Archive for
May 29th, 2007


Stories

Lebanon: More on the Crisis in the Country 

a small portrait of this author Moussa Bashir · 22:26

For the second week, Lebanese bloggers have posted anecdotes, reflections, updates, photos, videos, jokes, sarcasm and drawings on the issue that is taking precedence over all other topics. The issue is the ongoing violence which is taking the form of clashes in the north between the army and the militants and the terrorist explosions jumping from one location to another around the country.

So what are the bloggers saying?

In drawings
Mazen Kerbaj drew this art piece. The Arabic words inscribed in it are saying: “me and the Gemmayzeh (a street in Beirut where people hang out in pubs, etc) and the beer are waiting for the explosion…
Waiting for the explosion

About the relief efforts
A new blog was set up to post updates on the The Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign. The founders of the campaign describe their work as spontaneously formed following the tragic events in Nahr el Bared Camp. They declare that they are a grouping of unaffiliated individuals working on relief and civil action to end the violence and offer aid to those injured and displaced due to the Nahr el Bared conflict.

Upon visiting the Baddawi camp, Dr Rami Zurayk shares with us a couple of things that he learned “On War” and “On Needs”:

I just got back from the Beddawi Refugee camp near Tripoli where most of the displaced from Nahr el Bared have found shelter. It is a tiny piece of land, no more than 1 km2, which, until May 22, used to be home to 18,000 people. Now they are 30,000. You can feel it in the streets: impossible to move by car without hitting someone.

Dr Marcy Newman along with the Nahr el Bared Relief Campaign were also at the Beddawi camp in an effort to help the civilians fleeing the fighting and had this to share:

When we arrived at the camp, we saw that the aid relief in Badawi has improved in some ways, but deteriorated in other ways quite seriously. Groups seem to be better coordinated, but now the camp is flooded with journalists and NGO workers as well as a refugee population that continues to swell. Aid still is not reaching most families in houses, although this is what our group is working on in collaboration with civil society organizations in Badawi.

Golaniya posted a list of the civilian deaths and injuries inside the camps as a result of the clashes.

On the jokes
Diamond mentions some of the jokes that are spreading and also attempts analyzing the phenomenon of humor during conflicts:

After all, we teach children to deal with bogeymen and other fears by putting them into perspective with daylight and laughter - and I think that now it is equally important not to be bowled under by fear of militancy, in whatever form it may come.
On the other hand, we don’t laugh at the graves of those who have died serving their countries, their families, or other ideals. As long as the laughter is life-affirming, rather than situation-denying, I think it can be a very healthy thing.

More jokes about the militants fighting the army can also be found at Liliane's blog.

From inside of the camps
Dr Asa'ad Abu Khalil made a phone call to a friend who was still inside the Naher al Bared camp. Excerpts from the conversation regarding the situation and analysis of the causes and expected results of the fighting were posted by Sophia.

Sietske also made a trip to the Palestinian refugee camps in North Lebanon after reporting on the Shatila refugee camp in Beirut.

And Kadmous posted a number of recent videos shot during the crisis in the North.

Against the bombs
There are also posts with arguments against the bombing of the Palestinian refugee camps. Among them are Leila who said:

This bombing is not good for the future of Lebanon. If Fatah al-Islam is such a problem, aren't there other ways to address it than by causing immense suffering among civilians, and thereby creating a whole new generation of future recruits to terrorism?

And Apokraphyte who wrote about the futility of such a measure as bombing the camps to get rid of terrorism:

I don't care if Fatah al-Islam is evil incarnate. I don't care if they are Hariri-funded or a front for Syrian mukhabarat or Islamaniacs from Tunis or aliens just landed from Mars. Artillery is NOT THE ANSWER. Worst of all, everyone knows this, especially the LAF. The problem of the camps (in its myriad forms) is not a mystery, not a new development. Direct military confrontation serves no purpose. In fact, if security and peace are the objectives, one can easily argue that such an assault is horribly counter-productive as it only increases the militance-misery quotient.

About the explosions
EDB and her friends thought that leaving one part of Beirut for another would keep them far from the expected terror bombs. But the explosion followed and occurred on the street that her friend passed several times during that day:

Now they have consecutively targeted both the upper crust Christian and Muslim areas in Beirut. I bet over in Achrafiye they're relieved its not in their neighborhood again,” I remarked. “I passed by there twice today,” L. muttered as we watched a chaotic scene unfold on TV.

Jamal satirizes what he terms as the “anonymization of the perpetrators of crime”:

Part of the noise factor and the dangerous speculation battles taking place is the anonymization of the perpetrators of crime. So while Abou Hurayra, Abou Yazan, Abou Jandal, Abou Adass and Sejaan Saadeh are neck deep in accusations or dead; the people with faces who actually answer to registered triple names and might be involved in this mess remain unscathed and even run for office.

On worries of a new civil war
Maya[at]NYC starts her post by using the slogan of the anti–civil war campaigners which calls for the remembrance of the war so it can be avoided. She writes that that the civil war should be remembered because it will be repeated.

