CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" dir="ltr" lang="en-US"> <head profile="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11"><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/","20130126051128","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1359177088"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" />  <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"/> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 2.8.4"/>  <title>Gorilla’s Guides » America</title> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128js_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/js/jquery-1.2.6.min.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128js_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/js/jquery.ui.1.5.min.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128js_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/js/neewee.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128cs_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/blueprint/screen.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128cs_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/blueprint/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/>  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128cs_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/style.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection"/> <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128cs_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/themes/neewee/color_scheme_blue.css" type="text/css" media="screen, projection"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Gorilla’s Guides RSS Feed" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/feed/"/> <link rel="pingback" href="http://gorillasguides.com/xmlrpc.php"/> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Gorilla's Guides » America Tag Feed" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/feed/"/> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="http://gorillasguides.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd"/> <link rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" href="http://gorillasguides.com/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml"/> <link rel="index" title="Gorilla's Guides" href="http://gorillasguides.com"/> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 2.8.4"/>  <meta name="keywords" content="Baghdad, Mosul, Bombings, Children, Women and Children, Refugees, Society And Economy, Middle East, Christians, Human Rights, بالمسيحيين, Anbar, Poverty, Death Squads, Religion, Ethnic cleansing of Christians, Syria, IRIN, Features, Sadr City, Iran, KRG, Civilian casualties, Kidnappings, Turkey, Water, Corruption, Ethnic Cleansing, Islam, الإسلام‎, Maliki - Nouri al-, Assassinations, Peshmerga, Christians - persecution of, War Crimes, Jordan, Militia, Health, Elections, Torture, Baquba, Militias, UNHCR, Women's Rights, Basra, Israel, Lebanon, Water Contamination, Barack Obama, Independent -The (UK), WHO, Resistance, Kurdistan, American Imperialism, Christianity, violence, Analysis, prisons, northern iraq, Afghanistan, Surge Failure, kidnapping, Cockburn - Patrick, Widows, kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Saddam Hussein, invasion, Civilians, Egypt, murder, Assassination campaigns, occupation, Iraqi kurdistan, Death Threats, Guardian The, Team Members, sectarian violence, UNICEF, Sanctions, Constitution, Cancers, DU, Resources, Attacks on academics students teachers, History, Palestine, Xinhua, xinhua reports, World Health Organisation, Pilgrimages, Contractors, nouri al maliki, oil revenues, America, Press, al-Jazeera, Britain, Wikileaks, invasion of iraq, christian population, Zebari - Hoshyar, detainees, Pope, iraqi refugees, infrastructure, sectarian government, sectarianism, Reconstruction, international committee of the red cross, commentary, Prostitution, Government formation - failure to, Massacres, Iraqi Airways, religious freedom, Arab League, security forces, Gulf War, KRG Separatism, unemployment, washington post, churches, Arabs, Vatican, Arbil, reparations, Hoshyar Zebari, casualty statistics, Catholics, unemployment levels, Iraki/Kuwaiti relations, suicide bombers, missing persons, occupation of iraq, oil production, Looting, iraqi parliament, Genocide, leukaemia, OIC, International Law, ethnicity, Middle East Online, palestinians, MAG, statistics, Taleban, Rabia, iraqi women, CIA, international oil companies, Extremists, Al-Ahram, Economic development, Crimes against humanity, assassination, sexual abuse, sewage, National Alliance, newspaper, fundamentalists, iraqi children, Tehran, death toll, border disputes, INA, political parties, iraqi refugee, intimidation, Saudi hostility, Kuwaiti investment in Syrian dams, crusaders, Robert Fisk, Universities, Etihad Airways, academics, brain tumours, Easter, Iraqi Airways - dissolution of, Logistics, American War Criminals (Madeleine Albright), sex trafficking, british government, NATO, Sons of Iraq, Taliban, Coptic Christians, autonomous region, Childhood leukemia rates in Basrah, ethnic, humanitarian crisis, IRGC, national, Archbishop Paul Faraj - kidnapping and murder of, Beirut, Invader casualties, opinion polls, Ali Larijani, lawlessness, Kandahar, Hostages, al-Amin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, South Asia, US special forces, foreign interference - accusations of, crimes against women, Cairo, War with Kuwait, ECO, kleptocracy, blackmail, british troops, christian churches, ALi Khamenei, suicide bombings;Taliban, Dirk Adriaensens, christian minorities, iraqi resistance, ministry of women, political paralysis, forced prostitution, Gulf Cooperation Council, domestic security, disempowerment, US, Lufthansa, West Bank, iraqi society, walk to freedom, hostage, Filipinos, maronites, state department cables, foreign-policy, Ayatollah Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, sexual slavery, fragmentation grenades, Adil E. Shamoo, compensation, first gulf war, future of iraq, electronic intifada, Clusterfuck, BusinessWeek, sanctions against iraq, Jalal Talibani, university teachers, kuwait airways, maronite catholics, iraqi casualties, women's, Brigadier-General Qasem Soleimani, automatic weapons, Medina, Monsignor Fouad Twal, Lancet Survey, Feridun Sinirlioglu, Linda Norgrove - killing of, Mecca, Sadat - Anwar, regional influence, partition, educational rights, Linda Norgrove, great escape, L'Orient-Le Jour, christian faith, ambassador christopher hill, Ghassan Attiyah"/> <style type="text/css">.recentcomments a{display:inline !important;padding:0 !important;margin:0 !important;}</style> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128js_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/plugins/advancedsearch/advancedsearch.js"></script><link rel="stylesheet" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128cs_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content/plugins/advancedsearch/advancedsearch-lite.css" type="text/css" media="screen"/> </head> <body> <div class="container"> <div id="navigation"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/">Home</a></li> <li class="page_item page-item-6"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/gorillas-guides-for-the-perplexed/" title="Gorilla’s Guides For The Perplexed">Gorilla’s Guides For The Perplexed</a> <ul> <li class="page_item page-item-3589"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/gorillas-guides-for-the-perplexed/fatwas/" title="Fatwas A Brief Guide">Fatwas A Brief Guide</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="page_item page-item-2066"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/cholera-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7/" title="الكوليرا Cholera">الكوليرا Cholera</a></li> <li class="page_item page-item-759"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/scenes-from-an-iraki-childhood-march-16th-2007/windowslivewriterscenesfromanirakichildhoodmarch16th2007-fd1720070316-crying-children-kirkuk-morgue-waiting-to-collect-fathers-body-250x325-72dpi6jpg/guide-to-the-samarra-bombing/" title="Guide To The Samarra Bombing">Guide To The Samarra Bombing</a></li> </ul> <div id="subscribe"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/feed/">Subscribe to RSS</a> </div> </div> <div id="header"> <h1><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/">Gorilla’s Guides</a></h1> <h2>“The only thing these sand niggers understand is force and I’m about to introduce them to it.”</h2> <div id="search"><form method="get" id="searchform" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/"> <div><input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s"/> <input type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="Search"/> </div> </form> </div> </div> <hr/> <div id="content" class="span-13 append-1"> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-13618"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/xinhua-iraqi-public-differ-over-planned-u-s-pullout/#respond" title="Comment on Xinhua: Iraqi public differ over planned U.S. pullout">No Comments</a></span> Posted on July 4th, 2011 by Haleema Al-Azzawi</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/xinhua-iraqi-public-differ-over-planned-u-s-pullout/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Xinhua: Iraqi public differ over planned U.S. pullout">Xinhua: Iraqi public differ over planned U.S. pullout</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/anbar/" rel="tag">Anbar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/autonomous-region/" rel="tag">autonomous region</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-squads/" rel="tag">Death Squads</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/domestic-security/" rel="tag">domestic security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/extremists/" rel="tag">Extremists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" rel="tag">Iran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwait/" rel="tag">kuwait</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/logistics/" rel="tag">Logistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militia/" rel="tag">Militia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militias/" rel="tag">Militias</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national/" rel="tag">national</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/peshmerga/" rel="tag">Peshmerga</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resistance/" rel="tag">Resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadr-city/" rel="tag">Sadr City</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua/" rel="tag">Xinhua</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua-reports/" rel="tag">xinhua reports</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="text-align: left; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr"> <p>Little less than six months away from a scheduled U.S. troops’ withdrawal, Iraqi public cannot wait to see the occupiers leave and their national sovereignty restored. Yet unwillingly they expect a continued U.S. presence as few believe the Americans will leave such a deeply-invested and strategically-important place. </p> <p>For Iraqis, the debate on U.S. troops’ departure is intertwined with national dignity, security uncertainty and wariness of its coveting neighbors. Some doubt Iraqi security forces have the capability to curb insurgents and defend the country on their own while others fear a residual American force could sanction continued violence by militias. </p> <p>Quite a few worry neighboring countries will swoop in and exploit the vacuum left by the U.S. whereas a considerable number think the U.S. will manipulate the fragile government behind scenes even if they draw down their troops. </p> <h3>"DON’T EVER THINK U.S. WILL LEAVE EASILY" </h3> </p></div> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/xinhua-iraqi-public-differ-over-planned-u-s-pullout/#more-13618" class="more-link">» أقرأ التفاصيل .. | Read the rest of this entry »</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-13138"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/04/25/at-last-progress/#comments" title="Comment on At last — PROGRESS!">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on April 25th, 2011 by dubhaltach</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/04/25/at-last-progress/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to At last — PROGRESS!">At last — PROGRESS!</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/afghanistan/" rel="tag">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/barack-obama/" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/great-escape/" rel="tag">great escape</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/guardian-the/" rel="tag">Guardian The</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kandahar/" rel="tag">Kandahar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nato/" rel="tag">NATO</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/south-asia/" rel="tag">South Asia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/taleban/" rel="tag">Taleban</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/taliban/" rel="tag">Taliban</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/walk-to-freedom/" rel="tag">walk to freedom</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Never let it be said that there is no progress in the war that America and a diminishing number of allies are waging in Afghanistan.</p> <blockquote></blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0665250#m_en_gb0665250" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Definition of progress from Oxford Dictionaries Online</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p> <blockquote><p>progress(pro|gress) </p> <p>noun <br/>Pronunciation:/ˈprəʊgrɛs/ <br/>[mass noun] </p> <p><strong>1</strong> forward or onward movement towards a destination</p> </blockquote> <p>To find the rate of progress of a Taliban sapper towards their goal we need use a very simple equation:</p> <p>Let X = <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.smh.com.au/world/the-great-escape-nearly-500-taliban-flee-in-daring-afghan-jailbreak-20110426-1ducn.html" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>360-metre tunnel</strong></a>.</p> <p>Let Y = 150 days (approximately <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gulftoday.ae/portal/92c30bdf-cbef-47bb-9c57-f89955a50e52.aspx" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>5 months</strong></a>).</p> <p><a title="progress_equation by Gorillas Guides, on Flickr" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/5655061385/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 5px 0px" alt="progress_equation" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5022/5655061385_a8f19aaeea_o.gif" width="94" height="54"/></a></p> <p>Taliban sappers dug a <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/25/afghanistan-great-escape-taliban" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>360 metre long tunnel lit by electric light and ventilated with fans</strong></a> of sufficient height and diameter for the escaping prisoners to stand upright for most of their walk to freedom and their rate of progress was 2.4 metres a day.</p> <p>One of the reasons they were able to achieve this rate of progress is that they were completely unhindered:</p> <blockquote><p>"The guards are always drunk. Either they smoke heroin or marijuana, and then they just fall asleep. During the whole process no one checked, there was no patrols, no shooting or anything."</p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/25/afghanistan-great-escape-taliban" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Afghanistan’s great escape: how 480 Taliban prisoners broke out of jail | World news | The Guardian</strong></a></p> </blockquote> <p>Not only were the sappers unhindered but so were the escapees:</p> <blockquote><p>The Taliban statement said it took four and a half hours for all the prisoners to clear the tunnel, with the final inmates emerging into the house at 3:30am. They then used a number of vehicles to shuttle the escaped convicts to secure locations.</p> <p>Government officials corroborated parts of the Taliban account. They confirmed the tunnel was dug from the nearby house and the prisoners had somehow gotten out of their locked cells and disappeared into the warm Kandahar night.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gulftoday.ae/portal/92c30bdf-cbef-47bb-9c57-f89955a50e52.aspx" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>gulftoday.ae | Taliban help 480 flee Afghan jail</strong></a></p> <p>I love that bit about how the prisoners "somehow" got out of their "locked cells" don’t you? And what about that bit about "<em>the warm Kandahar night</em>". Plainly inside that reporter there’s a lyricist just panting to escape — just like those Taliban prisoners now that I think of it.