U.S. Forces Want Al-Jazeera Out Of Fallujah

[Aidoneus]

U.S. Forces Want Al-Jazeera Out Of Fallujah
By Mustafa Abdel-Halim, IOL Correspondent
CAIRO, April 9 (IslamOnline.net) - The United States asked al-Jazeera team to leave Fallujah as one of conditions for reaching a settlement to the bloody stand-off in the besieged western Baghdad town Friday, April 9.

"American forces declared al-Jazeera must leave before any progress is made to settle the Fallujah stand-off," al-Jazeera director general Wadah Khanfar told IslamOnline.net, citing sources close to the Iraqi Governing Council.

Khanfar, the former Baghdad bureau chairman of the station, declined to speculate on reasons for putting al-Jazeera departure as "part of solving the crisis".

--snip--

As Brig Gen Mark Kimmitt, the deputy director of U.S. military operations in Iraq, was speaking by phone on al-Jazeera and insisting that American forces declared a unilateral ceasefire in Fallujah, the channel was airing live images of continued air raids by F16 fighter jets on residential neighborhoods of the town.

Kimmitt later dismissed the coverage of the channel for the crisis as a "series of lies". However, asked by al-Jazeera anchor about the live images, the U.S. commander said he was not accusing al-Jazeera of faking the images, but rather “looked at things differently”.

He said the attacks by F16 fighter jets and helicopters were meant to take out “armed insurgents firing at our troops”. The anchor reminded Kimmitt, however, that “live coverage showed children and women killed by the missiles, not armed insurgents”.

--snip--

http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-04/09/article06.shtml

[thebigidea]

Gee, I wonder why they want to get rid of the ONLY media there

[Aidoneus]

5. can't have any witnesses around..

I mean, broadcasting live footage of bombing while General Kimmet insists there's a ceasefire--that's just helping the terrorists.

[mediaman007]

67. So lets keep killing people until they get out... (sarcasm)

Who will be the last Iraqi killed in Fallujah before the United States quits shooting? or the last American for that matter.

I doubt that anyone ever felt that the Iraqis could hold out the Americans.

What I have a hard time with is that we are doing all of this in retribution for these Blackwater workers. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Why is our military responsible for avenging them. Shouldn't Blackwater send a corps in to get the culprits?

[DavidFL]

84. That's what I was wondering

It's apparent the U.S.'s response is what they wanted. But like you, I was wondering why the U.S. responded like this to the deaths of these four contractors? Would the U.S. have done the same if say, four Halliburton dining hall workers had been killed? Were the Blackwater employees deaths used as a pretext to escalate hostitlites in implementing some broader plan? Or was this simply a miguided military response?

[daleo]

87. I am thinking this was the plan all along

When they first replaced the army with the marines I wondered if something was up - the marines are an assault force, not a 'peacekeeping' force. Then, the marines wouldn't give any details about casualties, contrary to previous practice by the army, which had been a bit more open. Then, all the hullabaloo about these mercenaries, whipping up a portion of the U.S. population into an emotional frenzy, bent on revenge. Now, a major, major assault on this city, which will almost surely have casualties running into the thousands, if not tens of thousands. I knew the BFEE was evil, but this boggles my mind. And to do it all on Good Friday...I just don't know.

[wickerwoman]

119. Of course it was a pretext.

We were never getting out of there on June 30th, puppet government or no puppet government.

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Omigod No!

If Al Jazeera goes, there will be no independent observers at all & there's no telling what atrocities the invading barbarians might carry out. I don't necessarily mean US soldiers (although I'm not excluding that possibility), but what about all the mercenaries? Will they do what they're told, even if it involves genocide?

[ZR2]

4. independant ?

Al Jazeera is about as independant as a 2 year old.

[leftchick]

7. or as independent as say...

faux, cnn and msnbc... :eyes:

[ZR2]

34. NO media is independant.

They ALL provide thier own slant and twist into reporting. Some are right-wing, some are left-wing, some are pro-Islamic, some are pro-Isreli......

But none of them are independant.

[chasqui]

94. I hate to be a troll

But, it pains me to see that spelling error.
NO media is independent.

[Sandpiper]

8. Why?

Because their news doesn't have a pro US slant?

[whatelseisnew]

10. 2 yr old? CNN is at least a teenager now

get over it

[puerco-bellies]

21. I would trust Al Jazeera before fox.

They are not nearly as slanted as fox.

[paulk]

78. Al Jazeera is every bit as slanted as Fox

Just in a different direction.

I don't consider either credible news sources.

[kera]

121. my advice

look at the pictures of dead babies and all those killed ,the are really independent from any false impression

keep things into perspectives look at the physical evidence , when you have this the motive for showing them is irrelevant
but not in case of cover up because the motive is the crime itself

[mouse7]

117. Al-Jazeera was the BBC Arabic language bureau

Al-Jazeera is as independent as the BBC. It was the BBC. BBC cut the budget to save money. They just changed the name on the wall. The same reporters that were working for BBC are the Al-Jaazeera staff.

[saigon68]

15. No witness to the impending massacre

Here's Albert Speers stand in at the Flag rally for the Fatherland

Look at this useless Mother fucker strut



Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) seen here March 30. US Vice President Dick Cheney headed for Asia, where he is expected to urge key allies Japan and South Korea (news - web sites) to stay the course on Iraq (news - web sites) despite security fears stemming from abductions in the war-torn nation.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Mark Wilson)

[never cry wolf]

38. Hey now

Don't insult Albert Speer. At least HE apologized and wrote some insightful books on how the madness can take over a modern industrialized educated country.

