caravia/iraq

A sadly development. Women fighting men's wars.

"Monday's triple suicide attack against Shia pilgrims in Baghdad highlighted what seems to be a growing phenomenon - the use by Sunni-based radical Islamist insurgents of women to carry out suicide attacks.

Police said all three of the attackers in the bombings, which claimed the lives of about 25 pilgrims, were women.

Eyewitnesses in the city of Kirkuk - where at least 22 people were reported to have been killed by a suicide bomb attack on a crowd of protesting Kurds - said the attacker there was also a woman.

American military figures indicate that there have been at least 27 suicide bombings carried out by women in Iraq this year, a sharp jump from only eight in 2007."

Code Pink and Women in Black fight against the wars, a scourge for the Humanity and the gains of a few weapon dealers.

"James Burmeister was serving in Baghdad when his humvee was caught in an IED explosion and he was hit in the face with shrapnel. Suffering from the physical and emotional wounds resulting from his injury and his experiences working with "bait and kill" teams in Iraq, James went to Canada and was AWOL until earlier this year.

While in Canada James suffered from seizures, numbness, nosebleeds and was diagnosed with PTSD. He also made a moral decision to bring an end to the 'Bait and Kill' tactics the Army was using to lure and kill innocent Iraqi citizens. James spoke out to Courage to Resist and other news agencies to help end the tactics.

In February the US government deemed 'Bait and Kill' as illegal and immoral. His goal of ending the immoral tactics accomplished, James prepared to turn himself in at Ft. Knox. After turning himself in, James was faced with a severe sentence involving loss of rank; loss of pay; a Bad Conduct Discharge (the worst kind of discharge, which prevents James from accessing any of his veteran benefits including all medical benefits); and a 9-month prison sentence which he began serving on July 17, 2008 in a military prison at Fort Knox. "

BAGHDAD (AP) -- Baghdad hasn't been this quiet in years. But the respite from bloodshed comes at a high price.

Up to 20 feet high in some sections.

Rows after rows of barrier walls divide the city into smaller and smaller areas that protect people from bombings, sniper fire and kidnappings. They also lead to gridlock, rising prices for food and homes, and complaints about living in what feels like a prison.

Baghdad's walls are everywhere, turning a riverside capital of leafy neighborhoods and palm-lined boulevards where Shiites and Sunnis once mingled into a city of shadows separating the two Muslim sects.

The walls block access to schools, mosques, churches, hotels, homes, markets and even entire neighborhoods -- almost anything that could be attacked. For many Iraqis, they have become the iconic symbol of the war."

Excellent archive with free documentaries in a wide range of topics. A great tool for people wanting unbiased media.

Mary Beard reviews for the Times Literary Supplement a book about the destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage.

"Last week I reviewed an extraordinary book for the Times Saturday Books page.The Destruction of the Cultural Heritage in Iraq is a collection of essays about what has happened to the archaeology and museums of Iraq around, and since, the invasion. Where are the treasures of Ur, Babylon etc. now? Answer: many are lost, destroyed, or making a lot of money for antiquities dealers in the west.

The review was, in some ways, a stupid thing to take on. My Pompeii book is to be finished -- bar the would-be elegant conclusion - on Tuesday (sic). But I have recently got very interested in the relationship between archaeology/culture and war. This is partly because of the bombing of Pompeii by the allies in 1943, which left many areas of the site a wreck (though thirsty travellers may be ironically grateful that it cleared the way for the site restaurant).

The book proved even more fascinating than I imagined, and more fascinating than I could squeeze into the 500 words I was given.

I hadn't for a start properly appreciated the history of the Baghdad Museum, which had been founded by Gertrude Bell, as part of the British Mandate in the 1920s. Indeed it seems to have been Bell who started the practice of keeping some of the antiquities in Iraq, rather than sending them round the Museums of the Great Powers.

That said, given what has happened, one feels quite grateful - as I'm sure I've said before - that some of the Iraqi treasures were in the safe housing of the British Museum."

From the review in Amazon: "The last film in Youssef Chahine's autobiographical Alexandria Trilogy stars Chahine himself as his cinematic alter ego, Yehia Mourad, completing his merging of fiction with real life and drama with psychodrama. Opening with Chahine's triumph at the Berlin Film Festival, where he took home the Silver Bear for Alexandria...Why? (the first film in the trilogy--this is layered stuff), the film explores Yehia's obsession with his young star, Amir, while participating in the general strike of 1987. As Yehia fantasizes about the films they would make together (one of them looks like a loony take on Jesus Christ Superstar), he elevates Amir from a kind of adopted son to cinematic messiah. But while caught up in the strike, Yehia becomes enchanted by a former actress turned dedicated revolutionary, and he decides to cast her in his next feature."

Chahine is one of the oldest still active filmmakers. Born 1926 in Alexandria he has done several films portraiting his beloved city.