Gorilla’s Guides

This joint posting combines analysis and a news summary. It is part one of a three part posting. The news summary has been prepared primarily from Arabic media sources. We have used some western sources also. The big news of February 20th which does not seem to have penetrated Western conciousness is that the siege of Baghdad by fighters resisting the American invaders is continuing to tighen. As American and allied soldiers “surge” into Baghdad they leave the surrounding governorates clear for the fighters resisting the American invasion to tighten their grip on the capital’s supply lines. The destruction of a fuel convoy 107 kilomtres north of Baghdad in Qadha Al Azim is typical of such attacks which have increased to the extent that they often now go unreported. The reasons for this are two-fold.

1. They occur so often that they are no longer news or if reported are buried as a brief mention in longer news reports.
2. They occur in parts of the country where even Iraki journalists dare not operate, word of such attacks in those areas filters out slowly and is often difficulty to verify.

Also seemingly unnoticed by the Western media is the impact of the Sabrine Al Jabani rape case on Iraki opinion. In a military context the announcement by the group that styles itself the the Islamic Army in Iraq posted to numerous sites demonstrates the ever diminishing legitimacy of the green zone government and the increasing political legitimacy of the fighters resisting the American occupation. We reproduce below its key passage shorn of the rhetoric in which such statements are customarily phased:

All the operations that we carry out this month will be concentrated against the Iraki security forces and will be called Operation Sabrin. We of the Islamic Army in Irak say to sister Sabrine that we will have no peace until we have sought revenge for her and for the honour of all Muslim women who have been raped.

There is every indication that they have started to carry out this threat and that other fighter groups Sunni and Shia alike are also intensifying their operations. The failed American invasion of Irak is moving into it’s penultimate phase — the penultimate phase of all failed invasions and occupations — repeated battles for the capital

markfromireland, Saba Ali Ihsan, Omar Abu Abdullah,
4 Safar 1428/February 21st 2007

Our particular thanks to:

Mohammed Ibn Laith of;
Al-Sadriya
Baghdad,
Irak

Who worked through the night and who somehow found the time to create the readers’ competition at the bottom of this posting. Our particular thanks are also due to:

Ali, Ali (Al Basrawi), Laith Abu Mohammed, Omar Abu Abdullah, Ali Ibn Hussein, Hassan Abu Othman, Khalil Ibn Omar, Khalil (Al Baghdadi), Yusuf, Salah, Omar in Mosul, Dubhaltach. Declan, Tony Byrne, and “Smurph.”

---

News Summary From Irak for: 4 Safar 1428 (2007/02/20)

Truth Teller Of The Day 1:

We’re going to be on the ground in Iraq as soldiers and citizens for years. We’re going to be running a colony almost,”

Paul Bremer to Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Meeting, February 23 2003

Liar Of The Day:

“The Iraqi people are now free. And they do not have to worry about the secret police coming after them in the middle of the night, and they don’t have to worry about their husbands and brothers being taken off and shot, or their wives being taken to rape rooms. Those days are over.”

Paul Bremer, Administrator, [Iraq] Coalition Provisional Authority, Sept. 2, 2003

Rapist of The Day — Sgt. Paul Cortez :

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A second U.S. soldier pleaded guilty on Tuesday to raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdering her family, a crime for which three others still face charges.

Sgt. Paul Cortez, 24, chewed gum and responded with the occasional “yes, sir,” as a military judge read out the plea agreement, in which Cortez described how he held the girl down and acted as a lookout so other men could take turns raping the teenager before she and her family were killed.

[snip]

Spc. James Barker pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to 90 years in a military prison.

In the plea agreement, Cortez said he held the girl’s hands while Barker raped her, then he raped her himself.

The suspected ringleader, Steven Green, shot to death the girl’s father, mother and 6-year-old sister. He then raped the girl while Cortez acted as a lookout. Green finally shot the girl dead, according to the plea agreement.

Cortez, wearing a dress green uniform and flanked by his civilian lawyer and his military lawyer, showed little reaction to the judge’s recitation of the crime. Fewer than two dozen spectators attended the trial in a tiny courtroom inside a Kentucky military base.

Despite his guilty plea, Cortez did not agree that the rape and murder were premeditated. His lawyer, William Cassara, said prosecutors will try to prove on Wednesday that the crime was planned ahead of time.

Prosecuting attorney Alex Pickands said the soldiers “gathered together over cards and booze” last year in Baghdad and came up with a plan to rape and murder the teenage girl.