[saigon68]

51. Sorry you are right--Albert did atone and reform

I was referring to his pre-war pre-atonement Nuremberg rally days in 1938.

His spectacles of flags and light have been apparently been chosen to be copied by Rove to inculcate the SHEEP with patriotic feelings

Note the MASSED FLAGS

[Sandpiper]

2. The US hates Al-Jazeera because

They take pictures of the babies that we kill.

[qanda]

3. If one commits a war crime and no one is watching

Is it still considered a war crime?

[tlcandie]

11. Reminds me of the if a tree falls in a forest saying....

I hope they choose NOT to leave because it will mean there is no documentation of any sort about the massacres happening :/

[drfemoe]

23. If only one side stops shooting

Is it still considered a unliateral ceasefire?

[leftchick]

6. boo fucking hoo Krazy Kimmitt!

I hope Al-Jazeera stays firm and continues their coverage.

[saigon68]

37. Here's Crazy Kimmet's work

His MASTERS don't want the sheep to see this



He'll probably get promoted.

But maybe the Tomoyuki Yamashita, principle will some day apply to the good General Kimmet

http://www.bartleby.com/65/ya/Yamashit.html

This is where a leader is punished for the atrocities committed by his subordinates.

[seemslikeadream]

46. Two more mercenaries lost

Briton Told of Fears in E-Mail - Killed in Iraq UK Foreign Office


6:27pm (UK)


By Gemma Collins, PA News


A Briton shot dead while working in Iraq as a security guard had sent an e-mail to friends in the United States just hours earlier telling them of the worsening situation, it emerged tonight.

Former soldier Michael Bloss, 38, sent the message to friends at the Colorado ski resort where he had spent several years teaching the disabled to ski.

“We are expecting to be overrun tonight, and we may have to fight our way to a safe haven. Unfortunately all the safe havens are already under attack,” he wrote on Wednesday.

“I don’t wish to alarm you. We’ll probably be OK! I’ll e-mail when I’m safe.”

more
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2760318

Briton 'shot dead in Iraq'


Apr 9 2004


A former soldier who was working in Iraq as a security guard has been shot dead.

Michael Bloss, 38, who had served in the Parachute Regiment, was working for an American company.

His father, Peter, of Bridgend, south Wales, told BBC Radio Wales's Good Evening Wales programme his son had got the contractors he was guarding to safety but was then shot himself.

Mr Bloss, whose wife died last year, said his son had been working in Colorado in the United States as a ski instructor since leaving the Parachute Regiment several years ago.

"At the end of the season he was taken on by this company as a security guard," he said. "They obviously had a contract of sorts working in Iraq and he finished up there."
more

http://icealing.icnetwork.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=14134253&method=full& ...


Scott Custer, a principal at Custer Battles, an international risk-management firm with some 1,300 employees in Iraq, explained that his firm subscribes to the "faster camper" theory of security. The reference is to the musty joke about the ravenous bear that invades a campsite: To survive, it is not necessary to outrun the bear, only the slowest camper.

The security firms cannot stop attacks from happening, Mr. Custer said. So his company tries, for instance, to avoid large and conspicuous convoys, which are particularly vulnerable to attacks. He also refuses to rely entirely on stealth - say, by asking clients to drive at normal speeds to blend in with the ordinary flow of traffic.

"I focus on speed," Mr. Custer said, which means getting through dangerous areas as quickly as possible. He also said that routes are often scouted out the day before and he tries to avoid the hours between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., because roadside bombs are generally put out at night. "You don't want to be the first big target," he said.

Still, officials at several security companies said that the action in Iraq - and the potential for a quick profit - has drawn rank opportunists to Iraq.

"You've got a whole host of fly-by-night and disreputable companies," said Mr. Custer. "They're terrible. They get people killed." With that in mind, industry professionals said that the most important factor in the risk-management trade was choosing and training the right people. All candidates are subjected to a rigorous vetting in order to weed out people with a history of everything from domestic violence and drug use to committing a felony. And yearly salaries - which insiders say can range anywhere from $70,000 to $250,000 - are set high enough to compensate the best in the business. Hotheads and swashbucklers need not apply.

Christopher Beese, a director of ArmorGroup, which reports 800 employees in Iraq, described typically promising candidates this way: "They don't expect to win medals; they don't expect to win glory. They expect an opportunity."

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/04/weekinreview/04glan.html

It’s a job

Edited on Fri Apr-09-04 02:28 PM by seemslikeadream
It’s a job
About half of all Iraqis are out of work. But there’s a bull market in being on the right end of a gun.

One beneficiary is Fiji, which has basically outsourced its army to the self-styled Coalition. About a thousand Fijians are working as soldiers and security in Iraq. They’re highly regarded, riding shotgun on currency exchange convoys. Wages are about US$1,300 a month, insurance pays out on death or injury.

Nice work if you don’t get it.



Fiji Mercenary Killed In Iraq
SUVA, Fiji (FijiSUN, Feb. 10) - Lance Corporal Tevita Ramatau was to have arrived home from Iraq in a week’s time.
But he never will - much to the loss of his wife, Una, and six-month-old baby, Taniela.

LCpl Ramatau, 31, of Navunievu, Bua, was shot dead while guarding the Baghdad International Airport.

