“More smiling, less worrying. More compassion, less judgment. More blessed, less stressed. More love, less hate.” In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run three mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, healthcare and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Reach for the stars, as NASA makes giant leaps for mankind

As the world was getting to grips with remote learning during Covid restrictions, back in 2020 a special message was beamed into Iraq from NASA Astronaut Jessica Meir on the International Space Station.

This message was sent to children being supported by the Iraqi Children Foundation, through their Baghdad based mobile schools called the Hope Buses.

Today and in honor of Black History Month, NASA are recognizing the contributions of Black astronauts to America's space programs. These men and women have and continue to light the way in space exploration.

Coming to NASA from various backgrounds like military pilots, engineers, scientists, and physicians, these astronauts have made history-making contributions. What they have all accomplished, has been a giant leap for mankind.

By: Sir John Jenkins

Published: Dec 31, 2022

What makes a successful revolution? The answer is harder than it seems. For a revolution to succeed, it needs to make things better for people than before. But most revolutions are disastrous. If revolutionaries fail, they leave a legacy of destruction and mistrust. If they win, they create new destruction and mistrust. In both cases, there is no end to oppression — which is often the war cry of the revolutionary elite. Misery simply returns in a different mask.

There is not a single example to the contrary in the history of the modern Arab state system. From Bakr Sidqi in 1936 through Rashid Ali Al-Gailani in 1941 and Husni Al-Zaim in 1949 to the Free Officers in Egypt, the destruction of the monarchy in Iraq, the bloody return of the Ba’ath in both Iraq and Syria, Libya in 1969 or Sudan a generation later, every military coup led to violent repression, sinister surveillance, economic incompetence and loss of liberty. These were not political but violently coercive systems, where politics was at best a charade.

And many people remember with regret what they lost. My older Iraqi friends look back with nostalgia to the monarchical period before 1958. Older Egyptians remember when the Wafd, Young Egypt or the Sa’adists under the monarchy actually meant something politically, in their shared struggle against British colonial control. For younger people, the Arab Spring promised to make politics meaningful again, but ended in the same way. Disappointed hopes and dashed dreams.

There are only three revolutions in the modern Middle East that succeeded in building and then sustaining a new political dispensation — and none were Arab: Mustafa Kemal Ataturk’s abolition of the Ottoman caliphate in 1924, Reza Shah Pahlavi’s overthrow of the Qajars in 1925 and Ayatollah Khomeini’s expulsion of Reza Shah’s son in 1979. Both Ataturk and the Pahlavis did good things, modernizing education, agriculture and the economy and increasing social freedoms. Ataturk’s Turkey survives: It was built on solid foundations. Pahlavi’s Iran does not. And now it looks as if its successor, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which Khomeini declared to be a light to the nations, the champion of the suffering masses and a beacon of righteousness, has come to the end of its own tether.

The sustained protests inside Iran, about which I have written before, show no signs of dying down. They are not confined to one class, one ethnicity, one gender or one region. They cover the country from the Kurdish northwest to the Baloch southeast. Not everyone has joined in, of course. There have been flickers in the bazaars (as we currently see) and among oil workers, but not so far the sustained strikes we saw in 1978.

People are worried, as they always are, about their families, their livelihoods, their futures. But young people in particular are angry. They are also fearless — or perhaps more accurately they have managed to overcome their fear. And they are fed up with a country that promises them nothing but isolation, the grim grind of survival, no fun and continuous surveillance in the interests of — what exactly? The promise of a savior at the end of time or the privileges of a hypocritical elite, who have enriched themselves and their children (as anyone can see through their vainglorious postings on social media) while preaching a purist virtue in which fewer and fewer Iranians actually believe?

Many of the brightest and best — maybe 3 million since 1979 — have voted with their feet and left. But most people cannot and probably do not want to. Why should they? The country, after all, belongs as much to them as to the old men of the Guidance Council or the grim-faced thugs of the Basij and the Revolutionary Guard, who threaten them with arrest, torture and death for daring to demand the right to choose.

The regime seems rattled. It has not been able to suppress the protests this time as easily as it has in the past. As I write, it has reportedly killed more than 500 of its own citizens, including 70 children and 29 women, and arrested 19,000 others, including one of Iran’s most prominent actresses. It has charged 36 people with capital crimes, already sentenced a handful to death in sham trials, executed several — after savage torture — and promised to execute many more. When Iran’s footballers in Qatar failed during their first match at the World Cup to sing the national anthem (itself a curious thing for an Islamist regime to have), it made sure they sang it during the next match. It has intimidated other sports stars and entertainers who have sought to speak out.

But this time it cannot intimidate everyone. It has tried to claim that the problem is Kurdish separatism, Daesh or the hidden hand of the US and Israel. Schoolchildren have mocked the claims. It has fired missiles into northern Iraq to try to provoke Kurdish opposition movements into a violent response that might justify its actions. It has failed — at least so far.

Leaked recordings of internal discussions, intelligence analysis and public criticism from members of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s own family, plus former President Mohammed Khatami and other senior figures, suggest the regime is now not simply puzzled but also uncertain. Recent reports that it might liberalize the law on female head coverings and withdraw the Gasht-e Ershad — the so-called morality police — from the streets seem to be misinformation, deliberate or not. Khamenei cannot afford to back down on this central pillar of the regime’s legitimacy, though he may be willing to use promises that he can later break in order to divide the opposition.

And the protesters are indeed not unified. This has been a feature of popular protests over the last decade in the wider region. Protests are often deliberately decentered to avoid leaders becoming an easy target. That makes it hard to see how the protesters can move to the next level — which is to offer a convincing alternative to the present system, however awful it might be.

This — plus the regime’s record of brutal repression and a widespread and reasonable fear of civil conflict — suggests that the overthrow of that system is still a very long way off. Iranians who want something better — and that is almost certainly a large majority — know they are not alone. Many have lost their fear. When young men in the streets are tipping the turbans off the heads of clerics, you also know that they have lost respect for their clerical rulers. And these rulers have lost what legitimacy they still had in the eyes of many Iranians.

Still, this is not 1978 — even if the 40-day cycle of funeral, mourning, funeral, mourning can seem similar. Khamenei is not leaving, as the shah left. And the regime’s praetorian security forces are larger, more indoctrinated and more vicious than anything at the shah’s disposal. They are a minority. But they are armed and brutal. They also feel that they have succeeded in expanding Iran’s power across the region at the expense of its enemies. They have accelerated their nuclear enrichment activities. They just need to keep the home front quiet. That is becoming more difficult.

The real crux will come when the Islamic Republic is forced to choose a successor to Khamenei. If that successor can promise genuine change for the better, no one will want revolution. If he can only promise more repression, something will have to give. As an Iranian friend recently remarked to me, the ship of state remains afloat but fatigue has set in.

There is little that outsiders can do to shape events. This is something Iranians themselves must do. But we need to ensure that we pay attention. Too often we watch fascinated as protests erupt and then, within weeks, we move on to other things. What happens inside Iran will dictate the future of the region more than anything else.

