friday, the start of any good weekend
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/9688?PHPSESSID=91fe1387a63f4346354bcd6f55b188e5
Syria and Iran are bearing the brunt of the Iraqi refugees, house prices in Damascus and Tehran have skyrocketed since the start of the invasion as those who can afford to leave have fled the violence. I spoke to many Iraqis in both countries, doctors driving cabs, engineers cleaning hotels and probably saddest of all, Iraqis who were willing to pay me big wads of american dollars for my passport (along with desperate Afghanis willing to do the same in Iran).
Prior to the invasion, rents in Tehran were around the $400 a month mark with wages around $180-200 a month, now they are up over the $750 mark with wages pretty much stagnant. The Iranians and Syrians are now doing what the US is doing with those entering from south of the border, blameing them for an increase in crime, leading to friction.
In Australia, Mr Howard seized on the (Baker/Hamilton) report's warning that it would be wrong for the US to withdraw troops from Iraq too soon — a course that it said almost certainly would trigger greater sectarian violence, a power vacuum, "greater human suffering, regional destabilisation and a threat to the global economy".
Questions to Howard:
What responsibility do you take for creating the current sectarian violence, power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilisation and the ongoing civil war in Iraq?
Whas there any advice that suggested this outcome before the invasion?
7.30 report:
KERRY O'BRIEN: But when you talk about what a great thing it was to see Saddam Hussein go, and I think you've said 300,000 Iraqis were killed by Saddam - do you know how many Iraqis have been killed since the war?
ALEXANDER DOWNER:
No, there have obviously been various estimates of that. (between 150, 000 - 650,00)
Of course, the tragedy of it is that so many of the Iraqis who have been killed in recent times are being killed by Iraqis and by al Qaeda. Not all of al Qaeda are Iraqis, of course, a lot are foreigners. Al Qaeda has been successful in killing people, attacking Shi'a mosques and trying to encourage sectarian conflict and there is a combination of former Ba'athist regime elements, Saddam Hussein supporters, al Qaeda operatives and, of course, sectarian militias operating mainly, not exclusively, but mainly in and around the Baghdad area, and it makes for a pretty nasty situation. (pentagon estimate of Alquedas role in Iraq ...a very generous 3%)
Downer: Baker Hamilton report that it could easily lead to a regional war drawing in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, possibly even Turkey because of the Kurdish issue. (well dealt with prior to invasion as likely outcome by all security agencies but ignored by Coalition of the Incompetent)
downer: So the challenge here, the big picture here is to get the Iraqi security forces to be able to take responsibility for Iraq to the extent that the democratic government can be sustained rather than it fall to terrorists and insurgents. I mean, it's actually as simple as that.
(report after report has highlighted the fact that the training and equipment are inadequate and completely failing, sunni brigades melt away with their equipment to fight the shiia, shiia the same, or else simply refuse to obey any order which places them under an obligation to act against thier fellow co-religion/regionalists. These reports have come at a very steady clip and with increasing desperation from the moment the Iraq army was disbanded, the only people who have benefitted have been the no-bid private contractors who are doing the majority of the training.)
As a sidelight, the downer transcript leaves out a little bit of byplay that is now starting to get to be a familiar strain
"because you're putting a spin on this"
AMANDA VANSTONE: Well, first I'd like to give you an alternative introduction which would be a shock for the ABC. I think Australia would fall over if you gave this sort of introduction.
thats how the vanstone interview on thursday started, and while it has been excluded from the transcipt, its how the downer interview began, pointing out that the ABC were "spinning" the story. It allows the Government to proclaim to their cronies on the board of the ABC bias against them. The culture wars are due to heat up in an election year, watch for many more complaints about the ABC from the conservate side, they hate there motives to be questioned, let alone be discussed. Its a communist plot, obviously, just wait for the first one to call out that the ABC are on the side of the terrorists.
KERRY O’BRIEN: So what responsibility do you as Minister take for the state of your Department?
AMANDA VANSTONE: Kerry, I thought I had answered your question, but let me put it to you another way.
she gave the same non-answer numerous times, responsibility, its a black/welfare/muslim thing. Imagine the temerity of the ABC in pointing out a blatant fault with a government minister. For shame ABC, for shame.
