The risks of the al-Zarqawi myth : Melbourne Indymedia

For months now, the Bush administration had been building up the image of a massive network of foreign terrorists using Falluja as a base for their terror attacks against targets associated with the interim government of Iyad Allawi and the US military which backs him.

One name appeared in western media accounts, over and over again: Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a wanted Jordanian turned alleged "terror" mastermind. Almost overnight, Zarqawi's terrorist group, al-Qaida Holy War for Iraq, expanded its operations across the width and breadth of Iraq.

Al-Zarqawi was everywhere, his bombers striking in Mosul, Baghdad, Samarra, Najaf, Baquba, Ramadi and Falluja. Islamist websites published accounts of al-Zarqawi's actions, and the western media, together with western intelligence services, ran with these stories, giving them credibility. The al-Zarqawi legend, if one can call it that, was born.

The problem is, there is simply no substance to this legend, as US marines are now finding out. Rather than extremist foreign fighters battling to the death, the marines are mostly finding local men from Falluja who are fighting to defend their city from what they view as an illegitimate occupier. The motivations of these fighters may well be anti-American, but they are Iraqi, not foreign, in origin.

There is, indeed, evidence of a foreign presence. But they were not the ones running the show in Falluja, or elsewhere for that matter. As a result, the US-led assault on Falluja may go down in history as the tipping point for the defeat of the US occupation of Iraq. The January 2005 elections are now very much in doubt, and anti-coalition violence has erupted throughout Iraq (including from sources claiming to be aligned with - no surprise - Abu Musab al-Zarqawi).

Reflecting back, one cannot help but wonder if al-Zarqawi was used as a lure to trap the Americans into taking this action. On the surface, the al-Zarqawi organisation seems too good to be true. A single Jordanian male is suddenly running an organisation that operates in sophisticated cells throughout Iraq. No one man could logically accomplish this. But there is an organisation that can - the Mukhabarat (intelligence) of Saddam Hussein.

A critical element of this resistance was to generate chaos and anarchy that would destabilise any US-appointed Iraqi government

According to former Iraqi intelligence personnel I have communicated with recently, the Mukhabarat, under instructions from Saddam Hussein, had been preparing for some time before the invasion of Iraq on how to survive, resist and defeat any US-led occupation of Iraq. A critical element of this resistance was to generate chaos and anarchy that would destabilise any US-appointed Iraqi government.

Another factor was to shift the attention of the US military away from the true heart of the resistance - Saddam's Baathist loyalists - and on to a fictional target that could be manipulated in an effort to control the pace, timing and nature of the US military response.

According to these sources, the selection of al-Zarqawi as a front for these actions was almost too easy. The Bush administration's singling out of al-Zarqawi prior to the war, highlighted by Colin Powell's presentation to the Security Council in February 2003, made the Jordanian an ideal candidate to head the Mukhabarat's disinformation effort.

The Mukhabarat was desperate for a way to divert attention from the fact that it was behind the attacks against Iraqi civilians. Iraqis killing Iraqis would turn the public against the resistance. It needed a foreign face, and al-Zarqawi provided it. A few planted CD disks later, and the al-Zarqawi myth was born.

In its attempts to use the al-Zarqawi myth to distract and defeat the US military and the interim government of Iyad Allawi, the Mukhabarat is engaged in a dangerous game. In embracing the al-Zarqawi myth, the Mukhabarat has engaged the forces of Islamist activism to a degree never before seen in modern-day Iraq.

Having created a fiction, there is a potential danger of it becoming a reality

According to my contacts, the goal in creating a foreign Islamist face for the violence taking place in Iraq is to get the Iraqi populace to turn away from Iyad Allawi and the US military as a source of stability, and endorse the return of the Baathists (under a new guise, to be sure), who would then deal with the Islamists by shutting down an operation the Mukhabarat thinks they control.

But engaging these activists may not be without cost. Having created a fiction, there is a potential danger of it becoming a reality. Al-Zarqawi may not be the real force behind the anti-US resistance in Iraq, but many now, in Iraq and throughout the Muslim world, believe him to be.

Having created this giant the Mukhabarat may not be able to control it. The real danger in Iraq is not the inevitable defeat of the United States and the interim government of Iyad Allawi, but the fact that the longer it takes for the United States to realise that victory cannot be achieved, the more emboldened the Islamists become.

Right now, the Mukhabarat controllers of the al-Zarqawi network think themselves clever as they watch the US military play into their hands through the destruction of Falluja, and the futile search for a phantom menace.

But the tragedy that is the war in Iraq is far from over, and it may very well be that it is al-Zarqawi and his followers, and not the Baathist Mukhabarat, who will have the last laugh. And, as always, it will be the people of Iraq who will pay the price.

Scott Ritter was a senior UN arms inspector in Iraq between 1991 and 1998. He is now an independent consultant.

Oops Spinney.

I wonder if you can find any credible report to justify your claim that the Iraqi resistance is manned only by outside interference.

You started out claiming that they were all al Qeader, then Iranians, Syrians etc until they were just Sunni's, its getting really confusing now because they end up as just dead Iraqi's, crispy burnt women and children. You’d support that though, so I guess liberation can't be on offer.

Where are all the captured fighters from other nations?
Where is the evidence to support your lies?

Looks like the Iraqi’s are fighting back against the invading forces of Christian backed fundamentalist Crusaders hell bent upon creating a new world order upon the ashes of good intention while the oil is secured.

I’m wondering why America didn’t choose the despotic murderous regime in Kuwait to stand as first example of democratic change; they could have done this years ago.

If it was possible.

Here's laughing at you spin.

Oh and your wife doesn’t ever want to go back, so I'm renting her out. Hope that's OK

I am the real
by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Sunday December 19, 2004 at 08:14 PM

There is always a need for the good guys to have evil guys to fight.
Jesus has the devil. Gandalf has Sauron, Batman has the Joker etc.

After 9/11 Osama was THE enemy but he proved elusive and inactive. So on next to Saddam. Oops- got him and they had no further public excuse to keep fighting.

Well in all the sequel movies a new villain appears. Well if one doesn't appear then they create one. This Al-Zakawi fellow is supposed to have been killed a year or so before yet up he pops again. Is he alive? or just a figment of the US or Saddams secret police imagination.

It doesn't really matter. He is probably dead- then he can't argue that he is not responsible for attacks he is credited with. I wonder if he ever even really existed.

Doesn't matter- the war goes on.

Iraqi Muslim freedom fighters are banking on 70 virgins or maybe the pragmatists amongst them would settle for freedom and autonomy for their homeland. They don't seem to keen on being ruled by the marionette government being installed by their newly aquired absent landlords.

On the other hand, what bang will those brave but stupid pawns i.e. American and allied military, be getting for their buck?

Freedom from terrorism? HA HA HA More likely a healthy dose of DU poisoning.

http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-du1%2C0%2C5129356.story?coll=dp-special-news

zaquawi equals stupid CIA crap for sheeple to ponder on.

fun to watch the bullshit spin i guess.

Hey, Simon, did you hear that Saddam has issued a message from his prison cell thanking his supporters and urging them to further acts of "resistance"?

"...Car bombs have gone off in two Shiite holy cities in Iraq, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 100. The worst carnage was in Najaf, south of the capital, Baghdad.

An hour earlier, a blast rocked the nearby city of Karbala as insurgents stepped up attacks on the country's largest religious group ahead of January elections...."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1268676.htm

"...Three staff working at an Iraqi election office were killed in central Baghdad on Sunday, a spokesman for the body organising next month's polls said.

Insurgents have vowed to sabotage the polls, electoral commission spokesman Farid Ayar said....."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1268623.htm

"...Iraq's fledgling political parties have begun official campaigning for national elections next month, with the interim Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, among more than 5000 hopefuls who have registered to run for the January poll....."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/After-Saddam/Violence-marks-start-of-Iraq-election-campaign/2004/12/16/1102787216538.html

"Iraqi Resistance thank Anti-War Movement ..."

http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/12/84721.php

"....Long live Saddam Hussein, the fighter, who is the Comrade Leader secretary general of the Region of Iraq [as distinct from the Syrian region], President of the Republic, symbol of courage, defying the jail camps, conceiver, engineer and planner of the Glorious Iraqi Armed Resistance!"

