Iraqi Letters

BAD NEWS!
Circular is back from holiday!

I see from RoseinBaghdad that it is incorrect to call you "Abu," which apparently just means "father of" (some of the time?) Mr Khaleel is also inappropriate, as well as excessively formal? Mr Iraquna? What’s that mean anyway? I reckon I’ll stick with Abu. You blog in ze Eenglish, you get addressed in ze Eenglish, no?

Good to see Bruno in fine form, and TallDave seems a worthy replacement for Barry.

News of the week, far as I can see, was Rumsfeld’s plaintive "off-the-cuff" remark that "You go to war with the Army you have, and not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time." Reinforces the view that the idiots didn’t have the faintest idea what they were getting into, right from the start. Loved this:

"Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld blasted the White House today for not providing him with full body armor for his acrimonious question-and-answer session with troops in Kuwait this week, saying that the lack of body armor put him in a potentially perilous situation.
The Secretary of Defense added that if the White House did not provide him with full body armor immediately, the next time he spoke to troops he would do it from inside a Bradley fighting vehicle.
At the White House, President George W. Bush said that until a new body armor suit was ready, Mr. Rumsfeld would have to make do with a Brooks Brothers suit for future encounters with troops.
"You go to war with the Secretary of Defense you have," he said.

Which seems the only possible comment to make about Fallujah. These moral imbeciles obviously don’t give a damn about the lives or safety of their own troops - Rummy’s comment has unleashed a storm about unprovided armor - so why should they care about Iraqi lives? They, and the TallDave’s of the U.S., totally believe their own propaganda about the conquest of Iraq having been totally essential and urgently necessary in the "War on Terror," despite all the evidence to the contrary, and are also now firmly convinced that it was "necessary to destroy Fallujah in order to save it." You’ve been invaded by a nation of slow learners! Duh!

So Iraqi "freedom and democracy" is about to be born with the assistance of a clumsy, ignorant and indifferent midwife, whose bloodied hands are unwashed and trembling. It’s back to MacBeth - remember MacDuff, who was from his mother’s womb "untimely ripped?"

Mind you, Rummy did say a year or so ago that "freedom is messy." He got that right. How messy is it going to be? Will they have to destroy Iraq in order to save it?

Abu?
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Circular,

Welcome back. I hope that you had a good holiday. You certainly sound fresh enough! You seem to have caught up with the raging debates in the previous post. Evidently Bruno was holding the port for you in your absence.

On a more serious note, I really am having second thought about the whole blogging business. It is becoming simply too depressing and apparently almost futile.

By the way, Abu is fine. It is always amusing to me to be called that! I really relished Rose's post and I have just posted a little something about it in my other blog. I'm sure you will like the "Abu Allawi" bit.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Oh... and "iraquna" literally means "our Iraq"!!!!! So many people trying to make the country "in their own image" may find the name offensive.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

"I really am having second thought about the whole blogging business. It is becoming simply too depressing and apparently almost futile."

Yeah well that's understandable, it must seem like a Sisyphean task (guy in Greek mythology who had to keep rolling a boulder uphill.) I certainly hope you keep going, you are always informative and seem to be attracting fewer of the mindless trolls and instinctive patriots than most other blogs.
And just think what it's doing for your back muscles!
Circular
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Well sure, if you go around expressing support for morons like Bruno your credibility with Americans will be zilch, which does make the whole thing futile.

There are a lot of lies about America's past and present foreign policy floating around out there, mainly propagated by leftists who just can't stand America's capitalistic economic system.

Believing any of them will automatically destroy your credibility with Americans who aren't so politically biased.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

I have been reading your blog for a few weeks and wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your insight and commentary.

I have taken the liberty to excerpt Iraquna at my blog Liberal Street Fight. Would you consider guest blogging at LSF? We are all long-time posters and, now a "break away republic", if you will, of Daily Kos, the largest liberal political blog in the US.

The information you so generously share here should be more widely circulated in the US and would be of great help to the millions of us who oppose the disasterous Bush Administration and its Orwellian War on Terror.

Thank you for reminding us of our common humanity.

em dash
editor, Liberal Street Fight
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Hello Abu Khaleel,
Your blogs are read by many people and you have served your US readers very well, correcting many misconceptions. What happens in Fallujah now is critical to whatever government eventually takes over and the news suggests a big police state may be installed there by the US. The story of Iraq is evolving and we need your insight.
'Rebuke is more effective for a wise man than a hundred blows on a fool.'
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Abu Khaleel...

I should point out to you that when your most ardent supporters are the people claiming that the US wants to "impose a police state", and oppose fighting terrorism, they are not exactly members of mainstream American society. Those are the crazy fringes.

If you are interested in appealing to normal Americans, celebrating anti-American remarks in your comment section is not the way to do it.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Wednesday, 8 December 2004.Al-Fallujah.

Resistance mounts attacks throughout al-Fallujah on Wednesday.

Fighting broke out in most neighborhoods of al-Fallujah on Wednesday morning and was still under way when the Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent filed his report posted at 9:20pm Wednesday night Mecca time (10:20pm local time).

