Chinese-led group formally signs Iraq oil deal

Silly you, thinking the Iraq war was a US/UK oil grab. Tsk, tsk.

I look forward to the left's condemnation of China for their part in the war so they could grab Iraq's oil. Oh, wait, China was against the war.

With Malice Toward Cheney

Teaching the left an Iraq lesson on MSNBC no less.

U.S. Says Iran Ended Atomic Arms Work

The New York Times reported two years ago.

"WASHINGTON, Dec. 3 — A new assessment by American intelligence agencies concludes that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and that the program remains frozen, contradicting judgment two years ago that Tehran was working relentlessly toward building a nuclear bomb. "

Discovering Iran's secret nuclear plant September 2009

Oops!

Here's what the New York Times said in their 2007 article.

"The new report comes out just over five years after a deeply flawed N.I.E. concluded that Iraq possessed chemical and biological weapons programs and was determined to restart its nuclear program — an estimate that led to congressional authorization for a military invasion of Iraq, although most of the report’s conclusions turned out to be wrong. "

So, if the intelligence services were so wrong about Iraq, why was the New York Times so eager to believe them about Iran? Oh, I think you know the answer to that one.

US names secret terror suspects

More damage to our national security by Obama. The BBC reports.

"The US military has begun notifying the Red Cross of the identities of terror suspects being held at secret camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, reports say. ["secret camps" where's the outrage? ed.]

The Red Cross, which has lobbied the Pentagon for years to give its staff access to all detention facilities, declined to confirm the changes.

The policy reportedly took effect this month with no public announcement. "

Now, I wonder why that would be?

This bit is revealing.

"Dozens of suspected foreign fighters captured in Iraq and Afghanistan are being held at so-called "temporary screening camps" run by US special forces at secret locations in Balad in Iraq and Bagram in Afghanistan. "

"Foreign fighters" in Iraq and Afghanistan? Now who might they be?

Why would the Pentagon want to keep their names secret anyway?

"The Pentagon has previously said that providing information about these detainees could jeopardize counter-terrorism efforts."

It would seem then, that Obama no longer cares about such efforts.

The Iraq war was all about oil

That's what the left and anti war groups keep telling the world. How do they explain this?

"BP and CNPC have won the right to help Iraq develop the Rumaila field. The UK and Chinese companies beat ExxonMobil, the US oil company, which had partnered with Petronas, the Malaysian oil company. BP clinched the contract when it agreed to reduce its fee per barrel from $3.99 to $2."

More mystery surrounding Abu Ghraib

Yesterday I posted about the confusion over these reports. Today I read that Salon interviewed Taguba which only adds to the confusion.

"Retired Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba denied reports that he has seen the prisoner-abuse photos that President Obama is fighting to keep secret, in an exclusive interview with Salon Friday night."

Salon then goes on to quote what the Telegraph says Taguba said in regards to prisoners being raped and then says this.

"The actual quote in the Telegraph was accurate, Taguba said -- but he was referring to the hundreds of images he reviewed as an investigator of the abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq -- not the photos of abuse that Obama is seeking to suppress."

But that doesn't make sense since, despite claims otherwise, Taguba never mentioned prisoner rape in his report. And, no one was ever charged for prisoner rape. All of which begs the questions I raised yesterday.

Confusion over report of Iraq abuse photos

Something doesn't make sense here.

"The Telegraph quoted retired U.S. Army Major General Antonio Taguba as saying the pictures showed "torture, abuse, rape and every indecency." Taguba conducted an investigation in 2004 into abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison."

Why didn't Taguba report that at the time? None of the soldiers were charged or convicted of rape. Did Taguba cover that up? If so, why speak out now, especially since this would seem to open Taguba up for charges himself? On top of that, Taguba would have known that there was always the possiblity that the photos would be released. Again, that would raise questions as to why he didn't report the alleged rapes at the time. Reuters alleges Taguba did report rapes.

"Taguba, who retired in January 2007, included allegations of rape and sexual abuse in his report. He was quoted in the Telegraph as saying he supported Obama's decision not to release the pictures."

I don't remember that and I guess his report will have to be looked at again. But if that's true, why wasn't anyone charged for rape? There's no way the left wing media would have let that go unrepoted.

Stranger still is Obama's denial of the existence of rape photos. Why do Bush a favor?

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's administration strongly denied a British report on Thursday that images of apparent rape and sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners are among photographs that it is trying to prevent being made public."

Someone's lying.

Update. Here's Tagubar's report. I searched it using the term "rape" and could not find one instance where Tagubar included allegations of rape.

US ready to be in Iraq 10 years

Another Obama flip flop.

