T H U R S D A Y , J U N E 0 9 , 2 0 0 5Iraq's Kurdish President Supports ArmedMilitia Accused Of Targeting Sunnisby Michael in New York on 6/09/2005 10:34:00 AMThings are going swimmingly in Iraq.</p><p> Two days ago, theKurdish president -- instead of upholding the rule of law andcalling for all armed militias to disband -- threw his supportbehind the Shiite Badr Brigade.President Jalal Talabani's backing of the Badr Brigadecame at a time when Sunni leaders have not onlydemanded that it be disarmed, but have complainedthat the militia provides intelligence and support forsome Shiite-dominated special security units.The Badr Brigade was the military wing of thecountry's largest Shiite political party, the SupremeCouncil of the Islamic Republic in Iraq, or SCIRI.</p><p> Theparty claims the Badr Brigade is no longer a militia butperforms social and political functions.Yes, the Shiite and Kurdish vision of Iraq doesn't include merely atrained and responsible national army.</p><p> It apparently also includesarmed ethnic militias, militias that the Sunnis claim are targeting andkilling them.</p><p> It's more complicated than that, of course.</p><p> The Kurdsnaturally don't want to give up their militias because they've createdthe one stable, safe area of Iraq and are loathe to put any of that atrisk.For a closer look at Iraq, this diary from the London Review of Booksis insightful.</p><p> In case you can't access it, here's the depressing kickerby writer Patrick Cockburn:The safest areas in the country, despite the bomb in Arbil,are the three inner Kurdish provinces: Iraq’s 15 otherprovinces are a bloody no man’s land.</p><p> In the summer heatof the last few weeks, the waters of the Tigris andEuphrates have become warmer.</p><p> Bodies that were dumpedin the river in the winter months are now rising to thesurface.</p><p> Hundreds of them are being buried in temporarygraves but nobody knows who they are or why they werekilled.But my favorite part of the USA Today story is the tag at the end thathas become a commonplace.</p><p> It begins "In other violenceWednesday...."In other violence Wednesday:• Gunmen killed two industry ministry officials in adrive-by shooting in the capital's New Baghdadneighborhood.• One police officer was killed and six injured inclashes between Iraqi police and gunmen in northwestBaghdad after gunmen attacked a police car.• In Mosul, police Col.</p><p> Nashwan Hadi was killed in adrive-by-shooting near his home.</p><p> The attackers thenfired a rocket at his house, injuring five people —including two children.• An officer was shot and killed in eastern Mosul.• A car bomb in Baqouba, northeast of Baghdad, killed Daily KosOpen Thread and Diary Rescue - *Today, srkp23(pulling a double shift), ybruti, taylormattd,ItsJessMe and vcmvo2 combed through hundredsof diaries to find this powerful list.</p><p> Today's...5 minutes ago EschatonOvernight - Folk On.</p><p> Newish.22 minutes ago HuffPost PoliticsMichael Likosky: Ed Rendell: Hardest Working Manin Infrastructure - At this year's National GovernorsAssociation (NGA) meeting, Governor Ed Rendell'stenure as Chair fittingly came to a close with aplenary session on infras...24 minutes ago Crooks and LiarsOpen Thread - Open Thread below...51 minutes ago FiredoglakeLate Night: Livin’ the Dolce Vita with TheLovernator - Who's got time to govern? Certainlynot Mark Sanford.1 hour agoJ O H N ' S P H OT O S Show AllA M E R I C A B L O G T V Next 6AMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Iraq's ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/iraqs-kurdish-president-s... 1 of 57/23/09 12:28 AMVisit our AMERICAblog TV site.see all 322 videos >I collect with vodpod For the GOPers, healthcare is politics.</p><p> They just Traditional media has todebunk the birthers One small step...</p><p> The right-wing media, thevoices of the GOP, in REM - Orange CrushAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Iraq's ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/iraqs-kurdish-president-s... 2 of 57/23/09 12:28 AMThe TreatmentObama Has a Grown-UpTalk With America(Gulp)34 minutes agoEzra KleinTab Dump4 hours agoWonk RoomSen.</p><p> Byron Dorgan:The ‘Trade’ InCap-And-Trade ‘MakesNo Sense To Me’6 hours agoHealth BeatTruth Squad: WallStreet Journal HealthCare Editorial Wrong onthe Facts . . .7 hours agoDaily DoseProviders Endorse 'Payfor Value' ProposalsG AY P O L I T I C S Visit our new gay politicssection, AMERICAblog Gay.F E E D S Blog RSS AMERICAblog TV RSS Twitter RSSTwitter Feed Get the blog by email: Subscribe me! Top AdAdvertise in this spot.H E A LT H C A R ER E F O R MAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Iraq's ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/iraqs-kurdish-president-s... 3 of 57/23/09 12:28 AMS E A R C H AMERICAblog Web SearchS E N D U S T I P S &C O M M E N T Samericablog@starpower.netB L O G A R C H I V E Blog ArchiveS I T E S W E L I K EAir America RadioAlan Colmes' blogAri Melber (The Nation)Ben SmithBicycleMark's blog &podcastBilericoBradBlogBring It OnCarrie FisherCrooks and LiarsDailyKosDan Savage's "Slog"Daou ReportDemocratic UndergroundEschatonEzra KleinFire Dog LakeFiveThirtyEight.comFreeway BloggerThe Gavel (SpeakerPelosi's blog)Good As YouGlenn GreenwaldHoly Bullies and HeadlessMonstersHuffington PostHullabaloo (Digby)Jack and Jill PoliticsJed ReportJesus' GeneralKenneth in the 212Margaret and HelenMatthew GrossMedia MattersMike Signorile's "The Gist"MudflatsMyDDOpen LeftPlum LinePolitical Punch (JakeTapper)Political WirePolitics 1Pop SurfingProgressive Blog DigestQueers UnitedRawStoryRex WocknerRude PunditSmirking ChimpTalk LeftTappedTaylor MarshThink ProgressTowleRoadVetVoice.comWashington NoteWayneBesen.comWonketteWorth Repeating N E W S L I N K SUSWashington PostNYTAP PoliticsReuters PoliticsRasmussen PollsTimeNewsweekRoll CallThe HillABCNews P L E A S E S U P P O RTA M E R I C A B L O GOne-time donation$ Recurring monthlydonation$ Donations are nottax-deductible.L A B E L S Select a labelL A S T 1 0 0 V I S I T O R SRecent Visitors A B O U TA M E R I C A B L O GWhy AMERICAblog?Because a great nationdeserves the truth.What issues do youcover?US politics overall with aparticular focus on theObama Administration, theradical right, and civilrights.Who are you?John AravosisEditorWashington, DCJoe SudbayDeputy EditorWashington, DCChris RyanAssociate EditorParis, FranceRobert ArenaContributing EditorBaltimore, MarylandJacki SchechnerContributing EditorWashington, DCAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Iraq's ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/iraqs-kurdish-president-s... 4 of 57/23/09 12:28 AM© 2009 - John Aravosis | Design maintenance by Jason RosenbaumSend me your tips: americablog@starpower.netAMERICAblog News| A great nation deserves the truth: Iraq's ...http://www.americablog.com/2005/06/iraqs-kurdish-president-s... 5 of 57/23/09 12:28 AM
