Quite surprised indeed that the BBC chose to longlist one of the few massively anti-Iraq war [Iraqi] blogs out there (compiled by some fanatic into a book) for their Samuel Johnson award: maybe some of you will have heard or visited Riverbend’s blog. For those who haven’t, imagine the unremitting gloom of an Eastender’s character transposed to Baghdad and cleaned up grammatically and you’ll have a fair idea. My guess would be she’s the wife or daughter (or both, more likely) of a Baathist, which would be about as good as the BBC’s (nb. she remains anonymous).
Or, if you want another tip about who she sounds like, imagine the constant drip drip drip of a John Simpson commentary and you’ll be close to the mark. Maybe, in fact, it is Simpson, given his penchant for Burqua-ing up from time to time. One never knows. (via ATW)
Cappy was a Sir? Who’da thunk it?
will
Bruce Kent boasted years ago that he knows that Special Branch opens all his mail and he plays games with them, leaving little notes etc..
He shares this distinction with many M.P’s
Back to the main item, not withstanding tributes to Caspar Weinberger, but is there any more info on the Baghdad blogger?
Livingstone calls U.S. ambassador “crook”
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-03-28T151350Z_01_L28691879_RTRUKOC_0_UK-BRITAIN-USA-MAYOR.xml
CHarlie – Paris Riots
I’ve just watched BBC1 6pm News and Clive Maury said, “hundreds of Police confront scores of demonstrators”. Confusing, as the video clearly showed this to be an under estimation. What I didn’t like was Clive Maury’s comment, “Here is a chance for them to settle old scores” Who? What?
Earlier BBC News 24 was getting hysterical with the presenter shouting from a window sill, “Here comes an ambulance, will they stone it?” Answer = no. “Police fired tear gas earlier on” They didn’t fire any while he was shouting. His efforts to whip up the mob appeared to be falling on deaf ears. As for the “riots” all I saw was some adolescents aimlessly milling about, although undoubtedly some will be waiting for the cover of darkness to carry out a few opportunistic crimes.
Dennis Prager argues that only 4 groups can now deny the scale and deadly seriousness of the Islamist threat, which he regards as greater than Nazism or Communism – the wilfully naive, those who hate America, anti-semites and those who are afraid to confront evil.
I suppose the BBC’s general denial of, or apologia for, Islamist terrorism and evil is a mix of these groupings. And some of those BBC bozos tick all four boxes.
Also, you can stir into the mix a disproportionate number of Muslim employees whose views are anbivalent – to say the least.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/03/islamic_threat_is_greater_than.html
“I only ask because on News 24 coverage of the Paris riots, police estimates of 870,000 people (870,000 – a curious sort of number) were breathlessly treated as sacred gospel.”
CHarlie:
It’s the metric to Imperial conversion that does their heads in.
🙂
Baghdad Burning
… I’ll meet you ’round the bend my friend, where hearts can heal and souls can mend…
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Three Years…
It has been three years since the beginning of the war that marked the end of Iraq’s independence. Three years of occupation and bloodshed.
Doesn’t that gladden a Beeboids heart?
Meanwhile back in the real world:
Iraq The Times March 28, 2006
How Oxford has taught America a new way to fight battles By Tom Baldwin
Study of Malaya insurgency is reshaping US policy in Iraq.
Malaya took 12 years to resolve. For the military, war is a training ground. The enemy in Iraq has chosen low spectrum warfare. A 21st US Army is learning these ancient skills anew.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-2106277,00.html
I’ve just had look at the Iraqi prize winning blog. First time I’ve seen it. I have to say I agree with Dave T – looks pretty fishy.
Islam-loving Chuck gets loonier every day. Check out the ridiculous do-rag he’s wearing in this photo:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4854142.stm
This would not have looked out of place amongst gang members in certain US ghettos a few years ago. I kid you not.
ayayay
Dodgy? not half – dissect this
“since the beginning of the war that marked the end of Iraq’s independence”
Someone yearning for the old days perhaps?
Earlier BBC News 24 was getting hysterical with the presenter shouting from a window sill “I think I can smell teargas”
Jon Sopel as Lt Col Kilgore?
