Martin Sewell: Iraq

'Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, launched a stinging attack on President George Bush last night, denouncing him as the "greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen".'

While we have your attention, Mr President...

Wed, 19 Nov 2003 15:31:16 GMT

"It's not often that we get the chance to speak directly to the most powerful man in the world. So as George Bush lands in Britain for his first state visit, we asked 60 Brits and Americans to make the most of it"

Fake Baghdad Burning

Tue, 28 Oct 2003 16:29:20 GMT

Compare and contrast:
http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com (the real Baghdad Burning)
and
http://riversbendblog.blogspot.com (pro-US fake version)

Thanks to Manic.

$87,000,000,000.00

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 14:13:00 GMT

How big is $87 billion?

US soldiers bulldoze farmers' crops

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 13:54:43 GMT

'Asked how much his lost orchard was worth, Nusayef Jassim said in a distraught voice: "It is as if someone cut off my hands and you asked me how much my hands were worth." '

Many soldiers, same letter

Tue, 14 Oct 2003 12:40:27 GMT

"Newspapers around U.S. get identical missives from Iraq"

In no way related to the fact that "The Bush administration is engaged in a broad campaign to boost what polls show is sagging public support for the occupation in Iraq"?

Meanwhile, Army probes soldier suicides.

Editorial: Truth / Too little of it on Iraq

Thu, 18 Sep 2003 17:35:38 GMT

As Bayesian reasoning makes clear, lack of evidence for a proposition is evidence for its negation...

Looting...

Wed, 17 Sep 2003 01:02:46 GMT

...US style.

Baghdad Burning

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 23:10:10 GMT

Riverbend's blog is the best written on the Web.

In sharp contrast, I wrote Long-Term Effects of the War in Iraq in May and assumed that it would quickly date; oddly, it hasn't. Found WMD, anyone?

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 02:04:11 GMT

Iraq

"The Myth: Iraqis, prior to occupation, lived in little beige tents set up on the sides of little dirt roads all over Baghdad. The men and boys would ride to school on their camels, donkeys and goats. These schools were larger versions of the home units and for every 100 students, there was one turban-wearing teacher who taught the boys rudimentary math (to count the flock) and reading. Girls and women sat at home, in black burkas, making bread and taking care of 10-12 children.

The Truth: Iraqis lived in houses with running water and electricity. Thousands of them own computers. Millions own VCRs and VCDs. Iraq has sophisticated bridges, recreational centers, clubs, restaurants, shops, universities, schools, etc. Iraqis love fast cars (especially German cars) and the Tigris is full of little motor boats that are used for everything from fishing to water-skiing."

Source: Baghdad Burning

Another Iraqi blog: Where is Raed ?

Thu, 28 Aug 2003 15:41:09 GMT

WMD found?

US says Iraq arms plan relied on deceit

"Halliburton, the company formerly headed by Vice President Cheney, has won contracts worth more than $1.7 billion under Operation Iraqi Freedom and stands to make hundreds of millions more dollars under a no-bid contract awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, according to newly available documents."
Halliburton's Deals Greater Than Thought

Mon, 25 Aug 2003 22:40:34 GMT

"What I'm trying to say is that no matter *what* anyone heard, females in Iraq were a lot better off than females in other parts of the Arab world (and some parts of the Western world- we had equal salaries!). We made up over 50% of the working force. We were doctors, lawyers, nurses, teachers, professors, deans, architects, programmers, and more. We came and went as we pleased. We wore what we wanted (within the boundaries of the social restrictions of a conservative society)."
24-year old Iraqi female

Now, over 65% of the Iraqi population is unemployed. Females, who need protecting, are the hardest hit.

How liberating...

Source: Baghdad Burning

Sat, 23 Aug 2003 03:04:53 GMT

"...America has taken a country that was not a terrorist threat and turned it into one."
How America Created a Terrorist Haven

Fri, 22 Aug 2003 11:45:27 GMT

"Sunday, August 17, 2003
A little bit about myself: I'm female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That's all you need to know. It's all that matters these days anyway."

Sound more interesting than my tedious blog? I think so. Read a new blog from Iraq, Baghdad Burning.

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 19:21:37 GMT

Iraq: Depiction of Threat Outgrew Supporting Evidence

Tue, 12 Aug 2003 13:56:23 GMT

Subject: FINAl OILtimatum

At 01:21 18/03/2003 +0000, Martin Sewell wrote:

BPrepared, as no AMOCOble solution is reached, we SHELL not EXXONerate Saddam and thus MOBILize CHEVRON-wearing troops as a corTEX ACOuntable and TOTALly sELFless act.

'Shell along with Chevron, BP and seven other oil giants, have won contracts to buy Iraq's new oil production of Basra Light crude. The contracts cover production from the Mina Al-Bakr port in southern Iraq from August to December of this year. Under the deal, Iraq will supply 645,000 barrels per day (bpd) for export, an increase on the 450,000 bpd produced in July but still just a third of pre-war levels.

BP and Shell will each send one very large tanker every month to Iraq to pick up their two million barrels. Among the other companies that have signed deals to buy the oil are ConocoPhillips, Valero Energy and Marathon Oil, Total of France, Sinochem of China and a company from the Mitsubishi group, which is buying for Japanese refineries.'

'"Effectively Bush has unilaterally declared Iraqi oil to be the unassailable province of US oil corporations," Vallette added.'

http://www.corpwatch.org/issues/PID.jsp?articleid=7989

PING: Doubters

Fucking told you so! ;-P