ADN

Tortured, shot, ambushed, victims are found dumped outside morgues. What is happening to Iraq's intellectuals is chilling
Felicity Arbuthnot
10 March 2006

Dr Mohammed Tuki Hussein Al Talakani Dr Eman Younis Dr Jammour Khammas Dr Mohammed Washed Professor Wajeeh Mahjoub Professor Sabri Al Bayati Professor Laila Al Saad Professor Muneer Al Khiero Professor Emad Sarsaan ProfessorMohammedAl Rawi Professor Munim Al Izmerly Dr Ali Al NaasI The horrific killings of Iraqi intellectuals have left suspicions that occupying forces may be behind some of the cases, says Felicity Arbuthnot.

It is estimated that between 250 and 500 intellectuals have been killed or have disappeared since the fall of Saddam Hussein. There is a rising surge of anger over attacks on Iraq's intellectuals and many believe some of the killings may be part of a deliberate policy of targeting those who speak out against the "occupation".

A prominent, internationally respected Iraqi academic, who cannot reveal his or her identity for fear of repercussions, says: "Under the American and British occupation, Iraqi academics are being forced out of their jobs and their country under the veil of politics. This is especially true for female Iraqi academics, who once made up nearly half of Iraqi academics in higher institutions and now fear for their lives and the lives of their families. In and outside the workplace they are being targeted by extremists and by the occupiers - more than 200 prominent Iraqi academics have been assassinated in the past three years alone....

Taken from: http://www.uruknet.info/?p=21398

Damn man, that's horrible news...

That dude in the pic looked like he was wearing a babershop cloth, and that hit looked professional....

hmmm.,. I tried to reply to this.

ok, take two:

Not a professional hit, but a textbook one. not a snipe. A snipe would have take the pulp at the back of the neck,.. hit there and his brain would slide into his back pocket. nothing more powerful than a kalishnakov rifle, and certainly not a 308.

That being sad Feleicity Artmouth is a dingbat. She wrote this whole anquished tirade on how US is to blame for iraq's hardship because we enforced sanctions. How dare we not buy from them, THEY NEEDED US MONEY.

The dude actually looked to me like the folks left on the side of the roads in Colombia back in the 80's. They had them young guns do hits from motorcycles and just bail, not very professional, but the result was pretty consistent, he who got shot, died.

Now, let me open my artmouth and ask:
isn't the purpose of sanctions and embargoes to apply pressure on a country in need?. That's why they are used, no?

exactly, that is the purpose of a sanction. to make a govt reign in spending to its necessities.

but she will blame the destruction of an entire village on sanctions, when all the people are popped in the dome.

She went in to survey damage and looked at the villages completely destroyed before the sanctions, and attribute them to the lack of international commerce. she actually went to a place in utter ruins and kneeling and sobbing over the cruel decision of the UN, and a causual inquiry reveals the damage was done when Iran and iraq were at war for eight years!

she has noted that holding up your hand, palm out, is a sign of friendly greeting in Iraq, and so "innocent Iraqi citizens" are rushing up in vehicles to outposts to be friendly. cough*bullshit*cough

she has said that US soldiers shoud, be able to visibly inspect citizens, and don't need to search, and has said "while looking for insurgents" all the soldiers had to do was knock, and they would open the door.

some of this is no doubt true, but this woman is far too apologetic and delusional about the situation.

a drive by is most suspected. not a hard call to make.

As far as US targeting intellectuals... I am certain it is not on the basis that they are intellectuals. (and it is war, so some innocents will unfortunately die, not that i like it. I just accept it as a reality, a humanity which wages war can not be suprised in the cold light of its affect on persons, populations, and environments.)