Looking back

The Washington Post decided to reprint (in January 2009) some columns as part of a series that shed light on current events. They re-published a piece written by Senator Byrd on 08-23-03. It is called Unprepared for Peace in Iraq and starts with this paragraph:

As the situation in Iraq continues to spiral out of control, an anxious nation watches. Despite assurances to the American people that our troops would be welcomed with open arms as liberators, U.S. soldiers are increasingly being met with guns and car bombs. The bombing at the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad has clearly exposed our vacant policy in Iraq. The American people are told to be patient, that winning the peace will take time. Meanwhile, the frustration of the Iraqi people grows by the day, as does their anger. The inability of the United States even to restore basic amenities further fuels the fire.

It seems that no one paid much attention to the re-posting of this article – maybe it does not matter much to Americans any more what was said five or six years ago. Maybe they think things are just fine in Iraq. Maybe they are as uninformed as they were when we invaded Iraq. I was the only one to post a comment on this article, and this is the comment I posted:

The war on Iraq was a war of aggression. They did not bomb us, shot at us, or even threaten us until the US troops were sent in there.

And today, Iraq is destroyed. About 20% of the population is either dead or a refugee - having fled for their lives and leaving their homes behind. And probably about 70% of the rest of the population has been badly damaged form this war and invasion.

FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT? FOR WHAT?

FOR WHAT DID WE ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN?

AND HOW COME WE ARE NOT BRINGING THE WAR CRIMINALS WHO STARTED THIS WAR TO JUSTICE?

WHAT THE H*LL IS WRONG WITH US? HOW COULD WE HAVE ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN?

HOW COULD WE NOT BRING THE WAR CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE?

And I would also like to know why the WaPo and other corporate media did not expose the truth that there were no WMDs in Iraq. I work as a pediatric audiologist, and I figured it out in my free time on a six year old computer with a dial up internet connection. SO ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID?

OR JUST LYING?

EITHER WAY YOU SHOULD ALL RESIGN IN SHAME FOR THE INABILITY TO DO YOUR JOB.

The only difference between Hitler's wars of aggression and Bush's war of aggression is the number of people dead. Hitler, it appears killed 50 times more than Bush did.

And, in regards to that war in Afghanistan - that also IS A VERY STUPID WAR.

AFTER ALL, WE DIDN'T GO AND BOMB MURPHY NC IN ORDER TO GET ERIC RUDOLPH, did we? And we didn't bomb McVeigh's hometown, so why the H*LL DID WE GO AND INVADE AND BOMB AFGHANISTAN?

Is it because we are too d*mn stupid to figure out how to solve a crime without turning into mass murderers?

Sometimes, I think I could cry and cry for days for the evil that I have seen this country do in the last few years.

1/15/2009 7:47:32 PM

Link to full article.

Banner drop and protests.....

Photo: The banner hangs on the VA building.
Photo: U.S. Army National Guard veteran Forrest Schmidt is handcuffed and detained. From Bill Hackwell, AnswerCoalition.org

From ANSWER email:

Iraq War veterans carried out a dramatic banner drop at the headquarters of the Veterans Administration in Washington, D.C., on the 6th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.

A U.S. Army National Guard veteran scaled the facade of the VA building and dropped a 25 foot-long, 6 foot-high banner that read "Veterans Say No to War and Occupation, March 21st - March on the Pentagon." He was handcuffed and detained.

The dramatic banner drop was carried out in front of a well-attended press conference organized by the Veterans and Service Members Task Force of the ANSWER Coalition.

"This is the beginning of three days of sustained activities timed to coincide with the sixth anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq. On Saturday, March 21st, veterans and service members will be the lead contingent in the National March on the Pentagon," stated James Circello, an Iraq War veteran and a spokesperson for the group.

Other speakers at the press conference included representatives from Iraq Veterans Against the War. Also present were delegations from Veterans for Peace and Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

From United for Peace & Justice:

Six years ago today, the Bush administration launched its 'Shock and Awe' assault on Iraq, thus beginning what has turned into one of the longest and most costly military engagements in U.S. history.

We know what the war and occupation in Iraq has cost: more than one million Iraqis killed; five million Iraqis displaced from their homes; over 4,000 U.S. service people killed and tens of thousands wounded; more than $600 billion of our tax dollars spent; one of the oldest civilizations on earth brought to ruins. Six long years of a war that never should have happened, a war based on lies and corporate greed. It is enough -- it is too much.

Today, our hearts are heavy as we remember all who have died and suffered. At the same time, today, we reflect on all of the tremendous and positive work we have done. The consistent hard work of the antiwar movement was crucial in turning public sentiment against the war. For several years now, the majority of the people of this country have said they want the war to end and for the troops to be brought home. We kept public debate, as well as public protest, going through the roughest years, and we forced the country to think about alternatives to war and occupation.

From MAS:

On Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 12:00 Noon, MAS Freedom (MASF), as the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society (MAS), together with tens of thousands of peace and anti-war activists, will descend upon Washington D.C. to stage a demonstration and anti-war march on the Pentagon – the first major anti-war demonstration under the Obama Administration.

The event, sponsored by MAS Freedom, ANSWER Coalition, NCAA, American Muslims for Palestine, Veterans for Peace National, and a broad-based peace and anti-war coalition, commemorates the 6th Anniversary of the U.S.-Iraqi Invasion.

Saturday's rally and march will also focus on the recent lethal Israeli invasion of Gaza, other concerns facing the Obama Administration, including troop withdrawal in Iraq and military escalation in Afghanistan.

"While we recognize the historical significance of President Obama's election and subsequent unprecedented outreach in the Muslim community abroad, we are hitting the streets to raise concerns that exceed symbolic outreach," stated MAS Freedom Executive Director, Mahdi Bray.

I will be marching with ANSWER on 3/21/09 to protest the wars and occupations.

Protestor of the Iraq War

A protestor of the war on Iraq holds a No War on Iraq sign and an American flag in Washington, D.C.. Thousands of protestors gathered together on March 15, 2003 to protest against the war the US is leading against Iraq.
© Todd A. Gipstein/CORBIS

And on March 21, 2009, we will gather in DC again to protest.