- The National Council for the Iraqi Resistance

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=IA19704

"...saddam never lied and did not decieve…"

- by Simon Willace

http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/12/84598_comment.php

"....We cannot afford to be choosy. While we abhor and condemn the continuing loss of innocent life in Iraq, we have no choice now but to support the resistance..."

- John Pilger. 'Peace Activist'

"TONY JONES: But the resistance is a resistance you say we should be backing?

JOHN PILGER: JOHN PILGER: Ah, no, c'mon..."

- John Pilger, simply lying about what he said earlier

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2004/568/568p10b.htm

",,,I have walked the city's streets, along a road blown to pieces by a US missile. The casualties were children, of course, because children are everywhere........."

- John Pilger, being a hypocrite

http://pilger.carlton.com/print/132858

"....At least 42 people were killed, including 35 children, and 141 people were wounded, among them 71 children, according to the Associated Press. Ten U.S. soldiers were also wounded in the attack, including two seriously. ..."

- Resistance car bombing at sewage treatment plant.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/org/news/2004/041001-baghdad-bombs.htm

".....Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has launched a massive campaign to encourage people to vote in Iraq's upcoming elections, determined to ensure that Shiites have a chance to win the power he believes rightfully belongs to the nation's majority Muslim sect....."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/After-Saddam/Shiite-leader-orders-followers-to-vote/2004/11/22/1100972329982.html

"....A Sydney Muslim cleric kidnapped by insurgents in Iraq says he will not let the experience prevent him from returning to his troubled homeland...."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/After-Saddam/Sydney-Muslim-cleric-speaks-of-Iraq-kidnap-ordeal/2004/11/23/1100972398625.html

"...Saddam never lied and did not deceive…"

- by Simon Willace

http://www.melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/12/84598_comment.php
..................................................................................
I stand by that.
So What are you saying here spin?

Are you admitting I am right, because if you want to disprove the statement I suggest you find a WMD. Anything will do, providing it could have threatened the west.

Saddam will support any and all Anti- American action, resistance is felt by the entire Population, most Iraqi’s do not want America to be there and slowly all will assist the resistance. Occupation is futile, indiscriminate slaughter by western forces is not winning over hearts and minds, its just manufacturing dead bodies.

Sure you can cut and paste to refute that statement but I can find the evidence that most Iraqi Victims were just that, victims and Iraqis, the real cost of War so you can’t convince anyone, nor can collaborators.

The victims have relations Spinney, those who will miss them and this illegal conflict will cause more, bodies piled up with resentment undermining all US efforts to shock and Awe, Who can forgive them? America The Butchers of Iraq

Is Israeli occupation winning over the hearts and minds of Palestinians Spinney?.

America was not there to liberate, they are there to save the world from WMD remember?, so now its time to go home, the bunch of failures.

Leave the Arabs to Arab Business, they can look after themselves, and once America runs away from another international disaster the Iraqi’s may even sentence Saddam Hussein to death themselves.
After all he was in American pockets, he was installed by America, aided and assisted while in rule by America, and given help by America while he committed Crimes against his citizens, so no one likes him, do they Spin?.

This is how the world works spin, Saddam is a fallen power, not a hero of Iraqi Resistance, a spent force, no longer of any use to America. He has few friends or supporters just as our leaders are making up new threats to replace him that do not even exist.

Of course for you Spin this is confusing, its not simple straight forward or plain enough so let me try to make it clearer.

Western nations made up a threat, and before UN inspectors could prove the threat was a lie western forces invaded and occupied Iraq falsely promising to liberate Iraqis and bestow democracy.
To complete this secondary task America trained and installed an interim government and imported awaiting candidates to branch stack for the forth coming elections.
Those American trained Iraqi Candidates were imported for this task so that America remains after elections to continue the extraction of oil, loading on more war depts in reperations to enslave the nation and prevent its seperation from this style of colonalism.

The elections are another lie, but we were expecting it.
You and me, and I thank you for this oppotunity to inform our readership, we work well together, you pretending to support America, Fueling me with transparent lies. Its a good partnership.

You now represent nothing but evil western intention, the blood of a hundred thousand innocent civilians saved by your supported liberation ushers in your defeat, more than Saddam could have achieved.

Your support is just killing more now spin, Do you want to give in?

