UP Ibalon Bicol: Iraq

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127 killed in Iraq bombings

12/09/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

In another wave of bombings in Irag, 127 died in blasts that took place within several minutes from each other. About 400 people were injured. Iraqi security forces were scouring the site of explosion particularly at the Baghdad Finance ministry and in a location close to the a police patrol in Doha on December 8, 2009.

The bombing is the worst after the October bombing which killed about 155 people in two car bomb incidents. The carnage brought ambulances and rescue workers to the scene. No one has claimed responsibility of the blood bath. Civilian and military officals worry that this round in violence can cause instability in the government before next year’s election. (Photo Credit: AP) =0=

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Labels: Baghdad, bombing, casualties, Iraq, Totie Mesia

Two massive suicide bombings rock Baghdad

10/26/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

At least 140 people were killed and more than 500 were injured in two suicide bomb explosions detonated last Sunday. October 25, 2009 in Central Baghdad, Iraq. The blasts which shattered buildings occurred outside the Green Zone, the heavily guarded area where government facilities are located.

According to the police the first bomb struck near the justice ministry. It was immediately followed by a strong car blast at the provincial government headquarters. At least 25 employees of the Baghdad Provincial Council were among those who died.

These bombings were the most severe after the August suicide bombing which claimed the lives of about 100 innocent victims. The bombing this weekend occurred at a time when the Iraqi parliament is deliberating whether to pass a law that will allow national elections to be held in January.

Although Pres. Barack Obama reiterated America’s commitment to keep troops in Iraq during his meeting with Prime minister Nouri al Maliki, the United States is contemplating withdrawal of combat forces by August next year.

No one has claimed responsibility for the twin bombings though blasts of this scale are usually attributed Al Qaeda and to Sunni insurgents who want the overthrow of Shiites who dominate the management of the Iraqi government. (Photo Credits: AFP/ al Rubaye, A; AFP) =0=

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Labels: Al Qaeda, Baghdad, explosion, Iraq, Shiite, suicide bombing, Sunni, Totie Mesia

Iraq bloodbath kills 95

8/20/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

Iraqis who have been used to killings that average about 200-300 per month are alarmed by the recent carnage that brought 95 dead and more than 500 injured. The deaths come from coordinated detonation of cars, trucks, and mortars on key targets in Baghdad---among the deadliest this year. One such bomb has exploded near the finance ministry wounding at least 200 people, mostly innocent civilians. Two Al Qaeda militants were arrested in connection with the senseless blasts.

“I am saddened that the violence continues, including an appalling string of attacks today in Baghdad which took the lives of scores of innocent people," UN Sec. Gen. Ban Ki-moon ABCNews (08/19/09, Barker, A.)

A Sunni politician Falah Hassan Zeidan condemned the terrorist attacks in the city where the parliament, national government, and international community are located. Admitted by government officials, he complained of the laxity of the security men tasked to keep peace in the area.

The cowardly attacks have increased since the partial withdrawal of US forces last June. However, the decision to keep for about 2 years American military forces in the capital city remains. (Photo Credit: minnimarg) =0=

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Labels: Baghdad, bombing, casualty, explosion, Iraq, killings, suicide bombing, terrorism, Totie Mesia

Suicide bombers kill 35 Shi’ite Muslims in Iraq

8/08/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

In a new expression of sectarian enmity, 35 Shi’ite Muslims were killed in a series of explosive detonations as pilgrims marked the birthday of the 12th Imam honored by the Shi’ites. A car bomb in Mosul blew up on Friday, August 7, 2009, causing death to dozens of attendees in a mosque. A bomb exploded in Baghdad killing at least 10 civilians.

The security in Iraq had been tight though violence somewhat subsided in past few months. It wasn’t clear who was responsible for the sectarian astrocities that put people on edge. Two separate suicide car bombings inflicting injuries and causing property damage occurred in Sadr City, also targeting Shi’ite Muslims. (Photo Credit: AFP/ Al Saadi, A.) =0=

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Labels: Iraq, Islamic militants, killings, Mosul, Muslim, Shiite, suicide bombing, Totie Mesia

Iraqi troops take over US military servicemen in major cities

7/01/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

After the successful surge spearheaded by Pres. George Bush, the time is now to pull out the US military servicemen who serve in major cities---This has stabilized a dangerous country before it is turned over to the Iraqi people.

It’s a kind of victory for peace that this is happening, but it will take time to know if the Iraqi military will be able to maintain the advance of peace and order in the area. This is a time to recall the great men and women of the US armed forces who put their lives in line to help a troubled country.

As thousands of Iraqi troops and police take over check-points, the barbaric elements of society raised their challenge to the Iraqi government by exploding bombs and killing people.

“A car bombing devastated a food market in the city of Kirkuk, killing at least 33 people and wounding 90. The early evening attack, which bore the hallmarks of Sunni extremist groups like al-Qaida in Iraq, was the second in the Kirkuk area since a truck bombing killed 82 people on June 20.”-----AP/ Yahoo News (06/30/09, Gamel, K; Barzanji, Y.; Gearan, A.)

Because militants still operate Iraq, it is hard to say what will be the outcome of the take over. The Iraqis are optimistic that the future is in the hands of their people. The world shares the people’s optimism that a regime of peace and democracy will usher in growth and prosperity for the country. If they slid back to the path of violence, a fresh round of social upheaval will waste the effort of those who make peace possible. (Photo Credit: Mccalibur) =0=

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Labels: Al Qaeda, Baghdad, Iraq, militant, military, peace, terrorism, Totie, troops, turn-over, war, withdrawal

Iraqi shoe-thrower gets 3 years in jail

3/12/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

30 year old Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who rose to notoriety and fame for interrupting a Bush-Maliki conference in Baghdad in December 2008 has been sentenced to 3 years in jail on Thursday, March 12, 2009. He went on a shoe-throwing rampage which targeted, but missed visiting US president George W. Bush.

Swearing innocence to the charge of assault he said, "what I did was a natural response to the occupation,” referring to the US-led Iraq war against Saddam Hussein. For violating journalistic ethics and endangering the life of a dignitary, al Zeidi got the minimum sentence (max.15 years) to the charge which he can appeal. Upon hearing the sentence, some of al Zeidi's relative's fainted.

In a world where the boundary between right and wrong is often disputed, many in the Muslim world who laud the journalist's action was disappointed with the verdict. Others who look at his misplaced display of anger and think of the assault as an immature tantrum think the sentence serves him right. =0=

Labels: Baghdad, Iraq, Iraqi, journalist, Justice, Muntadhir al-Zaidi, shoe, shoe-throwing, Toti Mesia, verdict

Iraq unveils a shoe monument

1/31/2009 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

We can forget Imelda Marcos’ shoes for a while. Iraqis are still elated and angered by the shoe thrown at Pres. George W. Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki last December 2008 by journalist Muntadhir al-Zaidi. A brown shoe sculpture seems a funny retaliation by a culturally sequestered people who appreciate al-Zaidi and boil mad on the former US president even if they have been liberated from Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule.

Surely, the Iraqis have strong reasons to be mad. The cost of war is high in places of ethnic strife and tribal clashes. Many human lives have senselessly been lost in the name of freedom. 5.1 million people were displaced and about an equal number of children were left without parents.

To vent their anger and send praises for the jailed shoe-thrower who dreams of getting an asylum status in Switzerland, Iraqis and children from the Tikrit Orphanage helped sculptor Laith al-Amiri make a symbolic shoe monument. A brown footware with a raggedly brown surface was mounted on a white cloth so the people could see and ponder.

Whatever thrill one gets in looking at the oversized shoe, the use of children to make a political point is disturbing. There is negatism and darkness young minds can't miss when they see the controversial shoe. The footware is less likely a symbol of disrespect and misplaced rage, but more a reminder of the derision the Muslims have for USA and Pres. George W. Bush.

Lacking gratitude after being saved from Saddam’s terroristic regime, some Iraqis have taken the low road of the warring militants who succeed in teaching generation(s) of children on selective memory and tough love. The faith-based beliefs against the "infidels" are still the driving force of hatred against the Western civilization. There are those who have become one-track thinkers--- intolerant, violent, self-righteous, and unforgiving in their political views. This is one reason why the culture of violence kills the innocents. And peace is so elusive in that part of the world. (Photo Credit: CNN) 0=

UPDATE: Feb. 1, 2009. Iraqi officials ordered the dismantling of the shoe monument in the Tikrit Orphanage. They say government facilities must not be used as a venue to air political views.

Labels: culture, Democracy, Freedom, human interest, Iraq, Middle East, moral values, Muntadhir al-Zaidi, politics, shoe monument, shoe-throwing, Totie Mesia, war

Shoes versus Pres. George W. Bush, pelting eggs on a Romanian leader & a pepper spray for a Manila socialite

12/23/2008 | Posted by mesiamd | Edit Post

There is always something to laugh about or be concerned for when we read that a head of state like President George W. Bush got shoes thrown on his face by a hateful angry Iraqi. The outgoing US president has been blamed for almost anything that has gone wrong----from the war Afghanistan, the economy, business, and social security. On his last visit to Iraq, he got insolent treatment.

The journalist who threw the shoes has been charged for endangering the life of a head-of-state. Since December 14, 2008, Muntadhar al-Zeidi complains of having been rough-handled and beaten by authorities. According to his brother, the apology he made for the crime was forced; he liked doing it again to the delight of his supporters.

Shoe-throwing-by Filipinos

The shoe-throwing incident in Baghdad had mixed reception in all cultures of the world. Many took it as a prank worthy of a loud laugh. The intelligence community thought of it as a security breach, an insult to visiting dignitaries. Overseas Filipinos (OFW’s) took the event as an occasion to display their own displeasure of Gloria M. Arroyo (GMA,) the president whose administration had been bugged by rising scandalous corruption. They too pulled angry shoe-throwing displays, making GMA’s photos as the apt target.

Egg-throwing in Romania

In the ceremony marking the people revolution of 1989, irate Romanians pushed, jeered, and pelted eggs on Ion Iliescu, the leader who replaced Nicolae Ceausescu. The latter was Romanian's dreaded communist dictator who was violently ousted and executed in an uprising two decades ago.

A three-time elected leader of Bucharest, Iliescu was blamed for failing to go into the bottom of the deaths of more than 1,000 people during his predecessor’s bloody regime. A 79-year old aggrieved man who lost a son was arrested for throwing eggs.

Pepper-Spray Scandal in Manila

A brawl of two flashy socialites resulted to eye injuries which led Neny Montinola to visit the emergency room of a swanky hospital in the Philippines. According to reports, at a party in the “Embassy,” in November, Patricia Panilio-Cu-Unjieng, a Filipina of alleged upscale breed and wealth, angrily pumped pepper-sprays on her rival’s face to vent rage---at the acme of her “jealousy.’

Controversies which passed the ears of their patrons ensued until the two women decided to end their catty dispute. They chose to bury the scandal’s dagger in the spirit of Christmas. Supposedly bred in some exclusive schools in Manila, the two war-weary ladies reconciled. A public apology was reportedly issued, though no one seemed to have paid attention. The people of the country were too focused in their own mundane concerns.

THE AFTER-THOUGHT

This is the world we are in. People can just attack someone without thinking of the consequences. Anyone can make an apology whose sincerity is up for questions. Whether they are justified in their actions isn’t much of an importance. Violence in whatever form must not be condoned.

We better watch out. There are legitimate ways to protest and redress wrongs in civilized cultures. But it appears the avenues to get justice are threatened by the fraying of ethical traditions and the warping of our own moral beliefs. (Photo Credits: www.ChinaDaily.com; http://lakwatsera1.com; Luky-luke; Bo Madsen=0=

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Labels: behavior, Bucharest, crime, culture, ethics, Ion Iliescu, Iraq, moral values, OFW, pepper spray scandal, Pres. Bush, Romania, shoe-throwing, Totie Mesia

UP Ibalon Bicol

127 killed in Iraq bombings

Two massive suicide bombings rock Baghdad

Iraq bloodbath kills 95

Suicide bombers kill 35 Shi’ite Muslims in Iraq

Iraqi troops take over US military servicemen in major cities

Iraqi shoe-thrower gets 3 years in jail

Iraq unveils a shoe monument

Shoes versus Pres. George W. Bush, pelting eggs on a Romanian leader & a pepper spray for a Manila socialite

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