BERG'S EMAIL

While looking for more information for the timeline, one site referred to January emails from Berg.

Philly

(You have to sign up--drawback)

Berg has been in Mosul looking for his uncle's (paternal uncle) brother(Moffak.)

My presence near Moffak made him more concerned (about his own safety and probably mine too) than I've been the entire time I've been here. Mosul is very calm - except for the Army convoys and check-points, you can't really tell there is an occupation. Baghdad every night you here IEDs and such, but here I've yet to here or see anything except a few aged craters

Apparently, Berg must have gone back to Mosul for business he mentioned, or to see his uncle's brother.

(still no further information about the second trip in March)
FOX interviewed Andrew Duke and Hugo Infanti (sp) during which Duke said he was one who added some confusion because Berg told him he was leaving through Turkey.

JOE, THE SOLDIER, SAYS:

JOE, THE SOLDIER, SAYS:

(via John Moore, via Amy Ridenour. . .from Joe)

[Note: I have not read all of this and am putting it up as I saw it. Thank you, Joe. We appreciate your information, your courage, and your service.]

-Joe

------------------------

The fighting we are engaged in against the uprising of Muqtada Al-Sadr is one that is extremely sensitive and risks catastrophe. Had we entered this previously, it would not have been possible for us to win. Over the months, we have been involved in preparations and much planning. Thus, today we are scoring amazing successes against this would-be tyrant.

I ask that the American people be brave. Don't fall for the spin by the weak and timid amongst you that are portraying this battle as a disaster. Such people are always looking for our failure to justify and rescue their constant pessimism. They are raising false flags of defeat in the press and media. It just isn't true.

Last year in April while the main war was still going on to defeat Saddam Hussein's military, I myself gave a class to my company of the 16th Engineers about the threat posed by Sadr and the prospects for conflict with his militias. Though my fellow soldiers didn't appreciate having to attend a class at 8am on one of our last days before deploying to Baghdad, they can tell you that what is happening now is no surprise. I used open and general information that my superiors were already aware of.

The basis of our evaluation over a year ago was that Sadr presented a formidable and possibly impossible threat. Last summer, as my unit covered Sadr City -- the sprawling part of Baghdad that Sadr controlled then -- his militias challenged us by making a show of force in defiance of the effort to open up Iraq society to the new freedoms. Sadr clearly demonstrated that he would deny Iraqis democracy and freedom in his quest for power. By the fall, he had most of Iraq's Shia leaders and the community at large intimidated and kowtowing to his bully tactics. In January through March, his arrogance and thuggery led him to pursue two further attacks upon the hopes for Iraqi freedom.

He vigorously pursued courting and forming alliances with Iranian hard-liners. Upon returning to Iraq, he then welcomed many foreign fighters to train and assist his militia in terrorist tactics and guerrilla warfare.

In fact, we almost went into full conflict with him back then, months ago!

So our leaders, Paul Bremmer, Gen. Abizaid, and countless other US and Coalition leaders all over the land, acted w/ caution and care to secure for the US ever stronger cards against Sadr while simultaneously working to achieve four main goals.

Now we today are in a climactic battle against him and his militia. When the remnants of Saddam's regime were in full uprising in Fallujah, Sadr thought his time had come to make his bid for total power and to oust the US from Baghdad. He was very wrong.

It has been subtle and very well done by our leaders. You should be proud. It would have seemed impossible to have achieved our four main goals against Sadr even just a few months ago. Now today, despite the message of the pessimists who are misleading you into despair, we are have scored all the victories needed to bring this battle to a close. First goal was to isolate Sadr. Second was to exile him from his power-base in Baghdad. Third was to contain his uprising from spreading beyond his militias. And the last goal was to get both his hard-line supporters to abandon him, and to do encourage moderates to break from him. This has been done brilliantly, and now we are on the march in a way that just months ago seemed impossible to do. Sadr is losing everything.

Goal one: His so-called Mahdi Army militia is fighting alone. We are out defeating them day and night, and all the time we find them exposed and vulnerable. The people of Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf are not supporting him. His forces are isolated.

Goal two: His one-time powerbase, Sadr City in Baghdad, has been lost. Sadr has been exiled from there, and we have him on the run. He is trying to cloak his presence and activities in Najaf and Kut as planned, but that is damage control on his part. Yes we confront pockets of his followers. Just a couple days ago, I had to maneuver around such a crowd of 300 in Sadr City. The point is, though, we operate in Sadr City, and his followers are merely trying to raise the lost cause of his. It is perhaps better to understand why he is able to mobilize groups like this by seeing him as a mafia leader who is just sacrificing his own people in a mad last plunge to grab onto power. He is no different from any other thug in the world who manipulates and betrays his followers for his own lost cause. The critical thing to see, however, is that in Baghdad, Sadr is gone. He has been effectively exiled and we are destroying his one-time properties of power and abuse there.