He left the country in October last year after signing in with UK-based private security firm Global Risk Strategies in search of a better life for his family.

Seven hours before he died he called home to tell his wife he would be back home on the 28th of this month instead of the 15th.

Ramatau died from injuries caused by mortar shrapnel that ripped through his head on Sunday.

GRS Fiji representative Col Sakiusa Raivoce said Ramatau was evacuated by helicopter to a United States military hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

more
http://www.soulpacific.com/archives/racketeers/000473.html



Specialists in suits train new Iraqi army

BORZOU DARAGAHI IN KIRKUSH
Armed employees of Custer Battles, a Virginia firm, guard Baghdad airport. Erinys, a British company with offices in the Middle East and South Africa, guards the oil fields. Global Risk, a British firm that offers "risk management" has the contract to provide armed protection for the Coalition Provisional Authority, the US-led occupation power. DynCorp of Reston in Virginia, has been hired to help train Iraq’s police.

Much of the work conducted by the contractors is secret. Western security officials in Iraq say the companies aren’t yet going out on combat operations as they do in Colombia and other countries.

Mostly they safeguard sites, but occasionally they are needed for a specific task - for example, quietly snatching a suspected Saddam Hussein loyalist.

"The CIA has recruited ex-military people to do operations in Iraq," said one Iraq-based former US military official. "These people have security clearances."

Coalition and US military officials say the contractors have the flexibility to do some things quickly that armed forces simply can’t.

Contractors can also cast a wider net in hiring, helping to internationalise the forces in Iraq, even as US attempts to attract more foreign troops stall.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=1081922003



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1379392#1379948

[leftchick]

59. so sad saigon...

these poor babies die for the neocon lunatic dream of Amerikan Imperialism and war profit... :(

[Name removed]

107. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tlcandie]

9. Interesting that Aljazeera is about the ONLY source we've had

through all of this to give us any information! Like it or not! No media source is totally objective...period! That is why you use multiple sources to get a balanced perspective, BUT lacking any other info we are left with nothing BUT Aljazeera and they are there on the spot as it happens!

Aljazeera is a bajillion times better than FAUX News any day of the week IMO!

[54anickel]

16. Agree with you 100%. Without it we would have nothing but happy, good

news like that conference this morning that was interrupted by that "nuisance" bombing of the Sheraton.

[Sandpiper]

17. It's sad that we Americans have to look to international sources

To get unsanitized coverage about the war.

One of the biggest differences between Iraq and Vietnam is that the American press went from watchdog to lap dog.

[rocktivity]

12. LOL

There's an article on Islam Online titled DU = Disarm USA' or 'Depleted Uranium?'

:headbang:
rocknation

[Renew Deal]

13. This is a disgrace.

Freedom of the press huh? What fucking country do I live in? Fuck the Busheviks.

[gottaB]

14. Absolutely mindboggling

Last night I saw Peter Jennings covering the dead children as a story about how the Arab media is covering the war. As if they had invented the dead children, or slaughtered the children for the sake of anti-American propaganda.

And the very next day, here's Kimmitt all "series of lies" blah blah blah. It's as if Kimmitt's intention were to order some indiscriminate bombing that he knows will kill children dead, and the only way forward he can see is to take out some journalists as well (preferably by "suggestion," but threats and exploding projectiles are not off the table).

:mad:

[Frangible]

18. Al Jazeera is *extremely* biased

It is inciting anti-US violence, period... and is even less "fair and balanced" than Faux News.

I don't see how you can blame them for not wanting Al Jazeera there. The root of the problem isn't the military, it's the politicians that ordered this pathetic little war.

[tlcandie]

27. If any other news source reported the TRUTH in Iraq to the Iraqi

people they would be considered as inciting anti-US violence as well. The truth of the matter is that all that is happening in IRAQ is anti-Iraq and the people there are NOT ignorant. Someone has to tell the truth and speak of the things that this government keeps trying to keep under cover and hidden away from the Iraqis, the American citizens and the rest of the world!

NO.. Aljazeera stays! If any of the other assinine US media wants to go into the towns and NOT be imbedded and take on the chances of death, etc. at every turn then let them report as well; otherwise, stuff it and get over the tantrums!

[Barkley]

79. The Confederates banned British journalists from the battelfield too

because their alleged biases and criticisms.

Some historians have argued that the British journalists actually provided important information on the war and the fighting tactics of the Southern Army. The South missed opportunities to take advantage of information that would have possibly prevented some battle field defeats.

[Sandpiper]

32. The reporting of every news outlet is colored by their worldview

And any newsie who tries to tell you differently is full of shite.

Al Jazeera reports the events in Iraq from an Arab/Muslim perspective, and more often than not, it tends to be somewhat different than what you'd see on Fox or CNN.

The biggest reason that the brass wants Al Jazeera out is because they keep making us look like the goons that we are in this war by publishing photos of the women, babies, small children, and other non combatants that we kill and maim.

[captain jack]

35. That's so U.S. of you to say. Now prove it to everyone.

The invasion is inciting violence! You would know this if it were your house that was being invaded. You got your wires crossed on that one! PERIOD...

"pathetic LITTLE war"!!! This is not war it's genocide and if you were not blinded by ignorance you would see that. And if by little you mean the thousands of innocent civilians that have died, then perhaps you should slap in the face the next Iraqi person you see. You seem to speak like we were invited to Iraq. Just because they don't look,talk and live like you does not make them wrong. Perhaps you think they should shut-up and allow themselves to be overrun. Stay off CNN and think for yourself! Your comment is very upsetting to say the least, and wrong.

[Frangible]

41. genocide? it's not even CLOSE to genocide

We're deliberately not trying to target civilians. Look up "genocide" in a dictionary... it's apples and oranges.

Genocide is what happened in Rwanda and resulted in millions dead.

Genocide is what happened in the holocaust and resulted in millions dead.

Do you see our troops going home to home killing civilians, like a scene out of Schindler's List?

Do you see our troops packing Iraqis into trains and sending them off to gas chambers?

Calling what's happening in Iraq "genocide" is a gross overstatement and a slight upon every victim of true genocide.

[Karenina]

52. Two words...

Often used to describe the Amis we THOUGHT we once knew...

WILLFUL.IGNORANCE.

[mediaman007]

62. Just wondering...

Is their a certain number that defines genocide?

Would it be a million?

100,000?

10,000?

or 10?

Does it have to be children?

women?

or

old men?

can genocide include young men?

[Frangible]

63. Genocide...

Main Entry: geno·cide
Pronunciation: 'je-n&-"sId
Function: noun
: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group
- geno·cid·al /"je-n&-'sI-d&l/ adjective



Are you saying there's a deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group in Iraq, other than perhaps the Baathist regime?

If so, which one and why?

[captain jack]

77. Who's dying? the baathist regime? NO. Everyday people.

Your definition of genocide makes my point! I guess what you would like to do is wait until the deaths are equal to your own personal depiction of genocide. Read some (honest/unbiased)history or perhaps ask any native american. That you would question if this country has the audacity to commit genocide is completely foolish. It was founded on the practice. I will not wait until it looks like genocide to you, to call the killing of thousands of civilians(so far) genocide. Another option: ask an Iraqi man, woman, or child staring down the barrell of a gun or over the bodies of their friends and families that died and are dying,in an illegal invasion in my eyes,and most of the world.

[ParanoidPat]

83. Political by your own definition.....

.....the US is admittedly trying to destroy their form of government and install an American style democracy against their will. The US is killing anyone who resists our invading forces and exacting "collective punishment" against innocent civilians through the use of excessive force in residential neighborhoods and also by tearing out houses, orchards and farm fields in areas where the so called 'insurgents' have been operating. All of the above is against the Geneva Conventions to which we are signatories.

No matter how you try to paint what we are doing there in humanitarian terms, it is an illegal, preemptive, unprovoked invasion of a fundamentally disarmed country and with the addition of overthrowing their government and attempting to force another form of government on them it is genocide by definition.

No matter how much lipstick you try to put on this pig, it's still a pig.

You may not like the way Al Jazera presents the facts but facts are facts. Those women and children our soldiers are killing in an illegal and immoral invasion are still dead because we're there. It doesn't matter how anyone attempts to spin it. :(

[Frangible]

91. Oh, I don't like the war

But it's hardly genocide. Watch Schindler's List; that's genocide. This isn't.

This war is roughly akin to playing a chess game to save your opponent's pawns. In the end, the pawns always lose.

[Chicago Democrat]

45. Its called free speech.... get used to it..

Plus they don't lie. Show me one Lie. Even if they lie every single day they would lie less than the crap that comes out of the US media.

[atreides1]

47. But

It's not the politicians dropping the bombs or shooting the Iraqi freedom fighters, it's not the politicians calling in artillery strikes or firing mortars.

It's the US military, and it's not the politicians saying that the uprising will be crushed and the insurgents destroyed, it's a man wearing a US Army uniform with a generals star on the collar, not some Shrub crony in Washington in $3,000 dollar suit.

Not one person here can say that we would not be doing the same thing if the roles were reversed. We would rise up to push any invader out of our country, and we would desecrate the dead just as it was done to those four "contractors", we would do anything that we had to do to regain our freedom.

Al Jazeera is biased towards Muslims, the same way that most if not all major US media is biased towards the administration.

And while the Al Jazeera may be slanted in their reporting, at least
they are reporting!

[sam sarrha]

48. hell they are just the mouth piece of AlQuita.. they will be at the

Burning of the Japanese aid workers and they will bring marshmallows.. and cheer and celebrate that more infidels are being sent to Allah to be straightened out and sent back to be reborn "Good" Muslims.

[Chicago Democrat]

55. Why don't you actually read it? Here' s a link...

"mouthpiece of al quaida" is just wrong. They are a real news organization and their audience is mainstream Arab audience from Indonesia to Morroco.

http://www.aljazeerah.info/

[Duncan Grant]

70. .

edit: deleted post

[0007]

49. I see that you don't read Al Jazeera very often

[daleo]

61. What military purpose is served by getting Al-Jazeera out of Fallujah

The only reasonable conclusion is that they don't want the world to know what is going on. If they wanted to ensure balance they could let a western agency in as well. I am sure there would be takers - war correspondents are like that, or they used to be.

[keithyboy]

92. Hell, they should be 'biased' There is nothing the US has done that isn't

'biased.' We want them out because we don't want the world to know what we are about to do. I am sorry, I do not support our troops if they take part in this genocide.

[RapidCreek]

113. What's the slant on a murdered baby chief?

A murdered baby is a murdered baby. There ain't no fair and balanced to it. It is what it is. If you can't stand the fuckin heat then it might be wise not to murder babies.....then again, I guess a truely heroic nation would wanna hide such shit under the rug, right?

