Heated exchanges as German, other critics demand US quit Iraq

[Up2Late]

Published: 3/12/2005

Latest wire from AFP
by Cyril Julien

BERLIN - Opponents of the US-led invasion of Iraq nearly came to blows in Berlin Saturday with pro-US demonstrators accusing them of supporting "terrorism" and tolerating Saddam Hussein.

About 200 people, mainly German pacifist and left-wing activists, attended an unofficial meeting called to condemn the war against Iraq and demand the withdrawal of American troops.

But the gathering was interrupted by hecklers blaming anti-war demonstrators for supporting the wave of extremist violence in Iraq.

Outside, about 20 people demonstrated against the conference, saying it was indirectly supporting the old Saddam regime.

(more at link)

<http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=38541>

[Blue to the bone]

1. Didn't realize there was a single soul in Germany who supported the..

...war. Are you sure this story is legit?

[rodeodance]

2. well, at least 20 according to this article (a noisy 20 at that it seems)

But the gathering was interrupted by hecklers blaming anti-war demonstrators for supporting the wave of extremist violence in Iraq.

Outside, about 20 people demonstrated against the conference, saying it was indirectly supporting the old Saddam regime.

[Up2Late]

5. Sounds like the 20 that protested the Florida Recounts 2000

Remember those douche bags?:crazy:

[Up2Late]

4. It says it only 20, but it sounds like a bunch THOSE people...

...from that other web site we are not supposed to talk about here.

And Yes, this is from the French News Wire AFP:evilgrin:

[uppityperson]

9. Your humor is too dry, Blue to the Bone

At least, that was my take. Sorry if you meant this, but you made me laugh, thought it was funny. Edited to clarify subject line

[Blue to the bone]

16. Yes, you were correct, I was being my typical sarcastic self. n/t

[Frederik]

13. They were

20 Iraqis connected to the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) who, of course, are maneouvering themselves into power there now after a nice election result. So it figures that they would oppose an american withdrawal at this point, before they have consolidated their power.

[neweurope]

3. This seems to be getting serious. There is absolutely no person in

Germany I can think of that would protest FOR Bush. At best people don't care, the vast majority hates his guts.

But at the demonstration in Mainz there was a pro-Bush demonstration with 18 or 20 people. Drummed up by "David's Medienkritik" http://medienkritik.typepad.com/
"Politically incorrect observations on reporting in the German media. By David Kaspar & Ray D."

They are being payed by "Republicans abroad". Evidently they now will turn up wherever there is an anti-Bush event. Same thing that happened in Ukraine and is happening now in Lebanon (but here in Germany so far on a much smaller basis of course). The principle is the same.

How in HELL can we ever win... And if the Bushistas are doing this in <>Germany they are doing it everywhere. The media report it of course because (so far) they think it's quaint that somebody would protest FOR Bush. It's a mess, really.

It's not that the Bushistas are so SMART - they just repeat what Goebbels did before them down to the letter - but everbody else is so damned DUMB.

*big sigh*

-------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Barcelona]

10. We have some of these in Spain

Some months ago, an event was held to remember the victims of terrorism.

It was a peaceful march until some wackos began to scream against Zapatero's decision to withdraw the troops from Iraq.

They even attacked physically the Minister of Defence (who was taking part in the event) using flagpoles. :scared:



Some of the attackers (circled in the image above) were members of the Partido Popular (Aznar's pro-war party).

[neweurope]

18. Some of the attackers were members of the Partido Popular ??

Great - I'm wearing my tinfoil hat at all times these days... so to me (please laugh at me, I don't care anymore) that means that the Bushistas even have their blackmailed/payed people within our European parties...

-----------------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[ausiedownunderground]

6. I hope these hecklars have frequent flyer points!!!!!!!

Next weekend March 19th the "Rest of the world" will try to show Faux News, CNN and the rest of your "crap" MSM what the world thinks about your invasion of Iraq!!

[leQ]

14. what's going on next weekend? (eom)

.

[bear425]

23. March 19th marks two years since the Iraq

Invasion and occupation. There will be many protests, both here and abroad.

[paineinthearse]

7. Sounds like hired mercenaries to me.

IMHO.

[bahrbearian]

8. Photo of the Pro-War protesters.

[uppityperson]

11. Hmmm, young men and women protesting for the war?

Why aren't they AT the war rather than protesting for it? Providing backup at home? Are the khaki colored shirted ones military or playing soldier? Enlist them.

[bahrbearian]

12. This is a photo of the Republican Congressonal Aids protesting

outside of the Dade county 2000 elections office that ended up stopping the count.

[uppityperson]

15. Well, my comments apply even more so. Ship them out!

Didn't recognize them. Thanks.

