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[ This message has been sent to you via the CASI-analysis mailing list ] This is an automated compilation of submissions to newsclippings@casi.org.uk Articles for inclusion in this daily news mailing should be sent to newsclippings@casi.org.uk. Please include a full reference to the source of the article. Today's Topics: 1. Iraq Elections: Farce of the Century (CharlieChimp1@aol.com) 2. [Peace&Justice] Does U.S. Occupation Prevent Iraq Civil War? (IRC Communications) 3. Odd happenings in Fallujah (CharlieChimp1@aol.com) --__--__-- Message: 1 From: CharlieChimp1@DELETETHISaol.com Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 12:44:33 EST Subject: Iraq Elections: Farce of the Century To: newsclippings@casi.org.uk, Intelligentminds@yahoogroups.com [ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] In a message dated 19/01/05 16:16:45 GMT Standard Time, shailmanman@yahoo.com writes: Registration for expatriate Iraqis to vote in the Iraq elections began on Monday in fourteen countries - Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States and runs until January 23. However, according to a renowned expert on international law, Sabah Al Mukhtar, the London-based President of the League of Arab Lawyers, the election is not alone fatally flawed, it is illegal. "Under the Vienna Convention, an occupying force has no right to change composition of occupied territories socially, culturally, educationally or politically. This election was based on the laws laid down by former 'Viceroy' American Paul Bremer and is entirely unconstitutional. Bremer personally appointed the overseers for the election", says Al Mukhtar, thus, far from 'free and fair' and heralding Iraqi 'democracy' they are entirely engineered by Bush's man. Further, says Al Mukhtar the names of those standing for election are not widely publicized, many names are indeed unknown and little or no manifestos have been published. However, what is publicized are the names and addresses of all who register to vote, they are displayed - in Iraq and all voting centers abroad - at all polling centers. This is simply and purely 'intimidation' says Al Mukhtar, it will "encourage some and discourage others - disclosing names and addresses is highly dangerous, no one will be safe within or without polling stations, now or later," he contends. Intimidation needs no encouragement. Nadia Selim, from Notholt, Middlesex recounts in the Independent how her family in Hay Al Jamia in west Baghdad a mixed Sunni and Shiite neighborhood were planning to vote in spite of the dangers - until they were visited by their local shopkeeper. He requested they hand over their ration books for "safe keeping". The ration books are the means of identity for voters. Gunmen had visited him and ordered him to collect all ration books in the neighborhood. The family refused his request. Later he returned sobbing and begged them not to condemn his children to death, reluctantly they gave in. One can only speculate how widely similarly intimidating actions are being replicated throughout Iraq. Further says Al Mukhtar no one knows who has drawn up the electoral lists and on what they are based. "I am an Iraqi and entitled to vote, but no one has contacted me." As a prominent and internationally well known Iraqi he can hardly have been overlooked one wonders how many other Iraqis who are hardly likely to have voted for puppet "Prime Minister" Allawi and his gang have been similarly "overlooked." Further, allegation of intimidation of Iraqi expatriates abroad seems to be borne out by the fact that of an estimated seventy thousand Iraqis living in the north of England, just three hundred and fifty have so far registered to vote, according the the Chair of the Manchester based Iraq Solidarity Campaign Hussein Al Alak. A strange reluctance in some cities to hold the elections in public building also appears to have crept in. Manchester Town Hall declined as a venue on the basis that there were too many weddings being held there on polling day. When the wily Al Alak checked, there was, in fact just one booked. 371 Oldham Road has now been designated in an area entirely dominated by the BNP. In Glasgow polling is inexplicably listed at two private houses, 71 Holland Street and 94 Elmbank Street. Where the external votes will be counted and by whom and under what independent monitoring body is unannounced and unknown says Al Mukhtar. Further he adds that legally election must be 'possible, fair and reasonable' - none of which apply in the chaos of occupied Iraq where votes are also being bought and even Iyad Allawi - who recently tried to buy favors from journalists with hundred dollar bills in brown envelopes - is complaining of being intimidated in spite of being surrounded by US soldiers and tanks. Oh, and the only 'independent' monitoring of the elections within Iraq are being carried out from Jordan - twelve hundred kilometers away. No wonder Allawi has kept his British passport and his mansion in leafy Surrey as insurance. Further, it is is not, as widely reported, just the Sunnis who have boycotted the elections. The Iraq National Foundation Conference comprises of prominent Shiite, Sunni, Pan-Arabists and Marxists. They have turned their back on the whole process due to the absence of an international body to oversee the proceedings. Further trouble in paradise has broken out in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the International Organization for Migration - who control overseas voting on behalf of Out of Country Voters. The IOM has stated that Israelis of Iraqi origin are eligible to vote. Asma Khader, Jordan Government spokeswoman and Minister for Culture, says Israel based Iraqis voting in Jordan is quite simply 'out of the question.' In Baghdad the Independent Electoral Commission's Farid Ayar also stated that those with Israeli papers would be barred from voting. Jordan is the nearest country designated as a voting point, to Israel. Further, looking at the list of countries where Iraqis can vote and the vastness of say, America, Canada and the US, many Iraqis will have to invest in an airline ticket to vote - even those resident in Ireland will have to travel to the UK. Intimidation is not alone rife for voters, from Basra, Iraq's beautiful battered southern city, to Mosul in the north and at virtually every designated polling station in Iraq, electoral committees have fled in terror - in Mosul the entire seven hundred left - polling stations have been bombed, burned and officials murdered. In Allawi's Alice in Wonderland world, he has, he says, devised the most stringent security tactics to ensure safety on polling day. He'd be wise to implement them forthwith - if they exist. To add to the joy of Iraqis liberated from electricity, clean water, largely too scared to venture out, they are also to become a nation of hostages for three days before and during polling day. Borders will be closed, phones disconnected, mobiles rendered useless - and US other forces already murderous and unaccountable will be able to run riot and spill blood at will with not the slightest chance of the world knowing in this four day suspension of any semblance of 'freedom and democracy.' Cars will not be allowed near any polling stations so even those prepared to risk cueing to be blown up will certainly not risk walking to do so. 'Possible, fair and reasonable' the elections are not. A farce of historic proportions they certainly are. http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0118-32.htm To: anti-allawi-group@yahoogroups.com User-Agent: eGroups-EW/0.82 From: "shailmanman" <shailmanman@yahoo.com> Mailing-List: list anti-allawi-group@yahoogroups.com; contact anti-allawi-group-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list anti-allawi-group@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 16:12:58 -0000 Subject: [anti-allawi-group] Iraq Elections: Farce of the Century Reply-To: anti-allawi-group@yahoogroups.com Registration for expatriate Iraqis to vote in the Iraq elections began on Monday in fourteen countries - Australia, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Jordan, the Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States and runs until January 23. However, according to a renowned expert on international law, Sabah Al Mukhtar, the London-based President of the League of Arab Lawyers, the election is not alone fatally flawed, it is illegal. "Under the Vienna Convention, an occupying force has no right to change composition of occupied territories socially, culturally, educationally or politically. This election was based on the laws laid down by former 'Viceroy' American Paul Bremer and is entirely unconstitutional. Bremer personally appointed the overseers for the election", says Al Mukhtar, thus, far from 'free and fair' and heralding Iraqi 'democracy' they are entirely engineered by Bush's man. Further, says Al Mukhtar the names of those standing for election are not widely publicized, many names are indeed unknown and little or no manifestos have been published. However, what is publicized are the names and addresses of all who register to vote, they are displayed - in Iraq and all voting centers abroad - at all polling centers. This is simply and purely 'intimidation' says Al Mukhtar, it will "encourage some and discourage others - disclosing names and addresses is highly dangerous, no one will be safe within or without polling stations, now or later," he contends. Intimidation needs no encouragement. Nadia Selim, from Notholt, Middlesex recounts in the Independent how her family in Hay Al Jamia in west Baghdad a mixed Sunni and Shiite neighborhood were planning to vote in spite of the dangers - until they were visited by their local shopkeeper. He requested they hand over their ration books for "safe keeping". The ration books are the means of identity for voters. Gunmen had visited him and ordered him to collect all ration books in the neighborhood. The family refused his request. Later he returned sobbing and begged them not to condemn his children to death, reluctantly they gave in. One can only speculate how widely