Iraq

Newsletter: Why Protests Will Continue To Grow

January 16, 2016 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.popularresistance.org Newsletter #BlackLivesMatter, #FightFor15, Black Lives Matter (BLM), China, Climate Change, COP21, Corporatism, Democracy, Economic inequality, Empire, Environment, FERC, Finance and the Economy, Guantanamo, Guantanamo Bay, Human Rights, Iraq, Jobs, militarism, Necessity defense, oligarchy, Poverty, Russia, Solar Energy, Stratfor, Syria, TPP, Trade, Wealth Ineqaulity

By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers for Popular Resistance. This week the reason that there are a growing protest movement and growing disenchantment with government was put on display. The divergence between government and reality was thrust in our faces. The entire government came together, Members of Congress, the Cabinet, military leaders, the Supreme Court, Vice President and President (minus the 'selected survivor' in case the Capitol was attacked, the head of Homeland Security) to hear the State of the Union. The choreographed self-praise of people who will spend $5 billion this year of mostly big business money to get re-elected was evident from the moment the door was opened. Hugs and kisses, backslapping all around, required applause as the President approached the podium, more staged applause when he was introduced and then, as if they were trained, dozens of standing ovations on cue – 89 times in a 58-minute speech the President was applauded.

Guess How Many Bombs America Dropped In 2015

January 12, 2016 Micah Zenko, www.nationalinterest.org Educate! Drones, Iraq, Middle East, Syria, Wars and Militarism

Micah Zenko for The National Interest. United States - The primary focus—meaning the commitment of personnel, resources, and senior leaders’ attention—of U.S. counterterrorism policies is the capture or killing (though, overwhelmingly killing) of existing terrorists. Far less money and programmatic attention is dedicated to preventing the emergence of new terrorists. As an anecdotal example of this, I often ask U.S. government officials and mid-level staffers, “What are you doing to prevent a neutral person from becoming a terrorist?”

Newsletter: War Culture, What’s It Good For?

October 11, 2015 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org Newsletter Afghanistan, China, Columbus, Iran, Iraq, Kunduz, Russia, Syria, War crimes, Wars and Militarism

By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers for Popular Resistance. The confluence of Columbus Day Weekend and the Kunduz hospital bombing has us thinking about the deep levels of cultural violence in the United States and what can be done to change it. How does the US move from a country dominated by war culture to one dominated by a humanitarian culture? Popular Resistance has reported on the the legacy of Columbus. Howard Zinn describes the true history of Columbus and the Indigenous people of North America. There is a great need for the Columbus myth to be revised with realities. When the truth is understood, it is evident the US is celebrating a brutal war criminal and that it is time to abolish Columbus Day.

Afghanistan And Iraq: Lessons For The Imperial

October 10, 2015 Ralph Nader, www.nader.org Educate! Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Wars and Militarism

By Ralph Nader for Nader.org - Guess who is winning? An estimated thirty-thousand Taliban soldiers with no air force, navy, or heavy weapons have been holding down ten times more Afghan army and police and over 100,000 U.S. soldiers with the world’s most modern weaponry – for eight years. ISIS forces from Syria have taken over large areas of northern and western Iraq, including its second largest city, Mosul, and the battered city of Fallujah. ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria are estimated to number no more than 35,000. Like the Taliban, ISIS fighters, who vary in their military training, primarily have light weaponry. That is when they are not taking control of the fleeing, much larger, Iraqi army’s armored vehicles and ammunition from the United States. The American people are entitled to know how all this military might and the trillions of dollars spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2003 and 2001 respectively, can produce such negative fallouts.

Success Of The Second Session Of The Iraqi Social Forum!

October 7, 2015 Editor, www.fair.org Create! Iraq

By Editor of ICSSI, Baghdad – Monday, Oct 5th, 2015 The Iraqi Social Forum (ISF) launched its second session at Abu Nawas Gardens in Baghdad on the 1st, 2nd, and the 3rd of October 2015, under the slogan: “Another Iraq is Possible.” The ISF, with its civil society and democratic organizations, calls for political and social changes that respect human rights, do not rely on sectarian quotas and avoid discrimination among Iraqis according to religion, sect or ethnicity. The statement of the ISF National Committee, read on the stage by a young activist, made it clear: “The Iraqi Social Forum starts its second session under a political and security crisis. We stand at a crossroads and whether or not we create a civil state our future will change dramatically.

Iraqis Demonstrate As Country’s Reforms Move Slowly

October 3, 2015 Staff, www.middleeasteye.net Resist! Corruption, Iraq, Protest

By Staff of Middle East Eye - Thousands of Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad and several other cities on Friday, urging the government to deliver on its promised reform package aimed at tackling corruption and improving services. Iraqis have been staging weekly demonstrations since July. The protest movement that stemmed from exasperation over power cuts in the searing summer heat gradually led to broader demands for political reform. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, with backing from the country's most revered Shiite religious cleric, announced a reform package but change has been slow to materialise and the protests have continued.

Anti-War Movement Can Stop UK Gov’t From Bombing Syria

September 25, 2015 Chris Nineham, www.stopwar.org.uk Resist! Iraq, United Kingdom (UK), Wars and Militarism

By Chris Nineham in Stop War - WE HAVE the biggest opportunity since the start of the Iraq war to make a real change in foreign policy. The aggressive, interventionist policy that has done so much damage is now at the heart of a great contest in British society. Jeremy Corbyn is facing a massive onslaught from all sections of the establishment. No one can envy him this experience, and the prime question is how we defend him from these attacks and build support for the policies that got him elected as Labour party leader with such a huge majority. When the right wing is this hysterical, the establishment this panicked, andthe media this vitriolic, you know there is just a chance something good might be in reach.

Newsletter: Peace Defeats War

September 13, 2015 Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers, www.PopularResistance.org Newsletter Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Peace, Refugees, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Wars and Militarism, Yemen

By Kevin Zeese and Margaret Flowers - This week we learned that there is enough opposition to war in the United States that diplomacy can defeat war. When the Senate voted to derail a deal to stop war with Iran over nuclear weapons, it was a major victory for the peace movement, but it is an opportunity for much more. To achieve the potential we now know we have begins with facing the reality of current US foreign policy. The truth is shrouded by politicians of both parties who believe in “American exceptionalism. The United States has a deep and broad war culture. Every town has a war memorial. There are multiple holidays that honor war and soldiers. The media puts forward the war culture view interviewing former military leaders, most of who are now in the weapons industry. It is the job of the peace movement to challenge the war culture.

Massive Protest Wave In Iraq Challenges Sectarianism

September 12, 2015 Ali Issa, www.wagingnonviolence.org Resist! Iraq

By Ali Issa in Waging Non-Violence - This August, a harsh heat wave across Iraq came alongside electricity blackouts, sending tens of thousands of people onto the streets in an ongoing protest. Six weeks of massive — and still growing — rallies across central and southern Iraq called not merely for reliable electricity, but for an end to the sectarian power-sharing agreement that many consider to be the culprit behind ongoing problems in Iraq. This sectarian system had been set up by U.S. envoy Paul Bremer in 2003, and mandates “power sharing” among representatives from Iraq’s many religious and ethnic communities at every level of government. Popular unrest against this system has gripped the country for the past decade because — among other faults — it so clearly disrupted politics across Iraq’s ethnic and religious divides. This time, with people at his doorstep, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi claimed to hear them. He proposed reforms to “distance all top government posts from sectarian and party quotas.”

14 Years Of The War on Terror Produce More Terror

September 12, 2015 Paul Gottinger, readersupportednews.org Educate! Afghanistan, Iraq, Terrorism, Wars and Militarism

By Paul Gottinger for Reader Supported News - Terror attacks have jumped by a stunning 6,500% since 2002, according to a new analysis by Reader Supported News. The number of casualties resulting from terror attacks has increased by 4,500% over this same time period. These colossal upsurges in terror took place despite a decade-long, worldwide effort to fight terrorism that has been led by the United States. The analysis, conducted with figures provided by the US State Department, also shows that from 2007 to 2011 almost half of all the world’s terror took place in Iraq or Afghanistan – two countries being occupied by the US at the time. Countries experiencing US military interventions continue to be subjected to high numbers of terror attacks, according to the data. In 2014, 74 percent of all terror-related casualties occurred in Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Syria. Of these five, only Nigeria did not experience either US air strikes or a military occupation in that year.

