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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/20110730124332/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-13625"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/international-committee-of-the-red-cross-iraq-activities-update/#comments" title="Comment on International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on July 5th, 2011 by Burhan Aydin</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/international-committee-of-the-red-cross-iraq-activities-update/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update">International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/1990-1991-gulf-war/" rel="tag">1990-1991 Gulf War</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/abu-ghraib/" rel="tag">Abu Ghraib</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-rashad/" rel="tag">al Rashad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-khadra/" rel="tag">al-Khadra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-qosh/" rel="tag">al-Qosh</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/anbar/" rel="tag">Anbar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/armed-conflict/" rel="tag">armed conflict</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/babil/" rel="tag">babil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bala/" rel="tag">Bala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/balad/" rel="tag">Balad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/basra/" rel="tag">Basra</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/civilians/" rel="tag">Civilians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detainees/" rel="tag">detainees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detention-facilities/" rel="tag">detention facilities</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/disabled-people/" rel="tag">disabled people</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/diwaniya/" rel="tag">Diwaniya</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/diyala/" rel="tag">Diyala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/erbil/" rel="tag">Erbil</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/floods/" rel="tag">floods</a>, <a 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rel="tag">international humanitarian law</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" rel="tag">Iran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran-iraq-war/" rel="tag">Iran-Iraq War</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/khanaqin/" rel="tag">Khanaqin</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" rel="tag">Kirkuk</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kufa/" rel="tag">Kufa</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kufa-university/" rel="tag">Kufa University</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdish-regional-government/" rel="tag">kurdish regional government</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/livin/" rel="tag">Livin</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mine-clearance/" rel="tag">Mine Clearance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/missing-persons/" rel="tag">missing persons</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nahrawan/" rel="tag">Nahrawan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/najaf/" rel="tag">Najaf</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/northern-iraq/" rel="tag">northern iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/prisoners/" rel="tag">prisoners</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rainfall/" rel="tag">rainfall</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/red-cross-messages/" rel="tag">Red Cross messages</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/refugees/" rel="tag">Refugees</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rehabilitation/" rel="tag">rehabilitation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resources/" rel="tag">Resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rice/" rel="tag">rice</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rural-areas/" rel="tag">rural areas</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadr-city/" rel="tag">Sadr City</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/salah-al-din/" rel="tag">Salah al-Din</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sanitation/" rel="tag">sanitation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/shirqat/" rel="tag">Shirqat</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/statistics/" rel="tag">statistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/students/" rel="tag">Students</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/wasit/" rel="tag">Wasit</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-purification/" rel="tag">water purification</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-supply/" rel="tag">water supply</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-treatment/" rel="tag">water treatment</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/zaidan/" rel="tag">Zaidan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/zubair/" rel="tag">Zubair</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="text-align: left; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; direction: ltr"> <p>Three decades of conflict have left hundreds of thousands of families struggling to find out what happened to their missing loved ones. Abandoning the search is not an option. Since 1980, the ICRC has spared no effort to put an end to their anguish. Operational update, March-May 2011. </p> <p>"Iraq is currently one of the countries with the highest number of missing persons and, as a result, with the highest number of families seeking information on their missing relatives," said ‘Dika Dulic’, the ICRC delegate in charge of issues relating to missing persons in Iraq. A lack of clear statistics, however, makes it difficult to accurately establish the true size of the problem.</p> <div style="border-bottom: black 1px solid; border-left: black 1px solid; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; padding-left: 5px; width: 48%; padding-right: 5px; float: right; border-top: black 1px solid; border-right: black 1px solid; padding-top: 5px"> <h3>How do I report my relative as a missing person?</h3> <p>The Ministry of Human Rights is responsible for collecting information about any person reported missing in connection with armed conflict or internal violence. The ministry has offices in each Iraqi governorate. In northern Iraq, the Ministry of Anfal is in charge of this issue.</p> <p>The Department for missing persons, prisoners of war and human remains has two hotline numbers: <br/>+964 781 375 7020 <br/>+964 781 375 7021 <br/>and can also be contacted by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/mailto:d.mom-mhr@humanrights.gov.iq">e-mail</a></p> <p>Information provided by Basra’s Al-Zubair Centre on soldiers exhumed or otherwise known to be dead can be found on the Ministry of Human Rights website: <br/><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.humanrights.gov.iq /">www.humanrights.gov.iq</a>  You can also contact Al Zubair Centre directly.</p> <p>If you believe that one of your relatives has been killed, you can contact Baghdad’s Medico-Legal Institute by telephone: <br/>+964 78 137 57 655 or by <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/mailto:mli_bag41@yahoo.com">e-mail</a></p> <p>In an effort to alleviate the agony of those still waiting for news, the ICRC, in its role as a neutral intermediary, facilitates dialogue between the parties involved in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War and in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, who have an obligation under international humanitarian law to account for those who went missing.Baghdad resident Hayat has led a sad life since her husband disappeared on 8 April 2003. "I lost hope," she said. "In the past nine years I have searched every prison. I ended up convincing myself that my husband Abdallah must have died."