similarly intimidating actions are being replicated throughout Iraq. Further says Al Mukhtar no one knows who has drawn up the electoral lists and on what they are based. "I am an Iraqi and entitled to vote, but no one has contacted me." As a prominent and internationally well known Iraqi he can hardly have been overlooked one wonders how many other Iraqis who are hardly likely to have voted for puppet "Prime Minister" Allawi and his gang have been similarly "overlooked." Further, allegation of intimidation of Iraqi expatriates abroad seems to be borne out by the fact that of an estimated seventy thousand Iraqis living in the north of England, just three hundred and fifty have so far registered to vote, according the the Chair of the Manchester based Iraq Solidarity Campaign Hussein Al Alak. A strange reluctance in some cities to hold the elections in public building also appears to have crept in. Manchester Town Hall declined as a venue on the basis that there were too many weddings being held there on polling day. When the wily Al Alak checked, there was, in fact just one booked. 371 Oldham Road has now been designated in an area entirely dominated by the BNP. In Glasgow polling is inexplicably listed at two private houses, 71 Holland Street and 94 Elmbank Street. Where the external votes will be counted and by whom and under what independent monitoring body is unannounced and unknown says Al Mukhtar. Further he adds that legally election must be 'possible, fair and reasonable' - none of which apply in the chaos of occupied Iraq where votes are also being bought and even Iyad Allawi - who recently tried to buy favors from journalists with hundred dollar bills in brown envelopes - is complaining of being intimidated in spite of being surrounded by US soldiers and tanks. Oh, and the only 'independent' monitoring of the elections within Iraq are being carried out from Jordan - twelve hundred kilometers away. No wonder Allawi has kept his British passport and his mansion in leafy Surrey as insurance. Further, it is is not, as widely reported, just the Sunnis who have boycotted the elections. The Iraq National Foundation Conference comprises of prominent Shiite, Sunni, Pan-Arabists and Marxists. They have turned their back on the whole process due to the absence of an international body to oversee the proceedings. Further trouble in paradise has broken out in the Jordanian capital, Amman, between the International Organization for Migration - who control overseas voting on behalf of Out of Country Voters. The IOM has stated that Israelis of Iraqi origin are eligible to vote. Asma Khader, Jordan Government spokeswoman and Minister for Culture, says Israel based Iraqis voting in Jordan is quite simply 'out of the question.' In Baghdad the Independent Electoral Commission's Farid Ayar also stated that those with Israeli papers would be barred from voting. Jordan is the nearest country designated as a voting point, to Israel. Further, looking at the list of countries where Iraqis can vote and the vastness of say, America, Canada and the US, many Iraqis will have to invest in an airline ticket to vote - even those resident in Ireland will have to travel to the UK. Intimidation is not alone rife for voters, from Basra, Iraq's beautiful battered southern city, to Mosul in the north and at virtually every designated polling station in Iraq, electoral committees have fled in terror - in Mosul the entire seven hundred left - polling stations have been bombed, burned and officials murdered. In Allawi's Alice in Wonderland world, he has, he says, devised the most stringent security tactics to ensure safety on polling day. He'd be wise to implement them forthwith - if they exist. To add to the joy of Iraqis liberated from electricity, clean water, largely too scared to venture out, they are also to become a nation of hostages for three days before and during polling day. Borders will be closed, phones disconnected, mobiles rendered useless - and US other forces already murderous and unaccountable will be able to run riot and spill blood at will with not the slightest chance of the world knowing in this four day suspension of any semblance of 'freedom and democracy.' Cars will not be allowed near any polling stations so even those prepared to risk cueing to be blown up will certainly not risk walking to do so. 'Possible, fair and reasonable' the elections are not. A farce of historic proportions they certainly are. http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0118-32.htm ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> <FONT COLOR="#000099">DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! </FONT><A HREF="http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/lR.olB/TM"><B>Click Here!