We need to keep sustained pressure on the regime. The nuclear file is doubtless important. But more important is stopping Iran’s ability to undermine and control its neighbors. We need constantly to highlight the regime’s crimes in international forums: Kicking Iran off the UN's Commission on the Status of Women and commissioning a UN fact-finding investigation into human rights abuses is a good start. But we need more. We should target the regime’s aggressive cyber and surveillance capabilities and respond in kind. Where we can, we should close down its overseas propaganda institutions. We should not host its apologists. We need to say explicitly that we would welcome anything that made Iran a more normal nation.

And we need to ensure we pay attention to what Iranians themselves tell us — both inside and outside the country — and not be seduced by those interest groups that pose as reformers but act as Khamenei’s stooges. This will be a game that goes into extra time. We need to make sure we are match fit.

Palestinian celebrations 911

A group of Palestinians were filmed celebrating in the street after hearing the local news reports of attacks on the World Trade Center and the deaths of thousands of Americans. Fox News reported that in Ein el-Hilweh, Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, revelers fired weapons in the air, with similar celebratory gunfire also heard at the Rashidiyeh camp near the southern city of Tyre.  Yasser Arafat and nearly all the leaders of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) condemned the attacks. They attempted to censure and discredit broadcasts and other Palestinian news reports justifying the attacks in America with many newspapers, magazines, websites and wire services running photographs of Palestinian public celebrations.The PNA claimed such celebrations were not representative of the sentiments of the Palestinians, and the Information Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the PNA would not allow "a few kids" to "smear the real face of the Palestinians". In an attempt to quell further reporting, Ahmed Abdel Rahman, Arafat's Cabinet secretary, said the Palestinian Authority could not "guarantee the life" of an Associated Press (AP) cameraman if footage he filmed of post-9/11 celebrations in Nablus was broadcast. Rahman's statement prompted a formal protest from the AP bureau chief, Dan Perry.

Arafat said of the attacks: "It's unbelievable. We completely condemn this very dangerous attack, and I convey my condolences to the American people, to the American president and to the American administration, not only in my name but on behalf of the Palestinians." He gave blood for victims of the attack in a Gaza hospital.

James Bennet reported in The New York Times that while "most" towns in the West Bank were quiet, some drivers in East Jerusalem were honking horns in celebration; he also wrote that he saw one man passing out celebratory candy. Big crowds of Palestinians celebrated in Nablus, chanting Beloved bin Laden, strike Tel Aviv! while Palestinian Authority personnel prevented photographers from taking pictures.  Annette Krüger Spitta of the German public broadcaster ARD's TV magazine Panorama states that unaired footage shows the street surrounding the celebration in Jerusalem was quiet. Furthermore, she states that a man in a white T-shirt incited the children and gathered people together for the shot. The Panorama report, dated September 20, 2001, quotes Communications Professor Martin Löffelholz explaining that in the images one sees jubilant Palestinian children and several adults, but there is no indication that their pleasure is related to the attack. The woman seen cheering stated afterwards that she was offered cake if she celebrated on camera, and was frightened when she saw the pictures on television afterward.

There was also a rumour that the footage of some Palestinians celebrating the attacks was stock footage of Palestinian reactions to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990. This rumour was proven false shortly afterwards,and CNN issued a statement to that effect.However, a poll of Palestinians conducted by the Fafo Foundation in 2005 found that 65% of respondents supported "Al Qaeda bombings in the USA and Europe"

source

The man security guard that sits in the library with a strange head shape designed to help people not want their nuclear children for fair ones all the time that can't provide what disabilities do

Some things from life are truly missing...

He walked up to wear I was trying to not have a migraine by laying down on my side to avoid a seizure and threatened to step on my head

So I told him you can't walk up to people if you don't care about their basic well being you can't walk up and serial killer though...you do actually have to work in triage to approach storm victims

So I told his boss....that their security came up to me to help the psychopath society feel it could collect off storm casualties

People who neglect due process and refuse to ever follow protocol do only receive territory in Louisiana for leaving people to die in Katrina

Broke down house or a prostitute homo life not anything poly or more intelligent just a scary back wood and a broke down house

And his boss asked me if I wanted her to call anyone so I said no....it's a siege of the most notorious you have to wait for it to slowly confess and better or you have to kill hygiene terrorists in jobs that turn everything into a kuwait crisis inferno

You have to prosecute no one...you think the worst person is the professional and their scary jewish obligation and the starbucks baristas do have a daddy that parasites on homeless foundations

I was like no you hire serial killers I don't want anything from you....

I dont know about the housing crisis in Paris but I suspect I'm not liked there as a latin because if people gave me a room of my own and a nice blanket set from a mother I would truly fly France flags all the time and be like really proud people like me believe in African America and a spot on the floor in an apartment is beautiful and quaint not truly illegal labor

And people do kill no one....florida housing with the strange moat out back you have to empty it for job bodies or pale is to homo social and has no unique feature

Europe to me is actually getting to go somewhere where people do things...and enjoy affluence not some strange house seclusion housing is always so strange

Then i informed security....trying to kill innocent's is the worst thing that can happen to someone....and that he is too sick to be in the library and people do more get sick of his light settings

You think the worst people are outside and that no one security freak is what's spreading a light fungus

You have to call some guy around to assault you from a job Iraqi forces and enlist to kill it or you can't truly be allowed injunctions on nurse misery

If you don't join the police you can't finally place no contact orders on daddy's gross sick school girl that wouldn't stop touching your drink or food plate

The police may live very privately out by wealth homes...

I don't enjoy kill policy the things I have seen women become willing to cross those liminal mind barriers....i wouldn't want to truly lose my freedom from being a wild person

Martin Luther....the thing is with chabad synagogue is it's lighting is too for male art perhaps I was wondering why I couldn't ever visit them.....and they probably were suppose to be who admitted people from masculine shame rituals and it's maybe an artistic death trap in there

I don't think anyone goes in there most likely their lights may be create a pestilence

Preschool in Iraq | Maple Bear Iraq

Preschool in Iraq is critical to the country’s future, as it provides an early start for young students. It offers a safe and nurturing environment for children to learn, develop social skills and build a foundation for future education. The curriculum focuses on basic literacy and numeracy, as well as creative activities such as music, art, and storytelling. Children also learn about the diversity of the Iraqi culture, and develop an understanding of their own cultural heritage. Preschool in Iraq also provides support for parents as they are often the primary caregivers for young children. They are educated about the importance of early learning and are given advice on how to best support their children’s development. Preschool in Iraq is an important first step towards a brighter future for the country. It offers an opportunity for children to gain the skills they need to succeed and to become productive citizens in their society. With the right support and guidance, preschool in Iraq can be a place where children can grow and flourish.

Visit us for more information - https://www.maplebeariraq.com/early-childhood.php

Navigating Elementary Education in the USA

Elementary education in the USA encompasses children between the ages of five to eleven, typically from kindergarten through fifth grade. The curriculum focuses on developing foundational skills in core subjects such as mathematics, English language, arts, science, and social studies. However, with increasing emphasis on educational reforms and standards, there has been a growing movement towards incorporating other subjects like technology, art, and physical education to provide a well-rounded education.  

Summertime message to all parents and students. Photo by USDAgov. Flickr.  

School Dates

In terms of school terms, elementary schools in the USA usually operate on a traditional nine-month calendar. However, some districts have adopted year-round schooling to minimize learning loss during long breaks. Ten percent of US public schools are currently using a year-round calendar instead of the traditional three terms. The basic year-round calendar generates through a 45-15 ratio. This refers to students staying in school for 45 days but then getting 15 days of break. Students do not receive the traditional Thanksgiving break nor the Christmas, spring, and summer vacation, instead, they have more frequent breaks throughout the entire year. This offers both advantages and challenges for students and teachers alike. Shorter breaks help maintain academic progress throughout the year as extended periods away from school can disrupt routines and make it challenging for students to retain learned knowledge. Opposition to this change has come from businesses that rely on summer leisure as well as summer camps and amusement parks. Some opposition is led by parents who value the long summer vacations.  Rural areas rarely use year-round calendars because they conflict with farms' need for youth labor in summer.  

HAS students spearhead donation drive for Iraqi children. Photo by USAG-Humphreys. Flickr.  

Encouraging Curiosity and Creativity

Overall, elementary education in the USA strives to prepare young learners for their future academic journey by building essential skills while fostering creativity and curiosity in an inclusive environment. Teachers do this by teaching children a variety of skills that can boost their creativity, encouraging them to think out of the box, and encouraging them to share their ideas with the rest of the class. Vital to all this is the constructive feedback and assistance given by both their peers and the teachers. As education continues to evolve with the changing needs of society, it is crucial to ensure that elementary schools strike a balance between imparting core knowledge and nurturing individual talents to allow for holistic development.  

Elementary school student taking a test in a school library. Photo by Enokson. Flickr.  

School Assessment and Tests

Schools use grades to score a student’s performance in class. The grades can be based on things like class participation, homework, projects, and tests. Grades show the teacher what a student knows and they will help determine whether a student can take advanced classes or whether they need extra help. These grades are typically represented with letters (A, B, C, D, F) or numbers (90, 80, 70). ‘A’ is the highest grade and ‘F’ means a student did not pass. Some schools use a Grade Point Average (GPA) system as well as a letter grade. A GPA calculates a student’s academic performance over a specific period, such as a semester or academic year. Younger students might get alternatives to grades that simply state if the child is meeting age-level standards. Elementary education in the USA is a complex system that has evolved over the years to meet the needs of its diverse student population. One unique aspect of elementary education is the emphasis on standardized exams. Students in the USA regularly take standardized tests, which are different from the tests they take in their regular classes. All standardized tests are designed in the same way and are given to all children under the same conditions. The results measure how well both the students and schools are doing. These exams, such as state assessments and national tests, hold immense importance for both students and schools. While some argue that this focus on exams stifles creativity and limits educational experiences, others see them as necessary benchmarks for ensuring quality education.  

School meals

Food plays an interesting role in elementary education. The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free lunches to children and operates in nearly 100,000 public and non-profit private schools (grades Pre-Kindergarten–12). School meals are provided free of charge, or at a government-subsidized price, to United States students from low-income families. These free or subsidized meals have the potential to increase household food security, which can improve children's health and expand their educational opportunities. In this school year (2023), the median cost for breakfast is $1.73 and for lunch is $2.75. This can be compared to elementary schools in England where free school meals are provided universally to all children who are in reception, year 1, and year 2, and some councils provide free school meals universally for children in all elementary school years.  School lunches have long been a subject of debate in the USA, with concerns ranging from nutrition and health to affordability and accessibility. The introduction of healthier options in recent years has aimed to address these concerns, but challenges persist. Students' dietary preferences also vary immensely across different regions, making it essential for schools to strike a balance between providing nutritious meals and catering to cultural or regional food preferences.  

Role of Teachers in Elementary Schools

Teachers are at the heart of any successful educational system, and this holds for elementary education in the USA. To become a teacher a person needs to obtain a Bachelor's Degree, complete the state requirements for teacher licensing (which takes approximately 3 months), and then complete a period of supervised teaching for up to one year. Teachers play multiple roles in schools. In addition to being instructors, teachers act as mentors, they provide role models and they act as motivators. They face many challenges which range from managing large class sizes to adapting teaching methods for diverse learning styles. Teachers also face constant pressure to provide effective education while fostering a positive classroom environment. To be successful, teachers need to demonstrate appropriate subject knowledge and understanding, address misconceptions, manage behavior effectively, set challenging homework, and have high expectations of their students. In addition, a teacher needs many attributes: an understanding of the way individual students learn; the ability to show empathy towards children's needs, and help nurture a love for school. Teacher's enthusiasm (real or passionately faked) will directly impact not just how a class sees a subject, but their whole learning environment and their attitude toward school as a whole. Finally, teachers must act as a leader.  

Getting to School

Transportation is another intriguing aspect of elementary education in the USA. If children live near to a school, they may walk but often the distances are too great for this. Many students rely on school buses or other forms of transportation provided by their district to get to school safely every day. About 25 million children in the US – more than half of the nation's schoolchildren – take school buses, according to the American School Bus Council. Some of these buses are even Wi-Fi-equipped. Alternatively, some children commute to school by car or, in a big city, by subway train. However, there are issues like transportation funding gaps and inadequate infrastructure which can hamper children getting to school.  

Class Size

Class sizes have long been a contentious issue in elementary education in the USA. While some argue that smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention and better learning outcomes, others believe that larger classes can foster collaboration and social skills. However, recent studies have shown that the optimal class size is not a one-size-fits-all solution. In the USA, class sizes vary from state to state, ranging from 16 to 24 children per teacher in elementary schools. In Vermont, it is 16.4 whereas California is 24.2 children per class on average. Factors like student demographics, teacher quality, and community resources play vital roles in determining the effectiveness of education. Thus, some would argue that it is important to consider a comprehensive approach to improving education rather than solely focusing on reducing class sizes.  

The Debate Over a Standardized Curriculum

Another hot topic in elementary education is the debate over a standardized curriculum. Critics argue that a standardized curriculum stifles creativity and limits teachers' ability to tailor instruction to meet individual student needs. However, supporters believe that a uniform curriculum ensures consistency across schools and creates equal opportunities for all students. Elementary education in the USA stands apart from many other countries due to its diversity and decentralized structure. While some nations have a centralized, standardized curriculum, such as Finland's highly regarded system, the United States grants more autonomy to individual states and school districts. This decentralized approach allows for flexibility but also leads to inconsistencies in quality and standards across the country. Furthermore, when comparing elementary education in the USA with that of other countries, it is essential to highlight variations in educational philosophy and priorities. For example, compared to countries like South Korea or Japan where test scores play a significant role in shaping curriculum and instruction, American schools tend to emphasize creativity, critical thinking, and social development alongside academic performance. This difference suggests that while standardized testing remains an important part of American education, there is a recognized need for holistic learning and fostering well-rounded individuals.  