BBC's Simpson: Britain an US failed in Basra

As soon as I saw this BBC report was by Simpson I knew it would be Simpson's left wing bs.

"The water supply has been cut off for four days, one woman told us.

There are daily power cuts, another said. That means no air conditioning, though Basra is sweltering now, close to 38C (100F).

Six years on, people here still cannot understand how two of the world's richest countries, Britain and America, could invade Iraq and not manage to improve the basic living standards of the population."

Well gee John, let's not forget a small fly in the ointment here, there was a war going on at the same time.

Simpson as usual blames it all on Britain and America. Simpson fails to mention that the Iraqi economy is booming and as a result, sales of air conditioners, tv's and other electrical appliances are booming as well. The result is a higher demand for electricity. In spite of that electricity production has surpassed prewar levels. That's in large part to Britain and America's rebuilding Iraqs infrastructure which was in steep disrepair under Saddam.

Simpson also fails to point out some important facts about Iraq's water problems.

"Baghdad still draws its water from the Tigris, but even that legendary source is problematic. President Jalal Talabani flew to Turkey this week to discuss the diminishing water flow, because Turkey has dammed the river. Syria and Iran have dammed its tributaries."

...

In the absence of adequate sewers, squatters run pipes from their bathrooms into the street, turning it into a standing cesspool. The water lines are poorly sealed, and as the pressure goes down, raw sewage mixes with drinking water, not only for the squatters but also for anyone who relies on that water main.

Some of these problems most surely exist in Basra as well.

Simpson ends with this: "It was a trivial enough incident. But it was also a reminder that peace and prosperity are still some way off in Basra."

That's strange John for this BBC report contradicts that mate. As does this Sky report.

al Qaeda leader arrested in Iraq

Zarqawi's replacement.

"AMMAN, JORDAN – Amid reports of two bombings that killed scores, an Iraqi military spokesman announced Thursday that Iraqi forces had arrested the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi.

“Abu Omar al-Baghdadi was arrested today in Baghdad,” Baghdad security spokesman Maj. Gen. Qasim Atta told Agence France-Presse. “It was Iraqi forces who arrested him based on an intelligence tipoff from someone.”

The arrest, which is perhaps the greatest blow to AQI since its former leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed in a 2006 US strike, comes amid a recent spike in violence. Some worry that the nation’s security gains may slip as the US scales back its presence."

Iraq air raids hit mostly women and children

blares the headline from the Independent.

"Air strikes and artillery barrages have taken a heavy toll among the most vulnerable of the Iraqi people, with children and women forming a disproportionate number of the dead.

Analysis carried out for the research group Iraq Body Count (IBC) found that 39 per cent of those killed in air raids by the US-led coalition were children and 46 per cent were women."

The Independent go on to quote some figures.

"The report, The Weapons That Kill Civilians, Deaths of Children and Noncombatants in Iraq, was compiled from a sample of 60,481 deaths in 14,196 events over a five-year period since the 2003 invasion. Civilian casualties from concentrated bouts of violence, such as the two sieges of Fallujah, were excluded. "

But as is custom for the Independent, they leave out important facts that tell the whole story.

"BAGHDAD (AP) — Execution-style killings, not headline-grabbing bombings, have been the leading cause of death among civilians in the Iraq war, a study released Wednesday shows."

Here are the actual numbers The Independent leave out.

"Only 4 percent of the Iraqi deaths included in the study, or 2,363, were a result of U.S. airstrikes,..."

Terrible numbers to be sure, but you have to wonder why The Independent leave out important information. As for the percentages of women and children, here to the Independent leave out crucial information.

"The authors caution that those percentages may be inflated "because the media may tend to specifically identify female and young victims more readily than male adults among the dead."

Percentages inflated by the media, un huh. Which is why the Independent goes on the cite the much discredited Lancet report.

War is terrible and civilian deaths, especially women and children, are horrible, which is all the more reason the Independent should be condemned for trying to use their deaths to further their anti war agenda.

Obama declares victory in Iraq

His prediction of failure during the campaign is a reminder of how inept he is.

Iraq - Removing Remnants of War

Now that the war is won the left wing media are not interested.

Victory in Iraq Day

It's looking more and more like it.

Babil Province Turned Over to Iraq

That's 12 out of 18 now.

US Marines to hand Fallujah back to Iraqis

More good news from Iraq.

Al Qaeda in Iraq's Second in Command Killed

More good news from Iraq.

Media withdrawing from Iraq now that we've won

Despite their best efforts to lose the war, it's the media that lost big time.

Stocks soar in Iraq

More good news from Iraq the left wing media are ignoring.

As Fears Ease, Baghdad Sees Walls Tumble

NYT tries and fails to turn Iraq success into failure. Sounds a lot like the Democrats but I repeat myself.