Baghdad in Turmoil With Protests, Attack

[lebkuchen]

Large portions of Baghdad were in turmoil Tuesday after attackers fired an explosive into the Foreign Ministry compound, former intelligence officers demanding back pay or jobs hurled paving stones at American forces and U.S. soldiers confronted a big demonstration of Shiite Muslims.

<snip>

Security was already tight in the palace area because of demonstration Tuesday by about 2,000 former employees of the Iraqi intelligence service who are demanding they get their old jobs back.

<snip>

In southwest Baghdad, U.S. soldiers in about 20 Humvees with two helicopters overhead confronted some 600 demonstrators at a Shiite Muslim mosque, with protesters claiming the Americans had illegally detained their imam.

<snip>

Protesters shouted "America equals Saddam" and "Today we are raising banners tomorrow we will raise weapons."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031...

[SlavesandBulldozers]

1. jobs

I bet Bush never even thought of the fact that he'd have to create jobs for Iraqis. Surely if he knew the Iraqis would need jobs he would know its too big of a job for his Administration. He probably figured most Iraqis would just ask their dad for a job and some money.

[chromotone]

3. Bush has failed in creating jobs for Americans!

Why would anyone think he could create jobs for Iraqis, too?

[Bandit]

8. Create Jobs hell ~ He won't even let them compete against Haliburton

For rebuilding a country The Iraqis built in the first place. It is plain garbage fot them to tell us Haliburton is the only company in the world capable of rebuilding Iraq. No bid contracts = cronyism.

[LeftCoast]

2. "Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?"

News can be so depressing sometimes...

[leftchick]

4. holy shiite! Read the whole thing it is very bad news......

Yet, condiliar is now on the job so I am sure all will be better soon...


Don't forget to rate it a 5 at the bottom!

[lebkuchen]

6. International news is showing our troops in a hopeless situation

I felt so sorry for them, cornered, albeit in their humvees, shooting bullets over the heads of the Iraqi citizens in a futile effort at crowd control. Our helicopters were overhead.

A real mess.

US news is showing none of this? It's heartbreaking and portends a disastrous future for our military in the Middle East. I guess that's why the FCC has it underwraps.

[leftchick]

12. not a damn thing, all arnold all the time....

truly sickening! I had the chance to see CNNI while in Switzerland recently. What a dramatic difference. I have to get a dish! Thanks for all of your input however bad the news.

[lebkuchen]

14. BBC is much much better than CNNI

but your CNN is breathtakingly bad. It's not difficult for CNNI to outrank CNN for quality news.

[leftchick]

16. I watched BBC also while there

and am sometimes able to catch it here on c-span in the evening. It is far better I agree. The "news" here is nothing but entertainment for the "morans".

[rwork]

5. Why can'nt the media

print the good news? You know when the Iraqis rush to us in happy greetings and hurl the flower petals down in front of our feet in wonderful joy.

[Peachhead22]

7. Unfortunately for Shrub...

He can't cut their taxes. I don't think they pay taxes. Therefore Shrub is fresh out of ideas...er, actually, his one and only idea.

[Birthmark]

9. Hey, if they get jobs, then we want some, too.

Fair is fair, dammit!

[lebkuchen]

10. I read that Mexico's unemployment rate will fall to 3.5% by year's end

That will be about 1/2 ours. They added 40,000 new jobs on Sept. (Our actual unemployment rate is probably closer to 10%). Next, Ford will add 5000 new jobs producing the new Futura. Unfortunately, the new jobs will be in Hermosillo, Mex., where they will be made.

The US is in bad shape. CA voters are in the dark if they think this is a "CA thing."

[northzax]

11. and the us media

will be so obsessed with Ah-nold that this won't even be a blip on the news tonight...

[lebkuchen]

13. I'm shocked that the story is nowhere to be found

except for Commondreams picking it off of AP news/Middle East section.

CNNI IS forced to show international goings on, which the US is obviously blacking out. The scene broadcast was a very difficult situation for our military, and the US govt. doesn't want Americans to know that it is taking place because it would turn public sentiment against US presence in the Middle East. It was hard to watch our troops cornered even though they had the firepower. They kept shooting into the air to scare off the crowd, but w/little effect.

Juxtapose today's Baghdad riot with this week's military letters to "Stars and Stripes," and prepare yourself for a bleeding heart.

[0007]

15. It doesn't surprise me one bit,

knowing the ruthlessness of this regime and their threatening nature, what else can the American expect

[Kat 333]

17. It's not going to change anytime soon tho ...

Only going to get worse. They can't hide the truth forever. Refusing to report it is a temporary fix - this is a long term problem of mass proportions.