Success Rates in Elementary Education in the USA

One of the most pressing concerns in elementary education in the USA is the success rates of students. While standardized testing has long been used to measure educational achievement, it often fails to capture the full range of a student's abilities and potential. As a result, many educators are turning to alternative methods of assessment that focus on growth and individual progress. By shifting away from a narrow emphasis on test scores, teachers can better support their students' unique learning needs and foster a more inclusive and effective learning environment. Furthermore, there is increasing recognition that success in elementary education cannot be solely attributed to academic achievement. Social-emotional skills play a crucial role in a child's overall development and future success. As more attention is being given to fostering these skills, schools across the country are implementing programs that prioritize emotional intelligence, empathy, resilience, and problem-solving abilities. By nurturing these qualities alongside traditional academics, educators aim to produce well-rounded individuals who can thrive personally and professionally in an ever-evolving world.   Social Influences Elementary education in the USA is a complex landscape where factors like poverty and ethnicity play significant roles. It's no secret that poverty affects academic performance, and unfortunately, this reality is vividly reflected in elementary schools across the country. Students from low-income backgrounds often lack access to proper resources, which leads to achievement gaps between them and their more privileged peers. The challenge becomes even more daunting when considering the impact of ethnicity on elementary education. Research shows that students from ethnic minority groups face additional barriers to success in the classroom. Ethnicity plays a crucial role not only in terms of cultural identity but also when it comes to educational opportunities. The disparities are multifold: unequal distribution of resources, cultural biases embedded within curricula, and limited access to high-quality teachers who understand diverse learning needs. These existing disparities highlight the need for a comprehensive approach that tackles both poverty and ethnicity head-on in order to provide equitable elementary education for all students. To address these challenges effectively, educators and policymakers alike acknowledge the intersectionality of poverty and ethnicity within the context of elementary education. By focusing on tailored interventions such as targeted support programs, culturally relevant curriculum design, mentorship initiatives from relatable role models, and investment in community-based organizations working directly with marginalized populations, the USA is beginning to close this persistent gap. Ultimately, creating an inclusive educational environment starts with recognizing that tackling poverty alone won't solve all the problems faced by ethnically diverse students in elementary schools. A holistic approach must be taken.  

Use of Computers in Elementary Schools

Computers have become an integral part of elementary education in the USA, revolutionizing the way children learn and teachers instruct. Gone are the days of blackboards and chalk; interactive whiteboards and tablets now take center stage. However, this shift has raised concerns about screen time and its impact on young minds. While technology undoubtedly offers immense educational benefits, it is essential to strike a balance to ensure that children engage with diverse learning experiences beyond the virtual world. Despite technological advancements, schools are encouraged not to overlook traditional teaching methods when it comes to elementary education. Computers in school can provide interactive lessons and personalized learning opportunities but they cannot replace human interaction or stimulate certain skills adequately. Building social connections, developing emotional intelligence, and fostering creativity – are areas where traditional teaching methods shine. When schools combine technology with traditional approaches this seems to be the key to achieving all-round development in young students. Computers have undoubtedly transformed elementary education in the USA for the better by providing new avenues for engagement and personalized learning experiences, but blending technological advancements with traditional teaching methods has shown to create a well-rounded educational environment for our young learners – one that fosters critical thinking skills while also nurturing children's social-emotional growth.  

Conclusion

Finding effective solutions for education in the USA requires considering diverse factors such as class sizes and standardized curriculum within a broader context. Elementary education in the USA presents both strengths and weaknesses when measured against systems found in other nations. The decentralization of authority ensures flexibility but can lead to disparities among schools. Additionally, American schools place value not only on academic achievement but also on fostering creativity and social skills among students. Understanding these unique aspects helps shed light on the challenges facing elementary education in America while showcasing its commitment to comprehensive growth among students.   Sources: THX News, Wikipedia & American School Bus Council. Read the full article

Iraqi Children Foundation Salutes Khudairi Group for Decade of Philanthropy for Iraqi Orphans and Vulnerable Children

Hope Bus classroom for orphans and vulnerable childrenBefore and after pictures of Hope Bus classroom Chairman of the Iraqi Children Foundation David Collins today saluted the Khudairi Group, saying, “The Iraqi Children Foundation is pleased to recognize the extraordinary corporate philanthropy of the Khudairi Group. For more than a decade, the Khudairi Group of businesses has provided support…

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Happy and Colourful weekend to everyone. Sandra always read some poems to the children and guess what!!!!😀😀 yesterday she read these amazing poems while they were eating the watermelons🍉🍉🍉 THE FESTIVITY OF THE GREAT 🍉🍉🍉 Summer is not beautiful in Iraq; it is old and it is standing on a long failure. The summer here, like me, loves watermelon, but it is a bitter love. The watermelon here is something hidden and wondrous, full of secrets and magic, and our ancestors often tell us about it strangely, until I thought that the watermelon is a mythical being. When I return from my long absence, I will go to one of the doors of my grandfather's small orchard, and I will paint a small watermelon on it and I will celebrate. I will invite all the birds of the earth to seed the grain of watermelon in the fields of the Iraqis in order to make a big celebration; it is the festivity of the great Watermelon. WATERMELON 🍉🍉🍉 Watermelon, watermelon, On the vine, on the vine, Sweet and red and juicy, Sweet and red and juicy, Please be mine, please be mine! Watermelon, watermelon, Thump, thump, thump, Thump, thump, thump, I think you are ready, I think you are ready, Big and plump! Big and plump! Watermelon, watermelon, On the vine, on the vine, Sweet and red and juicy, Sweet and red and juicy, Please be mine, please be mine! Please be mine! Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. #LPFSponsors #LPFPartners #LPFAdvocates #CaringForTheCommunity #RescueRaiseAndRebuild #RaisingFutureGodlyTransformationalLeaders https://lovepeoplefoundati.wixsite.com/lovepeoplefoundation (at Love People Foundation) https://www.instagram.com/p/CglsPy8jEun/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A Look at the United States’ ‘Most Terrible War Crimes’ Since World War 2

© Sputnik Screenshot

Speaking before the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia was responsible for “the most terrible war crimes in the world” since World War II amid its ongoing special operation in Ukraine, and demanded Russia’s expulsion from UN bodies.

Zelensky was specifically referring to film footage shown to the council of dozens of dead bodies in Bucha, a suburb of Kiev, which the Ukrainian government has claimed were executed by Russian forces before they withdrew from the city last week.

The Russian Defense Ministry has dismissed the claims as a provocation, noting that Ukrainian artillery had previously bombarded the town and that Ukrainian police conducted an operation in Bucha to "clear the area of saboteurs and accomplices of Russian troops" prior to news emerging of the alleged massacre, both of which could also be responsible for the deaths.

Regardless, the claim that the Bucha incident represents the worst war crime since the total war that ended in 1945 is clear hyperbole, especially considering the incessant war-making of Ukraine’s patron, the United States.

To help jog the memory of the Ukrainian president, we have compiled a few examples of US war crimes since 1945 that have not been investigated as crimes.

No Gun Ri Massacre, July 1950

Early in the Korean War, US soldiers from the 7th Cavalry Regiment attacked a large group of South Korean refugees at a railroad bridge near the village of No Gun Ri. According to the No Gun Ri Peace Foundation, between 250 and 300 people were killed, mostly women and children.

The massacre was covered up until 1999, when an Associated Press report revealed it to the world, citing US and North Korean documentation of the killings that showed US troops had orders to fire on all refugees, as they believed North Korean infiltrators might be among them.

The group massacred at No Gun Ri were by no means the only ones killed by US troops, either, as accusations of more than 200 separate incidents emerged when an investigative committee was launched in South Korea in 2008.