</p> <p>In an effort to alleviate the agony of those still waiting for news, the ICRC, in its role as a neutral intermediary, facilitates dialogue between the parties involved in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War and in the 1990-1991 Gulf War, who have an obligation under international humanitarian law to account for those who went missing.</p> </p></div> <p>Baghdad resident Hayat has led a sad life since her husband disappeared on 8 April 2003. "I lost hope," she said. "In the past nine years I have searched every prison. I ended up convincing myself that my husband Abdallah must have died."</p> <p>In April, the remains of 17 Iranian soldiers killed in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War were handed over from the Iraqi to the Iranian authorities under ICRC auspices at the Shalamja border crossing, near Basra.</p> <p>As a neutral intermediary, the ICRC facilitates the dialogue between the parties who were involved in the Iran-Iraq war and the Gulf war and who carry the responsibility to clarify the fate of persons still unaccounted for. This includes: <br/>supporting authorities in the collection of information <br/>facilitating transmission of information between the parties chairing meetings <br/>facilitating joint missions in the field and the handover of human remains</p> <p>The ICRC continues to provide training and other support for the Ministry of Human Rights, Basra’s Al-Zubair Centre of Iraq and Baghdad’s Medical-Legal Institute.</p> <h4>Bringing aid to people facing hardship</h4> <p>Many people in Iraq are still struggling to earn a living and support their families. Between March and May, the ICRC:</p> <p>Distributed over 8 million Iraqi Dinars through cash-for-work scheme, to 450 vulnerable displaced people and residents of Deralok in Dohuk governorate; <br/>Awarded 108 grants to disabled people and women-headed households in Ninawa, Kirkuk, Basra, Missan, Erbil, Baghdad and Sulaimaniya, enabling them to start small businesses and regain economic self-sufficiency. <br/>Distributed individual food and hygiene parcels, including essential household items, to 2475 internally displaced households, benefiting some 14850 people, in the group settlements of Ninawa, Kirkuk and Wasit;</p> <p>Following heavy rainfalls and consequential flooding in Ninawa, Erbil and Salah Al-Din governorates in April, the ICRC assisted affected/displaced households, distributing: 4984 blankets, 634 towels, 1340 hygiene parcels, 1315 tarpaulins, 317 kitchen sets, <br/>763 food parcels, and 11.1 metric tons of rice. The ICRC assistance also reached families affected by the floods in Rabea and Baaj districts.</p> <h4>Assisting health-care facilities</h4> </p></div> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/international-committee-of-the-red-cross-iraq-activities-update/#more-13625" class="more-link">» أقرأ التفاصيل .. | Read the rest of this entry »</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-13618"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/features/" title="View all posts in Features" rel="category tag">Features</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/anbar/" rel="tag">Anbar</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/autonomous-region/" rel="tag">autonomous region</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baghdad/" rel="tag">Baghdad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/bombings/" rel="tag">Bombings</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/death-squads/" rel="tag">Death Squads</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/domestic-security/" rel="tag">domestic security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/extremists/" rel="tag">Extremists</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/features/" rel="tag">Features</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iran/" rel="tag">Iran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kuwait/" rel="tag">kuwait</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/logistics/" rel="tag">Logistics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militia/" rel="tag">Militia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/militias/" rel="tag">Militias</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national/" rel="tag">national</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/occupation/" rel="tag">occupation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/peshmerga/" rel="tag">Peshmerga</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resistance/" rel="tag">Resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sadr-city/" rel="tag">Sadr City</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/violence/" rel="tag">violence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/xinhua/" rel="tag">Xinhua</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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-13398"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/05/20/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%a9-20-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/#respond" title="Comment on الجمعة, 20 مايو 2011">No Comments</a></span> Posted on May 20th, 2011 by Khalil Ibn Hussein</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/05/20/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%a9-20-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to الجمعة, 20 مايو 2011">الجمعة, 20 مايو 2011</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-anbar-governorate/" rel="tag">Al Anbar (Governorate)</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baquba/" rel="tag">Baquba</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/baqubah/" rel="tag">Baqubah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/construction-of-dams/" rel="tag">construction of dams</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/contaminated-fooddrink-destruction-of/" rel="tag">contaminated food/drink - destruction of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/dams/" rel="tag">Dams</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/detainees-release-of/" rel="tag">Detainees - release of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/diyala/" rel="tag">Diyala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/fallujah/" rel="tag">Fallujah</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/food-contamination/" rel="tag">Food - contamination</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gzg-army-involvement-in-massacres/" rel="tag">GZG army - involvement in massacres</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karbala/" rel="tag">Karbala</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mahdi-army/" rel="tag">Mahdi Army</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mass-graves/" rel="tag">Mass Graves</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/massacres/" rel="tag">Massacres</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/prison-escapes/" rel="tag">Prison escapes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/security-situation/" rel="tag">security situation</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/summaries/" rel="tag">Summaries</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/syria/" rel="tag">Syria</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/taji/" rel="tag">Taji</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/taji-prison/" rel="tag">Taji