Even if premeditation is not proven, the sentencing options are the same: a maximum of life in prison without parole or a minimum of life in prison with the possibility of parole. Barker and Cortez both avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty. Sentencing is expected on Wednesday or Thursday.

The trial was adjourned after less than three hours so that lawyers could discuss Cortez’s involvement in the burning of the girl’s body in an attempt to cover up the attack. Cortez pleaded guilty to arson and breaking into the girl’s house.

The suspected ringleader, Green, was discharged from the Army for a “personality disorder” and is in a Kentucky prison awaiting civilian trial.

Cortez also pleaded guilty to helping get rid of the murder weapon, an AK-47, which was thrown into a canal. He also admitted to drinking whiskey prior to the attack, a violation of Army rules against alcohol in that area of Iraq.

The other soldiers accused in the case are Pvt. Jesse Spielman and Pvt. Bryan Howard.

Source: Reuters - U.S. soldier pleads guilty in Iraq rape, murders

Truth Teller Of The Day 2:

No Iraqi woman under the circumstances- under any circumstances- would publicly, falsely claim she was raped. There are just too many risks. There is the risk of being shunned socially. There is the risk of beginning an endless chain of retaliations and revenge killings between tribes. There is the shame of coming out publicly and talking about a subject so taboo, she and her husband are not only risking their reputations by telling this story, they are risking their lives.

No one would lie about something like this simply to undermine the Baghdad security operation. That can be done simply by calculating the dozens of dead this last week. Or by writing about the mass detentions of innocents, or how people are once again burying their valuables so that Iraqi and American troops don’t steal them.

Source: Baghdad Burning

Puppet on String Of The Day 1:

Brigadier Qasim Atta of the green zone “government” forces and his so-called “source” who “prefers to remain anonymous.”

The Rape of Sabrine Al Janabi Press Conference Cancellation:

An “anonymous” source in the press office of the General Command of the Green Zone Goverment armed forces called Iraki news sources and cancelled the scheduled press conference meant to “clarify” the rape allegations made by Sabrine al-Janabi that soldiers and officers of the Ministry of the Interior Internal Affairs had raped her during a search of her home in al-Amil.

The source, who “preferred to remain anonymous,” told the independent Iraki news agency Aswat Al Irak (Voices of Irak) that the conference which was to have been given by the Brigadier to “clarify” Sabrine al-Janabi’s circumstances:

was canceled for technical reasons.

The “anonymous source” did not disclose the nature of those “tecnnical reasons.”

Puppet on String Of The Day 2:

Nouri Al Maliki who issued a statement after a 4 hour investigation rewarding the officers and soldiers involved and in a very rare and heavily protected foray onto the streets claimed the sole purpose was to disrupt the plan to secure the capital for the green zone government.

Other Puppetry:

The sometimes an American puppet and sometimes an Iranian puppet Ahmad Chalabi known thoughout the entire Middle East as “Ahmad the thief” for his role in stealing from Petra bank in Jordan has proposed further amaedments to the laws on de-Ba’athification measures.

Death And Destruction In Irak:

Baghdad

The bombing involving the chlorine tanker at the Shia owned al-Bayt restauraunt in al-Taji killed 6 and wounded at least 135. Most of the victims were women and children because there are schools in the immediate area of the bombing.

The bombing close to the fuel station between al-Bayaa and al-Sayyidiya southwest Baghdad killed three people and wounded ten.

The American Invader fortress in the middle of the heavily poplulated Abu Dashir district of south baghdad opened fire with an artillery bombardment this afternoon eyewitnesses said at least ten shells were fired by the American invaders.

Murdered Journalist’s Body Identified

The bodys of Abdul Razak Hashim Khaghani, an editor who worked in the Republic of Iraq Radio, and body of his cousin who was with hin when he was kidpnapped last month were identified at morgue of Baghdad Medical Centre forensics. They were kidnapped in Jihad district of West Baghdad while visiting family members. Both had been shot. The Iraqi Journalists union called for a protest front of its headquarters on Wednesday to protest the recent attack against it by the Americans. [See also fuller report from Middle East Online in English - Mohammed]

Baghdad Death and Destruction Continued:

The suicide bomber who attacked the funeral gathering in Palestine Street killed 7 people and wounded 30 others. All were civilians the wounded were taken to al-Kindi hospital. [The suicide bombing on Palestine Street on Sunday afternoon killed 5 people and wounded 15 some of whom are not expected to survive. Palestine Street has been “pacified” repeatedly it has just been “pacified” again as part of America’s surge. Working really well isn’t it? - Mohammed] The bomb near the wholesale vegetable market in ad Dora killed 4 people and wounded 17 others. [This is a Shia enclave Ad-Dora is mostly Sunni - Mohammed]

Al-Muthannā:

The vice president of Muthanna governorate Mohammed Hanoun was shot dead today on his way to evening prayers, he is the second member of the governorate council for Muthanna murdered within the last two months, Abdel-Gawad Alzalmi was assasinated on the Najaf-Samawah road.

Police Deny Arresting Sadrist Officials

The police did not arrest any official in al-Sadr’s office in Samawa and there are no plans by security authorities to arrest any of the Sadrists

According to Lieutenant Hayyawi Hassan, Al-Muthannā governorate police spokesman, in telephone statements to the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) . The spokesman went on to say that the detainees were detained on charges of targetting Muthannā chief of police Colonel Ali Al-Bakhum and other security related offenses. He went on to say of them that they “were members of a terrorist group that confessed to its crimes inSamawa.”

The spokesman for the governorate police went on to say:

“The detained have nothing to do with Sadr’s office or Sadr’s Mahdi Army militias, and we do not accuse any of the Sadrist leaders of having been behind the attacks on police forces in Samawa”

Al Anbar:

A green zone government army patrol was attacked at 5:00 pm in the al-Muhandesin neighbourhood in central Falluja leaving a Hummer vehicle destroyed, a source in Falluja police said, fierce clashes followed the attackers escaped. The 4 day curfew imposed on all the residents of HIt by the American invaders has been lifted. The American invader base in Fallujah underwent its daily mortar bombardment.

Diyala:

In Muqdadiya, a force of American invaders and their Iraki green zone government allies underlings detained 43 persons they suspect of being resistance fighters.

Siege of Baghdad: Fuel Convoy Set on Fire Drivers Shot Dead

In Qadha Al-Azim 107 Kilometres north of Baghdad gun men attacked a convoy of three fuel tankers loaded with fuel gasolene travelling on the Baghdad - Diyala - Kirkuk highway. The convoy was forced to stop. The drivers taken out and shot. The convoy was set on fire. [The surge is working really well isn’t it? - Mohammed.]

Tamim:

Kirkuk: A guard working for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) office in al-Nasr was wounded by a sniper shooting from a nearby building. Two green zone government soldiers were killed and another wounded when their patrol was bombed in Al-Huwayjah 70 kilometers south-west of Kirkuk, green zone forces are conducting raids under the guidance of Americans in:

1. al-Khuzayfiya,
2. Atshana,
3. Abu Sakhra,
4. al-Hanka,
5. Hamdaniya
6. and Tamima

these intensive operations have so far netted a total of 8 people suspected of resistance activity. [Surging all over the place - Mohammed.]

Wasit:

A large number of mines from the war with Iran were rendered harmless in Qadah Badrah 91 km from Kut.

Salah ad Din:

Diriector of agriculture Abdallah Muhammad and two of his bodyguards have been abducted near Tikrit.

Ninawa:

in Shaykan curfews have been imposed to try to prevent further rioting at reports that a Muslim girl had been abducted by a Yezhidi. In an unrelated attack Dr. Nasser Abdel Majid Fakhry was shot dead in West Mosul.

Basra

The British invader bases underwent their nightly bombardment. British invaders detained 5 people they suspect of being involved in resisting the invasion 4 were detained in al-and one at al-Tamimiya

Najaf

The office of the political party headed by Allawi was bombed during the night.

Karbala Refugees Resettlement:

Refugees returning to Iraq who had families been forcibly displaced from their areas and who registered with the authorities in Karbala with cut date of 25 / 12 / 2006 are now starting to be given land.8635 families are eligible for this batch of registrations to be resettled.

Sport:

Ihab Kareem the Al Senah midfielder has died from his wounds that he got in the al-Shorjah bombing Ahmed Naser who lost a leg in the same bombing is still in critcal condition. The Iraqi team won their match against Jordan in Amman.

News From Irak 2007/02/21

Prepared By:

Saba Ali Ihsan
Baghdad
Irak

The American invaders as part of their “surge” have issued a decree that all who sell fuel for cooking outside of officially approved outlets will be arrested under the anti-terrorism law.

Comment:

It is true as the linked article says that these dealers exploit the lack of oil derivatives in particular Kerosene used cooking in the official outlets throughout Iraq to increas their prices up to ten times the prices at the approved outlets. The reason for this is of course that fighters resisting the American invaders routinely destroy fuel convoys and attack oil installations. The solution is to remove the reason for the attacks which is for the American predators trying to seize control of Irak and her assets to leave. Not enough of them have been killed yet for them to decide to this but no doubt that day will not be long. Until then the American predators impose yet another burden on the suffering people of Baghdad. I have no doubt that they will use this as an excuse to raid Islamic charities that buy fuel where they can and give it to the poorest.

 

Death And Destruction In American Invaded Irak February 21st

Baghdad:

Two civilians were killed and 9 wounded in a mortar attack on al-Shurta al-Rabia neighbourhood of southwest Baghdad. The minibus bombing in Sadr city killed four civilians and wounded seven. The American invaders have now admitted that the helicopter which they originally said made a “hard landing” was in fact shot down. One green zone government policeman was killed and 3 wounded by a bomb as their convoy passed al-Jaderiyah bridge in central Baghdad. The car bombing of the fuel station in al-Bayaa killed two civilians and injured 9.

Rape Cases:

The Iraqi Accord called upon the government to protect the human rights of women during arrest and search operations by its troops. At a press conference today Abdel Nasser al-Janabi called for female detainees to be released and said that the rape incident involving Ms. al-Janabi was not the only such that had occurred, that similar cases. not declared had taken place on Palestine Street and Haifa Street amongst other areas.

Journalists Protest:

The protest by journalists about the American invader raid upon the Iraqi Journalist’s Union the call for which was documented by my colleague Mohammed Ibn Laith yesterday took place.

Al Anbar:

The green zone government Iraqi army base in al-Yarmouk south of Fallujah came under attack. In Hit the green zone government “police” have seized the school premises attached to Ibn Abdullah Mosque for their new headquarters and told students to move. They have also told shopowners that they will be punished if the do not remain open late at night as part of the American led attempts to “normalise” the situation in the city. [Truly it is embarassing to read of such. NObody in the Iraki army could exactly have been described as “soft” in the old days, but in the old days anybody who ordered such stupidness would have been taken out and shot. - Saba]

Diyala:

An armoured convoy of American invaders was attacked in al-Katon 4km west of Baquba. Two American tanks were destroyed by bombs which was followed by an RPG and small arms clash lasting more than an hour. The Americans subsequently launched a search operation for the fighters who attacked them.

Tamim

Kirkuk ethnic cleansing:

 Police checkpoints have been set up apparently with the connivance of the local Kurdish separatist dominated authorities preventing citizens from entering the city on the basis that they are not resident there. A campaign of ethnic cleansing is currently underway in the ethnically mixed city in an attempt to ensure that it becomes a purely Kurdish zone. The carbomb in Kiruk centre wounded 23 civilians. The bomb at the military base killed 4 green zone government soldiers.

Najaf:

The bombing in Najaf near the Imam Ali shrine killed 13 and wounded 34. The area was crowded with pilgrims.

 

Invasion Forces:

American invasion forces have suffered 21 dead and 29 wounded since the “surge” began American invader deaths are now 3150 since America invaded Irak. The Americans have now admitted that far more wounded than in Tarmiyah attack than they first announced.The British invaders are declaring victory and leaving by “tranferring responsibility” and  reducing their presence from 7100 to 5500 and withdrawing to their bases. [I suppose that might save them casualties - readers should note that the Danes also are sharply reducing their contingent of the invasion forces. Saba]

Sgt. Paul Cortez: Snivelling American Rapist of The Day

He is snivelling because he got caught and for no other reason. - Saba.

Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder - Yahoo! News

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier under court-martial at a Kentucky military base broke down in tears on Wednesday as he described how he and others planned the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, murdered along with her family.

Sgt. Paul Cortez, 24, is the second U.S. soldier to plead guilty to raping the girl and killing her and her family in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in March 2006. The soldiers then poured kerosene on the girl’s body and lit her on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime.

Cortez, wearing a dress green uniform and flanked by his civilian and military lawyers, described how he, Spc. James Barker and a since-discharged soldier, Pvt. Steven Green, planned the attack over liquor and a game of cards.