The US investigation led to then-US President Bill Clinton issuing a statement of regret, but Washington rejected an outright apology or the possibility of compensation for the survivors. South Korean investigators called the US probe a “whitewash.”

Operation Speedy Express, December 1968 - May 1969

The US Army’s 9th Infantry Division was responsible for “pacifying” a large part of the Mekong River Delta in order to reduce Vietnamese National Liberation Front operations near the South Vietnamese capital of Saigon (today Ho Chi Minh City).

During the six-month operation, the US troops carried out indiscriminate massacres of Vietnamese villages, using air assaults and nighttime riverine attacks to kill as many people as possible. Commanders in the field were reportedly given orders not to return until killing an acceptable number of people, and so-called “free-fire zones” resulted in massive civilian deaths.

An internal probe by the US Army Inspector General found the operation created between 5,000 and 7,000 civilian casualties, and that another 10,899 fighters had been killed. However, the distinction between fighters and civilians was often inflated in the fighters’ favor during the Vietnam War, in order to make US commanders look more effective.

Highway of Death, February 1991

Demolished vehicles line Highway 80, also known as the "Highway of Death", the route fleeing Iraqi forces took as they retreated fom Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm

In the final days of Operation Desert Storm, US aircraft annihilated as many as 2,000 vehicles on Highway 80, which runs north out of Kuwait City toward Basra, Iraq. A mix of civilians fleeing the war and Iraqi military units withdrawing from military operations were bombed during two days of airstrikes from February 25 to 27. As the fleeing soldiers were outside of combat, they were not legitimate military targets, according to former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

Estimates of the deaths vary wildly, from 200 to more than 1,000. In addition, American eyewitnesses reported that a US armored unit had opened fire on a group of 350 disarmed Iraqi soldiers who had surrendered after fleeing the carnage, killing an unknown number of them.

Bombing of Albanian Refugees at Koriša, May 1999

On May 14, 1999, US aircraft bombed a group of several hundred Albanian refugees near Koriša, Kosovo, who had been hiding in the hills for weeks. According to Yugoslav authorities, 87 refugees were killed in the strike. The US claimed they were being used as human shields by the Yugoslavs, but provided no evidence to back up its claim.

Second Battle of Fallujah, November 2004

The US Marine Corps, in conjunction with Special Operations forces, US air forces, and the British “Black Watch” battalion, launched a massive assault on the Iraqi city of Fallujah in November 2004 that destroyed almost the entire city. The stated objective was to weaken the Iraqi insurgency against the US-UK occupation, but the heavy use of artillery, airstrikes, and chemical weapons such as white phosphorus and incendiary bombs, and depleted uranium, resulted in massive civilian deaths.

The Red Cross estimated that 800 civilians were killed in the battle, while Iraqi NGOs and medical workers estimated between 4,000 and 6,000 people were killed, mostly civilians, which the Guardian noted was a higher death rate than the British cities of Coventry and London faced during The Blitz bombing campaign by Germany in 1940.

Bombing of Kunduz Hospital, October 2015

In this Friday, Oct. 16, 2015 photo, an employee of Doctors Without Borders walks inside the charred remains of their hospital after it was hit by a U.S. airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan © AP Photo / Najim Rahim

On October 3, 2015, a US Air Force AC-130U gunship circled the Kunduz Trauma Center in the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, bombarding it with artillery and machine-gun fire for 30 minutes. The hospital was operated by Medecins Sans Frontieres, who denied US claims that Taliban fighters were hiding in the facility. Forty-two people were killed in the assault and another 33 went missing, including both MSF staff and patients.

The Pentagon initially tried to cover up the strike, claiming there might have been some incidental collateral damage due to nearby fighting. However, after it emerged that the strike had been directly ordered by US commanders, then-US President Barack Obama apologized for the strike and paid the families of victims $6,000 each. MSF accused the US of admitting to a war crime by attempting to justify the attack by claiming Taliban fighters were inside.

Bombing of al-Aghawat al-Jadidah, March 2017

It’s estimated that 40,000 civilians were killed during the nine-month siege of Mosul, Iraq, by Iraqi forces and the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, in large part due to the unrelenting artillery bombardment of the city. However, one particular incident stands out: a US airstrike on March 17, 2017, in the al-Aghawat al-Jadidah neighborhood in western Mosul.

The US admitted a week after the attack that it had targeted “the location corresponding to allegations of civilian casualties.” Amnesty International reported that as many as 150 civilians were killed in the attack after having been told not to flee the city by US officials, although Iraqi reports say more than 300 were killed.

Siege of Raqqa, June - October 2017

As the battle for Mosul was drawing to a close, the siege of Daesh’s de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria, began. US Marine Corps artillery pounded the city nonstop, firing 35,000 rounds in five months - more than were used in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Twice during the bombardment, US M777 155 mm howitzers burned through their cannon barrels - an extremely rare feat, notes the Marine Corps Times.

At the same time, US air forces dropped some 20,000 munitions across Iraq and Syria, most of which also fell on Raqqa. Investigations by Amnesty International and Airwars found that the total number of civilians killed in Raqqa was more than 1,600.

— Sputnik | April 06, 2022

“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” In Baghdad, the Iraqi Children Foundation run three mobile schools called the Hope Buses. These deliver tutoring, healthcare and social support to orphans, street kids and displaced children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Iraqi Children Foundation salutes the Khudairi Group’s  decade of support for Iraqi children

Chairman of the Iraqi Children Foundation David Collins has saluted the Khudairi Group, saying, "The Iraqi Children Foundation is pleased to recognize the extraordinary corporate philanthropy of the Khudairi Group. For more than a decade, the Khudairi Group of businesses has provided support for education, legal protection, nutrition, medical care, and social support for some of Iraq's most at-risk children."

The Khudairi Group's support includes funding and in-kind donations, like a bus that ICF converted into a "Hope Bus" classroom with food, education, and social services for orphans and street kids. Khudairi corporate leaders have also shouldered leadership responsibilities to ensure delivery of life-changing services to children in a nation suffering from the aftermath of war, violence, and displacement.

Aziz Khudairi, Chairman and CEO of the Khudairi Group, said of the company's commitment, "The young children of Iraq today will be the leaders of tomorrow, so we need to prepare them for the future as much as we can, regardless of their status and upbringing. It is part of our social responsibility."

ICF Executive Director Elizabeth McRae highlighted the role of Khudairi Group leaders in navigating the landscape in Iraq. "It is not enough to just want to help Iraqi children. We need the right skills and experience to ensure high-impact results for the children we serve. The Khudairi Group leadership has played a critical role ensuring that outcome."

🥀♥️🥀 Hazrat Zainab (SA) 🥀♥️🥀

Birth anniversary is celebrated every year in the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Day of Nurse, because of her role in nurturing Islam back to life after the tragedy of Karbala. But Zainab (SA) was no ordinary woman. In fact, she was faith personified. When she was born, her grandfather, the Prophet was out of town, and in respect of him, the proud parents of the baby girl, did not give her any name until he came back. When he returned to Medina, Prophet Mohammad (SAWA), as usual first and foremost went to the house of his immaculate daughter, Hazrat Fatema (peace upon her). He took the baby girl in his arms and said that God has commanded him through the Archangel Gabriel to name her Zainab. It was no ordinary name. As a matter of fact, it is a compounded term of two Arabic words, that is, Zain and Ab, which means Ornament of the Father. Indeed, Zainab (SA), when she grew up, became such a worthy ornament of Imam Ali (AS) that her sermons in the court of the tyrant Yazid after the tragedy of Karbala, shook Damascus to its very foundations and brought to the audience the memories of the One and Only Commander of the Faithful.

