Iraqi Shiite and Sunni Clerics Call For End to Killing
Dozens of Iraqi Shiite and Sunni clerics met in Mecca on Saturday and approved a declaration calling for an end to the sectarian violence. The clerics urged the release of all hostages and a prohibition on the killings of Muslims in iraq. But it remains unclear if the declaration will help stop the civil war raging in Iraq.
October On Pace to Be One of Bloodiest Months of War
The Associated Press reports that October is on pace to be the deadliest month for Iraqis since the AP began tracking deaths in April 2005. October has already become the deadliest month for U.S. forces this year with 86 soldiers dead.
Mahdi Army Seizes Parts of Amarah; 25 Dead
In southern Iraq on Friday, the Mahdi Army seized control of part of the city of Amarah. The Shiite militia engaged in a gun battle with the city’s Shiite-controlled police force. As many as 25 people died. In Baquba, gunmen ambushed a bus full of police recruits, killing 15 and wounding 25. In the Shiite city of Mahmudiyah, Sunni insurgents fired mortar rounds at a crowded market on Saturday killing 32 people. The market was crowded with families buying food for the Islamic holiday of Eid which marks the end of Ramadan.
Report: Bush Administration Draft Timetable for Iraq Gov’t
In Washington, the Bush administration is coming under increasing pressure for its handling of the Iraq war. On Saturday the President met with Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and top U.S. commanders including Gen. John Abizaid and Gen. George Casey to discuss Iraq. On Sunday the New York Times reported the Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country. Officials said that for the first time Iraq was likely to be asked to disarm militias and create political, economic and military benchmarks intended to stabilize the country. Democratic Senator Joe Biden criticized the approach.
Sen. Joe Biden: "No, I don't think we should be talking about deadlines because deadlines artificially tie our hands. We have got to figure out how to responsibly leave Iraq. Part of the requirement I think most people agree with now is you've got to let Maliki know is that he does not have an indefinite timetable for U.S. troops to continue to be apartheid cops. That's what we're being now and we cannot stop a civil war with 140,000 U.S. forces."
U.S. Diplomat: U.S. Displays Arrogance & Stupidity in Iraq
Meanwhile a senior U.S. diplomat publicly accused the United States of displaying arrogance and stupidity in Iraq. The State Department official Alberto Fernandez made the comment during an interview conducted in Arabic on Al Jazeera.
Alberto Fernandez: "We tried to do our best (in Iraq) but I think there is much room for criticism because, undoubtedly, there was arrogance and there was stupidity from the United States in Iraq."
The State Department initially claimed Fernandez’s comments were mistranslated. Later Fernandez issued a written apology through the State Department press office. He wrote “I seriously misspoke by using the phrase 'there has been arrogance and stupidity' by the U.S. in Iraq. This represents neither my views nor those of the State Department. I apologize."
U.S. Moves Closer to Building New Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons
The Washington Post is reporting the United States has moved a step closer toward building a new stockpile of nuclear weapons that would last well into the 21st century. Late last week, Bush administration officials announced the start of a multiyear process to repair and replace eight facilities where the nuclear weapons would be developed and assembled. The Bush administration is planning to replace its aging stockpile of warheads with two thousand two hundred new nuclear weapons that would last for decades. The nation's two nuclear weapons laboratories, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore, are competing to design a new nuclear warhead.
Boeing Subsidiary Linked to CIA Torture Flights
The New Yorker magazine has revealed that a subsidiary of Boeing has helped the CIA carry out many of its extraordinary rendition flights. Boeing’s subsidiary Jeppesen International Trip Planning handled many of the logistical and navigational details for these trips, including flight plans, clearance to fly over other countries, hotel reservations, and ground-crew arrangements. Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company.
GOP Lawmakers Ask Pentagon to Kick Out CNN Embedded Troops
A top Republican lawmaker has asked the Pentagon to remove a team of CNN reporters embedded with U.S. troops in Iraq. Duncan Hunter, the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, accused CNN of broadcasting an enemy propaganda film because it aired footage of snipers targeting U.S. soldiers. CNN said the footage was shown in an effort to present the "unvarnished truth" about the Iraq war.
Pentagon: Planting of Stories in Iraqi Press Was Legal
The Pentagon’s Inspector General has concluded that the US military didn’t break any laws when it planted pro-American stories in the Iraqi press. Last year it was revealed that the Pentagon paid a start-up company called the Lincoln Group millions of dollars to plant stories and pay for favorable coverage in the Iraqi press.
Armstrong Williams to Pay Back $34K for Propaganda Payments
In other news about government propaganda, a conservative pundit who was secretly being funded by the U.S. government has agreed to give back part of his pay. In 2003 the Department of Education paid Armstrong Williams $240,000 to help promote the No Child Left Behind Act. Williams went on to write about the act and discuss it in the media without ever disclosing his ties to the government. Williams has now agreed to pay back $34,000 after the Department determined he had been overpaid.
Red Cross Slams U.S. Military Commissions Act
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross has criticized the new U.S. Military Commissions Act because it could weaken protections guaranteed under the Geneva Conventions. The official, Jakob Kellenberger, said the law too broadly defines an enemy combatant, fails to guarantee prisoners the right to a fair trial and fails to explicitly prohibit the use of evidence obtained by coercion.
Brother of Pat Tillman Slams Iraq War and Bush Administration
The brother of Pat Tillman has spoken out about his brother’s death in Afghanistan and has condemned the Bush administration’s war on terror. Pat Tillman was the star football player who gave up his playing career to fight in Afghanistan. He was killed in a friendly fire incident, but for years the Pentagon lied about the circumstances. His brother Kevin fought with Pat in Afghanistan. In his article posted on the website Truthdig, Tillman wrote "Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. Somehow, this is tolerated. Somehow, nobody is accountable for this." Tillman goes on to write "Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.”
Green Party Candidates Blocked From Debates
In election news, a number of Green Party candidates are being blocked from taking part in debates. In Washington state, Aaron Dixon was arrested last week after he tried to enter the TV studio hosting a three-way debate between the Democratic, Republican and Libertarian candidates. Meanwhile in New York, the League of Women Voters withdrew its support for two Senatorial debates between Hillary Clinton and Republican challenger John Spencer because Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins was not invited to participate
(from Democracy Now)
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