The Agonist: <b>Flash CXXVII</b>

Previous Entry | Main | Next Entry

April 02, 2003

Flash CXXVII

1:23 EST Iraq has abandoned another position to the Kurds in Northern Iraq.

1:22 EST I just had a great conversation from the people at Stratfor. I have used some material from their site recently that hasn't been properly attributed. It will be shortly. In the meantime, might I suggest that you visit them. It is an excellent site that I do recommend.

1:13 EST Please stop sending me the article about the missile in the market. I have posted the article twice already.

1:09 EST via CNN Pentagon briefers say that there is still evidence that Iraqi Command and Control is still in existence. Iraqis are arrayed on southern side of Baghdad for defense.

1:07 EST This story is just too confused to comment on.

1:06 EST Pentagon conference only showing one video today. No T-72s shown.

1:04 EST Roadkill has thoughts on SARS.

1:01 EST I am watching the Pentagon Press Conference to see if there is any evidence of T-72 kills.

1:00 EST Wage-Slave has some comments about the media and the war.

12:57 EST From Dow Jones Newswires (sorry no link): Iraqi Forces Take Up Positions In Shiite Mosque In Najaf.

Excerpt: Iraqi forces have taken up positions inside the Ali Mosque in Najaf, one of the world's most important Shiite shrines, and are firing on coalition troops, U.S. Central Command said Wednesday. Coalition forces have refused to return fire.

U.S.-led forces operating south of Baghdad are trying to root out Iraqi fighters in the holy Muslim Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala without damaging their gold-domed shrines. The coalition has declared the holy sites as "no target" zones only to be fired upon in self-defense, and troops chose not to return fire Wednesday, said Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks.

I am looking for confirmation from an 'embed' or something like that to verify that this is the case.

Posted by Sean-Paul @ 04/02/2003 12:53 PM | TrackBack

Comments:

Is the english aljazeera site ever going to go live, anyone now where there is some sort of translation available to it. I like to see what they are reporting about this right now.

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: ch on April 2, 2003 01:10 PM

From the Independent (excerpts):

No fewer than three polls have suggested that the rise in support for war in Iraq, which was seen immediately after the decision to engage in hostilities, has now ended.

YouGov reports that only 54 per cent of Britons now believe the United States and Britain were right to go to war, five points down on the proportion taking that view at the end of last week. One ICM poll found a five-point drop to 50 per cent in a week in the proportion saying they approved of the way the Prime Minister was handling the crisis, while a second ICM poll produced a two-point fall to 54 per cent in the proportion saying they approved of the war.

...the public's continued ambivalence to the war reflects two far more deep-seated but conflicting emotions. On the one hand, few wish to see Saddam Hussein remain in power. On the other hand, doubts remain that the United States and Britain needed to take the course of action they have chosen .

...Mr Blair needs to find Iraqi biological or chemical weapons and acquire a guaranteed role for the UN in post-war Iraq if this is ever to be a truly popular war.

Posted by: Carruthers on April 2, 2003 01:11 PM

Here is a link to a story on the new practice of detaining Iraqi civilians, which was referenced on NPR this morning:
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/iraq/5535275.htm

Posted by: Ellen on April 2, 2003 01:13 PM

SP, as for a back up source on the Mosque situation, check with NPR. They had a special on it this morning with an interview from military personelle.

Posted by: dawn on April 2, 2003 01:15 PM

yes, that story is too confused to comment on.

hey, any chance well get a sit map thats a little more detailed, a zoom up on bagdhad perhaps.

Posted by: alex on April 2, 2003 01:16 PM

ch:

It seems that they won't have the english site up until maybe the end of april. This is from BBC online reports (and others, I believe) re: the recent hacking.

I think right now our only hope is if someone here can translate what is being shown on the Al-Jaz station.

Posted by: chris on April 2, 2003 01:17 PM

Here is a link to a story on the new practice of detaining Iraqi civilians, which was referenced on NPR this morning:

Well, detaining Iraqi civilians who "interfere with mission accomplishment" is quite different than your repeated assertions that the Coalition is detaining people whose "looks they don't like."

I'm not sure why you'd fault any soldier -- on either side, I suppose -- for exercising self-defense.

Besides, the detentions are for 30 days, well publicized, and will probably save additional lives (on both sides, I might add).

This is a non-story, Ellen.

Posted by: Franklin Covey on April 2, 2003 01:19 PM

Alex, try this link for a super-detailed map. It's doesn't show troop positions, but it's the best map I've seen.