Goal three: Other Shia leaders are breaking from him now in large numbers. The overall Shia leader of Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, has left Sadr's call for jihad and uprising to flounder on deaf ears. Bremmer and Gen. Abizaid stunned the overall Shia community by negotiating a calm in Fallujah. That has tail-spinned Sadr and his efforts to intimidate Iraq's Shia leaders. They see the US hand is strong, and that therefore they are making a mistake in kowtowing to Sadr's terror and violence.

Sadr is now running scared in Najaf. This is great. The Iraqi people of Najaf are offended by this Baghdad thug coming to their city and trying to hijack them into conflict with us. His militias have moved into Karbala too, and the same sentiment is being expressed by the people there. Sadr and his Mahdi Army militia are occupiers of those cities, and are insulting the most sacred sites of Shia Islam daily in their actions. Sadr's forces have stockpiled weapons in mosques and schools, and he continuously is going into the Imam Ali Mosque to call for jihad against us. This is offending Iraq's Shia leaders very much, and the Shia people are not following.

Our units, in fact, are operating w/in 500 meters of the most sacred Shia religious sites in these cities, and you should notice that the local people are not resisting. This is what the pessimists amongst you are preventing you from understanding. Something like this would have been impossible before Sadr and his militia thugs went into there to hijack Iraqi Shia Islam. The people of Najaf and Karbala know we are not there to conquer and occupying the religious sites; we are there to liberate them from this would-be tyrant who is trying to hijack them. His uprising has been contained, despite Sadr's desperate efforts to expand.

Goal four: Now Sadr's patrons and mentor in Iran are breaking from him. Grand Ayatollah Hossain Kazzam Haeri in Qom, Iran, is no longer backing him and has instead made it clear that Sadr's uprising is not sanctioned. Haeri is his mentor, and was a close intimate to Sadr's respectable father. The Teheran Times has run stories that are largely exaggerated, but still are making clear that Sadr's uprising is counter to Iranian interests and does not have the support of even one of Iran's grand statesman, Hashemi Rafsanjani.

In lieu of this, Sadr has exploded increasingly desperate and offensive. On Friday, he offended perhaps the whole Muslim world when he issued a fatwa (a religious edict) that if his forces in Basra capture a female British soldier, they can keep her as a slave. And as I pointed out already, his militia thugs in Najaf and Karbala are keeping weapons in mosques and schools.

In this, quite frankly, Sadr has done it to himself. He has compelled his would-be supporters amongst Iran's hard-liners to break from him and to put distance between Iran's interests and Sadr's uprising. Along with this, Shiites all over Iraq are breaking from Sadr and ignoring his frantic calls for jihad and slave-taking. Sadr has been abandoned.

I'm not writing you blind to the casualties this is causing us. My battalion, the 16th Armored Engineers, should be home reunited w/ family and friends after serving a full year here. Instead, we are still here where the temp is reaching 115-125 degrees. And some of my fellow soldiers have fallen. Units of my battalion are right in the front of the fighting. Your prayers are needed. [A soldier] lost his eyes and a hand last week. The surgeons are trying to salvage his hand now by re-attaching it. This tragedy is a real nightmare. Another suffered shrapnel wounds in his abdomen. Others have been cut badly. Miracle of miracles, however, Sgt. Morales on Friday was shot in the CVC (helmet) -- the bullet ricocheted around his head and fired into the back of his seat, never cutting his skin!!!

I'm telling you this because you need to know that your soldiers are working their hardest. My unit is just one of many in this fight. What you need to do is be strong and persistent in your faith with us. Sadr's militia is in panic and desperate, so they are dangerous, but you need to keep this all in perspective. The pessimists would have you believe this is a disaster. Don't listen to them. I think some of them feel that their reputations require our failure because they have been so negative all along, so they are jumping at every opportunity to sensationalize what is happening here as a disaster. Eliminating Sadr's threat is part of the overall mission and we are further ensuring the liberation of the Iraqi people. This has to be done, and we are doing it.

Don't be seduced by those who would rather that we sit back and just enjoy the freedoms past generations of Americans have sacrificed to gain for us. This is our time to earn it. I remember President Bush saying after the September 11th attacks: "The commitment of our Fathers is now the calling of our time."

