two reports from BBC world Service
Colleagues-
The amazing report is that Najji Sabri (sp?), Iraqi foreign Minister
(famous for the moustache curses), has just flown into Cairo for an Arab
league summit. Although he is few people's favourite person I cannot but
feel he will gain some street cred if he returns to Baghdad.
The sinister report is that the US-UK forces have cut off the water and
power supply to Basra although their troops have bypassed it. Hospitals and
emergency services have been without power or water for 48h. The power
station and water pumping system are behind US-UK lines. The International
Red Cross have engineers in Basra whom they would like to send out to make
repairs if the cut off is 'inadvertent'. If it was planned it is a breach
of the conventions. Anyone with politically useful contacts might urge them
to ask that the Red Cross be permitted to turn power and water back on.

and


The Finnish TV1 channel`s Text-TV just 2 hours ago confirmed the following civilian casualties in Basra bombing:
- Death: 77
- Injured: 366.

Also: IRNA confirmed, that the casualties were due to: Cluster Bombs, and that: At least British bombers were involved.

One Russian nationality was also among the killed. This was confirmed by IRNA.

In Todays Tikrit bombings 4 civilians are death , sayd the Finnish TV1 Text-TV.

Just now there are extremely heavy bombings in the out skirt of Bagdad, directly on the region of civilian house area. Both the Reuters and the Deutsche Welle Correspondents in Bagdad confirmed this to Finnish TV1, and they said: "There is expected to be heavy civilian casualties, due to these strong bombings".

With best regards,
Dr. Stig Froberg/Finland

No reports of this in any news coverage that I've seen.

Meanwhile the U.S. has suddenly rediscovered its commitment to international law, as it condemns the televised questioning of American POWs as a clear breach of the Geneva Convention. No mention anywhere of the degrading conditions in Guantanamo Bay - but of course, the Bush administration has decided that international law only applies when it wants it to apply. Like Humpty Dumpty's words, it can mean whatever they want it to mean.