Prison</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%88%d9%83/" rel="tag">كركوك</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%86%d9%88%d9%89/" rel="tag">نينوى</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b3%d8%b7/" rel="tag">واسط</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-levels-in-reservoirs-and-dams-and-rivers/" rel="tag">water levels in reservoirs and dams and rivers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-resources/" rel="tag">water resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%81%d9%84%d9%88%d8%ac%d8%a9/" rel="tag">الفلوجة</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%83%d9%88%d8%aa/" rel="tag">الكوت</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84/" rel="tag">الموصل</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%b9%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a8%d8%a9/" rel="tag">بعقوبة</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af/" rel="tag">بغداد</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%aa%d9%83%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%aa/" rel="tag">تكريت</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b4-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%87%d8%af%d9%8a/" rel="tag">جيش المهدي</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%af%d9%8a%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89/" rel="tag">ديالى</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"> <div style="border-bottom: black 1px solid; border-left: black 1px solid; padding-bottom: 5px; margin: 5px 0px 5px 15px; padding-left: 5px; width: 48%; padding-right: 5px; float: right; border-top: black 1px solid; border-right: black 1px solid; padding-top: 5px"> <p><strong><span style="font-size: 1.5em"><font color="#800000">الاخبار الامنية </font></span></strong></p> <p><b>هروب عدد من قيادات جيش المهدي البارزة من سجن التاجي شمالي بغداد</b></p> <p>اعلن مصدر أمني مسؤول، اليوم الجمعة ، أن خمسة من قيادات جيش المهدي تمكنوا من الهروب من سجن التاجي شمالي بغداد. <br/>وقال المصدر في تصريح صحفي "إن قوة من مكتب رئيس الوزراء وصلت، ليلة أمس، الى سجن التاجي، شمالي بغداد، لنقل عدد من المعتقلين إلى احد سجون العاصمة"، مبينا "أن خمسة من قيادات جيش المهدي تمكنوا من الهروب أثناء عملية النقل". <br/>وتوقع المصدر"تورط جهات داخل المعتقل في تسهيل عملية هروب المعتقلين الخمسة".</p> <p><strong>احداث امنية في مناطق عدة من البلاد</strong> </p> <p>في محافظة صلاح الدين أصيب مدير ناحية العلم العقيد حسين سعد محيميد بعبوة لاصقة كانت مثبتة بسيارته انفجرت صباح الجمعة وسط الناحية الواقعة شرق تكريت كما أصيب مدنيان بانفجار عبوة لاصقة كانت مثبتة في سيارة نقيب في الشرطة لدى ترجله منها في سوق الجملة وسط تكريت من دون أن يصاب النقيب بأي أذى. <br/>وفي بغداد تضرر محل لبيع المشروبات الكحولية بانفجار عبوة ناسفة وضعت بالقرب من بوابة المحل الواقع في منطقة بغداد الجديدة شرق العاصمة من دون وقوع خسائر بشرية. <br/>كما اعتقلت قوة من لواء الرد السريع مسؤول مكتب المصالحة الوطنية لمناطق جنوب بغداد محمود الجنابي في منطقة اليوسفية وذكر مصدر أمني أن القوة داهمت مكتب الجنابي مساء الخميس واعتقلته من دون معرفة الأسباب. <br/>وفي محافظة ديالى أصيب ثلاثة مدنيين بانفجار عبوة ناسفة مساء الخميس بالقرب من محل لبيع الخضر في سوق ناحية بني السعد المركزي جنوب غرب بعقوبة. <br/>فيما اعتقلت قوة أمنية مشتركة عراقية أميركية مسؤول القائمة العراقية في ديالى محمد طه الهدلوش وأفاد مصدر أمني بأن القوة داهمت منزل الهدلوش بعد منتصف ليل الخميس في منطقة دور الزراعة شمال غرب بعقوبة واعتقلته من دون معرفة الأسباب. <br/>وفي كركوك أصيب عنصر من عناصر قوات حرس الحدود بجروح على يد مسلحين مجهولين اقتحموا صباح الجمعة منزله في منطقة الواسطي وسط كركوك وأطلقوا النار عليه في حين اعتقلت قوة مشتركة من الجيش والشرطة ضابطا برتبة فريق ركن في الجيش السابق وأحد أقربائه خلال عملية دهم وتفتيش نفذتها في حي الضباط جنوب كركوك وبين مصدر أمني أن المعتقلين متورطان بالتخطيط لهجمات مسلحة في المحافظة. <br/>أما في واسط فقد أبطلت قوة من وحدة مكافحة المتفجرات صباح الجمعة عبوة ناسفة كانت مزروعة بالقرب من مدرسة 14 من تموز في منطقة حي الهورة وسط الكوت. <br/>وفي نينوى تمكنت قوة أمنية من تحرير مواطنة اختطفت من قبل عناصر مسلحة في حي دوميز شرق الموصل. </p> </p></div> <p><font color="#800000"><strong>أخبار عالمية</strong></font></p> <p><b>وزارة الدولة لشؤون المصالحة تكشف عن ملتقى كبير لإلقاء السلاح</b></p> <p>كشفت وزارة الدولة لشؤون المصالحة الوطنية، أن ملتقى كبير لإلقاء السلاح لمختلف الفصائل المسلحة سيعقد خلال الأسبوعين المقبلين، لافتة الى "أن المصالحة الوطنية مفتوحة لجميع العراقيين، عدا حزب البعث المحظور وفق الدستور". <br/>وقال وزير الدولة لشؤون المصالحة الوطنية عامر الخزاعي" إن هناك ملتقى كبيرا لإلقاء الأسلحة لمختلف الفصائل المسلحة سيعقد، خلال الأسبوعين المقبلين"، مؤكدا " أن الملتقى سيختم تقريبا أمر الفصائل المسلحة في العراق". <br/>وأضاف الخزاعي" أن المصالحة الوطنية مفتوحة لجميع العراقيين ولا يمكن أن نعمل مصالحة خارج إطار الدستور"، مشيرا الى" أن الحوار لا يمكن أن يتم مع حزب البعث المحظور كحزب". <br/>وتابع الخزاعي" أن عودة البعثيين مرتبطة بقانون المساءلة والعدالة ومن الممكن أن يعودوا وفق هذا القانون كون الدستور حظر حزب البعث كفكر".</p> <p><strong>خبراء: السدود التركية الاثنان والعشرون ستحرم العراق وسوريا من نصف مياه الفرات تقريباً </strong></p> <p>يحذر خبراء ومختصون من أن يشهد العراق وسوريا كارثة مائية خلال السنوات القليلة القدمة إذا لم تعدل تركيا عن تنفيذ مشاريعها المائية الضخمة للاستفادة من مياه دجلة والفرات. <br/>وبهذا الصدد اعتبر مدير قسم المياه الدولية الأسبق في وزارة الخارجية العراقية ناجي حرج أن من أبرز المخاطر التي تتهدد العراق وسوريا شح المياه، وذلك بسبب المشروع المائي الكبير المسمى مشروع جنوب شرق الأناضول على مياه نهري دجلة والفرات. <br/>وأوضح في "تصريح صحافي"، على هامش مؤتمر (العرب وتركيا.. تحديات الحاضر ورهانات المستقبل) الذي انطلق، الأربعاء في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة، أن المشروع المائي التركي المكون من 22 سداً مائياً والمشاريع الزراعية الأخرى ستستهلك 50% من مياه الفرات و20% من مياه دجلة ما يعني ذهاب كميات كبيرة من مياه العراق وسوريا لصالح تركيا.</p> <p><strong>محكمة تحقيق بعقوبة تفرج عن 427 موقوفاً خلال شهر نيسان </strong></p> <p>أفرجت محكمة تحقيق بعقوبة عن 427 موقوفا خلال شهر نيسان الماضي، وذلك بحسب إحصائيات أعدتها الجهات المختصة. <br/>واشار التقرير الاحصائي الذي اوردته رئاسة محكمة استئناف ديالى الاتحادية الى ان مجموع القضايا التي انجزت خلال شهر نيسان بلغ 880 قضية، حيث تم الافراج عن 427 موقوفا منهم 314 كانوا موقوفين وفق احكام قانون مكافحة الارهاب و113 كانوا موقوفين وفق احكام قانون العقوبات وبعض القوانين الجزائية الاخرى. <br/>واوضح انه تم احالة 453 موقوفا الى المحاكم المختصة منهم 306 متهمين بارتكاب جرائم خاضعة لاحكام قانون مكافحة الارهاب و147 متهماً بارتكاب جرائم جنائية خاضعة لاحكام قانون العقوبات وبعض القوانين الجزائية الاخرى.</p> <p><b>القوات الامنية تعتقل مسؤول مكتب المصالحة الوطنية لمناطق جنوب بغداد</b></p> </p></div> <p> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/05/20/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%85%d8%b9%d8%a9-20-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/#more-13398" class="more-link">» أقرأ التفاصيل .. | Read the rest of this entry »</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12879"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/03/28/%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%d8%ba%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b5%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d8%a8%d9%86%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b1%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a/#respond" title="Comment on اردوغان يصل الى مبنى البرلمان العراقي للقاء النجيفي">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 28th, 2011 by Khaled</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/03/28/%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%af%d9%88%d8%ba%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%8a%d8%b5%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d8%a8%d9%86%d9%89-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b1%d9%84%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to اردوغان يصل الى مبنى البرلمان العراقي