MIDDLE EAST PRESS QUOTES:


(WP)

Jordanian Times

Nothing Justifies Killing (headline). . . But the murder of a civilian cannot and will not avenge the abuse of so many Iraqi prisoners, an act which, when made public, shocked the entire world. . . The region is rife with violence. The world, throughout its history, abounded in atrocities and genocides. Mankind's vicious nature is shown every time there is war and conquest. . . We cannot have become so inured to cruelty and pain. No amount of barbarism can and should kill our humanism. . . .Perpetrators of crime have to be brought to justice. Whoever and wherever they are. . .International conventions and the rule of law must be observed. Humanity cannot be held ransom to barbarity and nothing justifies killing.(JT)

(read full article)

Iran Daily in Tehran
reformist Iran Daily (PDF format) in Tehran. . . "Iraqi Violence Turns Gruesome," said the newspaper's page-one headline on Thursday. The accompanying story reported that residents of Baghdad had greeted the news of Berg's decapitation with "condemnation and excuses." (WP) (Read full article at WP and ID—Tehran)


ARAB NEWS (link missed on this one)

In Saudi Arabia, the editors of the Arab News said the photos of Berg's murder, along with pictures of Palestinian militants holding the bloody body part of a slain Israeli soldier alongside a copy of the Koran "are not only revolting, they are also devastatingly damaging." (WP)

Numerous paragraphs about Abu Ghraib, followed by:

At a stroke, all the international good will and sympathy for the Iraqis and anger with the Americans that followed the prison photos has been dispelled. Washington has been delivered from its shame by ignorant, malevolent hands, acting with as little principle or morality as the Americans who took the prison photos.

It is hardly surprising that the Palestinian leadership has demanded that the Israeli body parts be recovered and returned for proper burial. Those photos are as much a political disaster for the Arabs as the prison ones are for the Americans. A picture can change everything. The Abu Ghraib photos blew away America’s attempts to claim the moral high ground in Iraq; these latest ones pull the rug from underneath the Iraqis and Palestinians, playing straight into Bush’s and Sharon’s hands.

It is already happening on Capitol Hill. US legislators, sickened by the beheading video, are saying that however vile the photographed mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners was, it was not on a par with the filmed hacking off the head of the luckless Nick Berg.

Slowly but surely, moderation and common decency are being squeezed from Iraqi affairs. There is increasingly narrower ground for the reasonable, moderate majority of Iraqis to stand upon. At the same time, rising extremism everywhere, including among coalition soldiers, celebrates its triumphs with bloody images of its savage crimes. (AN)

Saudi Gazette

The danger now is that the spiral of violence will increase as each side attempts to revenge itself on the other for the latest outrage. The American view is that Berg s brutal death is a reminder of why the United States invaded Iraq in the first place and President Bush has promised his killers will be tracked down. Senator John McCain, with a lack of irony given recent events at Abu Ghraib, described those who carried out the killing as barbarians . He said it served to emphasize why America should finish what it had started in Iraq.

Berg s decapitation comes after the murders and dismemberment of four other American contractors prompted the recent siege of Falluja, which ended in stalemate with numerous civilian deaths and the failure of the US military to capture those responsible. Falluja was a warning about the dangers of allowing individual incidents no matter how grim they may be to influence overall strategy.

The problem is that America s policy in Iraq appears increasingly uncertain. The June handover to an interim Iraqi administration is taking on a largely notional status. The date now being given for an effective transfer is January 2005. In a recent edition of the Economist Britain s former envoy to Iraq - Sir Jeremy Greenstock - said the transfer of executive authority to an Iraqi government by June 2004 was less important than the year-end elections in the building of a new Iraqi state.

This means the United States is in Iraq for the foreseeable future in a situation in which it appears unable to provide the internal security the overwhelming majority of Iraqi people so evidently crave and foreign contractors so evidently need. The Coalition Provisional Authority s efforts to build an Iraqi security apparatus not based on Ba athist structures has failed. This places American combat troops in the front line for internal policing something for which they are not trained for a period of time that will extend beyond the US presidential election.

In such circumstances a deal with the former Iraqi military must be in order.(SG)

Gulf News

The Gulf News in the United Arab Emirates called Berg's decapitation "a truly barbaric act that served no cause except the brutish bloodlust of his executioners."
They lamented the effect on Iraqi detainees.

"Just when the world's attention was focusing on Washington and the plight of the Iraqi prisoners, this atrocity took the spotlight away from those who are suffering in detention. . . . One brutality does not forgive another.

"There is justifiable anger at the behavior of American forces in Iraq but atrocious acts will never give comfort to those who have suffered in detention, nor do anything but add to the despair of the Iraqi people." (WP)

Islam Online
Islam Online, based in Doha, Qatar, reported that the Islamic militant group Hezbollah had condemned the beheading as "an ugly crime that flouted the tenets of Islam".(WP)

Hezbollah Condemns ‘Un-Islamic’ Berg’s Beheading
"Hezbollah condemns this horrible act that has done very great harm to Islam and Muslims by this group that claims affiliation to the religion of mercy, compassion and humane principles," the resistance group said in a statement Wednesday, May 12.

. . . "The timing of this act that overshadowed the scandal over the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in occupation forces prisons is suspect timing that aims to serve the American administration and occupation forces in Iraq and present excuses and pretexts for their inhumane practices against Iraqi detainees," read the statement carried by Reuters. . . the executors' behavior was closer to "the Pentagon school - the school of killing, occupation, crimes, torture and immoral practices that were exposed by the great scandal in occupation prisons". (IO)

"Zarqawi is an enemy of the Arab and Muslim nation because he distorted their image and portrayed Islam in an incorrect manner," Hasan Ahmad Jar Allah, 41, a Saudi government employee, who had seen the tape on the Internet, told al-Jazeera.net.

"What religion or sect condones such a barbaric act? This is abominable, God curse Zarqawi," he said of the tape which showed masked men sawing Berg's head off with a large knife and holding it in the air.

Al-Jazeera.net website also quoted an unnamed Gulf analyst as saying the killing would prove counter-productive for Iraqis.
"This strengthens the position of Americans in Iraq . American people are going to start asking their government when it will retaliate."

Al Manar
But al-Manar, the Web site of the Lebanese television station run by Hezbollah, did not run a story on Berg on Thursday. The station did report that "Israel" (and al-Manar always puts the name of the Jewish state in quotes) was negotiating with Palestinian authorities for the return of remains of the soldiers killed in the roadside bombing. (WP)
[Note: difficult to find the quotes, may be Arabic when found.]

Daily Star
The Daily Star in Beirut said Berg's executioners have "created a reactionary climate in which Abu Ghraib can be seen as a deserving punishment for an entire society, a climate which fosters the belief that Berg's killers represent the real face of Arabs and Muslims."

"Not only did an innocent civilian lose his life in appalling circumstances," they said. "But the Arab and Muslim worlds have been dealt a severe body blow by the same blade that ended Berg's life." (WP)

Secondly, the region's kings, princes and presidents need to learn a valuable lesson from this abhorrent incident: that fractured societies produce real-life theaters of shame like the Berg murder in a systemic manner, and that similar fractures are infecting their own societies. If the Berg beheading does not catapult the region's leaders from the world of lethargy to the world of vigorous action to establish law and order in their own societies - and beginning with themselves - then they will be considerably weakened. They need to prove that their vision extends beyond their own vested interests to their people and societies. (DS)

PARTIAL BERG TIMELINE:

RECONSTRUCT BERG TIMELINE

March 23—approximate start of alleged detention

detained by the Iraqi police in Mosul," coalition spokesman Dan Senor—in Iraq Police custody (CNN)

Iraqi authorities said Thursday they held the American civilian only briefly before handing him over to U.S. troops, police sources in Mosul said Thursday.(CNN)

He was met by U.S. officials, he was visited three times by the FBI, but at all times, he was in Iraqi custody." (Senor) (CNN)

March 30, schedule flight to US

April 6—release from (?) custody

goes to Baghdad before April 10 (CNN)

April 10--

Thursday, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said that State Department consular officers spoke with Berg in Baghdad on April 10 and offered to help him leave Iraq by plane to go to Jordan. However, Boucher said, Berg told the consular officers that he was going to go by land through Kuwait and had already made arrangements. (CNN)

May 8--

Berg’s body found on overpass near Baghdad

[more information needed]

DESERT DIARIES


Desert Diaries

Post cards, letters, comments from those in the ME. Some are very interesting, some funny, good reading (seems to be updated and current)

BERG

The information about Berg is confusing. This morning one of his friends said that he was leaving through Turkey, then going sailing.

Prior to this, another person had said Berg planned to exit through Kuwait.

Apparently, his password had been found on Moussoui's computer; he had been previously questioned by the FBI. The Philadelphia Inquirer is working on a story (trying to answer some of the questions)for tomorrow; but, it's doubtful that the mystery of Berg will be clear soon.

Anti-Americanism: A Powerful Reality
(on Al Muajaha)

(comment by 51st state)

Perhaps the poll should have also asked if OBL should be leader of the most powerful nation on earth. Hey, why not make the post powerful nation a place like Jordan, Pakistan, or Morroco. That would be awesome. Once again men would rule all, and we could forego religious freedom. Excellent.

There is not one country in history with the global power the US currently has. The world is a better place for the hard faught freedom the US earned over 200 years ago. Sure it is not a perfect nation, never will be, but by and large intentions are good. Like any nation many international actions taken will absolutely benefit the US, of course! But they also benefit the oppressed. Peace in Iraq would have served UN and European oil interest. Likewise, the war will benefit the US in the longterm. One way or another the Iraqis will sell oil. Only one way will the Iraqi people see the benefits.

Can't wait to hear you all when China takes over global leadership. Thank God for the US.

(by Jan)

51st State,
You know very little of the trouble making manipulations of your nation. But finally, America's arrogance has been exposed to others by America's own actions under Bush..just a clumsier version of the normal patterns. Just as Vietnam radicalised many people, similarly this Iraq invasion and occupation has radicalised many people all over the world. America's arrogance has led to the destruction of its own influence for ever, I believe.

The typical U.S.line is we depended on America against Japan and Hitler, and soon we will need America against China one day. Well I believe the U.S. will NEVER let China become more powerful than the U.S. without a fight. America would rather cunningly provoke a war to keep China down than let them become more powerful. The reason I can say that, whereas "51st State" wouldn't, is because I know how ruthlessly selfcentred and cleverly manipulative the U.S. is internationally. This view is based on what they do without getting blamed for it. "51st State" is simply too gullible believing too much good from his own lot.

(by Geli)
at : by USdissident 16 Apr 2004

thx for the great post! i can fully support your statements.

i watch american foreign politics since more than 35 years with growing disgust and couldn't have say it more correct and to the point than you did.

i am more scared by american politics than by bin laden and i am convinced that without those politics there would be no al quaida in the first place.

your posting of all is the most interesting, informative and relevant for the subject

(by 51st state)

Jan or geli,
First of all, you assume I am from the USA. Not true. Why do you assume only an American would support the US?

As I said, the US is not perfect, but they have done a good job...just my opinion. All the anti-American propaganda is an attempt to ruin the world by taking down incentives for people to do better for themselves. I can only guess that those who promote this hatred are power hungry themselves, failed to better themsleves, or just enjoy tearing things down as opposed to the more positive task of building. Here's a tip for you and yours. Attitude goes a long way. You are a minority taking advantage of the free speech, which you might thank the US for, and using it to manufacture discontent.

You say: "You know very little of the trouble making manipulations of your nation."
Every nation manipulates. Ar you that naive. The US just happens to win because they have good things to offer. Sorry if that has made you this angry.

You say: "Just as Vietnam radicalised many people, similarly this Iraq invasion and occupation has radicalised many people all over the world."

You are correct, there are many Vietnamese I know who can not stop smiling thay are so happy to be out of Vietnam and living in the USA. They wanted out of Vietnam so bad they had to escape by overloading fishing boats and rafts and heading off into the deep blue sea. They could not even tell their friends of the plans because they too wanted out so bad they would follow them around for weeks so as not to miss the chance to escape.

You said: "America's arrogance has led to the destruction of its own influence for ever, I believe."

You are entitled to that. What you call arrogance I call confidence. I believe America's confidence appears as arrogance to people who just can not wrap their minds around the fact that a system can create such huge success for so many average people. The average American works very hard for what they have... Check the hours worked per individual charts...reference your fact book. Americans have chosen to work hard to get ahead, and so are proud and full of confidence. US citizens who choose the easy route are left behind, just as are other nations. Most social issues are left to the family, community, and church...if you fall through the cracks it is likely you have chosen to opt out of those. Few of these are left to the government...

You say: "The typical U.S.line is we depended on America against Japan and Hitler, and soon we will need America against China one day."

I would agree with the first two. On the thrid I have to assume you mean against in a military fashion. Who ever said that?! China will be, maybe already is, an economic superpower. The head count is way too high for anyhting else to be the case. The US has done and will continue to propomte freedom their by tying economic incentives to political goals. Maybe you and Al Qaida can take China on. You will be missed.

You say: "Well I believe the U.S. will NEVER let China become more powerful than the U.S. without a fight. America would rather cunningly provoke a war to keep China down than let them become more powerful."

It just sounds nutty, so I wanted it shown.

You say: "The reason I can say that...is because I know how ruthlessly selfcentred and cleverly manipulative the U.S. is internationally."

Right, they promote freedom, and do it peacefully...as much as possible.

Yous say: "This view is based on what they do without getting blamed for it."

And why do suppose that is. . . .