“While we were playing cards Barker and Green started talking about having sex with an Iraqi female. Barker and Green had already known…” Cortez said before breaking down. He bowed his head and remained silent, sniffling occasionally, for a full minute before continuing.

“Barker and Green had already known what, um, house they wanted to go to … knew only one male was in the house, and knew it would be an easy target,” Cortez said.

Once at the house, Green, the suspected ringleader, took the girl’s mother, father and little sister into a bedroom, Cortez said, while he and Barker took the teenager, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, to the living room.

“She kept squirming and trying to keep her legs closed and saying stuff in Arabic,” Cortez said.

“During the time me and Barker were raping Abeer, I heard five or six gunshots that came from the bedroom. After Barker was done, Green came out of the bedroom and said that he had killed them all, that all of them were dead,” Cortez said.

“Green then placed himself between Abeer’s legs to rape her,” Cortez said, sniffing audibly. When Green was finished, he “stood up and shot Abeer in the head two or three times.” The entire crime took about five minutes to carry out, he added.

Cortez said the girl knew her parents and sister had been shot while she was being raped. He said she screamed and cried throughout the assault.

A recess was granted in the middle of his testimony to allow him to regain his composure. About two dozen spectators attended the hearing in a tiny courtroom on the base.

The military judge accepted Cortez’s guilty plea, and will likely impose a sentence later on Wednesday or on Thursday. Cortez could face life in prison without possibility of parole for the rape and four counts of murder.

According to the charges, three soldiers raped the girl, while another helped commit the crimes. A fifth kept watch back at their outpost. All have been charged.

Barker pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to 90 years in a military prison. Green was discharged from the Army for a “personality disorder” and is in a Kentucky prison awaiting civilian trial.

Barker and Cortez both avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty and have agreed to testify against Green and others charged in the crime.

Cortez also pleaded guilty to rape, arson and breaking into the girl’s house and to obstruction of justice for helping get rid of the murder weapon, an AK-47, which was thrown into a canal.

The other soldiers accused in the case are Pvt. Jesse Spielman and Pvt. Bryan Howard.

Source: Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder - Yahoo! News

Spare me coments about the Iraki green zone government troops accused of rape. I am disgusted even at the thought of an Iraki sinking to the level of an American soldier. They will be dealt with and they know it. Your puppet Maliki will be also be dealt with. - Saba

Gorilla’s Guides Reader Competition

Here at Gorilla’s Guides we get some American readers, we don’t like them to feel left out, and we like them to be entertained as well informed. In keeping with American news priorities it is big news that White House Press Secretary Tony Snow really is very brave. And we have the photographs to prove it. So today I have made a little competition for our American readers. Just below this I have put a story about American politics. I have added two photographs and the text supplied with those photographs by AP. I have added two tiny little words to those words. Your mission — should you choose to accept it — is to find the two tiny little words that have been added and which prove that Mr. Snow is a shining example of the courage honesty and intregrity found at all levels of the Cheney Bush administration.

The winner of the competition will be given ownership of any bridge in America they care for courtesy of Gorilla’s Guides. (Offer not valid in Tennessee.)

Mohammed Ibn Laith,
4 Safar 1428/February 21st 2007,
Al-Sadriya
Baghdad,
Irak.

— Find The Two Tiny Words and win win win the bridge of your dreams.

U.S. orders review into treatment of wounded troops - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Bush administration ordered a review on Tuesday of the care of wounded U.S. troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan after reports that many face neglect in the Army’s medical system.

Democrats controlling Congress demanded a thorough investigation and promised legislation after a Washington Post series exposed deteriorating conditions for hundreds of outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, the premier U.S. military hospital.

The controversy poses a public relations problem for President George W. Bush, who has spoken often of America’s debt to military personnel wounded in the wars, visited the hospital’s wards and honored military amputees at White House functions.

The White House expressed concern at conditions for veterans after reports that many suffering physical and psychological problems lived in shoddy housing on or near the sprawling complex and faced long battles with Army bureaucracy.

“I can tell you that we believe that they deserve better,” White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters. “Of course, there’s outrage that men and women who have been fighting have not received the outpatient care.”

“We need to make sure that whatever problems there are get fixed,” he added.

The Pentagon said an independent panel would look into outpatient care and administrative processes at Walter Reed and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

“We are committed to improving the clinical and administrative processes, including improving temporary living conditions for our service members and their families,” said Assistant Secretary of Defense William Winkenwerder, the Pentagon’s top doctor.