Iraqi election officials lie in the street as masked "peace actvists" of the "Iraqi" resistance ready to execute them.

The election officials dead bodies lie in the street

Oh look violence on the streets of Iraq!!!!
and it used to be such a peaceful country, a couple of years ago they were just starving and begging for food scraps, ah well this is what happens when we out of the goodness of our hearts try to spread a bit of common Human decency around. Wouldn’t believe it would you spinney?
No, WWW. melborneimc comments.com

All those years of getting Saddam to treat his people like shit and look at them.

You can’t help scum like that’http://www.melborneimc.comments.com

Well we did’nt actually go in to help them did we spin?

No not really but we have to, otherwise we can’t steal their oil.http://www.melborne.comments.com

It'll all be over by Christmas.

Joe Spector replaces some of the more than 1,200 U.S. flags that the wind had knocked over in the front yard of his Overland Park, Kansas., home, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004.

Spector says he has placed one flag in his yard for each U.S. soldier killed in the war in Iraq. Spector decided to display the flags instead of holiday lights on his house.

As of Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004, at least 1,303 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. (AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, John Sleezer)

However it would be too hard to display flags to represnt the 2.8 million people iberation has killed so far in the 15 year war or the 100 000 lives taken in this year alone, thats direct action casualties (Colateral damage)and victims of desease bought on by the destruction of sewage treatment plants and water treatment facilities.
Iraqi insurgents have caused minor causulties compared to American indescriminate killing.
If we keep this death toll up we will equal saddams mass graves inside three years.
However thats besides the point Joe Spector doesnt give a crap about women and children he's just remembering the soldiers who died in vain.

Spinifex doesnt care about anyone he just wants the fuel to be cheap at Esso.

...." resistance is felt by the entire Population..."

The idea that the majority, or even a significant minority, of Iraqis would approve of these disgusting crimes by the so-called Resistance is clear evidence that Simon and his idiot friends are a stupid as they are callous.

In fact, the Shiite majority have roundly condemned these attrocities for what they are - an obvious attempt to derail the elections.

.'.....Iraq's Shiite Muslims are being urged not to respond with violence to two suicide bomb attacks, which have killed 62 people and wounded more than 100 overnight.....

'Mohammad Bahr Al-Uloum, who is one of Iraq's most respected Shiite clerics, says the attacks are designed to prevent elections being held.

"They are trying to ignite a sectarian civil war and prevent elections from going ahead on time," he said.

"They have failed before and they will fail again."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1269209.htm

That political 'progressives' can remain silent - seeming to approve, or at least unable to condemn - these bombings and the cold-blooded public execution of election officials in this manner defies belief.

This is the worst, most utter depths the supposed Left of Australian politics has ever sunk.

Actually not left wing, just not stupid

News flash just in

ABC reports 'two massive car bombs have exploded in Iraq causing loss of civilian lives, perhaps the greatest loss of civilian lives since the war began' So said the ABC
But how accurate is that?

Must have been a big bomb, Christmas shoppers perhaps? Big enough To kill 2.8 million people in the street, leveling cities destroying civilization from Falluja to Basra, power stations destroyed, explosions wreaking water supplies and associated conflict destroyed all economic activity for 15 years? Must have been a big explosion costing thousands of billions

No of course not, that was America.

Funny how right wing News&Views and opinions only mentions the acts of resistance fighters not the real cause of aggression, or the civilian deaths of Iraqi’s killed in American Attacks are not even mentioned or counted.
Just look at the ‘spin’ report above, or in similar threads, he loves mentioning the deaths of Iraqis revels in the small numbers killed by insurgents but fails to report on the millions killed by America.

Is it salvation if you get killed by Americans? Good fortune good luck so much good intention.

Iraq was quite a peaceful country before the invasion there was no aerial bombardment, no hell fire rocket attacks or Napalm or Phosphorous and no terrorist or insurgents, just people living as they had for years, obeying simple rules, they must miss the good old Saddam days.
These day you just have to be male under thirty and the American forces will drag you off the street put you in prison and blindfold you while they take turns in Anal rape, don’t believe it? Spin will supply the photos in his cut and paste, because he’s such an unbiased reporter. Not all Iraqi prisoners were raped but then not all of them had done anything to deserve being arrested, racial profiling is easy in Iraq.
Then of course many of them don’t get that far, some are randomly executed on roadblocks, defying orders, don’t spekida English see, they are so ignorant and are put down like dogs, the only good Iraqi is a dead one so say the Troops.
It only takes a few bad apples in the squad, but with a machine gun, one single apple needs only a few seconds to ruin an entire Iraqi family tree.