RC

[JCMach1]

118. Have actually watched, or examined content from the station?

You are spouting the Republican party line about Al Jazeera...

They are currently the only network with balls enough to go where the action is and report what is happening.

How accurate have they been the past two weeks...? Dead-on (bad choice of words) 99% of the time.

They may not be 'fair and balanced', but right now they are all we have that isn't complete propaganda spewing the current government spin, or sanitized for the American audience.

The only other channel running unedited footage is SKYNEWS.

[captain jack]

19. "The u.s. wants" Nobody asked me!

Who gives a shit what the U.S. wants! The U.S. surely does not speak for me, but me and my vote say it can stay. After all they do represent democracy and truth.

[truthspeaker]

20. I've been reading English Al Jazeera

And frankly it's pretty damn objective, and kind of tame. Maybe the Arabic TV news is different, but it sounds to me like Kimmit doesn't like them because they aren't pro-US and they don't submit to Army censorship.

[Frangible]

25. The English and Arabic content is not the same

You might want to check out the Arabic only video on their site.

[truthspeaker]

unfortunately I don't understand Arabic

So that wouldn't help me much.

[Frangible]

42. Neither do I...

But, you can still:

1. Understand the video content and images, and see progandish the arabic video is

2. Translate the webpages using an online arabic translator (several of which exist)

[Chicago Democrat]

22. Al Jazeera the only real news source in Falluja

[xchrom]

24. we are a failure as a nation

there is a lot more work in front of folks like us than just getting bushco out of office.
there is some major, major mind set correcting that needs to be done.

[ConcernedCanuk]

44. Read your other post, thanks

.
.
.

The biggest problem is The US won't admit it made a mistake!

They would open a whole lot of doors (slowly, mind you) in the International Community if they would just humble themselves and say "Sorry, we were wrong".

Anybody, I mean ANYBODY that has had an argument with their SO knows THAT!

They wouldn't even have to get all gooey about it, just friggen admit it!

The rest of the world knows, so what's the big deal?

Until the US get's off it's high horse, they are going to get less and less cooperation from the rest of the world.

In short.

Junior blew it.

[ConcernedCanuk]

26. Why do I fear the US wants to level the place, Kids and all?

.
.
.

Are they asking to let all the women and children out too?

This scares me, and should scare them too.

I'll bet that there would have been alot more indiscriminate bombing if the US didn't know that their actions are being recorded.

I hope to hell that al-Jazeera doesn't leave there, they are saving many lives just by being there.

If the USA is so worried about the valididity of al-Jazeera's stories and images,

let them put in reporters from Britain, USA, Canada, Australia and so on.

The USA is so friggen transparent it's sickening

They wanna blow the place to shit.

Period.

[tlcandie]

30. Amen to that ConcernedCanuk.. see my post above!

They need to put their asses on the line like Aljazeera in the midst of the madness of shut the hell up about the biased reporting, etc.!

[Mikimouse]

39. All that remains to really give definition to this scenario...

is for the US to order its buglers to play deguello and then level the entire city and put the survivors to the sword. What say you now, fellow Texans, remind you of anything?

[ConcernedCanuk]

50. Well I tell you, this may seem sort of silly/ridiculous, whatever,

.
.
.

But whenever I go shopping now, I am VERY conscious of where the product is from. If something is not an absolutely a necessity, and it's made in or from the USA I won't buy it.

Take tomatoes, they are not in season up here yet, and except for hothouse(very expensive) my choice is USA or Mexico.

You know which ones I buy, even if they are not as good quality, and more money.

I MYSELF think I'm being a bit ridiculous, but there's an internal attitude now that I can't get rid of.

Of course, seeing and reading on a regular basis Iraqi deaths at the hands of the USA don't help.

We don't even kill our murderers up here, let alone innocent women and children.

I'll be SO glad when summer gets here and I can pursue my favorite pastime, camping way out in the woods, no radio, no TV, no newspapers, and yeah, no keyboard!

Need to go make like an ostrich for a while!

[Mikimouse]

53. Camping...no outside world...no *...bring it on!

Shoal Lake (westernmost part of Lake of the Woods) is my favorite hideout. Three and a half hours paddle from the nearest marina and nothing but my beloved Pine Island. Ahhhhhhhh, four or five days out there and I'm ready to tackle life again.

[ConcernedCanuk]

57. Want to see some of my favorite camping spots?

.
.
.

Just clik on my eyes!
.

[lumpy]

28. Kimmitt can release pictures

of the armed 'insurgents' if he has a problem with the truth. Kimmitt stated "live coverage showed showed women and children killed by the missiles, not armed insurgents". Maybe there might be US news outlets that would be willing to print the whole bloody picture, babies, women and the 'insurgents'. Truth hurts.

[lumpy]

31. Maybe he could release

pictures of the US soldiers that have been killed or maimed also for the acts of vengence. But, the bloody truth hurts.

[genius]

29. Is Al Jazeera going to fall for that?

Without them there, the bloodbath and attrocities will probabably get worse. What if our side doesn't keep its word?

[bluestateguy]

33. How about a fair tradeoff?

Al-Jazeera out of Iraq if Fox News gets out of America.

[Ravy]

36. A fair (and may I add, "balanced") solution! (n/t)

[ElsewheresDaughter]

40. they don't want anyone to knoww what they might do...in darkness

[Chicago Democrat]

43. Why doesn't just the US get out of Falluja? eom

[Laughing Mirror]

54. Oh no, US can't do that. We're there bringing democracy.

Don't you remember?