Iraqi bloggers on the sixth anniversary, part two

Yesterday, I posted part one of this series (see below). Here are some more clips from Iraqi bloggers on the sixth anniversary of the US invasion and destruction of Iraq.

Chikitita, who has just returned to Baghdad, has this to say about her return on her blog “first words, first walk, first….. in IRAQ”:

I could feel the bad vibes the moment I set foot on Baghdad International Airport. First time in my life I’m treated like a criminal on my own turf. The guy behind the booth seemed to have smelled a rat once he browsed my passport; called a man in a suit, who looked like his supervisor, whispered something and then the latter asked me what I do for a living, I didn’t know whether I should lie, but I thought it’s better to say the truth and come what may, if they’re militiamen so be it, I was too exhausted anyway and getting killed sounded like a perfect idea at the time, I was in a very bad need to sleep. Finally they asked me to pose for their security camera, so I did, not knowing whether it’s just routine procedure or I just looked familiar, as in a wanted terrorist maybe!

My early nights in Baghdad were the hardest; It’s been almost a year since I last had a fitful sleep over possible 2:30-a.m.-break-ins. “Those days are gone,” says my family. I wish I could be as relaxed as they are or explain that terrible premonition that’s washing over me.

The above was posted on March 13, 2009 and so far no updates on whether the premonitions are true or not.

Mohammed Al-Saedi is not currently in Iraq, but he still writes on his blog called “I Love You Iraq”. Recently he wrote about (and included pictures) of the reopening of Al-Shabandar café and Al-Saray Market on Al-Mutanabby Street. This area had a horrific bombing several years back, and it was clear that this was a great loss to the people of Baghdad. It was known for it’s bookstores, and this was dear to the heart of the people of Iraq who love to read. Many people commented that they felt a part of them died when this area was bombed. Mohammed comments on the re-building and re-opening of this café and street:

This place, as I consider it, is the single most important historic/contemporary spot in Baghdad. Not the ruins of Babylon, neither the old walls of Baghdad. These might show how great it was, but they are completely worthless otherwise. Places like Shabandar café are places that we need to work on so that 500 years later it would still be standing as a gem of culture and tradition.

Reading the news, seeing that this place has reopened its doors, and that the street is paved with books once again was the single best thing I’ve ever heard in years. This is not a post to support Maliki or anything, but I'm not sorry to admit it, I'm actually starting to like that guy!

Despite the death of the owner’s five sons who ran the place, and despite the death of their mother due to the severe shock she was in. Their father whom I consider a hero, reopened the place, preserved the old decoration, and is running the place once again.

Another important Iraqi blogger is Dr. Mohammad who writes the blog “Last of Iraqis”. He still lives in Baghdad, but recently went with his wife to Amman so that she could have her baby with adequate medical care. Things did not go well with the delivery and aftermath, although mother and baby did survive and mother is doing better. He writes about the birth of his daughter:

I heard the first cry of Looli (that's the nickname of my baby girl)…I can't describe the feeling, no words can describe it, I'm sure it's the best feeling a human can feel…I cried from happiness and it was a really really great moment that I will never forget, Looli was crying and the brought her near to us and it was another moment that I have been long waiting for, I sang the song that I have been singing for her during the pregnancy and she immediately stopped crying, even now if she cries for a reason that we don't know I just sing to her and she stops, by the way the song is my creation.

And the health problems his wife soon faced:

she must do the surgery within two days as maximum and my love needs to be hospitalized for one day, most probably we will do it tomorrow.

I wish this time things will work well, I’m really sad and really confused of the reason…the obstetrician is one of the best in the Middle East; could it be because of her? I don’t think so…she said that each human has a different healing abilities, and such things might happen without a reason that we have control on…God, let this hard time pass easily on our family, let my wife get out of this surgery without complications and let the chain continue…

Dr. Mohammed (a dentist) is accepting donations to help pay for the added medical expenses that he did not anticipate. There is a donate button on his blog.

Iraqi Mojo writes a post called “Iraq has come a long way, has a long way to go” in which he quotes a recent poll about conditions in Iraq. Here is a clip:

"While deep difficulties remain, the advances are remarkable. Eighty-four percent of Iraqis now rate security in their own area positively, nearly double its August 2007 level. Seventy-eight percent say their protection from crime is good, more than double its low. Three-quarters say they can go where they want safely – triple what it’s been.

Few credit the United States, still widely unpopular given the post-invasion violence, and eight in 10 favor its withdrawal on schedule by 2011 – or sooner. But at the same time a new high, 64 percent of Iraqis, now call democracy their preferred form of government.

And “Mosul 4 all” writes about a recent bombing in front of Mosul Medical College. This happened on March 11, 2009, and she was at the college:

Wednesday was horrible day to me, every thing was going mad .I woke up early and went to the college, we had quiz and and I did well, then we went to the cafeteria to eat , then we had a histology lab to see the slides and every thing was good till here ,,,

suddenly

Boooooooom

this was the most horrible sound I was ever heard, I never heard something like this before and next the steel fall toward us , the windows broken on the ground, someone lying on the ground, I put my hand over my ear and screamed, dust, and more of glass on the ground.

Free Iraq decided to copy Juan Cole’s comments on why Cheney is a war criminal. Some of the factual reality covered by Juan Cole includes an estimated 4 million Iraqis have been made homeless; the Iraqi economy is devastated; hundreds of thousands of Iraqi women are now widows; and the occupation has destabilized the entire region.

The blogger known as “I MISS IRAQ” is no longer in Iraq, but he has fallen in love. I am not going to quote him, but you can read about his romantic interests at this link. I wish him the best!

The next blogger is An Arab Women Blues, who is an Iraqi women living in the Middle East. She has a very sharp tongue for western powers, and recently she was discussing an Arabic TV show on the ‘objectivity’ of western media. She has this to say:

They keep pictures of tiny dead bodies away from your o'so sensitive eyes...now that you have tucked your own babies to sleep... we don't want to disturb them.

And don't let us spoil your lovemaking, your once a week (hardly) love making, because sights as these may "negatively affect your desire for love". And surely, with your ever dwindling populations, we don't want that to happen, do we now ?

Oh! so it is "la Crise"...
"La Crise, la Crise"...I have known "la Crise"...
Millions of corpses on a merry go round shout as they are being whirled - "la crise"
What "crise" ?
The millions of martyrs of your "crise" (crisis-- for those who do not wish to joogle)

I am a woman on the edge of a nervous crise...so bear with me. And no, it's not "the wrong time of the month" either.
Please help me stay focused...I am on a merry go round...on a carousel...
I am being assaulted by too much reality.

I don’t read this blogger (An Arab Women Blues) much, mainly because she is very much into blaming the Iranians, the Americans, the Israelis, and the ‘Jews’ for all the problems found in the Middle East. I find I sometimes do agree with her assessments, but they are so often hateful that I loath to spend time reading her. She seems to be unable to see that all groups of people have good and evil people among them.

On a much more positive note, an Iraqi psychiatrist in Baghdad writes of his life in these times and manages to find beauty around him. He calls his blog 'Skies'. He wrote a piece called “I believe” and here is some of his blog:

I believe in Hera, the queen of heavens. Her chariot was pulled by a peacock through the skies.

I believe that Aphrodite made a fault when she hided Adonis in a coffer. Another goddess took him out heralding the end of heaven and start of day and night, spring and autumn.

I have to admit – I don’t know what he is talking about. There is a video with the post that has pictures of peacocks and an Arabic song….. maybe if I could understand the song, I would understand the post? Anyway, he has another post further down, with pictures, of his trip on the Tigris river, his visit to some old buildings in Baghdad, and his appreciation of poetry and art.

And the blogger “Mosul is in heart” wrote a picture diary on one way that Iraqis cook fish. It is very interesting, even if (like me) you don’t like fish. Earlier this year, he posted about life in Mosul:

There was a curfew in Mosul this morning. All the roads were closed. We heard a heavy shooting yesterday. The situation has been fluctuating between chaos and relatively calm indeed. !!

Four explosions occurred almost at the same time in Al-majmoa' last week. Two doctors and a student in the pharmacy college were killed yesterday, the dean of the medicine college was attacked and seriously injured few weeks ago and etc.

It is really unbearable. Please pray that our suffering would be ended.

Baghdad Connect, who lives in Baghdad of course, recently wrote this piece:

One well-respected businessman was killed in Al Mansour district two weeks ago in a car bomb that meant to kill the head of the interior ministry – south region. A car bomb in Al Karada claimed the live of a loved teacher and children are again being the victim of kidnapping in Al Dawadie area. The madness returns in the aftermath of the elections and the announcement of Obama’s ‘reasonable’ withdraw from Iraq.

The latest news of Ezzat Al Douri’s (Saddam’s vice president) open letter to the ex-Baathists army officers (24000 nos. of which 9000 nos. of highly paid) to heed to Al Maliki’s call to return to their previous jobs is a living proof that a plan is under way to strengthen the Baathists. This plan will rely solely on the out come of Obama’s direct talk with the Mullas of Iran.

The Iraqi blogger “Violet for Peace” wrote a recent piece that is somewhat cryptic. It is titled “Laugh till death” and here is part of the post:

yes, i have learned this from you my friend... i wasn't used to laugh alot .. i don't know why .... maybe it's the nature of life or friends i used to know... but now with out you .. life is not life ... and the college is not college ... i don't know if we are the only group that laugh in the college and make fun of life -coz our college is a little SERIOUS :D...

Touta, who writes on Fog el Nakhal blog, has a way with words…. And she likes to use a lot of them! Her recent post was on a trip to visit relatives in Rumadi:

I've typed this from my mobile, as my cousins watch in amazement. I'm in Rumadi now. The trip to here from Baghdad is a story in itself.

My cousins who live here visited us to our house, but we never visited them. Now I sit comfortably on a recliner that is only a few centimeters of the floor, making it quite difficult to actually get up once you've sat down.

To transport us from our house, we hired one of thos cars with black windows and large tyres, driven by a tall, quite intimidating guy.It really comfortable and large, and he bellows in laughter as he talks about the rumadi stereotype. I think we had to pass three checkpoints through the whole journey, and I didn't really do anything apart from stay seated as soldier after soldier would peer in suspiciously before exclaiming 'Family!' and letting us pass.

And there is one Iraqi blogger that is not with us on this anniversary. His blog was called “Blog Iraq” and he was killed in May, 2008 in Baghdad. Here is the notice of his death:

There is not one family in Iraq that has been untouched by the violence that gripped our country and Iraqi bloggers are no different. His friend, Mohammed Alani, who helped set up the blog, wrote on BlogIraq: “Ahmed (BlogIraq) is dead. He was killed in Baghdad on April 11th, 2008… He had an appointment that day with a guy he knew. This guy was supposed to get him some documents that prove corruption in some USAID office back in Baghdad. I don't have complete details about it. Anyway, he and the guy bringing the documents were killed at their meeting place in Mansour district in Baghdad…

His brother in-law found him dead with his friend in Mansour district in one of the small streets there. Thank God his body was found, unlike many of our friends who were killed or just vanished without a trace.”

I have not heard anything further on this murder or who might be behind it. The writings of Blog Iraq are here at this link. Here is part of what he wrote on last year’s anniversary of the invasion:

This day marks five years since the start of the US-led invasion of Iraq. Five years full of death and suffering to Iraqis. What is even more sad, is that the suffering of the Iraqis did not start only five years ago. It started a long long time before that. Saddam and his entourage caused pain, agony, and death to an enormous number of people. Some people thought it would end by the occupation of Iraq by the US and life will flourish again. How wrong were they.

How very sad that he died, while apparently trying to uncover corruption. He had a young daughter…. And she is now one of Iraq’s orphans. Any child who has lost their father is an ‘orphan’ in Iraq even if their mother is still alive. Today, there are millions of orphans in Iraq, and there are hundreds of thousands of widows. Jobs are scarce for Iraqi men, and almost nonexistent for Iraqi women. It is a huge humanitarian crisis.

McClatchy’s Newspaper asks “Is the Iraq war over? Iraqis, Americans see it differently.” And here is a bit of that story:

Six years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, Americans and Iraqis for the first time have starkly different views about the country's future. Americans are ready to close the book on the war, but Iraqis say the story is far from over.

