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News titles, 13-20/8/03 News, 13-20/8/03 (1) PROBLEMS OF THE PRETEXT * Iraq's nuclear file: Depiction of Threat Outgrew Supporting Evidence [Washington Post account, especially important on the aluminium tubes. Extracts] * 'Key British claim on Iraq weapons was hearsay' [The 45 minute claim was one single uncorroborated source quoting another single uncorroborated source] PROBLEMS OF THE OCCUPATION * Attack near Tikrit kills a U.S. soldier [Wednesday, 13th August. Also Tuesday 12th August, Ramadi] * Iraq draws a new tide of Islamic militants [The article suggests, following the well known expert on terrorism, L.Paul Bremer, that Ansar el-Islam is playing a big role. Which seems very unlikely given that they are a Kurdish group and not very numerous. Their leader in Norway seems to enjoy a wonderful immunity. He says, interestingly (its really the only interesting thing in an article you and I could have written off the top of our heads: '"The resistance is not only a reaction to the American invasion, it is part of the continuous Islamic struggle since the collapse of the caliphate. All Islamic struggles since then are part of one organized effort to bring back the caliphate."] * British Soldier Killed, Two Wounded in Iraq [Basra, Thursday, 14th August] * US apologises for sparking Baghdad protest [over religious flag blown, or torn, down by an army helicopter in Sadr City] * Oil flows from northern Iraq [To everyone's great joy. Unfortunately ...] * Iraq-Turkey Oil Pipe Repairs May Take Week Once Fire Out * Paying Iraq's Jews back, and the Palestinians less [Interesting question of compensation for Iraqi jews who left or were expelled between 1948 and 1951. We also learn, or are reminded that 'at least $300 million of Iraqi assets frozen in the US were previously set aside by American courts for potential use in paying out claims raised by US citizens. The Bush administration has said it would honor such claims.' That refers to all those idiotic US court cases conducted by 'human shields' and the like. Is the 'Iraq Governing Council' going to have something to say about all this?] * Wave of sabotage hits Iraq [Short extract concerning the death of a Danish soldier in Iraq] * Pipeline sabotage submerges Baghdad [and other incidents. Attack on Abu Gharib prison, and incidents in Taji, near Balad, near Ramadi and in Mosul (attempted assassination of mayor)] * Massive military contractor's media mess [extract on the Scientific Applications International Corporation (SAIC)'s mishandling of the Iraqi Media Network (IMN)] * UN Bombed in Baghdad AND, IN NEWS, 13-20/8/03 (2) LIFE UNDER THE OCCUPATION * 'It was punishment without trial' [Account by Jonathan Steele of arbitrary imprisonment and prison conditions] * UN moves to legitimize Iraq's interim regime [The headline is rather an exaggeration of what the UN Security Council has done] * Coroner calls on MoD to stop using cluster bombs [Article which derives some added interest from the fact it comes from the Daily Telegraph] * Iraq's cleric who would be heard [Description of Muqtada al-Sadr] * US troops shoot Iraq cameraman * Iraqi kids toil in Dickensian desperation * Mass graves to reveal Iraq war toll [In this case the mass graves of Iraqis killed by the invaders. Who, if the article is to be believed have clearly not paid very much attention to Article 17 of the 1949 First Geneva Convention which requires them to ' ensure that the dead are honourably interred, if possible according to the rites of the religion to which they belonged, that their graves are respected, grouped if possible according to the nationality of the deceased, properly maintained and marked so that they may always be found.' It goes on 'For this purpose, they shall organize at the commencement of hostilities an Official Graves Registration Service, to allow subsequent exhumations and to ensure the identification of bodies, whatever the site of the graves, and the possible transportation to the home country.' Did either the US or UK governments set up such a body?] * 12 Ex-Soldiers Dead in Iraq Ammo Dump Blast [This comes from Al JazzeraH - not to be confused with Al Jazeera, but curiously they seem to provide quite a good service. Every so often we get a little glimpse of the huge numbers of Iraqis who are being killed as part of the aftermath of the invasion and the increased level of destitution it has brought.] * Iraq's SCIRI, caught between Tehran and Washington [Article apparently written in defence of SCIRI as 'the most well-organized Shiite force in the country' which may also 'prove to be a reliable partner for the US', but it gives quite a few good reaspons for doubting both propositions.] OLD IRAQI ORDER * Iraq: US running with the enemy [Apparently detailed account of Iraqi government defections during the invasion. But why should an apparently experienced military commander want to go to the (we were told) non-military FIF training camp in Hungary?] * Saddam 'made sex slaves' of Kurd women [This includes the following strange paragraph: 'Kirkuk's newly-established post-war Appeal Court told the families last week that they could not pursue claims against the leaders of the local and national secret service agencies because an amnesty offered by Saddam to all criminals last October remained valid.' Does that mean that until President Hussein's amnesty is rescinded by a properly constituted Iraqi government, no-one can be prosecuted for anything? And that 'Kirkuk's newly established post-war Appeal Court' recognises decisions by the government of Saddam Hussein as valid?] * Saddam's vice-president handed over to US forces after he's found hiding as a peasant [Taha Yassin Ramadan] FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS * Turkey wants more of the Iraqi action [Apparently detailed account of the debate in Turkey, where Erdogan is arguing for a large Turkish military presence even without either a new UN mandate or an invitation from the 'Iraqi Governing Council'.] _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk