Cardiff Stop the War Coalition
In solidarity with the people of Iraq struggling under foreign occupation.
News from Iraq this week: May 6th to May 12th
Is the US behind the Iraqi death squads?
Pentagon sends 200,000 AK`s from Bosnia to Iraq
`The strong do as they can, while the weak suffer what they must`
May 6 2 British military tanks and a Land Rover were set on fire by angry Iraqis yesterday as troops came to recover the crew of a British helicopter that crashed in the southern city of Basra
May 7 More than 100,000 people have fled their homes in Iraq since late February because of the rising bloodshed, up from 65,000 just over 2 weeks ago, Iraqi officials said. These are only the refugees who have registered with the Displacement and Migration Ministry for financial support, food and supplies.
May 8 One in 3 Iraqi children is malnourished and underweight, according to a report released by the United Nations Children`s Fund. The report showed worsening conditions since the April 2003 US-led invasion of the country.
May 9 A new study says Afghanistan and Iraq are among the countries with the highest death rates for newborns in the world. The study by the U.S.-based independent charity Save the Children says the African nation of Liberia has the world`s highest newborn mortality rate, with 65 out of 1,000 babies dying. The report says Liberia is followed by Afghanistan, where 60 out of every 1,000 babies die. Behind them come Iraq and Sierra Leone, with 59 of 1,000 newborns dying.
May 10 At least 1,091 people were killed in Baghdad alone last month in ongoing sectarian violence, President Jalal Talabani said in a statement.
May 11 A reporter who worked for a pro-Sunni Iraqi television station was gunned down in Baghdad...Saud Muzahim al-Hadithi was found dead - shot repeatedly in the head - in Baghdad`s notorious Dora neighborhood last week, said Iraqi army Capt. Ali Yaeen.
May 12 3 US fuel transport tankers were set on fire in an attack by militants in Baghdad.
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Shirin Ebadi, winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for her work for democracy and human rights in Iran and elsewhere, spoke recently at the Islamic Center of America.
`Do not listen or believe the mistaken theory of past civilizations. This only justifies war. And no one wins in war.
Look at what happened in the Middle East. Unfortunately, in the Middle East, what happened to Iraq demonstrates that over 100,000 civilians were killed. Iraq was destroyed. Also, American youth get killed in that war. The only beneficiaries of the war are people who sell arms.
As a Muslim Iranian, I state here that I do criticize the government of Iran. But this does not mean that America has the right to invade Iran. And if America has not learned its lesson from Iraq and thinks of invading Iran, notwithstanding all of the criticisms we have of our government, we will defend our country to the last drop of our blood. And we will not let an alien soldier set foot on the land of Iran.`
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Civilians reported killed by military intervention in Iraq since invasion*:
Minimum: 35119
Maximum: 39296
Source: Iraq Body Count
Total number of US soldiers killed in Iraq since invasion = 2436
Total number of US soldiers wounded in Iraq since invasion= 17983
Total number of UK soldiers killed in Iraq since invasion = 109
Total number of soldiers from other nations killed since invasion = 111
Source: Iraq Coalition Casualty Count
*This estimate is only of English language media reported deaths. A peer reviewed epidemiological survey (Roberts et al., The Lancet, Vol 364 Issue 9448 pp 1857 1864) estimated that in the 18 months following the invasion 100, 000 excess deaths or more have occurred. Violence accounted for most of the excess deaths and air strikes from coalition forces accounted for most violent deaths. Criticisms of IBC methodology can be found at medialens
For background to the current war in Iraq: see `Understanding the Us-Iraq Crisis` by Phyllis Benis and `Why Another War? A Backgrounder on the Iraq Crisis` by Sarah Graham-Brown and Chris Toensing.
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