As the war enters its seventh year this week, Americans are winding down their military presence. Violence, while not over, it is at its lowest levels since the war began, and Iraqi forces, U.S. officials say, are better able than ever to secure their nation. The U.S. and Iraq have agreed that most U.S. troops must withdraw by the end of 2011.

Iraqis, however, worry that their war may be just beginning. January's provincial elections stoked tensions between Sunni Muslim Arabs and Kurds in northern Iraq that could spill over into central Iraq.

McClatchy’s also tells us “Baghdad’s water still undrinkable 6 years after invasion.” Here is a clip from that article:

The stench of human waste is enough to tell Falah abu Hasan that his drinking water is bad. His infant daughter Fatma's continuous illnesses and his own constant nausea confirm it.

"We are the poor. No one cares if we get sick and die," he said. "But someone should do something about the water. It is dirty. It brings disease."

Everybody complains about the water in Baghdad, and few are willing to risk drinking it from the tap. Six years after the U.S. invaded Iraq, 36 percent of Baghdad's drinking water is unsafe, according to the Iraqi Environment Ministry — in a good month. In a bad month, it's 90 percent.

I don’t have an up-to-date source on other conditions in Iraq – like the lack of electricity, the effects on mental health, the degraded status of women since the invasion, the millions of displaced inside Iraq, the millions of refugees in foreign countries, the lack of health care, the children not attending school any more, the potential for ethnic violence between Arabs and Kurds, and the ongoing violence in general.

Iraqis are more certainly more optimistic, and their levels of optimism are almost back to where they were in 2005, before the really horrible stuff started. They are also concerned that they have not seen the end to the violence unleashed by the US invasion and occupation of their country.

I expect I will be putting up another blog post of Iraqi bloggers on the SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ILLEGAL AND EVIL US INVASION OF IRAQ, unfortunately. This ain’t over. One last link: “In Iraq, a boy named ‘War’ turns 6" from McClatchy Newspapers:

Nothing was easy that night. Kadhim heard the baby's first cry before dawn and held him in her arms. Then they heard the first explosions that heralded the arrival of the U.S. military. She named him Harb, Arabic for war. His full name, Harb Zaid, translates as Zaid's War. Neighbors joked that the child named War would only bring damar, or destruction.

…… His favorite game is "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City." He hijacks cars, steals motorcycles, shoots pedestrians and runs over bystanders on the street. Digital blood seeps from the bodies. Most 6-year-olds aren't allowed to play "Grand Theft Auto." It's too graphic. But War has seen real blood.

In 2006 he went with his brother to pick up kebabs when an explosion tore through the market. People ran from the bakery next door burning alive. But he wasn't scared, he said. His father ran to the market when he heard the blast, barefoot and frightened. A neighbor saw the two boys and pulled them away from the carnage. War recounted the tale to his father, Mohammed Abd Badr, without a trace of fear.

That same year, War sat in the car as his dad drove down the dark streets of his neighborhood one night. A car stopped in front of them, and members of the Shiite militia, the Mahdi army, pulled a man from the trunk of the car and shot him. They left him on the street and drove away.

Small protest at UNCA

There was a very small protest at UNCA today against six years of occupation of Iraq. The one who ran this are part of "SDS" which is Students for a Democratic Society. They are really cool folks, but they did not get much attention or much of an audience for this rally.

And that is because most Americans feel the war is over. They are wrong.

Iraqi bloggers on the sixth anniversary

Several Iraqi bloggers have quit blogging over the years. Riverbend became a refugee in Syria and has not published a blog since October 2007. Zeyad (Healing Iraq) has not posted since December 2008. He was located in the US at that time. His brother Nabil is in Jordan when he last wrote in October 2008. And Salam Pax is back blogging (on a new blog) in his typical irreverent way:

For just US $170 you can have Saddam’s room at the Babel resort!
The report is in Arabic but it has some fantastic photos, click on the link above to see them.. I think he liked gold and frilly thing just a tiny little bit too much.

But I like the balls on the person responsible for this PR stunt.. using saddam now as a marketing pull!

Raed in the Middle is working in the USA for American Friends Service Committee. He last blogged in early March 2009, and he is impressed with Obama’s pledge to bring all US troops out of Iraq by 2012. Here’s a clip:

wow! I am really impressed.

Obama's speech on frieday was pretty significant. He pledged for the first time to bring all troops out of iraq. In addition, he promised to comply with the deadline agreed upon on in the bilateral withdrawal agreement (aka sofa).

Raed’s mother, Faiza, has been working in Jordan in a program to help Iraqi refugees there. She is currently taking a break from her job in Egypt, where she is visiting another son. She said this about her recent work:

I don’t like the idea of dismissing any employee unless she committed a serious transgression; like a clear theft or a transgression against her colleagues so they would complain against her, or maybe a transgression against the Iraqis who are beneficiaries of the program. I usually prefer the method of giving notices, warnings, and a time limit to change the conduct, and usually, the results come out positive...

......I also will peruse completing some small projects by e-mails, through the Net, like sending water purifying sets to hospitals, clinics, or schools in Iraq, or collecting donations for a project to buy sewing machines for displaced women in various locations in Iraq, like Baquba, Al-Anbar, Karkook, the southern Marshlands,....

These projects remain with me even if I go on holiday, because I see them as a moral obligation I cannot give up, or throw behind my back. I cannot let down those poor people who need a helping hand to save them from the ordeal they face, to ease some of life’s burdens they are carrying, while they are away from their towns and homes, until things will settle down in all Iraqi areas, and every displaced family will go back to its original house to live a peaceful, safe life. This is a big dream that no Iraq-loving Iraqi will abandon, as much as I think...and believe.

Faiza has a lot more words of wisdom about running aid programs for refugees, and what needs to happen in Iraq for recovery to occur. The first thing is that the US occupation has to end.

Another blogger in this Jarrar family is Khalid, who recently posted this:

A Freaking Awesome Saying

"War does not determine who is right – only who is left." – Bertrand Russell.... Whoever that is.