[0007]

19. Who could ever forget these phoney GOP cocksuckers?

[stepnw1f]

17. Just Dicks for Hire

These types don't even look like they give a shit one way or the other (pro-war vs. anti war). They look like hired shills to me. Kinda like the average Bush supporer in my own opinion. Just like that female pro-war hack on Bill Mahrer's show last night.

[Iterate]

20. If anyone has any info

on this group of 20, a photo, a web site, anything, I would appreciate if you would pass it on. If they're Germans, fine, so be it. If they are Amis or shills I would like to know. Usually they can't help bragging.

[Up2Late]

21. This is the web site of who the Turkish Press says they are

From the English version of their web site's "About Us" page:

The Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), is headed by Ayatollah Mohamad Baqir Al Hakim the son of the late Grand Ayatollah Muhsin Al Hakim who was the spiritual leader of the Shia in the world for the period 1955-1970. SCIRI consist of a general assembly of 70 members which represent deferent Islamic movements and scholars.

SCIRI has secret cells all over Iraq which are involved in gathering information, media work and military activities. SCIRI has also main offices in London (headed by Dr. Hamid Al Bayati), Damascus, Geneva and Vienna.

The head office of SCIRI is based in Iran among the largest Iraqi community outside Iraq temperarely estimated at one million Iraqis. SCIRI has main offices in different parts of the liberated areas of Iraqi Kurdistan.

<http://www.sciri.org/>

[MrPrax]

27. Might Find Them Here...

What do ex-Nflers do in the offseason?

http://www.rhein-fire.de/main.php4
http://www.frankfurt-galaxy.de/
http://www.berlin-thunder.de/home.asp

[bobbieinok]

22. maybe this is the conference??

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/feb2005/germ-f09.shtml

....

The second conference is due to take place in Berlin in more modest surroundings. It is called the “International Iraq conference on occupation, resistance and international solidarity.” It has been organised by an alliance of left, pacifist and Arab-nationalist groups and individuals, extending from the freethinkers’ federation to the newspaper Junge Welt. The aim of this meeting is to discuss the resistance against the occupation regime that has emerged from the war of aggression.

Joachim Guillard, one of the organisers, explained in an interview: “Can the entire resistance be made responsible for terrorist attacks? Which goals are pursued by the different forces of the resistance? We want to discuss these and other questions. At the centre will be the question of how we can best practice solidarity with the Iraqi population.” Among the organisers, there is evidently agreement that the occupation of Iraq by American and British troops is illegitimate, and that Iraqi resistance against it is entirely legitimate.

A comparison of state and media reactions to the two conferences is instructive. While in the case of the Munich conference everything imaginable has been done to guarantee its functioning and protect participants against protests by opponents of the war, the conference in Berlin is being spied on, slandered, and criminalised, and may, in the end, be banned. This despite the fact that even the police have made clear that they do not anticipate any criminal offences or terrorist attacks in connection with the Berlin conference.

On January 13, the Berlin Senator of the Interior, Erhardt Körting (German Social Democratic Party-SPD), told members of the city’s intelligence services committee that the conference had been planned by “supporters of the former regime of Saddam Hussein” and left-wing groups. Although he failed to provide the slightest evidence for the first of his accusations, it was repeated uncritically in virtually all German media reports.

The headlines were virtually all variations on the same theme: “Saddam supporters plan congress in Berlin.” These media outlets were utterly disinterested in the fact that organisers of the conference clearly dissociated themselves from the former Iraqi dictator and the Baathist regime—Guillard stated that one did not “shed a tear” for Hussein, and “not one” of his supporters was expected to attend the congress. The boulevard newssheet B.Z. frankly admitted that the intelligence services were the source for its report.

....

Mostly background to the groups meeting and opposition to the group

[Merlin]

24. This is an example of how they have us in a box

Since the public relations triumph for the bushies of the purported massive turnout for the "election" on Jan 30, it has become damn near impossible to oppose US involvement there. That's the sad, current state of affairs.

I don't believe that more than 1 million voted, and they mostly in order to obtain their cleverly delayed rations. But who has any facts that can rival the numbers the bfe put out? Nobody. Even the international monitors--all 26 or so of them--never even left the green zone during their entire time in Iraq. Vote totals? Who's seen them?

We have been trumped by these motherfuckers once again. The zeitgeist now supports the idea that our involvement has produced benefits for the Iraqi people.

Opposing the war now is quickly challenged as supporting Saddam or opposing the troops. Joe McCarthy has returned!

[2diagnosis]

26. It is part of the long range plan

implemented and run by the Illuminati, it is useless to resist. You will be assimilated.

[drdtroit]

25. A picture of one of the ringleaders of the protest:

:shrug: