The US has yet to find chemical weapons in Iraq. Nor have they been used. This war is nothing but a deception.
General
07
Apr 03
The Spoils
US accused of plans to loot Iraqi antiques:
It has emerged that a coalition of antiquities collectors and arts lawyers, calling itself the American Council for Cultural Policy (ACCP), met with US defence and state department officials prior to the start of military action to offer its assistance in preserving the country’s invaluable archaeological collections.
The group is known to consist of a number of influential dealers who favour a relaxation of Iraq’s tight restrictions on the ownership and export of antiquities. Its treasurer, William Pearlstein, has described Iraq’s laws as ‘retentionist’ and has said he would support a post-war government that would make it easier to have antiquities dispersed to the US.
Before the Gulf war, a main strand of the ACCP’s campaigning has been to persuade its government to revise the Cultural Property Implementation Act in order to minimise efforts by foreign nations to block the import into the US of objects, particularly antiques.
News of the group’s meeting with the government has alarmed scientists and archaeologists who fear the ACCP is working to a hidden agenda that will see the US authorities ease restrictions on the movement of Iraqi artifacts after a coalition victory in Iraq.
Professor Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn, leading Cambridge archaeologist and director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, said: ‘Iraqi antiquities legislation protects Iraq. The last thing one needs is some group of dealer-connected Americans interfering. Any change to those laws would be absolutely monstrous. ‘
The British Empire likewise looted Egyptian and Greek treasures during their colonial days.
06
Apr 03
Russia moving closer to India?
I wonder what sort of flux the Iraq Invasion is causing in geopolitics. Looks like Russia is choosing an interesting time to initiate war games with India.
Earlier on Sunday, the large anti-submarine ships Marshal Shaposhnikov and Admiral Panteleyev, and the tanker Vladimir Kolechitsky of the Russian Pacific Fleet left their base in Vladivostok and sailed for the Indian Ocean to participate in Russian-Indian naval maneuvers.
06
Apr 03
Al Jazeera Links
With the US and major media outlets increasing hostility towards Al Jazeera. it’s important that people have the option to make up their own minds.
- Semantic games: Other than sapping morale, speculative stories about the fate of key figures in the Iraqi government contribute to diverting attention from battlefield engagements that may not have had as positive an outcome as the US military expects. Indeed, this is one of the tactics employed by the Bush administration in its bid to combat the opposing side’s rhetoric. The growing anti-war message or possible military setbacks will be drowned out by cramming news cycles with a plethora of briefings timed for maximum exposure, especially in the American market.
- Why Britain wants this war
- Oil as a weapon of power: “If the United States maintains strong influence over what happens in the Middle East it certainly has control over the world’s…oil flow,” he said. “The US has at least a certain lever in it relations vis-à-vis these other countries. This well may translate into political capital.” Michael Klare, professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College and author of Resource Wars, echoed Renner’s warnings. “Controlling Iraq is about oil as power, rather than oil as fuel,” he said. “Control over the Arabian Gulf translates into control over Europe, Japan and China,” he explained.
02
Apr 03
bits of interest
30
Mar 03
Afghan prisoners beaten to death
29
Mar 03
We just may be the bad guys this time
Despite all of our whining about the Geneva Convention…oh the hypocrisy. This is how we treat POW’s (exhibit a, b, c, d).
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera is still down.
29
Mar 03
The Humanity
American mercenaries are killing children and wrecking entire families. Bombing markets and killing innocent people. In this photo according to the caption: The four-year old girl, blood streaming from an eye wound, was screaming for her dead mother, while her father, shot in a leg, begged to be freed from the plastic wrist cuffs slapped on him by U.S. marines, so he could hug his other terrified daughter.
In another photo, an unidentified Iraqi man is cradling the bloodied body of a young girl whose foot is clearly shredded. In yet another, family members weep near the wrapped bodies of their loved ones killed by ‘Allied’ airstrikes. I expect the Iraqi people to never forget this. We have no right to be in their country. As soon as we get rid of Saddam, I hope the Iraqi people toss us out on our ear. We bring nothing but hardship to replace hardship and subjugation to replace subjugation.
Meanwhile US Troops enjoy ‘Operation Playmate’. Is this a screwed up country or what? While we’re destroying countless lives our soldiers are receiving signed Playboy Playmate photos.