And the last blogger in the Jarrar family, Majid (who is in Egypt), wrote this in January about Obama’s statement at AIPAC one month before Israel started its massacre in Gaza. He titled it "Did He Not Know?"

I am truly puzzled, how could Obama still say that he will 'seek a new way forward' with the Muslim world when he promises Israel a military support of 30 Billion Dollars over the next decade, and that no other nation will get as much aid from America as Israel will?!

that's what he calls politics?

I call hypocricy.

I am guessing that Majid is not as impressed with Obama’s pledge to withdraw from Iraq as his older brother Raed is.

Treasure of Baghdad is currently in the USA, and his recent post was on a NYT documentary on Pakistani girls being banned from going to school by the Taliban. He included the video of this documentary on his blog, and it is worth watching, but clearly, not about Iraq.

Mama, an Iraqi dentist in Mosul, recently posted on her blog "The Iraqi Resistance Responds to President Obama". I recommend reading what they have to say, but I will share with you the only part of this blog post that is Mama’s original writing..... that is, the title:

How do you spell "GET THE HELL OUT"?

I think that is pretty clear.

Mama’s daughter, Sunshine, is my favorite Iraqi blogger. She is finishing up high school, and I hope to write another post about her blog and it’s impact on me. But for now, I will share a bit of what she wrote recently, where she lives up to her sunny name:

In spite of the unbearable situation, I feel very optimistic and positive this week, because I didn't hear TV or radio news at all, whenever someone starts to complain about the situation and hard life I go away, when I feel stressed a little bit I put headphone and enjoy my new MP4,I read at least one page of the gorgeous book ( la tahzan= don't be sad), I try to create good things, instead of waiting for good things to happen to enjoy myself and everyone around me ..

And what is this "unbearable situation"? Well, just a few days after she posted this blog, a 12 year old Iraqi girl in Mosul was shot by US troops as she walked down the street.

And a Mosul University student was shot and killed by unknown gunmen. This is the current situation that the people of Mosul are dealing with at this time.

And here is today’s list of security incidents in Mosul, which I pulled from the Iraq Today blog:

Mosul:

#1: An employee from the Displacement and Migration Department on Wednesday was shot by unknown gunmen in northern Mosul city, according to a local police source. "The employee was shot while he was leaving his work in al-Arabi neighborhood, northern Mosul," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#2: Gunmen killed a civilian in a drive-by shooting, south of Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, on Wednesday, police said.

#3: A roadside bomb wounded two civilians when it struck a U.S. patrol in eastern Mosul on Wednesday, police said. The patrol escaped unharmed.

#4: Unknown gunmen on Thursday killed the mayor of Doberdan village of Baasheqa district, east of Mosul city, said a security source from Ninewa province. "The armed men shot dead Khalil Dhahir Abdilrahman, and then escaped," the source told Aswat al-Iraq news agency.

#5: Police found the body of a man shot in the head and chest in a town near Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad, police said.

There is plenty more of this type of information on the blog Iraq Today.

And pictures of what is happening in Iraq can be found at this blog.

And one more Iraqi blogger clip, from McClatchy Newspapers:

country of orphans

I was reading an article about Iraqi orphanages and I shocked when I knew that the government has allocated only 2000 dinars (1.50 $) per a month for each orphan in these orphanage.

Can you imagine, with the explosive budget that reached to 71 billion dollars last year, the share of the orphan is 1.50 $ monthly? What a justice, that we live under this national government which promised to end the years of lack!

Islam, the official religion for Iraq state and customs emphasize the importance of caring the orphans and most Iraqi officials reach to authority by using Islamic cover to convince voters. Iraq the country of orphans (there are more than 3 millions orphans in Iraq) only 469 orphans of them distribute on 15 orphanage are living under the care of the state. Iraq government ordered to close all private orphanages for vague reasons. This issue reminded me of the displaced issue when the government decided to close one of displaced camp just to say we are not have displacement problem any more.

Tomorrow I will post some more of Iraqi bloggers on the Sixth Anniversary of the beginning of the destruction of their country! This is getting too long.

One Tin Soldier - You Tube from 2006

An Iraqi child has a message for us

Telling us what it is like to see your father and brother killed right in front of you, and to be shot yourself. This video is from No More Victims.

Noam Chomsky on No More Victims

In memory of Rachel Corrie

More violence in Palestine

Tomorrow is the sixth anniversary of the death of Rachel Corrie. She died in Gaza trying to stop the destruction of an innocent family’s home. Her parents have taken up her cause, and I heard them speak at a rally in 2005. They are remarkable.

Unfortunately, another American has been seriously hurt while engaging in non-violent protest against the apartheid wall in the West Bank. The Israeli Defense Forces shot a teargas canister at him, and it hit him directly in the forehead. He is in stable condition and on a respirator. His name is Tristan Anderson, and his picture in on this blog post. Here is the latest report on his condition.

And two Israeli police officers were killed. They were on patrol in the West Bank, near Israeli settlements near the border with Jordan. They were shot, and then reportedly lost control of their police vehicle and overturned. The full story is here.

And there is a call to action on stopping night raids by the IDF in the West Bank. That is fully explained by Jewish Voices for Peace here.

I hope Tristan recovers soon. I hope the violence in Israel and Palestine stops now.

Clear signs of American stupidity

This photo came from an Australian news report, and it shows US troops walking around AFTER the shooter is dead. Do they think that massive number of Americans will decide to pick up guns right away after a massacre like this? I hope the soldiers enjoyed their after dark walk. This was stupid.

Caption: US Army soldiers from Fort Rucker patrol the downtown area of Samson, Alabama after the shooting spree.

Review: Waiting for an Ordinary Day

Review: Waiting for an Ordinary Day: the unraveling of life in Iraq

Author: Farnaz Fassihi

This author does bring a unique perspective to her reporting on Iraq. She is an Iranian-American woman, who grew up in the Shia branch of the Muslim religion. She worked for the Wall Street Journal from 2002 to 2006, so she had the chance to get to know a few Iraqis before the US war of aggression started. And she had a clear view of how this war and occupation destroyed life in Iraq. Ms. Fassihi achieved some fame when she sent out an email to her friends and family in September 2004 that was passed around freely on the internet. It was described as the ‘email read around the world’. It clearly described what life was like in Iraq for an American journalist.

