Cedric's Big Mix

Thursday, January 21, 2016

She inspires hatred

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

CRANKY CLINTON'S CAMPAIGN IS IN SO MUCH TROUBLE, EVEN BIG DAWG IS WORRIED.

AS HE EXPLAINED TO THESE REPORTERS, "I KNOW SHE'S NOT LIKABLE BUT PEOPLE DO KNOW HER. I KNOW THEY DON'T LIKE HER. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN NOT LIKE HER MORE TODAY THAN THEY USED TO, YOU KNOW? IT'S LIKE SHE INSTILLS BLIND HATE IN PEOPLE."

ASKED WHAT HE SAW IN HER, BIG DAWG GREW SILENT AS HE REFLECTED FOR A MOMENT BEFORE LAUGHING AND SAYING, "HONESTLY, BOYS, I WAS DROP DEAD DRUNK THE DAY OF MY WEDDING. I COULD'VE MARRIED ELMER FUDD AND WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN ANY DIFFERENT."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Barack Obama's plan for Iraq is bomb, bomb some more and send US troops in.

That's clear by today's Defense Dept announcement:

Strikes in Iraq

Attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 14 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Habbaniyah, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL building.

-- Near Haditha, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL vehicles.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed ten ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Mosul, three strikes destroyed nine ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL command and control node, and two ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Ramadi, six strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit, suppressed an ISIL mortar system, denied ISIL access to terrain, and destroyed an ISIL mortar system, three ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL rocket-propelled grenade system, two ISIL vehicle bombs, an ISIL building, two ISIL heavy machine guns, an ISIL tunnel entrance, two ISIL petroleum oil and lubricant trucks and an ISIL front end loader.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike destroyed four ISIL command and control nodes.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

And the lack of a real plan for anything more than more of the same is clear in the talk as well.

In an apparent chatty mood yesterday while flying into Paris, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter talked with reporters. Dan Lamothe (WASHINGTON POST) reveals the chatty Carter declared that more US troops will likely be headed to Iraq ("The president has indicated that wherever there is additional opportunity to make a difference according to the strategy, we'd be willing to do that") and that this is due to the 'success' in Ramadi. Andrew Tilghman (MILITARY TIMES) notes, "U.S. military officials are in high-level talks with the Iraqis about potentially sending hundreds of additional troops to Iraq for training and supporting the upcoming invasion of the Islamic State group’s stronghold in Mosul."

It's no longer just Ash Carter going public, Kristina Wong (THE HILL) reports:

The United States might send more trainers to Iraq to help local forces retake Mosul from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a U.S. defense official said Wednesday.

"The reason we need new trainers or additional trainers is because that's really the next step in generating the amount of combat power needed to liberate Mosul," said Army Col. Steve Warren, a spokesman for the ISIS effort.

Carter's remarks came up in today's US State Dept press briefing moderated by spokesperson Mark Toner.

QUESTION: And in fact, today – I think it was today – Secretary Ashton said – Carter said that they are also looking for Arab countries to participate in the training and equipping and so on. But you talked about the urgency of the situation – we remember as far back as last spring when they were talking about --

MR TONER: Right, Said, but I mean --

QUESTION: -- liberating Mosul and so on.

MR TONER: Right.

QUESTION: But the longer you wait, it seems that the longer that ISIS can also establish roots in the ground.

MR TONER: Well, I mean, I would argue the opposite. I mean, with the systematic and steady approach that the Iraqi forces – again, with our assistance and with other members of the coalition’s assistance – have been making against ISIL, they’ve been losing ground. They’ve been losing territory. And we’re going to keep applying pressure. That’s something we’ve talked about. But you can’t let – I mean, there’s just an urgency overall. Certainly, cultural preservation is part of it, the preservation of historical sites is part of it. But it’s also, as I said, the constant threat that these innocent civilians under their rule or under their brutal dictatorship are suffering that also lends urgency to our mission.

The 'success' isn't a 'success.'

Iraqi forces are still trying to clear the area of the Islamic State.

Victory was declared before it was earned.

Secondly, as photos of the area demonstrate, the real 'winning' fighter in that battle was . . . War Planes. US war planes bombing Ramadi.

The city is in ruins.

It is so bad that Iraq's Shi'ite and Sunni leaders are saying no battle can result in the 'Ramadi option' again.

But a whorish press in the US has allowed the lies of Ramadi to stand so Barack can claim that he's building on 'success.'