Majid's Blog

On Majid's blog (yesterday):

My best American friend has died today…
and I am so depressed…
She lived in Chicago…
May God have mercy on her soul…
Her death has given me another push to live, another cause for anger, and another reason to struggle for.
My deep consolations to her family…
I can't express what's in my mind anymore.

Out

Most of us know (so well) what it is to lose someone we love, or care for very much. We have times when we can ignore the facts of life; but, all too frequently, it just hits us. It rolls over us and flattens us completely.

It's times like these that I can only think: those we know are like beautiful butterflies. We can't capture them and keep them with us forever; we can only admire (as the sun glints off their colorful wings) and enjoy their flight before they fly on. . .and are gone from us, all too soon.

I have known some very beautiful butterflies.

RUMSFELD in IRAQ

SURPRISE! Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq, today.

Sec.Def. Donald Rumsfeld, members of the Joint Chiefs, and several Pentagon lawyers took a flight and appeared in Iraq. Rumsfeld met with the troops.

It's not unreasonable to conclude that the flight was scheduled to deliver Pentagon lawyers for the trail next week. IIUC, TV coverage will not be permitted. We could hope there could be radio coverage of the trial.

(IIUC = If I Understand Correctly) special for Steve! :)

MENTAL ARGUMENT:


The Geneva Convention states that prisoners should not be exposed to unpleasant treatment of any kind. My mental argument is: what would happen if we removed ourselves from the Geneva Convention? And, how would we do that?

One of my first thoughts is that it would be a radical action. We need something radical to level the field. While the world tells US we just think we are the “good guys,” we struggle to act like that “good guys;” it’s a terrible disadvantage. When we do something wrong (and we do) the world yells, “See, you’re not as good as you thought! You’re just arrogant.” (We hang our heads.) And, the world beats US up.

Our soldiers, as POWs, have incurred heinous physical and mental abuse throughout the world. But, we are prohibited from exposing POWs to ***unpleasant treatment of any kind?*** What if we stated loudly, and clearly, that WE WILL NOT ABIDE BY THE GENEVA CONVENTION REGARDING TERRORISTS? What will be the difference for US? (--Probably, no difference at all.) There would still be the Daniel Pearls, and the Nicholas Bergs; there would still be kidnappings and heinous treatment of our troops and the innocent civilians in Iraq and around the world.

Underwear over the head of a naked man is nothing in comparison to the slow sawing to decapitate a human being. There is no equivalency. IIUC, the prisoners were from IA and IB of Abu Ghraib prison and were not the innocent, or the average criminals. They should be treated differently; they would surely treat US despicably and unaccountably if the situation was reversed—and, they did treat Nick Berg so VERY DIFFERENTLY.

The world is hypocritical, greedy, and political. Many countries are signatories to the Geneva Convention and have no intention of adhering to it. Would it be more honest to declare that WE WILL NOT FOLLOW THE GENEVA CONVENTION REGARDING TERRORISM. Then we would have to determine the definition of “TERRORISM and TERRORISTS;” it’s the honest thing to do. Is it the “right” thing to do?

This is the UGLY face of our enemy, and the UGLY FACE OF WAR. It may leave very UGLY BLOTCHES ON OUR FACE. There will be no walking away from this war; most people realize that as fact. The American people need to see the reality; the American people need to come together, stay together, and fight (long, continuously, and vigorously) against this particular enemy.

If we can not following the Geneva Convention (for this time and for the fight against terrorism) would the honest thing be to declare it and let the chips fall?

(Radical thoughts for radical times, this former moderate flips the rant switch off, now.)

IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID!

Is that what Ali is saying? [Iraq the Model link below]

. . .Instead I’m going to focus on this one tiny detail that do not fit in this picture; that is the Iraqi economy.

I think that most people agree that the exchange price of a country’s currency is one of the indicators of the state of that country’s economy and one that when combined with the average income would help in giving a prediction of the future of this economy and the political future of that country as well, as economy and politics are so adherent to each other. Now the Iraqi Dinar was never trusted before the war, and my family was one of the hundreds of thousands of families that changed all the Iraqi currency they had into US Dollars just before the war which caused the exchange price for the Iraqi Dinar against the US Dollar and other foreign currencies to drop uncontrollably from 2000 for each dollar to about 4000 in a period of a month that proceeded the war. After the war the Iraqi Dinar returned to the previous figure and with the introduction of the new Iraqi Dinar, the exchange price improved to around 1500 by the beginning of 2004 with few shakes during the early period. Since January 2004 and till now and despite all the given factors of instability, the exchange price remained almost constant with a marginal variation from 1430 to 1460 and never dropped below 1400 nor did it ever rise above 1500!! What should that tell us?