للقاء النجيفي">اردوغان يصل الى مبنى البرلمان العراقي للقاء النجيفي</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ahmet-davutoglu/" rel="tag">Ahmet Davutoglu</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-iraqiya/" rel="tag">Al-Iraqiya</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aswat-al-iraq/" rel="tag">Aswat Al Iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-parliament/" rel="tag">iraqi parliament</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pkk/" rel="tag">PKK</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/recep-tayyip-erdogan/" rel="tag">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkish-influence/" rel="tag">Turkish Influence</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <div dir="rtl" align="right"><a title="Erdogan_caption_Arabic by Gorillas Guides, on Flickr" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.flickr.com/photos/gorillasguides/3356388220/" class="external" target="_blank"><img style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 3px 10px 5px 0px" height="250" alt="Erdogan_caption_Arabic" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332im_/http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3417/3356388220_65164e0aea_o.jpg" width="350" align="left"/></a> <p>وصل رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب اردوغان، الاثنين، الى مجلس النواب العراقي على رأس وفد رسمي. <br/>وقال مصدر برلماني في حديث لـ "السومرية نيوز"، إن "رئيس الوزراء التركي رجب طيب اردوغان وصل، عصر اليوم الاثنين، برفقة وزراء الخارجية والطاقة والتجارة الى مبنى البرلمان العراقي"، <br/>مبينا أن اردوغان سيبحث مع رئيس البرلمان أسامة النجيفي العلاقات المشتركة بين البلدين". وأضاف المصدر الذي طلب عدم الكشف عن اسمه، أن "رئيس الوزراء التركي سيلقي كلمة خلال جلسة البرلمان.</p> </p></div> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12877"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/03/28/turkish-pm-to-address-iraqi-parliament/#respond" title="Comment on Turkish PM to address Iraqi parliament">No Comments</a></span> Posted on March 28th, 2011 by Khaled</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/03/28/turkish-pm-to-address-iraqi-parliament/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Turkish PM to address Iraqi parliament">Turkish PM to address Iraqi parliament</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ahmet-davutoglu/" rel="tag">Ahmet Davutoglu</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/al-iraqiya/" rel="tag">Al-Iraqiya</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/aswat-al-iraq/" rel="tag">Aswat Al Iraq</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-parliament/" rel="tag">iraqi parliament</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kurdistan/" rel="tag">Kurdistan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/pkk/" rel="tag">PKK</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/recep-tayyip-erdogan/" rel="tag">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkish-influence/" rel="tag">Turkish Influence</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <blockquote><p>Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in the Iraqi parliament on Monday to deliver an address, according to al-Iraqiya satellite channel. <br/>Erdogan had arrived today in Baghdad on a visit aimed at boosting political and economic ties between the two neighbours, state television said. <br/>The Turkish leader, who heads a large business delegation, is on a two-day visit to Iraq, his first since October 2009, television reported. <br/>Erdogan, who is also accompanied by Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, will also travel to Iraq’s northern autonomous Kurdish region, the first Turkish prime minister to do so. <br/>The fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has rear-bases in the border area, will also be discussed during Erdogan’s visit, according to sources in Ankara. <br/>The PKK, which is viewed as a terrorist group by Ankara and much of the international community, took up arms against Ankara in 1984 for self-rule in Turkey’s Kurdish-populated southeast, sparking a conflict that has claimed some 45,000 lives.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://en.aswataliraq.info/Default1.aspx?page=article_page&id=141676&l=1" class="external" target="_blank">Turkish PM to address Iraqi parliament : Aswat Al Iraq</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-12213"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/18/%d8%aa%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%86%d9%81%d9%88%d8%b0-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%8a%d8%ab%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%82%d9%84%d9%82-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b4%d9%86/#respond" title="Comment on تزايد نفوذ تركيا بالعراق يثير قلق واشنطن">No Comments</a></span> Posted on January 18th, 2011 by Hussein Al-Bayati</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/01/18/%d8%aa%d8%b2%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%86%d9%81%d9%88%d8%b0-%d8%aa%d8%b1%d9%83%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%a8%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%82-%d9%8a%d8%ab%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%82%d9%84%d9%82-%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%b4%d9%86/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to تزايد نفوذ تركيا بالعراق يثير قلق واشنطن">تزايد نفوذ تركيا بالعراق يثير قلق واشنطن</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/iraq/" title="View all posts in News" rel="category tag">News</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/american-decline/" rel="tag">American decline</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/new-york-times/" rel="tag">New York Times</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/politics-and-security/" rel="tag">Politics and Security</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkish-influence/" rel="tag">Turkish Influence</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p dir="rtl" align="right">كشفت صحيفة نيويورك تايمز الأمريكية مؤخرا عما وصفته بتمدد النفوذ التركي في العراق من شماله إلى أقصى جنوبه الغني بالنفط، وقالت إن ذلك يعكس تنامي الثقل التركي في العالم العربي الذي ينظر إلى تركيا بعين الشك. <br/>وقالت الصحيفة الأمريكية إن صعود نجم تركيا في منطقة تتنافس فيها أمريكا وإيران، يثبت أنها تحقق نجاحا كبيرا في رسم سياسة خارجية مستقلة عن تحالفها مع العالم الغربي. <br/>وتابعت نيويورك تايمز أن النفوذ التركي في شمالي العراق أكبر وعلى نطاق أوسع من النفوذ الإيراني في باقي أنحاء البلاد. <br/>وقالت الصحيفة إن التأثير التركي الجديد جاء عبر محور يمتد من زاخو في الشمال إلى البصرة في الجنوب مرورا بالعاصمة بغداد</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11864"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ali-khamenei/" rel="tag">ALi Khamenei</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ali-larijani/" rel="tag">Ali Larijani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ambassador-christopher-hill/" rel="tag">ambassador christopher hill</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/america/" rel="tag">America</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/analysis/" rel="tag">Analysis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ayatollah-akhbar-hashemi-rafsanjani/" rel="tag">Ayatollah Akhbar Hashemi Rafsanjani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/brigadier-general-qasem-soleimani/" rel="tag">Brigadier-General Qasem Soleimani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/economic-development/" rel="tag">Economic development</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/elections/" rel="tag">Elections</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/feridun-sinirlioglu/" rel="tag">Feridun