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car bombs in Iraq - who is responsible?

greenbean | 25.05.2005 14:35 | Anti-militarism

detailed reports are ermerging of Iraqi drivers being stopped for interrogation by US occupation forces. after being released, the drivers found large caches of explosives inside of their vehicles.

what someone should be asking is whether the license plates of cars used in -suicide bombings- were seen immediately before-hand in US custody. that is what we must determine.


>>>>>>>article, slightly edited>>>>>>>>

The first hint came in Imad Khadduri's "A warning to car drivers" written in Arabic and posted on www.albasrah.net on May 11.

Khadduri's report went like this:

"A few days ago, an American manned check point confiscated the driver license of a driver and told him to report to an American military camp near Baghdad airport for interrogation and in order to retrieve his license. The next day, the driver did visit the camp and he was allowed in the camp with his car. He was admitted to a room for an interrogation that lasted half an hour. At the end of the session, the American interrogator told him: 'OK, there is nothing against you, but you do know that Iraq is now sovereign and is in charge of its own affairs. Hence, we have forwarded your papers and license to al-Kadhimia police station for processing. Therefore, go there with this clearance to reclaim your license. At the police station, ask for
Lt. Hussain Mohammed, who is waiting for you now. Go there now quickly, before he leaves his shift work".

The driver did leave in a hurry, but was soon alarmed with a feeling that his car was driving as if carrying a heavy load, and he also became suspicious of a low flying helicopter that kept hovering overhead, as if trailing him. He stopped the car and inspected it carefully. He found nearly 100 kilograms of explosives hidden in the back seat and along the two back doors.

The only feasible explanation for this incident is that the car was indeed booby trapped by the Americans and intended for the al-Khadimiya Shiite district of Baghdad. The helicopter was monitoring his movement and witnessing the anticipated "hideous attack by foreign elements".

The same scenario was repeated in Mosul, in the north of Iraq. A car was confiscated along with the driver's license. He did follow up on the matter and finally reclaimed his car but was told to go to a police station to reclaim his license. Fortunately for him, the car broke down on the way to the police station. The inspecting car mechanic discovered that the spare tire was fully laden with explosives."

If this were the only example of this type I heard, I might have let it pass as just a story. But it wasn't.

There was also the sorry tale of the Iraqi man who saw American soldiers plant a bomb which shortly thereafter exploded, and when he said so out loud for all to hear, he was hauled away, never to be seen again.

This story was reported on arguably the most authentic and riveting source of news from Iraq, the heart-rending "Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq," which is compiled by someone known only as Riverbend or Iraqi Girl . Again, recommended reading.

She recounts, "the last two weeks have been violent ....

The number of explosions in Baghdad alone is frightening. There have also been several assassinations — bodies being found here and there. It's somewhat disturbing to know that corpses are turning up in the most unexpected places. Many people will tell you it's not wise to eat river fish anymore because they have been nourished on the human remains being dumped into the river. That thought alone has given me more than one sleepless night. It is almost as if Baghdad has turned into a giant graveyard.

The latest corpses were those of some Sunni and Shia clerics — several of them well-known. People are being patient and there is a general consensus that these killings are being done to provoke civil war. Also worrisome is the fact that we are hearing of people being rounded up by security forces (Iraqi) and then being found dead days later — apparently when the new Iraqi government recently decided to reinstate the death penalty, they had something else in mind.

But back to the explosions. One of the larger blasts was in an area called Ma'moun, which is a middle class area located in west Baghdad. It's a relatively calm residential area with shops that provide the basics and a bit more. It happened in the morning, as the shops were opening up for their daily business and it occurred right in front of a butcher's shop. Immediately after, we heard that a man living in a house in front of the blast site was hauled off by the Americans because it was said that after the bomb went off, he sniped an Iraqi National Guardsman.

I didn't think much about the story — nothing about it stood out: an explosion and a sniper — hardly an anomaly. The interesting news started circulating a couple of days later. People from the area claim that the man was taken away not because he shot anyone, but because he knew too much about the bomb. Rumor has it that he saw an American patrol passing through the area and pausing at the bomb site minutes before the explosion. Soon after they drove away, the bomb went off and chaos ensued. He ran out of his house screaming to the neighbors and bystanders that the Americans had either planted the bomb or seen the bomb and done nothing about it. He was promptly taken away.

The bombs are mysterious. Some of them explode in the midst of National Guard and near American troops or Iraqi Police and others explode near mosques, churches, and shops or in the middle of sougs. One thing that surprises us about the news reports of these bombs is that they are inevitably linked to suicide bombers. The reality is that some of these bombs are not suicide bombs — they are car bombs that are either being remotely detonated or maybe time bombs. All we know is that the techniques differ and apparently so do the intentions. Some will tell you they are resistance. Some say Chalabi and his thugs are responsible for a number of them. Others blame Iran and the SCIRI militia Badir.

In any case, they are terrifying. If you're close enough, the first sound is a that of an earsplitting blast and the sounds that follow are of a rain of glass, shrapnel and other sharp things. Then the wails begin — the shrill mechanical wails of an occasional ambulance combined with the wail of car alarms from neighboring vehicles... and finally the wail of people trying to sort out their dead and dying from the debris.

>>>>>>>>>>>>

See the full article here:

 http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/05/318054.shtml

greenbean

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USA Supports toture and global enslavement

25.05.2005 19:59

ANTI AMERICANISM PArt Two
Ever wonder whether the USA (and its peoples)support corrupt rich elite and thier puppets for fun and entertainment - or do they really strive to enslave the whole world ???

Why would Rumsfeld be so concerned about the 100,000 AK-47s that Venezuela has purcheased from Russi?

Because he is part of the PNAC ... The Project For The New American Century. Paul Wolfowitz and Dick Cheney are also “members” of this quiet organization.

The following is the list of signees at the PNAC:
Dick Cheney
Donald Rumsfeld
Paul Wolfowitz
Jeb Bush
Elliott Abrams
Gary Bauer
William J. Bennett
Eliot A. Cohen
Midge Decter
Paula Dobriansky
Steve Forbes
Aaron Friedberg
Francis Fukuyama
Frank Gaffney
Fred C. Ikle
Donald Kagan
Zalmay Khalilzad
Lewis Libby
Norman Podhoretz
Dan Quayle
Peter W. Rodman
Stephen P. Rosen
Henry S. Rowen
Vin Weber
George Weigel
What is the PNAC? This is what they say on their website:

“Established in the spring of 1997, the Project for the New American Century is a non-profit, educational organization whose goal is to promote American global leadership.” (Isn’t 1997 the year when the US government realized that Chavez would win the elections?)

American global leadership?
Yeah … a sly way of saying, “American world dominance.”

Their “statement of principles” states, amongst other things:
“As the 20th century draws to a close, the United States stands as the world's preeminent power. Having led the West to victory in the Cold War, America faces an opportunity and a challenge: Does the United States have the vision to build upon the achievements of past decades? Does the United States have the resolve to shape a new century favorable to American principles and interests? ...

• we need to increase defense spending significantly if we are to carry out our global responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future
• we need to strengthen our ties to democratic allies and to challenge regimes hostile to our interests and values
• we need to promote the cause of political and economic freedom abroad
• we need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.”

Paraphrased, the above says:
“We’re the strongest and best nation in the world. We tell our people that we won the Cold War against communism, which ain’t true, but that don’t matter anyhow, we got lotsa guns. In the next coupla’ years we’re gonna take over the world … turn everyone on earth into American-like zombies so we can continue gettin’ rich and continue foolin’ em’ all. We’re gonna use guns, tanks, lies, propaganda, the media and our business partners to get it done. It’s gonna get done our way, and our way only, otherwise they’re gonna pay! Yahoo!”

Donald Rumsfeld (US Secretary of Defense and PNAC signee) is talking against Venezuela’s purchase of 100,000 AK-47s ... he, along with Paul Wolfowitz (ex-US Deputy Secretary of Defense and PNAC signee) and Dick Cheney (ex-US secretary of Defense and PNAC signee) do not want anyone else in the world to have guns … because it will make their job of taking over the world more difficult and more expensive.

Rumsfeld’s remarks are pre-emptive … preparing the way to increased anti-Venezuela propaganda … where Venezuelans are depicted as gun-wielding threats to “freedom and democracy.”

Mark my words.

The US government is already planning to forcefully “de-militarize” other countries (not themselves, of course) and is in the process of reviewing a new bill (S.2981) in congress called “Conventional Arms Threat Reduction Act of 2004.”

The bill is proposed by Senator Richard Lugar (!). Bang, bang!
Section 4 (a) of the bill states:
“IN GENERAL- The Secretary of State is authorized to carry out an accelerated global program to secure, remove, or eliminate stocks of MANPADS (man-portable air defense systems), other conventional weapons, and tactical missile systems, as well as related equipment and facilities, that are determined by the Secretary to pose a proliferation threat.”

Note the statement, “accelerated global program!”

I am quite sure that the Three PNAC Musketeers (!), Rumsfeld, Cheney and Wolfowitz are well aware of this bill (which asks for $50 million for its first operating year). They must be salivating, tongues hanging out, just waiting for the bill to be approved … so they can run with the ball.

Once approved, Rumsfeld will be able to say:
“You see, Venezuela is a conventional arms threat! If they don’t hand over their guns, we will have to physically go take the guns away from them! Yahoo! Let’s pull out our muskets! Bang, bang!”

This is why the US government is criticizing Venezuela’s purchase of arms. It is starting a propaganda build-up in order to justify the future invasion of oil-rich Venezuela … just like the US government did with Iraq. With Iraq, it was WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction) … and with Venezuela, it will be CATs (Conventional Arms Threats).

CNN will yell … “Venezuela has CATs!”

But cats also live in the jungles, swamps and mountainous areas.

abimael