The left does not say that the resistance is felt by all Iraqi’s, I do. The resistance is everywhere, 90 attacks a day throughout Iraq, building in intensity, we feel Iraq resistance too its so evident, living in Iraq everyone must be affected.
Today many felt the message and many more will tomorrow. Eventually for peace the Iraqis will want the Americans to leave.
Americans fought this type of battle against the people of Vietnam, but in Iraq they have no clear divide so they are trying too tell us the country is divide by religion, what shit! Yesterday they were saying the resistance was led by an Iranian, tomorrow they will lie again.

I said that just me, you’ll find my name at the top of the page, but I will not need to repeat myself others will in a few weeks’ months and years, I’m just ahead of the game.

So does the left support the Resistance?, or do they oppose the efforts of occupation?

There’s a difference to simple for Spinney to see.

I don’t know, but speaking for myself, America attacked and invaded a nation illegally by deception and is now under attack by the civilians of that nation.
So I don’t care who the resistance are, I just know they are Iraqi’s and the invader is Foreigner and untrustworthy so I say Go you Patriots!, stand up for your country, force the brutal invaders to back away from the Oil.

Black Ops - Psy Ops

Sunnis V. Shi'ite

Shi'ite V. Sunni

Divide and Conquer

very interesting to read press outside the West (i like the Asia Times, Al Jazerra, Tehran Times, Xinhaunet), where many authors have said the whole Sunni-Shi'ite friction theme is a myth.

Sunni's often pray in Shiite mosques if its convenient, they intermarry, have some joint ceremonies and respective clerics defer to each other.

Sure theres extremeists, but aren't there always: our local god botherers kill doctors & bomb abortion clinics!

"...our local god botherers kill doctors & bomb abortion clinics!..."

More likely they'd just try to bring back prayers in classrooms, actually.

When was the last time "our local god botherers" car bombed a Church killing scores and wounding hundreds? Or executed a team of election officials?

Really, you guys are just ridiculous. You are so desparate to excuse the "Iraqi" resistance, you'll swallow anything.

You even invent excuses for them when they don't ask for them!!

They brag about what they do - and you fools insist it's just CIA "Black Ops - Psy Ops" to make the lovely Islamicists and Ba'ath fascists look bad!!

As for poor, stupid Simon!

"...Iraq was quite a peaceful country before the invasion there was no aerial bombardment, no hell fire rocket attacks or Napalm or Phosphorous and no terrorist or insurgents...."

Sure, Simon - so long as you ignore everything that happened between 1979 and 2003. Like the the Iran-Iraq war, the Anfal genocides, the massacres of the Shi'ites and Marsh Arabs, the almost endless political and ethnic persecutions, the invasion of Kuwait!

And in fact, you DID ignore it - like every stupid pinko in the "peace" movement now supporting the "Iraqi" resistance!

And Liam, you dreary little parrot, if you think the Shiite supported Saddam, you're as stupid as Nigel says....

have a look at this

http://www.shianews.com/hi/middle_east/news_id/0000866.php

What ever happened to my spinney? He used to be such a difficult character, always able to undermine left views, always able to share a little benevolence like the west is pretending to do.
Now reborn as O’Conner he can only hide behind photos of two dead children killed by the war he supports, Is this what he has become? Oh how sad.

As another post suggests Iraq was a secular state, where Christians and Muslims shared each others space, like they do here. Christians in this country have as many churches as Muslims in Iraq have mosques. Of course you wouldn’t catch a catholic praying in an Anglican ministry, but in reality where there is no choice, Christians will join up with the local majority, that’s the way religion works, and it’s all about the same god after all so there is little hate between the two.
Given that both Sunni’s and Shiite have shared space for the last 1500 years in Iraq while Christianity has survived there also what would make them hate one another now? What could America do to encourage a divide?
Recently I found out that Jews have the largest community out side Israel in Teheran, but you wouldn’t read about it in the ‘Australian’. This type of conflicting information makes what we are told about religious differences in the Middle East less explosive. How can Jews live in Iran? Why would they be protected by the Islamic state? But the fact is Jews live throughout the Middle East and always have even in Iraq.

So if a crusade were to occur again, and by this I mean, if Christianity were to go on the march again, like good Christian soldiers and Occupy the Middle East and support one religion more than the other, what would occur?.

Well the reason wouldn’t be Christianity again, would it? We lied about that once or twice before, this time the crusade would be called Democracy, it’s a political variant, something that only exists in Christian countries from which the new Crusade would likely spread.
Well we can both cut and paste to point out the likely outcome of a new crusade with these values, but the reality of the situation is proof enough.

Remember how the CIA used bombs in the crowds to stir up a little unrest in Korea, before the civil war?
Oh of course that was blamed on Communists but years later the truth became well-known in works of popular fiction and in films, becoming the untold story of previously untold failed American colonialism, we were not around to watch that happen but by the benefits of hindsight we can now understand that Vietnam offered proof of equally bad western intentions.

Cambodia ended the obsession with South east Asia and took us westerners right through to present day middle eastern wars peculiar to the region in that they were all assisted and encouraged by American led enthusiasm for War and conflicts threatening the very core of world security.
The Iran Iraq war began just as Jimmy Carter lost to the students in Tehran and protected a despotic dictator who ran away from crimes against humanity. Then Regan sold weapons to Iran and eventually through all the carnage of a pointless war it became obvious that America just wanted to profit from the spoils, it was just selling weapons of war, feeding the flames and destroying all hope for peaceful settlement.

Why would the largest manufacturer of weapons want peace? That would be very Bad for business don’t you think
Threats to world security never did come from Communists or despotic regimes; they never threatened the west, America, just invented them, all WMD. Kuwait bought the American sponsored era of Saddam to a close, his usefulness evaporated just as the occupation of Saudi Arabia became possible as a landing stage for the final assault upon the entire Middle East. And here we are, but are we going to stop there?

And leave without Iran? This will not end spinney, keep your files in order, you will have to eat your words, you will not have your new world order.

These battles always go the same way, there’s a hard core of resistance that needs to be quelled, its supports are taken out, its actions are made to seem barbaric, and several really evil things are blamed upon it.
That’s if it can be identified, So insurgents suits it nicely, initially, but it still needs a face, a name and one fixed identifiable organisation will do adequately.
Unfortunately for you Spinney and your simple mind the Iraqi resistance is made up from the Victims of wide spread death caused by Americans complete disregard for human life thus far, so everyone is now armed to the teeth in defence of Arab lands, for most in the Middle east the Motto is ‘we are Arabs first”

So we are in a crusade like conflict, with all that it means and the Arabs must respond in Jihad, that’s the reality, squirm if you please, but eventually you will have to admit it.

Jump ahead, let’s say five years, and the war is still going on, what will you be saying then I wonder? Well do a bit of research and find out what they were saying five years into the Vietnam War and you will be able to see the future, the Christian following is not for everyone and nor should it be forced upon others in similes.

Oh and have a happy Christmas, see ya in the new year.

..."two dead children killed by the war he supports"...

Actually, folks, if Simon both to read properly he would know the two dead children were killed by Saddam Hussein and his cousin 'Chemical' Ali in Kurdistan during the Iran Iraq war.

The details are at the Shia Times link provided.

Now for a message from the 'Peace' movement:

"The ousted Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, has urged his compatriots to unite against the US occupation and warned of the dangers of the coming elections."

"His defence team relayed the message as Iraqi Shiite leaders called for restraint after bombs targeted religious centres, apparently trying to trigger civil war."

"Meanwhile, about 30 gunmen ambushed a car in Baghdad carrying workers from the Iraqi electoral commission, dragged them into the street and killed them. Unmasked guerillas, apparently unafraid to show their faces, staged the attacks in Haifa Street, a main road."

The attacks on Sunday in the sacred Shiite cities of Najaf and Kerbala killed more than 60 people and wounded a further 120. They appeared designed to inflict high civilian casualties, exploding within walking distance of the tombs of Shia Islam's most revered figures.