We are a country of poor people who think they can afford to indulge in great ideological beliefs. We define ourselves in our “moral” ideological ethical belonging. If there was a competition of gullible people, we would win the race. We each have chosen to believe in a different fight, in a cause “with our soul with our blood”. An emotional morass of immature followers. We are all followers. Not questioners. Of course: it’s easier.

On questions and answers
Here is Sean trying to make sense of some of the puzzles involved:

A few things don't make sense, though. If these guys were really pro-Syrian, why would they have splintered off from the very pro-Syrian Fatah al-Intifada? And if they were really a tool of Hariri, why would they be fighting the ISF? Of course both of these questions assume that whoever financed these guys is still in control — which may not be the case at all.

And MFL answers and analyzes some of the questions and issues raised during the past weeks in this post that is titled: “Fatah el Islam and Lebanon: Between Reality and Conspiracy Theory.”

Till next week, stay well.

3 comments · »»

Sierra Leone: State Led Prostitution, Diamond Tales, And More 

a small portrait of this author Vickie Remoe-Doherty · 17:44

After three years of peace following eleven years of civil war, Sierra Leone is engaged in concerted efforts to attract investors. The efforts, which are led by the the government of Sierra Leone and the the Department of International Development in the UK, involve a campaign, Sierra Leone: Back in Business.

Sierra Leone, like many other African countries, is guilty of “state led prostitution” in its attempts to bring investors back into the country, argues Sweet Sierra Leone. She writes:

When poor countries are trying to get investors they usually embark on what i like to call “state led prostitution”. The government basically has to prostitute itself and its resources to any one willing to bid (not even the highest bidder). This means giving tax breaks and signing deals that are more in favor of the foreign companies than national interest. In the name of privatization and foreign direct investment many African nations including Sierra Leone have been guilty of “state led prostitution”. The kind of investors who take deals from prostituting states generally do so to avoid corporate social responsibility or restrictions in other countries that are more in favor of national welfare. The tricky thing about state-led prostitution in countries like Sierra Leone however, is that the market is highly competitive. “It's a prostitute eat prostitute world” There is always the threat that another prostituting state in Africa or elsewhere could make a more attractive offer to the investing client. The question for states like Sierra Leone then becomes: “How can I make my country attractive for investment without embarking on state-led prostitution and preserving national welfare?”

However, she sees signs of hope and optimism in the form of corporate social responsibility, where companies like Celtel in Sierra Leone are investing not only in infrastructure but also in the people through campaigns such as Build Our Nation and Come Back Home:

Celtel Academy Freetown is a training academy that will bring “world class educational opportunity combined with the depth and speed of information technology and the internet” to Sierra Leone. If Sierra Leoneans are endowed with cutting edge skills then companies like Celtel will reduce their dependence on foreign expats. With this training academy, Celtel is making a decision to not only invest in infrastructure but also in people. Infrastructural developments are good but without skills, brain power, and leadership; buildings and roads will crumble and decay. Another example of Celtel’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility in Sierra Leone is the recently launched “Build Our Nation” Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to provide much needed school supplies and books to secondary schools in need. The company has set aside a total of Le. 450 million ($150,724) for the first year of implementation. Additionally, the “Come. Back Home” Campaign in an effort to recruit Sierra Leoneans and other Africans in the diaspora who are interested in living and working in Africa to join their corporate family. The company will be participating in career fairs in the UK and the US during the course of this year to make Sierra Leoneans aware of the opportunities available with Celtel.

Other Celtel's initiatives aimed at developing local talents and skills in Sierra Leone are Celtel Academy, Employee Education Fund, Celtel Talent and Graduate Development Programmes, and HIV/AIDS Initiative- Headstart.

Justin, who blogs at Live From Freetown, works for Mercy Ships in Sierra Leone. He writes about “the abnormally nice things that normal people do” in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone:

It amazes me that when I go to a person on the street and ask for help, the person will often go to great lengths to assist. It could be somebody downtown wanting to sell me mobile phone (and I’m looking for a less expensive model, therefore he goes on a mission to find one), or the woman in a small shop willing to lend me a bottle opener for a few hours with no collateral. Honestly, you’d be amazed at the abnormally nice things that normal people do.

But there is nothing nice about bureaucracy:

So today, after an exceptionally frustrating couple of days, I ventured into Freetown Cold Storage, also the home of the Swiss high commission. One of my colleagues is going to Switzerland to deliver a presentation to the UN in Geneva at the beginning of June, and we need a visa, and we need it stat.

I brought the form, the passport, the money, the invitation letter, and two passport photos. The secretary for the consular looked it over.

“You need another letter.”

“What do you mean.”

“To say he works for Mercy Ships.”

“But he’s going on UN business, not Mercy Ships business.”

“It does not matter. You need to prove he is employed by you.”

“If I give you these, can you please start processing the visa while I fax you the letter today?”

“I can not process it until I have the letter.”

“Alright. How long will this take.”

“Between seven and ten days.”

“This is urgent. Can you process it faster please?
“The documentation is incomplete.”

“Yes, I know. And I will fax it to you. But is there any chance the process can be sped up?”

“Under normal circumstances, it takes between seven and ten days.”

“Yes, this is not a normal circumstance. He flies out on June 4.”

“No, his proposed date of travel is June 4.”

“No. I have his ticket here. The date of travel is June 4. That’s why I would like you to please ensure this goes as quickly as possible.”

“But your documentation is incomplete.”

“Yes, but let’s just pretend it isn’t. I’ll fax the letter once I get back to the office.”

“I can not begin until I have it.”

“Look. I have a Swiss passport, which means I am a Swiss citizen. You working for the Swiss high commission means you work for the Swiss government. And since that is my government, you work for me. Can I please have some cooperation?”

Paul is a volunteer with the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO). What is a day in the life of a VSO volunteer in Sierra Leone like? Paul sheds some light:

The day begins refreshingly early since without electricity, retiring in the evening prior is also early. The dark silence is broken gradually by the call of the muezzin and then the church bells, the screech of the cocks and the barking of dogs as activity starts and the first light appears. Rising at about 6:30 I go for a jog around the local football field and enjoy the company of locals now almost a club of early birders. A quick trip to the well to gather the water for my bucket shower is followed by a breakfast of local bread and ground nut paste. By 8:00am I am ready to leave and the girls at St. Joseph school opposite my house greet me with the chorus of the national anthem before school begins. A brisk 15 minute walk to work at this time of day when the sun is low is comfortable and I wave to the passers by and answer in Temne to their greetings. Children shout “opporto” from the Portuguese derivative at the strange sight of a white person and I smile. I arrive at work in a lifted mood and think how different and more pleasant this is compared to turning up for work in Canada.

Diamond tales is a moving post at Visit Sierra Leoneabout visiting local diamond miners in Sierra Leone:

We stopped and continued on foot. Walking through some typical bush forest. Few villages, much forest, the rebels had a strong presence in this area during the war. It was also for most civilians, the only way to flee. The roads were too dangerous: too many rebels, too many soldiers, and too many problems.
Rashid was in an upbeat mood and happy to have taken a day off from ‘selling radios’. He didn’t get out much, had middlemen who take care of most things. I was surprised to only find women when I first walked out of the forest, and reached the river. This side was meant for washing gold, and it was here that the women were. On the other side of the river were the men. The men who were diving, digging and shaking gravel in the hope of finding some diamonds….
When the groups of diggers get bigger, roles become more flexible and groups work together. In the case of smaller operations (i.e. 4 groups of three to four men); first you worry about the gravel then about the shaking it. The shaking then only takes place in the afternoon. In the case of larger operations (i.e. 30-40 men), shaking takes place more regularly.

The divers are usually chosen men, the remaining men are ‘workers’ and the man overseeing operations may be called ‘miner’. There is no fix terminology, but a miner is often the man who has the license, the manager could be a boss who doesn’t have a license (i.e. directly working for the supporter, often a Lebanese).

Diving is difficult and divers command more respect. Some men told me about their wish to become divers, seen as a little higher at what is the bottom of the diamond chain. I did ask two divers what they felt about diving and health. They didn’t see any major problems with this, although diving for such lengths of time on a daily basis must have some effect on the man’s health.
Steven, one diver in the pictures had just come back up from his long dive. It took 15 minutes before I spoke to him; he was still under the shock of the temperature difference. Smiling as often, we exchanged greetings. He like the others was happy that this was a Thursday and the Friday would be their day of rest.
Some of the men spend one to two hours at the bottom of the river. Usually four to five fathoms or fader (1 fathom = 0.9144 metres, any suggestions on why people in Salone still use this unit of measurement?), depths, that increase as the first rains set in. A pump ensures that the diver gets the necessary oxygen. A long rubber tube that passes through an empty gas container, and attached to the pump facilitates the sending down of air.

Visit Sierra Leone wishes that Leonardo DiCapriohad visited Sierra Leone before making the movie, Blood Diamond:

Much of the diamonds passed through Koindu to be brought to Monrovia. Issa Sesay, Sam Bockarie (aka Mosquito),and Gibril Massaquoi, amongst others, were heavily involved and Charles Taylor seemed to have the right contacts. The rest (much smaller) was bought on ‘fly-ins’, foreigners flying in, buying stones, paying the right man to remain silent, and flying back out. Alternatively also through smuggling. In this regard, Blood Diamond did get its story right. An action film, a Holywood thriller, a film that could be sold to the masses in Europe and North America. The frustration I shared with many was the image it portrayed of this country at present. The past must not be forgotten but this was not really the ideal image to be portrayed of a country in the middle of registration for presidential elections. Yes the blood diamond awareness campaign was important, but the least Leonardo and company could have done is to have flown to Salone and to come back reporting that it is back in business.

2 comments · »»

Belarus: Blogger br23/Uładzimer Katkoŭski Passes Away 

a small portrait of this author Veronica Khokhlova · 12:59

Belarusian blogger Uładzimer Katkoŭski (br23) passed away in Prague on May 25 at the age of 30.

Here is a message from his family - posted in English and in Belarusian:

Dear Friends,

Tonight was the saddest day of our lives. Uladzimir, after a long fight passed away in Prague. We believe it was his wish to be returned to his home country Belarus. He will be buried next week in Minsk. Our consolation is that a lot of people are feeling for him and are with our thoughts in this moment. It has been a blessing to have had him with us!

Uladzimir’s family

TOL's Belarus wrote:

Uładzimier Katkoŭski, web-editor of the Belarusian Service of Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty dies yesterday after being one year in coma. Uładzimier was one of those who created websites martyraloh.org about Bełarusians repressed and killed by the Stalinist regime, and svaboda.org, the media service to be called the best in the RFERL network. He was then one to initiate creation of Bełarusian–language Google and an activist of BY-Wikipedia. To a large degree thanks to his effort Bełarusian-language Internet is now what it is.

[…] Nearly hundred bloggers have recalled Uładzimier in their diaries these days. […]

LJ user czalex wrote (BEL):

[…] In his 30 years, Rydel has done as many useful deeds as some manage to do in their 70 or 80 years. […]

Israel-based blogger Amir Aharoni wrote:

Uładzimer Katkoŭski, a.k.a. Rydel23 and BR23, passed away yesterday after about a year in coma caused by a road accident. Katkoŭski was the webmaster of Radyjo Svaboda - the Belarusian branch of Radio Liberty, one of the editors of Pravapis - a site dedicated to Belarusian language, and a popular figure in Belarusian Internet culture. I knew him personally through the web and we exchanged some emails. While some people accused him of Belarusian nationalism and Russophobia, he was just a guy who wanted to speak his own language and tried to convince the world to give a little respect to the history of his country, which is considered by nearly everyone as just a bunch of counties in Western Russia.

May his soul rest in peace. […]

***

On March 21, 2006, br23 was on Radio Open Source, talking about the recent presidential election, Aleksandr Lukashenko's regime, and blogging in Belarus:

[…] The most important thing is the political assassination, the political murders, that (it’s very very likely) were ordered by Mr. Lukashenko. … In our case, it’s really four or five people, at least, that Lukashenko probably ordered to kill. And, of course, political prisoners that were recognized as political prisoners by Amnesty International and by other organizations. There were at least a dozen people we can name who spent either several months or maybe years in jail.

[…]

Internet is still the free medium, it’s just been traditional media that’s totally, completely under his control. … Except … they blocked internet on Sunday, the day of the election, and they’ve blocked internet during previous elections. … All together, at this moment, estimates are about 120 to 150 people who were arrested … and among them there were bloggers. I personally know four people with blogs that are now in jail. […]

To listen to the show, click here (mp3, 24 MB).

5 comments · »»

Kuwait: What Kuwaitis Did This Week? 

a small portrait of this author Abdullatif AlOmar · 11:56

It's been yet another busy week for Kuwaiti bloggers who give us a break down of their day to day activities. While one contemplates why he should register to attend a film festival, others are visiting relatives and friends, ordering lunches in, comparing hypermarket prices and scrutinising Google Earth for places they didn't know existed in their country.

TheStallion wanted to go to an event but he is now having doubts.

I thought that people might want to know that there will be an Australian Film Festival this week! I am going to try to make it to each one but to be honest I don’t think that’s going to happen! I checked out Cinescape’s website regarding this film festival and it seems like they want people to register for these movies!

Zdistrict went to his cousin's dewaniya (a traditional section of Kuwaiti homes used for social gatherings) and took some pictures there.

I passed by my cousin’s Dewaneya like every Saturday, always looking forward to it at the end of the day! This time I decided to take my time and not show up at 8:00pm instead I showed up at 9:00pm and I’m happy I wasn’t the first person there. I have been annoying my cousin about his unfashionably late arrivals at this dewaneya, I think after a few years he has gotten a bit of the hint!

Qias returns with another business topic. He talks about pricing and how sensitive are we to it and gives an example from his co-worker.

Many people working in Kuwait City order in lunch everyday. When you start ordering lunch 5 times a week, you start creating a small budget for yourself, then you get used to the prices that you have accepted by time. In school and my personnel readings i have learned a lot about pricing and how sensitive it is. When pricing any service or product, an average of 25 to 35% is added as gross profit

Chillnite was using Google Earth to check out Kuwait and found things he didn't see on land.

This is interesting, just caught a glimpse of this area in Google Earth, it says it's the Kuwait Science Club: Flying Field. This is so cool because I have always wanted to own one of those mini-remote-aircrafts. Would be great if I can get hold of more info on this and get into it. Any one with more info on this let me know.

Archeology Uncovered, a new blog on the block, shares with us pictures of Archaeological finds found in Failaka (an island in Kuwait).

come in to work today, and see that these were all cleaned and laid out. The pieces range from 1978-1989. From Failaka.

Meanwhile, A Kitchen in Kuwait talks about Carrefour coming to Kuwait and compares it to the other hypermarkets in the country.

The Sultan Center: We drop anywhere from KD50-100 there a week and when we get home and put our grocery bags on the kitchen counter, we say, “What the hell did we buy for KD70?!”
Lulu Hypermarket: We spend there, on average, KD30/week and we come home thinking, “Wow, we got a lot of stuff for KD28.”
Carrefour: I just spent KD28.100 there on its grand opening and I was AMAZED

Philq8 also goes to check Carrefour and gives us her report.

Speaking of grocery shopping, we always went to either Sultan Center or City Center but taking a glance of Carrefour Hypermarket yesterday made me changed my mind for our next grocery shopping.

Magicaldropletsbrings to our attention a photography competition sponsored by AWARE (Advocate for Westerners-Arab Relations).

Are you a keen photographer?
Would you like to see your work on public display?
Would like to win fabulous prizes?
Just sign up for the Photography Competition and submit, up 3 entries, your best photo.

Photo credit zdistrict

1 comment · »»

Colombia: Reactions to Paramilitary Chief's “Confession” 

a small portrait of this author Carlos Raúl van der Weyden Velásquez · 09:00

On May 15-17, paramilitary chief Salvatore Mancuso Gómez continued his deposition before the Colombian Attorney General's office in Medellín's Palace of Justice, which was interrupted in January. It was preceded by a sort of “expectative campaign” and was followed by a huge series of events, such as hostage Colombian Police Officer Jhon Frank Pinchao's escape from captivity by the FARC. While a lot of people, including me, thought it was going to be much ado about nothing, Mancuso implicated a lot of key people in Colombian politics (including current Vice President Francisco Santos and his cousin, Minister of Defence Juan Manuel Santos), economy, military, police and even large American and domestic companies, which allegedly supported the paramilitary death squads. Mancuso also said that paramilitarism was a “State policy” and told how this was a “phenomenon” in his area, Córdoba, Sucre and Antioquia departments.

Jaime Restrepo makes an analysis at Atrabilioso [ES]:

Me gustan los dos primeros días de testimonio de Salvatore Mancuso. Y si esa fue la entrada, hay buenos augurios sobre el plato fuerte, pues uno de los mayores criminales de las Autodefensas está dispuesto a contar su historia, ya sea como un acto de venganza o por cumplir con el compromiso de contar una parte de la verdad: de alguna manera la motivación es accesoria, pues lo importante es que se conozcan los intrincados lazos de los violentos con la sociedad colombiana y que estos sean evaluados por la justicia, cosa difícil, o por la historia. […] Por lo pronto hay que estar satisfechos con el despertar y tener confianza en que a lo largo de los procesos no disminuya el impulso de los jefes paramilitares para contar su historia y sus verdades: eso lo necesita Colombia.

I liked the first two days of Mancuso's testimony. And if that was the appetizer, then there are good forecasts about the main dish, because one of top criminals of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) is willing to tell his story, whether as an act of revenge act in order to honor the commitment to tell some of the truth: in a way, the motivation is secondary, because the important thing is that the complicated ties of violent squads and guerrillas with Colombian society will begin to be known and that they be evaluated by the judiciary, which is something quite difficult, or maybe just for history […] To start, we must be satisfied with this awakening and we must be confident that throughout the processes the impulse of the paramilitary bosses to tell the truth and their stories does not fade: Colombia needs it.

Felipe, from El Andurrial [ES], refers to Mancuso's accusations against Vice President Francisco Santos, whose family owns Colombia's leading and only national daily newspaper. According to Mancuso, Santos suggested deceased boss Carlos Castaño to create a paramilitary bloc for Bogotá and mentioned an article wrote by Santos at El Tiempo in 1997 which seems to praise the paramilitaries. Felipe doesn't believe him that much:

Supuestamente Carlos Castaño le ofreció dirigir el Bloque Capital y la respuesta de Pacho Santos fue que él no sabia de esas cosas…Eso tiene pinta de cuento, de verdad Carlos Castaño, un estratega militar, le ofrecería a Santos que dirigiera un bloque de auto defensas? […] Habrá que ver qué pasa…Por ahora, Pacho, ese sueño 2010 – 2014 hay que archivarlo.

Allegedly Carlos Castaño offered to lead the Capital Bloc and Pacho Santos answer was that he didn't know about that stuff… that seems like a tall story… did actually Carlos Castaño, a military strategist, offer Santos to lead a self-defence bloc? […] We'll have to see what happens… For now, Pacho, that dream [to become the next president for the] 2010 - 2014 [term] will have to be shelved.

In contrast, Fabio Andrés Gómez [ES] does believe Mancuso:

Si la esencia de la Ley de Justicia y Paz, es que los desmovilizados digan su verdad, por qué no se les cree cuando lo hacen. Mancuso y los demás exjefes paras, saben muy bien que en las audiencias ante la Fiscalía deben decir la verdad, o sino, podrían perder los beneficios a que tienen derecho según dicha Ley.
Entonces, por qué se pone en tela de juicio lo que él ha dicho; o será que no ha dicho lo que alguien quiere que diga; ¿será tan bruto Salvatore de decir cosas que no pueda demostrar más adelante?. Haré de abogado del diablo y le creeré, así diga verdades incómodas que algunos quieren hacer ver como verdades a medias.

