Strong Blast Adjacent To U.S. Military Base In Bahrain

by kokomero Tue Mar 25, 2003 16:54

... he's full of methane!

by Matt Tue Mar 25, 2003 08:20

...I forgot that no-one would be interested in what was actually happening.

The pentagon are now saying that it was an accident.

It probably wasn't a bomb. It probably wasn't an accident. The chances are it was a protest by the Shia'a in Bahrain, a group that are pissed on by the Bahraini government. Now the mainstream media will write it off so that it wont look like the 'friendly' nations there are anything but 'friendly', when in fact the populations are 80-90% against the war.

I wont offer any more little 'clarifications' based on 3 years living and working in the region.

by IMC Tue Mar 25, 2003 04:44

Truth The First Victim Of U.S. Aggressions
by islam online Mon, Mar 24 2003, 9:55pm

By Hossam Shaker, IOL Vienna Correspondent VIENNA, March 24 (IslamOnline.net) - Several European news reports and TV symposia have lashed out at the U.S. media policy during the current war on Iraq; the latest of which was a report transmitted by ORF, an Austrian TV station, Saturday March 22. The report criticizes the methods used by U.S.-British forces in dealing with reporters and raises doubts about the credibility of information reported by the alliance’s military commanders. http://www.islam-online.net/english/News/2003-03/24/article16.shtml

By Hossam Shaker, IOL Vienna Correspondent

VIENNA, March 24 (IslamOnline.net) - Several European news reports and TV symposia have lashed out at the U.S. media policy during the current war on Iraq; the latest of which was a report transmitted by ORF, an Austrian TV station, Saturday March 22.

The report criticizes the methods used by U.S.-British forces in dealing with reporters and raises doubts about the credibility of information reported by the alliance’s military commanders.

The Austrian report points out at several gaps regarding the information given by the U.S. military to world media people.

It states that some reporters in “Media Center of the U.S. Central Command” in Qatar have complained about shortage and inaccuracy of information and that they are denied access to such information.

The report adds that western reporters also complain that military commanders give access to some information only to U.S. and British media people and that they allow U.S. and British reporters alone to field cover war events under strict restrictions aboard alliance’s tanks.

The information, reported by the alliance’s military commanders, lacks accuracy, are very scarce and subject to severe control, rendering news fragile and unable to stand up for questions and doubts, the reports adds.

The report points out that the press conference, held Saturday March 22, in Qatar by Tommy Franks, the commander of alliance’s troops participating in the war against Iraq, has raised resentment on the part of participating reporters.

The conference was very weak and denied reporters the right to pose questions they accumulated since day one of the war.

The report doubts the credibility of the footage Franks presented during the press conference, saying such shots are “Iraqi military targets that have been destroyed.”

Austrian reporters fear to be trapped into propagating U.S. well-knitted, detailed false news, particularly after it has become apparent since day one that U.S. military information are either conflicting or lacks accuracy.

For instance, those Austrian reporters have repeatedly published news about the fall of Iraqi Umm Qasr town, though it has later become apparent that such piece of news is false, aiming to suggest that Iraqis receive invaders with flowers in their hands.

Reporters currently deal cautiously with the news reported by the U.S. military concerning war events. Some European reporters shirk responsibility for the validity and accuracy of such information.

Despite the cleverness and contradictions of U.S. propaganda, it has become clear now that reporters are no longer the only people who realize quite well that news are a weapon in itself, regardless of accuracy and validity.

