A fire at a Mariner Energy oil and gas platform which exploded early Thursday morning off the Louisiana coast was extinguished after burning for about six hours, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Thirteen workers who were sent overboard by the explosion were rescued.

“The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.” Huh? What about the simple fact that it is an oil-producing platform? Officials have received conflicting reports on whether or not an oily sheen is streaking the waters of the Gulf from the Mariner platform. Mariner has told the state that all seven wells attached to the platform have been successfully shut down. That is shutting the barn door after the animals have escaped.

The Obama administration is fighting in court to maintain until Nov. 30 a moratorium on new drilling in waters deeper than 500 feet. [After that, all hell can break loose, again.] Environmental groups immediately seized on the incident as more evidence that offshore energy production is inherently dangerous and should be tightly regulated or even banned. [Rather obvious, I would say.]

Now here’s a model excuse for you: “The Gulf of Mexico is a vast industrial enterprise with hundreds of these platforms,” said Robin West, founder of the energy consulting firm PFC Energy. “These things happen.”

Now, the Demagogue-in-Office has resorted to the same trick. He ran for office, promising to get our troops out of Iraq by the end of 2010, and he has pretty much kept his word. He did not promise to get them out of Afghanistan. Last night, in a nationally televised speech, he boasted he kept his campaign promise. Since Obama does not take print journalism seriously, he solemnly said he is announcing that it is “official” – we are evacuating (combat) troops from Iraq. Since he also said that to the print media at least one week ago, apparently he didn’t regard that announcement as “official” as last night’s.

In any case, as a result of a large transfer of personnel from Iraq to the opium mountains of Afghanistan, we now have about 100,000 troops stationed in that godforsaken part of the world. US General David Petraeus, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said Tuesday that deployments would reach full strength of 150,000 within days.

The good news, if you are a fan of the Taliban, is that, In all, 1,270 American troops have lost their lives since the conflict began with the US-led invasion of Afghanistan, following the 9-11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.
Since as sports writers like to say, records are meant to be broken, 2010 is the worst year of all although it is not yet over. 322 deaths so far, and counting. Since this war – what the U.S. has dubbed OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM is a joint effort, we should take notice of the sufferings of our “allies.” 788 “coalition military forces” have bitten the bullet since 2001. That’s almost 80 per year. In other words, if the “Coalition forces” could have been given a choice between being sent to Detroit and any of the other murder capitals in the U.S. or going to that safe haven in Rocky Mountain, Afghanistan, the selection would have been a no-brainer.

Ravalomanana, who has lived in exile in South Africa since being deposed by the country’s current leader, Andry Rajeolina, with the help of the miltary, has been convicted twice before by other courts.

Observers believe this third court ruling is aimed at preventing his return to contest the forthcoming presidential elections and warned this might jeopardise any chances the country has for a dialogue on breaking the current political impasse.

After deliberations, the court which conducted the latest trial admitted the testimony of witnesses who said Ravalomanana gave orders to shoot if protestors approached the presidential palace during a demonstration.

Lawyers for the former leader have, however, rejected the decision, saying it is valueless. They refused to take part in the case. Ravalomanana reacted by telling the international press it was a “stupid and ridiculous” judgement to which he gave no particular importance. He also announced a national conference from September 13 to 18 and said he intends to propose a new constitution in the comming days.

A group of Malagasy citizens living in France have condemned the court ruling, maintaining that only the high court is competent to handle a case of that nature. Observers have suggested that the trial will hinder the peace process and undermine negotiations initiated by civil society.

Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Aqim) militants have executed an Algerian customs officer held hostage since June in the Sahara, following an attack that claimed the lives of 11 Algerian police officers at the border between Mali and Algeria.

Algiers refuses to negotiate with groups it describes as terrorists and will not pay ransom.

Nor has there been an official reaction to the 23 August release of two Spanish hostages held by Aqim, although everything indicates that a ransom payment was made.

How Algiers will manage its relationship with its ally Mauritania which has been involved in these transactions is unknown, as is its position vis-à-vis Madrid which may have paid for its hostages’ release.

At July’s African Union summit Algiers campaigned for a legal ban on the payment of ransom to rebel groups and on the release of imprisoned members of armed groups in exchange for the release of hostages.

“A program that authorizes killing U.S. citizens, without judicial oversight, due process or disclosed standards is unconstitutional, unlawful and un-American,” ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero said in a statement announcing the filing of the case.

The group, along with the Center for Constitutional Rights, brought the case on behalf of Nasser al-Awlaki, father of a U.S.-born Islamic cleric in Yemen, Anwar al-Awlaki, who is accused of having ties to al-Qaeda. The younger al-Awlaki, who was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico, has been marked for death by the U.S. Defense Department and the CIA, according to the organizations.

The FBI has been keeping an eye on al-Awlaki for years, but he didn’t become a priority until authorities connected him to Nidal Hassan, the Muslim U.S. Army officer charged with killing 13 people in November at Fort Hood in Texas. Hassan e-mailed al-Awlaki for advice several times before the attack, and al-Awlaki has praised him and called on other Muslim soldiers in the military to carry out similar attacks. The FBI has since alleged that al-Awlaki is connected to several terrorist plots . . .

Dean Boyd, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department, didn’t immediately return a call from Bloomberg News Service seeking comment on the lawsuit.

Justice Minister Keiko Chiba allowed journalists for the first time Friday to enter the Tokyo Detention House’s execution chamber. Chiba, who has long been opposed to the death penalty, has taken various measures to promote public discussion on capital punishment by making it transparent, while like many other justice ministers she fulfilled her duty of signing off on two hangings on July 27.

According to Amnesty International, 95 countries, including Canada and Australia, have abolished the death penalty, while nine other countries have it on the books only for extraordinary cases of espionage or treason. In 2008, at least 2,390 inmates were executed in 25 countries.

**********************************
Kill ‘em all; let God sort them out.………….108 school judo class deaths but no charges, only silence.
Fatalities since ’83 highest rate in any sport; brain injuries abound.

Yasuhiko Kobayashi’s 15-year-old son had skipped judo practice. According to Kobayashi, the boy’s teacher was furious and stood waiting for him at the gates of his junior high school in Yokohama. The teacher forced the boy into the gym and made him grapple one on one. The former All Japan judo champion choked the boy until he lost consciousness. He suffered severe internal bleeding in his brain, an injury known as an acute subdural hematoma.

The parents of Koji Murakawa, a 12-year-old junior high school student in Shiga Prefecture, allege their son died from a similar injury in July 2009. Murakawa complained to his instructor he had asthma. He was told to wear an antidust mask and made to spar with the instructor. The teacher reportedly violently threw him to the ground, also leaving the boy with a subdural hematoma. Taken to a hospital, Murakawa was later pronounced brain dead. His body was covered with bruises, according to his parents.

Over the 27-year period between 1983 and 2009, 108 students aged 12 to 17 died as a result of judo accidents in Japanese schools, an average of four a year, nearly all from brain injuries.

A representative from the British Judo Association said, “to our knowledge, there have been no deaths or serious brain injuries in judo in the BJA.”

To date, not a single incident has resulted in criminal prosecution.

For more n this, please CLICK HERE.

A prominent philanthropist, cancer survivor, and American businessman, David Koch, has given millions to the cause of cancer research, while his company—Koch Industries—has lobbied against formal recognition of formaldehyde as a carcinogen, The New Yorker reported in a piece published today.

In article published on August 25, New Yorker magazine had this to say: The National Cancer Institute published a study in 2009 concluding that formaldehyde causes cancer in humans. The study tracked twenty-five thousand patients for an average of forty years; subjects exposed to higher amounts of formaldehyde had significantly higher rates of leukemia. These results helped lead an expert panel within the National Institutes of Health to conclude that formaldehyde should be categorized as a known carcinogen, and be strictly controlled by the government.

For the full story, please CLICK HERE.

Portia speaks:

The quality of mercy is not strain’d,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;

That being said, let us consider the fate of former Florida attorney Noah Daniel Liberman. Mr. Liberman has been on the right path since he was busted more than six years ago for drug trafficking. But despite his rehabilitation from his addiction, the Florida Supreme Court has rejected a recommendation to suspend his license and instead has disbarred him. The Florida Bar Association had recommended a 3 year suspension.

Justice Barbara Pariente argued in a dissent that Liberman had lived an “exemplary life” and that his misconduct arose from a “severe addiction to drugs,” not from the practice of law. Justice Peggy Quince joined the dissent. The majority was not impressed.

Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday issued a 15-page ruling that granted the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction. The judge’s order enjoined the government from implementing the NIH guidelines “or otherwise funding research involving human embryonic stem cells” as contemplated in the guidelines.

Lamberth said Congress has mandated that no federal funds go toward research in which a human embryo is destroyed or discarded. The defendants, (The Dept. of Health and Human Services), Lamberth said, argue that the research does not involve the destruction of an embryo. But the judge disagreed. “Embryonic Stem Cell research is clearly research in which an embryo is destroyed,” Lamberth wrote. “To conduct ESC research, ESCs must be derived from an embryo. The process of deriving ESCs from an embryo results in the destruction of the embryo. Thus, ESC research necessarily depends upon the destruction of a human embryo.”

Is Obama a Christian? A growing number of Americans say he is not.

What is Obama’s religion?

March 2008
Christian. 47%
Muslim 12%
Don’t know 36%
Other answers 5%

August 2010
Christian 34%
Muslim 18%
Don’t know 43%
Other answers 4%

Among conservative Republicans, 34% say Obama is Muslim. 60% of those who say Obama is a Muslim cite the media. Among specific media sources, television (at 16%) is mentioned most frequently. About one-in-ten (11%) of those who say Obama is a Muslim say they learned of this through Obama’s own words and behavior.

Those who say he is a Muslim overwhelmingly disapprove of his job performance, while a majority of those who think he is a Christian approve of the job Obama is doing. Those who are unsure about Obama’s religion are about evenly divided in their views of his performance.

Christian and Muslim groups have condemned a planned public burning of the Quran by a Florida church on the 9th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States. A statement released by the Protestant Churches of Egypt through the U.S. United Church of Christ on 10 August said it “regrets this destructive thought and declares total rejection of any attack against others’ religions and beliefs”.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a Washington-based group, said, “Islamophobia is being promoted by a vocal minority of individuals and groups that seek to marginalise American Muslims and demonise Islam.” CAIR has said it is increasingly concerned about protests and public sentiments against the construction of mosques and Islamic cultural centres in the United States.

Reports say a court in Tabuk, in the north-west of the country, had approached a number of hospitals about the possibility of cutting the man’s spinal cord to carry out the punishment of qisas (retribution), as requested by the injured victim.

According to one report, one hospital said it would be possible to medically administer the injury at the same place on the spinal cord as the damage the man is alleged to have caused his victim using a cleaver, during a fight more than two years ago, causing similar paralysis.

The court may decide not to impose the paralysis punishment and could instead sentence the man to imprisonment, financial compensation, or flogging.

Flogging is mandatory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a number of offences and can also be used at the discretion of judges as an alternative or in addition to other punishments.

In cases of qisas (retribution) other sentences passed have included eye-gouging, tooth extraction, and death in cases involving murder.

Israel and the anti-Muslim blow-up By MJ Rosenberg, Senior Foreign Policy Fellow at Media Matters Action Network

A visiting rabbi from Israel gave a sermon [in Washington, D.C.] about the intifada that was then raging in Israel and the West Bank. The sermon’s ending which was unforgettable. The rabbi concluded with the words from Ecclesiastes.

“To everything there is a season. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap … A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” He then looked up and said: “Now is the time to hate.”

Rosenberg’s article is an attack on both American conservatives and liberals for ganging up on all Muslims and defending all things pro-Israel. CLICK HERE.

Japan Urged to Make Apology for Its Past Crimes

Pyongyang, August 22 (KCNA) — A spokesman for the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Reunification of Korea made public a statement on Sunday on the occasion of the lapse of a centenary since the Japanese imperialists fabricated the illegal “Korea-Japan Annexation Treaty”.
The statement said that the treaty cooked up by the Japanese imperialist aggressors on August 22, 1910, was a completely illegal and invalid document and an unprecedented criminal document of aggression in view of historical facts and from the viewpoint of international law.
The Japanese imperialists enforced the harshest colonial rule in history over Korea, bringing unspeakably horrible misfortune and sufferings and disasters to the Korean nation, the statement noted, and went on:

Japan should make a sincere apology and make full reparation to the Korean nation for its aggression and crimes against humanity.

For link to the complete story, please CLICK HERE.

By FARNAZ FASSIHI

Defying mounting international pressure over its military ambitions, Iran on Sunday unveiled what it said was its latest battlefield advance—an armed aerial drone—a day after initiating the start-up of its first nuclear power plant. Tehran said the plant would be operational within a month.

For much more oF this story, please CLICK HERE.

India’s Commonwealth Games, which are set to roll in New Delhi from Oct. 3, have turned into the nation’s biggest shame. At a cost of $7.5 billion — excluding improvements and additions to city infrastructure — these will be the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever……..The cost — all laid to Indian taxpayers — has sky-rocketed because of terrible mismanagement and hugely inflated bills. Overnight, men in charge of the games have become stinking rich, and the event has helped to convert common wealth into personal wealth.

Scandalous reports of financial corruption, nepotism and incompetence have already tarnished India’s image to a degree that appears beyond redemption. Sports stadiums are not yet ready, or if they are, there are growing fears of substandard materials having been used.

The roof of the weightlifting stadium, part of the main venue, began leaking hours after its inauguration……The ceiling of the SP Mukherjee Swimming Complex came crashing down and a swimmer was injured…….Before that, a roof at the Yamuna Sports Complex collapsed……..The games village is not ready, nor are the living quarters for the hundreds of players due to descend on New Delhi.

The queen will not attend the sporting event — though for reasons other than corruption — and this will be the first time in the history of the games that she, the symbolic head of the Commonwealth, will be absent.

For more details of this travesty, please CLICK HERE.

The Supreme Court ruled that lawyers for people thinking of pleading guilty to a crime must advise their clients who are not citizens about the possibility that they will be deported. “It is our responsibility under the Constitution to ensure that no criminal defendant — whether a citizen or not — is left to the mercies of incompetent counsel,” Justice Stevens wrote. The vote was 7-2, with Chief Justice Roberts and Associate Judge Alito dissenting.

In Justice Alito’s view, criminal defense lawyers need only “refrain from unreasonably providing incorrect advice” and tell their clients that their pleas may have negative immigration consequences about which “the alien should consult an immigration attorney.” “I do not agree with the court,” Justice Alito added, “that the attorney must attempt to explain what those consequences may be.”

From the National Law Journal, August 19, 2010

The decision is already providing fodder for defendants who were caught unaware about collateral consequences beyond the immigration context — such as housing implications of pleading guilty to a sex offense, or gun-rights consequences of criminal pleas. Public defenders have voiced concern that the decision will put additional pressure on them to advise clients on complex immigration issues and in other areas of the law. An attorney in Las Vegas wrote in to the Law Journal: We recently had a guilty plea withdrawn because of the Padilla decision. In the motion and affidavits we relied heavily on the fact that had the defendant known about the possibility of being deported, he would have gone to trial.

A trust representing four unsecured creditors who were receiving monthly royalty payments from Jackson had not received any of the money because the distributions had all gone to administrative expenses, according to court records. The creditors’ trust had sought to extend its terms beyond the expiration date of March 31, 2011.

The Debtor dedicated to the Trust the right to receive those royalty payments for a term of years, not in perpetuity.” The judge said it “would be unfair for Ms. Jackson to take more of her royalties because of things that were beyond her control.”

Other entertainers also had a good day. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen won dismissal of a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging that a scene from his 2009 film Brüno ripped off a lawyer-turned-scriptwriter.

China overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest economy in the second quarter, capping three decades of spectacular growth. Japan held the number two title behind the United States for more than 40 years, but its economy hit a decade of stagnant growth in the 1990s and has not regained its postwar power. Meanwhile, China’s economy is growing at a rate of about 10 per cent annually even as the world emerges from a deep recession.

While Japan struggles with a saturated domestic market and rapidly aging population, China has plenty of growth potential remaining. Millions of Chinese are moving from the countryside into cities as the country urbanizes. Living standards can still improve considerably. In terms of per capita gross domestic product (GDP), however, China, with a population of 1.3 billion, is only about a tenth the size of Japan or the United States, putting it on a level with countries such as Algeria and El Salvador.

Even as China is hailed as the global economy’s new engine, all is not rosy despite the impressive growth figures. China’s economy is still imbalanced – it relies overly on exports and investment,” said Ben Simpfendorfer, chief China economist for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

“While China is providing some support to global growth, the risk is that the economy might yet slow abruptly because of these imbalances,” he warned. “And as the world’s second-largest economy, China is too big to be bailed out by the IMF (International Monetary Fund) or any other agency.”

1. Iraqi officials say 41 people have been killed and 112 wounded in a suicide bombing strike against Iraqi army recruits in Baghdad. The Tuesday morning blast targeted recruits lined up outside an Iraqi army division headquarters in the heart of the capital.

2. Iran unveiled a new law mandating the production of higher-enriched uranium and limiting cooperation with an international nuclear watchdog, as Tehran’s top nuclear official laid out plans for the country’s next enrichment facility.

None of Monday’s announcements were new initiatives, but they appeared to be orchestrated to rebut recent claims by U.S. officials and others that fresh international sanctions enacted to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions may be weakening Tehran’s resolve.

3. Amnesty International criticised the TV “confession” of an Iranian woman last night, in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband. “This so-called confession forms part of growing catalogue of other forced confessions and self-incriminating statements made by many detainees in the past year.” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. “Statements made in such televised exchanges should have no bearing on Iran’s legal system, or the call to review her case. This latest video shows nothing more than the lack of evidence against Sakineh Ashtiani”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

************************************************
Here is a PARTIAL history of fun in Iraq:

36 Executed Bodies Found in Iraq
Middle East Online, 25 August 2005.

Car Bombs Kill 43 at Baghdad Bus Station
CNN, 17 August 2005.

26 Iraqi Workers Wounded by US Fire
Middle East Online, 16 August 2005.

Bombs Bad Enough, but Guns Worse in Baghdad
Liz Sly. Chicago Tribune, 11 August 2005. Posted on the Fairuse website.

Bombs Becoming Biggest Killers in Iraq
Robert H. Reid and Jim Krane. The Associated Press, 04 August 2005.

4,000 Iraqis Killed in Iraq in 2005
Zaman Daily Newspaper, 31 July 2005.

Officials: Blast Survivors Hit by Gunfire
Sinbad Ahmed. The Associated Press, 30 July 2005. Posted on the Nola website.

Not Enough Caskets for the Iraqi Dead
Cihan News Agency, 28 July 2005. Posted on the Zaman website.

Up to 40 Killed in Iraq Blast
Liz Sly. Chicago Tribune, 25 July 2005.

Iraqis Stunned by the Violence of a Bombing
Kirk Semple. New York Times, 18 July 2005.

Iraqi Death Toll Exceeded 800 a Month, Data Shows
Sabrina Tavernise. New York Times, 15 July 2005.

