Cedric's Big Mix

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tell us the fairy tale one more time

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

OVER 12 HOURS AGO, STORIES LIKE THIS BEGAN APPEARING.

THEY ARE "STORIES" AND NOT "REPORTS" BECAUSE THEY ARE FAIRY TALES.

ONCE UPON A TIME, SOME TIME THIS WEEK, FADED CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O WILL CURB N.S.A. ILLEGAL SPYING.

FAIRY TALES.

REPORTING TELLS US WHAT'S HAPPENING.

FOR 12 HOURS, THIS STORY HAS DOMINATED THE 'NEWS' CYCLE DESPITE NO ANNOUNCEMENT FROM BARRY O OR THE WHITE HOUSE.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Nouri's Iraq has another first. As with all his other firsts, it's not good news. Maya Rhodan (Time magazine) reports Iraq has a confirmed polio case, "A six-month old baby near Baghdad was paralyzed as a result of the debilitating virus, which is generally found among children under five years old." IRIN notes it's been 14 years since Ira had a "confirmed case of the virus." And they quote the World Health Organization's Iraq mission head, Syed Jaffar Hussain, declaring:

Knowing that Iraq itself has a lot of security challenges and large amounts of population movement, internally and from outside, this presents a major public health challenge in the country.
We do have a worry that other children may have been infected and that is why we are going door-to-door in the area where this child lives in order to collect samples to see if the virus has spread.

In other news, Robert Scheer's Truthdig runs a piece by CIA contractor Juan Cole where Cole insist:

It just baffles me that failed Neocons like Dan Senor are still given a hearing inside the Beltway. ABC News actually interviewed Senor, the spokesman for the Bush administration’s illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq on the Crimea crisis!

The necons? The ones who teamed with conservatives (traditional ones) and Democratic Hawks and neoliberals to sell the illegal war? Trash like Juan Cole will never call out neoliberals, et al., but he'll make sure everyone knows the term "neocon."

As for disappointment?

I think it's disappointing that people who cheered on the illegal war continue to be treated as though they're wise or informed.

I mean people like Juan Cole.

He can fool everyone he wants today but even he knows that when push came to shove he was whoring for the Iraq War.

It was over eight years ago that Steve Rendall called him on it during an interview broadcast on the February 9, 2007 of CounterSpin.

Steve Rendall: Professor Juan Cole, you've expressed some reservations about US withdrawal from Iraq. How do you reconcile that with the people poll done by the University of Maryland that finds that strong majorities of Iraqis -- both Shia and Sunni -- want the US out.

Juan Cole: Well, first of all, you're misreading my position. Uh, for a year and a half now I have been maintaining that the US should withdraw from Iraq. I supported [US House] Representative [John] Murtha's position -- and indeed I believe I preceded it -- which is the US should make an orderly withdraw from Iraq and what I oppose -- and I think anybody should oppose -- and something very worrying -- would be for the US to pull precipitously out of Iraq, just pull up stakes and get out in a rush and let the chips fall where they may because this would be a very bad idea.

Juan loves to rewrite the record, he loves to reinvent and spin yarns and do everything except tell the truth.

When the illegal war started 11 years ago, CIA contractor Juan wrote that "the removal of Saddam Hussein and the murderous Baath regime from power will be worth the sacrifices that are about to be made on all sides" (click here for Wikipedia and his attempts to justify and rewrite what he wrote).

No one was punished or harmed for advocating for the illegal war which is why it's so shameful that Robert Scheer publishes Cole at Truthdig. The MSM protected their own and promoted 'left' bloggers who supported the Iraq War so for an outlet like Truthdig to present the lies of Juan Cole is very upsetting.

Lies?

Juan Cole is a damn liar. He's so very fond of thinking he can intimidate everyone into going along. I'm not cowed by a pudgy bitch like Juan, so sorry.

He writes today:

Senor had the unmitigated gall to blame President Obama for “Iraq unraveling”!!

Let’s see. The American administration of Iraq fired 100,000 Sunni Arabs from their jobs, abruptly abolished the whole Iraqi army, closed all the major state-owned factories, coddled corrupt Shiite politicians, and generally plunged the country into a massive civil war, which at its height was killing 3000 civilians a month and was responsible for 2 million being displaced abroad and 4 million internally, in a country of 26 million.

Not gall, mind you, but unmitigated gall.

That's a strange argument to present but because Dan Senor is correct in the argument. But before we move to facts -- those things that cause Juan to break out in hives -- let's just examine what Dan Senor did that was so wrong.

According to Juan Cole, 'historian,' it is wrong for Senor or anyone to blame Barack for the state of Iraq.

If Barack can't be blamed for it, he also -- pay attention -- can't be praised.

But in January 2010, Uninformed Boob Juan Cole was declaring the Iraq War was over and Barack had won it.

I wouldn't have called the Iraq War ended then (it's ongoing even now) and I wouldn't have declared Barack had won it.

At that point, I'd already called Barack out for entering into negotiations with terrorists (League of Righteous) and agreeing to release their leaders (so that they'd turn over British hostages -- all but one was turned over as a corpse). And I'd called him out for lying about the Status Of Forces Agreement. But, in January 2010, I never said, "He is losing the war!"

In March 2010, it would be different.

That's where Barack ensured the current state of Iraq.

Parliamentary elections took place. Even with the media (western media) in his pocket, Nouri and his State of Law still lost to Ayad Allawi's Iraqiya. Nouri screamed voter theft and insisted on a recount which didn't change the results.