The Army and Navy had also begun their own reviews into the two medical centers, the Pentagon said in a statement.

The White House has irked the new Democratic majority in Congress by suggesting that they would be hurting American troops if they made any effort to cut off funds for the Iraq war, which faces growing public opposition.

Two Democratic senators, Barbara Mikulski (news, bio, voting record) of Maryland and Patty Murray (news, bio, voting record) of Washington, wrote Defense Secretary Robert Gates urging a high-level investigation of “deplorable living conditions” at Walter Reed, where presidents, lawmakers and soldiers have been treated since 1909.

Two other Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama (news, bio, voting record) of Illinois and Sen. Claire McCaskill (news, bio, voting record) of Missouri, said they would introduce legislation to improve the quality of care and require more frequent inspections of active-duty military hospitals.

“Caring for our returning heroes is one of the things we can still get right about this war, and that’s why the deterioration of the conditions at Walter Reed is both appalling and unacceptable,” said Obama, a candidate for his party’s 2008 presidential nomination.

Source: U.S. orders review into treatment of wounded troops - Yahoo! News

News From Irak 2007/02/21

Prepared By:

Saba Ali Ihsan
Baghdad
Irak

The American invaders as part of their “surge” have issued a decree that all who sell fuel for cooking outside of officially approved outlets will be arrested under the anti-terrorism law.

Comment:

It is true as the linked article says that these dealers exploit the lack of oil derivatives in particular Kerosene used cooking in the official outlets throughout Iraq to increas their prices up to ten times the prices at the approved outlets. The reason for this is of course that fighters resisting the American invaders routinely destroy fuel convoys and attack oil installations. The solution is to remove the reason for the attacks which is for the American predators trying to seize control of Irak and her assets to leave. Not enough of them have been killed yet for them to decide to this but no doubt that day will not be long. Until then the American predators impose yet another burden on the suffering people of Baghdad. I have no doubt that they will use this as an excuse to raid Islamic charities that buy fuel where they can and give it to the poorest.

 

Death And Destruction In American Invaded Irak February 21st

Baghdad:

Two civilians were killed and 9 wounded in a mortar attack on al-Shurta al-Rabia neighbourhood of southwest Baghdad. The minibus bombing in Sadr city killed four civilians and wounded seven. The American invaders have now admitted that the helicopter which they originally said made a “hard landing” was in fact shot down. One green zone government policeman was killed and 3 wounded by a bomb as their convoy passed al-Jaderiyah bridge in central Baghdad. The car bombing of the fuel station in al-Bayaa killed two civilians and injured 9.

Rape Cases:

The Iraqi Accord called upon the government to protect the human rights of women during arrest and search operations by its troops. At a press conference today Abdel Nasser al-Janabi called for female detainees to be released and said that the rape incident involving Ms. al-Janabi was not the only such that had occurred, that similar cases. not declared had taken place on Palestine Street and Haifa Street amongst other areas.

Journalists Protest:

The protest by journalists about the American invader raid upon the Iraqi Journalist’s Union the call for which was documented by my colleague Mohammed Ibn Laith yesterday took place.

Al Anbar:

The green zone government Iraqi army base in al-Yarmouk south of Fallujah came under attack. In Hit the green zone government “police” have seized the school premises attached to Ibn Abdullah Mosque for their new headquarters and told students to move. They have also told shopowners that they will be punished if the do not remain open late at night as part of the American led attempts to “normalise” the situation in the city. [Truly it is embarassing to read of such. NObody in the Iraki army could exactly have been described as “soft” in the old days, but in the old days anybody who ordered such stupidness would have been taken out and shot. - Saba]

Diyala:

An armoured convoy of American invaders was attacked in al-Katon 4km west of Baquba. Two American tanks were destroyed by bombs which was followed by an RPG and small arms clash lasting more than an hour. The Americans subsequently launched a search operation for the fighters who attacked them.

Tamim

Kirkuk ethnic cleansing:

 Police checkpoints have been set up apparently with the connivance of the local Kurdish separatist dominated authorities preventing citizens from entering the city on the basis that they are not resident there. A campaign of ethnic cleansing is currently underway in the ethnically mixed city in an attempt to ensure that it becomes a purely Kurdish zone. The carbomb in Kiruk centre wounded 23 civilians. The bomb at the military base killed 4 green zone government soldiers.