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

She did it for the children!

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

CRANKY CLINTON GOT CAUGHT WITH HER PANTS DOWN AGAIN AND AS AMERICA HOLLERS AND RECOILS, SHE INSISTS SHE'S DONE NOTHING WRONG.

THE LATEST SCANDAL? THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S FOUND THAT SHE DID HAVE CLASSIFIED MATERIAL ON HER SERVER.

REACHED FOR COMMENT BY THESE REPORTERS, CRANKY INSISTED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

"IS IT A CRIME," SHE ASKED, "TO WISH YOUR DAUGHTER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN AN E-MAIL? NO. NO, IT IS NOT. AND IT'S NOT A CRIME -- OR CLASSIFIED -- TO PASS ON INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP HER OR HER HUSBAND. I AM A MOTHER. A GRANDMOTHER. AND I NEED TO HELP MY CHILD AND HER CHILD. AND THAT'S ALL I'M GUILTY OF. AND MAYBE HELPING SOME OTHER CHILDREN TOO. BECAUSE I'M ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

The report's getting some attention. THE ATLANTIC notes:

Thousands of civilians in Iraq have been killed, maimed, or displaced over the last two years, according to a new United Nations report. Between the start of 2014 and October 31 of last year, 18,802 Iraqis were killed, 36,245 were wounded, and 3.2 million were displaced. Islamic State fighters have enslaved about 3,500 others, mainly women and children, and forced hundreds of children to fight alongside the group’s militants.

CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCY puts it this way, "A new United Nations report has tried to count the civilian toll of continuing conflict in Iraq, largely at the hands of Islamic State militants, and the numbers are 'staggering'." Ishaan Tharoor (WASHINGTON POST) words it like this, "The United Nations released a report this week detailing the "staggering civilian death toll in Iraq" over the past two years. It found that nearly 19,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the Islamic State's insurgency flared at the beginning of 2014, while some 3.2 million Iraqis have been displaced." At USA TODAY, John Bacon offers similar crap.

Nabih Bulos (LOS ANGELES TIMES) does a little better covering the report:

The violence has also displaced more than 3 million people, a full third of them school-age children, the report says.
It also documents a litany of abuses and human rights violations, whether at the hands of Islamic State or the sectarian militiamen fighting alongside the government to reclaim areas under the Sunni extremist group’s control.

Teresa Welsh (US NEWS & WORLD REPORTS) probably does the best job:

Iraqi forces and militia members battling the Islamic State group are allegedly responsible for abuses against civilians that have contributed to the chaos in the war-torn nation over a nearly two-year period, according to a new U.N. report.
Violence in the country has surged since the Islamic State group's rise in 2014: A U.S.-led coalition has been battling the extremists primarily through airstrikes, while security forces and militia members have waged a war further inflamed by sectarian tensions on the ground. According to Tuesday's report from the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, nearly 19,000 civilians have been killed and another 36,000 have been wounded in Iraq between January of 2014 and the end of October last year, with the Islamic State group bearing much of the blame.

Let's go to the report itself because truth is always the best protection from propaganda:

Violations and abuses committed by pro-Government forces
UNAMI/OHCHR has received reports of abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law perpetrated by pro-Government forces.
ISF and associated forces are bound to respect applicable international humanitarian law in the conduct of military operations. UNAMI/OHCHR continues to receive information that some military operations appear to have directly targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure or were carried out without taking all feasible precautions to protect the civilian population and civilian objects. Reports received by UNAMI/OHCHR also indicate that some associated forces have been operating largely outside of Government control and have perpetrated abuses against civilians, including killings, abductions and destruction of property.

Iraqi forces and their actions include:

Police raids and arbitrary arrests
UNAMI/OHCHR received reports of IDPs, mostly from Kirkuk city, who were able to access safe areas but were subjected to arbitrary arrests in raids by security forces. For example, on 3 June, security forces in Kirkuk conducted a raid in the Wahad Huzairan neighbourhood in Kirkuk city and arrested 71 IDPs on suspicion of terrorism or trespassing public grounds. The arrested individuals were from Salah al-Din, Anbar, Basra, Diyala and Baghdad. Such raids and arrests were frequent in the southern neighborhoods of Kirkuk city where there was a large number of IDPs. The arrested individuals were oftentimes released after a day or two in detention.
On 16 July, security forces in Kirkuk conducted a raid in the Khadhra'a area, in the southwest part of the city. Reportedly conducted as a precautionary measure, the raid took place the eve of the Eid holidays. Seventy-nine individuals were arrested, most of whom were IDPs residing in Kirkuk city. The security authorities allegedly had received information about suspected terrorist activities before and during Eid holidays. Seventy-nine individuals allegedly had received information about suspected terrorist activities before and during Eid holidays. The arrested individuals were released within two days and without any charge.
On 27 August, police forces conducted a raid in al-Askari neighbourhood, in the southeast of Kirkuk, and arrested 53 individuals, most of whom were IDPs. They were detained in Domiz polic station and were released after a security screening and background check.
On 1 September, 42 individuals, most of whom were IDPs, were arrested during a raid in the Wahed Huzairan neighbourhood, a predominatly Sunni Arab area in Kirkuk city. A total of 31 individuals were arrested for not being registered, not having identification documents, or having fake documents. Eleven others were reportedly wanted for suspected affiliation with ISIL.
On 22 September, security forces conducted a raid in Quriya area of Kirkuk city. According to sources, the raid was conducted in neighbourhoods close to the Kirkuk government building, including Quriya, Shatorlu, Ommal Square, Almas and Sahat Tayran. A total of 68 IDPs from different governorates were arrested, with a significant proportion coming from Tuz district in Salah al-Din. They were arrested for various reasons, including illegal entry into Kirkuk, failure to register with the Ministry of Displacement and Migration (MoDM), and failure to present proper identification. Another source stated that security concerns prompted the raid based on the proximity of a large number of IDPs to the Kirkuk government building. According to security sources, all 68 were released on 22-23 September.

The report also notes:

Unlawful killings
UNAMI/OHCHR received a number of serious allegations of unlawful killings committed by ISF and associated forces. These incidents included alleged attacks and reprisals against persons believed or perceived to support or to be associated with ISIL.
For example, on 9 June, a video was posted in social media showing a group of men, wearing what appeared to be Iraqi Federal Police uniforms, burning a cadaver and shouting sectarian chants. Sources informed UNAMI/OHCHR that the corpse was found near al-Alam sub-district in Salah al-Din, during the operations to liberate Tikrit, in February. In the video, those seeting fire to the body were heard saying the deceased's name and that he was a Saudi citizen. They were also heard saying that this was a gift for the people of al-Hasa and Qatif (areas in Saudi Arabia where there are a significant number of Shi'a Muslims).
In a similar incident, a video was posted online purporting to show members of the Shi'a Imam Ali Brigades burning the body of a man hanging by his feet in the town of Garma, northeast of Fallujah, in Anbar. In the video the perpetrators accused the man of being a member of ISIL. According to a local source, the video was shot in the town of Garma. According to another local source, the man killed was a member of ISIL from Fallujah. UNAMI/OHCHR could not independently verify the incident nor the authenticity of the video.

And it notes:

Abductions
UNAMI/OHCHR received reports of abductions allegedly perpetrated by pro-Governmnet forces against Sunni tribes or individuals.
For instance, on 16 July, a group of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) members entered Jalludiyat village in Dujail district in Tikrit in Salah al-Din, and abducted 12 civilians from the Kharzraj tribe (which is a Sunni tribe) reportedly due to a tribal conflict between two families. The brother of a tribal leader was among those abducted.
On 17 July, unidentified armed men abducted a civilian in the al-Askari area of Tuz Khurmatu district in Salah al-Din. The victim was a Sunni Arab IDP from Sulaiman Beg sub-district, south of Tux Khurmatu. On 18 July, unidentified armed men abducted another civilian in the al-Askari area. The second victim was also an IDP from the Sunni Arab community from Hilewat village in Tuz Khurmatu district. Sources strongly asserted to UNAMI/OHCHR that militia members were behind both these abductions.
On 28 July, armed militia members abducted three civilians on the main road between Abu Saida sub-district and Baquba. The victims were Sunni Arabs from the Zuherat tribe and included the son of a tribal leader.
On 1 September, armed militia members wearing black uniforms stopped police and army vehicles that were transporting at least 40 detainees, all Sunni Arabs from Salah al-Din. The militia stopped the convoy near Balad district, Salah al-Din, after firing warning shots into the air and at the tires of the vehicles. They then physically assaulted an disarmed the security forces. The abductees have been arrested in June for terrorism-related offenses and had been detained in the Brigade 17 Iraqi Army detention centre in Dujail, Salah al-Din. Reports further stated that, at the time of their abduction, the detainees were being transferred to Baghdad.
In the early morning of 27 September, a convoy of 20 pick-up trucks carrying masked gunmen in military uniform arrived in the Alb-Tua'ma area of Hujjaj village, in Baiji district, Salah al-Din, and forcibly took at least 28 civilians from the area -- which is inhabited by members of the al-Jubour tribe. The victims were all males from the al-Jubour tribe. A source indicated that they were taken in a systematic manner, based on a list of names produced according to intelligence and security information. All abductees allegedly had current or past affiliation with ISIL or family connections associated with ISIL. Other sources reported that the masked gunmen who took the civilians were militia.
On 22 October, PMUs abducted at least 175 civilians from the Askari and Tin areas of Tuz Khurmatu district, Salah al-Din. The victims were Sunni Arabs, who had been displaced to Tuz Khurmatu since June 2014. The operation started at sunset, with people grabbed during house-to-house searches and in the streets, taken to PUMs facilities in Sulaiman Beg and Yengija village, and kept there for two days for questioning. On 23 October, the bodies of three abductees (a Police officer and two civilians) were reportedly found in the Askari area. Around 130 of the abductees were released; the others remained captive at the time of reporting. The operation was conducted without arrest warrants or coordination with local authorities.

