Tuesday, December 31, 2013

THOUSANDS OF U.S. TROOPS DIED FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING


WAR CRIMINALS BUSH, CHENEY, RICE AND GANG INVADED IRAQ ON FALSE PRETEXTS (WMD, MUSHROOM CLOUDS, SUPPOSED AL-QUEDA PRESENCE) CAUSED THE DEATHS OF THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN HEROES (AKA CANNON FODDER) HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT IRAQI WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND FOR WHAT?  

IRAQ GOVERNMENT COLLAPSING  44 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT RESIGN


INFORMED COMMENT


Ramadi (Iraq) (AFP) December 30, 2013 12:04:22 PM PST
Smoke billows from the Iraqi city of Ramadi during clashes between security forces and anti-government gunmen, on December 30, 2013
Azhar Shallal/AFP
Smoke billows from the Iraqi city of Ramadi during clashes between security forces and anti-government gunmen, on December 30, 2013
Anti-Iraqi government gunmen take over a vehicle of the Wasset province police directorate on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
Azhar Shallal/AFP
Anti-Iraqi government gunmen take over a vehicle of the Wasset province police directorate on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
Sporadic clashes continued, and gunmen could be seen on some Ramadi streets, while security forces were visible at the edge of the city.
Dr Assem al-Hamdani said 11 gunmen were wounded.
Forty-four MPs announced their resignation on Monday evening, triggering the latest in a long line of political crises.
Demand for army withdrawal
The MPs also demanded "the withdrawal of the army... and the release of MP Ahmed al-Alwani," a Sunni who was arrested during a deadly raid on Saturday.
An Iraqi security forces' vehicle is seen on fire after it was set ablaze by anti-Iraqi government gunmen during clashes on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
Azhar Shallal/AFP
An Iraqi security forces' vehicle is seen on fire after it was set ablaze by anti-Iraqi government gunmen during clashes on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
This was done "without any losses, after Al-Qaeda and its members escaped from the camp to the city, and they are being pursued now," Mussawi told AFP.
Footage broadcast on state television showed security forces stripping cloth exteriors from large, metal-framed tents at the camp.
The sprawling protest site on the highway outside Ramadi, where the number of protesters ranged from hundreds to thousands, included a stage from which speakers could address crowds, a large roofed structure and dozens of tents.
In another incident that has escalated tensions, security forces on Saturday raided the Ramadi home of Sunni Arab MP Ahmed al-Alwani, who backs the anti-government protesters, arresting him and sparking clashes that killed his brother, five guards and a security forces member.
Anti-Iraqi government gunmen are seen during clashes with security forces on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
Azhar Shallal/AFP
Anti-Iraqi government gunmen are seen during clashes with security forces on December 30, 2013 in the Iraqi city of Ramadi
But while the government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of anti-Qaeda militiamen, underlying issues remain unaddressed.
Nationwide death tolls from violence have reached a level not seen since 2008, when Iraq was just emerging from a brutal period of sectarian killings.
The violence continued elsewhere on Monday, with at least 17 people, among them eight security forces members, killed in attacks.
More than 6,750 people have been killed in violence since the beginning of the year, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.

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