Iraq: Handover in devastated Anbar hailed as a victory
James Cogan, WSWS
The ceremony held last Monday to formally transfer Anbar province to Iraqi government forces is being held up by the most vociferous defenders of the Iraq war as the crowning glory of the Bush administration’s “surge”. The region of Iraq where resistance to the occupation was once the greatest is now considered so firmly under control that US troops can be withdrawn to heavily fortified bases on the outskirts of the major cities and towns…The US military occupied the major cities of Anbar during April 2003 and soon confronted the reality that the population overwhelmingly opposed their presence. In Fallujah, the second-largest city, students demonstrated on April 28 to demand that American troops who had established a command post in their school get out. Paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne opened fire on the unarmed protestors, killing 17 and wounding more the 70 others. This act set the stage for years of bloody counter-insurgency operations in Anbar that have left much of the province in ruins and produced some of the worst atrocities of the occupation. The American siege of Fallujah led to the destruction of the city between April and November 2004. By the time the battle for Fallujah ended, 36,000 of the city’s 50,000 residential homes were destroyed or damaged, along with 65 schools and 60 mosques. Thousands died and many among the pre-war population of 300,000 became refugees. The final assault involved the deliberate US bombing of hospitals and ambulances, the us! e of int ernationally-banned white phosphorous rounds on residential areas and the execution of wounded Iraqi prisoners. The entire central district of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar, suffered a similar fate…

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“The Future of Iraq’s Oil Industry: China and Russia May have The Lion’s Share!
Iraq Slogger, Via The Angry Arab News Service/
Most of the mainstream Western media reported – but gave little heed – to the recent agreements between the Iraqi Government and International oil companies to exploit Iraq’s vast oil resources. It was casually reported that “service contracts” were to be granted to a group of Western oil companies to refurbish and increase production in several Iraqi oilfields. Shortly thereafter, it was confirmed that oil contracts going back to the Saddam era (mostly with Chinese and Russian companies) to exploit several other oilfields will be revived – and revised – and will shortly enter into effect. The importance of this news cannot be underestimated; these contracts – if fulfilled – will largely determine the future of Iraq’s oil industry, and by extension, its economic development. On the other hand, the shape and structure of these contracts reveal the “strategic” political deals that took place in the backrooms: the current contracts represent a major departure from the original US vision for Iraq’s oil future, and may be a reflection of the new balance of power in the “New Iraq.”…

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The Nature of the Beast…
Layla Anwar, An Arab Woman Blues
…A mail received from white Tracy, (a pretty fucked up name for starters) undoubtedly an American “female” – if such a thing still exists in the USA. Transcribed word for word. “It is obvious that your religion and beliefs are Hate filled! Can’t you feel your hatred? ~~That is not God given that is Human & Evil! I pray for you to be loving and kind to everyone, we are all one!
Sisters and Brothers all of us, white, brown, yellow …one big family under one God above!No worries, Good will triumph! May God Bless you with a Loving heart Sister! “ Tracy the “woman” from Amerikkka sent me this mail, knowing am an Iraqi. After her country has murdered over one million of us, with impunity, turned 5 million of us into refugees, bombed our homes, destroyed our livelihoods, murdered our loved ones, our families, our president, tortured and raped us, maimed thousands of us, turned millions into widows and orphans, stole our wealth and resources, desecrated our temples, erased our history…while we were living peacefully minding our own business…

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FINALLY, IT’S AT THE PRINTER
Malcom Lagauche
…The Mother of All Battles is at a printing firm in Michigan and I will be reading the final proof from them on Monday or Tuesday. Then, I will wait for the books to be delivered. Realistically, they should be in my office from September 25-30…After the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, I decided to write a book. At first, I thought it would be about 328 pages long. The more I wrote, the more I deemed it necessary to include aspects that had not been part of my original assessment. But, one has to draw the line somewhere. If I kept writing, I would have to wait until next year and publish a 500-page book. I’ll mention some of the aspects of my work that vary from those of others. I treat the U.S. involvement of Iraq as one ongoing disaster for the Iraqi people from about 1987 until today. Many publications about Iraq treat Desert Storm as an occurrence, then the embargo, then the March 2003 invasion. This is wrong. They are all part of the ongoing dismemberment of the nation. One aspect of my book that puts it ahead of others is that I have written to or spoken to hundreds, if not thousands of Iraqis. Many articles have appeared over the years in which Iraq was put in a bad light, but the authors never spoke to an Iraqi. If they had, it was probably some exile who left the country at age two…

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Russia does not want “bad relations” with U.S. – Russian FM Lavrov
RIA Novosti
Russia does not want its relations with the United States to deteriorate and is ready to cooperate with Washington on strategic issues, the Russian foreign minister told CNN. “We are not interested in bad relations with the United States. It wouldn’t be our choice, but if the United States does not want to cooperate with us on one or another issue, we cannot impose,” Sergei Lavrov said…

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2 NATO soldiers killed in Afghanistan
Associated Press
NATO is reporting the deaths of 2 soldiers. It says they were killed in an insurgent attack Thursday in eastern Afghanistan. It’s not disclosing the soldiers’ nationality or the exact location of the attack. Elsewhere in the same province, Taliban militants attacked a police checkpoint, killing two officers…

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Aqsa Mosque faces real danger
Khalid Amayreh
The Israeli occupation authorities are seriously undermining the foundations of al-Masjidul Aqsa (the Aqsa Mosque) in the heart of East Jerusalem by opening a network of huge tunnels underneath the ancient structure. The tunnels, dubbed by the Israeli media as “tourist sites” have already caused conspicuous cracks in superstructures all over the Haram al Sharif esplanade which also houses numerous historical sites of unmatched magnificence, such as the golden Dome of the Rock. “I have no doubt in my mind that the Israeli government has the will and desire to destroy the Aqsa Mosque. They only want to do it in a way that would make the demolition look is if resulting from natural causes,” said Sheikh Muhammad Hussein, Head of the Supreme Muslim Council which oversees the Jerusalem Sanctuary, considered the third holiest place in Islam…

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Official Israeli radio bans ad critical of Gaza siege
Saed Bannoura – IMEMC News
The Israeli national broadcasting Authority has refused to allow radio stations in Israel to air ads sponsored by Israeli peace groups that criticize Israel’s 15-month long siege on the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The siege, which is in direct violation of the responsibilities of an occupying power under the Fourth Geneva Convention (signed by Israel in 1953), affects 1.4 million civilians in Gaza – forcing them to live in dire poverty without access to proper medical care, and with chronic shortages of food and fuel. Nearly 150 patients have died due to the Israeli siege, when Israeli authorities refused to allow them to exit the Gaza Strip for needed medical treatment…

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Vladimir Putin set to bait US with nuclear aid for Tehran
Mark Franchetti, Times
Russia is considering increasing its assistance to Iran’s nuclear programme in response to America’s calls for Nato expansion eastwards and the presence of US Navy vessels in the Black Sea delivering aid to Georgia. The Kremlin is discussing sending teams of Russian nuclear experts to Tehran and inviting Iranian nuclear scientists to Moscow for training, according to sources close to the Russian military. Moscow has been angered by Washington’s promise to give Georgia £564m in aid following the Russian invasion of parts of the country last month after Tbilisi’s military offensive…

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Libya Today, Iran Tomorrow?
Khaleej Times,
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has become the first top American official to visit Libya in more than five decades. Richard Nixon was the last US leader to visit the North African country in 1957. Perhaps nothing better epitomises the ancient dictum that there are no permanent friends and foes in international relations; only permanent interests. And today the US interests have rather nicely converged with those of the Libyan regime as Washington needs new friends in the Maghreb (North Africa) as well as new sources of precious oil supplies. And Muammar Gaddafiís Libya is sitting on a huge pile of the Big Oil for which the race is going to further hot up in years to come. Nevertheless, it is truly amazing how relations between Libya and America have metamorphosed over the past few years, from Gaddafi being demonised as the original “sponsor of terrorism” and the global pariah to the current exalted position of Washingtonís friend and ally in the so-called war on terror…

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“Potential to See More” Attacks on Pakistan
Gary Leupp
In the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday, September 3, three U.S. helicopters carrying U.S. Special Operations Forces swooped down onto the Pakistani village of Musa Nika, in South Waziristan, killing fifteen to twenty people according to early reports. The U.S. press noted that this is the first known ground assault of U.S. troops in Pakistan. The provincial governor said twenty civilians including women and children were killed. The Foreign Minister denounced the attack, declaring that “no important terrorist or high-value target” was hit. The chief spokesman for the Pakistani Army registered its “strong objection.” Gen. Athar Abbas declared that the attack could provoke a general rebellion of local tribes against his government, and threaten NATO supply lines from Karachi into Afghanistan. The Foreign Minister angrily declared that “no important terrorist or high-value target” was hit. The U.S. ambassador was summoned to receive Islamabad’s official protest…

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Followup on HRW’s False Cluster Bomb Accusations
Moon of Alabama
Human Rights Watch continues to spread, without presenting convincing proof, accusations of use of cluster bombs by the Russian Federation in the conflict with Georgia. HRW published two reports which supposedly show evidence of such use. As argued and documented here, that evidence does not hold up. HRW has now issued a ‘clarification’, and admits that the supposed evidence in one of the two reports is false…HRW continues to insist that the ‘evidence’ in the first report it issues is correct. There is good reason to believe that this is false…