If the essence of the Justice and Peace law is that the demobilized militias tell the truth, then why doesn't anyone believe them when they do so? Mancuso and the other ex paramilitary bosses are quite aware that in their depositions before the Attorney General's office, that must tell the truth, or else they could lose the benefits that they are legally entitled to. Then, why do they cast doubt on what he has said; or maybe he hasn't said something that someone wants him to tell… Is Mancuso so stupid to tell things he can't prove later? I'll act as the devil's advocate and I will believe him, no matter if he says uncomfortable truths that some people want to make it seen as half-truths.

As all the accused denied Mancuso's allegations, Bilioso [ES] slams the supporters of the current administration, whose main politicians have been involved in the scandal and some of them are in jail. Colombians, in general, pretend to know nothing about all the crimes these people commit:

¿Y saben por qué no sabemos nada? Porque Uribe militarizó las carreteras. Con eso fue suficiente para que el país le diera el beneficio del tapujo. Los paramilitares seguirán disfrutando los beneficios de Justicia and Peace, los Santos seguirán siendo el gobierno detrás de Uribe, Londoño seguirá siendo un columnista leído y respetado y los generales seguirán disfrutando los milloncitos de su retiro. En Colombia los delitos son otros: robarse una gallina, cogerle el culo a una transeúnte o pasarse borracho un semáforo. Los demás no. Reunirse con paramilitares, tomarse fotos con reconocidos mafiosos, robarse las acciones, apoyar una masacre, robarse la tierra, expedir licencias de vuelo a los mafiosos, nada, nada es delito en el país de la motosierra porque el culebrero tiene bajo hipnosis a la gleba que va a toros, apoya equipos de fútbol y ve realities. A la chusma, a la porquería. No ven el desempleo, el estado de la salud, el desplazamiento, la educación pública, nada ven porque aquí nadie sabe nada. Todo va mejorando para ellos, claro, es que no saben nada.

And do you know why we don't know a thing? Because Uribe militarized the highways. That was enough for this country to give him the benefit of doubt. The paramilitaries will continue to enjoy the benefits of Justice and Peace, the Santos will keep being the government behind Uribe, [Fernando] Londoño (a controversial right-wing former minister accused of illegally acquiring shares of a holding company which managed investments for state oil and gas companies) will keep being a widely read respected columnist and the generals will keep enjoying the millions of their retirement. In Colombia the felonies are others: to steal a chicken, to touch some female passer-by's ass or pass a traffic light while drunk. Not the other things. To have meetings with paramilitaries, to take pictures with well known mafias, to steal shares, to support a massacre, to steal lands from peasants, to issue flight licences for mafia guys, nothing, nothing is a crime in the country of the chainsaw because the culebrero has hypnotized the populace that goes to bullfights, supports football teams, and watch reality shows on TV. The riffraff, the scum. They don't see the unemployment, the [bad] state of [public] health, the displacement, public education, they see nothing because here no one knows a thing. Everything is getting better for them, of course… they know nothing.

Valentina Díaz from Realidades Colombianas [ES] criticized President Uribe's reaction to the Mancuso accusations against the Santos cousins, when Uribe said in a radio interview that former left-wing presidential candidate Carlos Gaviria was a guerrilla man:

¿Es malo que Mancuso sindique al vicepresidente y al ministro de defensa de estar conectado con los paracos por lo que esta indignado el señor presidente ofreciéndoles total respaldo y pregonando su pureza moral y social, pero es válido que él sindique a dirigentes de la oposición, (o cualquier se humano), de ser guerrilleros?

Is it a bad thing that Mancuso accuses the Vice President and the Minister of Defence to be tied with the ‘paracos', which is why the president is so outraged offering them his total support and announcing their social and moral purity, but it's perfectly valid that he accuses opposition leaders (or any other human being) to be guerrillas?

It is expected that Mancuso and another paramilitary bosses' confessions continue within the next few weeks. The relatives of their victims were quite disappointed, because Mancuso said little about the whereabouts of the thousands of peasants killed and cut up by AUC. President Álvaro Uribe deals with the scandal, saying he will ‘release' jailed FARC and ELN rebels and also proposed to free the jailed politicians (”to save his his friends“) because of their paramilitary ties “as long as they confess the truth”. Meanwhile, Colombians try to move on with their lives, hoping for the truth to finally show up, still suspicious of its political class, which seems to be all linked with violent groups. We'll have to wait and see, as they desperately seem to try to cover up everything in the name of the “institutions”.

3 comments · »»

Landing at the Iraqi Blogodrome 

a small portrait of this author Salam Adil · 00:16

Everything is here this week… from going to schools in a war zone, review of the latest political scene in Iraq, must-see video blogs, stories of extreme bravery and extreme pathos, a $1,000 KFC meal, and if you read to the end, how gays cruise in Amman.