Sinirlioglu</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/foreign-interference-accusations-of/" rel="tag">foreign interference - accusations of</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/iraqi-resistance/" rel="tag">iraqi resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irgc/" rel="tag">IRGC</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/jalal-talibani/" rel="tag">Jalal Talibani</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mahmoud-ahmadinejad/" rel="tag">Mahmoud Ahmadinejad</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/national-alliance/" rel="tag">National Alliance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/nouri-al-maliki/" rel="tag">nouri al maliki</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/press/" rel="tag">Press</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/regional-influence/" rel="tag">regional influence</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/religion/" rel="tag">Religion</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resistance/" rel="tag">Resistance</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/resources/" rel="tag">Resources</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-arabia/" rel="tag">Saudi Arabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saudi-hostility/" rel="tag">Saudi hostility</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/state-department-cables/" rel="tag">state department cables</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tehran/" rel="tag">Tehran</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/saudiarabia" class="external" target="_blank">Saudi Arabia</a>, not <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/iran" class="external" target="_blank">Iran</a>, as the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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-11568"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/07/vatican-synod-mulls-middle-east-christian-exodus-reuters/#respond" title="Comment on Vatican synod mulls Middle East Christian exodus | Reuters">No Comments</a></span> Posted on October 7th, 2010 by Mohammed Al-Hamadani</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/10/07/vatican-synod-mulls-middle-east-christian-exodus-reuters/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Vatican synod mulls Middle East Christian exodus | Reuters">Vatican synod mulls Middle East Christian exodus | Reuters</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/religion/" title="View all posts in Religion" rel="category tag">Religion</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/arab-society/" rel="tag">arab society</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholic-church/" rel="tag">Catholic Church</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/catholics/" rel="tag">Catholics</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-churches/" rel="tag">christian churches</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christian-exodus/" rel="tag">christian exodus</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christianity/" rel="tag">Christianity</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christianity-in-the-middle-east/" rel="tag">christianity in the middle east</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians/" rel="tag">Christians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/christians-persecution-of/" rel="tag">Christians - 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Christians made up around 20 percent of the region’s population a century ago, but now account for about five percent and falling.</p> <p>"If this phenomenon continues, Christianity in the Middle East will disappear," said Rev. Samir Khalil Samir, a Beirut-based Egyptian Jesuit who helped draw up the working documents for the October 10-24 synod at the Vatican.</p> <p>"This is not an unreal hypothesis — Turkey went from 20 percent Christian in the early 20th century to 0.2 percent now," he told journalists in Paris. The Christian exodus since the U.S.-led 2003 invasion "could bleed the Church in Iraq dry."</p> <h3>CALL FOR CHANGE</h3> <p>Instead of simply appealing for more aid to Catholics in the region, the experts who prepared the synod call for sweeping social changes to bring forth democratic secular states, interfaith cooperation and a rollback of advancing Islamism.</p> <p>"At issue is the renewal of Arab society," said Samir, who stressed most Christians and Muslims there are fellow Arabs.</p> <p>Challenged by western-style modernity, many Middle Eastern societies have fused their Arab and Muslim identities, he said, narrowing religious freedom for non-Muslim minorities.</p> <p>The working document stated: "Catholics, along with other Christian citizens and Muslim thinkers and reformers, ought to be able to support initiatives at examining thoroughly the concept of the ‘positive laicity’ of the state.</p> <p>"This could help eliminate the theocratic character of government and allow for greater equality among citizens of different religions, thereby fostering the promotion of a sound democracy, positively secular in nature."</p> <p>The document pins most of the blame for the Christian exodus on political tensions in the region: "Today, emigration is particularly prevalent because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the resulting instability throughout the region."</p> <p>It cited the "menacing social situation in Iraq," where about half the estimated 850,000 Christians there in 2003 have since fled sectarian violence and persecution, and "political instability of Lebanon" as further factors driving them out.</p> <p>The rise of political Islam since the 1970s, especially its violent variations, menaces the whole region, it added, saying: "These extremist currents, clearly a threat to everyone, Christians and Muslims alike, require joint action."</p> <h3>CHRISTIAN COOPERATION</h3> <p>The region’s Christians have also been weakened by age-old splits. The Catholics are divided into Latin Catholic, Coptic, Maronite, Chaldean, Armenian, Syrian and Greek Melkite churches — and they are outnumbered by various Orthodox churches.</p> <p>Protestants are also present, in older communities founded by colonial missionaries or in newer evangelical groups whose aggressive proselytising — often backed by conservative U.S. churches — has provoked a backlash from Muslim authorities.</p> <p>The synod document urges the sometimes competing Catholic churches to work with each other and with other Christians to make their voice heard in Middle Eastern society.</p> <p>Its advice to open up to other churches and faiths, simplify their ancient liturgies and introduce more Arabic into their services echoes the Second Vatican Council reforms that worldwide Roman Catholicism launched back in the 1960s.</p> <p>Highlighting this openness, the synod has invited an Iranian ayatollah, a Lebanese Muslim and a rabbi from Jerusalem to attend the proceedings and address the 250 participants.</p> <p>"I don’t think people in the West appreciate to what extent the thematics of the synod are totally new to so much of the Church in the Middle East," said Rev. David Jaeger, a Franciscan and leading Roman Catholic expert on the Middle East.</p> <p>"The whole discussion of the civic duty of the Christian … is totally new for the region as a whole. For 13 centuries, Christians in the Middle East have been made to live in a kind of socio-economic ghetto," he told Reuters Television in Rome.</p> <p>As Samir summed it up: "If we can do something with other Christians, it is better than doing it alone. If we Christians can do something with the Muslims, that is even better."</p> <p><strong>Source: </strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFLDE6952EJ20101007?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=egyptNews&rpc=401&sp=true" class="external" target="_blank">Vatican synod mulls Middle East Christian exodus | News by Country | Reuters</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11501"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/09/23/israeli-attack-on-mv-marmara-no-case-can-be-made-for-the-legality-of-the-interception-and-the-mission-therefore-finds-that-the-interception-was-illegal/#comments" title="Comment on Israeli Attack on MV Marmara "no case can be made for the legality of the interception and the Mission therefore finds that the interception was illegal"">1 Comment</a></span> Posted on September 23rd, 2010 by markfromireland</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/09/23/israeli-attack-on-mv-marmara-no-case-can-be-made-for-the-legality-of-the-interception-and-the-mission-therefore-finds-that-the-interception-was-illegal/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Israeli Attack on MV Marmara "no case can be made for the legality of the interception and the Mission therefore finds that the interception was illegal"">Israeli Attack on MV Marmara "no case can be made for the legality of the interception and the Mission therefore finds that the interception was illegal"</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/category/human-rights/" title="View all posts in Human Rights" rel="category tag">Human Rights</a>, Tags: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/ahmet-davutoglu/" rel="tag">Ahmet Davutoglu</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/civilians/" rel="tag">Civilians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gaza/" rel="tag">Gaza</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/gaza-flotilla/" rel="tag">Gaza flotilla</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-law/" rel="tag">International Law</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/international-waters/" rel="tag">international waters</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/israel/" rel="tag">Israel</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/israeli-attacks-on-civilians/" rel="tag">Israeli attacks on civilians</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/israeli-commandos/" rel="tag">israeli commandos</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/israeli-war-crimes/" rel="tag">Israeli war crimes</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/mavi-marmara/" rel="tag">Mavi Marmara</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/murder/" rel="tag">murder</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/richard-goldstone/" rel="tag">richard goldstone</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/un-security-council/" rel="tag">un security council</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/war-crimes/" rel="tag">War Crimes</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p>There’s a report in <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.guardian.co.uk/" target="_blank" class="external">The Guardian</a> on the UN’s Human Rights Council’s investigation of the unlawful Israeli attack on a flotilla of aid ships in international waters and in particular on the "<em>clearly unlawful</em>" attack on the <em>MV Mavi Marmara</em> and the brutal and disproportionate treatment of the passengers and crew. Here’s a few juicy bits from The Guardian’s report:</p> <blockquote><p>The report by three experts appointed by the UN’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) described the seizure of MV Mavi Marmara, a Turkish vessel, by Israeli commandos as illegal under international law. </p> <p>It condemned the treatment of the passengers and crew as brutal and disproportionate. It also said that the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave is illegal because of the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. </p> <p>"There is clear evidence to support prosecutions of the following crimes within the terms of article 147 of the fourth Geneva convention: wilful killing; torture or inhuman treatment; wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health," the report said.</p> </blockquote> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/23/un-panel-israel-war-crimes" class="external" target="_blank">UN panel accuses Israel of war crimes for ‘unlawful’ assault on Gaza flotilla | World news | The Guardian</a></p> <p>Instead of reading what The Guardian has to say about the report I prefer read the report itself . You can get the report here: </p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/15session/reports.htm" class="external" target="_blank">http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/15session/reports.htm</a> </p> <blockquote><p>58. Given the evidence at the Turkel Committee, it is clear that there was no reasonable suspicion that the Flotilla posed any military risk of itself. As a result, no case could be made to intercept the vessels in the exercise of belligerent rights or Article 51 self-defence. Thus, no case can be made for the legality of the interception and the Mission therefore finds that the interception was illegal. </p> <p>59. The Mission finds that the policy of blockade or closure regime, including the naval blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza was inflicting isproportionate civilian damage. The Mission considers that the naval blockade was implemented in support of the overall closure regime. As such it was part of a single disproportionate measure of armed conflict and as such cannot itself be found proportionate. </p> <p>60. Furthermore, the closure regime is considered by the Mission to constitute collective punishment of the people living in the Gaza Strip and thus illegal and contrary to article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. </p> <p>61. The Mission considers that the enforcement of an illegal blockade does not only constitute a violation of the laws of war, but also a violation of the laws of neutrality giving rise to State responsibility.</p> </blockquote> <p>Source: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/15session/A.HRC.15.21_en.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">Report of the international fact-finding mission to investigate violations of international law, including international humanitarian and human rights law, resulting from the Israeli attacks on the flotilla of ships carrying humanitarian assistance</a></p> <p>As well as the sections cited above I respectfully draw the readers’ attention to sections Articles 49, 55, 56, 57.</p> <p>Told you so.