According to eyewitness accounts, the fighting erupted in ash-Shuhada’, al-Jawlan, an-Nazal, ash-Shurtah, ad-Dubbat, al-Mu‘allimin, al-Jaghifi, and al-Jumhuriyah neighborhoods as well as the industrial zone.

The correspondent reported that light arms, mortars, and RPG8, RPG7 rocket launchers and BKC machine guns are being used by the Resistance, who surprised US forces with their attacks, which brought back memories of the fierce fighting of the first days of the US assault on the city.

The attacks are seen as a message from the Resistance that they still retain their power and combat ability to battle the US forces in any of the city’s neighborhoods. The fiercest fighting was reported in the al-Jawlan neighborhood.

Mafkarat al-Islam’s correspondent reported eye-witnesses as saying that they saw Resistance fighters carrying the Qamah – a weapon similar to a sword – which they use when the want to surprise and attack the US troops silently. Resistance fighters used that weapon to kill eight US troops on Tuesday.

Witnesses said they also saw the Resistance fighters carrying chunks of bread and fruit as well as small water vessels and small towels – provisions for them while they are embroiled in fighting for longer periods.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Tuesday, 7 December 2004.

Al-Fallujah.

Resistance carries out 31 attacks in al-Fallujah on Tuesday and shoots down US helicopter loaded with troops.

In a dispatch posted at 11:05pm Mecca time Tuesday night, Mafkarat al-Islam reported from al-Fallujah that on Tuesday the Iraqi Resistance carried out more than 15 guerrilla operations targeting US forces as they carried out raids and searches in the neighborhoods of al-Jaghifi, al-Mu‘allimin, ash-Shurtah, and al-Jawlan.

The biggest Resistance attack took place when the Resistance observed a US force trying to get to the old al-Fallujah bridge west of the city on the old al-Fallujah road. Resistance fighters from outside the city concentrated their forces in that area and fired a powerful Tariq rocket at the Americans, scoring a direct hit that sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky from 1pm until 2:30pm Tuesday afternoon. The operation is a testimony to the close coordination between the Resistance inside and outside al-Fallujah.

At 1pm Tuesday the Resistance fired more than 30 rockets at one time on concentrations of US forces in the residential area as-Sakaniyah, the train station, and the area opposite al-‘Askari neighborhood where the US had an old eastern command post.

Iraqi Resistance forces killed 31 members of the puppet so-called “Iraqi national guard” when three Nissan pickups belonging to the puppet guards penetrated close to the al-Hadrah al-Muhammadiyah area on Forty Street. The collaborators were first captured and then executed by the sword as traitors. This operation demonstrated the ability of the Resistance to get in anywhere it wants in an area where the US forces supposedly are in total control inside al-Fallujah.

At dawn on Tuesday, Iraqi Resistance fire brought down a large US Chinook helicopter loaded with soldiers south of the ash-Shuhada’ neighborhood.

Resistance attack, US sweeps in al-Fallujah.

A heavy Iraqi Resistance bomb exploded on the main street in the al-Fallahiyah area, 5km west of al-Fallujah on the road to ar-Ramadi. The blast destroyed a Humvee and killed four US Marines.

US occupation troops carried out a wave of raids and inspections in the al-Bu Shajan area of as-Saqlawiyah by the wooden bridge. The invader troops found seven bags containing weapons, which they destroyed at about 7:30am local time.

From about 12:30am Tuesday morning until about 8am, US patrols were active in al-Fallujah, under the cover of US aircraft.

Resistance allows Iraqi companies brought in by Americans to clean streets and repair electric power in al-Fallujah.

US forces have brought in Iraqi companies to clean up the streets of the city from the mess left by the American offensive against the city. The US invaders have also allowed the Iraqi electric company back into the city to repair and restore electric power lines.

The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent reported that Iraqi Resistance fighters have not obstructed these companies that have come into the city, because they desire to have the city better prepared to receive the returning families who were driven out of it by the American assault.

There are reports that the Americans intend to open the residential road west of al-Fallujah that links the city with the village of al-Azraqiyah to civilian traffic starting from the middle of December. The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent in al-Azraqiyah reported that the US forces have divided the residential road into two lanes, one for pedestrians, the other for vehicles. These efforts reflect the desire of the US forces to end the battle in and around al-Fallujah that they have in fact lost. After weeks of US attacks the Resistance remains strong and in control of two-thirds of the city, while the US hold on the third where they do have a presence is tenuous.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Monday, 6 December 2004.

Al-Fallujah.

US orders Iraqi Red Crescent out of al-Fallujah.

US forces ordered the Iraqi Red Crescent of the city of al-Fallujah, and giving the humanitarian organization a deadline to quit the city by the end of Monday. The Red Crescent.