[Chicago Democrat]

56. Democracy for a bunch of dead people. Who died resisting it.

450 Iraqis Killed, 1,000 Injured, in Fallouja Alone, in the Anniversary of US Invasion of Iraq

http://www.aljazeerah.info/9n/450%20Iraqis%20Killed,%201,000%20Injured,%20in%20Fallouja%20Alone,%20in%20the%20Anniversary%20of%20US%20Invasion%20of%20Iraq.htm

[leftchick]

64. No NO NO... The US is Avenging the deaths of 4 mercenaries....

4 pretty bad mercenaries as a matter of fact. Chimpass* logic means they are Well worth the lives of several HUNDRED innocent Iraqis!

:grr:

[Chicago Democrat]

58. Here's a picture of 3 year old baby wounded by the Marines...

http://www.aljazeerah.info/

[drfemoe]

90. Thanks for the warning

I know this is tragic, but personally, I appreciate DU guidelines for warnings of 'graphic' nature. Thanks!

[tom_paine]

60. I can't believe I am saying this but the Busheviks want to commit

some serious atrocities.

If Bunnypants* "wins" in November the world will have to consider quite thoughtfully about what to do about The NEW, Kinder and Gentler, Nazi germany.

Because Bushevik Imperial Amerika is just that.

[Blue_Tires]

65. I'm all for them getting out

Al-Jazeera is shit, imo...To watch them, you'd think that the ENTIRE population of the middle east are nursing mothers with infants and senior citizens, and none of the men have EVER owned an AK-47, much less fired it at american troops...And to date the U.S. has never killed an enemy fighter, only innocent martyrs and civilians (bad track record!)

and personally, i have serious suspicion that the owners/managers of that station are much more closely linked to radical fringe groups than we know. I've always asked why A-J ALWAYS gets the latest tape or video from some al-qaeda jagg off which they're always in a rush to put immediately on the air. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if some of these tapes were secretly recorded in their own studios.

Now, before everybody jumps on me, i do know that the U.S. shouldn't be there, and our military machine is committing atrocities beyond the pale of comparison. But I have little use or concern for so-called journalism (including Fox, the Washington Times, etc) which is so horribly slanted in a feeble attempt to shape opinion.

[lumpy]

72. Tapes secretly recorded in their own

studios? They must really have talented Hollywood-style make up artists to replicate such lifelike bodies of mutilated babies.(sarcasm) The only bodies I have seen of the dead male Iraqi enemy are the ones of Saddam's sons. I'm sure that US troops have killed Iraqi resistence fighters, so why hasn't the 'shitty' biased US media shown such depictations? Maybe you should be talking to them. We have to depend on all available media to get at the truth, so all of us cannot agree that AlJareeza is 'shit'...... Did you realize that AlJareeza is media that emminated out of the so-far neutral nation of Quatar backed by Quatari money?

[Blue_Tires]

73. I was referring to the al qaeda

'public service announcement' tapes...I have no doubt that the dead shown are real...and I am in no way defending american media, which enabled this whole excursion from the start..

[thebigidea]

80. radical fringe groups like the BBC, no doubt

[Fovea]

66. We want Iraq to become a western democracy

but without that pesky 1st amendment that PNAC and Opus Dei find so annoying.

[BiggJawn]

68. OK, let me see if I have the timeline straight...

Kimmitt claims to have declared a "cease-fire".
al-Jazeera airs video of our air forces continuing to fire on targets.
Kimmet says "Hey, no fair!"
A-J says "Hey, it's YOUR airplanes, we're not controlling them"
Kimmitt admits US forces are "returning fire" (so much for the "Cease-Fire") and anyway, they're taking out "insurgents"
A-J says "Some insurgents, those are KIDS getting killed"
Kimmitt wants al-Jazerra OUT before he'll negoitiate.

Dark for Dark Deeds, eh, Mark?

You Suck. maybe someday you'll be Secretary of State, just like Colon Bowel....

[genius]

69. So are they still there. I understand the bloodbath has increased

Did they leave and get tricked or are they still there?

[AirAmericaDude]

71. They should stay

How else would we know how many babies and women we are murdering? They are so truly independent and honest I see no reason for them to leave.

[lumpy]

74. It appears that some people

want to see the bodies of the Iraqi resistance fighters to try and justify the lifless slaughtered bodies of Iraqi children. According to the military they know who the resistance fighters are. Why in the name of God they can't come up with a plan to wreak their revenge without killing children is beyond me. Maybe using undercover methods for selective assassination instead of random shooting into crowds and blowing up occupied households. There must be some tactical military experts in the mix, so far it looks like Kimmitt does not have the ability or desire

[NickB79]

76. Something's better than nothing

I won't say A-J is "fair and balanced" (no news agency is, IMO), but at least they are taking pictures and video to document the situation. Even with all the slant and spin going on on both sides, those images aer still important to see. I'd rather see with blurry vision than be entirely blind.

[Bridget Burke]

82. Sorry, you're not fooling us.

Many of us want Al Jazeera to stay because they show the other side. None of the media are truly independant & honest.

But you do talk like all us far-leftists over here at DU! Such a radical dude!