So Nouri decided he'd just refuse to step down. He refused for 8 months (this was the political stalemate and Iraq set the world record at the time for the longest duration between an election and the formation of a government).

During this time Barack backed him. More than that, he had US officials broker The Erbil Agreement. The legal contract provided Nouri with a second term as prime minister in exchange for Nouri agreeing to certain demands of the political blocs. For example, the Kurdistan Regional Government demanded that Article 140 be implemented (referendum and census on disputed and oil-rich Kirkuk).

Barack had no business overriding the votes of the Iraqi people or going around the country's constitution to provide Nouri with a second term.

And the man who planned her life
Commanded all that followed
Well they bellowed and they hollered
And they threw each other down
-- "Memorial Day," written by Carly Simon, first appears on her album Spy

Today's problems stem from this. It was Barack's decision (urged on by Samantha Power) and he owns it. It cannot be explained away or wiped away.

The administration got the blocs to sign on by insisting the contract had the full backing of the White House. Vice President Joe Biden gave his word personally to Iraq President Jalal Talabani. And the day after the contract was signed, when, in the session of Parliament, it appeared Nouri was refusing to honor it, Ayad Allawi walked as did many other members of Iraqiya.

At which point -- pay attention, Juan Cole -- Barack personally called Allawi and made promises that led to Allawi returning to Parliament and ending the walk out.

But Nouri refused to honor the contract. He used it to get his second term and then his lawyer and his spokesperson both began announcing the contract was illegal (it probably was -- it was extra-constitutional) and so Nouri didn't have to honor it.

By the summer of 2011, aware that the White House and Barack were not backing the contract they insisted they would, the Kurds, Moqtada al-Sadr and Allawi went public demanding that Nouri follow the contract.

He refused.

In April of 2012, they began publicly exploring a vote of no confidence in the Parliament. Moqtada made clear publicly that Nouri could stop the effort at any point by implementing The Erbil Agreement.

He didn't and, per the Constitution, the groups began gathering the signatures needed for a no confidence vote. They got the needed number and then some.

The vote would take place.

But the White House was pressuring Jalal, insisting the vote could not be allowed to go forward. They offered (empty) promises and made demands. Suddenly, Jalal announced that it was his job (it wasn't) to verify every signature. On top of that, he created another new step not in the Constitution, "Did you mean to sign it?" Clearly, if the signature was their own, they meant to sign it.

But Jalal would insist that several, during the verification process, stated they would not sign it today. So he was striking their signatures.

That's not how it works.

They don't have to vote against Nouri in the vote but if they signed it, they signed it. Change of heart (due to the spread of US money) doesn't let you undo your signature.

The people spoke in 2010, they did not want Nouri. The US re-installed him via a legal contract they swore (in November 2010) that they would back. By 2011, the White House was ignoring it (and also insisting it didn't matter since Nouri had promised publicly not to seek a third term -- Nouri's a whore, his word means nothing). In 2012, Kurds, Shi'ites and Sunni politicians agreed to pull together and use the means provided in the Constitution to recall Nouri. The White House demanded this not happen.

Juan Cole is a liar.

All of the above has brought Iraq to the brink yet again.

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Saturday, March 22, 2014

She wants the youth vote

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

TODAY, NOTED WAR HAWK HILLARY CLINTON STOPPED DROOLING OVER THE PROSPECT OF U.S. SOLDIERS IN UKRAINE LONG ENOUGH TO GO TO ARIZONA IN AN ATTEMPT TO SEEK THE YOUTH VOTE.

THE POLITICIAN WHO TURNS 67 THIS YEAR INSISTED SHE COULD WIN THE YOUTH VOTE EVEN THOUGH SHE DIDN'T IN 2008 WHEN SHE WAS 6 YEARS YOUNGER.

STUDENTS PRESENT OFFERED DIFFERING VIEWS.

BERNDINA JONES DECLARED SHE WAS IMPRESSED, "SHE CERTAINLY HAS A LOT OF ENERGY FOR HER AGE. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW MRS. ROOSEVELT WAS STILL ALIVE. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO HER HUSBAND FRANK?"

LAWRENCE HAYES WAS LESS PLEASANT AND OFFERED, "I DON'T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO SEE THE CRYPT KEEPER AS THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

This week was the anniversary of the start of the illegal war. But, in the United States, there was very little notice of that. Why? Thursday night, Kat posted, "The US media forgets Iraq to sell war on Ukraine and Syria."

While the American media was silent, US Labor Against the War was not:

With heavy heart and renewed determination, the officers, staff, and affiliates of U.S. Labor Against the War mark the eleventh anniversary of the outbreak of the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. For many Americans, the withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq at the end of 2011 marked the end of U.S. involvement with, and responsibility towards, the Iraqi people. We disagree.
Even though our combat forces are out, the war continues to have catastrophic effects in Iraq, and for the families of tens of thousands of U.S. veterans. Millions of Iraqis grieve the loss of loved ones killed by the U.S. military, while Americans mourn the deaths of thousands of our soldiers.
The sectarian violence wracking Iraq has its immediate origins in the ignorant and hubristic policies imposed by U.S. occupation forces. The sectarian factionalism encouraged by the U.S. occupation has paralyzed the Iraqi political process, presided over by a dysfunctional government. Depleted uranium from U.S. munitions is a continuing, widespread, and profound threat to the Iraqi environment and people, and to returning U.S. troops. Iraqi workers, 80% of whom work in the public sector – the oil industry, transportation, heavy manufacturing, hospitals, schools, ports, social services - are forbidden from organizing unions and engaging in collective bargaining because the U.S. kept in force the 1987 Saddam Hussein decree that prohibits public sector workers from organizing unions. All this and more is the legacy of a war that has not ended for Iraqis, for which the American people and our government must take responsibility.
The war, now officially over for more than two years, continues to have catastrophic effects in the U.S. as well. Our Iraq war veterans suffer loss of limbs and eyes, long-term traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder. They suffer from homelessness, unemployment, and suicide disproportionate to their numbers in society. The economic wellbeing of the country is threatened by the overhang of debt created by the reckless funding of the war and the distorted federal budget priorities that fund U.S. militarized foreign policy, instead of devoting those resources to urgent domestic human needs.
As we reflect on the terrible continuing effects of the Iraq war, we in U.S. Labor Against the War commit ourselves to continuing and deepening our partnerships within the labor movement and with peace, veterans, and community organizations. We will continue to work with our partners in the Iraqi labor movement and Iraqi civil society. We will not turn away from our longstanding commitments to peace and justice in Iraq, and for our veterans and the American people. We are determined to end our country’s militarized foreign policy, no matter where our government seeks to apply it, and to promote true security for our people through universal education, health care, and modern infrastructure.
These are our commitments as we mark the eleventh anniversary of the U.S. war in Iraq.

Another who wasn't silent? Abby Martin. She did cover the illegal war's anniversary. She spoke with Iraq War veteran Ryan Endicott about the war on her show Breaking The Set (RT -- here for the episode at Hulu). Excerpt.

Abby Martin: In a speech you gave in 2009 called "Just Another Tuesday," you recount your experience as an infantryman in Iraq and that you were once punished for arresting a man instead of killing him. Can you expand on this?

Ryan Endicott: Well, you know, I was on post when this Iraqi came through my door in the post, I was at the Government Center in Ramadi which is the capital of the Anbar Province where Falluja is. And when this man came into my post, at that point, I had been standing my post and somehow he had gotten through all the other security measures and gotten to my post. And so, you know, when I arrested him and put him -- detained him, my command told me at that point that it was my fault that I should have killed him. He was in an area that is completely restricted for civilians. No questions asked, it doesn't matter if he had a gun, that's out the door, the fact is, I should have killed him. And you know, for me during that time period, that was really tough for me to deal with it. I had to go through all the repercussions and treated as though what I did was wrong and, you know, how I was called a "girl" and all sorts of pejorative terms around this situation. And so after that situation, what I think is really important is that this is just one instance of that. And like how many soldiers across this country are coming down with orders from command telling them to commit these crimes, telling them to kill people -- who don't have weapons -- specifically because of where they are specifically because of how they've impacted this sort of post. And so what is shows is there's a whole policy around the idea that-that soldiers can kill or can murder someone that doesn't have a weapon and that's totally explainable by the command.

One could argue Nouri al-Maliki learned to attack the Iraqi people by watching the US actions in Iraq. That would explain his ongoing attack on Anbar Province and his lack of remorse over the deaths of so many innocent civilians. As Betty noted, 15 civilians died and forty more were injured on Thursday in Falluja due to Nouri's mortar attacks and bombings of residential neighborhoods. NINA reports that Nouri's bombing of residential neighborhoods in Falluja today left 3 civilians dead and eleven more injured.

Earlier this month in Genevea, a number of people and organizations addressed the issue of Iraq before the United Nations Human Rights Council. BRussells Tribunal has a page with the remarks on Iraq in text as well as videos of the remarks being delivered. We'll note this statement which the Geneva International Centre for Justice offered:

Thank you Mr. President.

We thank the Special Adviser for his ongoing efforts in raising awareness on genocide and in preventing this crime. It has been said that significant progress has been made in the prevention and punishment of genocide - but recent events have shown that we still have a long road ahead of us. The current situation in Iraq is a clear example. It was described as rapidly plummeting towards genocide.

Since the US-invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the De-Ba’athification process, attacks based on discrimination and sectarianism have become major elements in the country’s politics. This tensed situation escalated at the turn of the year 2013/2014 with a military operation undertaken by the Iraqi government in the province of Al-Anbar, under the pretext of combating terrorists.

Mr. Special Adviser, an important element of the prevention of genocide is the identification of the early warning signs of this crime.

Signs have shown for long enough now that the Iraqi forces are targeting a certain religious group. The authority promotes domination over the government by those affiliated to its own religious beliefs, while treating the opposition with utmost hostility and brutality. It has become obvious that the onslaught against supposed terrorists is a cover for the annihilation of the group opposed to the increasingly discriminating policies of the current authorities in Iraq.

The acts of the government find their roots in official speeches which are filled with sectarian rhetoric. Such rhetoric clearly shows the intent to eradicate a certain group.
This raises serious concerns as the situation clearly fulfils the elements of the crime of genocide.

We would like you, Mr. Special Advisor, to consider this alarming issue in your work.
We also wonder why, inspite of these distressing events, the UN has not yet taken firm action to relieve the plight of the victims of the Iraqi government’s attacks. The UN must not wait the occurrence of a situation similar to what happened in Rwanda.
We therefore plead that the situation in Iraq be addressed immediately by the Council. In particular, we call on the Special Adviser to urgently take all adequate measures.
I thank you for your attention.