Data Shows Faster-Rising Death Toll Among Iraqi Civilians
Sabrina Tavernise. New York Times, 14 July 2005.

Terror Attacks Near 3,200 in 2004 Count
Katherine Shrader. The Associated Press, 05 July 2005. Posted on the Information Clearing House website.

Death of Knight Ridder Reporter, Other Civilians in Iraq, Draws Official Criticism
Editor and Publisher, 04 July 2005.

Car Bombings in Iraq Kill 580 in 2 Months
Patrick Quinn. Marin Independent Journal, 24 June 2005.

Fatal Shooting of Teacher Illustrates Why Iraqis Fear U.S. Convoys
Nancy A. Youssef. Knight-Ridder, 15 June 2005.

U.S. Raids Test Iraqis’ Patience
Kirsten Scharnberg. Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2005.

Suicide Bomber Kills 22 in Attack at an Iraq Bank
Edward Wong. New York Times, 15 June 2005.

Dozens Killed in Iraq Attacks
ABC News Australia, 08 June 2005.

Bomb Kills 9 at Sufi Monastery
Andy Mosher and Salih Saif Aldin. Washington Post, 04 June 2005.

825 Died in ‘New’ Iraq
News 24 South Africa, 03 June 2005.

Iraq Puts Civilian Toll at 12,000
Ellen Knickmeyer. Washington Post, 03 June 2005.

Wounded Iraqis Left Broken and Burdened
Jonathan Finer and Omar Fekeiki. Washington Post, 02 June 2005.

Attacks Leave at Least 28 Dead in Iraq
CNN, 28 May 2005.

The Return of the Body Count
Tom Engelhardt. Tom Dispatch, 24 May 2005. Posted on the Antiwar.com website.

23 Killed in New Iraq Attacks
Gulf Daily News, 20 May 2005.

‘Thousands’ Flee Fighting in Iraq
BBC News, 13 May 2005.

At Least 46 Bodies Found in Iraq
CNN, 16 May 2005.

Body Counts
Christopher Dickey. Newsweek, 11 May 2005.

Multiple Bodies Found at Each of Three Sites in Iraq
Rick Jervis and Mona Mahmoud. USA Today, 15 May 2005.

Tally of Civilian Deaths Depend on Who’s Counting: Definitive Estimates Difficult to Obtain
Jack Epstein and Matthew B. Stannard. San Francisco Chronicle, 12 May 2005.

On Way Out, Okrent Knocks ‘N.Y. Times’ WMD and Civilian Casualty Coverage
Editor and Publisher, 12 May 2005.

U.S. Unaccountable for Iraqi Civilian Deaths
Alan Elsner. Reuters, 03 May 2005. Posted on the Occupation Watch website.

At Least 116 Dead in Iraq in 4 Days
Antonio Castaneda. The Associated Press, 02 May 2005. Posted on the Boston Globe website.

Official US Report on Italian Journalist (Giuliana Sgrena) Shooting Incident
Brigadier General Peter Vangjel. Unredacted version, May 2005 (.doc file).

Terrified US Soldiers Are Still Killing Civilians with Impunity, while the Dead Go Uncounted
Patrick Cockburn. The Independent, 24 April 2005.

Corpses Keep Coming from Iraq’s River of Death
James Hider. The Australian, 23 April 2005.

Nine Die in Baghdad Mosque Bombing
CNN, 22 April 2005.

Massacre at Iraq Football Stadium
BBC News, 20 April 2005.

Iraq Hostages Dumped in River
CNN, 20 April 2005. Posted on the Guerrilla News Network website.

Aid Worker Uncovered America’s Secret Tally of Iraqi Civilian Deaths
Andrew Buncombe. The Independent, 20 April 2005.

Surge in Iraqi Violence Kills 24
Steve Negus. Financial Times, 15 April 2005.

Dozens Killed in Attacks in Baghdad
The Associated Press, 14 April 2005. Posted on the MSNBC website.

Many Iraqis Killed in US Air Attack
Al Jazeera and agencies, 12 April 2005.

Iraq Insurgency Has Killed 6,000 Civilians
Luke Baker. Reuters, 05 April 2005.

Study Says Civilian Casualties on the Rise After Elections
Phil Sands. Gulf News, 21 March 2005. Posted on the Global Policy Forum website.

Iraq Allies Accused of Failing to Investigate Civilian Deaths
Sarah Boseley. The Guardian, 11 March 2005.

U.S. Addresses Iraqis’ Losses With Payments
David Zucchino. Los Angeles Times, 10 March 2005. Posted on the EPIC website.

Suicide Bomber Kills 47 at Funeral in Northern Iraq
Colin McMahon. Chicago Tribune, 10 March 2005. Posted on the Kansas City Star website.

35 Corpses Found in Iraq
The Associated Press, 09 March 2005. Posted on The Guardian website.

Lax Security Blamed for Hilla Explosions
The Cape Argus, 02 March 2005.