[madrchsod]

75. late last night i asked

concerned cannuk if he`d heard anything about the canadian that was captured. i saw it on the al zizzy sight earlier in the night..they were just breaking it on the news in canada. al zizzy maybe biased but everything they have published comes out in our news outlets hours later. the convoy story took hours for the american press to report..they were showing pictures of it yesterday afternoon or early evening. sometimes it amazes me how we are blinded by our limitations

[sspiderjohn]

81. What are they trying to cover up?

nt

[Guaranteed]

85. THE MEDIA CAN NOT LEAVE.

DO NOT LEAVE.

[Guaranteed]

86. No deals under ANY circumstances.

The cameras MUST stay.

[tlcandie]

88. Why do they hate us? Read it and weep ....

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/00868307-ED94-4EE2-ABEA-1AD5450335A9.htm

United in grief and anger


Bereaved farmer Jabir Hasan with his granddaughter Zena

<snip>
It came down on top of a small farmhouse where Hasan's son Adil, and two nephews, Muhammad and Yahia, were staying. The nephews were burned to a crisp but Adil made it to the hospital where he survived 24 hours and then died.

As the family cried over the caskets, another missile fell on the funeral.

"Body parts were flying everywhere," says Jabir's wife Umm Adil. "You couldn't know the difference between a child and the flesh that was flying and the smoke. The caskets flew in the air and fell on the ground."
<snip>


Haidar's life was also changed by
by the death of his three brothers

<snip>
"I will never forget this," he said at the time, sobbing angrily, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Our reaction will be known someday, it will be determined at that time."
<snip>


Umm Zena: They even smell the
perfume to check its scent

<snip>
Today, Hasan, a Sunni, and Ghafil, a Shia, have something in common. They both want US forces to leave Iraq by any means possible.
<snip>

<snip>
"Whenever their cars get burned, they surround the area and stay for four or five hours bombing," says Umm Zena, Hasan's daughter in law and widow of Adil, referring to the US-led occupation forces. "They don't bomb anything specific, just out of fear of the people.
<snip>


Yet another family...

<snip>
Ghafil's mother has concluded that America did not come to Iraq to help the people. "What help are they giving us?" she asks with tired eyes. "They are destroying us, not helping us."

One year after the bombing of Baghdad, when they look at the pictures of their deceased relatives, Hasan, Ghafil and their families no longer cry. All their tears and sorrow have been transformed into a seething anger at the US.

"Now, I am in pain and everyone who lost something has this pain," says Hasan. "And this pain is heading for America. It will come in a few days or months."
<snip>


Zena has stopped smiling since
her father was killed

<snip>
he granddaughter, four-year-old Zena, never laughs or smiles. Her face is permanently twisted into a sad grimace. She has learned to say: "Bush slaughtered Papa."
<snip>

Futher down in the story ...

<snip>
"The Shia and Sunnis have to unify their resistance more; a joint plan is coming," he says. "When that happens depends on the Americans. If they keep using more and more force against the people, they will push this to happen."

As tanks rumble by in the streets outside, Ghafil and his mother agree that peaceful demonstrations against the occupation are useless. "The US forces just shoot at them," says Ghafil.
<snip>

<snip>
"We will kick them out," fumes Hasan. "With all my efforts, with everything I am capable of doing in this world, I am ready to sacrifice the rest of my family to defeat America. And God willing we will defeat her."

"I will never forgive them," says Umm Adil choking and pointing to her chest, "My son. And I forgive them? My country. And I forgive them? Our people all of them smashed. And I forgive them?

"Right now, we don't have any freedom. Our people are demolished. What freedom remains for us? Our country is gone."
<snip>

[tlcandie]

89. Yet another view from the Iraqi side of the US occupation...

Fear just a bombshell away in Baghdad

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D082FB59-82D3-4B6D-B07B-33F91A3A604B.htm


Baghdad has turned into a ghost town during the day

<snip>
There is an overwhelming look of exhaustion in people's faces. After three wars, 13-years of sanctions, and the humiliation of having foreign troops on their land, Iraqis are exhausted.



"Look at the people in Falluja, they, like all Iraqis, are a proud people"

They are tired of war, tired of the crippled economy, tired of being afraid. But they are also fed up with the US occupation of their country.


"What America doesn’t understand is that they cannot take over our mosques, our institutions, our cities, and think that Iraqis will just sit by and watch," says Hatim, a 28-year-old newly-wed.


"Look at the people in Falluja, they, like all Iraqis, are a proud people. They do not like having foreigners invading their land and forcing them into their homes. That is our new democracy? That is our new freedom?" he adds.


Two US tanks drive by as we are talking, and Abd al-Razak, a 26-year-old engineer, jumps into the conversation.


"Look at them. They drive around our streets like they own the country; they have no respect for us, no respect for our culture, no respect for our traditions, or our religion," he says.


The conversation ends abruptly as another blast punctures the quiet night sky. This time it is much closer, a signal that it's time to go home.
<snip>

[LastRebelDem]

93. Where was Al-Jazeera when Saddam was in control and killing his people?

Does anyone else wonder why Al-Jazeera did not report on all the murders comitted by Saddamn during his reign of terror? Where was Al-Jazeera during all this? Also, why does Al-Jazeera not show results of Hamas bombings and only the IDF retaliation? Why does Al-Jazeera only show the agression against one side?

[dawgman]

95. for the same reason that fox cnn msnbc show the opposite side of the

spectrum. why do they only show Hamas bombings and saddam killings? Take in both sides and the truth is somewhere in between most likely.