She documents the horror and the hardships that the Iraqi people faced, and how they wished for just an ordinary day where they did not have to suffer going without electricity, jobs, school, health care, water, and most importantly of all: where they did not have to worry about or deal with the violence that enveloped the country.

The US military is the source of that violence and the source of the ruination of the country of Iraq. As always, violence begets more violence. The US military is not the one responsible for having going into Iraq – they were sent there by US politicians and the US public. So, it is the American people and their elected leaders who are the responsible ones for having ruined the lives of millions for no reason beyond having multi-national companies control that oil.

This book tells about how the occupation unfolded on the ground for Iraqis. This author does have an interesting perspective on the situation, which in a couple of respects are quite wrong. First, she says the Iraqi people respond to “the situation” in a manner consistent with learned helplessness. The author thinks this is wrong, but there is just no other way any reasonable person would respond to a situation like the one in occupied Iraq. It is simply just totally beyond the control of the ordinary person who is not a combatant.

Second, she notes that Iraqi people felt that the policies enacted by the US troops were done on purpose. She seems to think that the horrible policies are the result of the US military’s ‘mistakes’. Well, I think the policies to let Iraq be destroyed were done on purpose myself, just like the invasion was done on purpose. The goal was, in my view, to destroy the people and the place, all the better to control it. I think this position is strongly supported by the near total lack of awareness of what exactly has happened there in Iraq by the US public and politicians. This is done on purpose.

The author states that (after the exposure of the torture at Abu Ghriab): “In the Iraqi imagination, torture at the hands of Americans has been in play for a long time.” This makes it sound like the Iraqis have an overactive imagination regarding bad actions on the part of the US military forces. In the next paragraph, she details how the Red Cross investigations revealed the widespread nature of detainee abuse and torture. So, the Iraqis were not suffering from an over-active imagination. They simply had more information to work with, having heard stories from their relatives and friends.

But I have to recommend this book, since it does an amazing job of following what happens in the lives of ordinary Iraqis up until 2006. There were a few she lost track of, but the overall story of heartache, grief and loss is well documented. She does an excellent job of describing the after-effects of the bombing and fighting. She chronicles the roots of the sectarian violence in the Interior Ministry forces, and the lasting effects of their rounding up and torturing (and often killing) of Sunnis, combined with the random bombings of Shias by Sunni, or possibly al Qaeda in Iraq, extremists. Her descriptions include small details of ordinary life, such as school yard tormenting based on sectarian differences. She tells of the trauma that the children of Iraq have lived with for years now.

She chronicles the impact of the murder of only sons on two hotel staff. She tells how other staff in the hotel found a foot in the courtyard and a scalp by the swimming pool after a car bombing.

She ends her book with this comment:

“I keep asking myself: What justifies the enormous costs of this war and the wound it has inflicted? I am at a loss for an answer. This is the story of war.”

I can certainly answer that question: NOTHING justifies this war and occupation. It was started on a pack of lies, and I am certain that our politicians and pundits and journalists who said these lies knew exactly what they were doing. And today, they do not notice or care what wounds or costs or deaths have been inflicted on Iraq. Some of them even think the Iraqi people should be grateful!! Our country has a moral rot that goes very, very deep, and this war and occupation showed that moral rot to the world.

I hope one day there is justice for Iraqis and justice handed out to each and every American who supported this war for even one second. In between now and the day that justice comes, I hope all the dead Iraqi children come to their dreams at night – that is, the dreams of the US politicians, pundits, journalists and citizens who supported this evil war and occupation. I hope those dead children find a way to share with them, night after night after night after night, the horror that they have inflicted on the world. In short, I hope they do not have another peaceful night’s rest for as long as they live. And when they die, I hope their spirits will meet up with the dead Iraqis spirits so they can know the full impact of their violence and evil that they did while they were living.

And we must make sure this never happens again.

And Iraqis are still waiting for an ordinary day, even as some conditions improve in Iraq. There are still millions of refugees, millions of orphans, low rates of school attendance and high rates of unemployment. There is still a shortage of electricity, clean water, and security. There are still Iraqi dying and grieving their losses every day in Iraq.

Amazon link to book is here.

Photo of Life in Iraq today: Streets full of sewage and foreign troops with big guns hanging around. Photo: U.S. Army Pvt. Johnny Lynn, 20, from Danners, Ill., assigned to Delta Co., 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment stands guard during a joint patrol with Iraqi Army troops in Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, March 13, 2009. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

The wrong person sent to jail....

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at bush was sentenced to jail for three years. While I don't think throwing shoes is appropriate behavior, it is very mild indeed compared to what bush did. If this was a just world, bush would go to prison for 3,000 years. Here is a report from Al Jazeera:

Standard reply from Senator Hagen

Email: senator_noreply@hagan.senate.gov

Dear Friend,

I wanted to take a moment to thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts and opinions. Since taking office, I have received an overwhelming number of calls and emails from North Carolinians like you who are ready to take an active part in our government. I appreciate each and every call and email. With our country facing some of its toughest challenges in a generation, your phone calls and messages are important factor guiding my work here in Washington. Please be assured that we will get back to you as soon as possible regarding your specific concern.

I would like to take this opportunity to share my website with you. Please visit http://Hagan.Senate.Gov to find contact information for my offices and to stay updated as my new state offices open. You can also find information there about what I've been doing in North Carolina and Washington. It is an honor to serve as your Unites States Senator, and I appreciate your patience as I transition into this new role. I sincerely hope you will not hesitate to contact me at any time to share your concerns and voice your opinions on our country's most pressing issues.
Yours truly,
Kay R. Hagan
United States Senator, North Carolina

Interesting choice of email address - like she is sending the message that there will be "no reply" to your concerns. I think I will call her Senator No Reply. And no, I do not know why she would be calling me "friend".

Channel 4 interviews Saddam in Feb 2003

This interview is rather long and rather boring. For one thing, you have to wait for the translation. But also, Saddam is rather boring. But the reason I am posting them here is simple: in this interview, Saddam clearly states that he does not have WMDs or connections to al Qaeda. And he was telling the truth. Some folks like to say that Saddam pretended he has WMDs, but this is a right wingnut falsehood.

