Iraq: Those democratic ideals aren't that crash hot

Amidst reports of growing anger in Washington between those seeking an end to the American presence in Iraq and the White House seemingly committed to "staying the course" [whatever that means!] it looke like the US has done little to instil true democratic values and ways in Iraq. Remember, it was because Saddam was a tyrant and democracy and democratic values had to be restored in Iraq that the Coalition of the Willing embarked on the folly they did.

As this United Press International report reveals, it seems the Iraqis don't really want the bad news out there:

"The Iraqi government is withholding official statistics on violent deaths from the United Nations, making it difficult to assess human-rights conditions.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq said in a statement its quarterly human-rights report, released in Baghdad Wednesday, does not contain official statistics of violent deaths that are normally collected by the Health Ministry and the Medico-Legal Institute because the Iraqi government "decided not to make such data available to UNAMI."

The mission said it regretted this measure because its reports "have been regarded as a credible source of information regarding developments in the human rights situation in Iraq." UNAMI stressed it would continue to urge the Iraqi authorities to provide such information.

In its previous quarterly report in January, UNAMI said 34,452 Iraqi civilians were killed -- an average of 94 every day -- and 36,685 injured in violence during 2006. The publicity of the alarmingly high numbers apparently upset the Iraqi authorities, who tried to discredit these statistics, saying the numbers were much lower."

Comments

Reading the Chilcot Inquiry Report more closely

Most commentary on the Chilcot Inquiry Report of and associated with the Iraq War, has been "lifted" from the Executive Summary. The Intercept has actually gone and dug into the Report, with these revelations : "THE CHILCOT REPORT, the U.K.’s official inquiry into its participation in the Iraq War, has finally been released after seven years of investigation. Its executive summary certainly makes former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who led the British push for war, look terrible. According to the report, Blair made statements about Iraq’s nonexistent chemical, biological, and nuclear programs based on “what Mr. Blair believed” rather than the intelligence he had been given. The U.K. went to war despite the fact that “diplomatic options had not been exhausted.” Blair was warned by British intelligence that terrorism would “increase in the event of war, reflecting intensified anti-US/anti-Western sentiment in the Muslim world, including among Muslim communities in the

Robert Fisk's predictions for the Middle East in 2013

There is no gain-saying that Robert Fisk, fiercely independent and feisty to boot, is the veteran journalist and author covering the Middle East. Who doesn't he know or hasn't he met over the years in reporting from Beirut - where he lives? In his latest op-ed piece for The Independent he lays out his predictions for the Middle East for 2013. Read the piece in full, here - well worthwhile - but an extract... "Never make predictions in the Middle East. My crystal ball broke long ago. But predicting the region has an honourable pedigree. “An Arab movement, newly-risen, is looming in the distance,” a French traveller to the Gulf and Baghdad wrote in 1883, “and a race hitherto downtrodden will presently claim its due place in the destinies of Islam.” A year earlier, a British diplomat in Jeddah confided that “it is within my knowledge... that the idea of freedom does at present agitate some minds even in Mecca...” So let’s say this for 2013: the “Arab Awakening” (the t

An unpalatable truth!

Quinoa has for the last years been the "new" food on the block for foodies. Known for its health properties, foodies the world over have taken to it. Many restaurants have added it to their menu. But, as this piece " Can vegans stomach the unpalatable truth about quinoa? " from The Guardian so clearly details, the cost to Bolivians and Peruvians - from where quinoa hails - has been substantial. "Not long ago, quinoa was just an obscure Peruvian grain you could only buy in wholefood shops. We struggled to pronounce it (it's keen-wa, not qui-no-a), yet it was feted by food lovers as a novel addition to the familiar ranks of couscous and rice. Dieticians clucked over quinoa approvingly because it ticked the low-fat box and fitted in with government healthy eating advice to "base your meals on starchy foods". Adventurous eaters liked its slightly bitter taste and the little white curls that formed around the grains. Vegans embraced quinoa as

Mahler's Prodigal Son

Search This Blog