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/baghdad_tpc.jpg

Posted by: Psistrom on April 2, 2003 01:21 PM

ahhhh, group hug !

Posted by: hippo on April 2, 2003 01:23 PM

Sean-Paul;

The NYT today is reporting: "A Shiite leader, Ayatollah Ali Alsestani, said to have been under house arrest for a decade or more, was freed after his guards fled during the American entry into Najaf.

Lt. Col. Chris Hughes said he had been talking with an emissary of the imam about governing arrangements for the city now that the Baath Party had been routed. The cleric said he would give his response on Thursday."

The site: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/02/international/worldspecial/02CND-AIRB.html?tntemail0

The significance: Too little attention has been give to the religious aspects of the historical role of the Iraq area, and the 1200 year old conflict between Sunni's and Shiites. Iran is predodominantly Shiite, which Muslim sect believes in theocracy. Saddam was secular.

Toward the end of the 1980-1988 Iran Iraq war, Saddam made a grotesque religious "nose thumbing" to Iran, because he controlled the Shiite's main site of the assassination of the 3rd Imam, Husain (no relation to SH) circa 685 AD. This assasination was on the "plains of Kerbala", and his grave is in Najaf.

The significance of this is heightened now, because the US needs to be ever mindful of the passion with which Iran wants a theocracy in the Shiite lands of Iraq. The Ayatollah Alsestani will be a key figure for the US to treat with sensitivity. We cannot be seen as "shoving our form of democracy" down these people's throats. The only way to ensure these religious passions are going to be constructive toward a peaceful nation, are to give them formal recognition, much like the various religious factions of Israel form majority control of a multi party parliament. This is difficult to do if the Theocratic Mullahs of Iran exert entrenched obstinance to a "non-theocratic" new State of Iraq.

Nuveau Taliban will be the order, if the Iran Mullahs are successful in shaping a new Iraq State to their liking.

Posted by: MacW on April 2, 2003 01:23 PM

thanks for the map, that helps a bit, but i wouldnt mind one with troop positions

Posted by: alex on April 2, 2003 01:26 PM

ch and chris,
I am checking Al Jaz live, on and off, and I will post when they have news that has not been posted before.

Posted by: Rima on April 2, 2003 01:30 PM

LOL! Gary Tuckman (CNN) was just giving a report from a captured air base in Iraq. Standing right next an huge picture of Saddam, you could see where a soldier wrote: "MEAN PEOPLE SUCK".

Posted by: littlestinker on April 2, 2003 01:32 PM

carruthers-
Intersting poll analysis, but not necessarily telling the true story.

If you are going to draw conclusions based on data from polls and quote the numbers- including drops in support of 2 or 5% - perhaps one should include accuracy of each poll? Most polls that I have seen have an accuaracy of 3-5%, 19 times out of 20.

So if the accuracy rate is 5%, and the poll has dropped less than that since the last one, then it doesn't seem like opinion has changed much, does it?

Keep quoting polls. I believe in them. Just include a link to their data & error rate...

Posted by: ikh on April 2, 2003 01:35 PM

Rima,

Thank you that would be appreaciated greatly.

Posted by: ch on April 2, 2003 01:50 PM

Rima, thank you from me as well,

Sean-Paul, good for you for taking the high road on all the controversy regarding Stratfor...well done. Your good heart and mind is a trustworthy partner!

Continued good energy sent your way for all that you do.

Namaste!

Posted by: bernadene on April 2, 2003 02:03 PM

Thanks for doing the right thing and attributing all your sources. People who naively believe everything they read might not care where you get your information from, but for those of us who believe in critically viewing any information, the source of your stories is a vital piece of information in its own right. Thank you for including it. The Agonist is now even better than it was before, and it was already very good before.

Posted by: Chuck on April 2, 2003 02:37 PM

Everything Bernadene said. I was glad to come home and find the Agonist still rolling, and the stratfor thing resolved. Keep up the good work!

And, a little bit about the mosque situation:

http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=A285C94A-B682-47B8-A96D5D1CFBBD1C95

Not embed-verified, but still interesting.

Posted by: NateW on April 3, 2003 12:26 AM

2604 You can buy viagra from this site :http://www.ed.greatnow.com

Posted by: Viagra on August 7, 2004 11:33 PM

Posted by: buy ultram on September 29, 2004 04:44 AM

Posted by: buy ultram on September 29, 2004 04:45 AM

Posted by: buy ultram on September 29, 2004 04:46 AM