The Red Crescent had been set up in the ash-Shurtah neighborhood, but American forces had for some time been making it impossible for the organization to do its work. US troops put Red Crescent team members under virtual arrest, requiring them to get permission from the US military authorities even to clean out their quarters and throw out their trash – something that involved the making of three cell phone calls to obtain the necessary permission. If they failed to get permission for even such mundane operations, US snipers would shoot them dead as soon as they stepped out of their temporary residences.

Two water purification units came into al-Fallujah on Monday after the US military gave permission to the puppet so-called “Iraqi water ministry” to bring the two units into the eastern part of the city.

Moderate fighting in parts of al-Fallujah on Monday.

The correspondent for Mafkarat al-Islam in al-Fallujah reported on Monday night that moderate fighting broke out near the neighborhoods of ash-Shuhada’ and al-Jubayl in the south of the city. US aircraft took part in the fighting, but only weakly, in contrast to the way they participated in battles in previous days. The Americans also used fewer military vehicles in Monday’s combat than on previous occasions too. Not surprisingly, the US forces were unable to make any headway against the Iraqi Resistance fighters.

Five explosions shook the ash-Shurtah and al-Wahdah neighborhoods of al-Fallujah on Monday and clouds of thick, black smoke rose over the stricken areas. It appears that the blasts and smoke came from a Resistance attack in which SPG9 or RPG7 rockets were used, leaving several American military vehicles ablaze. Smoke continued to billow into the sky from the burning vehicles for a whole hour.

Intermittent gunfire was also heard throughout the city during the day, apparently the result of lightning Resistance ambushes on US troops.

Bombardments by Resistance forces around al-Fallujah on Monday.

Resistance forces on Monday fired some 21 missiles of various types at US concentrations in and around al-Fallujah. The bombardments began at about 8am Monday and continued intermittently until 6:30pm.

At 8:30am Monday, Iraqi Resistance fighters northeast of al-Fallujah – apparently the area around al-Karmah – fired five Grad rockets.

At 12 noon Monday, Iraqi Resistance fighters fired five more Grad rockets from the area of the River. Two Grad rockets were also fired at 2pm and three more at 5pm Monday. All these last attacks targeted US troop concentrations in the agricultural area and the environs of the railroad station, in addition to the US forces concentrated around the as-Sakani neighborhood.

Mortar rounds were launched from the areas west and south of al-Fallujah, but the precise number of the shells launched in those barrages is not known.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Abu Khaleel:

I had post 3 pied of informations of the Fallujah situation that I got from "Iraq Resistance Reports" There were also links to the sources.

For me, it seems to be truth. At least, more than the usual lies of CENTCON. What you opinion about it?

Best regards,
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Abu Khaleed,
I'm interested as well in your opinion about the reliability of these 'resistance reports' by the Baathist website al-Moharer. As you know, in this age a war is for a good part a war of information, and I suspect that those people haven't understood the full implications of it. Most people outside the US by now know that 'Coalition' statements about conditions & operations in Iraq are, to say the least, very 'economical with the truth', so it would seem to be a rather easy task for the insurgents to counter that with more reliable information. It seems to me, instead, that al-Moharer's 'reports' are merely triumphalistic, giving as they do greatly inflated numbers on the results of the actions by the guerrillas (giving as they do, for instance, 50 to 150 US troops killed everyday). Why do they do that? Since the US forces keep lying, why don't they just limit themselves to the telling of the truth, winning in that way the information war? Are there any 'cultural' aspects to this (pure rhetoric paying among the Arab masses outside Iraq, for instance), or is it a legacy of Saddam's regime (Comical Alì & all propaganda)? I'm very interested in your evaluation.
An Italian.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

To "Abu Information" (father of information - it is a joke...) and to Italian:

Actualy, the primary source of "Iraq Resistance Reports" is IslamMemo as indicated in the reports itself.

This site is translated and/or compiled by Muhammad Abu Nasr.

The "Mafkarat al-Islam’s correspondents" of these reports seems to be "embedded" with Resistance troops.

In the site Iraq War, we publish all the reports and some of us have the same preoccupation that Italian have.

But, by crossing information with a number of other sources (soldiers blogs, iraqui blogs, Internet foruns, Internet medias, death reports of local newspapers in USA, Syrian TV, BBC TV, other non American TVs, witness in Germany hospital, Internet videos, Internet photos and so) it seems to us these reports fit with the reality on the terrain. At least, it fits much more than American mainstream media or CENTCON usual lies.

For example, Abu told us a history about 6 Humvees destroyed by an Resistance ambush, that resulted in the death of a young Shiite officer of Resistance. How many USA soldiers were killed in that ambush? If there are 5 soldiers in any Humvee, maybe 30? Perhaps 1 or 2 deaths and the other were seriously injured (it means: permanently out of war)? Who knows?

Them, in my personal opinion, one must read "killed or seriously wounded" where was write "killed" in "Iraq Resistance Reports" to acquire the truth.

Abu: I am not asking you about that ambush, of course. My question is the the same of Italian: what your personal opinion about these reports?

Thank you in advance and

Best regards,

Alvaro Frota
PS: By the way, I published your three posts about the sunnite x shiite problem
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Circular,

Here's a tip an anti-American foreigner like you can use to remember "iraquna": put the "un" between "iraq" and "a"merica.

_____________________________________________

em dash,

Thank you very much for the sentiment and for the kind invitation. I will visit your site and make a contribution, if I can... but I usually come to this internet shop once a day for only two hours and as you can probably see, I already have my own plate full. Is your blog also read by "normal" Americans? The viciousness of the never-ending red-blue debate in America really discourages me!
_____________________________________________

"Hello" Anon,

You'd be surprised how many Iraqis are willing to accept (some would even welcome) a "police state" if it means some security and Law & Order. Sad? Yes, but this is how bad things are in Iraq now. The problem is that the present "police state" is itself a major source of chaos, lawlessness and disorder.

Whatever happens now, we seem to be in for quite a spell of living in one kind of police state or another. But not to worry, there seems to be plenty of Iraqi and American blood to use by "rosy picture" painters for a long time to come!

I must apologize to you and to other regular comment posters (both from the Left and Right!) but I will revert to my earlier policy of not getting involved in the comment section. I will keep the points and the questions you make in mind to address in the main posts.
_____________________________________________

Alvaro and Italian Anon,

I really wouldn't like to venture into something I don't know much about. I know for certain from my own personal observations that the official US army figures are not totally accurate. But I'm not sure about the other side – some of the claims in some of the sources seem to be widely exaggerated. I suppose anybody can establish a website and say anything they like. I have also been struggling to reconcile the differences between the official US casualties in Fallujah and the figures released by the US army hospital in Germany.

I suspect that the truth is somewhere in between. This would be a useful subject to discuss sometime. The components of information and disinformation seem to be exceptionally important weapons in this war used by both sides.


_____________________________________________

"Normal American" Anon,

Would you be so kind as to point out for me where I was celebrating anti-American remarks? Perhaps that would help me understand how a "normal" American thinks.

Allow me to offer some help: if you replace the word "normal" by the word "Saddamist" (a person who cannot distinguish between a government and the people) then perhaps the description of the American you have in mind would be more accurate. My blog is not directed to those people. I am not interested in appealing to them. In fact, I want nothing to do with any Saddamist, whether Iraqi or American.

I cannot help reflecting:… here I am, sitting in Baghdad receiving bombs, bullets and random violence all day and night long from your army (acting on orders from your administration) and from the terrorists (lured into my country by your administration) – yet I am trying to talk calmly to you. While you sensitive, normal American soul, sit in complete safety 10,000 miles away - get displeased and offended by my harmless exchange of pleasantries and humor with someone you disagree with. Will you think about that for a minute please?

A test that rarely fails: Fanatics of all colors usually lack a sense of humor. Try it!
 
_____________________________________________________________________

From Circular
"... get displeased and offended by my harmless exchange of pleasantries and humor with someone you disagree with." "... an Anti-American foreigner."
Is that me? I’m a foreigner? Me and 6 billion others? Shucks, we’d all better start minding our manners!
Not that it’s really worth arguing, but for any American who is paying attention, I would like to point out that if I say "Prohibition was a big mistake," you will doubtless agree that I’m not being Anti-American, just analytical. But if I say "invading Iraq without proper planning was a big mistake," then I’m not being analytical, I’m Anti-American? Along with 48% of the U.S. citizens who bothered to vote?
In words of one syllable: it’s not your coun try, it’s your cra zy gov ern ment we don’t like.
Ah, what’s the point, Abu?

I bet you won’t be able to stick to your resolution to stay out of the comments section.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Abu, hey it's impeachw, I forget my password it's been so long since
I been online.

I think of you guys day and night, and pray for your saftey. I just
wish I could stop these war crimes that dirty COWARD and his thugs
are commiting against you dear wonderful people. I go into a rage knowing my tax dollars are paying for this illegal massacre. I can only pray that someone will arrest him and bring him to justice in that war tribunal he's so afraid of. He's got a bounty on his miserable head, just like Kissenger, he can't go into any country that signed up for that court because of all his crimes against geez, vietnam, Chilli, Guatamla, actually any of our latin brothers and sisters. He's under house arrest basicaly. just like his buddy pionechte, he can't run and he can't hide. Everyone of his victims, and they are many want to get him in Abu Ghraib where they
belong.


Hey, I don't know if you've heard this rumor, I know the liberators don't seem to be able to keep the electricity on for more than a couple hrs a day. But you might wanna take a look at just what kind of democracy your new dictator, (saddam without the mustache)has in store for what's left of Fallujah's liberated free citizens.
Man, I'd get my family packed up and move out of there like fast as my feet could go. I'm serious, the election will not end the occupation. Move away from this madman I beg you.

Take a look at this:
Fallujah To Be A
Virtual Concentration Camp
A Phoenix Program For Iraq
The military has announced the plans it is considering to use for allowing Fallujans back into their city.
They will set up "processing centers" on the outskirts of the city and compile a database of peoples' identities by using DNA testing and retina scans. Residents will then receive a badge that identifies them with their home address, which they must wear at all times.

Buses will ferry them into their city, as cars will be banned since the military fears the use of them by suicide bombers.

Another idea being kicked around is to require the men to work for pay in military-style battalions where these "work brigades" will reconstruct buildings and the water system, depending on the men's skills
There will also be "rubble-clearing" platoons.

The intent of the U.S. commanders and Iraqi leaders is to make Fallujah a "model city."
here's a link
http://www.antiwar.com/jamail/?articleid=4126

and here
http://rense.com/general60/fallujahtobeavirtualcon.htm

God be with you my friend.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

To the Pro Americans --

Please understand, I do not have problems with Americans individually (OK, there are 1 or 2 that deserve a good punch on the nose, but whatever ...) but rather with the policies of your country. Instead of immediately condemning me as "ah, an anti American, he's not worth listening to" I urge you rather to ask other questions. Such as: are the (commendable) principles in my country's constitution reflected in my country's conduct abroad? Is what Bruno talks about a bunch of lies? (If so, feel free to point them out ;) ) Is my government lying to me ... and if it is ... WHY?

For example, I personally cannot understand how: the US backed Iraq under Hussein for many years, armed him, protected him from criticism, then turned upon him, and applied the screws through sanctions (vastly increasing infant mortality) while still retaining the right to bomb Iraq ... and then invaded said country in which it, the US, has important oil interests, while in succession trying unsuccessfully to install Chalabi, a caucus system and Allawi as ruling options (all undemocratic enterprises) ... yet ... the US still portrays itself as a force for democracy, and people still believe it.

Hey, is there lead in the water here, or what?

I respectfully suggest to American patriots that they wake up to the realities of US policy abroad. That they realise that this anti American backlash is largely of their own country's making. That yes, while your country embodies some really worthwhile ideals and precepts - that these ideals are not followed through in your foreign policy. THAT is the reason why us non Americans are, shall we say, pissed off. (And, I believe that capitalist models are superior in practice, if not in theory, to communist models. Before you all jump on me there. But there also comes a point when enough is enough.)

And hey, I fully understand the principles of national self interest. I have no problem with that. When I do start to get an ass cramp, however, is when foreign countries are militarily occupied in order to advance those national interests. Because, instead of relying on traditional American values such as a work ethic and wise fiscal policy to get ahead - you are coercing other countries into one way economic relationships. Instead of being a world LEADER through example and prudent council, your country aspires to be a world RULER through military might and leverage.

I have read PNAC, and similar think tank's papers. So don't tell me otherwise, because you will need far greater firepower than the TallDave's and Barry's and suchlike I have encountered to prove me wrong. I understand what the neo conservatives advocate, clear as day, and that is US world hegemony / rulership.

Now.

You decide.

Is that what you want or not? If it is not, then speak up, because I can't hear you. If it is, well, I cannot argue with raw force except for via raw force. And that's cool, at least we know where we stand with each other.
Fine.

But, please, don't try and cloak your aspirations in the ideals of freedom and democracy, because we both know that's a lie, OK?


Alvaro, Italian anonymous --

On the resistance reports. To my mind they are about as skewed as the CENTCOM reports. My reason is that there is no way such heavy casualties as those claimed by the resistance could go unreported by the media / blogosphere etc. Remember, there are people like Today in Iraq who trawl the net looking for casualties in local and often obscure newspapers. A second reason is the opinion of some pretty educated Iraqis, like Not Anonymous, who is very much anti occupation. If I recall, he trashed the resistance reports for Sammarra operations as simply unbelievable. We can try this out for ourselves: at the minimum claimed rate (50), 36 000 US soldiers have died in the 2 years of occupation, at the maximum (150) 108 000 have. These are obviously bullshit claims.

On the other hand, it is a fact that about 25 000 US casualties have passed through Landstuhl alone, and they don't send people all the way to Germany for paper cuts, to understate it just a little. Reports of those injuries there are horrific - we are talking about dismemberment, crushed skulls, smashed bones, 3rd degree burns etc. My personal interpretation: the usual wartime killed to wounded ratio of 1:3 has been stretched to 1:10 by the excellent medical facilities, armour and quick evacuation that the US disposes of. (which still leaves us about a thousand deaths short) However, it can also be debated whether one really prefers a soldier who is just dead as opposed to a paraplegic who will be dependent on Veteran's Aid for the rest of their life. Well, from an economic and morale perspective, anyway, not necessarily a moral one.

I agree that the truth is a very potent weapon if used correctly. For example, there is automatically an aura of doubt following so many misleading or plainly false pronouncements by the US authorities. Why fall into the same trap, I ask myself. A consistent approach to truth makes one's reports not only more believable, but also endows one with an aura of morality as opposed to untrustworthiness.

The truth probably lies in between the two extremes of casualty reporting, as per usual.