If you read no other blog post this week read these two:

My deepest condolences goes out to Sunshine whose uncle, “M”, was murdered on Wednesday for nothing more than a few papers. She writes:

uncle M's dream was to see his daughter graduation , she is determined to accomplish her dream and her father's dream , after the funeral , she stayed in my grandparents' house to study , she couldn't concentrate in her house , her exams will start soon . I also heard about another relative , who was kidnapped but freed versus money.. Try to concentrate in such circumstances?! In addition to a hot weather with out electricity (46 C. ), Can you ?? the Iraqis are the bravest human being , we absolutely deserve Guinness World Records for tolerance and patience

But that is not all… Sunshine also had to endure walking through a virtual war zone to get to an exam at school:

“we walked , me and dad alone among the damaged stores and buildings, with police cars everywhere , on burned ground full of windows' glass , shrapnel, what a good way to start your morning?!”

And tells of her friends experience after American soldiers raided her house and arrested all the men. She asks:

Can any teen in this world bear our life? Just going to school is a challenge, living each day is hard , specially when you lose the people you love. And feel afraid about the others .

Inspired by the story of Samantha Larson, the youngest person ever to climb to the top of Mt. Everest Marshmallow26 tells us the story of a brave Iraqi woman who dared to meet one of the kidnappers that bedevil the lives of ordinary families in Iraq and out wit him. Here is her story:

She is not armored with climbing mountains hobby, not with scuba dive or jumping professionally on the trampoline … She is a simple and more than simple house wife living by herself after losing her husband…

Her daughter's brother-in-law was threatened to leave his governorate job, his house, and leave the city for good, he was getting phone calls all day long on his cellphone, unknown people who kept calling him kept teasing him, threatening to kill him and his family, … they asked him to pay $100,000 as a ransom, he doesn't and will never be able to have that amount as long as he works as a governmental employee..

The brave woman “B” that is how I'm gonna call her, knew about this story and asked her daughter to get the guy's cellphone and leave it with her mom (the brave woman),

“MOM??? Are you serious? why do you wanna answer this phone while there is so much going on with its owner?” daughter said.

“It is none of your business, I know those guys are playing games only, so I will be the one who will take it…” the mother replied.

Read on here to find out what she does.

The Week in Politics

With America's surge of troops in Baghdad in full swing, historic talks with Iran underway and major laws being considered by parliament, politics is again coming to the foreground in Iraq.

Security? What Security?

While much is made in the media of America's security plan for Baghdad little time is given to how this affects ordinary people in Baghdad. These stories come out in the blogs. Last week I had the lament of Baghdad Connect of a city being torn apart by military operations. Today I have two more stories. Neurotic Wife gives her view from inside the Green Zone.

Things are pretty bad here. No wait, bad is an understatement. Things are pretty darn bloody. The so called security crack down has not worked its magic. Its way past that. I doubt there is any solution to whats happening at the moment here. I think its beyond repairable. And please dont tell me that thats impossible…

Electricity, a source of energy that we all take for granted has been scarce for millions of Baghdadi residents for over a month now. Scarce in this intolerable heat. … Water, a vital source of keeping us alive has now become a major target for infections. Security, oh whats that again? A word that almost everyone here forgot how it felt or what it really means. The dead bodies you read about being found on a daily basis scattered around the Baghdad neighbourhoods, have now become a normalcy. If people dont see them, they think there must be something wrong. … Money doesnt mean anything to them anymore because the truth of the matter is, inflation has hit them hard. All the prices soared to a degree where the $1800-$3000 they make here per month disappears. They save nothing. Not a single cent. So imagine those who dont work in the GZ, or those who dont even work. How are they surviving??

And she is impressed by the survival powers of the Iraqi people:

Every Iraqi, every single one, that is living under these stark conditions have struggled to keep their sanity. If it was me living these dire conditions, there is no doubt I would be roaming the streets aimlessly pulling my hair out, literally going nuts. But no, these people, the Iraqi people should enter the Guiness book of records. Oh yes, most definitely. They are truly my heroes. No matter how much I say this statement, I can never do justice to them. Never.

Omar gives his colleague Hussain space to tell his story of what happened when the security crackdown visited his neighbourhood :

Tuesday morning was a disaster for me , my family , relatives and friends.

At nine o'clock of Tuesday 22nd of May , the American forces had a raid on Amel neighborhood ( west Baghdad) ,the place where I live with my family which is few miles from Baghdad airport. … Three armoured vehicles came to our alley ( street)carrying dozens of soldiers to search the houses looking for terrorists leaving at least 50 other vehicles in the area to do the same thing with other blocks . Father .. was the first to receive the unwanted guests. There were at least twenty soldiers who entered the house and forced my father to sit on his knees with his head towards the wall with no consideration to his age ( 65 years old) and sickness ( he has blood pressure with his left eye on recovery from a new operation ). They refused giving any kind of mercy or time to let the interpreter explain what my mother want to say to them about my father's condition …

At the end his father was taken away without any word to his family about his whereabouts.

Iran and America

Some bloggers had their own view on the first ever talks between the Iranian and American ambassadors in Baghdad on Monday. Omar of Iraq the Model is not impressed with Iran's performance. He writes, “Iran's attitude didn't only make the meeting unproductive, it made it insulting… Ignore the meaningless diplomatic pleasantries … Iran mocked Iraq and America today, their ambassador was here just to laugh at us and buy time for his regime. … All in All, I see that the regime in Iran doesn't want to limit its interference in Iraq, it's simply hoping to give this interference a cover of legitimacy.”

While Hammorabi views these talks as the opening shots of an imminent war:

The US and Iranian meeting today … is nothing other than throwing dust in the eyes. Both Iran and USA has interests and the Iraqis are paying the heavy price since the revolution of Khomeini in 1979 until now.

We know that if America is going to attack Iran this will not happen from Iraq but from other parts of the Gulf and from its own aircraft carriers however Iran is alarmed from the USA existence in Iraq. From today meeting we feel that the conflict between Iran and the USA is of no doubt coming and may be imminent.

But Baghdad Connect sees this meeting as no more than a huge garage sale. He writes, “Congress nods to Bush, Bush nods to ‘anyone’! You break it you own it, and then you dump it in a garage sale!”

In other Comment

Al-Ghad tracks the rise of oil workers’ movement and sees this as a welcome sign:

The voice of the most advanced, and best organized, sector of the Iraqi working class, has started to join forces with other mass non-violent popular resistance against the occupation, marking a new welcome shift in dire situation in the country, away from the docile and corrupt administration, and the blood thirsty sectarian gangs that occupation had set-up.

And Wissam congratulates Iraq's brave leaders:

We mustn't forget the freedom and the respect that we've gained as individuals from the Iraqi leaders and the leaders of other countries. The President of Iraq has left to the United States of America for medical treatment while my wife has cancer and I can't take her even to Syria for treatment like many other Iraqis do.

The Chairman of the United Iraqi Alliance made a trip to the United States of America to undergo medical treatment for his cancer; but he didn't like their hospitality so he made his decision to go to his mother's country (Iran) at least they will treat him better; but still, the choice is his to go anywhere because he's “the man” in Iraq, but my wife like so many other women do not have the choice, because they are not the “madams”.

The Deputy Prime Minister is the bravest. When he was injured during an assassination attempt, the government took him immediately to the green zone hospital (which is under the American doctors' supervision). Then, he flew to Jordan for medical treatment. So, as he is a leader in the Iraqi government, they took care of him but it doesn't matter if other Iraqis are injured by an IED or VBIED (car bomb) , understandably ….there are a lot of Iraqi's but there is only one PM deputy.

Word from the street

Electricity is scarce and the temperatures are soaring, forcing many Iraqis to sleep on their roofs at night. But rumours of US soldiers shooting from their helicopters on sleeping people at night gave Chikitita an interesting mind game to lull herself to slumber:

Not sure on which side I should lie, back seems to be a lesser evil, one shot to the head or stomach I’d be painlessly dead in no time, front means I could get a bullet in my spinal cord and end up like mum’s friend - vegetable because of one tiny metal chunk fired in the late ‘80s to celebrate Iraq’s so-called victory. But what if my legs or arms get shot, do people shot in the extremities live with disabilities?

And, oddly, it works.

hala_s calls her brother on his birthday and asked him to make a wish:

“I wish I never grew up” he said “It is against nature that I lived a better life than my kids. They don’t know how to cycle, swim or even swing. When I manage to take them out, I tell them about imaginary places and events that took place on this spot or that. I could see their jaws drop in disbelief, and my youngest insists that I repeat those fairy tales at bedtime!”

And Zappy describes a $1000 KFC meal that cured his friends back problem. Click here for the explanation.

From the Video blogs:

My honorary Iraqis and bloggers for the week are VBS who give us the story Iraq's only Heavy Metal Band.

Hometown Baghdad videos the story of Saif leaving Baghdad for the last time.

And Alive in Baghdad covers the challenges facing a Girl's school in Adhamiya, Baghdad.

And Finally:

Konfused Kid gets propositioned as the object of what I can only describe as “Gay Cruising” in Jordan:

I was waiting at the bus stop the other day for a bus at 7:30 PM in a cloudy cold evening with another man. After 10 minutes the dude, who was dressed neatly and had shaved his head, started pacing to and fro around me, in the end he offered me a cigarette and then said politely in an Iraqi accent: ‘Want a job?'

I paused. ‘What kind of job, friend?'

He paused. ‘Come up to my apartment with me and I will tell you everything in an hour's time.'

Huh? What the hell? ‘Why don't u you just tell me here friend.'

at this point some white car drove up to him, and he was prepared to get inside it, polite and slender as only non-heterosexual Iraqis can be, he continued ‘but you won't understand what I am talking about and why I can't tell you right here until you meet my supervisor.'

It dawned fairly quickly on the Kid just what was planned at the apartment and he came up with the ultimate put-down: “Hey, I got a CCNA [computing qualification], maybe I can be your orgy's IT manager.” The answer was a polite, ‘No thank you'.

0 comments · »»