There's more and we'll be noting a little bit more tomorrow.

But it's past time to grow the hell up.

The mock outrage over ISIL's actions?

Tonight ABC aired a Marvel promo for an hour -- Captain America at 75. And it included a million and one lies. Chief among them, how brave it was for Captain America -- the comic book hero -- to take on Adolf Hitler.

It's a comic book hero.

It's not a person.

More importantly, a magazine decrying a foreign leader is always easy to do -- especially when the domestic government is against the foreign leader.

They also wanted praise, please note, for taking on Richard Nixon.

But Nixon wasn't shown in the comic book. And our 'witness' told us that everyone knew it was Nixon even though Nixon wasn't shown.

Again, it's easy to slime a foreign leader. (When they're despised -- justifiably so in the case of Hitler -- it's even easier.) Guts might have been showing Richard Nixon when Captain America was decrying him -- guts for the artists doing the comic but not for the comic book hero who, again, is not a real person.

The Islamic State is a terrorist organization.

Documenting their abuses should be easy and something anyone can do without any great ethical challenge.

The United Nations report notes consistent patterns of abuse by the Iraqi government.

That needs to be spotlighted, it needs to be front and center.

You do not excuse away a government committing crimes against its own civilians.

You do not act as though that's nothing or that it's a sidebar.

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"THIS JUST IN! THE JESSICA SIMPSON CONNECTION!"
"Blondes stick together"

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Blondes stick together

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

CHELSEA CLINTON, FAMOUS FOR BEING IF NOT FOR HAVING DONE, TOOK SPOILED RICH GIRL TO NEW HEIGHTS AS SHE ATTACKED SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.

OF COURSE, SHE DID NOT A THING SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

IN FACT, AS BLONDE MOMENTS GO, IT'S RIGHT UP THERE WITH JESSICA SIMPSON PONDERING WHETHER STARKIST TUNA WAS CHICKEN OR TUNA.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

"ISIS has gained affiliates faster than al Qaeda ever did," Mike Morell declared today. "From nothing a year ago, there are militant groups in nearly 20 countries that has sworn allegiance to ISIS."

The former CIA deputy director was speaking before the House Armed Services Committee.

The Committee Chair is US House Rep Mac Thornberry and US House Rep Loretta Sanchez was the Acting Ranking Member for the hearing. Along with Morell, also appearing before the Committee was the former Under Secretary of Defense Michael Vickers and former US Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford.

The focus of the hearing?

Acting Ranking Member Loretta Sanchez; The influence of ISIL is spreading. I think we have to -- we have to get our heads around that and we also see other extremist groups that are beginning to align or coordinate with ISIL from North Africa and that is a problem. So in general, I would say that the international community, the US, Democrats, Republicans, we're trying to really grapple with how we define, how we handle, what is the best way in which we defeat this evolving situation of ISIL and aligned groups.

Sanchez repeatedly stressed the need for a strategy to confront the Islamic State -- a clearly defined one.

In plain speak: Where's the plan?

Today, the US Defense Dept announced:

Strikes in Iraq
Fighter and bomber aircraft conducted 19 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq’s government:

-- Near Baghdadi, one strike cratered three ISIL-used roads.

-- Near Habbaniyah, one strike destroyed an ISIL bridge and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Mosul, eight strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and an ISIL cash distribution center and destroyed two ISIL command-and-control nodes, an ISIL tactical vehicle, and 20 ISIL fighting positions.

-- Near Qayyarah, one strike destroyed an ISIL command-and-control node and destroyed six ISIL staging areas.

-- Near Huwayjah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL vehicle.

-- Near Kisik, three strikes struck three separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL light machine gun, two ISIL fighting positions, an ISIL vehicle, and an ISIL assembly area.

-- Near Ramadi, two strikes destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb, two ISIL front end loaders, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Tal Afar, one strike destroyed an ISIL-used bridge.

Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Since August 2014, US President Barack Obama's answer has been?

To drop bombs on Iraq.

Two months prior, he had insisted publicly that the only answer to Iraq's crises was a political solution.

But he quickly shoved that aside.

His focus has been on bombing and more bombing.

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Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Hillary boasts

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

CRANKY CLINTON IS SAID TO BE FACING LEGAL ISSUES AND POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CHARGES.

REACHED FOR COMMENT, CRANKY SCOFFED AT THE POSSIBILITY INSISTING, "NO PEN IN THE WORLD COULD HOLD ME. AND NO ONE'S EVER MADE CHARGES AGAINST ME STICK. SLICK WILLIE? CALL ME TEFLON HILLY! NOTHING STICKS! NOT EVEN ON A BLUE DRESS! YOU KNOW M.C. HAMMER? HE WROTE 'YOU CAN'T TOUCH THIS' ABOUT ME."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Iraq was slammed with violence today. REUTERS counts a minimum of 51 dead in Baghdad and the eastern town of Muqdadiya. MIDDLE EAST EYE explains, "Three bloody attacks struck Iraq on Monday evening, with gunmen raiding a Baghdad shopping mall, a bomb rocking a busy market in the capital and further bombings killing at least 20 in a town north of Baghdad."

Of the violence, Judy Woodruff (THE NEWSHOUR, PBS) notes, "It began with a car bomb and suicide blast at the Jawhara Mall. That touched off a 90-minute gun battle before security forces gained control. To the north, another suicide attack killed two dozen people. Ten more were killed in other bombings." Muqdadiya is a town in Diyala Province. Of the violence there, Mu Xuequan (XINHUA) reports, "Up to 23 people were killed and 44 others wounded on Monday in two coordinated bomb attacks at a coffee shop in a town in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source told Xinhua."

Hamdi Alkhshali (CNN) notes, "ISIS claimed responsibility for both bombings in statements posted on its media site."

DEUTSCHE WELLE observes, "The bombings and attacks on Monday left the biggest death toll in three months. Without naming IS, Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan blamed 'this terrorist group after they suffered heavy losses by the security forces'." In light of today's attacks, ALL IRAQ NEWS notes, Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, has called on the Baghdad Operations Command to re-examine their security plans.

U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Iraq

Press Statement

John Kirby

Washington, DC

January 11, 2016

The United States condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism today in Iraq, including a suicide bombing and hostage-taking at a mall in Baghdad for which ISIL has claimed responsibility and two separate suicide attacks in Muqdadiyah. We express our deep condolences to the survivors and to the families of the victims.
These attacks once again display the utter disregard ISIL has for the lives of innocent civilians. We stand united with the Iraqi people as they confront the scourge of violent extremism.
The United States remains committed to working with Prime Minister al-Abadi, the Iraqi Security Forces, and our Coalition partners to support Iraqi-led efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL.

On Muqdadiyah, Diyala Province has been placed under curfew. The unrest includes:

Dropping back to Sunday:

Though many Americans have tuned out since 2009, they need to be paying attention.

Muhanad Seloom ‏@M_Seloom 7 hours ago

Graphic Shia Militias cut off a Sunni man's ear to show how "tough" they are with suspects of terrorism. #Iraq

View media

60 retweets 18 likes

And it is graphic.

And guess what?

You don't have the right to look away.

The New Arab Verified account ‏@The_NewArab 4 hours ago

#Iraqi militiamen cut off captive's ear http://goo.gl/Di3xUO

2 retweets 3 likes

When Iraqis don't have the right to safety in their country because thugs were put in charge by the US government and thugs continued to be backed by the US government, you don't have the luxury of looking away.

Above?

That's outrageous.

There's no legal justification for it.

Not even in the joke that is the Iraqi legal system.

What happened should result in immediate prosecution.

Those are War Crimes.

The prime minister of Iraq, Haider al-Abadi, should be denouncing the crimes.

Any refusal to do so should result in the US Congress exploring whether or not they should continue their support of Haider's government.

Haider didn't not denounce the War Crimes.

John Kirby didn't even acknowledge them in today's US State Dept press briefing.

You can be sure Sunnis across the Middle East are aware of the silence.

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"THIS JUST IN! CRANKY CLINTON PREPARES TO NOT BE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG!"
"Cranky to walk away from Big Dawg"

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Cranky to walk away from Big Dawg

BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE

IS THE BIG DAWG ABOUT TO FACE A FULL ON BILL COSBY?

THOSE RUMORS HAVE SOME WORRIED.

BUT NOT HIS WIFE CRANKY CLINTON.

IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW THIS EVENING -- MUST CREDIT BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- CRANKY INFORMED THESE REPORTERS THAT SHOULD BILL CLINTON BECOME A PROBLEM FOR HER CAMPAIGN, SHE WILL DROP HIM IMMEDIATELY.

NOT ONLY THAT, SHE WILL DENY EVER KNOWING HIM.

HAVING MARRIED HIM IN THE 70S AND BEEN FIRST LADY WHILE HE WAS PRESIDENT, WE QUESTIONED HOW SHE COULD SUCCESSFULLY CLAIM TO HAVE EVER KNOWN HIM.

CRANKY LAUNCHED INTO ONE OF HER TRADEMARK CHARMING CACKLES BEFORE REPLYING, "BOYS, WHAT LIE HAVEN'T I TOLD SO FAR? AND I ALWAYS GET BELIEVED."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with terminology.

One definition of "distraction" would be "a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else." That's the definition we're interested in today.

From December 31, 2015's "Those never-ending victory laps:"

I guess every day is going to be about declaring and celebrating the liberation of Ramadi -- since it was first claimed on Monday and until the day finally comes that it is liberated.
Point of fact, it's still not liberated.
But every day, the limited amount of time the world press spends on Iraq is taken up by tales of Ramadi's liberation.
And so much more gets ignored.
For example?
IRAQI SPRING MC reports counter-terrorism forces in Diyala shot dead a female civilian in front of civilians and Iraqi troops.
Or how about a new flashpoint developing?
IRAQI SPRING MC notes troops being sent to Basra. This comes as NATIONAL IRAQI NEWS AGENCY notes MP Abd al-Salam al-Maliki is calling for the declaration of a state of emergency in Basra arguing the situation there is turning into a crisis.
But by all means, let's all waste another day declaring Ramadi liberated (when it's not).

That's how the year ended -- and with no western press coverage of Basra, to be very clear.

Nine days later?

Sinan Salaheddin (AP) reports, "Fear has become part of daily life amid a surge of violence in Basra, where rampant crime, kidnappings and extortion have become commonplace. Marauding Shiite militiamen drive around in cars with tinted windows and without plates, while local clans wage bloody feuds."

Basra's struggling and, in part, that's said to be because Iraqi forces are being deployed elsewhere in Iraq.

Such as?

Ramadi.

See the Iraqi forces are like the western press -- they apparently are small in number and can only focus on one thing at a time.

How does Basra fall off the radar?

Or has everyone forgotten this photo op?

‏@HaiderAlAbadi

PM Al-Abadi visits West Qurna 2 in Basra and adopts new measures to enhance security for international oil companies 

RETWEETS38
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11:46 AM - 18 Aug 2015

From the August 22, 2015 snapshot, "Iraq Times reports the reaction to citizens in Basra which was to protest Haider's visit. The activists noted that he traveled all the way to Basra to reassure Big Oil but he did not meet with a single local protester to address the concerns that have had them pouring into the streets for the last weeks. The report notes that the British and US Ambassadors to Iraq had lobbied Haider to visit Basra to reassure Big Oil. As Iraq Times also notes, just north of Basra is where a protester -- protesting against Big Oil -- was shot dead by security forces working for yet another foreign oil company in Iraq."

And the protests? They continue in Basra. ALSUMARIA reports Friday saw continued protests there against the government's corruption.

Yes, the western press should have been paying attention to Basra last year.

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