Today when her sprawling gold-plated holy shrine has become deprived of pilgrims from all over the world, because of the US-backed terrorism against the government of Syria, let us reflect on her peerless personality in this brief radio programme.

It is said the immortal saga of Karbala would have remained incomplete if not for the endeavours of Hazrat Zainab (SA). Here was a sister who refused to let the mission of her martyred brother be confined to the epic Day of Ashura as the cowardly enemies of humanity had planned. Imprisonment did not dampen her spirits. She not just carried the message of Imam Husain (AS) to Kufa and made the Iraqis rue their betrayal of the Prophet’s grandson; neither did she allow the dungeons of Damascus and the jam-packed court of the tyrant Yazid to drown the eloquence of her sermons that eventually apprised the Syrians of the treason of the Omayyuds against Islam. Nor was she content to merely lighten the burden of her bleeding heart on return home to Medina at the outpouring of grief of the people of Hejaz shocked by the tragedy that befell the Prophet’s Household. With the veil of hypocrisy ripped off the ungodly visage of the accursed ruler, whom she rightly called yabna at-tulaqa (son of freed slaves) in front of the whole court filled with foreign dignitaries as well including the Byzantine ambassador who happened to be a descendant of Prophet David (AS) and was shocked at what the Muslims had done to the grandson of their own Prophet, the granddaughter of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) brought about a revolution transcending continents.

In fact, Hazrat Zainab (SA) along with her nephew, Imam Zain al-Abedin (AS), not only internationalised the tragedy of Karbala but as was the goal of her martyred brother universalized and immortalized it for the salvation of humanity, so that mankind in every age, era or geographical place could sift truth from falsehood by contemplating on the uprising of Imam Husain (AS). Thus, when any conscientious mind turns to the Epic of Ashura and the traumatic aftermath of history’s greatest tragedy, it will acknowledge that Islam and all humanitarian values, without the least doubt, are also indebted forever to the lady whose indefatigable role earned her the title of Sharikat al-Husain or partner in the mission of Imam Husain (AS). However, in order to have a proper perspective of the multi-dimensional personality of Hazrat Zainab (SA) one has to understand that she did not emerge spontaneously on the scene of Karbala or at the scenarios schemed unsuccessfully by the avowed enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt in Kufa and Damascus, where the noble womenfolk and children of the Prophet’s Household were paraded behind the severed heads of their dear ones mounted on lances. As a matter of fact, Karbala and the two centres of power in Iraq and Syria merely provided the fitting climax to a fruitful life of almost six decades that started with her blessed birth during the days of the Prophet and ended in mournful martyrdom some four years after the heroic sacrifice of her brother. Thus, although it is beyond our ken to fully gauge the pride of place in the history of human civilization of a lady, whose real merits only God Almighty, His Last and Greatest Prophet and the Infallible Imams know, we could at least have the honour of paying our humble homage to Hazrat Zainab (SA) by studying her eventful life ever since the day she opened her eyes in the abode of Divine Revelation, and by reflecting on the aura of spirituality surrounding her family and her own self.

She had a flawless genealogy. Her inimitable qualities stood out right from the days of her grandfather the Prophet and throughout the imamate of her father, brothers and nephew. Hazrat Zainab (SA) was married to her first cousin, Abdullah (AS), the eldest son of her uncle Ja’far at-Tayyaar (AS), who inherited all characteristics of his martyred father and also greatly resembled the Prophet in appearance and manners. The Prophet prayed to God to ensure the eternity of the descendants of Ja’far and for the progress and prosperity of Abdullah.

Hazrat Zainab (SA) was the mother of four children – three sons and a daughter – named Aun, Mohammad, Ali and Umm Kulsoum respectively. The first two achieved martyrdom in Karbala on the Day of Ashura after displaying their valour which made even the enemies recall the prowess of their grandfathers, Ja’far at-Tayyaar and Imam Ali (AS). It is said that when she saw her brother Hazrat Abbas (AS) admiring the jihad of her sons, she told him that their fighting prowess is indebted to his expert training, at which Imam Husain (AS) said: “O Zainab (SA) it is the effect of your blood since these youths are nobly descended on both sides (najeeb at-tarafayn).” The Imam meant to say that valour was their inheritance since the blood of Ja’far at-Tayyaar and Imam ‘Ali (AS) flowed through their veins. After a spirited show of strength, the two youths unable to bear the thirst and hunger of three days were surrounded on all sides by the cowardly enemies and were brought down from their horses to the scorching sands of Karbala. They called on Imam Husain (AS) and he dashed forth to drive away the hordes of Yazid only to find that the souls of his sister’s sons had left the body for the ethereal heaven. Aun and Mohammad had thus achieved immortal martyrdom by sacrificing their life for the cause of their uncle Imam Husain (AS) and Islam.

Ali, the youngest son of Hazrat Zainab (AS) who was not present in Karbala, became famous by the epithet az-Zainabi. He married Lubaba the daughter of the Prophet’s cousin Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas and his progeny known as Saadaat az-Zainabi has multiplied and spread around several countries today. Hazrat Zainab’s (SA) daughter Umm Kulsoum was married to her first cousin Qasem the son of her father’s younger brother Muhammad ibn Ja’far at-Tayyaar. Last but not the least, it should be noted that to Hazrat Zainab (SA) goes the credit of laying the foundation of the life-inspiring mourning ceremonies for the Martyrs of Karbala that the faithful have continued to hold ever since in the months of Muharram and Safar in order to keep alive the pure and pristine principles of Islam, as revealed by God to her grandfather, as expounded to the faithful by her father and as preserved for posterity by her brother with his lifeblood on the Day of Ashura. 🥀♥️🥀

Thursday, March 4, 2021

The ‘free world’ keeps shrinking (NYT) Three-quarters of the people on earth live in countries where freedom is declining. That’s one of the grim takeaways in an annual report produced by Freedom House, the Washington-based pro-democracy think tank and watchdog. This year’s survey, published Wednesday, marked the 15th consecutive year of global democratic backsliding—“a long democratic recession,” in the organization’s words, that is “deepening.” Freedom House grades individual countries on 25 indicators that evaluate the health of a given nation’s democracy (or lack thereof). The cumulative score then enables the organization, which has been in operation since 1941, to rank a given country as “Free,” “Partly Free,” or “Not Free.” Of the 195 independent countries evaluated, 73 saw aggregate score declines and only 28 saw growth. That margin is the widest of its kind in the past decade and a half. Moreover, 54 countries are now labeled “Not Free,” or about 38 percent of the world’s population, the highest share since 2005. Less than 20 percent of the world’s population lives in countries now classified as “Free.”