Abu Khaleel --

Thank you for continuing your blog. I have just two comments to make. (1) You need to organise it so that debates that have already been discussed can be linked to easily, clearly and rapidly. There is a constant stream of 'newbies', if you will, flowing through here who would undoubtably gain from such an organisational structure. The only problem is that it would take more of your patience and time, but in the long run it would make you more effective.

(2) Um, thank you for continuing your blog. You are a voice of reason amidst the wilderness. Do not lose hope. Not every American is a rabid war pimp; there are many out there who are aware of the behind the scenes machinations. And there are many out there that do not know any better. I suggest to you that discussing Iraqi politics and the mechanics of occupation are not at the forefront of American passtimes ... yet ... should one of these individuals want to know more, at least your voice can be an Iraqi voice that they can hear.

You have been dispossessed of power in your own country; do you want to lose your voice as well?

Don't lose heart!
 
_____________________________________________________________________

To Fathom and F. from Amsterdam

"Fun reading? yes.
Productive? ehhhh."


Maybe I’m naive, but it seems to me that this sort of international communication in the middle of a "war" is something relatively novel, potentially useful and worth pursuing - it’s better than just sitting in front of the TV anyway. And more power to Abu for sticking with it. Are you expecting too much, too soon, in the way of consensus and mutual understanding?
There was a Barry on this blog a while ago - doubtless a nice enough guy, but an instinctive U.S. patriot and prone to abusive language. Some of us worked on him patiently, and we got a bit of useful dialogue going, he admitted to a few doubts. He eventually went away in disgust, but I like to think that something useful was achieved. So maybe it’s worthwhile going round in circles a bit.
Regarding being "anti-American," how about this: I wondered whether "foreign" posters like Bruno and me were being a bit rude jeering from the sidelines, so to speak. But then I thought no, if the champions are playing very badly, with a terrible game plan, isn’t it legitimate fandom to shout a bit of abuse? (Specially after a few beers.) It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re rooting for the other team.
(Whoever they are: Terrorists? Muslims? Anti-Americans? Leftists? Ach, der schweinhundes!)

Circular
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Abu Khaleel,

Thank you for entertaining my invitation to post at Liberal Street Fight.

As to your inquiry about whether "normal" Americans read and comment at LSF, it is certainly our desire to encourage that dialogue by featuring writers and commentary across the political spectrum. Currently, our daily columnists represent unaffiliated voters, Democratic, Green, and Libertarian Parties, and are fairly evenly divided by gender, ethnicity, geographic region, age and political experience; one writer is an American citizen living in Romania and several registered members reside in Canada, UK, and Western Europe. I have invited several Republicans/Conservatives to guest post but have yet to receive an affirmative response. I will continue in that endeavor as I believe it is important for all viewpoints to be expressed and defended.

If it would be more convenient for you, I would suggest that you simply cross-post your Iraquna essays to LSF and trackback to your own site. A few of our current writers employ this strategy with good success in increasing traffic to their own blogs.

We have a rapidly growing following thanks, in part, to our "affiliation" with Daily Kos which receives nearly 400,000 page views per day.

Thank you again for considering my request. If you would prefer to continue this conversation privately, I may be reached at emdash AT liberalstreetfight DOT com.

Best regards,

em dash
editor, Liberal Street Fight
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Thanks for the entertaining and enlightening commentary. It certainly is discouraging to see that many people get so entrenched in their views that they are unable to every change their minds, but it is nice to see dialogue which is actually fairly well thought out and to the point.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Circular to Fathom

"I suspect it's less about persuasion and refining a position and more about reveling in one's own "brilliance"."
Is that a dig at me?
When you look at the drooling nonsense going on in the comments of say "RaedintheMiddle" or "HealingIraq," or the real venom attracted for some reason to "RoseinBaghdad," I suggest that this Blog is definitely catering to mainly a better class of client, so to speak - I don’t think its accurate to characterise the last few pages as "polarised to extremes beyond reality," there’s some dialogue and exchange of information going on.
I think (hope?) that we can try to take our tone from that of the author. That’s what I’ve tried to do - and Abu seems to have enjoyed my attempts at a bit of humour to lighten the atmosphere.

Your previous posts are for me a bit ambiguous - I’m not clear where you are coming from.

It still seems to me that Rumsfeld’s "you go to war with the army you have" is the most revealing Administration statement since the start of this affair. I’m reminded of the fact that in 1943 there was pressure from some of the Allied leadership, plus from Stalin and some of the British public, for a "Second Front Now." Fortunately wiser heads prevailed, and Eisenhower went to war in 1944 with something more like the army he wanted, not the army he had.
Even so, he had a communiqué ready for June 6 1944 accepting full responsibility for the failure of the invasion if that happened. That seems to be real leadership.

Does the U.S. have that sort of leadership today?

Sorry to end on a note of egotistic humour, but that’s me I guess.
"What’s that funny churning noise?"
"Don’t worry, it’s just Eisenhower and Truman and Roosevelt, spinning in their graves."

