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
- Former interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi claims that human rights abuses under the new government are just as bad as those committed under Saddam Hussein, accusing his fellow Shiites of forming death squads and secret torture centers. Allawi is a candidate for the upcoming parliamentary elections, and some observers are suggesting that Allawi's remarks are a political ploy rather than honest concern. The recent discovery of 173 suspected terrorrists in a Baghdad detention center suggests that his accusations are closer to the truth than anyone would like.
- How does Iraq look from the perspective of those who have been there? Somewhat different from the standard portrayal in the media. Where the media tends to try and look at the big picture, where things are muddy at best, discussions with some Soldiers and Marines who have been there suggests things are a bit different down at ground level.
Other Topics Today Include: Zarqawi still alive; Iraq government raises the stakes against terrorists; U.S. strategy pays off; Japan takes a hand in Iraq; Carnival of the Liberated; the election approaches; Sweden pushes for Iraq reconstruction; 8 Sunnis arrested; The Assassin's Gate.
REPORTS FROM THE FIELD
- A massive raid on a house in northern Iraq where insurgent leader Abu Musab Zarqawi was said to be hiding failed to capture or kill him, U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said Monday.
- The Iraqi government has vowed to take the war to the insurgents amid warnings of a likely increase in violence ahead of next month's general election after a bombing campaign killed more than 180 people over the past week.
- Newsweek catches on to the U.S. strategy in Iraq: training the Iraqis to take care of themselves.
RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY
- Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari arrived in Tokyo Wednesday for a four-day visit to meet with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi around discussions of Japan's support for Iraq's reconstruction.
IRAQI POLITICS
- In Iraq, voters are preparing to go to the polls on December 15th to formally end the post-Saddam transition, as they select a new parliament.
- The latest Carnival of the Liberated is up at Dean's World.
THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
- Japan agreed Thursday to forgive USD 6.1 billion in loans to Iraq, amounting to 80 percent of the USD 7.6 billion owed.
- The Swedish government will to contribute 16.6 million kronor to build up a system for coordinating international donations for the reconstruction of Iraq.
ETCETERA
- Iraqi police arrested eight Sunnis alleged to be plotting to murder the Judge who prepared the Saddam Hussein indictment.
- In 1980, Saad and Ibrahim went into hiding in a small room of their mother's home to escape Iraqi security forces - they remained there for 20 years.
- George Packer has written a new book about America in Iraq. The Assassins' Gate is a collection of his experiences as a journalist in Iraq.
- Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire purchase price of the GI Bracelet is donated to support our troops and their families! Please join us to give back to these brave people in their time of need.
- 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. And if you have a tip for a future Iraq Report, email us at MondayIraqReport(at)windsofchange.net.
Errr, Andrew, this post is repeated twice on the main page. Just a heads up! Cheers!
Strike Two.
You have not responded to my concern last week that you were indicating that Canada has troops in Iraq.
This week you still indicate that that is so.
Hopefully before long there will be no Anglo American troops there either.
"There are already 31 Canadian military officers serving on exchange with coalition forces in the war on Iraq, even though Canada does not support the action. A handful have been deployed in Iraq.
Jeffery said the Canadians serving with coalition units are wearing Canadian uniforms, likely desert tan."
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2003/04/01/exchange030401
I would suggest an apology is in order.
I beg your pardon, Sir.
Your ref. is way outta date... april 2003???
Your "officers" are hardly the "troops" you would have us surmise are there.
Your reference of "Canadian" amongst the other four countries makes a mockery of the hundreds or thousands of troops those countries have offered up.
There are simply no Canadian troops in Iraq !
The closest version would be Canadian naval patrol vessels sweating in the heat in the Gulf of Arabby. heheh