"President Saddam recommended to the Iraqi people to be careful of this election, which will lead to dividing the Iraqi people and their land," said Mr Khasawneh.

Saddam's first words included a popular Iraqi saying: "If you are not a head, don't be anything else because that would make you a tail", underlining that he intends to remain Iraq's leader.

- Associated Press, The Guardian

http://www.smh.com.au/news/After-Saddam/Shiites-calm-at-sectarian-provocation/2004/12/20/1103391702453.html

Keep up the good work, Simon. Saddam's counting on you.

"...Recently I found out that Jews have the largest community out side Israel in Teheran, but you wouldn’t read about it in the ‘Australian’..."

That's Because it's entirely untrue, you stupid fool.

Outside of Israel, New York is home to the largest Jewish population in the world.

http://www.tfmc.us/html/jcrcpamplet.html

Iran's Jewish community is the largest in the Middle East outside Israel.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/iranjews.html

- and how many Jewish communities do you think you'll find in the Middle East outside Israel?

It's actually illegal for Jews to enter Saudi Arabia, for example.

And the Iranian Jews are sbject to constant official harassment, you stupid oaf.

"At least 13 Jews have been executed in Iran since the Islamic revolution 19 years ago, most of them for either religious reasons or their connection to Israel...."

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/iranjews.html

The almost constant stream of prattle and gibberish that slops out of your stupid, ill-informed mouth makes you an excellent example of a modern left-wing 'intellectual' indeed.

You and Homer Simpson perhaps....

‘And the Iranian Jews are subject to constant official harassment, you stupid oaf.’

State sponsored oppression and executions?

13 arrests of Jews in 19 years?

Sounds like a holocaust.

Or just another beat up, we arrest more Muslims here a year and send them to their deaths when we refuse them visa’s sending Women and children back to the Middle East. Saudi Arabia refuses Jewish entry for public safety reasons and Iran actually protects the Jewish community, if the didn’t Israel would have new settlers to steal more land from Palestinians.

Ivey Spinney please raise your game!

Actually, Simon, the point in contention was your palpably stupid remark that "that Jews have the largest community out side Israel in Teheran..."

(Sorry, I just have to laugh every time I read that. Excuse me).

I note too that you are offering nothing in support of this, your latest "opinion". LOL

Now to your equally stupid claim that;

..."we arrest more Muslims here a year and send them to their deaths ...."

- and your snide belittling of the state-sponsored murders of Iranian Jews;

..."Sounds like a holocaust. ""

In fact, since 1948, the Jewish population of Iran has been reduced from 100,000 to slightly over 11,000.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/iranjews.html

Iran's official government-controlled media often issues anti-Semitic propaganda, a prime example is the government's publishing of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the notorious Czarist forgery, in 1994 and 1999.

The 'Protocols' was a favourite propaganda tool of the Nazis. Oh, and Indymedia of course.

Jews in Iran also suffer varying degrees of officially sanctioned discrimination, particularly in the areas of employment, education, and public accommodations.

So, yes, it does sound a bit like a Holocaust, and it would certainly fit within the UN's definition of Genocide, particularly Article 2 of their Convention;

Article 2
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

http://www.hrweb.org/legal/genocide.html

(I would like to remind the reader that Simon proudly asserts that he is a socialist of some sort, and considers himself a 'peace activist'. Based on his despicable racism and ignorance, not to mention his callous brutality, I cannot doubt his socialist credentials, I must admit.)

Now, Simon. Back to the matter at hand. - your assertion;

..."that Jews have the largest community out side Israel in Teheran..."

- you mentioned you didn't read this in The Australian? Where did you read it?

In the Tehran Times perhaps? Or maybe Islam On Line?

I think the point of your claim was to show just how tolerant the Iranians are of Jews or something, wasn't it?

You know?

"How can Jews live in Iran? Why would they be protected by the Islamic state?"

Like, the Iranian's excellent treatment of the Jews show how well the Sunni Ba'athists treated the Shiites or something? Wasn't that the point of the statement?

Also, just for your information, neither the Iranians nor Kurds are Arabs, imbecile,

Stupid, ill-informed little monkey....

Spin proves that Jews and Australians commit Genocide.