Vaccine Passports, Covid’s Next Political Flash Point (NYT) The next major flash point over coronavirus response has already provoked cries of tyranny and discrimination in Britain, protests in Denmark, digital disinformation in the United States and geopolitical skirmishing within the European Union. The subject of debate: vaccine passports—government-issued cards or smartphone badges stating that the bearer has been inoculated against the coronavirus. The idea is to allow families to reunite, economies to restart and hundreds of millions of people who have received a shot to return to a degree of normalcy, all without spreading the virus. Some versions of the documentation might permit bearers to travel internationally. Others would allow entry to vaccinated-only spaces like gyms, concert venues and restaurants. While such passports are still hypothetical in most places, Israel became the first to roll out its own last week, capitalizing on its high vaccination rate. Several European countries are considering following. President Biden has asked federal agencies to explore options. And some airlines and tourism-reliant industries and destinations expect to require them.

US infrastructure gets C- from engineers as roads stagnate (AP) America’s infrastructure has scored near-failing grades for its deteriorating roads, public transit and storm water systems due to years of inaction from the federal government, the American Society of Civil Engineers reports. Its overall grade: a mediocre C-. In its “Infrastructure Report Card” released Wednesday, the group called for “big and bold” relief, estimating it would cost $5.9 trillion over the next decade to bring roads, bridges and airports to a safe and sustainable level. That’s about $2.6 trillion more than what government and the private sector already spend. “America’s infrastructure is not functioning as it should, and families are losing thousands of dollars a year in disposable income as a result of cities having to fix potholes, people getting stuck in traffic or due to repairs when a water line breaks or the energy grid goes down,” said Greg DiLoreto, one of the group’s past presidents.

Pandemic puts 1 in 3 nonprofits in financial jeopardy (AP) More than one-third of U.S. nonprofits are in jeopardy of closing within two years because of the financial harm inflicted by the viral pandemic, according to a study being released Wednesday by the philanthropy research group Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. The study’s findings underscore the perils for nonprofits and charities whose financial needs have escalated over the past year, well in excess of the donations that most have received from individuals and foundations. The researchers analyzed how roughly 300,000 nonprofits would fare under 20 scenarios of varying severity. The worst-case scenario led to the closings of 38% of the nonprofits. Even the scenarios seen as more realistic resulted in closures well into double digit percentages. “If you are a donor who cares about an organization that is rooted in place and relies on revenue from in-person services, now is the time probably to give more,” said Jacob Harold, Candid’s executive vice president.

Biden Sanctions Russia Over Navalny Poisoning (Foreign Policy) The United States imposed sanctions Tuesday on a number of Russian individuals and entities linked to the poisoning of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny. The move was made in concert with the European Union, which issued separate asset freezes and travel bans on four Russians. The Russian Foreign Ministry has brushed off the impact of the moves, while threatening a reciprocal response. “Irrespective of America’s ‘sanctions addiction,’ we will continue to consistently and decisively defend our national interests, rebuffing any aggression. We urge our colleagues not to play with fire,” Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, said on Wednesday. According to White House officials, more U.S. sanctions targeting Russians involved in the SolarWinds hack, the alleged bounty program on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, and Russian interference in the 2020 election are expected soon.

Biden’s Afghan dilemma (The New Yorker) Afghanistan presents Joe Biden with one of the most immediate and vexing problems of his Presidency. If he completes the military withdrawal, he will end a seemingly interminable intervention and bring home thousands of troops. But, if he wants the war to be considered anything short of an abject failure, the Afghan state will have to be able to stand on its own.

Greece: Thousands spend night outdoors after powerful quake (AP) Fearful of returning to their homes, thousands of people in central Greece were spending the night outdoors late Wednesday after a powerful earthquake, felt across the region, damaged homes and public buildings. The shallow, magnitude-6.0 quake struck near the central city of Larissa. One man was hurt by falling debris but no serious injuries were reported. Officials reported structural damage, mainly to old houses and buildings that saw walls collapse or crack. One of them was a primary school, stone-built in 1938, in the quake-hit village of Damasi where 63 students were attending classes. “The teachers kept their cool and the pupils stuck to the emergency drill, and everyone got out okay,” headmaster Grigoris Letsios said while on a video call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. The army set up tents and meal counters at a nearby soccer field as local officials urged people to remain outside their homes until they could be inspected. A series of powerful aftershocks of up to 5.2 magnitude kept many residents on edge.

Indian Government Regulation Squeezes Christian Charities (CT) For Christians trying to care for the poor in India, there is always a need for more prayer, more hands, and more money. Much of that money comes from donors in other countries. Recently, though, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has tightened regulations on foreign funding to nonprofits, including Christian groups that feed orphans, run hospitals, and educate children. Since Modi took office in 2014, the Indian government has revoked permission for more than 16,000 nongovernmental organizations to receive foreign funding, using the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). “It is deliberately an assault against the nonprofit sector,” said Vijayesh Lal, the general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, “and that includes the churches.” While the FCRA is not designed specifically to target Christian groups, experts say its cumbersome regulations have been used by the ruling parties in India to stifle political and religious dissidents since the law’s adoption in 1976.

Intense preparations before pontiff meets Iraqi ayatollah (AP) In Iraq’s holiest city, a pontiff will meet a revered ayatollah and make history with a message of coexistence in a place plagued by bitter divisions. One is the chief pastor of the world-wide Catholic Church, the other a pre-eminent figure in Shiite Islam whose opinion holds powerful sway on the Iraqi street and beyond. Their encounter will resonate across Iraq, even crossing borders into neighboring, mainly Shiite Iran. Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani are to meet on Saturday for at most 40 minutes, part of the time alone except for interpreters, in the Shiite cleric’s modest home in the city of Najaf. Every detail was scrutinized ahead of time in painstaking, behind-the-scenes preparations that touched on everything from shoes to seating arrangements. For Iraq’s dwindling Christian minority, a show of solidarity from al-Sistani could help secure their place in Iraq after years of displacement—and, they hope, ease intimidation from Shiite militiamen against their community. Iraqi officials in government, too, see the meeting’s symbolic power—as does Tehran. The 90-year-old al-Sistani has been a consistent counterweight to Iran’s influence. With the meeting, Francis is implicitly recognizing him as the chief interlocutor of Shiite Islam over his rival, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Pentagon: US contractor dies in rocket attack at Iraq base (AP) A U.S. contractor died Wednesday when at least 10 rockets slammed into an air base housing U.S. and other coalition troops in western Iraq, the Pentagon said. Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said the contractor “suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering” and died shortly afterward. He said there were no service members injured and all are accounted for. British and Danish troops also are among those stationed at the base. The rocket attack was the first since the U.S. struck Iran-aligned militia targets along the Iraq-Syria border last week, killing one militiaman and stoking fears of another cycle of tit-for-tat attacks as happened more than a year ago. Those attacks included the U.S. drone strike in January 2020 that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani in Baghdad and set off months of increased troops levels in the region. Wednesday’s death of the contractor heightens worries that the U.S. could be drawn into another period of escalating attacks.