Million of demonstrators around the globe, who refute war and make fun of U.S. decision makers, have also concluded - or so it seems -that truth is constantly the first victim of wars.

related link: www.islam-online.net/english/News/2003-03/24/article16.shtml

by IMC Tue Mar 25, 2003 04:42

POWs Treated According To Teachings Of Islam: Iraqi FM
by islam online Mon, Mar 24 2003, 9:59pm

Prisoners of war in Iraqi hands will be treated in accordance with "the teachings of Islam," Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told the BBC on Monday. "We are committed first of all to the teachings of Islam, and second we are committed to the conventions of Geneva in dealing with the prisoners of war," he stressed, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). "We are the people who created law when the grandfathers of Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush (British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush) were living like animals in the caves," he said. http://www.islam-online.net/english/News/2003-03/24/article15.shtml

LONDON, March 24 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - Prisoners of war in Iraqi hands will be treated in accordance with "the teachings of Islam," Iraq's Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told the BBC on Monday.

Sabri, in Egypt to rally Arab governments against what he called U.S. and British "colonialism, neo-colonialism and war," said Islamic principles took precedence over the Geneva Convention.

"First of all, we are committed to the teachings of Islam. We are faithful Muslims. We take care of our prisoners of war in accordance with our teachings of Islam," he told BBC radio's The World At One program.

"We are committed first of all to the teachings of Islam, and second we are committed to the conventions of Geneva in dealing with the prisoners of war," he stressed, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"We are the people who created law when the grandfathers of Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush (British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush) were living like animals in the caves," he said.

Sabri left Baghdad under heavy bombardment to travel via Syria to the Egyptian capital Cairo where the 22-nation Arab League was meeting to try and reach consensus over the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

He spoke to the BBC amid U.S. and British outrage that five captured U.S. soldiers had been shown on Iraqi television in a weekend broadcast that also included footage of four U.S. corpses.

Iraqi prisoners were shown on TV Stations and interviewed by foreign reporters since the second day of the invasion campaign.

Earlier Monday, the representative in France of the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera defended the decision to broadcast Iraqi pictures of U.S. prisoners-of-war, saying the criticism from some quarters smacked of double standards.

"For 10 years pictures of Palestinian prisoners have been shown all over the world, and in the Gulf everyone has been watching images of Iraqi prisoners kneeling in humiliation," said Michel Kik.

Kik was summoned for an interview Monday with the head of the Higher Audiovisual Council (CSA), France's broadcast watchdog, after Al-Jazeera on Sunday showed state Iraqi TV pictures of American solders being questioned in captivity.

"Why just me? Why aren't the representatives of other international channels who broadcast pictures of Iraqi prisoners being summoned as well?" he asked.

Arab FMs Call For Immediate Withdrawal

Meanwhile, Arab foreign ministers discussed Monday a strongly-worded draft resolution opposing the invasion of Iraq and calling for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. and British forces.

The draft, circulated by the Arab League secretariat, "considers the U.S.-British attack on Iraq as an armed aggression that aims at occupying a member state of the Arab League and the United Nations, in violation of international law and the UN charter."

It calls for "an immediate withdrawal of U.S.-British forces aggressing Iraq."

Qatar's Foreign Minister Hamad Bin Jassem Al-Thani pulled out of the meeting discussing the draft document, but denied the move was prompted by disagreement.

"I have a prior commitment," he said. "But I think these meeting are not useful, they are organized to appease the Arab public opinion."

Diplomatic sources said it was highly unlikely that Washington's other Arab allies, in particular Bahrain and Kuwait, would agree on the text.

Sixteen foreign ministers, including Iraq's Naji Sabri, were attending the meeting of the 22-member Arab League, the first Arab gathering since the war began last Thursday.

Speeches made at its opening by the Lebanese and Libyan ministers supported the draft.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud called on the UN Security Council to seek "a halt to the aggression," and urged "the immediate withdrawal" of US and British troops from Iraq.

Libya's African Unity Minister Ali Triki paid tribute to the "heroic resistance of Iraq's people and army". His reference to an "occupation" triggered sustained applause from fellow ministers and officials.

"We want to tell our brothers in Iraq, we are supporting you," he added.

related link: www.islam-online.net/english/News/2003-03/24/article15.shtml

by IMC Tue Mar 25, 2003 04:40

British Troops Forced Out Of Basra Amid Fierce Resistance
by ALLAHU AKHBAR Mon, Mar 24 2003, 10:29pm

Not for the first time in history, the cowardly swine of the british army run off with their tail between their legs when they get a whiff of grapeshot ......