The issue does need to be addressed immediately, the people of Anbar are being terrorized. This was supposed to be a 'brief' campaign but it started December 30th and still isn't over -- despite the fact that national elections are supposed to take place next month.

These are War Crimes that Nouri's committing but noted anti-Sunni Patrick Cockburn can't call him out on that. He can smear Sunnis as killed -- he can does in his most recent article -- but the most he can offer to criticize his would-be lover Nouri al-Maliki is that "the government" (not Nouri, some other head of the Iraqi government that the world missed) released a fake video showing they were in control of Falluja when the footage was actually of Afghanistan.

Patrick Cockburn's desire to have his ass joined to Nouri's cock is mind blowing. But he needs to stop pretending he's reporting. He slams the protest movement as a front for terrorists forgetting to note that his love master Nouri killed children last April.

That would be the April 23rd massacre of a sit-in in Hawija which resulted from Nouri's federal forces storming in. Alsumaria noted Kirkuk's Department of Health (Hawija is in Kirkuk) announced 50 activists have died and 110 were injured in the assault. AFP reported the death toll eventually (as some wounded died) rose to 53 dead. UNICEF noted that the dead included 8 children (twelve more were injured).

Even when his biased mouth managed to leave Nouri's crotch long enough to report on Hawija (long after the massacre), Lie Face Cock Burn couldn't tell his readers that the dead included 8 children.

Apparently, when you're Paddy Cock Burn, you know better than UNICEF.

Or else you just don't care when children are killed.

Paddy Cock Burn has been allowed by the British newspaper the Independent (ha!) to conduct a war against the Sunnis in print. He's gone after them repeatedly and lied repeatedly. When he hasn't lied, he's left out major points that would demonstrate Nouri was a criminal thug.

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Friday, March 21, 2014

He thinks he's Cher!

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

FADED CELEBRITY BARRY O USED HIS MIDDLE NAME TO CLOBBER RIVALS IN 2008. TODAY, AS HE PLANS FOR HIS VANITY LIBRARY, HE INFORMS HE IS DROPPING "HUSSEIN."

REACHED FOR COMMENT TODAY BY THESE REPORTERS, BARRY O STATED, "IT'S LIKE CHER, YOU KNOW? I'M DROPPING THE 'O' AS SOON AS I LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE AND DIVORCE MICHELLE. LET HER KEEP HER OWN NAME. I'LL BE JUST 'BARRY'."

REMINDED BY THESE REPORTERS THAT THE "O" WAS FROM HIS LAST NAME, BARRY O ASKED, "IT IS?"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

The Associated Press notes, "Ten years ago: Hundreds of thousands of people worldwide rallied against the U.S.-led war in Iraq on the first anniversary of the start of the conflict." 964 Eagle adds, "179 British servicemen and women died during operations there." The number of US service members and military personnel the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning]: 4489. Iraq Coalition Casualty Count lists 139 for "Other" countries who sent troops into Iraq. The number of Iraqis killed in the illegal war?

That's a tough one. For one thing, efforts were made to discredit the accepted social science model when it was used for a study The Lancet carried which reported a million deaths. Information Clearing House notes, "Number Of Iraqis Slaughtered In US War And Occupation Of Iraq '1,455,590'."

But the main problem with a body count? The war hasn't stopped in Iraq.

For example, these events today:

Bombings?

AFP notes, "Late night bombings at a Baghdad cafe left 13 people dead, officials said Thursday." National Iraqi News Agency reports a roadside bombing left two police members injured in Mosul, and an Alshallalat car bombing left 1 Peshmerga dead. All Iraq News reports a Ramadi sticky bombing left 1 police officer dead.

Shootings?

National Iraqi News Agency reports an assassination attempt on Colonel Khaled Kinnear in Eshaqi left two of his bodyguards injured, 1 member of the police shot dead in Baquba, assailants in Iraqi military uniforms kidnapped Mayor Salah Sabhan and his son from their homes and killed them outside Hawija, a roadside bombing left two police members injured in Mosul, an armed clash in Jurf al-Sakar left 5 rebels dead and one police member injured, Joint Operations Command announced 8 suspects were killed on the "outskirts of Fallujah," Diyala Police announced they killed 6 suspects "in villages south of Buhriz" and an Alshallalat car bombing left 1 Peshmerga dead, and 2 corpses were discovered in Mosul ("signs of torture").

Corpses?

National Iraqi News Agency reports 2 corpses were discovered in Mosul ("signs of torture"). Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reports that "five bodies that were found shot dead in the heads and chests in al-Shirqat, a community about 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Baghdad."

Today, the US Embassy in Baghdad issued the following:

U.S. Embassy Baghdad

Office of the Spokesperson

For Immediate Release
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad strongly denounces the most recent series of reprehensible acts of terrorism victimizing innocent Iraqi citizens throughout country, including particularly brutal attacks in Hilla, Karbala, Wasit, Mosul, Tuz Khormato, Baghdad, and Anbar. In recent weeks hundreds of Iraqis, including women and children, have been killed or injured by terrorists who pursue their goals through the senseless slaughter of the innocent.

We extend our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and hope for a rapid recovery for those who were injured. The United States stands with the Iraqi people and will continue its robust support of the Government of Iraq in its fight against terrorism.

They condemned terrorism. But not Nouri's terrorism. Still they addressed Iraq which is far more than the US State Dept and the lazy ass journalists attending today's State Dept press briefing bothered to do.

Apparently, they couldn't think of a question. NINA reports the military shelling of residential neighborhoods in Falluja left ten civilians ("including three children") injured. Maybe the reporters present could have asked just how many civilians are going to be killed or wounded by Nouri with weapons the US provides?

Maybe they could have asked spokesperson Jen Psaki exactly how long the administration intends to pretend that Nouri's actions aren't War Crimes?

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Thursday, March 20, 2014

She wants to live the glamorous life

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

PRINCESS BARRY O ANNOUNCED HE WAS ALL TUCKERED OUT.

HE HAD TO DO THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW THIS WEEK.

"PEOPLE THINK ALL I DO IS WATCH HOUSE OF CARDS, GAME OF THRONES AND MAMA'S FAMILY ALL DAY," THE DHALI BAMA TOLD THESE REPORTERS. "IT'S NOT ALL THAT SIMPLE. SOME TIMES I'M OVERBOOKED AND HAVE TO DO AN INTERVIEW AND HAVE A MANI-PEDI AND STILL TRY TO SQUEEZE IN A FEW HOURS OF DRESS UP. PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW HARD I WORK."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Hugh Gusterson (Truthout) has an important piece on the lack of Iraq coverage in the US news media and how it gets covered when it does get covered it's very hollow coverage that is phoned in and always grasps at "al Qaeda" as the possible culprit and that passes for an 'explanation.' Gusterson observes:

In other words, this article normalizes the violence in Iraq. By disconnecting the violence from the Iraqi political process, it renders it politically unintelligible and somehow intrinsic to Iraqi society. Like hot summers, it just is. It is as if a journalist reported IRA bombing attacks without mentioning that Irish Republicans felt they were oppressed and disenfranchised by the British government and Anglo-Irish protestants. Once you take away the political logic of violence - which US journalists never did to US military forces in Iraq - then you are left with the illusion that violence is being carried out for violence's sake.

It's a good analysis, very good, make a point to read it in full.

News isn't wall paper.

That's a point a friend at The Nation doesn't seem to grasp.

I called out Greg Mitchell in yesterday's snapshot and a friend with the magazine called to gripe that Mitchell is raising attention on Iraq with his bad reposts of information from 2002.

No, he's not.

And you're an idiot if you think he is.

Greg's garbage is so bad that The Nation won't print it. They just toss it online.

Well, here's the thing.

There's a ton of stuff online already if anyone's looking for past history on the Iraq War -- that includes Greg's 'new' articles.

People clicking on Greg's tired retread due to interest in Iraq?

A small segment will feel their blood pump with lust and hatred and read through Greg's ancient history and relive their Bully Boy Bush hatred.

A larger group will just move on.

And not only will they move on -- because they already know this old story -- but they will also move on assuming that there's nothing new in Iraq because, surely, if there was anything that happened in Iraq in the last few years, The Nation wouldn't be boring us with tales of 2002 in 2014.

Greg's nonsense is harmful. It leave the false impression that there is no story in Iraq today -- that the country matters solely because of events leading up to the Iraq War.

Considering the absence of coverage in the US on Iraq, there is no excuse for The Nation magazine to print Greg's garbage. If he can't write about events of today or connect to the past to what's going on right now (Fatimah can and does at Carbonated TV), he doesn't need to be writing 'about' Iraq because all he does is create the false impression that time stopped in 2002.

The violence and suffering has not stopped for the Iraqi people. Through Tuesday, Iraq Body Count counts 585 violent deaths for the month so far.

Violence continues today.

Bombings?

Press TV notes, "In the town of Ishaqi, in the north of the capital Baghdad, four policemen were killed and four others were wounded as they were checking on a parked car that had a booby-trapped corpse inside. The body exploded after the officers opened the car door."   National Iraqi News Agency reports 3 Samarra houses were bombed today leaving 2 children dead and seven adults ("including two policemen, police officer"] injured, a Laitfiya sticky bombing left 1 person dead, an Alshura roadside bombing left 1 Iraqi soldier dead and two more injured, an Alfarisiys roadside bombing claimed 1 life and left four more people injured, an Albahbhan roadside bombing left 3 "army personnel" dead and four more injured, Baghdad Operations Command announced they killed 8 suspects, a Samarra bombing left 1 person dead and four more injured, and 2 western Baghdad bombings (Alnasr Wassalam area) left 1 person dead and five more injured,  Alsumaria notes the Wassalam (western Baghdad) bombing death toll increased by 1 to two people dead, and a Mosul grenade attack left two police members injured. In addition, All Iraq News reports:

Security source reported to AIN ''Nine mortar shells hit the houses of the civilians in several areas of Salah-il-Din province that resulted in killing five children, two women and four men.'
'''Seven IEDs were detonated targeting the houses of the police elements in Samarra city that resulted in killing (11) persons, among them four children and seven women,'' the source added.

Shootings?

National Iraqi News Agency reports an attack on a Tarqiah Village checkpoint left 3 Sahwa dead and two civilians injured, a Muqdadiyah attack left 1 police officer and 2 of his bodyguards injured, 2 people were shot dead in Taji, a battle in Jurf al-Sakar left 2 rebels dead, the Ministry of the Interior states that they killed 5 suspects in Jurf al-Sakhar, 1 Shabak was shot dead in Mosul, Baghdad Operations Command announced they killed 8 suspects,   federal police colonel Abboud dawood was shot dead leaving a Mosque in Jood Village at dawn, and, late last night, the "Imam of Sheikh Abdullah mosque [was shot dead], in front of his home south of Mosul." Alsumaria notes  2 separate shootings east of Mosul 2 bodyguards for a judge were shot dead.

Burned alive?

National Iraqi News Agency reports an Joint Operations Command boasts they they burned alive 10 suspects who were in cars they set ablaze.

Grasp that for a moment. Wrap your mind around it.

Pretend for a second that you're seven-years-old and one of the suspects killed -- burned alive -- was your father.

This is the how and the why of the creation of terrorism.

Your father was burned alive.

You grow up knowing that, living with that.

You didn't just lose your father because of a drunk driver, an illness or some horrible accident, the government killed him -- and they killed him by burning him alive.

And they announced it with gusto.

He wasn't even provided with one of the mock trials the current government's become so famous for.

You grow up with that and you grow up with desire for vengeance, a need to even the score.

And because of where you stand, in relation to the US-approved Iraqi government, you are judged to be a terrorist and your actions are judged to be terrorism.

Nouri al-Maliki's entire operation is breeding resistance and fighting. And since it hasn't worked throughout his first term as prime minister or the bulk of his second term, he's decided to double down and thinks he can kill off resistance faster than it can grow up.

That's not going to happen.

AFP notes, "In Wednesday's deadliest incidents, shelling by government forces in Fallujah and clashes in and around the city killed 15 people and wounded 40, according to Ahmed Shami, the chief medic at the city's main hospital." How many innocent people will die in Nouri's assault on Anbar before the US government slaps its forehead and exclaims, "Oh, yeah! Collective punishment, that's a defined War Crime -- by laws, including our own -- also by treaties -- ones that we've signed off on!"?

Because the US government is now a collaborator in War Crimes. The White House has ensured that by supplying Nouri with weapons to use against the people of Anbar. And to dress up an old saying, amnesia of the law is no excuse.

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"THIS JUST IN! IT'S A TOUGH LIFE FOR BARRY O!"

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

He is busy!

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

FADED CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O IS COMING UNDER CRITICISM FOR FAILING TO NOMINATE SOMEONE TO SERVE AS THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRELAND FOR OVER 18 MONTHS.

ONE CRITIC SAYS, "IT'S TOO MUCH GOLF AND NOT ENOUGH WORK. . . . IF HE KNOCKED OFF ONE ROUND OF GOLF HE COULD TAKE CARE OF IT."

AN ANGRY BARRY O RESPONDED TO THAT CHARGE TODAY, "WHAT'S NEXT? ASKING ME TO FORGO MY WEEKLY MANI-PEDI!"

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

The Nation magazine needs to stop begging for money to everyone who visits the website. They don't do anything worth paying for. They don't report, they just have a lot of commentary. We now know it's not truthful commentary thanks to Journolist revealing that Katha Pollitt who attacked Sarah Palin was actually impressed with Sarah Palin. She could say that in an e-mail list but she wouldn't say it at her outlet.

It's empty talk from empty minds.

As we noted yesterday, there was no report on Iraq filed in the US Monday. So when an e-mail says, "The Nation's covering Iraq," I'll check it out.

The Nation isn't covering Iraq. Greg Mitchell pulled from his bad book and p.r. release from seven years ago. There's nothing new in his trash can.

He can dig through it as long as he wants, but there's nothing new there.

He doesn't look smart copying and pasting the same tired paragraphs.

He looks even more foolish as The Nation has a pop up begging for your money , "Support us with a digital subscription" -- why?

So Greg can publish every week -- publish something already in the archives that he's added nothing to.

That's not even journalism. That's repurposing.

He lives in the past, he's consumed by it.

He whines that the media lied in the lead up to the illegal war (2002 through this month in 2003).

Can someone please take him out of the room because grown ups need to talk.

The US media didn't cover Iraq correctly in 2002 and early 2003?

What a shocker.

Meanwhile, in the real world, there's this.

That's Al Mada.

As we have noted repeatedly since Saturday, cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq on Friday to lead that protest against Nouri al-Maliki.

No one else has written about it in the US. Not USA Today, not CNN, not the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, McClatchy . . .

This is news. What Moqtada did was news. What the US media has done with it (ignore it) is news as well.

But Greg Mitchell keeps interrupting adult conversation to walk in the room desperately jerking on his limp dick that's apparently never ever going to get hard and fantasizing about 2002 when he had a real job at Editor & Publisher.

If you've got nothing new to offer, retire. Stop boring everyone by repeating your writing from a decade ago. You're not helping anyone.

Do we get that he can't even beyond March of 2013?

The lead up to the war reporting is not what kept US troops over there.

As we repeatedly noted in real time, the war porn of John F. Burns and Dexter Filkins (a War Hawk that 'left' outlets like MSNBC work to rehabilitate) kept US troops there.

Because they lied.

Filkins was present when White Phosphorus was being used on Falluja.

He never wrote about it.

Iraqis struggle with cancers and birth defects right now because of that.

But no one else can call out Filkins?

On the third day of this site in 2004, I wrote "It's just another day, another episode" about Filkins' awful propaganda -- which he'd go on to win an award for -- one he wouldn't today. In that piece, I noted Dexy got the military's approval, he let them vet his copy. That's why the Sunday paper included Dexy story's on the front page -- Dexy's several days old story: "The rah-rah piece carries the dateline "Nov. 18" in this story published in the November 21st edition. Allowing for the time needed to put together a Sunday edition, I'm still questioning that. The story was filed on the 18th (Thursday) and pops up on the 21st (Sunday). And there's the added detail, not provided in Dexter Filkins story, that Lance Cpl. William Miller died November 15th (http://icasualties.org/oif/prdDetails.aspx?hndRef=11-2004)."

Are we the only damn people who can call him out for that?

Danny Schechter gets credit for calling him out once. That's not a whole lot but it's one more time than Greg Mitchell ever did.

Even now, Greg Mitchell can't.

To be really honest, I consider people like Greg to be useless bitches.

They have neither the brains nor the spine to speak up when it's needed. They jerk off to nostalgia and pretend they made a contribution. They didn't even try.

Dexter Filkins lied repeatedly. When we started calling him out here, what did he do?

Started speaking sotto voice on campuses about how the paper wouldn't let him write about this or that. (He's now at The New Yorker.)

And, if true, I care why?

I don't.

The New York Times has been a cesspool for most of its life. You didn't need Iraq to learn that. Yes, Gore Vidal was much more caustic critiquing that rag among friends but he wrote strong enough criticism about the paper to explain it was an arm of the US State Dept. So forgive me for not being impressed with Greg Mitchell's early onset of dementia.

If people had held Filkins accountable instead of offering excuses for him (I'm being real damn kind here and not calling out _____ because I remain friends with his father), he would have had to have gone public with the truth instead of spending years on campuses telling what he should have been writing about.

If the American people had known how poorly the illegal war was going, they would have turned against it sooner. Liars like Dexy and Burnsie prolonged the illegal war. We pointed that out repeatedly. One example, "2006: The Year of Living Dumbly (Year in Review):"

What Miller (and others -- including Gordo) did in the run up to the war is important, is historical. But in 2006, if you're going on a radio show to talk about the war and the press or doing so in print, you need to be able to cite something a bit more contemporary than articles that ran in 2002 and 2003. As we've long noted here, if (IF) Judith Miller and her crowd got us over there, it was the Dexter Filkins that kept us there. But, outside of Danny Schechter, name a media critic that addressed Filkins.

If it was depressing in 2006 to see the limited space granted the topic of Iraq be wasted on pre-war conversations, it's shameful that eight years later, lazy asses think they can go to the well yet again.

It's tired, it's old, it's moldly.

You write it because you're too damn lazy to do any work. You're writing the same damn article over and over for over a decade. It's not journalism, it's Groundhog Day. It's not even bad journalism and it's certainly not worth anyone digging in their pockets to try to pay for this garbage.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2014

That hard working Barack!

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

SOME PEOPLE SAY FADED CELEBRITY BARRY O IS NOT WORKING. THEY SAY HE HAS NOT IMPROVED THE ECONOMY. SOME SAY HE HAS FAILED ON FOREIGN POLICY.

TO ALL THE DOUBTERS, THE DAHLI BAMA SNAPS, "HOW DO YOU LIKE ME NOW?"

TOMORROW HE WILL ANNOUNCE HIS PICKS FOR WINNERS IN THE NCAA'S MARCH MADNESS.

"AND PEOPLE DOUBT I AM WORKING HARD?" BARRY O ASKED THESE REPORTERS AS HE SHARED THAT HE ALSO PLANS TO USE MARCH TO MAKE HIS PREDICTION ON HOW THIS SEASON OF REVENGE WILL END.

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Starting with the news that Western 'news' outlets still refuse to convey. Saturday, Moqtada al-Sadr led a protest.

That's Dar Addustour.

That's Alsumaria.

That's Al Mada.

Moqtada al-Sadr returned to Iraq on Friday. Western media avoided that as well. Look at the photos, note the massive turnout.

Then note the massive silence from US outlets -- three days of silence now.

There's the reality of news and then there's the manufactured crap the Western media tries to shove down your throat.

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"Barry O's the hottest bitch in this place"
"THIS JUST IN! HE'S THE HOTTEST BITCH IN THIS PLACE!"

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Barry O's the hottest bitch in this place

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

FADED CELEBRITY IN CHIEF BARRY O TOOK TO CELEBRITY COUNSELOR RYAN SEACREST TO EXPLAIN THE NATION'S BIGGEST CONCERN.

"I'VE BEEN UNFAIRLY MALIGNED ABOUT MY JEANS," WHIMPERED STARLET BARRY O. "THE TRUTH IS, GENERALLY I LOOK VERY SHARP IN JEANS."
IN AN ATTEMPT TO CHEER UP BARRY O, RYAN IMMEDIATELY STARTED SINGING:

WHAT DO THEY MAKE DREAMS FOR
WHEN YOU GOT THEM JEANS ON
WHAT DO WE NEED STEAM FOR
YOU THE HOTTEST BITCH IN THIS PLACE

WIPING HIS TEARS AWAY, A GRACIOUS BARRY O MOUTHED "THANK YOU SO MUCH."

FROM THE TCI WIRE:

Last Saturday, Iraqi women protested in Baghdad against Nouri al-Maliki's proposed bill which would allow father's to marry off daughters as young as nine-years-old, strip away the need for consent to sex, and would strip custodial rights from mothers. The US press has worked overtime to ignore the protest and the bill Nouri's sent to Parliament. Today, it finally got some attention in the US press.

Lauren Cox (Hollywood Life) notes the bill and a detail everyone else (including me) has missed:

Iraq is seriously considering passing a new law called Jaafari Personal Status Law which would allow girls as young as 8-years-old to legally marry. The law itself actually reads girls age 9, but because Iraq follows the lunar Islamic calendar their age 9 actually equals the age of 8 years and 8 months. The law also mentions this is the same age that girls reach puberty. Is this their justification for allowing such young girls to be forced into marriage?
Making matters even worse, the same reads that a husband can have sex with his wife with or without her consent. This means that if an 8-year-old gets married, she could raped by her husband and it would not be illegal.

Cheryl K. Chumley (Washington Times) adds, "One more aspect of the proposal that’s angered many: It only gives the father -- not the mother or female guardian -- the right to refuse to accept a marriage proposal." Brittany Greenquist (RYOT News) observes, "Sadly, the law doesn’t stop with child brides and marital rape, it also adds increased restrictions to a woman’s ability to leave her house, and would make it easier for men to have more than one wife."

The Associated Press' Sameer N. Yacoub and Sinan Salaheddin offer a lengthy report which includes: "Also under the proposed measure, a husband can have sex with his wife regardless of her consent. The bill also prevents women from leaving the house without their husband's permission, would restrict women's rights in matters of parental custody after divorce and make it easier for men to take multiple wives."

Many outlets are carrying the AP report including Huffington Post, The Australian, The Daily Beast, WA Today, Savannah Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, the Seattle Times, News 24, Daily Inter Lake, the Scotland Herald, Sydney Morning Herald, Singapore Today, the Irish Independent, The Scotsman, Lebanon's Daily Star, The Belfast Telegraph and Canada's CBC. UPI covers the issue by noting Felicity Arbuthnot's article from earlier in the week.

The bill is illegal by the Iraqi Constitution. It's offensive and offensive to the world. The brave Iraqi women who protested Saturday deserved and deserve support.

Nouri's asked his flunkies to stage rallies in support of the illegal bill.

As the West remained silent.

Nouri had the most success in Najaf on Wednesday when nearly a hundred women demonstrated in favor of this offensive bill while about 40 demonstrated in Basra. The women were mocked -- and deserved to be, let's not pretend otherwise -- and ridiculed in Arabic social media. Which may be why all the efforts that followed had poor turnout. Iraq Times notes a little over a dozen women turned out in Maysan today to insist the bill be turned into a law, close to 30 women turned out in Dhi Qar and a little over 20 turned out in Baghdad today whining for their rights and their daughters rights to be stripped away.

If you put it all together, the numbers from today with the numbers earlier in the week, you still don't have even half as many women as turned out to protest the law in Baghdad.

But that Nouri could scare up these 'support rallies' at all?

That goes to the refusal of the Western media to cover this issue and to make it clear that it was illegal and unacceptable.

Marie Harf is a US State Dept spokesperson. She presided over today's press briefing (yes, State finally gave a briefing on Friday). Said Arikat, Al Quds bureau chief, raised the issue of the proposed law.

Said Arikat: Yeah. Iraq?

MS. HARF: Mm-hmm.

Said Arikat: Are you aware of a law that allows parent – fathers or guardians to marry off their 9-year-old girls?

MS. HARF: Yes.

Said Arikat: And what is your comment on that?

MS. HARF: This is a draft law. We understand that this draft law, which I think several high-level Iraqi political and religious leaders have publicly condemned and claim violates the rights of Iraqi women – has been sent to the council of representatives for consideration. We absolutely share the strong concerns of the UN mission in Iraq, which has noted that this law risks constitutionally protected rights for women. The draft law I think is pending before the parliament right now. It would require three readings before a vote could take place, so we’ll obviously be watching the debate closely and welcome a parliamentary process that ensures the rights of all Iraqis, including women, are fully protected in line with its constitution.

And I would also note that some women’s groups, some human rights NGOs, have also condemned the draft law as a significant step backwards for women’s rights in Iraq.

When a group in a country is being targeted, if the world rallies to call it out, it can have an impact. By the same token, silence only endorses and embraces the targeting. Human Rights Watch deserves strong credit for weighing in earlier this week with "Iraq: Don’t Legalize Marriage for 9-Year-Olds." Suadad al-Salhy and Reuters reports deserve credit for being the only Western outlet to grasp last Sautrday this was serious and news. (Yes, I know AFP's Prashant Rao spent Saturday attempting to get a copy of the bill's text in writing. I know it, so what? AFP didn't report on it -- because Prashant couldn't get a written copy of the bill. al-Salhy and Reuters did report on the issue. So we applaud them. No applause for AFP and they should be glad that it's been too busy of a week for me to connect this to all the other silences on Iraqi women from AFP.) Iraqi media covered it and deserves credit for that. Rudaw took it seriously and did at least three stories by Tuesday on this issue so they deserve applause as well.

And we'll again note and applaud the United Nations Secretary-General's special envoy in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, for his Tweet last Saturday:

I'll certainly applaud the ones who showed up today.

But there should have been a lot more and it's really sad that the State Dept can't make a statement on it until they're asked about it.

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Cedric's Big Mix

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Tell us the fairy tale one more time

Saturday, March 22, 2014

She wants the youth vote

Friday, March 21, 2014

He thinks he's Cher!

Thursday, March 20, 2014

She wants to live the glamorous life

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

He is busy!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

That hard working Barack!

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Barry O's the hottest bitch in this place

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Cedric's Big Mix