Reports: Myanmar security forces kill at least 33 protesters (AP) Myanmar security forces dramatically escalated their crackdown on protests against last month’s coup, killing at least 33 protesters Wednesday in several cities, according to accounts on social media and local news reports compiled by a data analyst. That is highest daily death toll since the Feb. 1 takeover, exceeding the 18 that the U.N. Human Rights Office said were killed on Sunday, and could galvanize the international community, which has responded fitfully thus far to the violence. Videos from Wednesday also showed security forces firing slingshots at demonstrators, chasing them down and even brutally beating an ambulance crew. Demonstrators have regularly flooded the streets of cities across the country since the military seized power and ousted the elected government of leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Their numbers have remained high even as security forces have repeatedly fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds to disperse the crowds, and arrested protesters en masse.

China’s vaccine diplomacy campaign (AP) The plane laden with vaccines had just rolled to a stop at Santiago’s airport in late January, and Chile’s president, Sebastián Piñera, was beaming. “Today,” he said, “is a day of joy, emotion and hope.” The source of that hope: China—a country that Chile and dozens of other nations are depending on to help rescue them from the COVID-19 pandemic. China’s vaccine diplomacy campaign has been a surprising success: It has pledged roughly half a billion doses of its vaccines to more than 45 countries, according to a country-by-country tally by The Associated Press. With just four of China’s many vaccine makers claiming they are able to produce at least 2.6 billion doses this year, a large part of the world’s population will end up inoculated not with the fancy Western vaccines boasting headline-grabbing efficacy rates, but with China’s humble, traditionally made shots. Inoculations with Chinese vaccines already have begun in more than 25 countries, and the Chinese shots have been delivered to another 11, according to the AP tally.

Taiwanese urged to eat ‘freedom pineapples’ after China import ban (The Guardian) Taiwanese pineapples have become the latest victim of deteriorating cross-strait relations, after Chinese authorities suddenly banned imports of the fruit. The ban, which began on Monday and is indefinite, was announced by the Chinese customs office on Friday. The customs office said harmful pests had been detected in recent shipments. Taiwan’s government rejected the claim, accusing Beijing of making an “unacceptable” unilateral decision, and urging citizens and international allies to eat “freedom pineapples” in support of the domestic industry, echoing the campaign to support Australia’s wine producers after Beijing imposed tariffs last year. Beijing has a history of enacting trade sanctions during international disputes, most recently with Australian wine, coal and barley, action that can cause significant economic damage to industry and put pressure on rival governments. Relations with Taiwan are at the lowest in decades. Despite the Communist party never ruling Taiwan, Beijing considers it to be a province of China, and has vowed to unite it with the mainland, by force if necessary.

Lebanese anger at economy grows as political deadlock persists (Reuters) Protesters blocked some roadways in Lebanon for a second day on Wednesday after the currency’s fall to a new low further enraged a population long horrified by the country’s financial meltdown. In the past year, Lebanon has been through a popular uprising against its political leaders, the bankruptcy of the state and banking system, a COVID-19 pandemic and, in August, a huge blast that killed 200 people and destroyed parts of Beirut. The financial crisis has wiped out jobs, raised warnings of growing hunger and locked people out of their bank deposits. The collapse of the Lebanese pound, which fell to 10,000 to the dollar on Tuesday, slashed about 85% of its value in a country relying heavily on imports. It was the last straw for many who have seen prices of consumer goods such as diapers or cereals nearly triple since the crisis erupted. Demonstrators burnt tyres and rubbish containers across many parts of Lebanon to block roads on Tuesday night.

His uncle Brett also played in the NHL

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Last month, the Trump White House put out a typically Orwellian statement, chock-filled with lies, distortions, and half-truths about Iran and the 2015 nuclear deal. One line in particular stood out from the rest: “There is little doubt that even before the deal’s existence, Iran was violating its terms.”

Huh? The Iranians were violating an agreement — before it even existed?

Is it any surprise that even the foreign minister of Iran took to Twitter to join the online ridiculing of the White House?

The Trump administration’s lies on the topic of Iran are now beyond parody. There is, however, nothing funny about them. U.S. government lies can have deadly consequences: Never forget that hundreds of thousandsof innocent Iraqi men, women, and children, not to mention more than 4,400 U.S. military personnel, are dead today because of the sheer volume of falsehoods told by the George W. Bush administration.

So it is incumbent upon journalists to do in 2019 what we collectively did not do in 2003: Check the facts, challenge the lies, debunk the myths.

Here’s my contribution: a refutation of five of the most dishonest and inaccurate claims from the hawks — claims that brought the United States and Iran to the brink of conflict only a few weeks ago.

Lie #1: Iran Is Building a Nuclear Weapon

President Donald Trump has referred to Iran’s “quest for nuclear weapons” and claimed the Islamic Republic will soon be “on the cusp of acquiring the world’s most dangerous weapons.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has argued, “Even after the deal, Iran continued to preserve and expand its nuclear weapons program for future use.”

The truth is that while it is accurate to speak of an Iranian nuclear program, which is legal under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it is an utter lie to speak of an Iranian nuclear weapons program — as countless news organizations have also done.

As long ago as 2007, the U.S. intelligence community produced a National Intelligence Estimate on Iran which offered what then-President George W. Bush would later describe in his memoir as a “stunning” and “eye-popping” conclusion that “tied my hands on the military side”: “We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program.”

Nothing has changed since then. In January, then-Director of National Intelligence, Trump appointee, and former Republican congressman Dan Coats reaffirmed the consensus view of 16 U.S. intelligence agencies when he told the Senate: “We continue to assess that Iran is not currently undertaking the key nuclear weapons-development activities we judge necessary to produce a nuclear device.”

Nuclear weapons program? What nuclear weapons program?

Lie #2: Iran Violated the Nuclear Deal

The Trump administration has repeatedly claimed that Iran was not sticking to the terms of the agreement — prior to the administration itself violating the agreement by unilaterally pulling out and reimposing economic sanctions on Iran.

The president claimed Iran “committed multiple violations.” Hawkish Republican Sen. Tom Cotton accused Tehran of having “repeatedly violated the terms of the deal.” So did Mark Dubowitz, head of the neoconservative Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who said, “Iran is incrementally violating the deal.”

In fact, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, published more than a dozen reports confirming that Iran was fully complying with the terms of the deal. In April 2018, then-Defense Secretary James Mattis described the nuclear agreement as “pretty robust.” Even the then-head of the Israeli military, Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, said in March 2018 that the deal “with all its faults” was “working.”

Last month, Iran’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, announced that the country’s stockpiles of enriched low-grade uranium would exceed the 300-kilogram limit laid out in the nuclear agreement — provoking a flurry of condemnations from Western governments and op-ed columnists. But let’s be clear about the order of events: The Iranian violation of one particular aspect of the deal came more than a year after the United States violated the entire deal.

Lie #3: Iran Is the Leading State Sponsor of Terror

“Iran remained the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism,” declared  the State Department in September 2018. The Islamic Republic has been “the world’s central banker of international terrorism since 1979,” claimed national security adviser John Bolton a few weeks later. In June, Trump called Iran the “number one terrorist nation” in the world.

This makes no sense. Few would dispute the fact that Tehran has provided support, funds, and weaponry to Hamas and Hezbollah, both of which have been designated “Foreign Terrorist Organizations” by the U.S. government (though it is also worth noting that millions of Palestinians and Lebanese see them as resistance groups that are fighting against Israeli occupiers). ...

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Phroyd