Iraq Continues to Burn

Apparent Abuse of Iraqi Prisoners by Iraqi Forces
A boy, identified as a 14-year-old, was found among Iraqi prisoners when Oregon National Guardsmen responded to reports of what appeared to be prisoner abuse June 29, 2004 at the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior. This photo, identified as being found in a detention room, appears to show him while he was still restrained before his release by Oregon Army National Guard. The Oregon soldiers disarmed the Iraqi policemen and gave first aid to the detainees. The guardsmen were later ordered to stand down, handing the prisoners back over to the Iraqi officials.


Iraqi Interpreter Kicking Iraqi Looting Suspects in Baghdad
An Iraqi interpreter, working with the US Marines patrolling the center of Baghdad, kicks a looter until he is stopped by the order: "You're a fucking Marine. Don't kick them in the head. Let them go!"

Two brothers claim they were beaten and denied water and sleep after they were arrested in Basra and taken to a camp, weeks after military action began. Marhab Zaaj-al-Saghir told the programme: "They lowered me down... while I was tied up, threw me on the floor and hit me with a stick.

"You couldn't draw breath afterwards and I lost consciousness."

He said he had then been urinated on.

Congratulations Bush & Blair for making OBL's job a bit easier.

Democracy is the last thing the U.S. can afford in Iraq, as anyone who has paid attention to the state of Arab popular sentiment already realizes. Representative government in Iraq would mean the rapid expulsion of U.S. interests. Rather, the U.S. wants westernized, secular leadership regimes that will stay in pocket and work to neutralize the politically ambitious anti-Western religious sects popping up everywhere. If a little brutality and graft are required to do the job, it has never troubled the U.S. in the past.

Ironically, these standards describe someone more or less like Saddam Hussein. Judging from the state of civil affairs in Iraq now, the Bush administration will no doubt be looking for a strongman again, if and when they are finally compelled to install anyone at all.

The Bush administration's Top 40 Lies about war and terrorism

Meanwhile from Iraq:

'Zarqawi aide killed in ambush'
Blasts kill US soldiers in Iraq
Iraq Shias call for more autonomy
Sadr group 'frees Iraq hostages'
Mayor 'ousted by gunmen'
Car bomb shakes Baghdad
Bush rejects early Iraq pullout

And if you're deluded enough to actually believe that life in Iraq is getting better, read this.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has warned the US to back away from the possibility of military action against Iran over its nuclear programme. 'Force will not be an option. We've already tried seen how ineffective is it.'

It aint just ineffective, its a dangerous game. Using force against Iran will only result in increased anti-america sentiments and as a result more pissed off people willing to blow themselves up just to hurt 'the enemy'. Right now, there are a few thousand people fighting the Americans in Iraq. If America does indeed attack Iran, then I can assure you, that number will be far, far higher.