Is it possible that Iraqis are that dumb to believe in their currency and that their economy is stable and rising!? Are they really stupid enough to by all this crap about a prosperous Iraq in the future? Or are there solid economic changes that make it so hard to shake despite all the efforts the friends and brothers of the Iraqi people are putting? Don’t they ever think of revolting against the Americans? Note that I’m talking about the majority here.

Back to the average income issue. Some readers may remember that I said my salary was about 17 US$ before the war. Shortly after the war it was raised to 120 US$. Three months after that, they made it 150 US$. Two months later it became 200$(although the truth should be said that they promised that it was going to be 250$) and when I went with one of my colloquies (who gets an exact payment) to receive his salary this month (I still haven’t get paid for 6 months due to some beaurocractic problems that has just been solved), the accounter said to my friend "congratulations! You are getting a new rise starting from the next month and your salary will be around 300 US$!"

Now I know this is still a very low figure compared to what doctors get in other countries, but look at the pace of the raises; 120, 150, 200, 300 all in one year! I mean it’s spooky. What will it be the next year, 500$? And what about 3 or 4 years from now? A thousand or can I dare and say few thousand dollars? Will we get more than what the Syrian, Egyptian Iranian and even Saudi doctors!? What a disaster will it be to the mullahs of Iran, Bashar Al-Assad and the king of Saudi Arabia?

Some people, including some Iraqis, are fooled by the media as it tells them that the prices are higher than before. This is not true, as the prices of ALL the imported goods have lowered especially with only 5% import tax and with no Uday or Qusay to take their share of the merchants’ profits. The only prices that have risen are those the of the local goods and the wages of laborers and services provided by private businesses, but that was only by 2 to 3 folds at maximum compared to the unbelievably high rise in the income of the government employees who represent most of the working Iraqis which should explain the former fact as a healthy sign of economical growth, not the opposite.

Others are fooled by what the media keeps screaming about the unemployment. And this is the most stupid lie I’ve ever heard to which I have only one question: Who are those unemployed people?? I dare anyone to answer this!

Everyone who knows enough about Iraq should know that millions of Iraqis were employed by the government, but most of them had second jobs (I used to run a small shop with my brothers beside my job as a doctor, and of course I gave it up soon after the war) except for those who took illegal advantages from their original jobs. The rest were involved in private businesses that paid more but were very risky with all the shakes in economy and all the restrictions from the old regime. After the war some of those who were employed by the government were expelled, but most of them are back now. For God’s sake even most of the Ba’athists and the security agents are back to their jobs now! The only people who are out of job now are Saddam’s special security agents and higher ranked Ba’athists who sucked the Iraqi people’s blood for decades. May I ask how many are those, and should we really sympathies with them this much? Besides, most of them made fortunes and fled out of the country or are using it to start their own businesses and no one is preventing them from that. But wait a minute! Maybe they are talking about the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the old army who were paid no more than 10 thousand Iraqi Dinars (5 US$)! Now that is something really bad, to deprive a soldier from a job that paid him 5 $ and cost him 10 times of that in transport and bribing the officers besides his DIGNITY!

The bottom line, and to talk more seriously, is that this picture the media is giving us about Iraq is almost convincing, even to me, if it wasn’t for this insignificant detail, and something must be done to make it right before most Iraqis start to realize that! But to be fare our Arab and Muslim brothers supported by the legitimate Arab leaders and cheered by most of the major media are aware of that, and of the dangers of the vicious circle of (prosperity-stability-more prosperity-more stability) that the Americans and the Iraqi traitors (like myself) are trying to establish. They (our brothers) are doing all that they can; bombing oil pipelines and ports, beheading foreigners in the name of Iraqis and Allah, attacking electricity stations, creating chaos that allows thieves to loot everything they can, yet it’s still not working!! The Iraqi Dinar stands stable despite some Arab governments formally warned their citizens from dealing with it, the oil production is increasing, the markets are full of goods, most Iraqis are busy working, studying selling and buying and the average income is rising!

Ali's full post

DISINFO FICKLE FINGER TO:


Angry Arab News Service

The Angry Arab linked to the Iraq Body Count Site with these words: "Innocent victims of US war in Iraq."

Among those "innocent victims" are:

43 Republican Guards apparently killed between Apr. 2, and Apr. 3.

Most people would be able to figure out that these people were not innocent. They were fighters; they were enemy. Therefore, the enemy during a war are not innocents.

DISAPPEARED

This is going to be more difficult than I thought. The code is gone. . .gone! PANIC? Nah, there is probably a place to recover the code. I just have to find it. . .HA, that should take a while.