</p> <p>markfromireland</p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="post clearfix" id="post-11314"> <div class="postmetadata"><span class="comments"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/07/09/paradise-found-water-and-life-return-to-iraqs-garden-of-eden/#respond" title="Comment on Paradise found: Water and life return to Iraq’s ‘Garden of Eden’">No Comments</a></span> Posted on July 9th, 2010 by Sagib</div> <h3><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2010/07/09/paradise-found-water-and-life-return-to-iraqs-garden-of-eden/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Paradise found: Water and life return to Iraq’s ‘Garden of Eden’">Paradise found: Water and life return to Iraq’s ‘Garden of Eden’</a></h3> <p class="postmetadata">Category: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/amil/" rel="tag">Amil</a>, <a 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/photo/" rel="tag">Photo</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/photographs/" rel="tag">photographs</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rabia/" rel="tag">Rabia</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/reed-warbler/" rel="tag">reed warbler</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/rice/" rel="tag">rice</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/richard-porter/" rel="tag">Richard Porter</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/river-delta/" rel="tag">river delta</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/sacred-ibis/" rel="tag">sacred ibis</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/saddam-hussein/" rel="tag">Saddam Hussein</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/teal/" rel="tag">Teal</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/teal-ducks/" rel="tag">teal ducks</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tigris/" rel="tag">Tigris</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tigris-river/" rel="tag">Tigris River</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/tigris-rivers/" rel="tag">tigris rivers</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/" rel="tag">Turkey</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water/" rel="tag">Water</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-buffalo/" rel="tag">Water Buffalo</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/water-flow/" rel="tag">water flow</a></p> <div class="entry" dir="rtl" align="right"> <p><span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 42px; float: left; margin: 3px 1px 0px 0px; line-height: 36px; font-style: normal! important">O</span>ne of Saddam Hussein’s greatest acts of ecological destruction – the draining of the Mesopotamian marshes – has been reversed as birds and rivers return to the region</p> <p>Saddam Hussein’s draining of the Mesopotamian marshes of Iraq – recorded as the Garden of Eden in the Bible – was one of the most infamous outrages of his regime, leaving a vast area of once-teeming river delta a dry, salt-encrusted desert, emptied of insects, birds and the people who lived on them.</p> <div class="container"> <div class="shadow"> <div class="frame"> <p><a title="20100708_marshes_guardian_nature_iraq_captioned" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.flickr.com/photos/27086036@N02/4777445917/" class="external" target="_blank"><img alt="20100708_marshes_guardian_nature_iraq_captioned" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332im_/http://static.flickr.com/4074/4777445917_ea65faecc3.jpg" border="0"/></a></p> </p></div> </p></div> </p></div> <p>  <div style="clear: both"> </div> <p>But nearly two decades later the area is buzzing and twittering with life again after local people and a new breed of Iraqi conservationists have restored much of what was once the world’s third largest wetland to some of its former glory.</p> <p>The story of this once almost impossible restoration is told in an exhibition of photographs that has opened in the UK. They show the huge expanses of reeds and open water – now at least half the size of the Florida Everglades – where plants, insects and fish have returned, creating a vast feeding area for migrating and breeding birds, including the majestic Sacred Ibis, the endemic Basrah Reed Warbler and the Iraq Babbler, along with most of the world’s population of Marbled Teal ducks, bee-eaters and many more.</p> <p>"We call them stop-over sites, refuelling sites," said Richard Porter, Middle East advisor for the conservation group Birdlife International, who has helped train biologists and other experts for the local Birdlife partner <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://natureiraq.org/English/" class="external" target="_blank">Nature Iraq</a>. "They are as important as the breeding and over-wintering grounds for species; if you have got to make a journey from central Africa to norther Europe and Asia, and you’ve got nothing to feed on, you’re stuffed."</p> <p>The Mesopotamian marshes originally made up an area more than three times the size of Norfolk, where the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.birdscapesgallery.co.uk/" class="external" target="_blank">exhibition is showing, in Holt</a>. It sprawled across thousands of square kilometres of floodplain where the Euphrates and Tigris rivers divided into a network of tributaries meandering and pulsating south to the Arabian sea. They were home to more than 80 bird species, otters and long-fingered bats, and hundreds of thousands of Marsh Arabs who grew rice and dates, raised water buffalo, fished and built boats and homes from reeds.</p> <p>In the early 1990s, this way of life came to an abrupt end when Hussein ordered the marshes to be drained to punish the local population for an uprising after his failed invasion of Kuwait, a problem exacerbated by the continued construction of dams upstream.</p> <p>He ordered the area to be hemmed in by constructing around 4,000km of earthen walls that towered up to 7m above the unbroken flat landscape. The wetlands retreated to as little as 5-10% of their original size, according to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/1000/1716/meso2.pdf" class="external" target="_blank">a 2001 United Nations Environment Agency report</a>.</p> <p>After Hussein was toppled by American forces in 2003, Azzam Alwash returned from his adopted home in the US to the area, where he had lived for part of his childhood, and learned to hunt ducks with his father while they inspected the irrigation ditches. Alwash found the local people who had stayed had already begun to break up the walls with shovels or earth diggers, and they have continued to do so. They have destroyed up to 98% of the embankments, he told the Guardian, "not because they are tree-huggers or bird-lovers, but because it’s a source of economic income to them, because they can harvest reeds and sell them. They can fish and feed a family or sell them to earn extra income."</p> <p>Alwash, a civil engineer, set up Nature Iraq and has organised training for graduates who help with monitoring work. "We take guards with us with Kalashnikovs, but the most difficult part is the road between [the capital] Baghdad to the marsh," said Alwash. "Once I’m inside the marshes it’s relatively safe."</p> <p>About half the original marshland has been restored – even more had been reinstated, but there was a setback last year because of a drought. Nature Iraq has now drawn up a plan to cope with the diminishing water flows from dams upstream in Turkey by channelling irrigation water back into the rivers and building a barrage to retain meltwater from the mountains and create a "mechanical flood" of water to replicate the important pulses of freshwater that wash through the marshlands every spring.</p> <p>Alwash and his team are also trying to tackle the problem of local poaching, although he has great sympathy with those who have few alternative sources of income, and hopes the opening of a new oil industry will help create jobs.</p> <p>"We have done some work in trying to educate the locals," he added. "We say: ‘Go out and hunt but take less; make $10 today – you don’t have to make $20, and make $10 tomorrow’. We just keep at it. You can’t give up."