Free Republic

One finger at a time TRIBUNE-REVIEW Iraq is under siege. And, for a moment, it has nothing to do with "insurgents," Saddam meltdowns or weak-kneed U.S. politicians. This siege is one that your average American is pretty familiar with: that mentally fatiguing final week leading to Election Day. Iraq resembles a targeted swing state; sophisticated media have taken hold. Savvy radio and television commercials bear a striking similarity to those produced here; political consultants are even advising campaigns on media saturation and how to react to developments.

Thursday, December 08, 2005 Baghdad county Bill Roggio's last two posts from Iraq, Patrolling Haqlaniyah and On the Offensive in Ramadi describe a situation in which military operations have become a handmaiden to politics. Not American politics primarily , but Iraqi politics. For a sense of what that kind of politicking looks like Iraq the Model's synopsis at Pajamas Media is close to the best. Basically, the various tribes, religious and ethnic groups (even the Christians) are maneuvering for votes: including, surprise, surprise, the Sunni insurgents. "The new and interesting thing in this election is the large-scale participation of Sunni...

Representative John Murtha's bill, the first to demand an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, stunned officials in Washington. The veteran US lawmaker said that the US military operation in Iraq is a lost cause. "Our military has done everything that has been asked of them, the US cannot accomplish anything further in Iraq militarily," said Murtha, a Vietnam War veteran considered more hawkish than most members of his party. "It's time to bring them home," Murtha said. His resolution came two days after the Senate approved a Republican measure requiring the White House provide quarterly updates on the...

A major explosion shook central Baghdad Friday morning near an interior ministry building where U.S. troops found detainees showing signs of torture, witnesses said. There was no immediate information about casualties. The blast in the Jadiriyah neighborhood reverberated through the city center, sent a mushroom cloud hundreds of feet into the air and was followed by the sounds of sporadic small arms fire. The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Earlier this week U.S. troops found up to 173 malnourished detainees, some showing signs of torture, in the building. Most were believed to be Sunni Arabs, the main...

Here is the complete broadcast schedule for the talk show hosts who will be broadcasting live from Iraq next week: (I added the show links where people can listen on-line) href="http://www.moveamericaforward.org/index.php/DailyFile/complete_broadcast_schedule_from_centcom_hq_kuwait_iraq/ Complete Broadcast Schedule from CENTCOM HQ, Kuwait, Iraq (All times are eastern) --- Friday July 8- Tampa, FL - Centcom Headquarters Melanie Morgan (from San Francisco), KSFO: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PMhttp://www.ksfo560.com/ ('Listen Now' link)http://www.ksfo560.com/djadditionalinformation.asp?djid=11187 (Show page) Martha Zoller, WDUN: 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM http://www.marthazoller.com/main.asp (Listen On-Line link) Michael Graham, WMAL: 9:00 AM – 11:45 AM http://wmal.com/showdj.asp?DJID=25410 (Listen Live link) Buzz Patterson/Martha Zoller, Rightalk: 11 AM – 12...

Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, 617th Military Police Company, Iraq FEMALE SERGEANT WINS SILVER STAR Terrorists Humiliated By Woman Warrior From Hell A female military police soldier was awarded a Silver Star Thursday in Iraq for helping to fight off insurgent forces that ambushed her convoy in March. Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester of the 617th Military Police Company, a National Guard unit out of Richmond, Ky., is the first woman since World War II to receive the prestigious award for bravery under fire, according to a Defense Department press release. Hester, 23, received the award along with two other soldiers from...

Tuesday, June 21, 2005 Constitution fever! Public conferences and sessions in Baghdad and other provinces seem to be endless nowadays; municipalities, NGOs and forums are all very excited about Iraq's top topic which is writing the Iraqi constitution and they obviously don't want to miss the chance to take part in the historic event. Such activities play a good role in educating the population and activating the concept of public involvement in the state's decisive steps through organizing sending the people's suggestions and thoughts to the authorities and making sure they're being considered. During the past week, we were able...

"The religion of Mohammed is called Islam, and his followers are called Moslems. Jesus had sent forth his followers to conquer the world by preaching love; the Arabian prophet sent his to conquer with the sword. No band of men ever set out on a great task with more fanatical zeal than the followers of Mohammed in their attempt to conquer the world for the new religion. Great numbers of men were drawn to their ranks. Within a few years they had conquered Mesopotamia and Persia. Near the site of ancient Babylon they built the magnificent city of Bagdad. They...

"Stay quiet, and you'll be OK." -- Mohammad Atta, 9/11 terrorist, speaking to the passengers and crew of the airplane that was flown into the first of the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Atta's admonition to the ill-fated people aboard the doomed airliner sounds as though it applies equally to the American press as it communicates to its readers. Don't ask questions, and listen calmly to us, and everything will be all right. Not! A draft report from the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States, also known as the 9/11 Commission, was released two weeks...

<p>WASHINGTON — Several explosions hit Shiite shrines in the Iraqi cities of Karbala (search) and Baghdad as tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered for a religious festival on Tuesday. More than 100 people were killed and scores were injured in the attacks.</p>

just breaking on CNN...seems to be targetting Shias. Many people out for their holy celebrations..

<p>BAGHDAD — When I close my eyes, I see Adnan Farrage Sa'edi, a Shiite and former inmate at the Hakamiyeh prison, bent on his knees, arms jerked upward. He showed me that position to simulate the hook and crank that leisurely lifted him 2 meters off the ground by his bound hands, dislocating his shoulders. Pop, pop.</p>

WASHINGTON -- When a truck bomb exploded Tuesday at the United Nations compound in Baghdad, Iraq, Sen. Jim Inhofe was just a few miles away, meeting with U.S. officials and doing telephone interviews with reporters back home in Oklahoma. "I'm not sure I heard it," Inhofe, R-Tulsa, said in a brief interview with The Oklahoman as he left Baghdad. "There are a lot of explosions around here." Inhofe, a member of the Armed Services Committee, was one of several U.S. lawmakers in Baghdad at the time of the bombing; none were hurt. Inhofe said they were taken by helicopter to...

Baghdad Blogger His irreverent web diary became an internet sensation during the war. Now, in the first of his fortnightly Guardian columns, Salam Pax reports on life in the Iraqi capital Wednesday June 4, 2003 The Guardian Vacancies: President needed - fluent in English, will have limited powers only. Generous bonuses." This appeared on the first page of the Ahrar newspaper. Another new weekly. Newspapers are coming out of our ears these days. There are two questions which no one can answer: how many political parties are there now in Iraq? And how many newspapers are printed weekly?" Most of...

In an April 11th revelation on the New York Times editorial page, Eason Jordan, CNN chief news executive, revealed that CNN had kept its Baghdad bureau open, even after some of their Iraqi employees had been arrested and tortured; and the information minister had threatened to assassinate reporters if they went to Northern Iraq. Peter Collins, former CNN reporter in Baghdad, followed up in the April 15th Washington Times, stating that CNN had told him to report verbatim a text from the Iraqi Ministry of Information--and was then criticized for not delivering the report with enough enthusiasm. Everyone should know...

PARIS (AFP) - International television networks Saturday showed viewers around the world astounding footage of battles in which US mechanized units stormed in and out of a southern district of the Iraqi capital. The networks, including Fox News, Sky News, CNN and BBC World showed pictures taken mostly by their own cameramen embedded with armoured US forces, or by cameramen working for other networks. In some of the most impressive footage, Fox TV and Sky News viewers were able to acompany a tank column advancing on an Iraqi highway and actually watch as what seemed to be a speeding...

Could be a plane testing for AAA? Seems to change directions. Can hear explosions in the background. Does anyone else see it?

Just heard a large explosion on the web cam. Intermittent automatic gunfire... (Are our forces in the city?). Lots of explosions permeate the audio feed. http://www.msnbc.com/m/lv/ Select the Bagdad web cam feed. Also looks like lights out!!!

Top Stories - Reuters Dawn Bombings Shake Baghdad After Suicide Bombing 2 hours, 26 minutes ago Add Top Stories - Reuters to My Yahoo! By Khaled Yacoub OweisBAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. warplanes struck Baghdad with bombs and missiles in unrelenting air attacks on Sunday after an Iraqi army officer killed four American soldiers in a suicide bombing. Reuters Photo Latest news: · U.S. Warplanes Pound Republican Guard AP - 8 minutes ago · U.S. Warplanes Raid Targets Near Karbala AP - 53 minutes ago · Bush: U.S. Fights 'Desperate' Iraq Troops AP - Sat Mar 29,11:26 PM ET Special...

Veteran war reporter Robert Fisk tours the Baghdad hospital to see thewounded after a devastating night of air strikesby Robert Fisk in Baghdad, London IndependentMarch 23rd, 2003 Donald Rumsfeld says the American attack on Baghdad is "as targeted an aircampaign as has ever existed" but he should not try telling that tofive-year-old Doha Suheil. She looked at me yesterday morning, drip feedattached to her nose, a deep frown over her small face as she tried vainlyto move the left side of her body. The cruise missile that exploded close toher home in the Radwaniyeh suburb of Baghdad blasted shrapnel into...