Tough Iraqi resistance forced invading British troops to retreat from Basra

BASRA, Iraq, March 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Under attacks by mortars and guerrillas disguised in civilian clothes, Britain's Seventh Armored Brigade, the Desert Rats, was forced to withdraw Monday, March 24, from the southern Iraqi city of Basra, Iraq's second largest.

U.S.-led military commanders admitted they had vastly underestimated the strength of Iraqi resistance and the loyalty of Basra's population to the regime of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, according to Agence-France Presse (AFP).

Fierce Iraqi resistance, including attacks by irregular forces pretending to surrender, forced invading British troops to withdraw from Basra to regroup, British military officials said.

"We're currently taking stock of the situation. We were expecting a lot of hands up from Iraqi soldiers and for the humanitarian operation in Basra to begin fairly quickly behind us," Captain Patrick Trueman said.

U.S. and British forces had a tough time taming Iraqi resistance in the country's southeast, outside Basra and the key deep-water port of Umm Qasr, reported AFP.

Military planners had expected little resistance in the region because they thought the Shiite Muslim majority long repressed by the Sunnis from the north would be glad to be rid of Saddam.

The brigade had at one point surrounded the city.

Military leaders were concerned that members of Saddam's Fedayeen had lured British troops into danger by pretending to surrender and by using women and children as decoys.

Members of the Fedayeen have taken to disguising themselves in civilian clothes, mixing with families then emerging from crowds to fire on the coalition forces, according to AFP.

"There are significant elements in Basra who are hugely loyal to the regime. Their loyalty is rewarded with a better standard of living than most, so they don't want to give it up easily," he added.

Trueman said, "We always had the idea that everyone in this area hated Saddam. Clearly, there are a number who don't."

The decision to withdraw came after British units came under fierce mortar fire as they blocked the main routes into the city from the north and south.

Military leaders were also concerned the Iraqis might use a captured British vehicle as a car bomb.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair told the House of Commons on Monday that the international airport of Basra had been "made secure".

Al-Jazeera television has previously reported bombardment of southern Basra, showing columns of smoke rising from the city.

related link: www.islam-online.net/English/News/2003-03/24/article18.shtml

add your comments
COMMENTS

Who is resisting
by Maubere Mon, Mar 24 2003, 10:53pm

Just a quick bit of opinion, I've noticed a few people making comments like "the Iraqi people are resisting the invaders" etc. I think this is a bit premature. There is no real evidence yet that the ordinary Iraqi person is taking up arms and fighting the US/UK troops, this might be wishfull thinking on the part of anti-war people. We have to remember that people are to terrified by Saddam's cronies to speak out. The "civilians" who are fighting the Americans seem to be Baath party members, they know that if the Americans win then they will end up like the French collaborators in 1945, ie hanging from a lamp post. I hope the Iraqi people rebel against Saddam to get rid of him and his regime and stop the Americans from controlling the country.

by gas man Tue Mar 25, 2003 00:25

Thany you Matt for that wee clarification ... we can all sleep more easily now .....

by Matt Mon Mar 24, 2003 23:36

This is an old tactic of the anti-Sunni establishment Shia'a in Bahrain. They generally setup a cylinder with a section of it filed thin and point a blow torch at it. A few minutes later there is a large bang.

It's rare that anyone is hurt, because it's generally done in a secluded area (takes privacy to setup). In 1995-1996 you would hear 2-3 of these going most nights out around Jidd Hafs between 8-10pm.

I can believe that they would do this in Jufayr, there are loads of US personnel down there. Most of the ones that live outside the base are hospital admin staff.

They tend to keep them in the base when there is a high state of alert, so the chances of any soldiers being hurt is slim. The base is entirely self contained, complete with various American fast food franchises.