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Photos under the rubble of Gaza Siege
Sameh A. Habeeb
I have been reporting and blogging from the besieged Gaza since a year. I have used several ways to transfer the true suffering of people. I made and wrote photo stories, features, diaries and articles. Today, I have launched a web space for Gaza’s daily photos. I would be taking photographs around the strip to let you know what’s going on with picture. The harsh siege still affects civilians and it claimed the life of more 230 people till today. Israel still not abiding herself by truce it has made with Gazans. Thus, life still lifeless for Gazans. Today, I have uploaded some new albums that touch various aspects of fragile life…

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US attack inside Pakistan threatens dangerous new war
Peter Symonds, WSWS
A ground assault by US Special Forces troops on a Pakistani village on Wednesday threatens to expand the escalating Afghanistan war into its neighbour. Pakistan is already confronting a virtual civil war in its tribal border regions as the country’s military, under pressure from Washington, seeks to crush Islamist militias supporting the anti-occupation insurgency inside Afghanistan. The attack, which left up to 20 civilians dead, marks a definite escalation of US operations inside Pakistan. While US Predator drones and war planes have been used previously to bomb targets, Wednesday’s raid was the first clear case of an assault by American ground troops inside Pakistani territory…

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Saturday report: Israeli authorities deliberately mistreat Palestinians during prison transport
PNN
A report issued by the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Saturday indicates that torturous conditions are the norm during transport. “Prisoners are waiting in trucks for over five hours without food, water or ventilation in the summer, and without heat during the winter. The ill suffer even more as they are chained in twos.” The Ministry writes that “Israeli prison authorities deliberately exercise various forms of maltreatment and torture against Palestinian prisoners in order to pressure them and weaken their morale while being transported.” Today’s report is focusing on transport between prisons and to and from court or the hospital…

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Iraq’s anti-Qaeda fighters fear for their future
AFP
Sunni Arab fighters battling Al-Qaeda in Iraq say their future is bleak as the Shiite government prepares to take over responsibility for them from the Americans and they also face jihadist fury… In September 2006, the American military began supporting the formation of neighbourhood groups of Sunni Arabs to band together and fight the jihadists, paying them an average monthly salary of around 300 dollars. From next month, however, the responsibility for paying these Sunni groups known as Sahwa (Awakening) councils — or, by the US military, “Sons of Iraq” — is set to be taken over by Baghdad’s Shiite-led government. Many Sahwa members have been hoping to be rewarded with jobs in the security forces or other state establishments in return for battling al-Qaeda. They are credited with helping to reduce violence levels across Iraq to a four-year low. But now they fear their Sahwa councils will be disbanded instead, leaving them both disarmed and jobless…Ala Hamud Sultan al-Nidawi said Iraqi forces have already begun closing Sahwa offices in Baquba and its surrounding province of Diyala…

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Iraq govt reacts sharply to US spying allegations
ANNA JOHNSON, AP
The Iraqi government reacted sharply Friday to published allegations that the U.S. spied on Iraq’s prime minister, warning that future ties with the United States could be in jeopardy if the report were true…Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Baghdad will raise the allegations with the U.S. and ask for an explanation. But if true, he warned, it shows a lack of trust…

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Sami Al-Arian’s Long-delayed Freedom
Nicole Colson
In a long-overdue victory, Palestinian activist Dr. Sami Al-Arian was released on bail September 2 and reunited with members of his family for the first time since his arrest in early 2003. “[I]t feels very unbelievable and surreal that he’s finally with us after more than five-and-a-half years of being apart and of only being able to see him behind glass. It’s breathtaking, really,” his daughter, Laila Al-Arian, described her feelings to Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman…

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Fatah leader: Abbas’s security apparatuses protect Israeli citizens
Palestinian Information Center
Husam Khader, the newly released prominent Fatah leader, said that the PA security apparatuses in the West Bank turned into parties protecting the security of Israeli citizens while Israel gives nothing in return, warning that there might be “another coup” against the PA in Ramallah. In a press statement to the Israeli Haaretz newspaper, Khader castigated PA chief Mahmoud Abbas for negotiating with Israel, saying that the coup might occur because Abbas has achieved nothing in the framework of his talks with the Israeli occupation for two years, while his security apparatuses are indulged in protecting the security of Israel…

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Israeli newspaper: Israel intends to build 2,000 settlement units in Jerusalem
Palestinian Information Center
The Israeli Yerushalayim weekly newspaper reported that the IOA is intending to build 2,000 settlement units in the Pisgat Ze’ev settlement, north of occupied Jerusalem, after finishing paving an avenue which connects the settlement with Jerusalem. According to the newspaper, immediately after finishing paving the new street, tenders will be published in newspapers for the building of the new settlement units…

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September 5, 2008: 1 US Soldier, 7 Iraqis Killed; 17 Iraqis Wounded
Margaret Griffis, Antiwar.com
It is the prayer day, so the number of reported casualties is lower than normal. At least seven Iraqis were killed, including a defense ministry advisor, and 17 more people were wounded. One American soldier died in a non-combat incident. Meanwhile, the fates of an Iranian refugee camp and a Kurdish city, both in Diyala, are among several major concerns that were in the headlines today…

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