Syria and Iran are bearing the brunt of the Iraqi refugees, house prices in Damascus and Tehran have skyrocketed since the start of the invasion as those who can afford to leave have fled the violence. I spoke to many Iraqis in both countries, doctors driving cabs, engineers cleaning hotels and probably saddest of all, Iraqis who were willing to pay me big wads of american dollars for my passport (along with desperate Afghanis willing to do the same in Iran).
Prior to the invasion, rents in Tehran were around the $400 a month mark with wages around $180-200 a month, now they are up over the $750 mark with wages pretty much stagnant. The Iranians and Syrians are now doing what the US is doing with those entering from south of the border, blameing them for an increase in crime, leading to friction.
In Australia, Mr Howard seized on the (Baker/Hamilton) report's warning that it would be wrong for the US to withdraw troops from Iraq too soon — a course that it said almost certainly would trigger greater sectarian violence, a power vacuum, "greater human suffering, regional destabilisation and a threat to the global economy".
Questions to Howard:
What responsibility do you take for creating the current sectarian violence, power vacuum, greater human suffering, regional destabilisation and the ongoing civil war in Iraq?
Whas there any advice that suggested this outcome before the invasion?
7.30 report:
KERRY O'BRIEN: But when you talk about what a great thing it was to see Saddam Hussein go, and I think you've said 300,000 Iraqis were killed by Saddam - do you know how many Iraqis have been killed since the war?
ALEXANDER DOWNER:
No, there have obviously been various estimates of that. (between 150, 000 - 650,00)
Of course, the tragedy of it is that so many of the Iraqis who have been killed in recent times are being killed by Iraqis and by al Qaeda. Not all of al Qaeda are Iraqis, of course, a lot are foreigners. Al Qaeda has been successful in killing people, attacking Shi'a mosques and trying to encourage sectarian conflict and there is a combination of former Ba'athist regime elements, Saddam Hussein supporters, al Qaeda operatives and, of course, sectarian militias operating mainly, not exclusively, but mainly in and around the Baghdad area, and it makes for a pretty nasty situation. (pentagon estimate of Alquedas role in Iraq ...a very generous 3%)
Downer: Baker Hamilton report that it could easily lead to a regional war drawing in countries like Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, possibly even Turkey because of the Kurdish issue. (well dealt with prior to invasion as likely outcome by all security agencies but ignored by Coalition of the Incompetent)
downer: So the challenge here, the big picture here is to get the Iraqi security forces to be able to take responsibility for Iraq to the extent that the democratic government can be sustained rather than it fall to terrorists and insurgents. I mean, it's actually as simple as that.
(report after report has highlighted the fact that the training and equipment are inadequate and completely failing, sunni brigades melt away with their equipment to fight the shiia, shiia the same, or else simply refuse to obey any order which places them under an obligation to act against thier fellow co-religion/regionalists. These reports have come at a very steady clip and with increasing desperation from the moment the Iraq army was disbanded, the only people who have benefitted have been the no-bid private contractors who are doing the majority of the training.)
As a sidelight, the downer transcript leaves out a little bit of byplay that is now starting to get to be a familiar strain
"because you're putting a spin on this"
AMANDA VANSTONE: Well, first I'd like to give you an alternative introduction which would be a shock for the ABC. I think Australia would fall over if you gave this sort of introduction.
thats how the vanstone interview on thursday started, and while it has been excluded from the transcipt, its how the downer interview began, pointing out that the ABC were "spinning" the story. It allows the Government to proclaim to their cronies on the board of the ABC bias against them. The culture wars are due to heat up in an election year, watch for many more complaints about the ABC from the conservate side, they hate there motives to be questioned, let alone be discussed. Its a communist plot, obviously, just wait for the first one to call out that the ABC are on the side of the terrorists.
KERRY O’BRIEN: So what responsibility do you as Minister take for the state of your Department?
AMANDA VANSTONE: Kerry, I thought I had answered your question, but let me put it to you another way.
she gave the same non-answer numerous times, responsibility, its a black/welfare/muslim thing. Imagine the temerity of the ABC in pointing out a blatant fault with a government minister. For shame ABC, for shame.
posted by the bluhamster at 12:05 PM
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