Part One



Part Two



Part Three

Stop the escalation in Afghanistan!

Several groups have asked for all of us to call our elected Representative to stop the escalation of the violence in Afghanistan and the escalation of 17,000 more US troops in Afghanistan. Here are the groups asking for this:

Code Pink, American Conservative Defense Alliance, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Foreign Policy In Focus, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL), Tom Hayden, Institute for Policy Studies, Just Foreign Policy, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement, Peace Action, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, United for Peace and Justice, U.S. Labor Against the War, Voters for Peace, Win Without War, and Women's Action for New Directions.

Many of those groups I deeply admire and respect. Several US Representatives have written a letter to Mr. Obama asking that there not be an escalation. Please call your Representative and ask him or her to sign on to the letter below. The number to call is 202-225-3121. Please ask them to contact the office of Rep. Walter Jones or his staff and sign on to the letter. Rep. Jones number is 202-225-3415.

***************
Text of letter:

Dear Mr. President:

We have noted with some concern your announcement that an additional 17,000 US troops would be sent to Afghanistan. As the goals of our seven year military involvement remain troublingly unclear, we urge you to reconsider such a military escalation.

If the intent is to leave behind a stable Afghanistan capable of governing itself, this military escalation may well be counterproductive. A recent study by the Carnegie Endowment has concluded that "the only meaningful way to halt the insurgency's momentum is to start withdrawing troops. The presence of foreign troops is the most important element d riving the resurgence of the Taliban."

The 2001 authorization to use military force in Afghanistan allowed military action "to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States." Continuing to fight a counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan does not appear to us to be in keeping with these directives and an escalation may actually harm US security.

In a tape released in 2004, Osama bin Laden stated that al Qaedas' goal was to "bleed.. .America to the point of bankruptcy" in Afghanistan. He continued, "All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note. . . ." We would do well to pay attention to these threats and to avoid falling into any such trap through escalation of our military presence in
Afghanistan.

We are also concerned that any perceived military success in Afghanistan might create pressure to increase military activity in Pakistan. This could very well lead to dangerous destabilization in the region and would increase hostility toward the United States.

Mr. President, in reviewing the past history of Afghanistan and the nations that have failed to conquer it -- Russia spent nine years in Afghanistan and lost many billions of dollars and more than 15,000 Russian soldiers-- we urge you to reconsider the decision to send an additional 17,000 troops and to resist pressure to escalate even further.

Sincerely,
Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-HI 1st)
Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-6th)
Representative Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC 3rd)
Representative Steve Kagen (D-WI-8th)
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH 10th)
Representative Ron E. Paul (R-TX 14th)
Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY-1st)
Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA 6th)

Fisherman on the Tigris by Dahr Jamail

A fisherman in Baghdad speaks to Dahr Jamail and Jason Coppola in the shadow of the massive new US embassy on the Tigris River about life during occupation.

Tactics of the Israeli Lobby

As published in the Wall Street Journal:

Charles Freeman, a veteran diplomat slated to become the top U.S. intelligence analyst, withdrew from consideration Tuesday. He released a statement denouncing the "Israel Lobby" for "character assassination." Here is the text of the statement.

To all who supported me or gave me words of encouragement during the controversy of the past two weeks, you have my gratitude and respect.

You will by now have seen the statement by Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair reporting that I have withdrawn my previous acceptance of his invitation to chair the National Intelligence Council.

I have concluded that the barrage of libelous distortions of my record would not cease upon my entry into office. The effort to smear me and to destroy my credibility would instead continue. I do not believe the National Intelligence Council could function effectively while its chair was under constant attack by unscrupulous people with a passionate attachment to the views of a political faction in a foreign country. I agreed to chair the NIC to strengthen it and protect it against politicization, not to introduce it to efforts by a special interest group to assert control over it through a protracted political campaign.

As those who know me are well aware, I have greatly enjoyed life since retiring from government. Nothing was further from my mind than a return to public service. When Admiral Blair asked me to chair the NIC I responded that I understood he was "asking me to give my freedom of speech, my leisure, the greater part of my income, subject myself to the mental colonoscopy of a polygraph, and resume a daily commute to a job with long working hours and a daily ration of political abuse." I added that I wondered "whether there wasn't some sort of downside to this offer." I was mindful that no one is indispensable; I am not an exception. It took weeks of reflection for me to conclude that, given the unprecedentedly challenging circumstances in which our country now finds itself abroad and at home, I had no choice but accept the call to return to public service. I thereupon resigned from all positions that I had held and all activities in which I was engaged. I now look forward to returning to private life, freed of all previous obligations.

I am not so immodest as to believe that this controversy was about me rather than issues of public policy. These issues had little to do with the NIC and were not at the heart of what I hoped to contribute to the quality of analysis available to President Obama and his administration. Still, I am saddened by what the controversy and the manner in which the public vitriol of those who devoted themselves to sustaining it have revealed about the state of our civil society. It is apparent that we Americans cannot any longer conduct a serious public discussion or exercise independent judgment about matters of great importance to our country as well as to our allies and friends.

The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors.

There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel. I believe that the inability of the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East; it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United States.

The outrageous agitation that followed the leak of my pending appointment will be seen by many to raise serious questions about whether the Obama administration will be able to make its own decisions about the Middle East and related issues. I regret that my willingness to serve the new administration has ended by casting doubt on its ability to consider, let alone decide what policies might best serve the interests of the United States rather than those of a Lobby intent on enforcing the will and interests of a foreign government.

In the court of public opinion, unlike a court of law, one is guilty until proven innocent. The speeches from which quotations have been lifted from their context are available for anyone interested in the truth to read. The injustice of the accusations made against me has been obvious to those with open minds. Those who have sought to impugn my character are uninterested in any rebuttal that I or anyone else might make.

Still, for the record: I have never sought to be paid or accepted payment from any foreign government, including Saudi Arabia or China, for any service, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of a foreign government, its interests, or its policies. I have never lobbied any branch of our government for any cause, foreign or domestic. I am my own man, no one else's, and with my return to private life, I will once again – to my pleasure – serve no master other than myself. I will continue to speak out as I choose on issues of concern to me and other Americans.

