Bombing for Profit and Despotism

Shameless Thugs Bomb Largest Slum in World

PEPE ESCOBAR, THE REAL NEWS ANALYST: It’s been five years since George W. Bush proclaimed Mission Accomplished in Iraq. Now take a very good look at these images. Yes, they are disturbing. You won’t see them on Western TV networks. And no, there’s not a hint of mission accomplished about them. These are innocent civilians-– poor Shi’ite Arabs living in the three million-strong Sadr City in Baghdad, one of the largest slums in the world. As The Real News has reported Sadr City is being walled in–- transformed into a gulag, and pounded relentlessly by US air strikes. The Pentagon-–and the Iraqi government–-say they are “protecting the Green Zone” by attacking Sadr City.
As if that traumatic scene of the helicopter leaving the roof of the US embassy in Saigon in 1975 was rattling too many military minds. 1745 Iraqi civilians were killed in April-– against 159 policemen and 104 soldiers. Over 400 people were killed in Sadr City alone. Only 10% were guerrillas. This carnage is a direct consequence of Dick Cheney’s recent tour of the Middle East, Iraq included. This carnage is a direct consequence of Gen. David Petraeus’ surge. These are victims of a vicious political battle between the al-Maliki government in Baghdad, supported by the al-Hakim family, and the US, against Muqtada al-Sadr, who they fear will win the next elections in October-–because, of course, he is immensely popular. And in the big picture, these deaths are a graphic example of how the sophisticated Pentagon machine plans to deal with “problematic” urban slums in the future. We wall them, we isolate them, and we bomb the hell out of them. Who cares about collateral damage? It may be very harsh to say, but that's how it is.

Hillary Threatens Iran

Iran’s response to Senator Clinton’s remarks in which she issued a severe warning to Iran in the event that it attacked Israel came out of Tehran today. Last month the Democratic presidential hopeful said:

SOUNDBITE: Hillary Clinton

"Well, the question was, if Iran were to launch a nuclear attack on Israel, what would our response be? And I want the Iranians to know, that if I'm the President, we will attack Iran. And I want them to understand that, because it does mean that they have to look very carefully at their society because whatever stage of development they might be in their nuclear weapons program in the next ten years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them.

On Friday Iranian cleric, and Assembly of Experts Leader, Ahmed Khatami responded to Senator Clintons’ remarks.

4. SOUNDBITE: (Farsi) Ahmed Khatami, Member of Experts Assembly and leader of Friday prayers:

"A disreputable American (presidential) candidate has said that if Iran attacks Israel, she will obliterate Iran if she is the president. I tell the American people, it is a shame for them that their presidents are servants of Israel without any willpower."

"What they are saying recently is just psychological war. However, if the crazy people in Washington or Tel Aviv take any military action, the Iranian nation will hit them with such a slap that they will not be able to get on their feet again."

We are observing the siege of Shiite Sadr City in Iraq. It seems Americans would like to make what happened in Gaza happen in Sadr City too. We can only conclude that America is fighting Islam."

Iraqi lawmakers call for end to Sadr City siege

Amidst clashes that kill five, multi-partisan group of lawmakers urges US to stand down in Sadr City

Monday April 28th, 2008

Sporadic clashes in Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood killed at least five people on Sunday. As the fighting raged, a group of 40 lawmakers gathered in the war-torn neighborhood to announce they are willing to work with Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, and urged the US and Iraqi military to pull out of the area.

Transcript:

VOICE OF ZAA NKWETA: Sporadic clashes continued on Sunday in Baghdad. Police said that five people died and 14 were wounded in a clash between militiamen and Iraqi and US forces in the southern suburb of ["ma-LEEF"]. The US military denied that its forces had been engaged there. Associated Press television news footage from the scene showed a minibus riddled with bullets, and a pool of blood in another minibus that was reportedly carrying children. Also on Sunday, a delegation of about 40 lawmakers from various Sunni, Kurd, Turkomen, and Shiite parliamentary parties visited Sadr City and urged the government to end the military campaign there.

MOSTAFA AL-HITI, DIALOGUE FRONT PARTY MEMBER (SUBTITLED TRANSLATION): We appeal to the government to lift the siege imposed on the city. And we also call upon the military troops to pull out of government offices and buildings. We are ready to work with the Sadr bloc to bring any wanted people to justice, as we believe that the weapons are only in hands of government.

NKWETA: As the delegation met, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki was meeting with the Sunni Vice President, Tariq al-Hashimi, to discuss reintegrating Sunni political parties into a Shiite-dominated government.

Source: The Real News