</B></A> --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/anti-allawi-group/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: anti-allawi-group-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ --__--__-- Message: 2 Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 13:29:15 -0700 To: peaceandjustice@lists.riseup.net From: IRC Communications <communications@DELETETHISirc-online.org> Subject: [Peace&Justice] Does U.S. Occupation Prevent Iraq Civil War? [ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Peace and Justice News from FPIF http://www.fpif.org/ January 19, 2005 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Introducing a new commentary from Foreign Policy In Focus Does U.S. Occupation Prevent Civil War in Iraq? Think Again. By Gareth Porter As the U.S. occupation of Iraq heads toward its third year, there is a remarkable absence of debate over withdrawal, despite the evidence that a clear majority of the American people want out. Many conservatives are uneasy about the occupation but they are unwilling to challenge the administration publicly. Most liberals in politics and the media appear to believe that invading Iraq was a major blunder, but that withdrawal anytime in the foreseeable future would lead to civil war and chaos. The premise of this fear is that the Shiite majority and the Sunni minority in Iraq have the same tendencies toward violence that have led to bloody ethnic and religious wars in Lebanon, Kosovo, and elsewhere, and that only the U.S. occupation restrains such violence. But U.S. forces are not, in fact, helping Sunnis and Shiites reach a new accommodation, and Iraq need not plunge into sectarian violence after a U.S. withdrawal. The United States is not playing the role of disinterested trustee in Iraq, allowing Sunnis and Shiites or Arabs and Kurds to work out their differences. Instead, the counterinsurgency war prevents the Sunnis and Shiites from negotiating a new arrangement for power sharing. Such negotiations will only happen if and when it is clear to Iraqis that the United States is on its way out. Americans who are worried that an early withdrawal would be irresponsible should reexamine the question of which course is most likely to contribute to violence, and which one has the best chance of minimizing it. Gareth Porter is a historian and an analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus (online at http://www.fpif.org). His latest book, Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam, will be published by University of California Press in May. See new FPIF commentary online at: http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2005/0501civil.html With printer-friendly pdf version at: http://www.fpif.org/pdf/gac/0501civil.pdf ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interhemispheric Resource Center is proud to announce that, in conjunction with our 25th anniversary, we have changed our name to International Relations Center. Please visit our website at www.irc-online.org to see our new logo and check back in the coming months as we begin the integration and improvement of all of our program and project websites. As International Relations Center we remain IRC and committed to our mission of: working to make the U.S. a more responsible member of the global community by promoting progressive strategic dialogues that lead to new citizen-based agendas. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Produced and distributed by FPIF:"A Think Tank Without Walls," a joint program of International Relations Center (IRC) and Institute for Policy Studies (IPS). For more information, visit http://www.fpif.org. If you would like to add a name to the "What's New At FPIF" specific region or topic list, please email: communications@irc-online.org with "subscribe" and giving your area of interest. To add your name to this list, send a blank email to: peaceandjustice-subscribe@lists.riseup.net To unsubscribe, send a blank email to: peaceandjustice-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ International Relations Center (IRC) (formerly Interhemispheric Resource Center) http://www.irc-online.org/ Siri D. Khalsa Outreach Coordinator Email: communications@irc-online.org --__--__-- Message: 3 From: CharlieChimp1@DELETETHISaol.com Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 17:14:04 EST Subject: Odd happenings in Fallujah To: newsclippings@casi.org.uk, Intelligentminds@yahoogroups.com, efreepalestine@yahoogroups.com, al-awda-universalist@umich.edu, AlAwda@yahoogroups.com [ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] Date: Tue, 18 Jan 2005 21:21:04 +0300 From: iraq_dispatches@dahrjamailiraq.com Subject: Iraq Dispatches: Odd Happenings in Fallujah To: iraq_dispatches@dahrjamailiraq.com Message-ID: <41ED5390.9070102@dahrjamailiraq.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3Dwindows-1252; format=3Dflowed January 18, 2005 Odd Happenings in Fallujah =E2=80=9CThe soldiers are doing strange things in Fallujah,=E2=80=9D said = one of my contacts in Fallujah who just returned. He was in his city checking on his home and just returned to Baghdad this evening. Speaking on condition of anonymity he continued, =E2=80=9CIn the center of= the Julan Quarter they are removing entire homes which have been bombed, meanwhile most of the homes that were bombed are left as they were. Why are they doing this?=E2=80=9D According to him, this was also done in the Nazal, Mualmeen, Jubail and Shuhada=E2=80=99a districts, and the military began to do this after Eid, = which was after November 20th. He told me he has watched the military use bulldozers to push the soil into piles and load it onto trucks to carry away. This was done in the Julan and Jimouriya quarters of the city, which is of course where the heaviest fighting occurred during the siege, as this was where resistance was the fiercest. =E2=80=9CAt least two kilometers of soil were removed,=E2=80=9D he explain= ed, =E2=80=9CExactly as they did at Baghdad Airport after the heavy battles there during the invasion and the Americans used their special weapons.=E2=80=9D He explained that in certain areas where the military used =E2=80=9Cspecia= l munitions=E2=80=9D 200 square meters of soil was being removed from each b= last site. In addition, many of his friends have told him that the military brought in water tanker trucks to power blast the streets, although he hadn=E2=80= =99t seen this himself. =E2=80=9CThey went around to every house and have shot the water tanks,=E2= =80=9D he continued, =E2=80=9CAs if they are trying to hide the evidence of chemical weapons in the water, but they only did this in some areas, such as Julan and in the souk (market) there as well.=E2=80=9D He first saw this having been done after December 20th. Again, this is reflective of stories I=E2=80=99ve been told by several ref= ugees from Fallujah. Just last December, a 35 year-old merchant from Fallujah, Abu Hammad, told me what he=E2=80=99d experienced when he was still in the city during = the siege. =E2=80=9CThe American warplanes came continuously through the night and bo= mbed everywhere in Fallujah! It did not stop even for a moment! If the American forces did not find a target to bomb, they used sound bombs just to terrorize the people and children. The city stayed in fear; I cannot give a picture of how panicked everyone was.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CIn the mornings I found Fallujah empty, as if nobody lives in it,= =E2=80=9D he=E2=80=99d said, =E2=80=9CEven poisonous gases have been used in Fallujah-they used everything-tanks, artillery, infantry, poison gas. Fallujah has been bombed to the ground. Nothing is left.=E2=80=9D In Amiriyat al-Fallujah, a small city just outside Fallujah where many doctors from Fallujah have been practicing since they were unable to do so at Fallujah General Hospital, similar stories are being told. Last month one refugee who had just arrived at the hospital in the small city explained that he=E2=80=99d watched the military bring in water tanker trucks to power blast some of the streets in Fallujah. =E2=80=9CWhy are they doing this,=E2=80=9D explained Ahmed (name changed f= or his protection), =E2=80=9CTo beautify Fallujah? No! They are covering their tr= acks from the horrible weapons they used in my city.=E2=80=9D Also last November, another Fallujah refugee from the Julan area, Abu Sabah told me, =E2=80=9CThey (US military) used these weird bombs that put= up smoke like a mushroom cloud. Then small pieces feel from the air with long tails of smoke behind them.=E2=80=9D He explained that pieces of these bombs exploded into large fires that burnt peoples skin even when water was dumped on their bodies, which is the effect of phosphorous weapons, as well as napalm. =E2=80=9CPeople suff= ered so much from these, both civilians and fighters alike,=E2=80=9D he said. My friend Suthir (name changed to protect identity) was a member of one of the Iraqi Red Crescent relief convoys that was allowed into Fallujah at the end of November. =E2=80=9CI=E2=80=99m sure the Americans committed bad things there, but wh= o can discover and say this,=E2=80=9D she said when speaking of what she saw of the devas= tated city, =E2=80=9CThey didn=E2=80=99t allow us to go to the Julan area or any= of the others where there was heavy fighting, and I=E2=80=99m sure that is where the hor= rible things took place.=E2=80=9D =E2=80=9CThe Americans didn=E2=80=99t let us in the places where everyone s= aid there was napalm used,=E2=80=9D she added, =E2=80=9CJulan and those places where the = heaviest fighting was, nobody is allowed to go there.=E2=80=9D On 30 November the US military prevented an aid convoy from reaching Fallujah. This aid convoy was sent by the Iraqi Ministry of Health, but was told by soldiers at a checkpoint to return in =E2=80=9C8 or 9 days,=E2= =80=9D reported AP. Dr. Ibrahim al-Kubaisi who was with the relief team told reporters at that time, =E2=80=9CThere is a terrible crime going in Fallujah and they d= o not want anybody to know.=E2=80=9D With the military maintaining strict control over who enters Fallujah, the truth of what weapons were used remains difficult to find. Meanwhile, people who lived in different districts of Fallujah continue to tell the same stories. End of casi-news Digest _______________________________________ Sent via the CASI-analysis mailing list To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-analysis All postings are archived on CASI's website at http://www.casi.org.uk