Protesters Re-Open Road Access To Iraq’s Umm Qasr Port

August 24, 2015 Stephen Kalin, www.uk.reuters.com Resist! Iraq, Transportation

By Stephen Kalin in Reuters - Road access to Iraq's southern Umm Qasr commodities port was restored on Sunday following a two-day closure by protesters after the authorities promised to create new jobs, a port company spokesman and port workers said. Thousands of Iraqis have protested in recent weeks in Baghdad and southern Iraqi cities, calling for jobs, government services and reforms of the judiciary, parliament and local governing bodies. At Umm Qasr, negotiations with security officials and the director of the state-run General Company for Ports of Iraq resulted in a pledge to create up to 75 new jobs, said company spokesman Anmar al-Safi. Dozens of demonstrators, who had set up tents in front of the port's two main gates, agreed to let trucks pass and employees enter the facility, Safi and workers said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer: Wrong for Senate Democratic leadership

August 10, 2015 Staff, www.act.credoaction.com Petitions and Online Actions Chuck Schumer, Iran, Iraq, Nuclear War

By CREDO Action - Starting a war with Iran is apparently the top legislative priority for the next leader of the Senate Democratic caucus. New York Senator Chuck Schumer just publicly declared that he will vote to kill the historic Iran nuclear peace deal and urge other Democrats in the Senate to do the same.1 There's no excuse for any Democrat to oppose the deal – least of all Senator Schumer, who is in line to take over leadership of the Senate Democrats once Senator Harry Reid retires. Chuck Schumer was wrong on Iraq when he voted for war and he is wrong on Iran. Schumer's decision to join Republicans in attempting to sabotage the Iran nuclear deal once again shows that he is unfit to lead Senate Democrats. Schumer is already facing a massive backlash for his dangerous attempt to take us to war with Iran. Even the White House is piling on, with Press Secretary Josh Earnest saying “I wouldn’t be surprised” if Senate Democrats consider Schumer’s decision in picking their next leader

Iraq Cabinet Approves Reforms In Response To Mass Protests

August 10, 2015 Staff, www.AP.org Resist! Corruption, Energy, Iraq

By Associated Press - Iraq’s cabinet approved a wide-ranging reform plan on Sunday that would abolish the three vice-presidential posts as well as the office of deputy prime minister in order to slash spending and improve the government’s performance in the face of mass protests. Prime minister Haider al-Abadi’s plan, which still requires parliamentary approval, would effectively sack his predecessor, Nouri al-Maliki, who begrudgingly stepped aside a year ago and was appointed to the largely symbolic role of vice president. Al-Maliki is widely alleged to have undermined his successor in a bid to eventually return to power, charges he denies. Al-Abadi’s seven-point plan would also require that a number of government posts be filled with political independents, a move aimed at combatting endemic corruption in Iraq’s political system, in which many senior appointments are determined by party patronage and sectarian loyalties.

Thousands Of Iraqis Protest Corruption And Power Cuts

August 9, 2015 Agency France Press, www.theguardian.com Resist! Corruption, Electricity, Energy, Iraq

By Agency France Press -Thousands of people demonstrated in Baghdad against rampant corruption and the abysmal electricity services that plague Iraq, calling for officials to be held to account. “All of you together to the court, all of you are thieves,” chanted protesters gathered at Tahrir Square and carrying Iraqi flags. “Friday after Friday, we’ll get the corrupt out.” Protesters also turned out in Nasiriyah, south of Baghdad, to air similar grievances, an AFP journalist said. Baghdad and other cities have seen weeks of protests against the poor quality of services, especially power cuts that leave Iraqis with only a few hours of electricity per day as temperatures top 50C.

Iraqi Voices Are Screaming From Far Away

July 2, 2015 David Swanson, www.davidswanson.org Educate! Book Review, Democracy, Iraq, Wars and Militarism

By David Swanson - Iraqis were attempting the nonviolent overthrow of their dictator prior to his violent overthrow by the United States in 2003. When U.S. troops began to ease up on their liberating and democracy-spreading in 2008, and during the Arab Spring of 2011 and the years that followed, nonviolent Iraqi protest movements grew again, working for change, including the overthrow of their new Green Zone dictator. He would eventually step down, but not before imprisoning, torturing, and murdering activists -- with U.S. weapons, of course. There have been and are Iraqi movements for women's rights, labor rights, to stop dam construction on the Tigris in Turkey, to throw the last U.S. troop out of the country, to free the government from Iranian influence, and to protect Iraqi oil from foreign corporate control.

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