Ramadi Residents Flee City After Latest US-Led Attacks
IRIN, 24 February 2005. Posted on the IRIN website.

Kirkuk Braced for Ethnic Conflict
Gideon Long. Swiss Info, 14 February 2005.

Sectarian Massacres Shake Iraq
Rory Carroll. The Guardian, 12 February 2005.

At Least 232 Civilians Die Doing U.S. Work in Iraq
Sue Pleming. Reuters, 30 January 2005. Posted on the China Daily website.

Researchers Who Rushed Into Print a Study of Iraqi Civilian Deaths Now Wonder Why It Was Ignored
Lila Guterman. Chronicle of Higher Education, 27 January 2005.

21 Killed in Mosque, Wedding Party Blasts
The Associated Press, 21 January 2005. Posted on the Fox News website.

Car Bomb Kills 14 at Shiite Mosque in Baghdad
MSNBC, 21 January 2005.

‘Why Did They Shoot? We Have No Weapons’
Chris Hondros. The Independent, 20 January 2005.

16 Killed in Iraq Attacks
The Associated Press, 17 January 2005. Posted on The Guardian website.

Attacks in Iraq Kill 42
Dhia Hamid. The Australian, 29 December 2004. Posted on the Occupation Watch website.

Ten Iraqis Killed in Ambush
United Press International, 12 December 2004. Posted on the Washington Times website.

Blair Rejects Call for Count of Iraqi Deaths
Rory McCarthy. The Guardian, 09 December 2004.

US Marine Claims Unit Killed Iraqi Civilians
ABC News Australia, 08 December 2004.

New Attacks ‘Kill Iraq Civilians’
BBC News, 08 December 2004.

70 Die as Iraq Violence Escalates
Rory McCarthy and Jamie Wilson. The Guardian, 06 December 2004.

Marines Say They Will Resume Publicly Reporting Battle Deaths in Iraq
Robert Burns. The Associated Press, 12 December 2004. Posted on the North County Times website.

Iraq’s Civilian Dead Get No Hearing in the United States
Jeffrey D. Sachs. The Daily Star (Lebanon), 02 December 2004.

Witnesses Say US Forces Killed Unarmed Civilians
Kim Sengupta. The Independent, 24 November 2004.

Iraqis Remove Corpses Under U.S. Oversight
Edward Harris. The Associated Press, 16 November 2004.

Video Shows US Soldier Killing Wounded Insurgent in Cold Blood
Andrew Buncombe. The Independent, 16 November 2004.

Counting the Casualties
The Economist, 04 November 2004.

Pentagon Suppresses Details of Civilian Casualties, Says Expert
Raymond Whitaker. The Independent, 31 October 2004. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

Massacre at Baquba
Kim Sengupta. The Independent, 25 October 2004. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

How Many Iraqis Are Dying? By One Count, 208 in a Week
Norimitsu Onishi. New York Times, 19 October 2004.

Iraq Faces Soaring Toll of Deadly Disease
Jeremy Laurance. The Independent, 13 October 2004. Posted on the Global Policy Forum website.

‘Scores Die’ in Samarra Assault
BBC News, 01 October 2004.

Killings Surge in Iraq, and Doctors See a Procession of Misery
Alex Berenson. New York Times, 26 September 2004.

More Iraqi Civilians Killed By U.S. Forces Than By Insurgents, Data Shows
Nancy A. Youssef. Knight Ridder, 25 September 2004.

Counting the Civilian Cost in Iraq
Matthew Davis. BBC News, 22 September 2004.

Hidden Toll of the War In Iraq
Stephen L. Robinson. Center for American Progress, 14 September 2004 (.pdf file).

At Least 80 Civilians Die in Iraqi Violence
Jackie Spinner. Washington Post, 13 September 2004.

US Missile Attack Kills 13 Civilians in Iraq
Patrick Cockburn. The Independent, 13 September 2004.

Between 10,000 and 30,000 Iraqis Killed Since US Invasion
Bassam Mroue. The Associated Press, 08 September 2004.

Named and Identified Victims of the War on Iraq
Iraq Body Count, September 2004.

High Court Challenge Over Iraqi Civilian Deaths
Press Association, 28 July 2004. Posted on The Guardian website.

Iraqis Risk Death to Bury the Dead
Scott Baldauf. Christian Science Monitor, 24 August 2004.

In Hospital Hit by Missile, the Survivors Wonder Why
Somini Sengupta. New York Times, 23 July 2004.

Shooting Death Angers Iraqi Family
Thanassis Cambanis. Boston Globe, 21 June 2004.

High-Profile Air Strikes ‘Killed Only Civilians’
Dan Glaister. The Guardian, 14 June 2004.

Casualties of War
Thomas M. DeFrank. New York Daily News, 13 June 2004.

Bombings Take Toll on Families
Anne Barnard. Boston Globe, 13 June 2004.