</p> <p>• The exhibition runs until July 25 at <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.birdscapesgallery.co.uk/" class="external" target="_blank">Birdscapes Gallery in Glandford, Norfolk</a></p> <p><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/09/iraq-marshes-reborn" class="external" target="_blank">Paradise found: Water and life return to Iraq’s ‘Garden of Eden’ | Environment | The Guardian</a></p> </div> </div> <hr/> <div class="navigation"> <div class="alignleft"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/turkey/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 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target="_blank">AdvancedSearch Lite</a></p></form>  </div> </div> <div class="column span-4 last"> <div class="widget"><h4>Articles in English</h4><ul> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/international-committee-of-the-red-cross-iraq-activities-update/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update">International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update</a> <p class="post-date">5 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/its-dj-vu-all-over-again-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again">It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again</a> <p class="post-date">5 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/iraq-open-to-reconciliation-with-anti-us-fighters/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Iraq open to reconciliation with anti-US fighters">Iraq open to reconciliation with anti-US fighters</a> <p class="post-date">4 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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> <p class="post-date">4 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/03/fars-news-agency-zebari-rejects-speculations-on-extension-of-us-mission-in-iraq/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Fars News Agency :: Zebari Rejects Speculations on Extension of US Mission in Iraq">Fars News Agency :: Zebari Rejects Speculations on Extension of US Mission in Iraq</a> <p class="post-date">3 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/02/casualty-statistics-for-june-2011/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Casualty Statistics For June 2011">Casualty Statistics For June 2011</a> <p class="post-date">2 Jul 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/28/iraq-icrc-maintains-independent-humanitarian-effort-for-camp-ashraf-residents/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Iraq: ICRC maintains independent humanitarian effort for Camp Ashraf residents">Iraq: ICRC maintains independent humanitarian effort for Camp Ashraf residents</a> <p class="post-date">28 Jun 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/27/ratcheting-up-the-resistance/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to Ratcheting Up The Resistance">Ratcheting Up The Resistance</a> <p class="post-date">27 Jun 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/24/new-union-aims-to-protect-iraqi-bloggers-iwpr/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to New Union Aims to Protect Iraqi Bloggers – IWPR">New Union Aims to Protect Iraqi Bloggers – IWPR</a> <p class="post-date">24 Jun 2011</p> </li> <li class="cat-post-item"> <a class="post-title" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/06/23/%d8%a7%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%a7%d8%b9-%d8%b9%d8%af%d8%af-%d8%b6%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%8a%d8%a7-%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%ac%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%b3%d9%88%d9%82-%d8%a8%d8%ba%d8%af%d8%a7%d8%af-%d8%a5%d9%84%d9%89-3/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ارتفاع عدد ضحايا تفجيرات سوق بغداد إلى 34 قتيلا و82 مصابا| Death Toll Rises To 34 Dead and 82 Wounded">ارتفاع عدد ضحايا تفجيرات سوق بغداد إلى 34 قتيلا و82 مصابا| Death Toll Rises To 34 Dead and 82 Wounded</a> <p class="post-date">23 Jun 2011</p> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="widget"> <h4>Last 15 Posts</h4> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ab%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%a1-5-%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/" title="الثلاثاء, 5 يوليو 2011">الثلاثاء, 5 يوليو 2011 </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/international-committee-of-the-red-cross-iraq-activities-update/" title="International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update">International Committee Of The Red Cross: Iraq Activities Update </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/05/its-dj-vu-all-over-again-2/" title="It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again">It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/iraq-open-to-reconciliation-with-anti-us-fighters/" title="Iraq open to reconciliation with anti-US fighters">Iraq open to reconciliation with anti-US fighters </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/xinhua-iraqi-public-differ-over-planned-u-s-pullout/" title="Xinhua: Iraqi public differ over planned U.S. pullout">Xinhua: Iraqi public differ over planned U.S. pullout </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/04/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a5%d8%ab%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%86-4-%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/" title="الإثنين, 4 يوليو 2011">الإثنين, 4 يوليو 2011 </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/03/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a3%d8%ad%d8%af-3-%d9%8a%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%88-2011/" title="الأحد, 3 يوليو 2011">الأحد, 3 يوليو 2011 </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/03/%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b5%d8%af%d8%b1%d9%8a-%d9%81%d9%8a-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a8%d8%b5%d8%b1%d8%a9-%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%87%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84/" title="التيار الصدري في البصرة يتهم القوات الأميركية بترويع المدنيين وانتهاك حقوقهم">التيار الصدري في البصرة يتهم القوات الأميركية بترويع المدنيين وانتهاك حقوقهم </a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/2011/07/03/%d9%82%d9%88%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d9%85%d9%86%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d8%b9%d8%ab%d8%b1%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d8%ac%d8%ab%d8%a9-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%b7%d9%8a-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%87%d8%a7-%d8%a7%d8%ab%d8%a7%d8%b1-%d8%aa/" title="قوة امنية تعثرعلى 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2011">الخميس, 30 يونيو 2011 </a></li> </ul> </div><div class="widget"><h4>Tags</h4><div><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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: 8.16355140187pt;">الأنبار‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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: 8.98785046729pt;">البصرة‎</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d9%88%d8%b5%d9%84/" class="tag-link-2939" title="625 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 10.6495327103pt;">الموصل</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/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: 8.88971962617pt;">الموصل‎</a> 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style="font-size: 8.26822429907pt;">Features</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/follow-up/" class="tag-link-21" title="243 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.15046728972pt;">Follow Up</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/human-rights/" class="tag-link-18" title="363 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.93551401869pt;">Human Rights</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/irin/" class="tag-link-311" title="264 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.28785046729pt;">IRIN</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/karbala/" class="tag-link-806" title="252 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 8.20934579439pt;">Karbala</a> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110730124332/http://gorillasguides.com/tag/kirkuk/" class="tag-link-2991" title="590 topics" rel="tag" style="font-size: 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