</p> <p>And before any Americans who happen to be reading this throw their eyes up to heaven and start muttering about corrupt and inept Afghan guards, can I just remind them that as the Taliban statement gloatingly pointed out, the guards at that prison "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/25/afghanistan-great-escape-taliban" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>includes foreign invaders</strong></a>" you get no prizes whatsoever for guessing <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.united-states-map.com/usa-map.gif" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>which country</strong></a> most of those "foreign invader" guards come from. Having now seen them in action in Irak, and Afghanistan all I can say about the performance of the inept and brutal buffoons in the US Forces and the government led by President Barack Obama which they serve, is that they and the Taliban fucking well deserve one another</p> <p>Du</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12169"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/10/occupation-of-iraq-destroys-womens-lives/#respond" title="Comment on Occupation of Iraq destroys women’s lives">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 10th, 2011 by Fatima Jameel</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/10/occupation-of-iraq-destroys-womens-lives/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Occupation of Iraq destroys women’s lives">Occupation of Iraq destroys women’s lives</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/women/" title="View all posts in Women and Children" rel="category tag">Women and Children</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-jazeera/" rel="tag">al-Jazeera</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/barack-obama/" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/blackmail/" rel="tag">blackmail</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/children/" rel="tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/crimes-against-humanity/" rel="tag">Crimes against humanity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/crimes-against-women/" rel="tag">crimes against women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-squads/" rel="tag">Death Squads</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-threats/" rel="tag">Death Threats</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dirk-adriaensens/" rel="tag">Dirk Adriaensens</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/disempowerment/" rel="tag">disempowerment</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/economic-development/" rel="tag">Economic development</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/educational-rights/" rel="tag">educational rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/electronic-intifada/" rel="tag">electronic intifada</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic/" rel="tag">ethnic</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing/" rel="tag">Ethnic Cleansing</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnicity/" rel="tag">ethnicity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/forced-prostitution/" rel="tag">forced prostitution</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/genocide/" rel="tag">Genocide</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion/" rel="tag">invasion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-parliament/" rel="tag">iraqi parliament</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-refugee/" rel="tag">iraqi refugee</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-refugees/" rel="tag">iraqi refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-society/" rel="tag">iraqi society</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-women/" rel="tag">iraqi women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irin/" rel="tag">IRIN</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kidnapping/" rel="tag">kidnapping</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lawlessness/" rel="tag">lawlessness</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militias/" rel="tag">Militias</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ministry-of-women/" rel="tag">ministry of women</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/missing-persons/" rel="tag">missing persons</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation-of-iraq/" rel="tag">occupation of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oic/" rel="tag">OIC</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/poverty/" rel="tag">Poverty</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/prisons/" rel="tag">prisons</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/prostitution/" rel="tag">Prostitution</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" rel="tag">Refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanctions/" rel="tag">Sanctions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-violence/" rel="tag">sectarian violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarianism/" rel="tag">sectarianism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sex-trafficking/" rel="tag">sex trafficking</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sexual-abuse/" rel="tag">sexual abuse</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sexual-slavery/" rel="tag">sexual slavery</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sons-of-iraq/" rel="tag">Sons of Iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/statistics/" rel="tag">statistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/torture/" rel="tag">Torture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unemployment/" rel="tag">unemployment</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unemployment-levels/" rel="tag">unemployment levels</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unhcr/" rel="tag">UNHCR</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/unicef/" rel="tag">UNICEF</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/war-crimes/" rel="tag">War Crimes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/widows/" rel="tag">Widows</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wikileaks/" rel="tag">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens/" rel="tag">women's</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/womens-rights/" rel="tag">Women's Rights</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>More than seven years after the US- and UK-led invasion of their country, Iraqis continue to endure an occupation that has systematically violated their rights to life, dignity, self-determination and economic development. The occupation has been and continues to be so destructive and so violent that one in four Iraqis are estimated to be dead or displaced. One in five Iraqis has been made a refugee or an internally displaced person (IDP). </p> <div style="border-right: black 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: black 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: black 1px solid; width: 300px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: black 1px solid"> <p>Serene Assir, <i>The Electronic Intifada,</i> 10 January 2011 </p> <p><em>Serene Assir is a Lebanese independent writer and journalist based in Spain.</em></p> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article11723.shtml" class="external" target="_blank">ei: Occupation of Iraq destroys women’s lives</a></p> </p></div> <p>In particular, the role and situation of women and girls has declined precipitously compared to prior to the invasion. From torture to rape to assassination, from forced separation for mixed couples to women and their children enduring the death of their husbands and fathers, from a loss of educational rights to expulsion from the workplace and public life, and from sexual slavery to forced flight or enforced disappearance, for the past seven years Iraqi women and girls have endured the most terrifying of fates. They are living at the mercy of an occupation that both seeks to terrorize them into submission, and to use them as objects for the terrorization of the whole of Iraqi society. </p> <h3>No security </h3> <p>Dr. Souad al-Azzawi, who authored a study on Iraqi women entitled "Deterioration of Iraq women’s rights and living conditions under occupation," published in January 2008, told The Electronic Intifada: "The most significant loss that Iraqi women have suffered is a complete and total loss of security." She explained that the loss of security entails both the loss of physical security and "the economic, social and civil securities Iraqi women were so accustomed to prior to the occupation." </p> <p>In fact, it appears that the loss of physical and other aspects of security have a Catch-22 effect on the lives of women. The lack of legal and institutional support for women by an Iraqi puppet government which is at best ineffective has meant that in the vast majority of cases the criminals, mafias, militias, death squads, US occupation forces and Iraqi police and army forces committing crimes against women are not held accountable for their actions. This has in turn encouraged the development of a situation characterized by lawlessness and criminality, in which women are prime targets. As such, many women have been forced to leave their jobs and quit their education, for fear that they may be the next victim of rape or assassination. </p> <p>According to al-Azzawi, Iraqi women have had to resort to "the relative security of their homes," often taking their children out of school too if they were the only parent able to accompany them there and back. </p> <p>Echoing al-Azzawi’s words, an Iraqi refugee speaking on condition of anonymity said that she was forced to leave Iraq precisely because of death threats issued against her by militias who had found out she was actively working as a journalist seeking to expose the injustices taking place against women. Had she stayed in Iraq, the threats likely would have been fulfilled. </p> <p>"Not only was I being targeted, but I was also without protection, given that Iraq has no government to speak of," she explained. She added that "I could have been killed at any moment, and no one would have been held accountable for it. It was for one reason alone that I fled: because I had no choice." </p> <h3>Criminal levels of poverty </h3> <p>The figures speak for themselves. According to a dossier on Iraqi women published by the BRussells Tribunal, prior to the invasion 72 percent of working women were government employees. The dismantlement of state institutions immediately after the invasion meant that these women became unemployed. Instability and ineffective institutions in Iraq render it impossible to pinpoint the total rate of unemployment today, but estimates range from 15 percent to 70 percent. The few stable jobs that exist, according to the dossier, are usually given to men, though a growing number of female-headed households means that many women need to take extraordinary risks in order to try and cater for their children ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.brussellstribunal.org/pdf/Women.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Iraqi Women Under Occupation</a>" [PDF]). </p> <p>The same economic insecurity affects Iraqi refugee families. Aseer al-Madaien, the Protection Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Syria, says that out of 139,000 registered Iraqis in Syria, 28 percent are households headed by women. In total, estimates for the total number of displaced Iraqis, including both refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), range up to almost five million, according to the international organization Medecins Sans Frontieres, which believes that there are 2.5 million Iraqi IDPs and 2.3 million refugees. </p> <p>IDPs suffer both extreme vulnerability and insecurity, as they seek refuge in the homes of relatives and friends, said Hana Al Bayaty, member of the Executive Committee of the BRussells Tribunal. Many of them are the victims of ethnic cleansing, whereby a country once free of sectarianism is increasingly witnessing the targeting of persons on the basis of their religion or ethnicity. Mixed marriages in these conditions are all too often broken up by force, according to a report published by the UN-affiliated IRIN humanitarian news agency ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=26268" class="external" target="_blank">Mixed Marriages confront Sectarian Violence</a>," 6 April 2006). </p> <p>The majority of Iraqi refugees have headed to neighboring countries Syria and Jordan, where they are not allowed to work, as they are legally considered "guests." In 2007, the UNHCR reported that an estimated 40 percent of Iraq’s middle class had fled the country. Not only have almost half of those with the qualifications and experience to help rebuild Iraq left the country, but they are also suffering from the most extreme form of disempowerment, according to Al Bayaty. </p> <p>Al-Azzawi explained that "For the educated middle class, this situation is shattering as everything we have worked so hard to earn and build up over decades of war and sanctions is being brought down by military force before our very eyes." </p> <p>Unable to work legally, it is often refugee women who take upon themselves the burden and the risk of working as they are less likely to be asked for documentation on the streets of Amman, Damascus and beyond, and they thereby hope to be less likely to be deported. </p> <p>Unemployment levels in Syria and Jordan, however, mean that even illegal work is hard to come by. It is because of this that the phenomenon of forced prostitution is becoming increasingly rife. The growing problem of sex trafficking is partly caused by poverty. </p> <p>According to al-Azzawi, the lack of work permits, qualifications and opportunities "leads some women to prostitution in order to feed their children and their families." In other cases, the sheer lack of protection faced by some women push them into prostitution. Problems in such cases include threats of kidnapping issued against women should they not accept to prostitute themselves. These threats are issued especially against women whose husbands are dead or missing. "The women of Iraq live in a very fragile situation as a result of the American occupation’s crimes," al-Azzawi said. </p> <h3>Death, torture and enforced disappearance </h3> <p>No statistical reference can adequately convey the sheer suffering experienced by the people of Iraq, as a whole, from the genocidal sanctions period through the invasion and ensuing occupation. Current estimates place the number of dead at anywhere between 1.5 million and 2.5 million. </p> <p>According to Iraqi human rights analyst and advocate Asma al-Haidari, "Up to one million Iraqis have been forcibly disappeared." Behind the enforced disappearances are the US army, Iraqi government forces including the army and police, and al-Qaeda and other militias that operate freely across the country, according to a presentation given by Dirk Adriaensens, member of the BRussells Tribunal Executive Committee, at a London conference organized by the International Committee Against Disappearances on 9-12 December 2010. According to calculations by Adriaensens, based on UNHCR statistics, 20 percent of internally displaced Iraqi families have reported cases of missing children ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.brussellstribunal.org/pdf/Disappearances_missing_persons_in_Iraq.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Enforced Disappearance. The Missing Persons of Iraq</a>" [PDF]). </p> <p>It is also understood that, given that there is a very real and justified fear of retaliation against families who report the disappearances of their loved ones, many others suffer in silence. Thousands of detainees, some of them in secret, illegal prisons, according to al-Azzawi, are women. Estimates published in 2008 by the Iraqi Parliamentary Women’s Committee and the Iraqi Ministry of Women’s Affairs indicate that between one and two million Iraqi women are widows. </p> <p>Inside Iraq’s jails, legal or not, cases of torture and sexual abuse have been widely reported. Revelations by WikiLeaks published on 22 October 2010 were described by Iraqi activists such as Sabah al-Mukhtar, president of the Arab Lawyers’ Union, as just "the tip of the iceberg," as he said on an Al-Jazeera English interview on 24 October. According to al-Azzawi, women are usually jailed on trumped-up charges of terrorism, where there is no proof and while there is no adequate legal system to ensure their right to a fair trial. "Many are awaiting execution," al-Azzawi added. </p> <p>Further, when it is the man who disappears, whether he is dead or missing, women and their families have to fend for themselves in a hellish situation. Out of this horror comes forth one of the more obtuse trends, inexistent in Iraq up until 2003, of families giving their daughters away in early marriage for fear of being unable to adequately support them. </p> <p>One immediate effect of this phenomenon is the fact that girls aged 13, 14 and 15 sold into early marriage lose their right to education. As figures currently stand, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report published on 1 September 2010, for every 100 boys in school, there are only 89 girls ("<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MCOI-89RD6Y?OpenDocument" class="external" target="_blank">Girls Education in Iraq 2010</a>" [PDF]). </p> <p>"Lots of those little girls are very bright and are willing to finish their education if they are allowed to," said al-Azzawi. </p> <p>Worse still is the flourishing of what are known as "pleasure marriages." These are short-term marriages conducted out of court, whereby separation is also very simple. It is a practice that Iraqi women’s rights advocates describe as linked to prostitution, because of the wrongful abuse of the practice by men in power, often blackmailing fathers into giving their daughters away in a "pleasure marriage," and also because once a girl or a woman has married in this way and has received alimony for her short-term commitment, she will find it very difficult to reintegrate back into her family. </p> <p>"Many girls are forced into prostitution and ultimately sex trafficking this way," al-Azzawi added. </p> <h3>Forced Islamization of society </h3> <p>It is deeply telling that Iraqi society is becoming forcibly Islamized by militias tied to the Iraqi puppet government, which is dependent upon the United States for its survival. Meanwhile, Washington claims to be fighting a war on Islamic terrorism. The reality, as is frequently the case, is the precise opposite. Previously a secular state, Iraqi society is becoming forcibly transformed into a theocracy. In such systems, women and girls inevitably lose. </p> <p>The results of the proliferation of fundamentalist militias are varied. While reports of Christian women veiling in order to avoid attacks are troubling in the Iraqi context, what is potentially much worse is that the notion of an Iraqi state for all its citizens is fast disappearing. Not only does this mean that Iraqi girls are no longer safe on the streets; it also means that if the occupation fulfills its goals, Iraqi "career women" may be a thing of the past. </p> <p>Al-Azzawi notes that "Economically the country has lost a huge, skilled working force, which is exactly what the occupation planned to do, and the lives of millions of working women and families were shattered." </p> <p>Considering that there is not a single right enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that the US occupation has not violated — as the International Initiative to Prosecute US Genocide in Iraq team found when working in 2009 to bring a legal case for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide against four US presidents and four UK prime ministers — it is amazing yet encouraging that the US occupation’s goals have failed. </p> <p>Not only is the US administration under President Barack Obama still battling to maintain control over a country whose people resist in the name of their dignity and their love for Iraq, but many of the most outspoken and brilliant advocates for Iraqis’ rights in general are in fact women. </p> <p>"I have much hope for Iraq," said human rights advocate Asma al-Haidari, "Nothing will make me lose hope." </p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12137"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/06/who-assassinated-iraqi-academics/#respond" title="Comment on Who Assassinated Iraqi Academics?">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 6th, 2011 by Nabil</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/06/who-assassinated-iraqi-academics/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Who Assassinated Iraqi Academics?">Who Assassinated Iraqi Academics?