Truest statement of the week

The story of Kurds, Turks and ISIL in Syria is complicated but the root cause of all the twists and turns is an old and very simple story. The United States under president Barack Obama used ISIL and al-Qaeda terrorists in an attempt to overthrow the Syrian government. The project was a completely bipartisan affair, with the supposed political rivals in the republican and democratic parties on board with using Baghdadi and his forces for their own purposes.

-- Margaret Kimberley, "The Baghdadi Scam" (BLACK AGENDA REPORT).

Truest statement of the week II

The Iraqi police and security services have killed at least 250 people and injured thousands more in a brutal crackdown against the mass protests that first erupted earlier this month. In Karbala, 18 people were killed and 122 injured on Monday night. Three people died in Nasiriya as a result of injuries sustained earlier in the month.
The strikes and protests against Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi’s government, which are uniting workers across religious affiliation despite the confusion deliberately stoked by Iraq’s divisive political system, are the largest in decades. Centered in the country’s majority Shia population, the ostensible base of the ruling parties that make up Mahdi's fragile coalition, the protests have shaken the regime to its core.

They reflect the enormous anger over endemic poverty, rampant unemployment, the lack of the most basic services and the systemic corruption that has pervaded Iraq since the 2003 US-led invasion and occupation and the bitter sectarian conflicts instigated by Washington as part of its divide-and-rule strategy, which have devastated the country.

-- Jean Shaoul, "Iraqi regime responds to mass protests with brutal crackdown" (WSWS).

A note to our readers

Hey --

Wednesday.


Let's thank all who participated this edition which includes Dallas and the following:

The Third Estate Sunday Review's Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess and Ava,
Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude,
Betty of Thomas Friedman Is a Great Man,
C.I. of The Common Ills and The Third Estate Sunday Review,
Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills),
Mike of Mikey Likes It!,
Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz),
Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix,
Ruth of Ruth's Report,
Wally of The Daily Jot,
Trina of Trina's Kitchen, Marcia of SICKOFITRDLZ,
Stan of Oh Boy It Never Ends,
Isaiah of The World Today Just Nuts,
and Ann of Ann's Mega Dub.

And what did we come up with?

• Truest statement of the week

Margaret Kimberley gets another truest.

• Truest statement of the week II

Jean Shaoul gets a truest.

• Editorial: Man, can't they see the world's on fire...

Iraq.

• TV: Truth in television?

Ava and C.I. tackle a lot in this article.

• Roundtable

Another roundtable.  We're not forbidding or banning others.  The last two has just been the THIRD players with Betty added the second one because she told us she wanted to take part.  And she does so be sure to read this one.

• So you think you know the classics

We continue our popular feature.

• The 60th anniversary of CITIES OF THE INTERIOR

Anais Nin's collection of novels turns 60.

• From The TESR Test Kitchen

More candy in the kitchen.

• Tweet of the week

Bernie.

• This edition's playlist

What we listened to while writing.

• Some Tweets from the US Green Party

Green Party coverage.

• U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Continues Push to Guara...

Press release from Senator Tammy Baldwin's office.

• Highlights

Mike and the gang wrote this and we thank them for it.

Peace,


-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.

Editorial: Man, can't they see the world's on fire

Joshua Potash  🆘‏ @JoshuaPotash 12m12 minutes ago

Baby Shark is apparently a protest anthem now, from Lebanon to Iraq. This is Baghdad tonight

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The protests in Iraq.

Tuesday, AP reported,  "Masked gunmen opened fire at Iraqi protesters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Tuesday, killing 18 people and wounding hundreds, security officials said, in one of the deadliest single attacks since anti-government demonstrations erupted earlier this month."  Yes, we're talking Iraq.  The snapshot that morning had already noted these attacks.  Before the media registered what was happening, Iraqis were posting videos on social media.


Are you talking about the protests to the people you know.

1. Joyce Karam‏Verified account @Joyce_Karam 10h10 hours ago
   

   Anybody dismissing what’s happening in #Iraq is really not paying attention. This is Nassiriyah City tonight. Thousands and thousands are out protesting, chanting peacefully for change. Protests now in Week 5:

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If not, why not?

1. Alfons López Tena #FBPE‏Verified account @alfonslopeztena 14h14 hours ago
   

   Over 230 people have been killed, more than 6,000 injured since protests in Iraq began earlier this month — A quick summary of why are people protesting

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   Video: Behind Iraq's protests

   aljazeera.com

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In Iraq, people are putting everything on the line to fight for freedom.

NCRIWomen'sCommittee‏Verified account @womenncri 10h10 hours ago

#Humanrights #News: Young Iraqi woman gets killed in Iraq protests by security forces

0 replies29 retweets32 likes

You'd think, we could take just a little bit of time to notice here in the west -- the west that, please remember, invaded Iraq to begin with and still occupies its land.




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Title is a line in the Mamas and the Papas' "Safe In My Garden."