Reuters and the BBC reported on the vote in the Palestinian parliament yeaterday.
The BBC report mentions that Hamas had been involved with umptee bombing attacks on Israel, but implies that this is all in the past, hamas is changing its spots.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4853980.stm
Whereas Reuters reports a senior Hamas guy as saying “…Jihad is our way, and death for the sake of God is our highest aspiration”
http://reuters.myway.com/article/20060328/2006-03-28T155839Z_01_L26268658_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-MIDEAST-HAMAS-VOTE-DC.html
Yet another case of the BBC covering up the true face of Islamist evil ?
I’m was trying to figure out why the Paris “riots” were the top story on BBC TV news while the trial of Zaccaria Moussaoui came in at 6.15pm just before the headlines round up. My question was answered when the report signed off with ” Police convey conveys moussaoui to and from court every day”
So now you know who to blame for traffic congestion in London – the Police. Never mind that it could be suicide bombed.
Susan
That’s a bin liner he’s wearing,
Osama bin liner perhaps?
PARIS RIOTS:
ONe thing obvious to the casual observer was that these riots are another example of meeja types clutching cameras and microphones outnumbering the participants.
Excellent point, paulc. I wonder how many metric rioters there are in an Imperial rioter?
It’s not easy being green,
BBC radio2 Jeremy Vine show, caller,
“We are trying to reduce our carbon footprint”
BBC carbon footprint – Newsnight
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/4741392.stm
I hope someone tells Cherie Blair, apparently she collects airmiles.
Baghdad may or may not be burning but what’s not in THAT blog?
http://www.usaid.gov/iraq/accomplishments/success_stories_0206.html
Iraq Success Stories – Meet the Beneficiaries
February 2006
Iraq Construction wekly update
Click to access iraq_fs20_031706.pdf
Cappy Weinberger pops off the mortal coil. Send us your comments:
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=1431&&edition=2&ttl=20060328204309
Iraq Reconstruction Weekly Update
19/03/2006 Source: Relief Web
ELECTRICITY
Highlights this week
USAID recently surpassed the 100-hour mark reliability test for its V94 turbine generator at the Kirkuk power plant…. and was immediately placed in normal service providing continuous power to the Iraqi grid.
The Kirkuk facility, located 200 km north of Baghdad, lies at a major hub for the 132-kV and 400-kV grids.
http://www.iraqdirectory.com/DisplayNews.aspx?id=1044
A GROUP of Iraqi businessmen will arrive in Shanghai this afternoon and are expected to purchase over US$1 billion of goods at a business exhibition hosted by the Shanghai International Merchandising Center later this week, the Oriental Morning Post reported today.
http://www.lawksalih.com/php/index.php
Why should I Invest in Iraqi Dinar?
http://www.investindinar.co.uk/shop/
And a blogger not of the BBC!
Live from Baghdad
My adventures in Iraq.
http://serjak.blogspot.com/
I just asked Chris Serjak
Gender: male Industry: Engineering
Location: Green Zone : Iraq
Author of “Live from Baghdad” to comment on “Baghdad burning”. Maybe he’ll find time to give us his view.
http://serjak.blogspot.com/
http://www.michaeltotten.com/
(of blogging Kurdistan fame)
he reports that Iranian who turned up with the cartoons last week has been charged. (wtf!!!)
more at harrys place here:
http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2006/03/28/defend_reza_moradiquien_es_esa_nino.php
and more here:
http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/390
More on Charlie’s latest look:
http://adloyada.typepad.com/adloyada/
Riverbend is allegedly a 24 or 26 year old female university graduate in computer programming depending on which blog you look at. Either way I doubt very much that she was able to (a) attend university in Iraq and (b) do a subject such as computer programming unless she/he was ‘approved’ by the Ba’ath party and Daddy was high up enough to push this through for her/him. So it might actually be that she/he studied OUTSIDE Iraq in which case how come she/he is back in Iraq moaning all the time when he/she could earn a fortune in the US or elsewhere.
I also note that she/he never seemed to comment or know about the long list of good things happening in Iraq that Arthur Chrenkoff (God how he is missed..) used to publish every few weeks.
I read lots of different Iraqi blogs and obviously most do complain and moan at some stage as is natural but they all seem to hold out hope for a better country in the future and they appreciate that until they sort out the likes of Sadr and the Syrians/Iranians and the foreign AQ lot then things will remain difficult.
Riverbend however, does not. Probably a good thing she/he is in a minority – I saw from one blog (Iraq the Model) that she/he queried the author and claimed he was not Iraqi yet this was one of the major Iraqi blogs!
“healing iraq” is my favourite.
http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/
Some various points from various blogs on this:
Zeyad at “Healing Iraq” http://healingiraq.blogspot.com/ has also disputed many of Riverbend’s claims, though indirectly and without mentioning her by name as he tries to remain above the infighting in the “blogsphere”.
There have also been many comments in Zeyads blog by Iraqis who know, or claim to know, Riverbend and her family. Most of these are no longer available though because his comment section apparently deletes old comments to enable the storage of new ones. One of these such comments are quoted in link at the top of my post.
You don’t have to believe what other westerners and I have posted about Riverbend. However, it would be wise to look at the evidence with an open mind. I’ve seen many people believe word for word everything Riverbend says just because she is anti-occupation. All the while completely ignoring the inconsistencies of what she says compared to what most other Iraqis, pro and anti American alike are saying.”
http://www.lies.com/wp/2004/03/20/riverbend-on-iraq-one-year-later/
“until several new Iraqi bloggers came along. They are painting an entirely different view, without propaganda, of Iraq. Unlike Riverbend, their blogs have comments from people all over the world speaking out against Riverbend.
http://www.blogscanada.ca/blog/CommentView.aspx?guid=ea9da390-daee-4f65-8e44-b933fe64d70b
THIS IS the post referred to above where lots of people launch into Riverbend:
“I must admit that she/he (since we never got to know who’s Riverbend) has got one gift for sure. She must be intelligent, otherwise she couldn’t have managed to fool such number of people by presenting such rude lies almost all the time.
http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/archives/2004_09_01_iraqthemodel_archive.html#109613731630697467
And finally, a good post on who she might be:
Who is “we” and where is “here”? This is what Riverbend wrote:
“A lot of you have been asking about my background and the reason why my English is good. I am Iraqi- born in Iraq to Iraqi parents, but was raised abroad for several years as a child. I came back in my early teens and continued studying in English in Baghdad.”
“Early teens” means she returned to Iraq early in the 90s. But before we go any further I need to deal with what has caused the most speculation about her: her English. It’s not just good. It’s flawless.
I’m convinced that “abroad” means she lived in America. Her parents left Iraq with a little lateefa (I’ve been learning Arabic with Faiza), but returned home with an American teenager. I suspect she has continued to correspond with American friends over the years which explains why when she (for example) makes a reference to George Bush being selected by the Supreme Court it has the ring of a young American Democrat rather than a boiler-plate slur she picked up from a liberal website.
Okay. So in her early teens….her family returned to Iraq. Return to Iraq? In the early 90s? When would that have been prudent or necessary. The Saddam regime was a paranoid, orwellian government. During the sanctions, it was very hard on average Iraqis. America is full of Iraqi ex-patriots, but none that were looking to return until after the Ba’athists fell, and even now they’re waiting for the security to improve. Why would her family have chosen to return to Iraq.
http://crymeariverii.blogspot.com/2004/06/who-is-riverbend.html
Read the whole post from Crymeariver above as it is chock full of interesting and well made points.
I am now more convinced than ever that she is from a saddam supporting family hence her bias and even elss surprised that Al Beeb are so in love with her…..
elss? elss? Less! (damm)
The Paris riots as pictured by the BEEB;
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/4854104.stm
The Paris riots as seen by AP;
http://news.yahoo.com/photo/060328/481/par12803281710/print;_ylt=AhdNRP_nSKcT3NT2zH9ndoQHcggF
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/103105parisyouthriot/im:/060328/photos_ts/2006_03_28t135435_450x308_us_france;_ylt=AgFHS63zvMnEB5n2jAxYl7VgWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/103105parisyouthriot/im:/060328/photos_ts/2006_03_28t115721_310x450_us_france;_ylt=AiSiz.rLpUlZZoXqgLPGAY5gWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/103105parisyouthriot/im:/060328/photos_ts/2006_03_28t113802_450x318_us_france;_ylt=AjPO9N7hdh2u9HX30_cZshpgWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/events/wl/103105parisyouthriot/im:/060328/ids_photos_wl/r113484099.jpg;_ylt=AgFHS63zvMnEB5n2jAxYl7VgWscF;_ylu=X3oDMTA3dmhrOGVvBHNlYwNzc20-
Seems those French Plumbers have something against people wearing red.
Forgive me if this has already been mentioned here but I see the BBC is up to its little semantic tricks again.
When Palestinians do the killing, Israelis “die” or “are killed”.
Israelis always “kill Palestinians”, however.
Yep, the old passive and active moods again.
How very odd this is. I do wish the BBC would explain why it insists on using this device.
I’ve visited that ‘Riverbend’ blog and it’s too good: the grammar and spelling are both too (not ‘to’ or ‘two’) good for it to be drafted by somebody who has English as a second language. It could well be a collaboration exercise with rough drafts in pidgin English then edited by a native speaker in a manner superior to that of the BBC – we have noticed the lamentable quality of the BBC’s English. In any case, the BBC are pushing this site as being the authentic and genuine voice of the repressed in Iraq and this is a golden opportunity for bloggers to nail the BBC’s indolent reporters. FIND THESE HOAX BLOGGERS!!
dave t and Allan@Aberdeen
That little blogger in burning Baghdad doesn’t ring true. The only thing missing is the mournful music and violins, perhaps BBC sound dept can help? oh and what about a photograph of a crying baby?
TAoL,
Yes, and when the BBC reports a statement by the Israelis it is always so very careful to make it absolutely clear that it’s not the BBC’s view.
Yet when it reports a statement by the Palestinians, it reports it as fact.
And the huge irony here of course is that the Israeli statements on any aspect of the conflict are invariably the reliable ones while the Palestinians indulge in propaganda.
bryan -> thats cos palestinians are usually their fixers.
google for “pallywood”
Newkid, the Free Babar Ahmad site (look! he’s just a little baby!) has a press release explicitly distinguishing the two.
I thought Babar was an elephant.
No, that was Nellie!
Barbar is a talking cartoon elephant. I believe he is a prince.
http://aflutist.customer.netspace.net.au/KIDS/BARBAR.html
bryan -> thats cos palestinians are usually their fixers.
google for “pallywood”
archduke
Yeah, I know. I remember that ‘corpse’, wrapped in a shroud for effect, that the Palestinians were carrying that got off the stretcher and ran away when frightened by something.
The Palestinians would be funny if they weren’t so tragic.
is a talking cartoon elephant. I believe he is a prince.
Yup that’s the one I meant!
I have just endured yet another example of this sort of thing. Newsnight decided to devote no less than half an hour to an item on some anii war American soldiers who were on a march through the US.
Lets be charitable. It was probably a valid story – AS a story, but what we got was sheer propoganda. Above all at no point as the varacity of what was said challenged. They alleged for instance that the US treated Iraqis as subhuman – shocking if true, but how can we know if knoweldegable people who disagree are not able to challenge them?
And the “mood music” (literally) was wholly sympathetic to the anti war oulook. The backing tracks were songs associated with the 60’s “peace movement”. The ex soldiers and others were allowed to emote at length on screen – and of course no one challenges the tearful do they?.
One person was challenged however. As so often the stock “Aunt Sally” opponents were made to seem ridiculous – just a man and his young daughter – held up placards aganst the anti war demo. And – get this – the daughter who was around 11 or 12 was the only one to face anythng like a serious challehnge being asked why she agreed with her Dad that the demonstrators were wrong.
And I pay to subsidise this stuff!
Don’t pay.
I don’t.
You should too.
DO NOT FUND YOUR ENEMY. DO NOT PAY THE BBC.
Thanks for publishing my little blurb on the V-94 turbine generator in Kirkuk. Chris Serjak forwarded it to me, I work with him here in Baghdad (also kinda married to him). Funny story in other words.
Aljazeera interviewed her.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/4C5B8EE6-F99C-4AB9-84B6-40F7F8F9B656.htm