Army Is Investigating Reports of Assaults and Thefts by G.I.’s Against Iraqi Civilians
Eric Schmitt. New York Times, 31 May 2004. Posted on the Global Project website.

Video Film of Wedding Party Captures Revelers Dancing, Singing
Scheherezade Faramarzi. The Associated Press, 24 May 2004.

Some 5,500 Civilians Killed Since War Began, Survey Says
Daniel Cooney and Omar Sinan. The Associated Press, 24 May 2004. Posted on the Boston Globe website.

US Probes Deaths of 37 Afghan and Iraqi Detainees
Paul Harris. The Observer, 23 May 2004.

Iraqis Lose Right to Sue Troops Over War Crimes
Kamal Ahmed. The Observer, 23 May 2004.

‘US Soldiers Started to Shoot Us, One by One’
Rory McCarthy. The Guardian, 21 May 2004.

Iraq: Killings of Civilians in Basra and al-’Amara
Amnesty Interntional, 11 May 2004.

Civilians Die in Gunfights on Border
Jason Burke. The Observer, 25 April 2004.

Schoolgirl Sees All Her Friends Perish in Blast
Luke Harding. The Guardian, 22 April 2004.

Mix of Pride and Shame Follows Killings and Mutilations by Iraqis
Jeffrey Gettleman. New York Times, 02 April 2004.

After an Advocate’s Killing, Iraqi Women Try to Stay Course
Annia Ciezadlo. Christian Science Monitor, 01 April 2004.

Scores Killed in Iraqi Bombings
BBC News, 21 April 2004.

Who Counts the Civilian Casualties
Brad Knickerbocker. Christian Science Monitor, 31 March 2004.

Violent Deaths Fill Baghdad Hospitals and Central Morgue a Year On
Agence France-Presse, 23 March 2004. Posted on the Spacewar website.

For Iraqis in Harm’s Way, $5,000 and ‘I’m Sorry’
Jeffrey Gettleman. New York Times, 17 March 2004.

Grieving and Angry
Letta Tayler. Newsday, 07 March 2004.

What Iraqis Receive for Their Losses
Christina Asquith. Christian Science Monitor, 23 February 2004.

Hiding the Dead, the Wounded, the Suicides, and the Disabled
OSS.net, 21 February 2004.

4 Iraqi Women Slain in Shooting
Pamela Constable. Washington Post, 23 January 2004. Posted on the Boston Globe website.

In Tough Iraqi Conflict, Civilians Pay High Price
Dan Murphy. Christian Science Monitor, 21 January 2004.

Five Civilians Die as Troops Open Fire
The Scotsman, 14 January 2004.

We Must Honor the Dead
John Sloboda. The Guardian, 19 December 2003.

Off Target: The Conduct of the War and Civilian Casualties in Iraq
Human Rights Watch, 12 December 2003 (.pdf file).

US Evades Blame for Iraqi Deaths
Derrick Z. Jackson. Boston Globe, 12 December 2003.

Iraq to Stop Counting Civilian Dead
Niko Price. The Associated Press, 10 December 2003. Posted on the Washington Post website.

Civilian Deaths Raise Iraqi Fears, Anger
Vivienne Walt. Boston Globe, 03 December 2003.

Body Bag Count Puts Strains on Coalition
Giles Tremlett and Duncan Campbell. The Guardian, 01 December 2003.

US Pays Up for Fatal Iraq Blunders
Rory McCarthy. The Guardian, 26 November 2003.

Iraqi Families Want Retribution for Deaths: Some Charge U.S. Soldiers Unjustly Shoot, Kill Civilians
Vivienne Walt. San Francisco Chronicle, 24 November 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

12 Civilians Are Killed in a Car Bomb Attack in Kirkuk
Terence Neilan. New York Times, 20 November 2003.

The Hidden Cost of Bush’s War
Andrew Buncombe. The Independent, 14 November 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

Don’t Mention the Dead
Gary Younge. The Guardian, 07 November 2003.

American Soldiers Kill Six Iraqi Civilians After a Bomb Explosion Near a U.S. Convoy
Alex Berenson. New York Times, 29 October 2003.

Up to 15,000 People Killed in Invasion, Claims Think Tank
Suzanne Goldenberg. The Guardian, 29 October 2003.

The Not-so-Friendly Reality of US Casualties
David Isenberg. Asia Times, 22 October 2003.

Hearts and Minds: Post-war Civilian Deaths in Baghdad Caused by U.S. Forces
Human Rights Watch, 21 October 2003.

Attacks on Troops Claim Iraqi Civilians
Karl Vick. Washington Post, 03 October 2003.

Awkward Questions Over Civilian Deaths
Sergei Danilochkin. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 02 October 2003. Posted on the Asia Times website.

9 Killed in Mortar Attack on Iraq Market
Robert H. Reid. The Associated Press, 26 September 2003. Posted on the Washington Post website.

