Iraq Report, Dec 06/04

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. This briefing is brought to you by Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended and Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.

TOP TOPICS

• Terrorists killed 21 Iraqis working for the interim government and the Coalition over the weekend. The insurgency continues to target Iraqis working to improve their own country, illustrating the difficulty they're having getting to Coalition soldiers and the risks that these brave Iraqis face in trying to rebuild their country.

• UN Envoy Lakhdar Bramini claims the January 30 elections cannot be held if the current levels of violence continue, offering the insurgents great incentive to keep up their activities.

• Arthur Chrenkoff's Good News from Iraq is, as always, a must-read. Meanwhile, Dean Esmay & Dave Schuler offer the lastest Carnival of the Liberated, round-up of Iraqi bloggers.

Other Topics Today Include: a country drive in Iraq; possible gains on the battlefield; working to increase oil production; trying to boost Sunni support for the elections; could the new government invite the Coalition out; French journalists still alive; body in Fallujah not Hassan; an Iraq history lesson.

REPORTS FROM THE FIELD

• "[W]e fear our countrymen while we feel safe when the foreigners are moving around! Who's the occupier? Who are the bad guys here?" So asks Mohammed at Iraq the Model as he discusses a rather exciting drive through the country he took last week.

• U.S. Generals believe that recent operations in Fallujah and elsewhere have gained ground on the insurgency, but the fight ahead will still not be easy.

• Alaa of the Mesopotamian reports in, but still no word from Zeyad at Healing Iraq

RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY

• Iraq will spend more than $1 billion next year to put programs into place, which will allow a 15% increase in oil production. The goal is to raise production to more than 3 million barrels per day.

IRAQI POLITICS

• President Ghazi al-Yawer, a Sunni, has put his influence behind the January 30 elections amid calls by other Sunnis to boycott them. al-Yawer's influence is critical to the success of the elections and their taking place on time.

• Iraq'd takes a look at a possible outcome of the January 30 elections: the new government asking us to leave. Ackerman isn't sure how such a move would turn out, but he makes a good case that it's not implausible.

• Iraq's interim rights minister has stated Iraq must make human rights a part of the foundation on which the government is built as a means to move past the brutality associated with Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE

• The French Journalists who have been in captivity for more than 100 days, are still allive and well taken care of. This news comes from a recent CD rom placed into the hands of news sources in Iraq. They are reportedly being held in Latifiyah.

• The Canadian government is willing to help oversee Iraq's elections in January, another sign of a possible rapproachment between the U.S. and Canada.

• Arthur Chrenkoff notes how Iraq is drawing in foreign citizens for a variety of interesting jobs.

• The woman's body found in Fallujah was not that of Margaret Hassan, yet the video capturing her murder leaves little doubt that she was killed. The body found was determined to be of a dark-haired woman.

ETCETERA

• For those who argue that Iraq's history is inimical to democracy and self-rule, Chrenkoff guest-blogger Daniel Foty is providing a valuable history lesson.

• TigerHawk explains why defenses of Kofi Annan and the UN from oil-for-food charges are specious at best. (Hat tip: Instapundit.)

• A little good news from Iraq: the story of SSG Jessica Clements, wounded by an IED on May 5 and given a 2% chance to live.

• The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops: American, Australian, British, Canadian & Polish. Anyone out there with more information, contact us!

• Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!

Thanks for reading! If you found something here you want to blog about yourself (and we hope you do), all we ask is that you do as we do and offer a Hat Tip hyperlink to today's "Winds of War". If you think we missed something important, use the Comments section to let us know.