I retain my respect and confidence in President Obama and DNI Blair. Our country now faces terrible challenges abroad as well as at home. Like all patriotic Americans, I continue to pray that our president can successfully lead us in surmounting them.

From checkpoint Jerusalem (McClatchy blog)

Iraqi refugees - view from Syria

One out of five Iraqis were displaced by this war. That would be equivalent to 60 million Americans being displaced. For comparison, 400,000 Americans were displaced by Katrina. What has happened to Iraq is more than 100 times worse. And, these people will not be going home until the foreign military occupation ends, which thanks to Obama, will be 2012 at the earliest. I really don't expect Obama to ever end the occupation of Iraq during his term. The point of the occupation is to control the oil resources for multi-national corporations, and the US elites intend to do that until the oil runs out. They are sick, evil people and we have to find a way to stop them. And here is the result of our evil ways:

Let's end mountain top removal

It is really, truly unbelievable that we actually do this to our home! Blast away the mountains that I love so much. The Sierra Club is running a letter writing campaign to stop this horrible practice, and you can go here to sign on to a letter or write your own. Go down to the 'take action' button. The letter will go to the EPA Administrator, Lisa Jackson, as well as the Chair of President Obama's Council on Enviornmental Quality, Nancy Sutley.

Palestinian Peace Efforts

This post is about a couple of efforts by Palestinians to promote peace.

In the West Bank village of Ni’lin, there is a weekly protest against the Separation Barrier (which cuts off about half of the village’s farmland and water from the village inhabitants). Israeli peace activists join Palestinians at this protest. Recently, the Palestinians living in Ni’lin have set up an exhibit to commemorate the Holocaust. This exhibit was organized by Ni’lin Popular Committee Against the Wall.

The article about this action states:

Hassan Moussa, the exhibition's organiser, spoke to me over the phone from Ni'lin. And despite the hot-headed rhetoric coming from both sides that weekend (a number of protesters were tear-gassed just hours before), Moussa explained that the exhibit was organised with the most noble of intentions.

"This is a way of extending our sympathy for the Jews," and the Palestinians' way of extending that sympathy "to the Israeli people, themselves," he says.

The exhibit was housed in the village’s municipality headquarters and more than 1000 people came to see it and remember the Holocaust against Europe’s Jews. One out of five residents came to see the exhibit of posters and texts. Some Israelis activists came to the exhibit also.

Meanwhile, Dr. Ezzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian doctor who lives in Gaza and works in Israel, and whose three daughters and a niece were killed by Israeli tank fire just before he spoke live on Israeli TV, has continued his work for peace. He continues to speak to media outlets about the need for peace in Gaza. (If you missed the live on-air report of the shelling that killed his daughters, go to this link. And a follow-up interview is here.)

Here is a short excerpt on a media interview:

As he has done before, Abuelaish thanked the Israelis who helped save the survivors of the shelling and praised the Israeli military for admitting that a tank fired on his house.

But he challenged the contention that the Israeli military warned him to leave or that there were Hamas fighters on the roof of his apartment building.

Abuelaish: It is painful to hear this lie. We should stop such fabrications. If we are serious about finding a solution (to the Israeli-Palestinian problem) we should be honest with each other, not find excuses. No one contacted me to tell me to leave. They sent pamphlets, but not to our area. I think it's your responsibility to go to the area there and to ask if they or anyone else contacted me, or if anyone has the courage to face me and to say that we contacted you, Ezzeldeen.

Question: The Golani Brigade Force claimed that there was all kinds of shelling and firing coming from near your home and that they thought they saw people on your rooftop. How do you respond to that?

Abuelaish: Good. Yes. That's what they said. But they didn't listen to me. If they saw snipers on the roof, why didn't they shoot at the roof?

He further comments on the effects of his great personal loss:

Later, Abuelaish is asked if the death of his daughters has hardened him.

Question: You have worked for years, particularly before 2000, not only in Israel at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheva but also bringing Israeli doctors into Gaza and vice versa. Jump to now, to your personal experience. Has it hardened you? Has it changed you?

Abuelaish: Never. It is a strange thing. I still believe that this is the only way and what I did to prove it was the right thing, as a medical doctor, to save lives. And what is practiced within the borders of the hospital, treating patients without any discrimination, ethnicity, religion, name, is the right thing. With all of our skills as doctors, with all of our care, we wish for the successful recovery of our patients, equally and that's what should be practiced and implemented outside in other fields of human life between Palestinians and Israelis. Respect, equality and dignity. And what I wish for myself, I wish it for others.

I think that is amazing that he is able to think about other people and their outlooks, and to still treat others with respect and dignity. He is truly a peace maker. You can see him speak with Israeli citizens in the videos below (Part Three). These Israelis are people who live in the land that used to belong to his family that was lost in the forced dislocation in 1948. These three videos are a BBC special on what happened in Gaza, in particular, what happened to Dr. Abuelaish and his family. It is an amazing testimony to the strength and goodness of this family.

“Ruins of Gaza”

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Whales committing suicide

Last night, over 200 whales and dolphins stranded themselves on an island off of Australia's coast. This type of action has been happening, now and then, for a few decades now. But this was unusual in the high number of whales that were stranded.

One theory is that their ability to determine where to go has been destroyed by sonar or some other man-made noise pollutants in the ocean. The sonar blasts often destroy their inner ears, which is a source of balance and orientation in the physical world. But, it seems to me, if that were the case then the whales would be dispersed all over the place and not end up dying on one single beach.

My theory is that they are committing mass suicide to send us a message - that we are destroying the earth, both with our over-consumption, over-population and war making. A lot of whales and dolphins are killed by US military exercises, particularly when they use massive sonar or blow stuff up underwater. What a sadness that these innocent animals have to pay for our evil ways!

Photo: Some of the stranded pilot whales on a King Island beach are seen in this handout obtained March 2, 2009. Rescuers were trying on Monday to save dozens of pilot whales after almost 200 beached themselves on an island near Australia's southern state of Tasmania, with many already dead. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo)

Afghanistan people upset at NATO actions