Monday,
December 17, 2012. Chaos and violence continue, Nouri shuts down a
satellite channel critical of him -- shuts down by using the military,
tensions continue between Baghdad and Erbil, the United Nations
acknowledges receiving daily reports of torture in Iraqi prisons, a US
Senator passes away, and more.
Iraq was slammed with violence today. Al-Shorfa notes that "Iraqi security forces raised their alert to the maximum level on Monday." AFP observes today's "violence comes after a string of attacks killed 19 people and wounded 77 yesterday." Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) also notes today is the "second day of deadly attacks." Kitabat sees today as one when terror spreads across Iraq. AFP counts 48 dead and UPI counts over one hundred injured. Emily Alpert (Los Angeles Times) offers,
"The explosions are a sign of the tensions simmering in Iraq nearly
one year after the exit of U.S. troops. No armed group immediately said
it was responsible for the attacks, according to news service reports,
but outside analysts say mounting violence has been fueled by spiraling
tensions in the Kurdish north and as Sunni Arab militants try to
reassert control across the country."
Today's violence included car bombings, roadside bombings, sticky bombings, mortars and shootings. Alsumaria reports a Ramadi car bombing claimed 4 lives and left seven injured and the photo shows blood flowing in the street while a double bombing in Tuz Khurmato left 5 dead and twenty injured. All Iraq News adds
that, en route to Samarra, a bus carrying Iranian pilgrims was targeted
with a car bombing resulting in eleven of them being injured (it was a
suicide car bombing -- the driver of the car is dead). Reuters notes four bombs went off in Baquba resulting in 1 death and five people being injured. Al Bawaba reports
an armed attack to the west of Tikrit that left 1 police officer dead
and three more injured and that a car bomb then went off killing 4 more
people and injuring two more police officers. Al Bawaba also reports,
"Three Iraqi soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in Al-Buslaibi
village near Baghdad while on patrol, according to the military." BBC News emphasizes
a truck bombing outside Mosul which resulted in 7 deaths in a Shabak
village, "The Shabak, who number about 50,000 and live between the Mosul
plane and Baashiqa, have their own distinct language and belief
system." Al-Shorfa notes that the Ministry of Defence is boasting that they stopped a bombing targeting power transmission towers in Diyala.
Baghdad, 17 December 2012 – The
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Iraq, Mr.
Martin Kobler, strongly condemned the attacks that have claimed dozens
of lives across Iraq since yesterday, in many cases targeting civilians.
"The
attacks in the disputed internal areas further aggravate the tensions
there," Mr. Kobler said. "I call on all parties to engage in inclusive
dialogue and to urgently work on defusing the situation to prevent an
escalation. The United Nations stands ready to facilitate if requested
to do so."
Mr. Kobler extends his
condolences to the families of those who were killed and his wishes for
the speedy recovery of those who were injured.
As Mohammed Tawfeeq noted, Sunday was a day of violence as well. Iraq Body Count counts 17 dead on Sunday. Reuters noted
that a Jalawla car bombing claimed the lives of 2 Peshmerga recruits
and left twelve more injured including Cerwan Mohammed Ameen who states,
"I woke up later to find myself in the hospital and I saw my friends
near me." That was only one of many attacks in Iraq today. Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) reported that and also an armed attack on a Tarmiya military checkpoint which claimed 3 lives and left four people injured." Alsumaria reported a
Kirkuk bombing and mortar attack left 8 dead and that the number
injured is fifty-two, that a Kirkuk sticky bombing claimed the life of 1
police officer, a group of school children were kidnapped in Alrfieat, a
Riyadh armed attack left one Sahwa injured, assailants stole 400
million Iraqi dinars from a Kirkuk bank, a Baji car bombing injured four
police officers, a Qasim al-Khayyat roadside bombing injured a police
officer and the brother of the Governor of Diwaniyah was shot dead. Of
Kirkuk, Xinhua observes,
"The oil-rich city has been the center of contention for recent weeks.
The central government established a new operation command to cover the
disputed area, which angered the Kurdish regional government who later
sent reinforcement troops to the area, causing a military confrontation.
The tension was then defused by President Jalal Talabani under whose
mediation the two sides agreed to withdraw troops."
Citing the questionable Iraqi Ministries of Defense, Health and Interior, Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN) notes 166 people died in Iraq last month. Iraq Body Count
counts 116 killed in violence this month through yesterday. if you add
that to today's figure of at least 48 dead, you get 164. So at the
half-way point of the month, the reputable death toll (that would be
Iraqi Body Count) is two short of the government total for last month.
The prolonged days of violence come as Al Mada notes
Iranian media is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani (the
highest religious authority in Iraq) has warned Nouri that he is
dangerously close to setting off a war inside Iraq and has called on him
to stop making statements that could further inflame tensions between
Erbil (capital of the Kurdish Regional Government) and Baghdad.
Along with violence, the weekend brought additional bad news. Saturday, The Iraq Times reported
that cable channel Baghdadi was surrounded by the Iraqi military on
Friday and they forced everyone out and then shut the station down. They also noted that Nouri ordered the closure. The Iraq Times reported
that Iraqiya spokesperson Maysoon al-Damalouji declared that Nouri is
attempting to rebuild the Republic of Fear (a reference to the days of
Saddam Hussein) and decried the closing of Baghdadiya TV.
Today Wael Grace (Al Mada) reports
Nouri took to Facebook to insist that he closed Al Baghdadi as a result
of "financial irregularities." He maintains that there are fees for
transimission that were not paid. Nouri is said to have taken offense
at their coverage of his Russian arms deal and his handling of the
Central Bank. Earlier the Ministry of the Interior had attempted to
fall on the sword. Al Rafidayn reports
they issued a statement Saturday saying it was their decision and that
of the court's to close the station. Of course, Nouri is in charge of
the Ministry of the Interior. They have no minister because Nouri never
nominated anyone for Parliament to vote on.
Today the Journalistic Freedoms Observatory issues a statement
noting their deep concern over press freedom in Iraq and they call on
Speaker of Parliament Osama al-Nujaifi to open an investigation
immediately into the closure of satellite channel and radio station Al
Baghdadi. The press organization states that the Parliament is the body
responsible for ensuring the future of democracy in Iraq and the future
for freedom of expression. They see the closure of the satellite TV
channel and radio station as another means to reduce the role of media
in Iraq and to prevent the exposure of corrutpion. They decry the use
of armed forces on the station and the forced departures of the
employees from the building.
Al Mada reports
the National Union of Iraqi Journalists is also protesting the closure
and saying it represents a reduction of freedom of the press and
liberty. Moqtada al-Sadr is a cleric and movement leader with a
significant bloc in Parliament. Hiwa Osman (Rudaw) weighs in noting:
Whoever
advised the premier to order the closure should be sacked. But then,
Maliki may have to sack himself, because in all likelihood he probably
listened to his own advice, adding yet another blunder to his long list
of blunders.
The
decision lacks common sense, and gained nothing but more disgrace for a
leader who has shown that he possesses only a single trait of
leadership: Authoritarian rule – of a type that no longer has any place
in Iraq.
Since
the closure, social media pages have been chattering with praise for
Baghdadiya and vitriol for Maliki, who is being likened to the ousted
dictator Saddam Hussein. In order to silence the criticism about him on
Facebook, maybe Maliki should consider clamping down on Iraq's 2.5
million Facebook users, or perhaps on the Internet itself.
The
number of Baghdadiya viewers spiked after Maliki's order, with many
viewers watching to learn about the premier's move. Even though
Baghdadiya can no longer report from Iraq, it continues to report on the
country from its Cairo headquarters and other venues. Maliki, in
contrast, has no powerful medium to explain his side of the story.
MP Hussein al-Mansouri is with the Sadr bloc and he tells Wael Grace (Al Mada) that the closure was the result of the reporting the channel did on the corruption in the Russian arms deal.
Nouri's a tyrant. And among the scandals he faces is the reports of abuse in Iraqi prisons. Al Mada is reporting
that Martin Kobler, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's special envoy in
Iraq, is stating that UNAMI receives daily reports about abuses taking
place in Iraqi prisons and that, in the next few days, they plan to
issue a statment on the matter. It's just one scandal after another for
Nouri and his attacks on the press will not stop the truth from coming
out.
People leaving comments at the Iraq Times article
about the closure note Sabah al-Saadi had revelations about Nouri to
make and they see the closure as a way to silence him. As the week drew
to a close, MP Sabah al-Saadi found himself suspended by Nouri's State
of Law. That has not silenced him. Ayad al-Tamimi (Al Mada) reports
that today he accused Nouri and his staff of stealing public money and
abusing power. Citing documents noted in an Office of Financial
Supervision report, al-Saadi says that, in the last six years, Nouri
has managed to steal $42 million. Kitabat notes that the accusations were made at a press conference held in front of Parliament.
Though
Nouri may dismiss the accusations, it's worth recalling that the week
started with accusations against Nouri. Monday the Iraq Times reported
Ahmed Chalabi was calling out Nouri's budget noting that Nouri's office
alone has a budget eleven times greater than the budget for the
Ministry of Planning.
And if you're not
getting why Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and the United Nations are
expressing concern about the state of Iraq, remember that tensions
also continue between Baghdad and Erbil over the disputed areas. Nouri
sent Tigris Operation Command forces into the areas and that kicked off a
new crisis which lead to them engaging in a military stand-off with the
Peshmerga (elite Kurdish military force under the command of the
Kurdish Regional Government). Iraqi President Jalal Talabani announced
Thursday that a deal had been agreed to. Saturday AP offered a very strong analysis by Adam Schreck of the disputes, the history and where things stand now. It stands not just as history because the tensions haven't vanished.
Saturday, All Iraq News reported Nouri was verbally attacking the KRG President Massoud Barzani while Alsumaria reported
Barzani stated that Nouri has committed constitutional violations
including by introducing the Tigris Operation Command into northern
Iraq. Barzani most likely refers to Nouri failing to get Parliamentary
approval on command of the forces -- the Constitution requires that. He
may also be referring to the powers the Constitution left to the
provinces, Nouri also violated that as well. But mainly, he refers to
Article 140. Nouri became prime minister in 2006. The Constitution
calls for Article 140 to be implemented to resolve the disputed areas
(by census and referendum). For six years now, Nouri has refused to
follow the Constitution and implement Article 140. As the two exchange
statements, you may be reminded that Jalal said on Thursday this was
over. It's back on (using the media to trade barbs) so that may call
into question Jalal's confidence over the agreement supposedly reached
as well. Even more so when you grasp that Barzani is stating Nouri is pushing a Kurdish-Arab war. As the Iraq Times reported yesterday, the 'truce' Jalal announced appeared to be over. Today Aseel Kami (Reuters) points out,
"Neither Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki nor Kurdistan President
Massoud Barzani stand to benefit from letting the standoff slide into
conflict, but they may try to use troop movements to shore up support
with their constituents, diplomats and analysts say."
Al Mada explains
this row is over Barzani's declaring the disputed areas are Kurdish,
belonging to Kurdistan. If Nouri disagrees with that, you put it to rest
by implementing Article 140. Until you do that, you're just a whiner.
Al Mada's " Picture of the day"
today is of a smiling Barzani and a smiling Moqtada al-Sadr (cleric and
movement leader) shaking hands. Meanwhile, Nouri's State of Law staged
a walk-out during today's session of Parliament with Alsumaria explaining it was over a law on judges.
Dropping back to Monday's snapshot:
Today
Nouri pretended to care about Palestinians. I'm not in the mood to
cover his propaganda. He has been prime minister for over six years now.
And Palestinians in Iraq were herded into camps, really unprotected
from the elements and treated worse than animals. (Here and here for more on the topic.) When they've managed to leave those camps, it has not been pretty. Just a few months ago, Ali Abunimah (Electronic Intifada) was reporting
on one group of Palestinian refugees. In an attempt to muster some
regional support for his iffy position, Nouri wanted to grandstand on
the back of Palestinians after being behind their mistreatment in Iraq
for over six years now.
Tuesday, the Iraq Times called Nouri out for his "crocodile tears" on this topic and Thursday, Human Rights Watch's issued:
(Baghdad) -- Iraqi
authorities should investigate allegations of torture and unfair trials
of Palestinians in Iraqi prisons. A recently concluded conference in
Baghdad attended by the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, and the
Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, addressed concerns about
Palestinians held in Israeli jails, but did not examine allegations of
serious abuses against Palestinians in Iraqi custody.
The Iraqi
prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, opened the Baghdad conference on
December 11, 2012, declaring support for "the rights of the Palestinian
prisoners who languish in Israeli occupation jails," and stated that
Iraq "is determined to be at the forefront of the efforts advocating
peoples' rights and freedoms." Neither he nor other Iraqi officials
commented on prisoners' and family members' allegations that Iraqi
courts convicted two Palestinians based on coerced confessions that the
men recanted in court, Human Rights Watch said. One of the men received a
death sentence and has been transferred to a prison where the Ministry
of Justice usually carries out executions.
"Prime Minister
al-Maliki's claim to support Palestinian prisoners is brutally ironic
given Iraq's record of torture and ill-treatment of detainees in its own
prisons, including Palestinians held there," saidJoe Stork,
deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The prime minister
should order an immediate investigation into the Palestinians' credible
claims of torture and unfair trials and cancel any plans to execute
them."
Ahmad Amer Abd al-Qadir Mohammed, 30, a Palestinian
born in Iraq, was sentenced to death in May 2011. The Rusafa Criminal
Court verdict said that Iraqi security forces arrested Mohammad on July
21, 2006, in the al-Zayouna district of Baghdad. The first time his
family received news of his whereabouts, they said, was over a year
later, when a police officer contacted the family, informed them that
Mohammad was in prison, and demanded US$200 to allow them to speak to
him.
Mohammad's family visited him at a detention center in the
Baladiyat district of Baghdad in August 2007. They told Human Rights
Watch that they were horrified to see him in what one family member said
was "very bad shape." His body bore "marks of torture," including
visible scars from burns. Mohammad told his family that his
interrogators had drilled through his left hand, broken his right foot,
poured scalding hot tea on his body, and put salt on his burns. To end
the torture, Mohammad confessed that he was a member of an armed group
that intended to plant explosives.
Baghdad's Rusafa Criminal
Court sentenced Mohammad to death following a trial that led to
allegations of serious violations of his right to a fair trial. The
defense lawyers said that witnesses gave conflicting testimony. Mohammad
withdrew his confession in court, stating that it had been coerced with
torture, and the court took note of a forensic medical report by the
Ministry of Health documenting scars on his body consistent with
torture.
The court convicted Mohammad based on his withdrawn
confession, however, according to court documents Human Rights Watch
obtained. In October, he was transferred to a prison in Camp Justice,
notorious for its death row. He remains there awaiting a decision on his
lawyers' petition for a retrial alleging flagrant irregularities in his
case.
Iraqi authorities should suspend the death sentence and
conduct a full and independent investigation into Mohammad's allegations
of torture, Human Rights Watch said.
Mahmoud Mohammad Kamal Ahmad,
a 30-year-old Iraq-born Palestinian, also was convicted based on a
recanted confession. Sources close to Ahmad told Human Rights Watch that
he was initially detained on March 17, 2007, when he presented a fake
ID at a police checkpoint in the height of Iraq's sectarian conflict.
Ahmad has told these sources that interrogators tortured him "in many
ways" for six months to force him to "admit to killing Iraq troops and
raping Iraqi women." His interrogators broke his leg, dislocated his
shoulder, broke some of his teeth, and threatened to kill his mother and
sister, he said.
Human Rights Watch obtained a copy of a medical
examination by the Ministry of Health's Forensic Medical Institute
conducted on August 10, 2008, more than a year after his arrest and
initial interrogation. The report documents scars on various parts of
his body, including "scars on his right eyebrow, nose and chin area,
right elbow, left thumb, right palm and penis" that were older than six
months.
Ahmad confessed to membership in the armed group Tanthim
al-Tawhid wa al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidain, to having planted explosives
in 2006, and to killing Americans. At his trial, he recanted his
confession, claiming that it was obtained under torture. The prosecution
did not provide any other evidence against him.
The court
convicted Ahmad on December 15, 2009, apparently solely on the basis of
his recanted confession. On February 22, 2010, the public prosecutor
submitted an objection to the verdict, stating that the evidence against
Ahmad was insufficient and demanding his release. Ahmad's own
"confession" stated that he had participated in terrorist acts in
February, March, and October 2006 – which the prosecutor said was
impossible since he had been detained from January 25, 2005 until June
25, 2006, at Camp Bucca Prison. Nevertheless, the Court of Cassation
upheld the verdict.
Relatives of Palestinian prisoners in Iraqi
jails have repeatedly called on Palestinian Authority representatives to
intervene on behalf of their relatives in Iraq. Human Rights Watch has
been unable to verify whether Palestinian authorities have requested to
visit Mohammad or Ahmad in their respective detention centers in Iraq,
or to arrange adequate legal representation for them.
Under the
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, ratified by Iraq in 1963,
consular officers or their authorized representatives "shall have the
right to visit a national of the sending State who is in prison,
custody, or detention, to converse and correspond with him and to
arrange for his legal representation."
"The 'Conference on
International Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli
Occupation Jails' is a perfect opportunity for Palestinian Authority
representatives to fulfill their obligation to their citizens to help
protect them in jails in Iraq, and anything less would be pure
hypocrisy," Stork said. "Iraqi and Palestinian authorities alike need to
live up to their promises."
New
topic, Baha Mousa was an Iraqi whose 'crime' was working at a hotel --
possibly seeing British soldiers steal money as well. Baha was guilty
of nothing but was terrorized and then rounded up and taken into British
custody where he was beaten until he died. From the July 13, 2009 snapshot:
Moving over to England, Matthew Weaver (Guardian) notes
that Iraqi Baha Mousa's death at the age of 26 while in British custody
in September 2003 is the subject of a public inquiry in England
which began today and that, "A central issue of the inquiry is why five
'conditioning techniques' -- hooding prisoners, putting them in stress
positions, depriving them of sleep, depriving them of food and water,
and playing white noise -- were used on Iraq detainees. The techniques,
inflicted on IRA suspects, were banned in 1972 by then prime minister,
Edward Heath." The Telegraph of London offers that
Baha "was beaten to death" while in British custody, "sustaining 93
separate injuires, including fractured ribs and a broken nose." The Telegraph also notes
that the inquiry was shown video of Corporal Donald Payne yelling and
screaming, "shouting and swearing at the Iraqis as they are force to
main painful 'stress position'." Julian Rush (Channel 4) offers a video report of the hearing thus far and what the inquiry is supposed to explore over the next year. BBC explains the Sir William Gage led inquiry will explore four segments:
•
The history of "conditioning" techniques, like hooding, used by UK
troops while questioning prisoners from Northern Ireland in the early
1970s to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003
• What happened to Mr Mousa and other Iraqi detainees
• Training and the chain of command
• Events since 2003 and any recommendations for the future
Back in June, ITV reported of Dr. Derek Keilloh:
He
is then said to have failed to conduct an adequate examination of Mr
Mousa's body after death and failed to notify a superior officer of the
circumstances of his death. He faces similar claims relating to two
other detainees he examined after Mr Mousa's death.
His
account of those three examinations through witness statements given at
the time, and maintained in interview under caution, at a court martial
and at the public inquiry, are said to be "untrue".
Today, Andrew Johnson (Belfast Telegraph) reports
the latest, "A former British Army doctor has been found guilty of
attempting to cover up the death of an Iraqi civilian who was fatally
beaten by British troops in 2003, and of failing to protect other
detainees." Peter Magill (Lancashire Telegraph) notes
of the Baha Mousa inquiry, "Another detainee, Ahmed Al Matari, who had
also been seen by Dr Keilloh at the detention centre after being
kicked in the kidneys and legs, accused him of behaving like a
'criminal' during." Press TV adds, " Britain's Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service will now decide what penalty the British doctor will face." The editorial board of Scotland's Herald weighs in,
"Army medics cannot afford to be squeamish but ignoring such brutality
amounts to a betrayal of all the servicemen and women who behave
decently and within the rules. It also acts as a recruiting sergeant for
extremism and destroys at a stroke any goodwill built up with the local
population. It is shameful that it has taken so long to uncover the
truth. Though maltreatment of detainees may not have been routine, the
fact that a number of other such inquiries are still crawling through
the system suggests this was more than the work of a 'few bad apples'."
Although
he was thrust into the limelight in the 1970s as a member of the
Watergate Committee and in 1987 as Chairman of the Iran-Contra
Committee, he has also made his mark as a respected legislator able to
work in a bipartisan fashion to enact meaningful legislation.
[. . .]
Senator
Inouye has championed the interest of Hawaii's people throughout his
career. With his support, Hawaii's infrastructure has been strengthened,
its economy diversified, and its natural resources protected and
restored. For local residents, particularly Native Hawaiians, whose
history and welcoming culture give the state its defining
characteristics, Senator Inouye has increased job training and
employment opportunities, provided more community healthcare, and
provided support services and research to help small businesses and
diverse sectors, from agriculture to high technology.
His
imprint is seen on all of the state's islands through initiatives such
as Honolulu and Neighbor Island bus service, steady construction jobs in
support of military infrastructure, the diversification of agriculture,
the birth of the Kauai High Technology Center and the rise of the
Pacific Missile Range Facility, the launch of the Maui supercomputer,
the expansion of national parks and wildlife refuges in Hawaii, and the
protection of Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, the alala (Hawaiian
crow), the nene goose and coral reefs.
Senator
Inouye got his start in politics in 1954 when he was elected to the
Territorial House of Representatives; soon after his election, his
Democratic colleagues, well aware of Inouye's leadership abilities,
selected him as their Majority Leader. In 1958 he was elected to the
Territorial Senate. When Hawaii became a state in 1959, he was elected
the first Congressman from the new state, and was re-elected to a full
term in 1960. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1962 and is now
serving his ninth consecutive term.
On May
24, 2008, Senator Inouye married Irene Hirano, who is President of the
U.S.-Japan Council. He was married for nearly 57 years to Margaret
Awamura Inouye, a former instructor at the University of Hawaii, who
passed away on March 13, 2006.
He has a
son, Ken, who is married to Jessica Carroll from Rochester, New York,
and a granddaughter Mary Margaret "Maggie" Inouye.
Senator Patty Murray is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Her office issued the following today:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2012
CONTACT: Murray Press Office
(202) 224-2834
Senator Murray's Statement on the Passing of Senator Inouye
"Danny
Inouye was an American hero of the highest order. As a soldier he
broke barriers with his heroism, as a proud Hawaiian he committed his
life's work to serving the people of his state, and as a legislator he
earned the admiration of everyone he worked with on both sides of the
aisle, including me.
"He will be
particularly missed among the people of the Pacific Northwest, many of
whom will never realize the enduring legacy he has had in investing in
our infrastructure, bolstering our economy, and keeping our military
installations strong.
"When the truly
remarkable Senators of our time are discussed Senator Inouye's name will
always be right at the top. He gave everything he had for his country
and for the state he served since being elected its very first
Congressman.
"My thoughts are with his
family and loved ones at this difficult time. I also know that in time
all that he achieved and stood for will be appropriately honored and
celebrated here in Washington D.C. and back in Hawaii."
###
Matt McAlvanah
Communications Director
U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834 - press office
202--224-0228 - direct
US
House Rep Jeff Miller is the Chair of the House Veterans Affairs
Committee. His office issued the following statement from him today:
I
am saddened by the news this evening of Senator Inouye's passing. He
was one of the last World War II veterans in Congress, and a leading
veteran advocate for more than 50 years. His selfless service to our
nation dates back well before his time on Capitol Hill, where in hard
battle on the fields of Italy in 1945 his actions resulted in being
bestowed the Medal of Honor. With his passing, we remember the bravery
and dedication of the Greatest Generation, and with each day that sets,
we mourn all who battled through this life to find reward in the next.
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