Article 2
In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
So that proves only jews and Australians are capable of getting away with genocide, thanks spin ..........you fool.

I could not have done it without you Those Iranian Jews did not die in vain, because as you failed to point out they are currently in Israel.

Good Worx Simon
by Chris Spin-Laden, Media Liason Officer Friday December 24, 2004 at 08:27 PM

happy Jesus day!

Happy Bethlehem is a Zionazi Prison Day!

Happy Urban Moving Systems - Joy and Mockery to you Simon!

Seriously where have you been?

All the old timers are dropping off. We hardly ever hear from pr and half a dozen of the old gang.

Good to have you back.

"Happy Bethlehem is a Zionazi Prison Day! "

Really!! Last year, Bethlehem was much more festive!!
Those among the palestinians who wanted peace, were beaten and tortured, disemboweled, dragged through the streets and eventually hung from lamp posts. It was very festive!! Red, red and more blood red was everywhere in Manger Square.

"....Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden has recognised Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraq's most-wanted man, as leader of his terror network in Iraq and called for a boycott of Iraqi elections, in an audiotape attributed to him and aired by Al Jazeera. ..."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200412/s1272892.htm?fp_news_stor

Giving credibility to the myth would not do OBL much harm, like admitting to 911, its surprising what you can do in a cave, a world away.

Americans are chasing after a ghost in this nightmare scenario, OBL gets to call the shots, that’s smarts.
America will waste so much time and take their eyes off the real game while OBL from his palatial head quarters in Saudi Arabia plans the 2005 offensive which will push the foreign invasion forces out of the middle east for good, you see spin there’s a war in Saudi Arabia as well and they support OBL while the battered house of Saud is expected to flee into the USA sometime soon.

British Government underwrites 1 Billion weapons deal on behalf of Saudi Arabia , no insurance company would take the risk.

You see only a war in Iraq Spinney, but try to take in the full picture, the entire region is at war while Iran is threatened in the escalating violence that follows your beloved America..

America is only killing Iraqi’s, in Iraq. In a war against civilians….prove otherwise.
America is branch stacking with its imported exile-Iraqi’s in the democracy it’s organizing for next year, this means your supporting colonialism.

Do you remember Argentina’s attempt to take the Falklands?, they shipped in Argentineans so a vote in an Island referendum would win them sovereignty.
Britain did not see any reason to bomb Argentina, even though size and distance was no problem at the time, in the end the squabble served its purpose the populations of each nation were distracted from political problems experienced at home, that was what the war was about, no one actually wanted the Island, except sheep farmers.

America proudly promises nothing it can achieve, lower oil prices, democracy, stability in the Middle East

America lost the battle and begun another war, in a year or two you'll start seeing things differently.

The west attacked, therefore all opposition defend their right to reply in kind, they are patriots. Wining over support of media doesn’t win the hearts and minds of civilians in Iraq, especially when America owns the rights and all opposition media is banned.

doesn’t sound very free to me, and if interviewed Iraqi civilians will not speak ill of the invader, that would be unhealthy.

I notice you used the Shiite word, surely you realize that Shia is the preferred title of the other group of Muslims to be used in all western media reports, Shiites are the Muslims who are led by the Ayatollah in Iran, they are no friends of the west, but if America is foolish enough to support the creation of a Islamic state it may bring the two countries closer together as one. That would be unexpected now wouldn’t it?
But more likely than any stable Democracy.

I wonder what the German people had to say about the French in WW2, I'm sure Germans felt that the country would prosper under Hitler and be governed in partnership quite comfortably as Germany ruled the world. There was of course a small resistance group who gunned collaborators down in the street and bombed offices causing a bit of fear amongst the civilians, but they won in the end.

Well who's trying to rule the world now Spinney?

>>> the old timers are dropping off.

Not much point contributing to zionMC's censorship central - is there?

Given that Chris Parson's hatefilled ratepayer-funded sputum is highly regarded and promoted by the same war-nazi agents responsible for the perpetual censorship of facts here at zionMC--- what would be the point of hanging around?

In other words - let them have their cesspit - we can point to it-- highlighting Chris Parson's ratepayer-funded contributions and editorial support for such---as an example of how things work here in Australia.