Iraq: The Reality and Rhetoric
Rory McCarthy. The Guardian, 24 September 2003.

Farah Tried to Plead with the US Troops But She was Killed Anyway
Peter Beaumont. The Observer, 07 September 2003.

Baghdad Morgue, Hospital Logs Tell of Violence
Thanassis Cambanis. Boston Globe, 03 September 2003.

Hiding the Body Count: The Little Deaths
Bruce Jackson. Counterpunch, 27 August 2003.

Baghdad Deadlier Than Ever: A Coroner’s Viewpoint
Sarmad S. Ali. Counterpunch, 26 August 2003.

11 Killed In Ethnic Violence In N. Iraq
Daniel Williams. Washington Post, 24 August 2003.

U.S. Apologizes for Baghdad Mosque Incident
Richard A. Oppel Jr. New York Times, 15 August 2003.

Family Shot Dead by Panicking US Troops
Justin Huggler. The Independent, 10 August 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

American Civilian Is Killed in Iraq
D’Arcy Doran. The Associated Press, 05 August 2003.

US Tightens Payouts for Casualties
Robyn Dixon. Los Angeles Times, 05 August 2003. Posted on The Age website.

Portrait of a US Combat Casualty
Ann Scott Tyson. Christian Science Monitor, 05 August 2003.

The Unreported Cost of War: At least 827 American Wounded
Julian Borger. The Guardian, 04 August 2003.

Bitterness Grows in Iraq Over Deaths of Civilians
Vivenne Walt. Boston Globe, 04 August 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

US Troops Kill Five Iraqis in Botched Raid
Colin Freeman. The Scotsman, 28 July 2003.

Few Iraqis Reporting Civilian Deaths
Hannah Allam. Knight Ridder, 26 July 2003. Posted on the Real Cities website.

Troops Accused of Killing in Mosul
Kevin Sullivan. Washington Post, 26 July 2003.

More Than 1,000 Children Killed or Wounded by Abandoned Arms in Iraq: UNICEF
Agence France-Presse, 17 July 2003. Posted on the SpaceWar website.

Climate of Fear: Sexual Violence and Abduction of Women and Girls In Baghdad
Human Rights Watch, 16 July 2003 (.pdf file).

Iraq: The Human Toll
Ed Vulliamy. The Observer, 06 July 2003.

Rising U.S. Death Toll In Iraq Spurs Concern
Peter Slevin. Washington Post, 20 June 2003.

Activist Seeks Tally of Iraq’s Casualties
Peyman Pejman. Wahington Times, 16 June 2003.

US Clouds Iraqi Civilian Deaths
Derrick Z. Jackson. Boston Globe, 13 June 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

Iraq Toll of Civilians Put at 3,240
The Associated Press, 11 June 2003. Posted on the International Herald Tribune website.

US Gunfire Kills Three Teens at Wedding
Syndey Morning Herald, 30 May 2003.

Casus or Casuistry
The Economist, 29 May 2003.

Body Counts
Jonathan Steele. The Guardian, 28 May 2003.

Surveys Pointing to High Civilian Death Toll in Iraq
Peter Ford. Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2003.

Baghdad’s Death Toll Assessed
Laura King. Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

In Baghdad, a Surge in Homicides
Peter Ford. Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2003.

Baghdad Pays the Postwar Price: 242 Die in Three Weeks
Phil Reeves. The Independent, 16 May 2003.

Remains of Toxic Bullets Litter Iraq
Scott Peterson. Christian Science Monitor, 15 May 2003.

Baghdad Battle ‘Killed 2,300′
The Associated Press, 03 May 2003. Posted on The Age website.

To the US Troops It Was Self-Defence. To the Iraqis It Was Murder
Jonathan Steele. The Guardian, 30 April 2003.

U.S. Troops Fire on Iraq Protesters Again
Niko Price. The Associated Press, 30 April 2003. Posted on the Common Dreams website.

U.S. Soldiers Kill 13 at Iraq Protest Rally, Hospital Reports
Niko Price. The Associated Press, 29 April 2003. Posted on the Washington Post website.

Iraq War Legacy: Cluster Bombs, Wounded Civilians
Christine Hauser. Reuters AlertNet, 28 April 2003. Posted on the ReliefWeb website.

Iraqis Vent Anger as 12 Die in Blast in Baghdad Bomb
Peter Beaumont. The Observer, 27 April 2003.

Northern Iraq: Civilian Deaths Higher Since War Ended
Human Rights Watch, 27 April 2003.

‘Hundreds Are Dying Who Should Not Die’
Mark Baker. The Age, 21 April 2003.

Weary Iraq Counts Human Cost of War
The Observer, 20 April 2003.

Pilgrimage of Sorrow: Shiite Faithful Bury Dead
Anthony Shadid. Washington Post, 19 April 2003.

Child Casualties ‘Fill Iraq Hospitals’
BBC News, 17 April 2003.

Now, it is Afghanistan’s turn.