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On the Violence in Baghdad

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 12:50:28 PM EST
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Baghdad Burning is a must-read today. I can't do justice to it by paraphrasing, so please, go read.

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    On the Violence in Baghdad | 19 comments (19 topical)
    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#1)
    by squeaky on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:07:45 PM EST
    I agree, her new post is hearwrenching. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Riverbend, girl blog from Baghdad, E&P gives a short bio. She is a valuable resource who has brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my lips many times. Hope she manages to stay alive. This bit of understatement was really quite interesting and perplexing:
    The day before yesterday was catastrophic. The day began with news of the killings in Jihad Quarter. According to people who live there, black-clad militiamen drove in mid-morning and opened fire on people in the streets and even in houses. They began pulling people off the street and checking their ID cards to see if they had Sunni names or Shia names and then the Sunnis were driven away and killed. Some were executed right there in the area. The media is playing it down and claiming 37 dead but the people in the area say the number is nearer 60. The horrific thing about the killings is that the area had been cut off for nearly two weeks by Ministry of Interior security forces and Americans. Last week, a car bomb was set off in front of a 'Sunni' mosque people in the area visit. The night before the massacre, a car bomb exploded in front of a Shia husseiniya in the same area. The next day was full of screaming and shooting and death for the people in the area. No one is quite sure why the Americans and the Ministry of Interior didn't respond immediately. They just sat by, on the outskirts of the area, and let the massacre happen.


    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#2)
    by soccerdad on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:14:04 PM EST
    Maybe it was Militias associated with the Interior Ministry doing the killing. The US forces at the command level do not care what happens to Iraqis, that has been clear for some time.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:19:31 PM EST
    It has been obvious, for quite a while, that we can't stop the violence in Iraq. Not all, but at least a large part of the violence is not about terrorists trying to kill us, but Sunni and Shia are trying to kill each other. It is about time that we drop the pretense of caring about how to stitch Iraq back together. We probably should pull out most of the troops and only leave some small teams to hunt down and kill foreign terrorists who came to Iraq to fight us. Let's not waste more time, resources and American lives trying to keep a non-existence peace.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:35:38 PM EST
    Good to hear from Riverbend in that it has been a month since her last post and I was getting worried. I guess the corner we've turned doesn't include her block. But the Republican Guard trolls keep attacking liberals who want to end this atrocity. They are the real danger to this country because they LIKE the war. Racists all. They go to church? They're hypocrites too! But the libs are bad because they want to end this atrocity. It's not OUR families being murdered, so it must be right. Better them than us and all that. But the libs are bad because they want to end this atrocity. Traitors to our country.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:37:47 PM EST
    Please use a screen name-- and the same one-- when commenting.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 01:41:57 PM EST
    Riverbend is always eloquent and always heartbreakingly real.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 02:15:14 PM EST
    I have been reading Baghdad Burning since the war started. She has never been happy about her country being occupied but still had hope. She started posting holiday recipes and holiday customs, willing to give us a chance, until her total despair of today. May she and her family stay safe.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#8)
    by dutchfox on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 02:24:26 PM EST
    Well, I'd never heard of the blog Baghdad Burning until today. Thanks for providing the link.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#9)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 03:09:53 PM EST
    It's win-win for the Neocons. Iraq in civil war means the U.S. can establish permanent military bases. If things become more peaceful then they can invade Iran sooner rather than later. Too bad their pet projects kill so many innocent bystanders (including the National Guardsmen trying to get tuition money or a green card).

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#10)
    by Alan on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 03:42:16 PM EST
    What a heartbreaking tale. This goes beyond all political remarks and reveals the inhumanity of war. The road to Hell (however you conceive it) is paved with good intentions. So much like Vietman in everyway. Those who don't understand the past will repeat it. America has become another despotic empire in a long line.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 03:57:10 PM EST
    Is there anything else Bush can f*ck up as bad as Iraq before he leaves? Oh, I forgot about Afghanistan, Korea, the economy, the environment, the........

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 05:12:43 PM EST
    Anon, "Not all, but at least a large part of the violence is not about terrorists trying to kill us, but Sunni and Shia are trying to kill each other." You are pretty arrogant in making such a comment. What if a third party is simply trying to make a statement that the US, the de facto security provider, simply is impotent? Which it is.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 05:23:56 PM EST
    Sky-Ho-I am assuming that you have some idea of who that third party may be. If true who do you think is trying to make the US look impotent?

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#14)
    by squeaky on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 05:26:50 PM EST
    Sky-Ho-The above question was mine.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#15)
    by JSN on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 05:27:58 PM EST
    What does it take to be called a bloodbath? People say is that if we pull out there will be a bloodbath but by my standards Iraq has been a bloodbath for at least four months. It appears that our soldiers are trying to stay out of the line of fire.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#16)
    by Che's Lounge on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 06:58:23 PM EST
    Sorry that anon post at 2:35 PM was me.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#17)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Jul 12, 2006 at 07:56:41 PM EST
    I found the link to it in my inbox this morning, but couldn't get past the first few lines. I'm waiting to recover the moxie to read it. I can believe it is a must read if Jeralyn says so, and if the person who emailed it to me found it fit to forward. I just am too worn out to bear the pain today. My point: If you can't bear it, wait, pull yourself together, and face it. Don't avoid truth. It's how we got in this mess.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#18)
    by desertswine on Thu Jul 13, 2006 at 09:55:06 AM EST
    The first two years of Baghdad Burning is available in book form from Feminist Press, and it's worth the read.

    Re: On the Violence in Baghdad (none / 0) (#19)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Jul 13, 2006 at 03:30:58 PM EST
    Okay, I pulled myself together for it. I cried, and I'm still crying. There's a new internet acronym going around that I hope doesn't violate the comment policy; to wit: ITMFA.

    On the Violence in Baghdad | 19 comments (19 topical)