Here are some of my sources for information on Iraq:
US casualties and some news stories:
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Daily blog of news stories from all over, along with a lively comment section that often catches errors in those news sources:
http://dailywarnews.blogspot.com/
Another one: http://warincontext.org/
Click on news, or editorials/opinions for various opinions:
http://www.azzaman.com/english/index.asp?fname=news2005-08-2110492.htm
List of news stories here, and I always look at the photo slideshow. The photos often tell something the corporate press is overlooking: http://news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=World&cat=Iraq
The photos are often hard to look at. Imagine how hard it would be to live it. Keep in mind that no news source is infallible, the good ones however do self-correct. Juan Cole is very knowledgeable on the Middle East (Informed Comment blog) but he often jumps to the wrong conclusion.... like saying the death of the innocent guy (shot by police on the London subway) was the fault of the terrorists. He said this the day he was killed, and a couple of weeks later, the truth started coming out - and that innocent death is the rest of police bungling, if not outright testosterone poisoning.
And I also like to read Iraqi bloggers. Sunshine is one of my favorite bloggers, and she is a 13-year-old girl in Mosul. I also like Faiza’s writings and I am happy to say she is a friend of mine. Faiza writes the blog “A Family in Baghdad.” She and her family have moved to Amman, because of the danger. She has two sons who write blogs also. There are about 150 Iraqi bloggers now, with many different opinions (the pro-war ones are much more respectful of Cindy Sheehan than the pro-war crowd in the USA). I cannot read all the Iraqi bloggers any more.
Here’s an example of a news story from Iraq:
More Univ. professors killed By Mohammed Salah
Azzaman, August 28, 2005
Unidentified gunmen have gunned down three university professors, all of them from the University of Mustansiriya in Baghdad. The incident, which took place at main entrance to the campus, takes the number of professors murdered since the U.S.-led invasion of the country to 58. “Unidentified people shot and killed Dr. Zaki al-Ani from the College of Arts and Dr. Hashem Abdulamir from the College of Education,” a university source told the newspaper on condition of anonymity. The third professor, Dr. Sameer Yalda of the College of Economics and Administration, was kidnapped as he left the university and his body was found dumped on a main street in Baghdad. The incentives behind the killings are now known. And the police have not yet solved the mystery behind any of the previous 55 murders of Iraqi university professors. As a result, Iraqi professionals are leaving in droves. Statistics by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research show that more professors have left the country since the U.S. invasion than under the reign of former leader Saddam Hussein.
Without a question, this murder of these three professors did happen, since it is widely reported. It is also widely reported that professors are leaving Iraq in significant numbers. So, it is safe to say that the conclusions reached in this article are correct. How very sad.
The tragedy unfolding in the southern USA is also very, very sad. I would like to recommend that Americans call their local blood bank and see if they need more blood. I have heard they are low, and this is something no other country can do for us.
I wish that we had such extensive, heart-wrenching coverage of the reality of what is going on Iraq, particularly with the US bombing. First, it would inspire Americans to open their wallets to help Iraqis (directly, not via the US government corruption programs) and they would insist on an end to war. It amazes me that there are Americans who feel we cannot leave Iraq because the Iraqis could be worse off. This invasion and occupation has devastated that country and by every available measure, the Iraqis are worse off now than they were three years ago.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we started using our heads to create and protect and conserve – instead of destroy?
Imagine if we really protected and respected the environment, and respected and protected each other…….
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