[saigon68]

96. The photos are real the blood is real

And the CHIMPANZEE doesn't want upset mothers who won't send their son's off to die in IRAQ-NAM for "FREEDOM"

[saigon68]

101. Actually "Freedom" above

Means Halliburton's freedom and right to make billions of $$$ for their stockholders

[keithyboy]

97. Where were you. Al-Jazeera did report on Saddam

and the US was not interested then.

Al-Jazeera is only bout six years old.
<snip>
" The hard truth is that the U.S. media left America as unprepared for these terrorist attacks as any Air Force general or CIA bureaucrat. As we dropped bombs on Iraq for 10 years running — justified or not — the U.S. media failed to report on it. Then suddenly, on Sept. 11, we think “We’re at war” when in fact there hasn’t been a day since the Gulf War ended when an American aircraft hasn’t locked onto a target with a missile or bomb. We were at war, it’s just that the media didn’t think it was interesting enough to tell you about it.
That’s our lesson to learn."

Michael Moran is senior producer for special projects at MSNBC.com. He worked as the BBC’s U.S. affairs analyst in London from 1993-96.

[dawgman]

99. good point. I couldn't tell you what they reported on before the war.

It didn't interest me. I didn't pay attention.

[LastRebelDem]

100. Got a link?

I don't recall any Al-Jazeera reports in Iraq when Saddam was killing his own people.

[tlcandie]

98. Link to ABOUT Aljazeera...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5D7F956E-6B52-46D9-8D17-448856D01CDB.htm

<snip>
Aljazeera has come a long way since it was launched in November 1996.
<snip>

<snip>
In January 2001, Aljazeera.net (Arabic) was launched as the first mainstream Arabic news site and in no time, it rose to the top of the Arab media. In 2002, Aljazeera.net (Arabic) received more than 811 million impressions and 161 million visits.



Boiling topics and heated debates along with objective news reporting and interactive feedback are the attributes that put Aljazeera.net amongst the 50 most visited sites worldwide.
<snip>

<snip>
Today, as we officially break the “language barrier” with Aljazeera.net English, our dream of bringing “people and continents together” is coming true. A new window of opportunity to see the world through is now opening.



Aljazeera.net English goes behind the scenes to provide every visitor with “the news they don’t see”, daringly and boldly as Aljazeera always does.



The website promises to raise traditionally sidelined questions and issues. It upholds the same philosophy of the mother organisation: “The right to speak up”. This translates into allowing everyone to express their opinion freely, encouraging debates, viewpoints and counter viewpoints.



Aljazeera.net English has been designed to attract readers from continents poles-apart. Not only does Aljazeera.net English offer a versatile content of news and information, but it also aims to be more interactive.



Our ultimate goal is to set up a more proactive relationship with our audience, where the audience is not simply a visitor at the other end of the line. They are and they will always be an integral part of the news reporting and news making process.



Our team of dedicated journalists with their multi-national education and diversified backgrounds share a common set of attributes: objectivity, accuracy, and a passion for truth.



Truth will be the force that will drive us to raise thorny issues, to seize every opportunity for exclusive reporting, to take hold of unforgettable moments in history and to rekindle the willpower within every human being who strives for truth.
<snip>

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[tlcandie]

103. How is that self-promotion? I went to their website and found that info..

Evidently, they were NOT in business when Saddam was gassing his own people, BUT then it isn't proven that it was him and not the US or Iran who did the gassing.

Maybe you could search their site and find some answers yourself, but then I guess that is asking too much? Or how about googling instead of expecting others to do it for you?

How old is FAUX News? Just because someone isn't ancient doesn't mean they aren't worth their salt.

If you have contentions about them then find the answers and link them yourself instead of expecting others to do the work for you?

[eridani]

112. Not in existence yet

The network is about 6 years old, and Saddam had already done his worst at that point.

[Jacobin]

109. I didn't realize you guys were so concerned with Iraqis

I thought it was WMD's and they were gonna attack us?

Now, all this concern, but you are showing it in very odd ways. Like blowing up cities with tanks, bombs and gunships.

If you are so concerned about IraqNamis, why not leave and let them settle their own government issues.

Oh, Silly me. I forgot. The oil.

[Aidoneus]

114. I wonder more why you're telling lies

most of the time Saddam's people hated al-Jazeera, just as much as the zionists do, both for much the same reasons you do:--telling unpleasant truths just gets on the nerves of those that are exposed..

[Aidoneus]

115. damn it, tombstoned already..

I never get a chance to play with the trolls.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

104. here's why check out this Al Jazerze cartoon flash

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0EE30E43-B137-417C-9FA4-E629E849E7DC.htm

[Iceburg]

105. And I'll add to that my favourite AJ cartoon ...

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/0EE30E43-B137-417C-9FA4-E629E849E7DC.htm?idpage=2&idPageImage={6CBDF0BD-73E1-4998-ACAE-A80A2DF23902}

[ElsewheresDaughter]

106. wow..so sad and true

[Judi Lynn]

120. Outstanding! Well done. Thanks a lot. n/t

[modaya]

108. How about 700 club CBN ?

[lostnfound]

110. AlJaz has the ONLY reporter in Fallujah, and he was being targeted today

Flashpoints read a memo that the guy had sent back to his boss.

The reporter that's there is pretty well-known as responsible & reliable. I'll dig up a name when I can.

[scottxyz]

111. Oh yeah...

...and get rid of The Guardian and Le Monde and Der Spiegel while you're at it.

[Tinoire]

116. Someone tell Bush that Leni Riefenstahl died in Sept of 2003