Happy Aniversary...

"It is an atomic bomb. It is the greatest thing in history." -President Harry S. Truman, August 6, 1945

"Congress should endorse the use of all necessary means to eliminate the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction." - John Edwards, September 2002

Two Traditions: WMD and Disinformation.

----

Hiroshima Mayor Criticizes US on Anniversary of Nuclear Bombing

"And 59 years ago today the US military dropped a 20 kiloton atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The bombing quickly killed over 140,000 people and marked the start of the nuclear arms race. About a quarter of a million people are believed to have died from effects of the bombing. Three days after Hiroshima, the U.S. dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki killing tens of thousands more. Today the mayor of Hiroshima condemned the United States for continuing to build nuclear weapons. He said "Ignoring the United Nations and its foundation of international law, the United States has resumed research to make nuclear weapons smaller and more usable.""

August Hell

Looks like Iraq is melting in the heat. Its been quite hot over there.

"Over 300 militiamen are reported dead and a 1000 have been arrested according to the governor of Najaf. Overall, the situation looks bleak for Sadr, and one has to surmise if this would end in either his arrest or his death. I doubt that the Sadrist movement would be over with Muqtada's death, they would just have a third martyr from the Sadr family to add to their list."

The "truce" with the Mahdi Army fighters is off. What motivates these people to take arms against the most well funded, equipped, trained, and deadly military in the history of humankind? If nothing else, the power of belief. Never underestimate the motivating power of belief. The Sadr city residential slums are being bombarded by US warplanes. Ahmed Shaybani, a spokesman for Sadr, said it was the U.S.-backed occupation forces who broke the truce by entering sacred areas of the holy city Najaf and damaging the shrine of Imam Ali. Also, our troops engaged in battle near Sadr's house last week, this all has clearly had repercussions.

Juan Cole translates some Quotes from Muqtada:

• ''I say America is our enemy and the enemy of the people, and we will not accept its partnership.''


• ''I blame the occupier for all the attacks going on in Iraq, such as the attacks on the churches and the kidnappings,'' he said in the sermon read by an aide, Sheik Jaber al-Khafaji.


• ''America is the greatest of Satans,'' he said, adding that violence was in the interest of foreign troops who want ''to create divisions and to control our dear country''


• In his sermon, al-Sadr called on his followers to continue the path of jihad or holy war even if he got killed.


• ''You have taken this path and you have to put up with the dangers and the obstacles. Heaven doesn't come at no price,'' he said. ''Don't wait for me to get up on the pulpit and give you directions. I, certainly, will be gone because the enemy is lurking for me everywhere. Don't let my death divide you.''

I haven't heard anything about his possible capture. He has also reportedly called for a truce. Odd. Actually, a truce would be the best option. Dealing with Muqtada is a job best done by Iraqi. Its extremely difficult for the occupying force to kill Mahdi Army fighters without killing civilians, devastating property, and increasing sympathy for the cause of their resistance. We are not popular over there right now, and a sustained attempt to overrun Sadr's militia will create more enemies, as we saw in April.

Sistani's departure to London is odd as well. Without the moderate Sistani active, perhaps the leash is removed from both those who would attack Sadr and those who would fight for him?

Look's like Robert Fisk's bleak report (about 4:10 into the MP3) last week (following the church bombings) warning of Iraq's impending implosion is coming true. Democracy Now! interviewed Fisk today.

1,200 Madhi surrender

1,200 Sadr militia surrender in Najaf per Iraqi police

More than 1,200 militiamen loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have surrendered following fierce clashes with US and Iraqi forces in Najaf, the police general directorate said. "Over 1,200 criminals have surrendered to Iraqi forces," it said in a statement, adding that the holy city of Najaf had been "secured".

Also curious is this comment:

"most of the captured militiamen were criminals who were released from Iraqi prisons by ousted president Saddam Hussein before last year's US-led invasion"

Which doesn't quite jibe with the reports suggesting most of the fighters are Al-Qa`idah, Iranians, & Syrians. Hopefully, more surrenders occur. I'm guessing that local Shi`ite clerics have denounced the Mahdi uprising and that (coupled with heavy casualties) may have helped influence the decision to surrender. There are also reports of fighting in Nasiriya.

"Iraqi Vice President Ibrahim al-Jafari implicitly criticised the United States, saying the reported deaths of 300 insurgents in Najaf was "not a civilised way" to rebuild his nation. "Of course, when I hear of the deaths of Iraqi civilians, I cannot find any justification for the killings," Jafari, on an official visit to London, told BBC television's "Newsnight" programme. "So my reaction (to US claims of 300 insurgents killed in Najaf) is negative," he added. "I think that killing Iraqi citizens is not a civilised way of building the new Iraq" - Link

Al-Jazeera reports that Mahdi claim many of the casualties reported by the americans were actually civilians:

"US marines say they have killed an estimated 300 Mahdi Army fighters in Najaf in the past two days, but a Muqtada al-Sadr spokesman says most of those killed were civilians. The spokesman claimed only 36 fighters had been killed in several Iraqi cities after clashes that have fuelled fears of a new rebellion among Iraqi Shias."