</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/war-crimes/" title="View all posts in War Crimes" rel="category tag">War Crimes</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/academics/" rel="tag">academics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/adil-e-shamoo/" rel="tag">Adil E. Shamoo</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/american-imperialism/" rel="tag">American Imperialism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/analysis/" rel="tag">Analysis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassination/" rel="tag">assassination</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassination-campaigns/" rel="tag">Assassination campaigns</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassinations/" rel="tag">Assassinations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/attacks-on-academics-students-teachers/" rel="tag">Attacks on academics students teachers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/automatic-weapons/" rel="tag">automatic weapons</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basra/" rel="tag">Basra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cia/" rel="tag">CIA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/civilians/" rel="tag">Civilians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/contractors/" rel="tag">Contractors</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/crimes-against-humanity/" rel="tag">Crimes against humanity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-squads/" rel="tag">Death Squads</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-threats/" rel="tag">Death Threats</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detainees/" rel="tag">detainees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dirk-adriaensens/" rel="tag">Dirk Adriaensens</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gulf-cooperation-council/" rel="tag">Gulf Cooperation Council</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-law/" rel="tag">International Law</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/intimidation/" rel="tag">intimidation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion/" rel="tag">invasion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion-of-iraq/" rel="tag">invasion of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/murder/" rel="tag">murder</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/newspaper/" rel="tag">newspaper</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/robert-fisk/" rel="tag">Robert Fisk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-violence/" rel="tag">sectarian violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/torture/" rel="tag">Torture</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/universities/" rel="tag">Universities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/university-teachers/" rel="tag">university teachers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/us/" rel="tag">US</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/washington-post/" rel="tag">washington post</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wikileaks/" rel="tag">Wikileaks</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" rel="tag">Women and Children</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>By April 2004, just a little over a year after the U.S. invasion of Iraq and before the sectarian violence began, the Iraqi Association of University Teachers (AUT) reported that <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=191084&sectioncode=26" class="external" target="_blank">250 academics had been killed</a>. Award-winning British journalist Robert Fisk <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=2042" class="external" target="_blank">had warned</a> early that year of the assassinations of Iraqi academics, but few U.S. newspapers picked up on the story.  By the end of 2006, according to<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/higher/iraqs-universities-are-in-meltdown-427316.html" class="external" target="_blank"> <em>The Independent</em></a>, over 470 academics had been killed. Another British paper, <em>The Guardian</em>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2006/dec/12/internationaleducationnews.highereducation" class="external" target="_blank">reported</a> that about 500 academics were killed just from the Universities of Baghdad and Basra alone.</p> <p>Based on multiple sources, the B<em>Russell</em>s Tribunal sifted through such reports and <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.brusselstribunal.org/Academics.htm" class="external" target="_blank">published on its website</a> the names of over 400 murdered academics and when they were killed. Although the exact total number of assassinated academics is not really known, the indefatigable advocate for human rights Dirk Adriaensens gives a detailed analysis of the data available so far in his contribution to the book <em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://us.macmillan.com/culturalcleansinginiraq" class="external" target="_blank">Cultural Cleansing in Iraq</a></em>. According to Adriaensens, most of those killed were from the Universities of Bagdad (57 percent) and Basra (14 percent). In addition, 35 percent died in detention after being arrested/kidnapped by some security forces. The modus operandi for the killings was a professional, well-organized assassination. Fifty-four percent of the deaths occurred as a targeted killing, at point-blank range with hand guns or automatic weapons. The killing of academics did not follow any sectarian agenda since the murdered were Sunni and Shia. No one has taken responsibility for the killings, and no one has been arrested.</p> <p>The reports of these murdered Iraqi academics have been around for a few years, mostly in the foreign press and on websites. I admit to an initial skepticism about their veracity. I was even more concerned about who was responsible for these heinous crimes and why. Iraqis living in Iraq knew of these murders first-hand, but did not know the culprits. Their suspicions fell naturally on the occupying power.</p> <p>Along with these tragic deaths was the concomitant wave of death threats and intimidation against other Iraqi academics, which resulted in tens of thousands of Iraqi academics literally running abroad for their life. <em>The Washington Post </em>recently described the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/23/AR2010112306747.html" class="external" target="_blank">plight of one Iraqi family</a> living in the United States after the husband, a professor, was assassinated and the wife, a physician, survived but gravely wounded. For some, the escape abroad was only temporary. A<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://iraqiacademicsunderattack.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/two-iraqi-academics-killed-after-their-returning-to-iraq-english-arabic-castellano/" class="external" target="_blank"> professor and a dean</a> who left and returned in the past six months to Iraq were professionally assassinated.  Iraq has suffered the decapitation of its intellectual class on a staggering scale, which has thrown the country back to the dark ages.</p> <p>According to the new revelations of Wikileaks, in some cases the United States, through the military, contractors, and others, killed innocent Iraqi civilians including women and children. As a matter of policy we handed over Iraqi detainees to Iraqi security forces with full knowledge that they would be subjected to torture, rape, and murder. Moreover, when our military received the reports of torture, rape, and murder it chose to ignore them. Such a policy is contrary to international law, U.S. laws, and American values.</p> <p>It’s not clear whether the U.S. government or the U.S. military knows who assassinated the Iraqi academics. We don’t know if U.S. officials or military commanders looked the other way when local security forces committed those crimes. But the Wikileaks documents raise many disturbing questions about a possible U.S. role in these assassinations. Even the Gulf Cooperation Council, and its half-dozen U.S.-friendly Arab members, has <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hiUt15hxCn1JG0tU8iLw_Oj6yb8A?docId=CNG.1c29e0b64ef02ac621d8a8911f61ba89.191" class="external" target="_blank">called on</a> the Obama administration to "open a serious and transparent investigation" into possible "crimes against humanity."</p> <p>The evidence so far is sufficient to warrant a thorough investigation by an independent body. Iraqis, Americans, and the world need to know the truth.</p> <div style="border-right: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: lightgrey 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 15px; margin: 15px auto 5px; border-left: lightgrey 1px solid; width: 95%; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: lightgrey 1px solid"> <p><em>Adil E. Shamoo, is a senior analyst for Foreign Policy In Focus, and writes on ethics and public policy. He is a Professor at </em><em>University</em><em> of </em><em>Maryland School</em><em> of Medicine. He can be reached at </em><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/mailto:ashamoo@umaryland.edu"><em>ashamoo@umaryland.edu</em></a><em>.</em></p> </p></div> <div></div> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.fpif.org/articles/who_assassinated_iraqi_academics?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FPIF+%28Foreign+Policy+In+Focus+%28All+News%29%29" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>Source: </strong>Foreign Policy In Focus | Who Assassinated Iraqi Academics?</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11864"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/05/saudi-arabia-rated-a-bigger-threat-to-iraqi-stability-than-iran/#respond" title="Comment on Saudi Arabia rated a bigger threat to Iraqi stability than Iran">No Comments</a></span> Posted on December 5th, 2010 by Abdus-Samad</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/05/saudi-arabia-rated-a-bigger-threat-to-iraqi-stability-than-iran/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Saudi Arabia rated a bigger threat to Iraqi stability than Iran">Saudi Arabia rated a bigger threat to Iraqi stability than Iran</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ali-khamenei/" rel="tag">ALi Khamenei</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ali-larijani/" rel="tag">Ali Larijani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ambassador-christopher-hill/" rel="tag">ambassador christopher hill</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/analysis/" rel="tag">Analysis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ayatollah-akhbar-hashemi-rafsanjani/" rel="tag">Ayatollah Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/brigadier-general-qasem-soleimani/" rel="tag">Brigadier-General Qasem Soleimani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/economic-development/" rel="tag">Economic development</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/elections/" rel="tag">Elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/feridun-sinirlioglu/" rel="tag">Feridun Sinirlioglu</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/foreign-interference-accusations-of/" rel="tag">foreign interference - accusations of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-resistance/" rel="tag">iraqi resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irgc/" rel="tag">IRGC</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/jalal-talibani/" rel="tag">Jalal Talibani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/" rel="tag">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-alliance/" rel="tag">National Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nouri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">nouri al maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/press/" rel="tag">Press</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/regional-influence/" rel="tag">regional influence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resistance/" rel="tag">Resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resources/" rel="tag">Resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-hostility/" rel="tag">Saudi hostility</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-department-cables/" rel="tag">state department cables</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tehran/" rel="tag">Tehran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wikileaks/" rel="tag">Wikileaks</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Baghdad says it can contain influence of Shia neighbour, unlike powerful Gulf state that wants a return to Sunni dominance</p> <p>Iraqi government officials see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/saudiarabia" class="external" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia</a>, not <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/iran" class="external" target="_blank">Iran</a>, as the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/226620" class="external" target="_blank">biggest threat to the integrity and cohesion of their fledgling democratic state</a>, leaked US state department cables reveal.</p> <p>The Iraqi concerns, analysed in a dispatch sent from the US embassy in Baghdad by then ambassador Christopher Hill in September 2009, represent a fundamental divergence from the American and British view of Iran as arch-predator in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/iraq" class="external" target="_blank">Iraq</a>.</p> <p>"Iraq views relations with Saudi Arabia as among its most challenging given Riyadh’s money, deeply ingrained anti-Shia attitudes and [Saudi] suspicions that a Shia-led Iraq will inevitably further Iranian regional influence," Hill writes.</p> <p>"Iraqi contacts assess that the Saudi goal (and that of most other Sunni Arab states, to varying degrees) is to enhance Sunni influence, dilute Shia dominance and promote the formation of a weak and fractured Iraqi government."</p> <p>Hill’s unexpected assessment flies in the face of the conventional wisdom that Iranian activities, overt and covert, are the biggest obstacle to Iraq’s development.</p> <p>It feeds claims, prevalent after the 9/11 attacks, that religiously conservative, politically repressive Saudi Arabia, where most of the 9/11 terrorists came from, is the true enemy of the west.</p> <p>Hill’s analysis has sharp contemporary relevance as rival Shia and Sunni political blocs, backed by Iran and the Saudis respectively, continue to squabble over the formation of a new government in Baghdad, seven months after March’s inconclusive national elections.</p> <p>Hill says Iraqi leaders are careful to avoid harsh criticism of Saudi Arabia’s role for fear of offending the Americans, Riyadh’s close allies. But resentments simmer below the surface.</p> <p>"Iraqi officials note that periodic anti-Shia outbursts from Saudi religious figures are often allowed to circulate without sanction or disavowal from the Saudi leadership. This reality reinforces the Iraqi view that the Saudi state religion of Wahhabi Sunni Islam condones religious incitement against Shia."</p> <p>Hill reports the Saudis have used considerable financial and media resources to support Sunni political aspirations, exert influence over Sunni tribal groups, and undercut the Shia Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) and Iraqi National Alliance.</p> <p>Hill adds that some Iraqi observers see Saudi aims as positively malign. "A recent Iraqi press article quoted anonymous Iraqi intelligence sources assessing that Saudi Arabia was leading a Gulf effort to destabilise the Maliki government and was financing ‘the current al-Qaida offensive in Iraq’."</p> <p>Hill and his Iraqi interlocutors are not alone in their suspicions of Saudi policy. At a meeting in Ankara in February this year a senior Turkish foreign ministry official, Feridun Sinirlioglu, told an American envoy that "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/250705" class="external" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia is ‘throwing around money’ among the political parties in Iraq</a> because it is unwilling to accept the inevitability of Shia dominance there".</p> <p>Returning to more familiar ground, Hill asserts that Iranian efforts in Iraq are also "driven by a clear determination to see a sectarian, Shia-dominated government that is weak, disenfranchised from its Arab neighbours, detached from the US security apparatus and strategically dependent on Iran". Such an outcome is not in the interests of the US, he notes drily.</p> <p>But he passes on to Washington the arguments of Iraqi officials who say they know how to "manage" Iran. "Shia contacts … do not dismiss the significant Iranian influence but argue that it is best countered by Iraqi Shia politicians who know how to deal with Iran." These officials also maintain Iranian interference "is not aimed, unlike that of some Sunni neighbours, at fomenting terrorism that would destabilise the government". They predict Tehran’s meddling will "naturally create nationalistic Iraqi resistance to it, both Shia and more broadly, if others do not intervene".</p> <p>The difficulties encountered by Iranian-backed Shia parties in coming together to form a new government, despite much urging from Tehran and the co-opting of the hardline Iran-based cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, could be seen as evidence that Iran’s overall influence has been exaggerated and that public "resistance" to Iran’s role is indeed growing.</p> <p>All the same, American officials continue to blame Iran principally for instigating and fomenting much of the sectarian and insurgent violence that has disfigured Iraq since the 2003 invasion. James Jeffrey, Hill’s successor as US ambassador, claimed in August that about one-quarter of all US casualties in Iraq were caused by armed groups backed by Iran.</p> <p>A Baghdad embassy cable from November 2009 says Iran continues to view Iraq as "a vital foreign policy priority for the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/234583" class="external" target="_blank">Iranian government’s efforts to project its ideology and influence in the region</a>". At the head of this effort, it says, is the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods (Jerusalem) Force, or IRGC-QF, led by Brigadier-General Qasem Soleimani, whose authority is "second only to supreme leader [Ayatollah Ali] Khamenei".</p> <p>Soleimani has close ties with prominent Iraqi government officials, including the president, Jalal Talibani, and prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, the cable reports. "Khamenei, President [Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad, Speaker [Ali] Larijani and former president [Ayatollah Akhbar Hashemi] Rafsanjani consult regularly with visiting GOI [government of Iraq] officials as part of the IRIG’s [Islamic Republic of Iran government] broader ’strategic’ council of advisers seeking to influence the GOI."</p> <p>The cable continues that Iran’s tools of influence include financial support to and pressure on a cross-spectrum of Iraqi parties and officials; economic development assistance, notably to religious organisations; lethal aid to selected militant Shia proxies; and sanctuary to Iraqi figures fearful of US government targeting, or those seeking to revitalise their political-religious credentials, most notably Moqtada al-Sadr.</p> <p>"This leverage also extends, to a lesser extent, to select Sunni actors, including such public figures as Iraqi speaker [Iyad al-] Samarra’i, whose September visit to Tehran included meetings with several senior IRIG officials."</p> <p>The cable comments that Iran is watching the US troop withdrawal schedule closely as it tries to make permanent its "strategic foothold". All US troops are expected to leave Iraq by the end of next year. But the cable’s American author also injects some welcome historical perspective.</p> <p>"Iran will continue to flex its muscles to ensure its strategic outcomes are met. This should not lead to alarmist tendencies or reactions on our part. The next Iraqi government will continue to cultivate close ties with Iran, given longstanding historical realities that precede Iraq’s ties with the United States.</p> <p>"On the other hand Iran’s influence should not be overestimated. As the GOI continues to gain its footing, points of divergence between Tehran and Baghdad become increasingly evident on such sensitive bilateral issue as water, hydrocarbons, maritime borders and political parity. Some prominent Iraqi leaders, including those with ties to Iran, are increasingly sensitive to being labelled Iranian lackeys."</p> <p>A visit last December by US diplomats to the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, the "epicentre of Shia Islam", finds further evidence of Iraqi public resentment of foreign meddling from whatever quarter. One local leader "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-embassy-cables-documents/239665" class="external" target="_blank">singled out Saudi Arabia and Iran as the biggest culprits</a> but noted that a ‘mental revolution’ was under way among Iraqi youth against foreign agendas seeking to undermine the country’s stability".</p> <p>Iraqi sources also tell the visiting Americans that the Iranian government and the IRGC cannot match the "social and political clout" that Iraq’s Shia establishment, led by the Shia world’s most senior cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, wields among the ordinary citizens of both Iraq and Iran.</p> <p>Sistani, it is noted, rejects the fundamental tenet of Iranian clerical rule – the unchallengeable "custodianship of the jurist" adopted by the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to justify his de facto dictatorship. Seen this way the entire Iranian Islamic revolution is illegitimate.</p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/05/wikileaks-cables-saudi-meddling-iraq" class="external" target="_blank">WikiLeaks cables: Saudi Arabia rated a bigger threat to Iraqi stability than Iran | World news | guardian.co.uk</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11700"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/26/exodus/#respond" title="Comment on Exodus">No Comments</a></span> Posted on October 26th, 2010 by Ali</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/26/exodus/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Exodus">Exodus</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-amin/" rel="tag">al-Amin</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arabs/" rel="tag">Arabs</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arbil/" rel="tag">Arbil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/archbishop-paul-faraj-kidnapping-and-murder-of/" rel="tag">Archbishop Paul Faraj - kidnapping and murder of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/beirut/" rel="tag">Beirut</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cairo/" rel="tag">Cairo</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-churches/" rel="tag">christian churches</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-faith/" rel="tag">christian faith</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-minorities/" rel="tag">christian minorities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-population/" rel="tag">christian population</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christianity/" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-persecution-of/" rel="tag">Christians - persecution of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/churches/" rel="tag">churches</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/constitution/" rel="tag">Constitution</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/coptic-christians/" rel="tag">Coptic Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/crusaders/" rel="tag">crusaders</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/easter/" rel="tag">Easter</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/egypt/" rel="tag">Egypt</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" rel="tag">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/filipinos/" rel="tag">Filipinos</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/first-gulf-war/" rel="tag">first gulf war</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fundamentalists/" rel="tag">fundamentalists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gulf-war/" rel="tag">Gulf War</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/independent-the-uk/" rel="tag">Independent -The (UK)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" rel="tag">Iran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/islam/" rel="tag">Islam</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/israel/" rel="tag">Israel</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/jordan/" rel="tag">Jordan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kidnapping/" rel="tag">kidnapping</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lorient-le-jour/" rel="tag">L'Orient-Le Jour</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lebanon/" rel="tag">Lebanon</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maronite-catholics/" rel="tag">maronite catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maronites/" rel="tag">maronites</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mecca/" rel="tag">Mecca</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/medina/" rel="tag">Medina</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east/" rel="tag">Middle East</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/monsignor-fouad-twal/" rel="tag">Monsignor Fouad Twal</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" rel="tag">Mosul</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/palestine/" rel="tag">Palestine</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/palestinians/" rel="tag">palestinians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pilgrimages/" rel="tag">Pilgrimages</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pope/" rel="tag">Pope</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rabia/" rel="tag">Rabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religious-freedom/" rel="tag">religious freedom</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/robert-fisk/" rel="tag">Robert Fisk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadat-anwar/" rel="tag">Sadat - Anwar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/vatican/" rel="tag">Vatican</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/west-bank/" rel="tag">West Bank</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85%e2%80%8e/" rel="tag">الإسلام‎</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" rel="tag">بالمسيحيين</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="padding-right: 5px; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; width: 360px; padding-top: 0px"> <div class="container"> <div class="shadow"> <div class="frame"> <strong>From Israel to Iraq, a Christian flight of Biblical proportions has begun.</strong> <p><a title="20100913_cross_with_lights_Arbil by Gorillas Guides, on Flickr" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/27086036@N02/5117481728/" class="external" target="_blank"><img height="238" alt="20100913_cross_with_lights_Arbil" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1189/5117481728_113dc0d2e6_o.jpg" width="350"/></a></p> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> <p>In the centre of the rebuilt Beirut, the massive old Maronite Cathedral of St George stands beside the even larger mass of the new Mohammad al-Amin mosque. The mosque’s minarets tower over the cathedral, but the Maronites were built a spanking new archbishop’s house between the two buildings as compensation. Yet every day, the two calls to prayer – the clanging of church bells and the wailing of the muezzin – beat an infernal percussion across the city. Both bells and wails are tape recordings, but they have been turned up to the highest decibel pitch to outdo each other, louder than an aircraft’s roar, almost as crazed as the nightclub music from Gemmayzeh across the square. But the Christians are leaving.</p> <p>Across the Middle East, it is the same story of despairing – sometimes frightened – Christian minorities, and of an exodus that reaches almost Biblical proportions. Almost half of Iraq’s Christians have fled their country since the first Gulf War in 1991, most of them after the 2004 invasion – a weird tribute to the self-proclaimed Christian faith of the two Bush presidents who went to war with Iraq – and stand now at 550,000, scarcely 3 per cent of the population. More than half of Lebanon’s Christians now live outside their country. Once a majority, the nation’s one and a half million Christians, most of them Maronite Catholics, comprise perhaps 35 per cent of the Lebanese. Egypt’s Coptic Christians – there are at most around eight million – now represent less than 10 per cent of the population.</p> <p>This is, however, not so much a flight of fear, more a chronicle of a death foretold. Christians are being outbred by the majority Muslim populations in their countries and they are almost hopelessly divided. In Jerusalem, there are 13 different Christian churches and three patriarchs. A Muslim holds the keys to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to prevent Armenian and Orthodox priests fighting each other at Easter. </p> <p>When more than 200 members of 14 different churches – some of them divided – gathered in Rome last week for a papal synod on the loss of Christian populations in the lands where Christianity began, it was greeted with boredom or ignored altogether by most of the West’s press.</p> <p>Yet nowhere is the Christian fate sadder than in the territories around Jerusalem. As Monsignor Fouad Twal, the ninth Latin patriarch of Jerusalem and the second to be an Arab, put it bleakly, "the Israelis regard us as 100 per cent Palestinian Arabs and we are oppressed in the same way as the Muslims. But Muslim fundamentalists identify us with the Christian West – which is not always true – and want us to pay the price." With Christian Palestinians in Bethlehem cut off from Jerusalem by the same Israeli wall which imprisons their Muslim brothers, there is now, Twal says, "a young generation of Christians who do not know or visit the Holy Sepulchre".</p> <p>The Jordanian royal family have always protected their Christian population – at 350,000, it is around 6 per cent of the population – but this is perhaps the only flame of hope in the region. The divisions within Christianity proved even more dangerous to their community than the great Sunni-Shia divide did to the Muslims of the Middle East. Even the Crusaders were divided in their 100-year occupation of Palestine, or "Outremer", as they called it. The Lebanese journalist Fady Noun, a Christian, wrote a profound article from Rome last week in which he spoke of the Christian loss as "a great wound haemorrhaging blood", and bemoaned both Christian division and "egoism" for what he saw as a spiritual as well as a physical emigration. "There are those Christians who reach a kind of indifference… in Western countries who, swayed by the culture of these countries and the media, persuade eastern Christians to forget their identity," he wrote.</p> <p>Pope Benedict, whose mournful visit to the Holy Land last year prompted him to call the special synod which ended in the Vatican at the weekend, has adopted his usual perspective – that, despite their difficulties, Christians of the "Holy Land" must reinvigorate their feelings as "living stones" of the Middle Eastern Church. "To live in dignity in your own nation is before everything a fundamental human right," he said. "That is why you must support conditions of peace and justice, which are indispensable for the harmonious development of all the inhabitants of the region." But the Pope’s words sometimes suggested that real peace and justice lay in salvation rather than historical renewal.</p> <p>Patriarch Twal believes that the Pope understood during his trip to Israel and the West Bank last year "the disastrous consequences of the conflict between Jews and Palestinian Arabs" and has stated openly that one of the principal causes of Christian emigration is "the Israeli occupation, the Christians’ lack of freedom of movement, and the economic circumstances in which they live". But he does not see the total disappearance of the Christian faith in the Middle East. "We must have the courage to accept that we are Arabs and Christians and be faithful to this identity. Our wonderful mission is to be a bridge between East and West."</p> <p>One anonymous prelate at the Rome synod, quoted in one of the synod’s working papers, took a more pragmatic view. "Let’s stop saying there is no problem with Muslims; this isn’t true," he said. "The problem doesn’t only come from fundamentalists, but from constitutions. In all the countries of the region except Lebanon, Christians are second-class citizens." If religious freedom is guaranteed in these countries, "it is limited by specific laws and practices". In Egypt, this has certainly been the case since President Sadat referred to himself as "the Muslim president of a Muslim country".</p> <p>The Lebanese Maronite Church – its priests, by the way, can marry – understands all too well how Christians can become aligned with political groups. The Lebanese writer Sami Khalife wrote last week in the French-language newspaper L’Orient-Le Jour – the francophone voice of Lebanon’s Christians – that a loss of moral authority had turned churches in his country into "political actors" which were beginning to sound like political parties. An open letter to the Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, warning him to try to turn Lebanon into a "front line" against Israel, was signed by 250 Lebanese. Most of them were from the minority Christian community.</p> <p>Nor can the church ignore Saudi Arabia, where Christianity is banned as a religion just as much as the building of churches. Christians cannot visit the Islamic holy cities of Mecca or Medina – the doors of the Vatican and Canterbury Cathedral are at least open to Muslims – and 12 Filipinos and a priest were arrested in Saudi Arabia only this month for "proselytism" for holding a secret mass. There is, perhaps, a certain irony in the fact that the only balance to Christian emigration has been the arrival in the Middle East of perhaps a quarter of a million Christian Filipino guest workers – especially in the Gulf region – while Patriarch Twal reckons that around 40,000 of them now work and live in Israel and "Palestine".</p> <p>Needless to say, it is violence against Christians that occupies the West, a phenomenon nowhere better, or more bloodily, illustrated than by al-Qa’ida’s kidnapping of Archbishop Faraj Rahho in Mosul – an incident recorded in the US military archives revealed on Saturday – and his subsequent murder. When the Iraqi authorities later passed death sentences on two men for the killing, the church asked for them to be reprieved. In Egypt, there has been a gloomy increase in Christian-Muslim violence, especially in ancient villages in the far south of the country; in Cairo, Christian churches are now cordoned off by day-and-night police checkpoints.</p> <p>And while Western Christians routinely deplore the falling Christian populations of the Middle East, their visits to the region tend to concentrate on pilgrimages to Biblical sites rather than meetings with their Christian opposite numbers. </p> <p>Americans, so obsessed by the myths of East-West "clashes of civilisation" since 11 September 2001, often seem to regard Christianity as a "Western" rather than an Eastern religion, neatly separating the Middle East roots of their own religion from the lands of Islam. That in itself is a loss of faith.</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-exodus-the-changing-map-of-the-middle-east-2116463.html" class="external" target="_blank">Robert Fisk: Exodus. The changing map of the Middle East – Robert Fisk, Commentators – The Independent</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11654"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/21/death-and-body-bags/#comments" title="Comment on Death and body bags">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on October 21st, 2010 by Umm Fatima</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/21/death-and-body-bags/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Death and body bags">Death and body bags</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-ahram/" rel="tag">Al-Ahram</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/american-war-criminals-madeleine-albright/" rel="tag">American War Criminals (Madeleine Albright)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/assassinations/" rel="tag">Assassinations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baquba/" rel="tag">Baquba</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/barack-obama/" rel="tag">Barack Obama</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/brain-tumours/" rel="tag">brain tumours</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/britain/" rel="tag">Britain</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cancers/" rel="tag">Cancers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/casualty-statistics/" rel="tag">casualty statistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/childhood-leukemia-rates-in-basrah/" rel="tag">Childhood leukemia rates in Basrah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/children/" rel="tag">Children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cia/" rel="tag">CIA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/civilian-casualties/" rel="tag">Civilian casualties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/civilians/" rel="tag">Civilians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-toll/" rel="tag">death toll</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/du/" rel="tag">DU</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/eco/" rel="tag">ECO</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/health/" rel="tag">Health</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/history/" rel="tag">History</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" rel="tag">Human Rights</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/humanitarian-crisis/" rel="tag">humanitarian crisis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/infrastructure/" rel="tag">infrastructure</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-committee-of-the-red-cross/" rel="tag">international committee of the red cross</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invader-casualties/" rel="tag">Invader casualties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/invasion/" rel="tag">invasion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-casualties/" rel="tag">iraqi casualties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-children/" rel="tag">iraqi children</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lancet-survey/" rel="tag">Lancet Survey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/leukaemia/" rel="tag">leukaemia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mag/" rel="tag">MAG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation-of-iraq/" rel="tag">occupation of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/opinion-polls/" rel="tag">opinion polls</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/poverty/" rel="tag">Poverty</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanctions/" rel="tag">Sanctions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanctions-against-iraq/" rel="tag">sanctions against iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-forces/" rel="tag">security forces</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sewage/" rel="tag">sewage</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/statistics/" rel="tag">statistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-contamination/" rel="tag">Water Contamination</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/who/" rel="tag">WHO</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/world-health-organisation/" rel="tag">World Health Organisation</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>A new US estimate of the number of Iraqis killed seven years after the US-led invasion serves as a reminder that civilians are dying on a daily basis in Iraq, writes <b>Salah Hemeid</b></p> <p>Former US secretary of state Madeleine Albright’s famous quotation apparently justifying the deaths of half a million Iraqi children as a result of the Washington- backed and UN-imposed sanctions against Iraq in the 1990s has often been remembered as a cold-blooded assertion of US policy objectives.</p> <div style="border-right: black 1px solid; padding-right: 5px; border-top: black 1px solid; padding-left: 5px; float: right; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; border-left: black 1px solid; width: 289px; padding-top: 5px; border-bottom: black 1px solid"> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin: 5px auto" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-content//20061018_boy_holding_the_feet_of_his_dead_father_hospital_morgue_baquba_october_18_2006.jpg"/></p> <p>Boy Holding The Feet Of His Father Baquba Hospital Morgue October 18 2006. </p> </p></div> <p>The aphorism came to mind again last week when US media reported that the United States had finally released its first official compilation of data on Iraqi casualties, more than seven years after its invasion of the country.</p> <p>The report, posted on the US Central Command website in July, drew little notice until last Thursday, when media outlets published details showing that 63,185 civilians and 13,754 members of the Iraqi security forces had been killed from early 2004 to August 2008.</p> <p>It is not clear why the figures did not include casualties from the immediate aftermath of the US-led invasion in 2003, or from the period after August 2008. It is not clear either how the data were compiled and using what methodology.</p> <p>The figures seem to represent a "policy engineered" anti-climax as the Obama administration, facing a mid- term election challenge, tries to bring an end to America’s misadventure in Iraq.</p> <p>The number of Iraqis killed during the US-led invasion and its aftermath has long been hotly debated, estimates ranging from fewer than 100,000 to more than a million.</p> <p>Knowing how these latest US figures were arrived at would speak volumes about how the United States is faring as it prepares to exit from Iraq.</p> <p>The casualty figures released by Washington are lower than those from Iraqi government sources. Last year, the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights reported that 85,694 Iraqis, including military and police personnel, had been killed from the beginning of 2004 through to October 2008.</p> <p>In January 2008, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 151,000 deaths had taken place in the country due to the violence, with a 95 per cent confidence estimate of between 104,000 and 223,000 from March 2003 through to June 2006. The figures were based on the results of an Iraq family health survey published in the <i>New England Journal of Medicine</i>, a respected US journal. </p> <p>Another estimate from the Iraq Body Count, a non- governmental organisation based in Britain that uses media accounts, has put the number of civilian dead in Iraq at 47,668 during the same period as the WHO study. The group’s latest figures for civilian deaths from violence in the country until September 19 2010 stood at between 98,252 and 107,235.</p> <p>A 2006 survey in <i>The Lancet</i>, a British medical journal, estimated that more than 600,000 Iraqis had died as a result of the war, a figure more than 10 times higher than other estimates at the time. </p> <p>Iraq has not officially reacted to any of the studies, though many Iraqis have rejected the new US figures on the number of civilian deaths in the conflict, saying that they are well below the actual numbers who have died. </p> <p>The numbers are misleading, critics say, because they are not based on a well- defined methodology dealing with all violence-related deaths, including assassinations and in operations conducted by the US military.</p> <p>Estimates of casualty figures during the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq have been controversial because of the high political stakes involved and the possibility of manipulation aimed at swaying public opinion. The recent report was prompted by a Freedom of Information Act request from the National Security Archive at George Washington University. </p> <p>Scepticism has arisen about these latest figures not only because of possible discrepancies and the mysterious standards used to establish the magnitude of the casualties, but also because the parties involved have been reluctant to tell the truth about this human tragedy.</p> <p>A fundamental question is why the US military, which bears primary responsibility for the conflict, failed to address the issue start from the start and why it did not keep accurate records on the victims of the invasion and occupation.</p> <p>The military’s apparent incapacity to provide statistics about the causalities of US air bombardments and other related operations is a real and pressing concern.</p> <p>Another question of concern is why the US media, omnipresent in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, has not capitalised on its high standards of professionalism to gather accurate data about the human tragedy in Iraq.</p> <p>The Associated Press kept a record for the period from 28 April 2005 to 30 September 2010 listing some 49,416 deaths.</p> <p>Yet, even more disturbing than these US failures has been the failure by successive Iraqi governments to establish an efficient process of data collection to register the deaths of Iraqi citizens and to compensate their families.</p> <p>Failure to collect data and dodgy statistics are not the only problems. There is also the problem of how to count deaths that are directly related to the war and occupation, separating them from deaths as a result of violence in the country.</p> <p>Absent from the debate is any explanation of the humanitarian crisis that has struck Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion, including increasing poverty, unemployment, the deterioration of health services and the destruction of the country’s ecological system.</p> <p>Statistics such as those released by the US military have also largely ignored Iraqi fatalities caused by a lack of clean drinking water and a breakdown in utilities.</p> <p>Humanitarian agencies like the International Committee of the Red Cross have warned that the country’s healthcare facilities face grave shortages of staff and supplies, with the water, sewage and electricity infrastructure being in critical condition.</p> <p>Rates of cancer, leukemia and brain tumours, widely believed to have been caused by US weaponry, have been on the rise, some research suggesting that they rival those reported among survivors of the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.</p> <p>The US military’s report on the death toll in Iraq comes at a time when US President Barack Obama has reached his lowest ratings in US opinion polls ahead of crucial mid-term elections next month.</p> <p>The release of the statistics while Obama embarks on a campaign to drum up support for Democratic Party candidates cannot be a coincidence.</p> <p>By publishing a limited number of casualties in Iraq, the Obama administration may be hoping that it can go ahead with its policy of "turning the page" in Iraq, ending the US military presence in the country by the end of next year.</p> <p>Exiting from Iraq would benefit the Democratic Party, whose president vowed to end the legacy of the Republican Party and its president in Iraq. </p> <p>If all goes to plan, Iraq will no longer be front-page news in America, as US soldiers pack up to leave in order to help Democrats achieve some sort of hoped-for victory in next month’s elections.</p> <p>However, the very day this article was sent to print, a spate of bomb attacks across Iraq killed and wounded many people, serving as proof that the threat of death remains a part of daily life in the country.</p> <p>If Albright’s idea that the price paid by Iraqi civilians for US policy "is worth it" can serve as any sort of reminder in this sad chapter of Iraq’s history, then it should be that the US-led invasion has turned into a humanitarian tragedy, as well as an American national predicament.</p> <p><strong>Source:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2010/1020/re3.htm" class="external" target="_blank">Al-Ahram Weekly | Region | Death and body bags</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11598"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/12/a-confused-and-self-destructive-military-operation/#comments" title="Comment on A Confused And Self-Destructive Military Operation">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on October 12th, 2010 by Editors</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/12/a-confused-and-self-destructive-military-operation/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to A Confused And Self-Destructive Military Operation">A Confused And Self-Destructive Military Operation</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/south-asia/" title="View all posts in South Asia" rel="category tag">South Asia</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/afghanistan/" rel="tag">Afghanistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/british-government/" rel="tag">british government</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/clusterfuck/" rel="tag">Clusterfuck</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fragmentation-grenades/" rel="tag">fragmentation grenades</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/guardian-the/" rel="tag">Guardian The</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hostage/" rel="tag">hostage</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hostages/" rel="tag">Hostages</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/independent-the-uk/" rel="tag">Independent -The (UK)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kidnappings/" rel="tag">Kidnappings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/linda-norgrove/" rel="tag">Linda Norgrove</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/linda-norgrove-killing-of/" rel="tag">Linda Norgrove - killing of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/suicide-bombers/" rel="tag">suicide bombers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/suicide-bombingstaliban/" rel="tag">suicide bombings;Taliban</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/us-special-forces/" rel="tag">US special forces</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>It’s well worth your while reading the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-grenade-may-have-killed-hostage-cameron-admits-2103969.html" target="_blank" class="external">full report on Norgrove’s death</a> from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="external">The Independent</a>  instead of just the first three paragraphs that I’ve given below.  I didn’t believe the original storyline from the moment I read it. From the original reports I suspected that the US special forces troops had gone in using the wrong weapons, the wrong tactics , and above all the wrong attitude. That, as usual, they’d indulged themselves in the excessive use of violence and that the very person they were supposed to be rescuing was dead as a result. Why? The giveaway was the claim that she’d been killed by one of her captors who was wearing a suicide belt.</p> <p>I find that claim very difficult to believe. Suicide belts are put on just before their wearer goes to attack his target by blowing himself up in his target’s immediate vicinity. In this instance we were supposed to believe that somebody slept in a suicide belt and detonated it as the rescue took place. </p> <p>What in God’s name were the Americans thinking of – chucking fragmentation grenades around in a confined space holding the hostage they were supposed to be rescuing? Then they lied about it. This is the sort of thing that loses you allies fast, and the British government is already under strong political pressure to get to hell out of Afghanistan.</p> <p>There is a term of art in American military parlance, "<em><strong>Clusterfuck</strong></em>" it means a confused and self-destructive military operation.</p> <p style="padding-bottom: 1em; border-bottom: black 1px solid">Du</p> <blockquote><p>The American and British governments’ account of the death of Linda Norgrove in Afghanistan fell apart yesterday, with the revelation that she may have been killed by the US forces sent to free her. </p> <p>David Cameron was forced to retract his announcement that the 36-year-old aid worker had been murdered by one of her captors. Instead, the Prime Minister said, a grenade thrown by an American soldier may have killed her. </p> <p>None of the US special forces taking part initially reported throwing fragmentation grenades near Ms Norgrove, and it only came to light after video footage from head cameras worn by members of the squad was examined.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Read in full:</strong> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/us-grenade-may-have-killed-hostage-cameron-admits-2103969.html" class="external" target="_blank">US grenade may have killed hostage, Cameron admits – Asia, World – The Independent</a></p> <p><strong>Related articles from The Independent :</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/how-the-official-story-of-linda-norgroves-death-unravelled-2103970.html" class="external" target="_blank">How the official story of Linda Norgrove’s death unravelled</a> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-the-weight-of-mendacity-2104022.html" class="external" target="_blank">Leading article: The weight of mendacity</a> </li> </ul> <p><strong>Coverage from The Guardian:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/12/barack-obama-condolences-linda-norgrove" class="external" target="_blank">Obama vows to find Norgrove truth </a> </p> <p>President offers condolences over death of British aid worker and promises to get to the bottom of failed rescue </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/11/linda-norgrove-afghanistan" class="external" target="_blank">British aid worker may have been killed by US</a> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/11/linda-norgrove-rescue-operation" class="external" target="_blank">Necessity of rescue operation put into doubt</a> </li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/oct/11/linda-norgrove-screts-and-lives" class="external" target="_blank">Richard Norton-Taylor: Secrets and lives</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10794"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/29/patrick-cockburn-a-stable-iraq-is-still-a-very-long-way-off/#respond" title="Comment on Patrick Cockburn: A stable Iraq is still a very long way off">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 29th, 2010 by Fatima Jameel</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/29/patrick-cockburn-a-stable-iraq-is-still-a-very-long-way-off/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Patrick Cockburn: A stable Iraq is still a very long way off">Patrick Cockburn: A stable Iraq is still a very long way off</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cockburn-patrick/" rel="tag">Cockburn - Patrick</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/corruption/" rel="tag">Corruption</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/foreign-interference-accusations-of/" rel="tag">foreign interference - accusations of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/foreign-policy/" rel="tag">foreign-policy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/future-of-iraq/" rel="tag">future of iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ghassan-attiyah/" rel="tag">Ghassan Attiyah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/government-formation-failure-to/" rel="tag">Government formation - failure to</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/hoshyar-zebari/" rel="tag">Hoshyar Zebari</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ina/" rel="tag">INA</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/independent-the-uk/" rel="tag">Independent -The (UK)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-oil-companies/" rel="tag">international oil companies</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" rel="tag">Iran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-kurdistan/" rel="tag">Iraqi kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kleptocracy/" rel="tag">kleptocracy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg/" rel="tag">KRG</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/krg-separatism/" rel="tag">KRG Separatism</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lebanon/" rel="tag">Lebanon</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/maliki-nouri-al/" rel="tag">Maliki - Nouri al-</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/massacres/" rel="tag">Massacres</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militia/" rel="tag">Militia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil-revenues/" rel="tag">oil revenues</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/partition/" rel="tag">partition</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-paralysis/" rel="tag">political paralysis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/political-parties/" rel="tag">political parties</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reconstruction/" rel="tag">Reconstruction</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanctions/" rel="tag">Sanctions</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sectarian-government/" rel="tag">sectarian government</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/society-and-economy/" rel="tag">Society And Economy</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/surge-failure/" rel="tag">Surge Failure</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/zebari-hoshyar/" rel="tag">Zebari - Hoshyar</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>Seven years after the US and Britain invaded Iraq, the country remains highly unstable and fragmented. So divided are parties and communities that no government has emerged from the general election three months ago, which was intended to be a crucial staging post in Iraq’s return to normality. Political leaders have not even started serious negotiations on sharing power. </p> <p>"I have never been so depressed about the future of Iraq," said one former minister. "The émigré ruling class which came to power after 2003 is terrible. They have no policy other than to see how far they can rob the state."</p> <p>None of this is very apparent to the outside world, because US policy since 2008 has been to declare a famous victory and withdraw its troops. </p> <p>This week the US troop level drops to 92,000, lower for the first time than the number of American soldiers in Afghanistan. The US military wants to maintain the myth that it somehow turned round the war in Iraq by means of "the surge" and emerged successfully from the conflict.</p> <p>This claim was always exaggerated. The insurgency against the US occupation was rooted in the Sunni Arab community, and when this was defeated by Shia government and militia forces in 2006-7, the Sunni had little choice but to look for an accommodation with the Americans. The most important change in Iraq was more to do with the outcome of the Shia-Sunni struggle than US military tactical innovations. This is why American generals are finding that the "surge" in Afghanistan this year, supposedly emulating success in Iraq, is showing such disappointing results. </p> <p>The foreign-policy dominance of the military over civilian arm of the US government was reinforced by the Iraq war. Only this week the US Senate voted an extra $33bn for the military "surge" in Afghanistan, while the State Department gets only an extra $4bn. This is on top of $130bn for Iraq and Afghanistan this year already voted by Congress. </p> <p>In Iraq, violence is far less than three years ago, and in this sense the country is "better" than it was when 3,000 bodies of people killed in the sectarian slaughter were being buried every month. But periodic al-Qa’ida attacks are still enough to create a sense of unease. To prevent them, the streets of Baghdad are so clogged with checkpoints and concrete blast walls that it is difficult to move through the city. </p> <p>It is not so much the continuing, though much diminished, level of violence which worries Iraqis. The failure to replace the lame-duck government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki highlights the depth of sectarian and ethnic divisions between Shia, Sunni and Kurd. It was easy enough to forecast the outcome of the election by assuming that most voters would vote according to their communal loyalties. </p> <p>These divisions, exacerbated by recent massacres, are not going to go away. But what makes them so destructive is the poor quality of leadership of the political parties, with the partial exception of the Kurds. </p> <p>The former minister quoted above said that his fear was that Iraq had acquired a kleptomaniac ruling elite that runs the government as a racket.</p> <p>Some Iraqis cynically take refuge in the belief that the state is so dysfunctional at the best of times that the failure to put in place a new government makes little difference. There is something in this argument, but there are signs in Baghdad that the failure to agree a new government is beginning to paralyse Iraq’s rickety administrative machine. </p> <p>For instance, 111,000 new state jobs cannot be filled without a decision by parliament, and even minor decisions are not taken. One political leader complained that he could not even get somebody to renew the permits for his bodyguards’ weapons. </p> <p>The communal divisions and political paralysis lead some Iraqis to fear that Iraq is turning into another Lebanon. Power will be so fragmented that no decision can be taken, job allocated or long-term policy pursued. </p> <p>The Iraqi commentator and political scientist Ghassan Attiyah believes "a de facto partition will happen". As in Lebanon, internal divisions open the way to foreign intervention. </p> <p>The Iraqi foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, points to the increasing role of Iraq’s neighbours, led by Iran and Turkey, whom Iraqi politicians have invited in. "As a result it was not just an Iraqi election but a regional election," says Mr Zebari. As in Lebanon, the involvement of foreign powers, with their own interests at heart, may stabilise the situation temporarily but it also complicate and institutionalises Iraq’s problems. </p> <p>The analogy with Lebanon can be overdrawn. Unlike Lebanon or Afghanistan, Iraq has oil and the revenues to create a strong state and army. "Iraqis are so volatile and so violent that only the oil will keep them together," says Mr Attiyah. The under-exploited super-giant oil fields which international oil companies are now developing means that oil revenues should start increasing rapidly in about two years’ time. </p> <p>Iraq does not have to solve all or even the majority of its problems to make life better for its people who have endured 30 years of foreign and civil wars, occupation and sanctions. Iraqi Kurdistan, so autonomous that it is almost independent, has many of the failings of the rest of Iraq, such as corruption and a vast government payroll that leaves little money for investment. But the Kurdish political leadership is strong enough and secure good enough for the region to begin to boom. Cranes dominate the skyline of Arbil, the Kurdish capital, while there are still very few visible in Baghdad. </p> <p>The reign of the present ruling elite in Iraq may be temporary. Many of the returning émigrés seem to want to plunder as much as they can as soon as they can before relocating to Europe, the US or some sympathetic Arab capital. They may have abler successors. But the failure to form a new government, and the growing perception that the present one is illegitimate, is making Iraq so unstable that it cannot reconstruct itself.</p> <p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/patrick-cockburn-a-stable-iraq-is-still-a-very-long-way-off-1986224.html" class="external" target="_blank"><strong>A stable Iraq is still a very long way off</strong></a><strong> by Patrick Cockburn </strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="external"><strong>The Independent</strong></a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-10774"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/28/selected-english-coverage-i-would-hate-irakis-too-if-i-were-kuwaiti/#respond" title="Comment on Selected English Coverage: I would hate Irakis too – if I were Kuwaiti">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 28th, 2010 by Sagib</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/28/selected-english-coverage-i-would-hate-irakis-too-if-i-were-kuwaiti/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Selected English Coverage: I would hate Irakis too – if I were Kuwaiti">Selected English Coverage: I would hate Irakis too – if I were Kuwaiti</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/analysis-briefings-commentary/" title="View all posts in Analysis Briefings Commentary" rel="category tag">Analysis Briefings Commentary</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/category/english-articles/" title="View all posts in English Language Articles" rel="category tag">English Language Articles</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arab-league/" rel="tag">Arab League</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/border-disputes/" rel="tag">border disputes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/british-troops/" rel="tag">british troops</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/businessweek/" rel="tag">BusinessWeek</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/cockburn-patrick/" rel="tag">Cockburn - Patrick</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/commentary/" rel="tag">commentary</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/compensation/" rel="tag">compensation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/etihad-airways/" rel="tag">Etihad Airways</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gulf-war/" rel="tag">Gulf War</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/history/" rel="tag">History</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/independent-the-uk/" rel="tag">Independent -The (UK)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irakikuwaiti-relations/" rel="tag">Iraki/Kuwaiti relations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-airways/" rel="tag">Iraqi Airways</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-airways-dissolution-of/" rel="tag">Iraqi Airways - dissolution of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwait/" rel="tag">kuwait</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwait-airways/" rel="tag">kuwait airways</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwaiti-investment-in-syrian-dams/" rel="tag">Kuwaiti investment in Syrian dams</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/looting/" rel="tag">Looting</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/lufthansa/" rel="tag">Lufthansa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east/" rel="tag">Middle East</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east-online/" rel="tag">Middle East Online</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil-production/" rel="tag">oil production</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/oil-revenues/" rel="tag">oil revenues</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reparations/" rel="tag">reparations</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saddam-hussein/" rel="tag">Saddam Hussein</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/team-members/" rel="tag">Team Members</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/war-with-kuwait/" rel="tag">War with Kuwait</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>I do love the gift for understatement shared by the English and the Irish, here is the Irish journalist Patrick Cockburn writing on Iraki-Kuwaiti relations in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="external">The Independent</a>: </p> <blockquote><p>But the animosity between the two sides makes compromise difficult. Other key disputes include the payment to Kuwait of five per cent of Iraq’s oil revenues as reparations. Kuwait Airways’ demand for $1.2bn as compensation for the snatching of 10 aircraft in 1990 forced the closure of state carrier Iraqi Airways this week.</p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/legacy-of-gulf-war-and-border-dispute-continue-to-dog-relations-with-kuwait-1985072.html" class="external" target="_blank">Legacy of Gulf War and border dispute continue to dog relations with Kuwait – Middle East, World – The Independent</a>.</p> <p>"<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/animosity" class="external" target="_blank">Animosity</a>" does not even begin to describe what the Kuwaitis feel for Irak, and no the fall and subsequent hanging of Saddam has not appreciably lessened Kuwaitis’ intense feelings of hatred and fear of Irak and Irakis.</p> <p>Perhaps I have a somewhat unusual perspective on Irak compared to the other team members. I am not Iraki. Although I have lived here all my adult life and am married to an Iraki nevertheless I remain a Pakistani and as such my perspective is a bit different from that of most of the other team members. I have many good friends here, but I also have good friends in Kuwait. All of which is my way of leading up to the English language articles I want to discuss. First a sign of hope the German airline Lufthansa is resuming services to Baghdad after a hiatus of 20 years:</p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-28/lufthansa-first-west-european-carrier-to-resume-baghdad-flight.html" class="external" target="_blank">Lufthansa First West European Carrier to Resume Baghdad Flight – BusinessWeek</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Europe’s second-biggest carrier, will restart regular service to Baghdad, the first western European or U.S. carrier to resume flights to the Iraqi capital. <br/>The airline will serve Baghdad from Munich beginning Sept. 30, following a 20-year break, as economic growth attracts customers to the former war-ridden country, Cologne-based Lufthansa said in an e-mailed statement today. A Boeing 737 operated by Switzerland-based PrivatAir on Lufthansa’s behalf will offer four weekly flights, it said. <br/>The carrier offered Baghdad flights between 1956 and 1990, when it stopped service because of the first Gulf War, during which a U.S.-led army pushed Iraq’s forces out of neighboring Kuwait. The Middle Eastern nation aims to double oil production and lift revenue from crude sales by 60 percent in the coming four years even as it struggles to find a government that’s acceptable to all its major ethnic and religious group</p> </blockquote> <p>Nor are they the only ones as the article goes on to make clear:</p> <blockquote><p><strong>Competing Flights</strong></p> <p>Turk Hava Yollari AO, also known as Turkish Airlines, became the first carrier in Europe to resume Baghdad flights to in October 2008. The airline is offering one daily connection, according to its website. Bahrain-based Gulf Air began serving the Iraqi capital in September, while Abu Dhabi-owned Etihad Airways followed last month. Both airlines operate five flights there a week, according to their websites.</p> </blockquote> <p>Alas Iraqi Airways has not been so lucky as this AFP report from <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/" target="_blank" class="external">Middle East Online</a> makes clear:</p> <blockquote><p>Baghdad said Wednesday it is to close state-owned Iraqi Airways in the face of a decades-old financial dispute with Kuwait that prompted the seizure of one of its aircraft last month.</p> <p>The sudden move comes a day after the airline announced it was dropping its services to Sweden and Britain over the legal row with Kuwait, but it was not immediately clear if a new company would be formed to take its place.</p> <p>"The cabinet decided yesterday (Tuesday) to wind up the Iraqi company," transport ministry spokesman Aqeel Kawthar said.</p> <p>"The decision was taken because of the numerous acts of harassment that the company has faced from Kuwait that have prevented its planes from taking on fuel and food at various airports," Kawthar said.</p> <p>"The transport ministry will carry out the decision by the council of ministers, even though we disagree with it," he added, without giving details on whether a new company would be formed.</p> <p>… … …</p> <p>On Tuesday, Iraqi Airways announced it was ceasing its services to Britain and Sweden, with chief executive Kifah Hassan Jabbar blaming the decision on the legal battle with Kuwait.</p> <p>"We are sorry to announce to our fellow citizens, especially the communities living in Britain and Sweden, that Iraqi Airways will stop flying to these two countries because of difficult circumstances as a result of Kuwaiti escalation," Kifah Hassan Jabbar said.</p> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=39197" class="external" target="_blank">Middle East Online: Iraqi Airways closes down after Kuwait row</a>:</p> </blockquote> <p>There has been a long running legal battle between the Kuwaiti airline and Iraqi Airways. Briefly the Kuwaitis are suing Iraqi Airways for $1.2bn (£837m, €979m) reparations which they say they are owed because Iraqi airways took looted aircraft and parts from them during the Iraki invasion of Kuwait. The legal battle over this started in the British courts in 1991.</p> <p>"How can they do this?" Say Irakis to me. " We have suffered enough" they go on. And certainly no one can deny that Irakis suffered grievously first under the tyrant and then under the Americans who managed to be even worse than that monster.</p> <p>The problem is that the Kuwaitis suffered too. Oh not the elite who scuttled off to their luxurious properties in London and other western capitals. But the normal average Kuwaiti suffered dreadfully during <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Kuwait" class="external" target="_blank">the invasion</a>. Saddam ordered his troops to go on a rampage and they did, they slaughtered, burnt, and looted all around them. Every single Kuwaiti that I know who stayed in Kuwait has some horror story or another to tell. There are still Kuwaitis "missing presumed dead" even after all this time, to say nothing of the material losses caused to ordinary Kuwaitis by wide scale looting.</p> <p>But it gets worse you see the Kuwaitis are afraid of Irak and they have good reason to fear their northern neighbour. Consider that during the 1930s that <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghazi_of_Iraq" class="external" target="_blank">Ghazi of Iraq</a> wanted to annex Kuwait, thirty one years later <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Karim_Qasim" class="external" target="_blank">Abd al-Karim Qasim</a> reasserted <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://looklex.com/e.o/qasim_a_k.htm" class="external" target="_blank">the longstanding Iraki claim to Kuwait</a>. (See also the Wiki entry section <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abd_al-Karim_Qasim#Foreign_policy" class="external" target="_blank">3.4 Foreign policy</a>). Qasim backed down in the face of British troops, the Arab League and hefty secret payments into Baghdad’s treasury from the Kuwaiti emir. But the claim to Kuwait was never dropped. It was that claim that Saddam Hussein used as justification for his <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Kuwait" class="external" target="_blank">invasion of Kuwait</a> and his declaration incorporating its territory into Irak as the 19th governorate. Even still, as Cockburn makes clear in his article, there are border disputes to be settled:</p> <p><cite>The maritime border was drawn up in Kuwait’s favour after the first Gulf War. Endorsed by the UN, it was accepted by Saddam Hussein when his fortunes were at low ebb in 1993 and he was prepared to make concessions to stay in power.</cite></p> <p>When I speak and write to my Kuwaiti friends I detect among a very few of them a very reluctant willingness to consider an opening towards more normal relations with Irak. A few talk of Kuwait becoming a gateway to Irak. But most are not willing to consider this. Although they accept that Irak is unlikely to ever invade Kuwait again they cannot shake themselves of the fear engendered by the history of the last century they cannot resist the temptation, however short sighted and counter-productive it might be, to hit Irak while it is down.</p> <p>Cockburn’s article is short and well worth your while reading <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/legacy-of-gulf-war-and-border-dispute-continue-to-dog-relations-with-kuwait-1985072.html" class="external" target="_blank">reading in full</a>, I hope that my far wordier offering helps you understand the background. It is not about border disputes, or war reparations, or even <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwaiti-investment-in-syrian-dams/">Kuwaiti investment in Syrian dams</a> in order to reduce the amount of water that Irak receives. It is all of those things it is about a small and weak state, Kuwait, that will not forget that it was invaded and brutalised by its neighbour and seizes every opportunity it can to keep that neighbour weak.</p> <p>Sagib</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/page/2/">« Previous Entries</a></div> <div class="alignright"></div> </div> </div> <div id="sidebar" class="span-10 last"> <div class="span-10" id="tabs"> <ul> <li class="ui-tabs-nav-item"><a href="#featured-articles">Featured Articles</a></li> <li class="ui-tabs-nav-item"><a href="#latest-articles">Latest Articles</a></li> </ul> <div id="featured-articles" class="widget"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/04/19/hezbollah-says-latest-bombings-in-iraq-thwart-mission-to-build-state/">Hezbollah says latest bombings in Iraq “thwart mission to build state”</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/22/malaysia-prepares-to-send-peacekeepers-on-humanitarian-mission-to-iraq/">Malaysia Prepares To Send Peacekeepers On Humanitarian Mission To Iraq</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/19/sadrists-flood-basra-in-million-strong-demo/">Sadrists flood Basra in million-strong demo</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/11/iraqi-refugees-return-home-from-syria-middle-east-al-jazeera-english/">Iraqi refugees return home from Syria – Middle East – Al Jazeera English</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/06/iraq-women-in-iraq-fact-sheet-reliefweb/">Iraq: Women in Iraq Fact Sheet | ReliefWeb</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/01/the-battle-in-homs-will-breed-more-battles/">The battle in Homs will breed more battles</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/02/29/iraq-protests-fail-to-make-impression-iwpr-institute-for-war-peace-reporting-p215/">Iraq Protests Fail to Make Impression – IWPR Institute for War & Peace Reporting – P215</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/02/27/iraq-film-festival-raising-human-rights-cawareness/">Iraq film festival: raising human rights cawareness:.</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/02/24/niqash-three-million-drink-from-mosuls-poisoned-river/">Niqash: Three million drink from mosul’s poisoned river</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/02/22/iraq-call-to-adopt-modern-irrigation-techniques/">IRAQ: Call to adopt modern irrigation techniques</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="latest-articles" class="widget"> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/09/%d9%81%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d9%82%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85/">فتيات الليل في بغداد رهينات الفقر والميليشيات</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/08/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%af%d8%a9-%d8%a3%d9%83%d8%ab%d8%b1-%d9%85%d9%86-63-%d8%a3%d9%84%d9%81-%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%a6-%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%81%d9%8a/">الأمم المتحدة: أكثر من 63 ألف لاجئ سوري في العراق</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/07/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%a4%d9%83%d8%af-%d8%b6%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9/">الكربلائي يؤكد ضرورة إبعاد الشارع العراقي عن أجواء التشنج ويحذر من إراقة الدماء</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/05/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%84-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%ae%d9%84/">البيشمركة ترسل خطة سلام الى بغداد من خلال مكتب التعاون الأمني للجيش الامريكي</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/03/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%82-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%aa%d8%ab%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b9/">المالكي يوافق على تثبيت المتعاقدين مع مفوضية الانتخابات</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/02/%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%ae%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%aa%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%a8%d9%83%d8%aa%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%b5/">استخبارات الداخلية تعتقل شبكتين متخصصتين بالاغتيالات ضمن قاطع الكرخ من بغداد</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/29/%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%b0%d9%8a%d8%a8-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ba%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d9%88%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a8/">حالات تعذيب واغتصاب ومنظمات نسوية في بغداد تطالب بزيارة سجون النساء</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/23/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a3%d9%8a-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%b4%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%84%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%a7-%d9%88%d8%aa%d8%a4%d9%83%d8%af/">البيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالتهدئة وحل المشاكل بالحوار</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/23/%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%87%d8%af%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ad%d8%aa%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%85/">عبد المهدي الكربلائي يطالب بالاحتكام للدستور لحل ازمة عمليات دجلة ويدعو الى التهدئة</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/22/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%86-%d9%82%d8%a8%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%af%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9/">بارزاني يعلن قبول التهدئة والبيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالحوار</a></li> </ul> </div> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> $("#tabs > ul").tabs(); </script> </div> <div class="column span-5 append-1"> <div class="widget"> <h4>Recent Comments</h4> <ul id="recentcomments"><li class="recentcomments">Hazim on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/08/31/maliki-throws-all-or-nothing-hat-into-election/comment-page-1/#comment-11526">Maliki throws all-or-nothing hat into election</a></li><li class="recentcomments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://iraqsolidaridad.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/los-ninos-de-iraq-merecio-la-pena/" rel="external nofollow" class="url external" target="_blank">Los niños de Iraq: ¿mereció la pena? « Iraqsolidaridad</a> on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2008/01/16/medact-wmd-conflict-the-iraq-health-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-11521">Medact – WMD & Conflict – THE IRAQ HEALTH CRISIS</a></li><li class="recentcomments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/" rel="external nofollow" class="url">admin</a> on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2009/04/27/%d9%85%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%83%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%86%d8%af%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%8a-%d9%85%d8%ba%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%a8-%d9%88%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84/comment-page-1/#comment-11520">محاكمة الجندي الأمريكي مغتصب وقاتل العراقية عبير الجنابي</a></li><li class="recentcomments">Susanne on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/13/i-am-in-love-with-massoud-barzanis-daughter-a-poem-that-kills-by-sardasht-osman/comment-page-1/#comment-11517">I am in love with Massoud Barzani’s daughter, a poem that kills. By Sardasht Osman</a></li><li class="recentcomments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://atruthsoldier.wordpress.com/2012/05/10/arrest-george-bush-and-obama/" rel="external nofollow" class="url external" target="_blank">Arrest George Bush and Obama « A Truth Soldier</a> on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2008/01/16/medact-wmd-conflict-the-iraq-health-crisis/comment-page-1/#comment-11516">Medact – WMD & Conflict – THE IRAQ HEALTH CRISIS</a></li></ul> </div><div class="widget"><h4>Gorilla's Guides On Flickr</h4><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/8231176221/" title="icc-logo" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8064/8231176221_17028ace7c_t.jpg" alt="icc-logo"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/6531857933/" title="talabani sadr hakim" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6531857933_2d2ce91e9a_t.jpg" alt="talabani sadr hakim"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/6326224088/" title="20111108_screenshot_seale" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6326224088_ace54d0721_t.jpg" alt="20111108_screenshot_seale"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/6240548481/" title="Davutoglu_zebari" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6040/6240548481_0e21ae61db_t.jpg" alt="Davutoglu_zebari"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/6137215134/" title="sadr_ceasefire" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6183/6137215134_4ff6756e22_t.jpg" alt="sadr_ceasefire"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/><p class="flickrrss"> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/6130245209/" title="baha_moussa" class="external" target="_blank"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128im_/http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6181/6130245209_4c08ac7e03_t.jpg" alt="baha_moussa"/></a> </p><br clear="all"/></div><div class="widget"><h4> </h4><div id="calendar_wrap"><table id="wp-calendar" summary="Calendar"> <caption>January 2013</caption> <thead> <tr> <th abbr="Monday" scope="col" title="Monday">M</th> <th abbr="Tuesday" scope="col" title="Tuesday">T</th> <th abbr="Wednesday" scope="col" title="Wednesday">W</th> <th abbr="Thursday" scope="col" title="Thursday">T</th> <th abbr="Friday" scope="col" title="Friday">F</th> <th abbr="Saturday" scope="col" title="Saturday">S</th> <th abbr="Sunday" scope="col" title="Sunday">S</th> </tr> </thead> <tfoot> <tr> <td abbr="December" colspan="3" id="prev"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/" title="View posts for December 2012">« Dec</a></td> <td class="pad"> </td> <td colspan="3" id="next" class="pad"> </td> </tr> </tfoot> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="1" class="pad"> </td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>5</td><td>6</td> </tr> <tr> <td>7</td><td>8</td><td>9</td><td>10</td><td>11</td><td>12</td><td>13</td> </tr> <tr> <td>14</td><td>15</td><td>16</td><td>17</td><td>18</td><td>19</td><td>20</td> </tr> <tr> <td>21</td><td>22</td><td>23</td><td>24</td><td>25</td><td id="today">26</td><td>27</td> </tr> <tr> <td>28</td><td>29</td><td>30</td><td>31</td> <td class="pad" colspan="3"> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div></div><div class="widget"><h4>Archives</h4> <select name="archive-dropdown" onchange="document.location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;"> <option value="">Select Month</option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/"> December 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/"> November 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/10/"> October 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/09/"> September 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/08/"> August 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/07/"> July 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/06/"> June 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/05/"> May 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/04/"> April 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/03/"> March 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/02/"> February 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2012/01/"> January 2012 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/12/"> December 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/11/"> November 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/10/"> October 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/09/"> September 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/"> July 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/"> June 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/05/"> May 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/04/"> April 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/03/"> March 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/02/"> February 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/"> January 2011 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/12/"> December 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/11/"> November 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/"> October 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/09/"> September 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/08/"> August 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/07/"> July 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/06/"> June 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/05/"> May 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/04/"> April 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/03/"> March 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/02/"> February 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2010/01/"> January 2010 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/12/"> December 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/11/"> November 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/10/"> October 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/09/"> September 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/08/"> August 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/07/"> July 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/06/"> June 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/05/"> May 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/04/"> April 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/03/"> March 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/02/"> February 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2009/01/"> January 2009 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/12/"> December 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/11/"> November 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/10/"> October 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/09/"> September 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/08/"> August 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/07/"> July 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/06/"> June 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/05/"> May 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/04/"> April 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/03/"> March 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/02/"> February 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2008/01/"> January 2008 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/12/"> December 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/11/"> November 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/10/"> October 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/09/"> September 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/08/"> August 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/07/"> July 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/06/"> June 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/05/"> May 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/04/"> April 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/03/"> March 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/02/"> February 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2007/01/"> January 2007 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/12/"> December 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/11/"> November 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/10/"> October 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/09/"> September 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/08/"> August 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/07/"> July 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/06/"> June 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/05/"> May 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/04/"> April 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/03/"> March 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/02/"> February 2006 </option> <option value="http://gorillasguides.com/2006/01/"> January 2006 </option> </select> </div><div class="widget">  <form id="asl_form" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/" method="get"><h2>Search