FINDING TIME

I have got to find the time to put all the great websites back up. When I changed the template, they disappeared and I haven't put them back.

If I put all the great ones from my bookmarks, it would take me days. Guess I'll have to tie myself to the computer and just DO IT!

WHO WILL GO. . .ANYONE?

No reasonable person said this would be easy, and it has been difficult--very, very difficult. In getting this far, half the world has been encouraged to hate us. Half the world has been told distorted truths, some lies, and has been systematically incited to work against us. It is not accidental.

It may become much rougher before it's over. We can not waiver from our objective. If we do, the world will be worse for it. Bad kills for little or no reason. Bad is stronger and more overwhelming. Good has to struggle harder; good has to win by numbers and has to be willing to use force.

So, when you tell me that Rumsfeld has to go. . .NO.
When you tell me that Tenet has to go. . .NO.

It is not in our interest to change in the middle of a war which is begining to look like WWIII. We need to do that which is NOT in the interest of the Terrorists. We need to doggedly march forward, with determination. If there is any benefit to the Terrorists, we do the opposite. We should do what they don't like. Appeasement brought US here. No more appeasement!

HORRENDOUS

There will be times when this effort will be horrendous.
FORWARD, STEP-BY-STEP.

We have been accused of much.
KEEP MOVING

We will make mistakes.
IMPROVE

We will be accused of more.
WORK THROUGH IT WITH JUSTICE

If we never give up. . . . .
WE WIN

We win for US; we win for the Iraqi people; and, the WORLD WINS.

FOX

Video Appears to Show Beheading of American

Tuesday, May 11, 2004

Associated Press CAIRO, Egypt — A video posted Tuesday on an Islamic militant Web site showed a group affiliated with Al Qaeda beheading an American contractor in Iraq, saying the death was revenge for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers.
The video showed five men wearing headscarves and black ski masks, standing over a bound man in an orange jumpsuit -- similar to a prisoner's uniform -- who identified himself as Nick Berg (search), a contractor from West Chester, Pa., whose body was found on a highway overpass in Baghdad on Saturday.

"My name is Nick Berg, my father's name is Michael, my mother's name is Susan," the man said on the video. "I have a brother and sister, David and Sarah. I live in ... Philadelphia."

After reading a statement, the men were seen pulling the man to his side and putting a large knife to his neck. A scream sounded as the men cut his head off, shouting "Allahu Akbar!" -- "God is great." They then held the head out before the camera.

"For the mothers and wives of American soldiers, we tell you that we offered the U.S. administration to exchange this hostage with some of the detainees in Abu Ghraib (search) and they refused," one of the men read from a statement.

"So we tell you that the dignity of the Muslim men and women in Abu Ghraib and others is not redeemed except by blood and souls. You will not receive anything from us but coffins after coffins ... slaughtered in this way."

The video bore the title "Abu Musab al-Zarqawi shown slaughtering an American." It was unclear whether al-Zarqawi -- a lieutenant of Usama bin Laden -- was shown in the video, or was claiming responsibility for ordering the execution.

The Web site on which the video was posted is known as a clearing house for Al Qaeda and Islamic extremist groups' statements and tapes.

The website says that Al Zarqawi did this. There were (likely) more than 5 who participated.

***
Do you believe there is a place in Paradise for those who do these terrorist acts?

If there is justice in the hereafter, Zarqawi and the animals will receive routine beheadings for eternity, beyond imagination. . .on and on until the end of time.

Revenge for photos, for humiliation! Nick Berg would have chosen the photos. His parents would have chosen the photos.

There is no place on earth that deserves you. There is no revenge involved--just shoot you. It's what they do to MAD DOGS.

Once again you pointed out that the world needs to eliminate you and your fellow terrorists. Listen for the gunshot

TORTURE

We know that pictures and videos were taken of naked men, and prison guards. The incidents happened in Oct/Nov. According to one source the photos were taken in 1A and 1B of Abu Ghraib prison.

We don't know:
Were orders given to do this?
Was there physical torture involved?
Was this restricted to mental stress or mental torture?
Was the purpose to provide photos to press others for info?
Are there more incidents, more photos?
Were all of the prisoners from 1A and 1B, or another area?
Were any of the prisoners hardcore?
Were any of the prisoners accused of minor crimes?

We do know that the photos of the rape scenes were taken from a website which stated that actors were used for the scenes.

ABU GHRAIB

What should we do with this Iraqi Prison, scene of numerous tortures?

Nothing. It does not belong to US. In 51 days, the Iraqi people will making more decisions about their futures, and the future of their country. They may want to demolish it; make a museum; use it as a prison. It's Iraq's property--for Iraqis to decide.