Somali Islamists are actively driven out of Somalia by a coalition of Ethiopian soldiers and the transitional Somali government. Kismayo, a Somalian port, is reportedly the last Islamic-held strong point after the capital, Mogadishu, was surrendered on December 28th.
3,000 Islamist fighters are reportedly on full defense in Kismayo and are prepared to fight. Ethiopian troops and artillery are advancing towards the port with a Somali government army ready to expel the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) from the east African nation.
Baidoa, the city in which the current weak government is fortified, has been reported threatened by the Islamic militia. The UIC claim the militia’s purpose to invading Mogadishu was only to restore order. They seemingly did so, by driving out many of the capital’s warlords and pacifying clans since June. This was a feet the UN and the US failed to achieve in the early 90’s amidst UN relief efforts.
This seems to be a battle for control of Somalia. Most of Somalia is already Muslim and doesn’t seem to mind UIC help and support. But is the UIC harboring terrorists like Ethiopia claims, or are they trying to pacify the land of Allah?
Photo courtesy of BBC and Associated Press
3000 soldiers have had their lives cut short in Iraq on the last day of 2006. The death toll is unbearable. How can Republicans even ponder the thought of increasing troops? How can anyone support the war and this matter of sending people off to not only kill civilians, and treat Iraqi natives with hostility, but also get themselves killed?
Time Magazine states:
“Earlier this week the US said it would send up to 3,300 soldiers to the Gulf in early January as a standby force.”
The New York Times states:
“The Bush administration is considering an increase in troop levels in Iraq of 17,000 to 20,000, which would be accomplished in part by delaying the departure of two Marine regiments now deployed in Anbar Province, Pentagon officials said Thursday.”
Luckily, with the new Democrat-controlled Congress, president Bush may not receive the permission to change his “Iraq strategy” and increase troops. The war still has a minimum of two years to go, and may not stop even after the next elections.
The following video is very graphic and disturbing in nature!
Here is a translation of what is being heard in the video:
[Saddam] Oh God.
[Voices] May God’s blessings be upon Muhammad and his household.
[Voices] And may God hasten their appearance and curse their enemies.
[Voices] Moqtada [Al-Sadr]…Moqtada…Moqtada.
[Saddam] Do you consider this bravery?
[Voice] Long live Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr.
[Voice] To hell.
[Voice] Please do not. The man is being executed. Please no, I beg you to stop.
[Saddam] There is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God. There is no God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad…
Yesterday the Pentagon requested that Congress grant them 99.7 billion dollars for efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This would be in addition to the 70 billion approved in September. If the new request is accepted, America’s war budget for 2007 will be a full 45 percent higher than it was in 2006.
However, with the Democrats now controlling both the House and the Senate, it would seem unlikely that the Pentagon will receive the crazy amount that they are asking for. The vast majority of newly-elected Democrats promised during their campaigns in November, to do what they could to put an end to America’s occupation in Iraq. As of yet, they haven’t taken any dramatic steps to achieve this.
According to the New York Times: “ . . . About $50 billion — most of the money — would go to the Army, which is conducting the bulk of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The request also includes $3.8 billion for the Air Force and $3 billion for the Navy to buy or upgrade aircraft. The Pentagon is also seeking $9.7 billion for training Iraqi and Afghan security forces, almost as much as has been spent in total since 2001, according to a study by the Congressional Research Service . . .”
We have been told that the main reason we’re still in Iraq is so we can train their security forces, but the Pentagon is only planning on spending a tenth of their desired funding on this aspect of the war. If we put fifty billion into training the Iraqis, and took all other unnecessary troops out, we could put the rest of the funding into our education, research, and programs that people can actually benefit from.
Right now we’re falling behind internationally, and need to focus on enlightening ourselves before we devote everything to a dead-end war.
Posted by Archaix
As the year 2006 draws to close, the world is still far from quiet. While Iraq executes a terrible dictator and Ethiopia helps government forces clear out Mogadishu in Somalia, the continent of Europe faces its own issues.
The main problem, of course, is Russia. Now, our readers may distrust Russia already, am I right? Unless you’re an indefaticable hardline Communist, or have somehow slept through the majority of the 20th century, Russia was responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths during the Second World War and, much more internally, during the Cold War. Many thought this process had been reversed with the decline and fall of Communism from 1989 to 1991, but if anything, Putin is returning to the Old Ways.
Many of our European readers may recall the death of one Alexander Litveneko, who’s death (caused by radiation poisoning) was linked to Putin’s infamous intolerance of critisism. The trail for the killer/s led detectives from the UK to Germany and Russia.
Now it appears that Russia is ‘bullying’ the small vassal states surrounding her, by threatening to cut off the enormous amount of gas reserves if they do not accept a substantial rise in price. Currently, BBC News reports, Belarus is facing a 135% price rise, while Georgia now pays just over double. Last year, the Ukraine was starved of gas during the depths of winter for a short period following a smiliar dispute.
And all this leaves me feeling that Russia never really changed at all.
Filed under: Communism, Economy, Entertainment, General, Pictures, Society
This was formerly posted by DH LAWRENCE MOFO on Nov 30 2006, 07:49 AM at the Pax et Socialism forums.
There’s a wanky zine called ‘Christ’ made by students at Glasgow Art School. It did once have a good cartoon in though.
Man: What did you tell that man just now?
Factory Owner: I told him to work faster!
Man: How much do you pay him?
Factory Owner: I pay him 20 pounds a day!
Man: Where do you get the money to pay him?
Factory Owner: I sell shoes!
Man: Who makes the shoes?
Factory Owner: He does!
Man: How many shoes does he make in a day?
Factory Owner: 100 pounds worth!
Man: So, instead of you paying him, he pays you 80 pounds a day to tell him to work faster…
Factory Owner: Huh!
Factory Owner: Well, I OWN the machines!
Man: How did you get the machines?
Factory Owner: I sold shoes!
Man: Who MADE the shoes?
Factory Owner: SHUT UP, HE MIGHT HEAR YOU…
Saddam Hussein’s death sentencing was announced November 5th for the ruthless murder of 148 Shia. Early saturday morning, the 30th of December, has been the announced date of his execution. Although the Iraqi judge’s sentenced date is unofficial, Saddam is expected to be hung within four weeks.
The criminal leader is supposedly alarmed at not only his death sentence, but how it will be done. Death by firing squad is known to be more respectful, not a regular person’s hanging. On the other hand, Mr. Hussein cannot receive any respect or honor for his psychopathic killings and absolute rule over an oppressed Muslim population.
Officials have gone the extra step and even given him a “red card” which came into being during the dictator’s regime. It signals your execution and the US made sure this Iraqi tradition was passed down onto the person that created it. There’s a little taste of your own medicine.
The defence attorneys of Saddam Hussein have tried to propose a solution other than execution. How will the world react to his hanging? Will there be more uprisings and rebellions? US embassies have been asked to increase security and be aware of the consequences the execution may cause. Does he deserve life? Only a strong NO can leave my mouth.
Why not allow the people of Iraq to do as they please with him? They want to see him punished they way he ruthlessly punished them, not let him have the easier way out. The United States is worried that they will humiliate Saddam and then possibly mutilate his body after the hanging. You think sentencing him to death isn’t humiliating? Let the victims of this dictator deal with him the right way just like they did with the rest of the Iraqi officials once the regime was toppled.
Filed under: General
Welcome to the first draft of Revolutionary Voice. This blog was set up by a small group of like-minded socialists and leftists interested in politics, society, culture, and economy. What do you think so far?