So comment on that.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Circular to Fathom
Congratulations! I see on looking further back that I dumped on you a few Blogs ago for what I considered to be an opaque writing style, but you seem to be firing on all cylinders now, your last thought is very interesting.
Regarding extremism, and the war barely existing, an acquaintance who’s just visited the U.S.A. remarked that he didn’t meet any moderates - everyone he spoke to seemed to be either passionately for or passionately against Bush and the war, rather than indifferent as you imply. Any comment on that?
And regarding sacrifice, is there any sense in which, after 9/11 I guess, the Bushies have tapped into a sort of Orwellian 1984 compulsion to be perpetually at war? Some kind of "us versus the rest of the world" paranoia? Is that where their support is partly coming from?
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear Abu Khaleel:

It seems the al-Fallujah Batle is far from the end. Have not you listen rumors or something?

Excuse me for the long post, but I think the whole destiny of Iraq is now in al-Fallujah.

Is Al-Fallujah the Stalingrad of the Americans?

What your opinion about Mafkarat al-Islam?

If you wish to answer my questions privately, my e-mail is alvarofrota@terra.com.br

Thanks in advance.

Álvaro Frota

--------------------------------

Al-Fallujah - Saturday, 18 December 2004.

Resistance fighters inflict heavy casualties on US forces in large offensive on northern al-Fallujah.

In a dispatch posted at 12:25am Sunday morning Mecca time, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that US forces had issued another appeal to the al-Fallujah Resistance to surrender and lay down their weapons. A Resistance commander in the city said that the US appeal told the Resistance fighters, “you still have a chance to surrender. We know that you love live and love peace. So we advise you to abandon your weapons and surrender. This will be the last chance for peace between us because families are demanding that you lay down your weapons so that you can return home. All the Iraqis know the truth about you. You are driven by love of money and desire for high offices. The Iraqi elections are before you, so get yourselves ready if you want a position. If you want money we guarantee you a chance to work. Life is before you. Don’t die a slow death. We care about your lives because you have been deceived.”

Resistance commander Abu Nur said that the Americans repeated their call three tiems and the Resistance response was to fire rockets and mortars at them. The barrage was accompanied by calls of “God is greatest” issuing from the mosques.

Asked about US losses in the all-out Resistance attack on the north of al-Fallujah, Abu Nur replied that fighting began to die down at about 2:15pm. Resistance fighters began returning to their positions of concentration in the southern part of the city. The attacks destroyed 73 US tanks and armored vehicles and more than 35 Humvees.

Abu Nur said, although we’re talking about the Resistance pulling back to its positions in the south, they also launched attacks and ambushes as their main body was falling back. So the figures on US losses are just preliminary. They lost more than 290 killed just on the battlefield alone, Abu Nur said. That doesn’t count those killed by the Ababil, Tariq, and Grad rockets.

The Resistance succeeded in totally destroying the al-Fallujah train station, Abu Nur told Mafkarat al-Islam, by bombarding it with three Ababil rockets. Those razed it to the ground. One of the correspondents brought to al-Fallujah by the Americans reported that the train station had been flattened with all those inside. A cameraman said he was nearby and wanted to film it, but the US forces hit him and prevented him from taking the pictures. They then drove him away from the place, threatening to kill him. The cameraman had no estimate of the number of people killed in the attack. The train station, however, was regarded as an important site that the Resistance was always shelling because it was a center for the US troops and their military vehicles.

Abu Nur said that 63 Resistance fighters had been killed in Saturday’s great assault on the northern part of the city. Forty-three of the fighters were Iraqis killed in the front and rear lines of the fighting. The remaining 20 Resistance fighters were Arab fighters from Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Yemen. They all were in the front ranks. Abu Nur added that all the Resistance martyrs were buried in one place because of the shortage of space.

Abu Nur’s claims regarding US losses are confirmed by the fact that at 10:05pm Saturday night an American military column entered Baghdad, made up of 100 tanks and armored vehicles and 50 Humvees.

Resistance launches “ferocious” assault on US forces in northern al-Fallujah.

In a dispatch posted at 3:20pm Saturday Mecca time, Mafkarat al-Islam reported that the Iraqi Resistance had launched its biggest offensive since the second siege of al-Fallujah began at the US forces concentrated in the northern part of the city. Mafkarat al-Islam reported that 1,400 Resistance fighters were taking part in the attack that has struck the Americans from all sides in a blow that clearly caught them totally by surprise.

Earlier on Saturday (see earlier story below) the Americans massed forces inside the northern part of the city, in which they have a presence, so that journalists could film public relations scenes to back up their claims to have assumed control over the city. The American troops brought in 40 al-Fallujah refugee families from al-Karmah, al-Azraqiyah, and as-Saqlawiyah, and with them members of the puppet police from Baghdad in order to show the press that they had now let the refugees back into the city after totally pacifying it.

The Americans rushed the 40 families and the journalists out of the city again when the Resistance began its assault at 10am local time.

The Resistance has mounted two lines of attack. One is the line on the ground in which 1,400 fighters are taking place. The other is from the air, in the form of barrages of Ababil, Tariq, Grad, large and small Katyusha, SAM 7, SAM 9, single, and quadruple barrel rockets. The rocket barrage is centered on US forces concentrated in the following open areas: around the train station, around the ash-Shukr Bridge, and across the highway. The rockets are being launched from the southern part of the city which is controlled by the Resistance – specifically, the neighborhoods of ash-Shuhada’, an-Nazal, and al-Jubayl.

At the moment he was writing his report, the correspondent said that thick black smoke was billowing up on all sides from the northern half of al-Fallujah. The correspondent described the barrage as “ferocious.” He noted that the Resistance forces had fired more than 30 of the extremely destructive Ababil rockets alone, just between 10:30am and 12:35pm.

Resistance sharpshooters took out 15 American snipers as of 12:30pm Saturday.

A US soldier spoke to a Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent outside al-Fallujah to the north, and described the Resistance barrages as “ferocious and relentless.”

Another US soldier to the east of the city near then strategic al-Butita store houses – the farthest point that the Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent has gone from the city – said that the Resistance bombardment was “a relentless attack, such that the city has not seen before.”

A Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent saw a US soldier urinate in his trousers when a massive Ababil rocket exploded 300 meters away, shaking the earth.

Another American soldier said that US clergymen had come to the base to the east of the city to offer prayers and absolution, because the level of fear and terror is incredibly high. The soldier then said, “I’d like to know who are those people who throw themselves on tanks and armored vehicles? Are they human, or made of steel, or animals?”

An American officer told a Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent, “the return of the families to al-Fallujah has become impossible due to the intensity of this attack.” This statement constituted American acknowledgement that they do not control the city, contrary to claims by the American occupation command in Iraq.

US mounts huge publicity show in northern al-Fallujah.

The US occupation forces brought in a large number of journalists on a huge convoy early on Saturday morning, apparently in order to present a propaganda show on their “victory” in al-Fallujah. A spokesman for the Iraqi Resistance told the Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent that Resistance intelligence observed a massive American column of more than 1,000 military vehicles driving into the northern part of the city. They came along the road from Baghdad, crossing the as-Sukkar “ash-Shukr” bridge, the correspondent said in a report posted at 12:15pm Saturday, Mecca time.

Resistance commander Abu Nur said that the huge column was made up of Abrams tanks, Bradley armored vehicles, and Humvees. It began coming into the northern part of the city at 4am Saturday, local time, and the last vehicles pulled in at about 7:30am. The US vehicles spread out into the neighborhoods of the north of the city, concentrating in the neighborhoods of ash-Shurtah, Nuwwab ad-Dubbat, al-‘Askari, al-Wahdah, al-Muhandisin, al-Andalus, al-Jaghifi, the first and second al-Mu‘allimin neighborhoods, festival square Sahat al-Ihtifalat, the united car garage, Ta‘s Na‘‘umi, and the 7th of April neighborhoods.

Abu Nur said that US snipers deployed atop about 500 houses in the northern part of the city.

Despite the security, Abu Nur reported that the US column was attacked four times during its progress. It was bombarded by Resistance mortar rounds of various calibers from the beginning of its arrival until it was finished.

At 5:15am Resistance forces attacked the column in front of the Shaykh Khan Darri building in Khan Darri village in the Abu Ghurayb area, destroying nine tanks and two Humvees.

An Iraqi Resistance detachment attacked the column in the adh-Dhahab al-Abyad village area also in Abu Ghurayb at 6:30, destroying a huge transport truck that for carrying tanks and disabling one of the tanks that was loaded aboard it.

At 7am Resistance fighters in al-Karmah attacked the column, destroying four of the massive tank transport trucks (each carrying two tanks). These three Resistance attacks killed 12 US troops.

The Mafkarat al-Islam correspondent in the area outside of al-Fallujah met some journalists who had refused to enter the city with the column. They said that they refused out of fear of the fighting that was erupting. They said they were watching Resistance missiles rocketing towards the US forces for two hours. Some of them said that they refused to enter al-Fallujah because they believed that the occupation forces were intent on using them to film a theatrical show on the “stable situation” in al-Fallujah.

Mafkarat al-Islam’s correspondent commented that he did not know whether these latest events were simply an American attempt to show the world that the situation is now “stable” in al-Fallujah, by filming US troops thickly deployed within the northern part of the city, or whether they are preparing for some large-scale attack on the Resistance, or indeed whether the Resistance will take the initiative and attack these fresh occupation troops.
 
_____________________________________________________________________

Charles, you see the world as a TV Cartoon: Mr. America against The Terrorists.

Mr. America is always correct. He never kills an innocent. If he kills one, the innocent immediately turns to be a terrorist.

And Mr. America is immortal. He never dies. If he dies, his corpse immediately turns to be enemy propaganda.

Then, the good always will win against the evil!

It even amaze me that the majority of Americans are credulous people like you. Perhaps the world is alike the Matrix Movie... Then, all that I can say is: Good dreans, Charles. And never take the red pill!
 
_____________________________________________________________________