this site</h2><p><input type="hidden" name="s" value="as_perform_advancedsearch"/><input type="hidden" name="as_perform_advancedsearch" value="true"/><label for="asl_searchquery">Search query:</label> <a onclick="as_openhint(this.href); return false" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/?as_hintpopup=show">(Help)</a><br/><input type="text" class="as_styled" size="35" name="as_searchquery" id="asl_searchquery" value=""/></p>as <input type="radio" class="radio" onchange="as_stringsearch("asl_")" name="as_querytype" id="asl_querytype_words" value="words" checked="checked"/> <label for="asl_querytype_words">words</label> <input type="radio" class="radio" onchange="as_stringsearch("asl_")" name="as_querytype" id="asl_querytype_string" value="string"/> <label for="asl_querytype_string">string</label><fieldset><legend>include results from</legend><ul><li><input type="radio" name="as_posts_pages" value="both" id="asl_posts_pages_both" checked="checked"/> <label for="asl_posts_pages_both">posts and pages</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="as_posts_pages" value="posts" id="asl_posts_pages_posts"/> <label for="asl_posts_pages_posts">posts only</label></li><li><input type="radio" name="as_posts_pages" value="pages" id="asl_posts_pages_pages"/> <label for="asl_posts_pages_pages">pages only</label></li></ul><ul><li><input type="checkbox" class="checkbox" name="as_comments" id="asl_comments"/> <label for="asl_comments">incl. comments</label></li></ul><input type="hidden" name="as_includefrom_available" value="true"/></fieldset><fieldset class="as_sortandorder"><legend>sort by</legend><ul class="as_sort"><li><input type="radio" class="radio" name="as_sortby" id="asl_sortby_rel" value="relevance" checked="checked"/> <label for="asl_sortby_rel">relevance</label></li><li><input type="radio" class="radio" name="as_sortby" id="asl_sortby_date" value="date"/> <label for="asl_sortby_date">date</label></li></ul><ul class="as_order"><li><input type="radio" class="radio" name="as_order" id="asl_order_desc" value="desc" checked="checked"/> <label for="asl_order_desc">descending</label></li><li><input type="radio" class="radio" name="as_order" id="asl_order_asc" value="asc"/> <label for="asl_order_asc">ascending</label></li></ul></fieldset><p><input type="submit" class="as_styled" value="Search"/></p><p id="asl_credits"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://www.zirona.com/software/wordpress-advanced-search/" class="external" target="_blank">AdvancedSearch Lite</a></p></form>  </div> </div> <div class="column span-4 last"> <div class="widget"> <h4>Last 15 Posts</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/09/%d9%81%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%84-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%b1%d9%87%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d9%82%d8%b1-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85/" title="فتيات الليل في بغداد رهينات الفقر والميليشيات">فتيات الليل في بغداد رهينات الفقر والميليشيات </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/08/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%af%d8%a9-%d8%a3%d9%83%d8%ab%d8%b1-%d9%85%d9%86-63-%d8%a3%d9%84%d9%81-%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ac%d8%a6-%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%81%d9%8a/" title="الأمم المتحدة: أكثر من 63 ألف لاجئ سوري في العراق">الأمم المتحدة: أكثر من 63 ألف لاجئ سوري في العراق </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/07/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%a4%d9%83%d8%af-%d8%b6%d8%b1%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%a5%d8%a8%d8%b9%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9/" title="الكربلائي يؤكد ضرورة إبعاد الشارع العراقي عن أجواء التشنج ويحذر من إراقة الدماء">الكربلائي يؤكد ضرورة إبعاد الشارع العراقي عن أجواء التشنج ويحذر من إراقة الدماء </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/05/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%84-%d8%ae%d8%b7%d8%a9-%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%ae%d9%84/" title="البيشمركة ترسل خطة سلام الى بغداد من خلال مكتب التعاون الأمني للجيش الامريكي">البيشمركة ترسل خطة سلام الى بغداد من خلال مكتب التعاون الأمني للجيش الامريكي </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/03/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%81%d9%82-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%aa%d8%ab%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%82%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%b9/" title="المالكي يوافق على تثبيت المتعاقدين مع مفوضية الانتخابات">المالكي يوافق على تثبيت المتعاقدين مع مفوضية الانتخابات </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/12/02/%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%ae%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%aa%d9%82%d9%84-%d8%b4%d8%a8%d9%83%d8%aa%d9%8a%d9%86-%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%b5/" title="استخبارات الداخلية تعتقل شبكتين متخصصتين بالاغتيالات ضمن قاطع الكرخ من بغداد">استخبارات الداخلية تعتقل شبكتين متخصصتين بالاغتيالات ضمن قاطع الكرخ من بغداد </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/29/%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%b0%d9%8a%d8%a8-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ba%d8%aa%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%a8-%d9%88%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b8%d9%85%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d9%86%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a8/" title="حالات تعذيب واغتصاب ومنظمات نسوية في بغداد تطالب بزيارة سجون النساء">حالات تعذيب واغتصاب ومنظمات نسوية في بغداد تطالب بزيارة سجون النساء </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/23/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%86%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a3%d9%8a-%d8%aa%d8%ad%d8%b4%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%84%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%a7-%d9%88%d8%aa%d8%a4%d9%83%d8%af/" title="البيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالتهدئة وحل المشاكل بالحوار">البيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالتهدئة وحل المشاكل بالحوار </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/23/%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%87%d8%af%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%a8%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%a6%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ad%d8%aa%d9%83%d8%a7%d9%85/" title="عبد المهدي الكربلائي يطالب بالاحتكام للدستور لحل ازمة عمليات دجلة ويدعو الى التهدئة">عبد المهدي الكربلائي يطالب بالاحتكام للدستور لحل ازمة عمليات دجلة ويدعو الى التهدئة </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/22/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a-%d9%8a%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%86-%d9%82%d8%a8%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%87%d8%af%d8%a6%d8%a9-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%b4%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9/" title="بارزاني يعلن قبول التهدئة والبيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالحوار">بارزاني يعلن قبول التهدئة والبيشمركة تنفي أي تحشيد لقواتها وتؤكد التزامها بالحوار </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/21/%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%d8%ba%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%ad%d9%83%d9%88%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d8%b9%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89/" title="اردوغان يتهم حكومة المالكي بالسعي الى اثارة حرب اهلية في العراق">اردوغان يتهم حكومة المالكي بالسعي الى اثارة حرب اهلية في العراق </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/20/pkk-%d8%b3%d9%86%d8%b1%d8%b3%d9%84-%d9%85%d9%82%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a7-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%af%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b9-%d8%b9%d9%86-%d9%83%d8%b1%d8%af%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a5%d8%b0%d8%a7/" title="Pkk: سنرسل مقاتلينا للدفاع عن كردستان إذا تعرضت لهجوم من قبل الجيش العراقي">Pkk: سنرسل مقاتلينا للدفاع عن كردستان إذا تعرضت لهجوم من قبل الجيش العراقي </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/18/%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a3%d9%85%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%8a-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d8%b7%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d8%b3%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%ad-%d8%b9%d8%b6%d9%88/" title="استياء أمريكي من اطلاق العراق سراح عضو حزب الله علي موسى دقدوق">استياء أمريكي من اطلاق العراق سراح عضو حزب الله علي موسى دقدوق </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/18/%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%82%d9%84%d9%82%d9%88%d9%86-%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%b7%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%aa%d8%b7%d8%b1/" title="مسيحيون عراقيون قلقون من سيطرة المتطرفين على سوريا">مسيحيون عراقيون قلقون من سيطرة المتطرفين على سوريا </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/2012/11/17/%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%b4%d9%87%d8%a7%d8%af-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b5%d8%a7%d8%a8%d8%a9-%d8%b2%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%ba%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%88/" title="استشهاد واصابة زوار غالبيتهم ايرانيون وباكستانيون اثر انفجار سيارة ملغومة جنوب تكريت">استشهاد واصابة زوار غالبيتهم ايرانيون وباكستانيون اثر انفجار سيارة ملغومة جنوب تكريت </a></li> </ul> </div><div class="widget"><h4>Tags</h4><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%86%d8%a8%d8%a7%d8%b1%e2%80%8e/" class="tag-link-3033" title="245 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.13114754098pt;">الأنبار‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b5%d8%b1%d8%a9%e2%80%8e/" class="tag-link-2945" title="371 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.95737704918pt;">البصرة‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84/" class="tag-link-2939" title="638 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.7081967213pt;">الموصل</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84%e2%80%8e/" class="tag-link-1885" title="356 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.85901639344pt;">الموصل‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%ad%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/" class="tag-link-6475" title="367 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.93114754098pt;">بالمسيحيين</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af/" class="tag-link-2942" title="833 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 11.9868852459pt;">بغداد</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ad%d8%b1%d9%83%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1/" class="tag-link-6346" title="266 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.26885245902pt;">حركة الصدر</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89/" class="tag-link-2941" title="469 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.6pt;">ديالى</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%88%d9%83/" class="tag-link-2943" title="447 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.45573770492pt;">كركوك</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%85%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%86%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1%e2%80%8e/" class="tag-link-2955" title="298 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.47868852459pt;">مدينة الصدر‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-anbar-governorate/" class="tag-link-219" title="373 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.97049180328pt;">Al Anbar (Governorate)</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/anbar/" class="tag-link-4328" title="331 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.69508196721pt;">Anbar</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" class="tag-link-5" title="1,004 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 13.1081967213pt;">Baghdad</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basrah/" class="tag-link-377" title="426 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.31803278689pt;">Basrah</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" class="tag-link-52" title="695 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 11.0819672131pt;">Bombings</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/child-poverty/" class="tag-link-112" title="244 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.12459016393pt;">Child Poverty</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/children/" class="tag-link-20" title="568 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.2491803279pt;">Children</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" class="tag-link-282" title="372 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.96393442623pt;">Christians</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-squads/" class="tag-link-114" title="301 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.49836065574pt;">Death Squads</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/diyala/" class="tag-link-1006" title="556 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.1704918033pt;">Diyala</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ethnic-cleansing-of-christians/" class="tag-link-728" title="275 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.32786885246pt;">Ethnic cleansing of Christians</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fallujah/" class="tag-link-26" title="225 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8pt;">Fallujah</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" class="tag-link-14" title="263 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.24918032787pt;">Features</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/follow-up/" class="tag-link-21" title="243 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.11803278689pt;">Follow Up</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" class="tag-link-18" title="372 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.96393442623pt;">Human Rights</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" class="tag-link-100" title="227 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.0131147541pt;">Iran</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irin/" class="tag-link-311" title="266 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.26885245902pt;">IRIN</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karbala/" class="tag-link-806" title="256 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.20327868852pt;">Karbala</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" class="tag-link-2991" title="599 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.4524590164pt;">Kirkuk</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/middle-east/" class="tag-link-208" title="372 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.96393442623pt;">Middle East</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mosul/" class="tag-link-78" title="768 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 11.5606557377pt;">Mosul</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ninawa-governorate/" class="tag-link-73" title="652 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.8pt;">Ninawa (Governorate)</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/politics-and-security/" class="tag-link-1614" title="2,360 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 22pt;">Politics and Security</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/poverty/" class="tag-link-113" title="308 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.54426229508pt;">Poverty</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/previous-site/" class="tag-link-11" title="268 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.28196721311pt;">Previous Site</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" class="tag-link-32" title="482 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.68524590164pt;">Refugees</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" class="tag-link-143" title="291 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.43278688525pt;">Religion</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadr-city/" class="tag-link-106" title="256 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.20327868852pt;">Sadr City</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadrist-bloc/" class="tag-link-324" title="282 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.3737704918pt;">Sadrist Bloc</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sermon-reports/" class="tag-link-238" title="234 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.05901639344pt;">Sermon Reports</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/society-and-economy/" class="tag-link-771" title="460 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.54098360656pt;">Society And Economy</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" class="tag-link-1540" title="671 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.9245901639pt;">Summaries</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" class="tag-link-48" title="274 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.32131147541pt;">Syria</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-crisis-iraq/" class="tag-link-123" title="244 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.12459016393pt;">Water Crisis (Iraq)</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/women-and-children/" class="tag-link-336" title="526 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 9.9737704918pt;">Women and Children</a></div> </div><div class="widget"><h4>Meta</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/wp-login.php">Log in</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/feed/" title="Syndicate this site using RSS 2.0">Entries <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://gorillasguides.com/comments/feed/" title="The latest comments to all posts in RSS">Comments <abbr title="Really Simple Syndication">RSS</abbr></a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://wordpress.org/" title="Powered by WordPress, state-of-the-art semantic personal publishing platform." class="external" target="_blank">WordPress.org</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div id="footer"> <strong>Gorilla’s Guides</strong> is proudly powered by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://wordpress.org/" class="external" target="_blank">WordPress</a> on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://neewee.com/" class="external" target="_blank">NeeWee Wordpress Theme</a> by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130126051128/http://frontendbook.com/" class="external" target="_blank">Front End Book</a> </div> </div> </body> </html>