the next Fallujah?
NBC is reporting tonight that Petraeus will tell Congress this week that the surge is working, at least 130,000 troops must remain, and that more time is needed. John MCain said as much today as well.
Yes, folks…welcome to perpetual war. Ignore what you see. We are winning. We’ve always been winning. We will continue to win. Those are true statements as long you keep changing the definition of “winning”.
We’ve turned another corner.
We’re going in circles.
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Laura @ 3:
Extremely well said. It cannot be said too often that it is the inflammatory presence of the United States military in Iraq that is the cause for the violence and bloodshed in Iraq.
Laura brings up a very good point. The United States is certainly most guilty of committing war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity. But the U.S. will not be held to account because every president, Democrat or Republican, has decided that the United States should not become a signatory of the International Criminal Court. After all, the last thing that the United States wishes to acknowledge is that that this country should be judged by the same standards as all other countries in the world. As the title of one of Noam Chomsky’s books accurately states, What We Say Goes [along with American Exceptionalism].
Totally 100% amazing that Americans have not stormed the White House and the vice presidents mansion and pulled those two criminals out into the streets and burned them alive!!
Achoo @ 5:
Exactly!!
If they nailed that many people with a single barrage, I reckon someone from the inside must have got word out of which coordinates to target, and when.
When will the madness end. Nixon was forced out by members of his own party. Why are our leaders so feeble and incapable of doing the right thing? I’m sure the majority of the Americans would support impeachment. We just can’t continue like this. I have never seen our nation so depressed and pissed off.
We must understand the motives of the neocon madmen, this is exactly what these fuckers want. If the escalation were to work then it would be time to leave, they don’t want to leave, they want to stay forever and control, gasp, Iraqi oil. And don’t forget the two rivers flowing with water there. Water will be what the next wars will be fought over.
Vic @ 17:
Reality is, this war is a money maker for those who started it and continue it. These people are traitors. They have sold out their country for a quick buck. They have much blood on their hands and sadly, most Americans are so ignorant about how deep this conspiracy goes, the bastards are likely to get away with it. The long term damage to our country may be catastrophic, however, they don’t care.
Yep, your government has been hijacked.
yakfitguy, My mother is one of those ignorant fools. She honestly believes Bush is spreading Christianity! She has been told by the pulpit, that this is a holy war. She doesn’t even know the about Feith, Wolfiwitz or any of the neo-cons. It’s all religion for her and her parishioners. It is so easy to bury your head in the sand than have to face the reality. Sad, no?
yakfitguy @ 10:
” WAR IS PEACE ” All hail Big Brother.
You can only turn so many corners before you start going around in circles…
here’s some recent work in “The OC”.
http://freewayblogger.blogspot.....ounty.html
Hit LA yesterday, SF today.
Achoo @ 5:
Dont forget the dimwits that voted for Bush, twice. Talk about the suspension of disbelief!!!
Warning: The SURGEon General says playing God in Iraq could result in death or serious injury or illness. This Iraq should be taken only as prescribed by your doctor. Do not overdose, or take more than prescribed.
I do believe the “insurgency” knows quite well that Gen. Petreaus is testifying on Tue.
Betrayus is just buying time for Bush to leave this mess on the next Pres. And Georgie will do what he does best. Leave a major mess for someone else to clean up. What the Hell, he’s been doing it his whole life.
yakfitguy @ 10:
The TimesOnline is reporting that General Petraeus is going to tell congress that Iranian forces were involved in the fighting that took place in Basra.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/t.....690010.ece
odanny @ 25:
This only proves they can still pick their time and place to attack.
odanny @ 25:
You are suggesting that this is just for show?
The surge is working.
Bush & Cheney & Maliki have started the war they’ve been salivating for.
Of course! Iran! That is the Neo-cons dream. They will not be satisfied until Iran is dust. Damn. Maybe we should repent. This President is capable of doing anything. God, 289 days left. That seems like a long time.
Does the “Green Zone” mean a signal to go and destroy everything in sight ?
Sure seems like it recently ………………
Christy Hannity @ 28:
And it also proves it’s next to impossible to stop ………………………….
Now if the Sunni militias (the ones being paid by the US to stop fighting Americans - but havent been paid) decide it’s time to join Sadr and kick the occupiers out ..
Are Bush & Cheney gonna back down?
Or .. ?
Another corner turned?
let’s hope the good people of PA do their part in helping to ensure this war (and nomination) come to a close soon….and reject one of its enablers….
Erroll @ 12:
Laura @ 3:
Indeed. How ironic, the nation that hung the Nazis and Imperial Japanese wartime leaders for crimes has now done the very things they hung their old enemies for. How can we look at ourselves in the mirror with a straight face? Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed seems to be the only part of the Bible our “Christian” president has read. Not the “love your enemies” and “resist ye not evil for evil” bits. God damn the Republican party, they have been shitting all over His words for seven years now, and before them, Clinton, and before Clinton, Reagan, all the way back to William McKinley.
Erroll @ 12:
Yep. Hard truth to swallow for most people though.
MountainMan23 @ 34:
If those in the Sunni militia pair up with Sadr , it is going to be impossible to halt the destruction ………
This idiotic and illegal invasion and occupation has to be the biggest clusterfuck in human history ; I hope those who voted for Chimpy , regardless of the fact he didn’t win either election , need to be sent to Guantanamo along with their retarded simian hero and his horseshit administration/cronies……….
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nixon was removed from office because the repubs and the media went after him for the good of the country. with bush, the repubs and the media will protect him for the good of their pocketbooks.
beltman713 @ 27:
From your link, it states Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shi’ite cleric, has called for 1m people to march on Baghdad on Wednesday – the fifth anniversary of the fall of the capital – when Petraeus and Ryan Crocker, the US ambassador to Iraq, will be briefing Congress.
Could you imagine one million Americans marching against war? I can’t.
redcat, I’ve been saying the same thing. Funny, you would think the Repugs would have the balls to tell Georgie to go. What the Hell!
Lara Logan doesn’t work at CNN.
She’s Chief Foreign Correspondent for CBS.
We’re forgetting one thing: most people who would be convinced the war is working and the surge is working lack the little tender qualities called “logic” and “reason.”
I usually like Lara but, the al-sadr-anti-american-iran backed frame of the report bothers me. What does it mean to be anti-american first pf all? Does al-sadr hate jazz, baseball, and apple pie, or just the military occupation and foreign control of Iraq. If the chinese army is in my neighborhood, does my desire for them to leave make me anti-china? Iran is hedging their bets by giving assistance to al-sadr for sure but, the main recipient remains al-hakim and the badr brigades, who are the main backers of al-maliki. The pending legislation to bar “militia,” read mahdi, affiliated candidates from running in the next election ensures the badr brigade will henceforth be referred to as the Iraqi army. I don’t think Talabani is going to be faced with the choice of resigning or disbanding the peshmerga either so the selective political application of the law is clear. Petraus’ testimony is going to be analogous to Powell’s at the UN and war with Iran with follow.
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Unlike the United States during the Soviet disaster in Afghanistan, the Russians have demonstrated remarkable restraint by not providing sophisticated weaponry to the Taliban such as shoulder-fired SAMs and anti-tank rockets. Ditto with respect to the Iraqi resistance. Armed with such weapons, both groups would have driven the U.S. invaders out by now. I predict that a U.S. attack on Iran will trigger the flow of advanced weapons to all groups engaged against the U.S. The Russians have already supplied Iran with advanced anti-aircraft radar and SAMs, while the Chinese and North Koreans are perfectly capable of doing the same.
The loss of two armies in foreign lands should be the final straw to break the Empire’s back. All that will be left to do is mourn the victims and execute the leaders responsible for these disasters.
On Sunday, John McCain renewed his defense of a 100 year American presence in Iraq. Just days after his campaign accused Barack Obama of “disho