Najaf:

The bombing in Najaf near the Imam Ali shrine killed 13 and wounded 34. The area was crowded with pilgrims.

 

Invasion Forces:

American invasion forces have suffered 21 dead and 29 wounded since the “surge” began American invader deaths are now 3150 since America invaded Irak. The Americans have now admitted that far more wounded than in Tarmiyah attack than they first announced.The British invaders are declaring victory and leaving by “tranferring responsibility” and  reducing their presence from 7100 to 5500 and withdrawing to their bases. [I suppose that might save them casualties - readers should note that the Danes also are sharply reducing their contingent of the invasion forces. Saba]

Sgt. Paul Cortez: Snivelling American Rapist of The Day

He is snivelling because he got caught and for no other reason. - Saba.

Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder - Yahoo! News

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (Reuters) - A U.S. soldier under court-martial at a Kentucky military base broke down in tears on Wednesday as he described how he and others planned the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl, murdered along with her family.

Sgt. Paul Cortez, 24, is the second U.S. soldier to plead guilty to raping the girl and killing her and her family in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in March 2006. The soldiers then poured kerosene on the girl’s body and lit her on fire in an attempt to cover up the crime.

Cortez, wearing a dress green uniform and flanked by his civilian and military lawyers, described how he, Spc. James Barker and a since-discharged soldier, Pvt. Steven Green, planned the attack over liquor and a game of cards.

“While we were playing cards Barker and Green started talking about having sex with an Iraqi female. Barker and Green had already known…” Cortez said before breaking down. He bowed his head and remained silent, sniffling occasionally, for a full minute before continuing.

“Barker and Green had already known what, um, house they wanted to go to … knew only one male was in the house, and knew it would be an easy target,” Cortez said.

Once at the house, Green, the suspected ringleader, took the girl’s mother, father and little sister into a bedroom, Cortez said, while he and Barker took the teenager, Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, to the living room.

“She kept squirming and trying to keep her legs closed and saying stuff in Arabic,” Cortez said.

“During the time me and Barker were raping Abeer, I heard five or six gunshots that came from the bedroom. After Barker was done, Green came out of the bedroom and said that he had killed them all, that all of them were dead,” Cortez said.

“Green then placed himself between Abeer’s legs to rape her,” Cortez said, sniffing audibly. When Green was finished, he “stood up and shot Abeer in the head two or three times.” The entire crime took about five minutes to carry out, he added.

Cortez said the girl knew her parents and sister had been shot while she was being raped. He said she screamed and cried throughout the assault.

A recess was granted in the middle of his testimony to allow him to regain his composure. About two dozen spectators attended the hearing in a tiny courtroom on the base.

The military judge accepted Cortez’s guilty plea, and will likely impose a sentence later on Wednesday or on Thursday. Cortez could face life in prison without possibility of parole for the rape and four counts of murder.

According to the charges, three soldiers raped the girl, while another helped commit the crimes. A fifth kept watch back at their outpost. All have been charged.

Barker pleaded guilty in November and was sentenced to 90 years in a military prison. Green was discharged from the Army for a “personality disorder” and is in a Kentucky prison awaiting civilian trial.

Barker and Cortez both avoided the death penalty by pleading guilty and have agreed to testify against Green and others charged in the crime.

Cortez also pleaded guilty to rape, arson and breaking into the girl’s house and to obstruction of justice for helping get rid of the murder weapon, an AK-47, which was thrown into a canal.

The other soldiers accused in the case are Pvt. Jesse Spielman and Pvt. Bryan Howard.

Source: Tearful soldier tells court of Iraq rape-murder - Yahoo! News

Spare me coments about the Iraki green zone government troops accused of rape. I am disgusted even at the thought of an Iraki sinking to the level of an American soldier. They will be dealt with and they know it. Your puppet Maliki will be also be dealt with. - Saba

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Posted on February 21st, 2007 under Human Rights, Iraq, Photos, Politics and Security, War Crimes, Women and Children. Tags: Al Anbar (Governorate), Aswat Al Iraq - News, Baghdad, Baqubah, Basrah, bomb, bombing, Bombings, Car bomb, Disputed Areas, Diyala, Fallujah, Hit, IED, Jaish al-Mahdi, Journalists Attacked, Kirkuk, Kut, Mahdi, Mahdi Army, Maysan (Governorate), Militia, Najaf, Refugees, Women and Children. RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback.