World-News

Despite repeated requests from a House committee chairman and government investigators, the Pentagon has failed to hand over its official assessments of the readiness of US-trained Iraqi security units to take over key functions from the US military.

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040307T.shtml

https://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/03/279/

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McCain's Baghdad market visit branded a stunt

MERCHANTS at Baghdad's oldest and biggest market say an American congressional delegation has got it wrong about new security measures.

https://snipurl.com/1f5jd


From Information Clearing House

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Market Workers From McCain Jaunt Murdered

A newborn baby was one of at least 14 children and adults killed when a suicide bomber detonated a lorry laden with explosives close to a primary school in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk yesterday. The latest massacre of Iraqi children came the day after John McCain, the US presidential candidate, said that an American security plan in the capital was starting to show signs of progress.

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040407S.shtml



The American Tragedy of John McCain

William Rivers Pitt writes: "Arizona Senator John McCain took a walk through a Baghdad market on April Fool's Day, and may well have burned his presidential campaign down to the ground in the process. That little stroll has visited upon his head a deluge of humiliation and shame vast and astonishing enough to beggar imagination, and that was before the bodies started hitting the ground."

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040607J.shtml



Sunday in the Market With McCain

"John McCain's April Fools' Day stroll through Baghdad's Shorja market last weekend was instantly acclaimed as a classic political pratfall. Protected by more than a hundred American soldiers, three Black Hawk helicopters, two Apache gunships and a bulletproof vest, the senator extolled the 'progress' and 'good news' in Iraq. Befitting this loopy brand of comedy, the star had a crackerjack cast of supporting buffoons: Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who told reporters 'I bought five rugs for five bucks!,' and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, who likened the scene to 'a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime.' Five rugs for five bucks: boy, we've really got that Iraq economy up and running now!" says Frank Rich.

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040807C.shtml



https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=McCain
https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=William+Rivers+Pitt

By Eric Margolis

Who was the first high government official to authorize use of mustard gas against rebellious Kurdish tribesmen in Iraq? If your answer was Saddam Hussein's cousin, the notorious "Chemical Ali" -- aka Ali Hassan al-Majid -- you're wrong.

https://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article17461.htm



https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Eric+Margolis

The Pentagon said on Monday it will send another 9,000 US troops to Iraq, with about half of them returning to combat ahead of schedule, in order to maintain troop levels in its new security crackdown through at least August. Two of the affected Army units, totaling about 4,500 troops, will return to combat short of their promised year at home, reflecting the strain placed on US forces by commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040307M.shtml



https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=troop+surge

Dozens of interviews with current and former intelligence officials and policymakers in the United States, Britain, France and Italy show that the Bush administration disregarded key information available at the time showing that the Iraq-Niger claim was highly questionable.

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040307L.shtml

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How Bogus Letter Became a Case for War

Intelligence Failures Surrounded Inquiry on Iraq-Niger Uraniu.
https://snipurl.com/1f0ye


From Information Clearing House

William Rivers Pitt on Congress's surprisingly effective tactics on Iraq: "It took a while for the truth of what happened in all this to sink in, for the real muscle behind this withdrawal legislation to show itself. The fact of the matter is plain: The only people in America not talking about leaving Iraq are the ones in the White House and Pentagon because they never intended to leave in the first place and want no part of any exit plan, no matter how bloody and awful it gets over there. Therefore, no withdrawal plan can be effected in a tactical sense until the Bush administration is forced into abandoning its stay-forever pipe dreams."

https://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/040307J.shtml



https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=William+Rivers+Pitt

Salon
by US Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI)

03/31/07

As Congress debates the war in Iraq, the congressional debate over Somalia 14 years ago has some surprising parallels. Without question, Somalia in 1993 differs in many ways from Iraq in 2007, from the scope of the mission to the reason for that mission in the first place. What hasn’t changed, however, is Congress’ constitutional power to end a military mission, and its ability to use that power without endangering the safety of our brave troops. That is exactly what Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and I propose to do with legislation we will introduce when the Senate reconvenes next week. Our bill would require the president to begin safely redeploying U.S. troops out of Iraq in 120 days, with redeployment to be completed by March 31, 2008. After March, funding for the war in Iraq would be cut off, with three narrow exceptions — targeted counterterrorism operations, protection of U.S. personnel and infrastructure, and training and equipping Iraqi forces. In other words, the current military mission in Iraq would be effectively ended...

https://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2007/04/02/feingold_reid/


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp



https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Feingold
https://freepage.twoday.net/search?q=Harry+Reid

Clarksville Leaf Chronicle

04/02/07

For just the second time since the war began, the Army is sending large units back to Iraq without giving them at least a year at home, defense officials said Monday. The move signaled how stretched the U.S. fighting force has become. A combat brigade from New York and a Texas headquarters unit will return to Iraq this summer in order to maintain through August the military buildup President Bush announced earlier this year...

https://tinyurl.com/2ga39c


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp

Philadelphia Inquirer

04/02/07

As of Monday, April 2, 2007, at least 3,256 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,621 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers...

https://tinyurl.com/224kh7


Informant: Thomas L. Knapp